Houdini: The Movie Star (3 DVD Set) - DVD

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 surviving films as an actor, rare footage of actual handcuff and straitjacket escapes, and a wealth of historical information.

THE MASTER MYSTERY (1919, 238 Min., Color Tinted)
TERROR ISLAND (1920, 55 Min., B&W)
THE MAN FROM BEYOND (1922, 68 Min., Color Tinted)
HALDANE OF THE SECRET SERVICE (1923, 84 Min., Color Tinted)
THE GRIM GAME (Fragment, 1919, 5 Min., Color Tinted)

DVD 1:

THE MASTER MYSTERY
U.S. 1919 Color Tinted 238 Min.
Directed by Burton L. King
Produced by B.A. Rolfe
Screenplay by Arthur B. Reeve
and Charles Logue
Featuring Harry Houdini
Marguerite Marsh, Jack Burns,
Ruth Stonehouse, Charles Graham
Music by Stuart Oderman
Produced for video by Bret Wood
Licensed by Douris UK Ltd.
THE MASTER MYSTERY is continued on DVD 2 of this collection.

SPECIAL FEATURES

• An examination of scenes deleted by the New York Censor Board
• Image gallery
• Detailed film notes

DVD 2:

TERROR ISLAND
U.S. 1920 B&W 55 Min.
A Paramount-Artcraft Release
Directed by James Cruze
Written by Arthur B. Reeve & John Grey
Photographed by William Marshall
Featuring Harry Houdini, Lila Lee
Jack Brammall, Eugene Pallette
Music composed and performed by Clark Wilson
Preserved by the Library of Congress

THE MAN FROM BEYOND
U.S. 1922 Color Tinted 68 Min.
Houdini Picture Corporation
Directed by Burton L. King
Written & Produced by Harry Houdini
Featuring Harry Houdini
Nita Naldi, Jane Connelly
Music composed and performed by Jon C. Mirsalis
Preserved by the Library of Congress

This DVD contains the conclusion of THE MASTER MYSTERY Episodes 14 - 15, continued from DVD 1

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Correspondence with the NY Censor Board
• Image gallery
• Detailed film notes

DVD 3:

THE GRIM GAME (fragment)
U.S. 1919 Color Tinted 5 Min.
Directed by Irving Willat
Written by Arthur B. Reeve and John Grey
Featuring Harry Houdini, Ann Forrest
Music composed and performed by Ben Model
Licensed by the George Eastman House Motion Picture Department
Music ?? 2008 Kino International Corp.

HALDANE OF THE SECRET SERVICE
U.S. 1923 Color Tinted 84 Min.
Houdini Pictures Corporation
Written & Directed by Harry Houdini
Featuring Harry Houdini, Gladys Leslie, William Humphrey
Music composed and performed by Ben Model
Licensed by Cinema Arts
Music ?? 2007 Kino International Corp.
Produced for video by Bret Wood

HARRY HOUDINI ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE from the Collection of George Eastman House Motion Picture Department.
Additional footage courtesy of the Larson-Casselton Collection

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Filmed records of Houdini escapes (1907-ca. 1923)
• The illusion "Metamorphosis," performed by Houdini's brother Hardeen
• 1914 Audio recording of Houdini introducing his "Water Torture Cell"
• "Slippery Jim," 1910 comedy short inspired by Houdini
• Image gallery
• Detailed film notes