Yeah, I know the 1953 Hollywood biopic, Houdini, isn’t exactly pulpy. It’s a slick-n-glossy mainstream flick, but it’s my feature and I’ll post whatever I want dammit. There, I just put my foot down. Stomp.

I recently re-watched the movie for the first time in many years. It bears *some* relation to the real story but not a lot. It’s a pity because Bernie Schwartz is perfectly cast in the lead role and his then wife, Janet Leigh, looks extremely fetching in her stage outfits. As they would have said in Bess Houdini’s day, hubba hubba. I give it a B- for entertainment value and a D+ for historical accuracy on the Reel History scale.

Even if it’s not exactly a great film, I am very fond of the Curtis-Leigh Houdini biopic because it led to a lifelong interest in the handcuff king and his fascinating life. Thanks, Hollywood.

Here’s the trailer: