Product Description

By the year 1919, Harry Houdini was known throughout the world as a master magician and escape artist. Having conquered the stage, he set out to rule the screen, appearing in a series of thrillers built upon his almost supernatural powers. Culled from film archives and private collections, this Kino DVD set includes all of Houdini s suriving films as an actor, rare footage of actual handcuff and straitjacket escapes, and a wealth of historical information. Includes: THE MASTER MYSTERY (1919, 238m, Color Tinted) TERROR ISLAND (1920, 55m, B&W) THE MAN FROM BEYOND (1922, 68m, Color Tinted) HALDANE OF THE SECRET SERVICE (1923, 84m, Color Tinted) THE GRIM GAME (Fragment, 1919, 5m, Color Tinted) - SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE: Filmed records of Houdini escapes (ca. 1907-23) - Audio recording of Houdini speaking (1914) - Excerpts from the NY Censor Board files - Slippery Jim, a 1910 Houdini-inspired comedy - The illusion Metamorphosis performed by Houdini s brother Hardeen and others.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32990 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-04-08
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Black & White, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 3
• Running time: 450 minutes

Customer Reviews

True Manna from DVD Heaven
When I was a kid in the late 50s, Houdini was still THE man. Escape artist, illusionist and master magician, Harry Houdini fired our youthful imaginations almost as no other - even though we had almost never seen him except in faded stills or old newsreels. We certainly never heard him speak, but had only read avidly about his past exploits.

Now, Kino International is giving Houdini back to his legions of devoted fans by releasing a three-DVD set that includes ALL of the surviving silent movie films of "Houdini - the actor," as well as footage of escapes and an audio clip of the master's voice!

More than mere entertainment, this wonderful collection is truly an historical presentation of Houdini's film career.

By 1919, Houdini was known internationally as an unparalleled master magician. Having conquered the stage, he set out to do the same thing to the "new" medium of the day - the movie. Houdini appeared in a series of thrillers built upon his almost supernatural powers, which he performed the majority of the stunts himself in all of his films.

This incredible boxed set represents the first time that these images (except for "The Man from Beyond") have ever been released on DVD, and may very well be the first time a lot of fans have seen these wonderful productions in more than 75 years!!

Kino International culled everything it could find from film archives and private collections to gather and remaster this amazing material. It includes all of Houdini's surviving silent films as an actor, rare footage of actual handcuff and straitjacket escapes, as well as a wealth of historical information. It also includes a serial in which may have been the first-ever robot on screen to be a threat.

Included in this DVD set is: The Master Mystery (1919, 238m, Color Tinted), a cliff-hanging serial in which Justice Department Agent Quentin Locke (Houdini) must investigate a powerful cartel protected by a robot (referred to as "The Automation") and using a gas weapon "The Madagascar Madness"; Terror Island (1920, 55m, B&W), which involves an inventor of a submarine (Houdini), a damsel in distress, her captured father, hostile natives on an island, a family of villains and some shipwrecked treasure; The Man From Beyond (1922, 68m, Color Tinted), which includes a jail type escape, a fist fight with Houdini winning of course, and a sensational scene with Houdini swimming the rapids at Niagara Falls; Haldane of the Secret Service (1923, 84m, Color Tinted), Heath Haldane (Houdini) tracks down a vicious gang of counterfeiters, narrowly missing death several times. He must rescue Adele Ormsby, whom he loves despite her pending marriage; and The Grim Game (Fragment, 1919, 5m, Color Tinted), a film that featured a famous jump from the wings of one plane to another, and the first in-air plane collision ever recorded by a movie camera.

Special Features include filmed records of Houdini escapes (ca. 1907-23); an audio recording of Houdini speaking (1914); Excerpts from the NY Censor Board files; Slippery Jim, a 1910 Houdini-inspired comedy; and the illusion Metamorphosis performed by Houdini's beloved brother Hardeen, and others.

Beyond recommended!!

Houdini Returns...On DVD.
Kino's new set HOUDINI: THE MOVIE STAR is a three disc collection of just about everything that Houdini did which still survives. HH made 5 films over a 5 year period (1919-1923). His first effort THE MASTER MYSTERY is a serial which survives mostly intact. It's also a rare opportunity to see Mae Marsh's older sister Marguerite in action and she's pretty good given the material.

Of the other four only his last effort HALDANE OF THE SECRET SERVICE is fully complete. 1919's THE GRIM GAME has only about 5 minutes but it contains an actual midair collision which was left in the film. THE MAN FROM BEYOND is Houdini's best known film and the 16mm copy here is much better than any of the previous video incarnations. The story of a man revived after being frozen for 100 years has been reworked many times and is never less than fascinating. The highlight of the collection is TERROR ISLAND. Although missing reels 3 and 4 it has the advantage of high production values (it was made at Paramount), a quality director in James Cruze (THE COVERED WAGON), and a cast of strong supporting players led by Eugene Pallette (he was Friar Tuck in Errol Flynn's ROBIN HOOD) whose career stretched into the 1940s.

The set comes with lots of extras including actual clips of Houdini performing and an audio recording of him advertising his act from 1914. As a performer Houdini was charismatic but his films suffer from the same plots and stunts used over and over again. If you've seen one, you've seen em' all. Nevertheless this is a valuable piece of celluloid history and is certainly worth having for the discriminating collector or silent film lover. Just don't expect something "magical".

For Houdini Nuts Only
This DVD set falls under the "I did not know it still existed" category. I am a Houdini Nut and I had to see what I thought was gone forever. Well, it almost should be. What has survived and re released is in pretty bad shape. Most of one serial, a late movie Houdini pieced together and a few newsreel shots of his actual escapes. And a French cartoon so unrelated as to be absurd. The newsreel bits of upside down straight jacket escapes sort of redeem it. A 2 DVD set might be be a better concept. Maybe one? This is not for light entertainment. Serious students only.