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Houdini (1998) (TV) More at IMDbPro »


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Overview

User Rating:
5.6/10   232 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 6% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer (WGA):
Pen Densham (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Houdini on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
6 December 1998 (USA) more
Tagline:
He made a life out of cheating death
Plot:
The life and times of escape artist/magician Harry Houdini. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won Primetime Emmy. Another 4 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(3 articles)
Pen Densham gets on the court with 'Bill'
 (From Monsters and Critics. 13 August 2009, 2:08 PM, PDT)

Bill Tilden Biopic in the Works
 (From TheMovingPicture. 12 August 2009, 9:19 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
When will they tell Houdini's story accurately? more (10 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Johnathon Schaech ... Harry Houdini
Stacy Edwards ... Bess Houdini

Paul Sorvino ... Blackburn
Rhea Perlman ... Esther
David Warner ... Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Mark Ruffalo ... Theo

Grace Zabriskie ... Mrs. Weiss

Ron Perlman ... Booking Agent

Karl Makinen ... Jim Collins
Judy Geeson ... Lady Doyle
Frank McRae ... Usher

George Segal ... Beck

Emile Hirsch ... Young Houdini
Curt Lowens ... Samuel Weiss

Jack McGee ... Street Vendor
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Believe (USA) (working title)
Believe: The Houdini Story (USA) (working title)
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Runtime:
Brazil:94 min | Argentina:99 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Filming Locations:

FAQ

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5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful.
When will they tell Houdini's story accurately?, 30 May 1999
3/10
Author: Erewhon from Los Angeles, California

When Tony Curtis played Harry Houdini in the 1953 George Pal movie, the fact that it wasn't historically accurate wasn't of serious concern, and the movie is entertaining for what it is.

The TV movie THE GREAT HOUDINIS was a hasty little film of no particular interest; it's hardly memorable. But by the time 1998 rolled around, the opportunity existed to tell an accurate version of Houdini's life -- and Pen Densham not only wildly blows this, he made a movie that's actually insulting to Houdini's memory, which wasn't true of the earlier versions.

The movie falsifies every relationship it depicts; Houdini's brother wasn't a whining ingrate, Houdini's wife Bess was steadfast and loyal, Houdini knew Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for many years, not for the single lunchtime meeting shown in the movie.

But the insulting aspect is the element of spiritualism; Houdini spent years debunking it, and NOT just because mediums couldn't put him in touch with his mother. For the movie to show that survival after death is REAL is a betrayal of one of the main aspects of Houdini's life.

And they also treat his career all wrong. Where was the Handcuff King? Where was the magician who created gigantic illusions, like walking through a wall or making an elephant disappear? Like the George Pal version, this one also invents a lot of malarkey involving the Chinese Water Torture.

Houdini was a very interesting and colorful performer, and he deserves a reasonably accurate biography instead of more claptrap like this.

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