The Great Houdini

The film is more about seances, mediums, and communicating with the dead, than it is about great escapes. Under the influence of his overbearing Mother, Ruth Gordon, "The GreatHoudini", Paul Michael Glaser, has her shadow over him in both life and death. Once she passes on, Houdini is obsessed with trying to communicate with his Mother through seances and mediums. It is only after he is convinced that all efforts to speak with the dead are either through unhinged charlatans or out and out frauds, that he becomes a non believer, and sinks into the deepest of depressions. His long suffering wife, Sally Struthers, stands by him even as the religious right relentlessly attacks Houdini as a sort of anti-Christ. - MERK

I have seen this TV movie twice, and have been searching for a copy of the video to purchase. I've seen other Houdini movies and biographies, but this is one I really want. Paul Michael Glaser and Sally Struthers were very real in their portrayal of Harry (Erich Weiss) Houdini and his wife, Bess.

This made-for-TV movie didn't do much for the careers of Paul Michael Glaser and Sally Struthers, who were starring in successful TV series at the time but didn't go on to bigger careers. It is simply a darker remake of the 1953 "Houdini," which starred Tony Curtis as legendary magician Harry Houdini and Janet Leigh as his wife. It's no more accurate than the previous film, and it's inferior in almost every way. Its only advantage is the physicality of action star Glaser in the title role. Houdini, like all the great escape artists of his day, was as much an athlete as an illusionist. Glaser looks like an athlete, which Curtis did not.

Yes Because it heavily dwelt upon Houdini's failures as even my Mom told me about this as well as the way little kids felt about this.Also being so as the basic premise of the Movie. But It still has a great all star cast including Paul Michael Glaser of Starsky and Hutch;Sally Struthers of All in the family;and Vivian Vance of I Love Lucy ;The Lucy Show and that 1977 Special of The President of The USA.Bill Bixby of My Favorite Martian and The Incredible Hulk fame,Also Jack Carter. Truly, Stephen "Steve" G. Baer of Framingham,MA P.S. Like Magic my personal Family name of Ste was come up with by the gift of gab and when my older Brother J.Kevin couldn't say Stephen.Also of which is a result of why i couldn't be brought up to prefer Stephen.Yes this is also the way allot of people get there nicknames.Like my Late Great Grandmother Alice Bouchet when my father Jack couldn't Say Grammy and when he said Bambi it thusly stuck. When I told this guy Stephen "Steve" Nutile of how I got to be Ste he then told that he knew of some other that that happened to and that when one of these boys couldn't say Brothers they Became the Bubs.Yes these memories more than have just brought happy tears to my eyes.

I guess this version of the great Houdini's life is closer to the reality than the George Marchall's film, starring Tony Curtis, in the fifties, more Hollywood oriented feature, as you can guess. This is truly a TV material, faithful to the authentic facts. It is very pleasant to watch, especially Paul - Starsky - Michael Glaser, who is convincing at the most as the famous magician. Yes this film for TV industry is quite different from the Hollywood made movie; if you are interested by Harry Houdini, you need to watch both features. This one, though, is deeper, more emotional.