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Houdini - The Movie Star (The Master Mystery / Terror Island / The Man from Beyond / Haldane of the Secret Service / The Grim Game) (1919)
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| Starring: | Harry Houdini, Marguerite Marsh, Charles Graham, Ruth Stonehouse, Edna Britton, William Pike, Floyd Buckley, Jack Burns, Lila Lee, Eugene Pallette, Gladys Leslie, William Humphrey, Richard Carlyle |
| Director: | Irvin Willat, James Cruze, Burton L. King, Harry Grossman, Harry Houdini |
| Genre: | Silent, Drama, Serials |
| Year: | 1919 |
| Studio: | Kino Video |
| Length: | 450 minutes |
| Released: | April 8, 2008 |
| Rating: | NR |
| Format: | DVD |
| Misc: | NTSC, Black & White |
| Language: | English(Original Language) |
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SYNOPSIS:
The Master Mystery (1919, 238 min.)
In this action-packed serial, government agent Quentin Locke (Houdini) infiltrates a corrupt patents company, only to run into the gleaming terror of its robot protector, the Automaton. In order to save the beautiful Eva Brent (Marguerite Marsh) and find a cure for the dreaded Madagascar Madness, Locke suffers an inhuman array of tortures and physical restraints.
He is chained, tied with barbed wire, padlocked in a crate and thrown in the water, tied beneath a descending elevator, strapped to an electric chair, and bound in an elaborate Oriental torture chamber.
Written by Arthur B. Reeve (the creator of The Exploits of Elaine), The Master Mystery was a sensational hit throughout the U.S. and Europe and allowed the legendary escape artist to perform his miraculous feats before the eyes of millions.
Portions of The Master Mystery no longer survive today. This Kino edition runs almost four hours, and bridges the missing passages with explanatory text.
Terror Island (1920, 55 min)
Directed by James Cruze (The Covered Wagon) and produced at Paramount (Famous Players-Lasky), Terror Island was by far Houdini’s most lavish production. In it, he stars as a swashbuckling inventor who steers his high-tech submarine to a forbidden tropical isle to rescue the father of the woman he loves. Only five of seven reels of Terror Island survive today. This Kino edition presents all the existing footage and bridges the gaps with explanatory text.
The Man from Beyond (1922, 68 min)
The flagship effort of Houdini’s independent production company, The Man from Beyond reflects his growing fascination with life after death. Houdini stars as Howard Hillary, a man frozen in the Arctic, who returns to civilization 100 years later to reclaim the love of his life, reincarnated in the body of a young woman. The film boasts a series of thrilling escapes and feats of physical agility, climaxing with an elaborate scene above Niagara Falls.
Haldane of the Secret Service (1923, 84 min.)
In his final film as an actor, Houdini stars as Heath Haldane, an undercover operative assigned to infiltrate a band of counterfeiters within the dark alleys of New York’s Chinatown. Virtually unseen since its 1923 release, Haldane of the Secret Service has been mastered from a 35mm print with the original color tints.
The Grim Game - FRAGMENT (1919, 5 Min.)
In the only surviving footage of Houdini’s The Grim Game, the cameras captured an unplanned incident: two planes colliding in mid-air. The footage was so spectacular that the script was revised to integrate it into the plot.
BONUS FEATURES:
- An examination of scenes deleted by the New York Censor Board
- Image galleries
- Detailed film notes
- Correspondence with the NY Censor Board
- Filmed records of Houdini escapes (1907 - 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
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