Starring Harry Houdini, Jack Brammall, Lila Lee, Wilton Taylor, Eugene Pallette
Directed by James Cruze
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A young woman recruits the inventor of a new submarine to help her rescue her father from bloodthirsty natives on a tropical island, but treasure sunk nearby also attracts her greedy relatives.
Real-life escape artist Harry Houdini stars in another film effort, which is hard to judge completely as a number of reels have been lost per the onscreen notes from the Kino Video release I viewed. However, the major structure of the film remains intact and I found it to be an engaging adventure, enlivened by Houdini's noble onscreen persona and some energetic underwater sequences.
Showing posts with label Harry Houdini. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harry Houdini. Show all posts
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Friday, February 7, 2014
The Master Mystery (1919)
Starring Harry Houdini, Marguerite Marsh, Ruth Stonehouse, Edna Britton, William Pike
Directed by Harry Grossman & Burton L. King
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
In this movie serial, a young inventor employed by a patent company battles against the schemes of the evil vice president of the company, which require him to escape from multiple death traps.
Famed real-life escape artist Harry Houdini stars in an intriguing serial from the early days of silent cinema, which has been preserved on DVD by the Kino label, but is sadly incomplete, with a number of chapters lost to the ravages of time. What remains though offers us the opportunity to see Houdini in his prime, performing escapes from a variety of forms of bondage, and it gives the viewer a certain thrill to know that our hero is escaping due to his own wits and talent, and not through the movie trickery employed in standard cliffhangers. Unlike most of the serials I've seen, this one is densely plotted with a great deal of romantic melodrama, bringing on the action only near each chapter's conclusion, which made some chapters seem to drag a bit. Nevertheless, it's still an entertaining saga, and a treasure for those wanting to see history's most famous magician in the flesh.
Directed by Harry Grossman & Burton L. King
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
In this movie serial, a young inventor employed by a patent company battles against the schemes of the evil vice president of the company, which require him to escape from multiple death traps.
Famed real-life escape artist Harry Houdini stars in an intriguing serial from the early days of silent cinema, which has been preserved on DVD by the Kino label, but is sadly incomplete, with a number of chapters lost to the ravages of time. What remains though offers us the opportunity to see Houdini in his prime, performing escapes from a variety of forms of bondage, and it gives the viewer a certain thrill to know that our hero is escaping due to his own wits and talent, and not through the movie trickery employed in standard cliffhangers. Unlike most of the serials I've seen, this one is densely plotted with a great deal of romantic melodrama, bringing on the action only near each chapter's conclusion, which made some chapters seem to drag a bit. Nevertheless, it's still an entertaining saga, and a treasure for those wanting to see history's most famous magician in the flesh.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
The Man From Beyond (1922)
Starring Harry Houdini, Arthur Maude, Albert Tavernier, Erwin Connelly, Frank Montgomery
Directed by Burton L. King
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A man frozen for 100 years in the arctic is found and brought back to consciousness, and he falls for a young woman who seems to him the reincarnation of his lost love.
The famed Harry Houdini, the magician and escape artist still recognized as one of the greats, stars in this interesting adventure which IMDB credits as produced by his own film company. He only has one true escape presented in the film, in which he's wrapped in sheets and tied to a bed in a padded cell, but also seems to perform some dangerous stunt work, scaling tall buildings and swimming through a raging river. Having only read of his famous illusions and terrific escapes, it's fascinating to see the real man captured on film. While he doesn't have a great screen presence, the story affords his some nice heroic and romantic scenes, and makes me eager to see more of his films.
Directed by Burton L. King
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A man frozen for 100 years in the arctic is found and brought back to consciousness, and he falls for a young woman who seems to him the reincarnation of his lost love.
The famed Harry Houdini, the magician and escape artist still recognized as one of the greats, stars in this interesting adventure which IMDB credits as produced by his own film company. He only has one true escape presented in the film, in which he's wrapped in sheets and tied to a bed in a padded cell, but also seems to perform some dangerous stunt work, scaling tall buildings and swimming through a raging river. Having only read of his famous illusions and terrific escapes, it's fascinating to see the real man captured on film. While he doesn't have a great screen presence, the story affords his some nice heroic and romantic scenes, and makes me eager to see more of his films.
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