Un reportage tragique

The Grim Game (1919)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Reporter Harvey Hanford (Harry Houdini), wanting to save his newspaper as well as show how corrupt "circumstancial evidence" can be, stages a murder where the victim is actually alive but what little evidence there is shows that he's dead and that the reporter committed the crime. The plan is for the "dead" man to come back after the reporter is in jail and show how you can't always go by evidence. The problem is that once the reporter is in jail the man really is murdered so the reporter must break out of prison and search for the real killer.

This same story would be redone decades later by Fritz Lang in BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT so it's interesting to see it done here first. For the most part this is an entertaining movie, although it certainly falls a bit short of actually being a good one. With that said, if you're a fan of the legendary magician then you'll certainly want to check this out since he does perform some nice tricks plus there's just not enough footage of him around so getting to see him in the few movies he made is nice.

With that said, obviously the main reason to watch this are for the Houdini tricks, which includes him escaping several times throughout. The famous straight-jacket routine is performed here as well as other chains that the magician is strapped into. There are some nice action/stunts throughout including one where the magician (or his double) are hanging on a flag pole. The highlight of the film comes at the end when there are two planes flying and Houdini (or his double) are on a rope going from one plane to the other. I won't ruin what happens but the scene is terrific.

The story itself is interesting but very little is done with it because people weren't really coming to this film for a story. People wanted to see Houdini in action so obviously that's what the producers gave them.

I recently saw this as a DVD extra included with the film HALDANE OF THE SECRET SERVICE. Both films star Harry Houdini but THE GRIM GAME is only a film fragment today--the rest of it no longer exists. While I have enjoyed the reviews of both reviewers who have already reviewed this film, I really must agree with CryFi's review--and it reflects that most of the original film is gone AND gives nice information about the film.

As for me, I can't see giving the fragment anything more than a 3. Although the clip is pretty good, there really isn't a coherent story and it is really just an excuse by Houdini and the film makers to use some accidental footage involving an air tragedy. It is funny to realize that Houdini took credit for the mid-air stunts he didn't even perform.

This film is essentially a curio for history teachers, magic lovers and film historians. It is NOT a film that is coherent or worth seeking out because it only is a piece of a longer film.

I was skeptical of this film and prepared not to like it, However, I was pleasantly surprised by the TCM 'television premier' last Sunday of a nicely completed full-length restoration. I find most films from the 1916-1920 era to be horribly dated with that era's overdone style of acting. There are notable exceptions like Pickford, Chaplin, and Fairbanks, of course, but these older silents are sometimes hard to watch and even absurdly clumsy. The Grim Game has some of that chewed-scenery aspect, but overall it is well done. The story is a bit far fetched, but nonetheless entertaining. And many of our later favorites - Tully Marshall, Mae Busch, and Arthur Hoyt - appear. As for Houdini, he performs as expected in several escape scenes which naturally is what one expects. I had never seen him before and considering that his name is still legendary after 100 years, the film is worth a look if only for that. The Grim Game also has some really interesting 'snapshots' of the era including an incredible (in the sense of 'not believable') aeroplane (sic) chase. All of that having been said, kudos to preservationists and restorers for their tedious and painstaking work on films like these. It is greatly appreciated by me and legions of movie buffs.

Harry Houdini reminds me of Jackie Chan. Both of them starred in action movies with implausible plotlines which were basically excuses to string together a series of stunts designed to showcase the star's particular talents: in Houdini's case, his incredible physical stamina and his ability to escape from all sorts of restraints. The plot of "The Grim Game" is basically a long string of stunts, but Houdini performs them with panache, and modern audiences will enjoy this film. The story is written primarily by Arthur B. Reeve, creator of the scientific detective Craig Kennedy (who was parodied by Douglas Fairbanks as "Coke Ennyday").

Harry Houdini stars as Harvey Hanford (same initials) who is engaged to marry Mary Cameron (Ann Forest). When Mary's guardian is murdered, Houdini is framed for the crime and sent to prison. He escapes (of course!) and then goes after the villains, but they keep chaining him up or imprisoning them, and of course Houdini keeps right on escaping. At one point they leave him hanging upside-down in a straitjacket off the roof of a skyscraper. No problem, and Houdini is home free before the villains can take the elevator back to street level.

At the film's climax, the boss villain abducts Mary (of course) and flies away with her in a rickety biplane, which was a state-of-the-art aircraft when this film was made in 1919. Houdini jumps into another aeroplane and takes off in pursuit. The two 'planes crash in midair (nice photography here), but Houdini and his girlfriend get back to the ground in one piece... or rather, in one piece apiece.

The entire film is thrilling but largely implausible. Houdini's feats are genuine, but the stunts are clearly designed to play to Houdini's strengths rather than realistic situations. The airborne climax takes advantage of the fact that, in real life, Houdini was a skilled aviator. (He was the first person ever to fly an aircraft in Australia.)

"The Grim Game" is enjoyable, and parts of it are fast-moving, but don't look for a logical storyline. (The villains have no qualms about committing murder, so why don't they just kill Houdini instead of always chaining him up?) In the best sense of the term, this movie is escapist entertainment.

With financing from TCM, the only known print of Houdini's first film was restored to near-perfect condition (except for some deterioration damage toward the end) and found its television premiere on TCM on Sunday, October 18, 2015. A recap of the finding and restoring of the film can be found in ellebrennan's review here of October 20.

Although Brennan's recap (excerpted from Houdini.org) credits renowned composer Brane Živković with having created a new score for the restoration, what neither hers nor any other review here to date of the restored film mentions is that TCM showed the film twice that night, first with Živković's score, then again later with a more traditional silent film score by Steve Sterner.

Unfortunately, I missed what host Robert Osborne may or may not have said about the Sterner score, but in my estimation, although less innovative, it may in some way be preferable.

Živković's score is thematically more operatic in that characters have their own themes assigned to them. Since Houdini (and his character) is on the screen so much throughout the film, his theme eventually becomes monotonous. Variations of his theme would be highly appreciated.

Sterner's score, being more traditional as silent film scores go, does not vary with the characters, per se, but if with anything, the action.

Let the discussion begin.