Yesterday, I had the pleasure of visiting the Motion Picture Academy Library with Diego Domingo and reading several drafts of the Houdini (1953) screenplay, including Philip Yordan's first draft.
I feel like first drafts are when a screenwriter puts his heart into his work, and this first draft of Houdini, while still recognizable as the movie we have today, has some notable differences. Overall, is a very different and much more intense Houdini movie experience. It really got under my skin and is still haunting me today.
This is the kind of thing I share on my Patreon these days, so if you're wild about Houdini (1953), you might enjoy the below.
Our friend Joe Notaro has added the October 26, 1952 Parade Magazine to his collection. This issue contains an article about Houdini and Joe Dunninger by Hy Gardner. Many wild tales here, but are any of them true? This one is a must-read, so click on over to Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence.
Here are a few curiosities from the San Francisco Chronicle that I recently stumbled on. First is an ad for a television showing of Houdini (1953) in October 1969, describing him as "a cat with 9 lives." That's a new one! There's something that feels very 1969 about this.
San Francisco Chronicle, Oct 20, 1969.
Here's another one, this time from 1976. San Francisco had no shortage of adult theaters back then, and their offerings were advertised in the Chronicle. Notice the teaser copy on this ad: "The stars featured in DIRTY STORIES get into positions Houdini wouldn't dare!" Goodness.
San Francisco Chronicle, Jan 24, 1976.
Finally, there's nothing all that unusual about this 1969 clipping; I just like seeing a revival house screening of The Man From Beyond in proximity to one of my favorite James Bond films, On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Just don't make the mistake of seeing Paint Your Wagon!
Over the Christmas break, I found something that I have been on the lookout for a long time. A report in the September 24, 1952, San Antonio Express-News mentions that Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh are currently shooting the movie Houdini on Stage 4 at Paramount. Specifically, the scene mentioned is the Tony Pastors scene.
San Antonio Express-News, September 24, 1952.
While I knew Houdini (1953) was shot entirely on the Paramount lot in Hollywood, I never knew which soundstage they used. Now I do!
Of course, it's possible they used more than one stage as the movie utilized many large sets. But at least I know one.
Now, if we can just get Houdini (1953) added to the historic plaque listing the films shot on the stage.
Check out the links below for more Houdini-Paramount locations.
Today is an important anniversary for me. It was 50 years ago, on November 16, 1975, that I saw the Tony Curtis Houdini biopic on television. Two hours later, I was a changed person. The story of Houdini had captivated me. But even at the age of 10, I knew movies were just entertainment. They didn't offer the truth. So I set out to learn as much as I could about this amazing man.
Fifty years later, I'm here to tell you that I'm DONE. Yes, I learned everything about Houdini! Now it's time to get it out of my head and into your hands.
I'm therefore thrilled to announce THE ULTIMATE HOUDINI CHRONOLOGY, a three-volume set of books in which I will follow Houdini through every engagement he ever played, every escape he ever performed, and every significant moment of his life. If you enjoyed Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899, know that was just an appetizer for the multi-course meal I'm cooking up now!
But wait, it gets better.
These books will be official presentations of David Copperfield's International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts. As such, David has given me carte blanche to use anything in his collection to realize my dream of creating the most complete and accurate account of Houdini's life and career ever published. This, combined with material from several other major collections, has enabled me to gather a truly mind-bending amount of unseen Houdini images to bring the text to life.
The good news is that this is not some far-off future project. The first volume, which covers the years1900-1909, is largely complete and will be released in 2026. It runs 600 pages and is packed with new information and more photos than I can count. I'm designing the book myself and working hard to make it the Houdini book of my dreams. I think it will be the Houdini book of your dreams as well.
My plan is to publish these books as limited edition hardcovers under my own imprint, Wild About Harry PRESS. I will soon be launching a new retail website where you can buy the books directly from me. I'm talking to Mike Caveney about offering a Deluxe Edition, because no one does Deluxe Editions like Mike!
Watch this blog and my Patreon in the coming months for more details. I'm excited about launching this new era and completing what I set out to accomplish fifty years ago today. Because I'm still wild about Harry! And so are you.
CONCLUDING my scene-by-scene dissection of Houdini (1953) on this, the 99th anniversary of Houdini's death. Last time, Harry agreed to cut his Pagoda Torture Cell from his Halloween show. But can he resist giving the audience "more?"
Chapter 24: The End
It's Halloween!
Houdini has returned to the stage and is giving the audience thrills that made him famous. We drop into the full evening show as Houdini escapes from a barrel. Applause greets Harry's appearance from the cabinet. By the way, the Halloween imagery we see on the stage is accurate. Houdini used Halloween-like iconography during his final tours (see this poster).
We then move quickly to the next escape as Otto announces, "Houdini has been challenged to escape from a steel straitjacket." For some reason, Otto is the one who does all the talking onstage. This is certainly not accurate, but I like how it harkens back to the buzzsaw scene at Coney Island.
Two men in the audience come forward with the steel jacket. (If anyone knows the names of these actors, I'd love to hear it.) This scene is a favorite as the steel straitjacket has become iconic in its own right. Dunninger provided the prop and claimed it was used by Houdini himself. But I've found no evidence of this. By the way, "Here goes the coat again," is something the real Houdini would sometimes say onstage.
As always, the magic is performed for real in a single shot. Under the cover of his cape, Houdini/Tony Curtis is free in less than a minute. "Better luck next time," he says to the stunned men. It's great stuff, but I don't love the decision to lay in sound effects during his escape. Also, if you have a keen eye, you will see that part of the gaff is exposed as Houdini hands the jacket back to the men.
Houdini is then brought his traditional magician's cape and top hat, two things the real Houdini never wore onstage, but it neatly evokes his stature as THE Master Magician. He then gives his farewell address:
"You're really a wonderful audience, and I do want to thank you for this heartwarming welcome you've given me on my return to the stage. I do hope I pleased you, and that you'll be coming back to see me again and again. And each time you do come back, I promise you bigger and better thrills. Good night, and thank you very much."
As Houdini leaves the stage, the audience begins to shout for "more." Mixed into the applause are some shouts, "What about the Torture Cell? Why don't you do what you promised?" Houdini hears this as he heads into the wings. "Don't listen to them, they are never satisfied," says Otto. Houdini then steps into a nice close-up and says, "I can't." He tells Otto to, "Get the Torture Cell ready."
Houdini dashes into his dressing room and quickly prepares for the encore. He turns sharply and collides with the blunt handle of a prop sword. Right in the appendix! He collapses in pain. This is our substitute for the famous punch from J. Gordon Whitehead, who was still alive when this movie was made. I've heard it said that this is why the filmmakers decided not to dramatize the punch incident itself.
In the auditorium, the curtains re-opens on the bubbling Pagoda Torture Cell as the orchestra plays an ominous waltz. Bess dashes from her box as Houdini appears on stage in his bathing suit. The men who just challenged Houdini are invited back on stage to assist, but this time there is no levity. The mood is as somber as a funeral.
As Houdini is secured in the stocks and raised above the cell, we intercut with Bess, trying to get to the stage, but the doors are locked. She bangs on the glass, but cannot be heard. Back on stage, Houdini takes several deep breaths, then he goes down into the cell as the clock and Otto begin to count off the seconds.
We have some nice Houdini POV shots of the audience through glass. But how I wish these shots were upside down! (See below). Interestingly, the curtain does not conceal the cell entirely; it only conceals the top. There is some evidence that Houdini did perform a version of the Water Torture Cell that was partially visible to the audience.
Having given up on the stage door, Bess now runs around to the front of the theater and enters through the main doors. Meanwhile, things on the stage are not going as planned. Houdini seems unable to maneuver in the confined space. He grits his teeth and appears to grow frantic. That's when Bess appears in the back of the house, just in time to see her husband fall limp with a stream of bubbles flowing from his mouth. Bess screams.
Otto then uses a fire axe to smash the cell glass in a spectacular shot. It appears actor Torin Thatcher is doing this himself, which seems pretty risky. Houdini's limp body is dragged from the cell as pandemonium erupts and the curtains close.
As Houdini is lying on the stage, Bess appears at his side. Houdini coughs and says weakly, "I'll come back, Bess. If there's a way, I'll come back. I'll come back."
Wait a minute!
Time out. The number one criticism of Houdini (1953) is that it depicts Houdini dying in his Pagoda Torture Cell. But that's not what happens here. If Houdini can talk, he's not drowned. He's alive and, presumably, he will now go to the hospital, where it will be discovered that his appendix has ruptured. So he will die in the hospital due to the results of a ruptured appendix, just as he did in real life. All we saw here was an accident, which is not entirely fictional. Houdini did have an accident in the Water Torture Cell during his last days, although not as dramatic as the one depicted here.
The entire premise of this series is that when you put each scene of this movie under the microscope, it is actually far more accurate than it is given credit for. This biggest "inaccuracy" and is actually the best example of this. And it is the last.
Okay, back to the movie.
"I'll come back, Bess. I'll come back."
Of course, this is a reference to the pact Houdini and Bess made that if it were possible to come back from the dead, he would try to do so. As Houdini repeats his promise, the camera moves away, traveling like a ghost past onlookers who seem frozen in place -- frozen in time. The camera drifts into the backstage area and settles on an old but familiar poster of the young Houdini from "Schultz's Dime Museum," and we understand just how far he has come and how high he has risen in this mysterious world of magic. Over this image appears: "The End."
There are no credits; just a repeat of the Paramount logo. Then fade to black.
Here's a standing ovation for the greatest Houdini biopic of them all. Houdini (1953). May it live forever!
In 1954, the Rio Theatre in San Francisco converted to an all-silent cinema, banking on nostalgia for the old classics in an era of Cinemascope and 3D. The article below, which appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle on New Year's Day, laid out the plan.
San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 1, 1954.
While not mentioned in the above article, Houdini was an integral part of the Rio's slate. A new episode of The Master Mystery would play before each new feature. Interestingly, Paramount's biopic Houdini (1953) was still playing in theaters, and could be seen at the Roxie on 16th and Valencia at this same time.
The Rio's first offering was the 1923 Lon Chaney classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame, along with episode 1 of The Master Mystery. A Universal Monster and Houdini? I would have been there in a second!
This wasn't the only time Houdini and The Hunchback of Notre Dame played in proximity. The below is from Waco, Texas, when Houdini was on his spiritualism lecture tour in 1924. Did Houdini ever see the movie, I wonder?
Week 3 featured the Wallace Beery comedy Behind the Front (1926), the Harry Langdon short Soldier Man, and episode 3 of The Master Mystery.
The 4th week features "Anatole France's Classic" Crainquebille (1922) and D.W. Griffith's Judith of Bethulia(1914). Despite an earlier newspaper report that The Master Mystery episode 4 would be part of the program, it is not included in the opening-day advertisement. Possibly it was dropped due to the length of the features.
The Rio's next feature would have been the Clara Bow comedy drama Dancing Mothers(1926), along with Laurel and Hardy's Criminals at Large(1929) and The Master Mystery. A newspaper reported it would be episode 4, offering further evidence that it had been dropped the previous week.
However, a slate of "Disney's True-Life Adventure" films opened at the Rio instead. The San Francisco Call reported the change.
The San Francisco Call Bulletin, Jan. 23, 1954
The mention of TV may be telling. In mid-January, local San Francisco television station KRON purchased a package of silents and began running its own series of silents as part of its late-night programming. Among their films were The Headless Horseman(1922) with Will Rogers, ThePrimrose Path (1925) with Clara Bow, and, yes, The Man From Beyond (1922) with you-know-who!
I wonder what print of The Master Mystery the Rio was showing? It could have been the complete 16mm print owned by John Hampton of the Silent Movie Theater in Los Angeles, which was going strong at this time. Perhaps the two theaters worked out an agreement to share films. Finally, how disappointing must it have been to Houdini fans to have the Rio pull the plug after only three (or four) episodes?
In the 1960s, the Rio became the Toho Rio and screened Japanese films. It was then acquired by United Artists and was known as the Metro II in the 1970s. In 1982, it briefly became the Rio again, before being sold and renamed the Mercury Theatre. It screened foreign films until its closure in 1986. It was demolished in 1990.
Below are more appearances of Houdini's movies in revival houses.
UPDATE: Here's a fun update. Our good friend Diego Domingo performed a special Halloween magic show at the Rio when it was the Metro II in 1970. In fact, Diego had pitched the idea of showing his 16mm print of The Man From Beyond to them, but the theater opted for a horror film instead.
Continuing my scene-by-scene dissection of Houdini (1953). Last time, Harry and Bess had a falling out over the Pagoda Torture Cell. Now, Houdini is alone with his creation. Or is he?
Chapter 23: A man in love with death
The entire premise of this series is to show how Houdini (1953) is more accurate than it is generally given credit for, and that nearly every scene contains embedded within it some real Houdini history. Now we come to a scene that contains no Houdini history whatsoever. It is entirely fictional. And it's my favorite scene in the film. It's just a beautifully written, directed, and performed piece of peak Hollywood cinema. So let's glory in it!
We open with Houdini walking down the street in front of the theater. He passes the large poster advertising his Pagoda Torture Cell, then heads for the backstage entrance. Dissolve to Houdini walking onto the stage of the empty theater. He approaches the finished Pagoda Torture Cell. He turns on a bubble effect, a perfect way to communicate its completion.
For the record, the real Water Torture Cell had no bubble effect. But maybe it should have! It looks pretty cool. When the real cell was displayed at the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame in Canada in the 1980s, a fish tank was placed inside to give it this bubble effect. However, the tank leaked, causing damage to the cell.
Houdini stands back, admiring his masterpiece. That's when he hears clapping. It's Bess, sitting far back in the seats. "I didn't want you to be without an audience," she says coolly as she continues to deliver a slow, mocking clap. The scene continues:
Harry: Cut it out.
Bess: Why? It's what you live for, isn't it?
Harry: What do you want me to do? The theater's sold out for tomorrow night.
Bess: Wherever you go, the theater will be sold out.
Harry: You make it sound like it's something terrible.
Bess: It is. People paying a dollar to see a man in love with death.
She resumes clapping.
This beautifully written exchange is shot in two single shots, further separating the characters. After a further exchange, Bess gets up to leave, but Harry calls out for her to wait.
We then get an extraordinary single shot. We're behind Bess as she stands, and can see all the way to the stage where Harry and the Pagoda Torture Cell stand. Harry grabs his coat, dashes off the stage, down the stairs, crosses the front row, and comes up the aisle directly towards Bess. As he nears, he throws his coat into the seats, grabs Bess by the shoulders, and turns her into a perfect profile two-shot, with the Pagoda Torture Cell visible on the stage behind them. They then deliver their dialogue with building emotion. In the end, Harry admits that without Bess, he wouldn't want to go on and agrees to "cut it out of the act."
If this were a modern movie, this would have been done in a series of shots. Heck, some modern directors would have covered it in several dozen quick cuts (you know who you are). But here, it's all done in one perfectly composed and perfectly performed shot. Yet there is no loss of momentum. In fact, the tension only heightens as Houdini nears Bess, and we see the determination on his face. And then for the actors to complete an entire page of dialogue is even more impressive. I'm amazed Tony Curtis isn't out of breath!
For many years, I wondered what theater this was filmed in. But recently, collector Ken Trombly showed me a collection of rare behind-the-scenes set photos, and I can now confirm that this wasn't a real theater at all. It was all built on a Paramount soundstage. In fact, all of Houdini (1953) was shot on the Paramount lot in Hollywood.
The final beat of this sequence is something I think many people forget is even in this movie. In fact, it's unclear whether it belongs to this scene or the following sequence. It seems to sit strangely on its own. But it is critical.
In Houdini's dressing room, we see Otto giving Harry a massage. Harry winces when Otto touches his stomach. Otto questions him about the pain, and Harry assures him, "It's nothing. It comes and goes." Otto suggests it might be his appendix. After first brushing it off, Harry agrees to have it checked out "after the tour."
In 1911, Houdini was diagnosed as having broken a blood vessel in his kidney. He suffered intermittent pain for the rest of his life. On one level, we could see this as a reference to that injury ("comes and goes"). However, the suggestion of it being his appendix is a different matter. Appendicitis is not something that comes and goes, and it's not something that should be delayed.
We are now back in the realm of real Houdini history. Famously, we know Houdini was suffering from appendicitis in the final days of his tour. We know Houdini delayed treatment, believing the pain in his stomach was caused by a punch. Therefore, the phantom pain here is vital to understanding what happens next.
It's the grand finale of Houdini (1953) and our series, but I will save that for Halloween.
The Waldo Theatre in Waldoboro, Maine, will screen Houdini (1953) this Saturday, September 20, at 7 PM, followed by a discussion with Tony Curtis' son, Ben Curtis, and local film expert Alan Magee.
The 1953 film "Houdini" is a biographical drama starring Tony Curtis as the legendary escape artist Harry Houdini and Janet Leigh as his wife Bess. The movie, directed by George Marshall, fictionalizes Houdini's life, tracing his journey from a Coney Island sideshow performer to an internationally renowned magician and escape artist. It explores his daring escapes, his relationship with Bess, and his fascination with the afterlife.
Join us after for a conversation with Tony Curtis' son, Ben Curtis, and local film expert, Alan Magee.
The Waldo Theatre is located at 916 Main Street in Waldoboro, ME. You can get more information and purchase tickets HERE.
Here's a nice video about my favorite Houdini biopic from the Trailers From Hell YouTube channel. A few details here I didn't know, such as George Pal initially wanting Marlon Brando to play Houdini? Wow. Anyway, enjoy.
In Houdini (1953), we get a close-up on the boat ticket for Harry and Bess's famous trip to Europe. It shows them sailing on the SS Ruratania. The real Harry and Bess sailed on the SS Kensington of the Red Star Line. As far as I can find, there was never a ship called Ruratania. So why did the filmmakers use this name?
I have a theory. “Ruritania” is the name of the fictional European nation featured in the famous novel The Prisoner of Zenda. A film adaptation of the novel was a hit for MGM during Houdini’s production year. So was using Ruratania (slight change in spelling) an inside joke? Maybe!
However, I was recently reading the Sherlock Holmes story, "The Adventure of the Illustrious Client," and was surprised to read this:
It was simply that among the passengers on the Cunard boat Ruritania, starting from Liverpool on Friday, was the Baron Adelbert Gruner, who had some important financial business to settle in the States.
Another reference to a ship called Ruritania! The story identifies it as a Cunard liner, so I checked the listing of all Cunard's ships, and there is no Ruritania or Ruratania. So I still believe a ship with this name never existed.
"The Adventure of the Illustrious Client" was first published in Collier's magazine in 1924. The Prisoner of Zenda novelwas published in 1895 and would have been known to Doyle. So is Doyle making the same inside joke that Houdini makes 29 years later?
It's also possible that both Doyle and the Houdini filmmakers were simply modifying the familiar name of Muratania (a very real ship), and it's just a coincidence that they both landed on Ruritania. OR could Houdini screenwriter Philip Yordan have been a Sherlockian, and the joke in Houdini is actually a nod to "The Adventure of the Illustrious Client,” which in itself is a nod to Zenda? Now my head hurts.
I own the two major annotated volumes of the complete Holmes stories, The Annotated Sherlock Holmes by William S. Baring-Gould and The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes by Leslie Klinger, and neither makes any reference to Doyle's use of Ruritania.
Here's a curiosity I just stumbled across in the December 11, 1951, issue of the Toledo Blade.
Toledo Blade, December 11, 1951.
I believe this could be a reference to Houdini's 1916 diary (one diary), which somehow escaped the others. The "Hollywood lad" is likely Ray Muse, who wrote in the October 1950 Genii that he had received the diary as a "recent gift." Did he ever show it to Houdini (1953) producer George Pal? That I don't know, but I'd like to think that he did.
The diary was eventually acquired by Manny Weltman, who owned it for decades. (I got a look at it in 1980.) After Manny's death, it was auctioned by Swann Galleries in 2002. Today it resides in The Averbook Magic Art Museum and Library. Yes, Dr. Bruce Averbook owns two Houdini diaries!
While this 1916 diary is still under wraps, Houdini's precious first diary is now published as Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899, available exclusively from Mike Caveney's Magic Words.
On April 16, actress Joanne Gilbert passed away at age 92 in her home in Los Angeles. I missed this news at the time, even though her Hollywood Reporterobituary notes that the actress made her debut in Houdini (1953). Really?
I confess I had never heard of Joanne Gilbert. But then I stumbled on her and her Houdini connection in this clipping from The Trenton Evening Times.
Trenton Evening Times, Nov. 7, 1952.
Joanne's career took off at this point, leading to some speculation that her part in Houdini might be cut. Check out the below.
Trenton Evening Times, Jan. 26, 1953.
Fortunately, the kid stayed in the picture.
Trenton Evening Times, Feb. 3, 1953.
But where is Joanne in the movie? That information was not part of any article, and IMDb simply credits her role as "Girl." However, I am fairly certain she is one of Bess's fellow classmates at the very beginning of the film. It's fun to think that audiences of 1953 would have recognized her in this scene.
Joanne went on to have a successful career in film and television, but never became a big movie star. So her familiarity would have faded with later generations, including my own. But now we know. That's Joanne Gilbert back there!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TONY CURTIS! Let's celebrate what would have been Tony's 100th by continuing our scene-by-scene dissection of Houdini (1953). Last time we went to a seance. Now Houdini gets back to business...
Chapter 22: Pagoda Torture Cell
We now enter the final act of Houdini (1953). It starts with Bess arriving at a theater advertising Houdini's return. Much to her alarm, she sees a large poster for the "Pagoda Torture Cell." Beside it is a sign reading, "Opening Tomorrow Night, Halloween." Fate is screaming out at Bess (and us) from the theater front.
It's a shame we don't see the theater name. But we know this is New York, not Detroit, and based on the Variety headline we saw in the preceding montage, this is Halloween 1925, not 1926. So the movie is taking liberties in the buildup to the big climax.
As Bess dashes into the lobby, a janitor tells her Houdini is not at the theater; he's at "Sherman Ironworks on 14th Street." Notice there is a Houdini handcuff case on display in the lobby with a man looking at it. Before high-resolution, I wondered if this could be a cameo by Joseph Dunninger. It resembles him, and what is a great idea, especially as Dunninger knew Houdini in these final years. But I can now see it's just an extra, dang-it.
Bess arrives at Sherman Ironworks, which is not rooted in any real Houdini history. Houdini's workshop was in New Jersey. There, Bess finds Harry and Otto working on the large glass Pagoda Torture Cell. Bess folds her arms and says. "So this is why you kept me in the country all week." Bess spending time in the country while Harry worked in New York is rooted in Houdini history. In fact, I'm pretty sure Bess was in the country when Houdini performed his famous Shelton Pool Test.
Houdini says they just wanted to see if it was "workable." Bess calls him out on this, saying she has been to the theater and it's "plastered all over the front." Houdini shrugs and says he's done water escapes before; this is nothing different.
"Nothing different?" says Bess, "It's an exact copy of Von Schweger's man in the bottle. It's what killed him. Don't you understand, Harry? It's what killed him."
Wait a minute. While this is a copy of the model Harry received as a gift from the late Von Schweger (see Chapter 15), Otto said nothing about it having anything to do with Von Schweger's death. I can only assume that Bess means Von Schweger's obsession with his "man in the bottle" trick isolated him and led to a collapse in health, hence "killing" him?
Notice that Bess does not mention the fact that Harry is planning this for Halloween. Remember her warning before the ice escape in Detroit: "That's not your day." But this would have been redundant, and there is something smart about letting the audience see this red flag without having to articulate it once again.
Harry says he's not worked before an audience in two years (further muddying the timeline as established in the montage), and he has to give them something new. "People aren't going to stand in line to watch me pull rabbits out of a hat," he says. This line reminds us of the poster that stood on Harry's platform at Schultz's Dime Museum. A rabbit from a hat was enough for audiences back then. But now Houdini and the world have lost their innocence. Both have hardened like the iron we see and hear being forged all around them.
Harry and Bess then address the key underlying issue, and we have this excellent exchange:
BESS
Why? Why must every act you do be flirting with death?
HARRY
Because it's the only act that'll hold an audience spellbound. People fall asleep at the opera, but they stay wide awake at the bullfights. Because there's one man defying death down in that arena. You take this out of my act and I'm nothing.
BESS
You keep it in and we're both nothing.
It's a standoff. Notice the X on the glass of the cell between them during this confrontation. A clever visual that separates them and marks the cell as the ultimate object of their core conflict.
Harry chooses death. He tells Otto, "Have this sent to the theater. We'll test it for tomorrow's performance." Even Otto, the enabler, seems upset by this decision. Houdini snaps at him, "Well, what are you standing there for?" Bess turns and leaves. Everyone is at odds as we head into the final show.
By the way, I've always thought Otto looked more like Houdini in his famous workshop photos than Tony Curtis, amiright?
Houdini (1953) presents the "Pagoda Torture Cell" as Houdini's final creation at the end of his career. That is far from the truth. Houdini debuted his Water Torture Cell, later known as The Chinese Water Torture Cell, in 1912, midway through his career, and he performed it hundreds of times. But it was still Houdini's penultimate stage escape, just as it is here.
Contrast this with the Houdini Miniseries of 2014, in which the Water Torture Cell is presented as Houdini's first major stage escape. That movie has nowhere to go (and it doesn't). So, as far as old-fashioned drama is concerned, making the Torture Cell Houdini's final escape is a great way to build up its importance...and menace.
