Houdini (1953) (Houdini)

Step right in, young ladies,

out towards the acme of refinement.

It will astound you and amaze you.

It is also educational,

and it costs you only 10 cents.

Come on kids, let's go in.

But we told the Dean we were going to the art institute.

We're liable to get in trouble.

But the man said it was educational, didn't he?

Let's go.

Come on.

Right this way, young ladies,

four tickets for the young ladies.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, if you follow me

to the other end of the museum, as we approach

this exhibit, I ask you to do so with extreme caution

because, as I introduce to you, bruto, the wild man

who was captured in the wilds of Africa.

He is just as wild and ferocious today

as he was the day he was captured.

Ah ah, not too close ladies

because it was women who made the wild man wild.

If you please, Mr. Schultz.

Down with you!

Down!

Down with youl!

Stop it, stop it!

=- huh?

You treat him like a beast and he becomes one.

What do you mean?

Just stop hitting him, that's all.

Look out!

You made him that way, you don't hit him any more.

Now, if you young ladies and the rest of you folks

will just follow up to the rest platform,

I'd like to introduce you to the world's greatest phenomena,

the pretzel twins.

They will bend, twist, and curve

in more postions than a greenfly.

Now look here, young lady, if you don't leave

that man alone, you have to leave the place.

What, I didn't do anything do him.

He is dangerous!

Last time he grabbed a girl, she disappeared, poof!

Now leave him alone.

What's the matter with you?

Hi, Harry.

Hi, Joan.

Thank you, minnie and Sadie.

And now, ladies and gentlemen,

if you'll all just move over to the next platform,

I want to introduce to you a man

who has all the wizardry of modern magic at his fingertips.

Not a man of a thousand tricks,

but a man of 10,000 tricks.

He will not only amaze and astound you,

but will confound you with his modern feats of magic.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the great Houdini!

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

For my first trick, a small miracle.

As you see, I have just an ordinary piece of paper.

I take the paper, form a simple cone, bend the end.

If you please, your attention to the pitcher of milk

oh the table.

Take the milk, pour it in to the magic cone.

To the doubting thomases who don't believe this is milk,

I pour it into the glass, see?

For the young ladies who like sweet milk,

I add a little sugar.

Take the wand, stir just a little bit.

Watch.

One, two, three.

Evaporated milk.

That magic act, it's gotta go.

It slows up the turnover, you can see that, can't you?

Yeah, but he won't play the wild man

unless I let him do those tired tricks.

Are you the boss around here, huh?

Don't you see how all the girls go for the wild man?

That boy's got something.

If only he would forget the magic.

Now for my next feat, I shall need

the assistance of some volunteer from the audience.

Young lady, would you kindly step up on the platform?

Oh, I couldn't do anything like that.

Oh no, I don't want to.

I don't want to go up in front of all those people.

Come right up here, don't be afraid.

Thank you, let's give the young lady a nice hand.

And this is for assisting me.

Oh, thank you.

What is your name, young lady?

I'm not in the habit of giving my name to strangers.

She's not in the habit of giving her name to strangers.

Have we met before?

Certainly not.

Much to my misfortune.

Now, would you kindly write your name down

on this piece of paper.

Now, don't let me see it, please.

Thank you.

Have you written it?

Yes.

Now put it in the flame and drop it in the urn.

Now, concentrate on your name while it's burning.

Are you concentrating?

Yes.

Is it burning?

Yes.

Thank you very much.

Now, may I have your hand, please?

Oh please, it's going to help the vibrations.

Thank you.

Now will you close your eyes an concentrate.

You're not concentrating.

I want you to hold my hand real tight and concentrate

because I'm going to read your thoughts.

Oh my goodness.

Please, you must concentrate.

Sorry.

Thank you.

Oh, now I'm getting an image, and it's a good one.

And I rub it on my arm, watch.

There, is that your name, Bess?

Yeah!

Bess, you see, the vibrations do help.

Thank you, thank you very much.

And I thank you.

Now folks, if you step in this direction

for the next exhibit.

Oh, don't go, this is for you.

Thank you.

Don't go.

Well, let go of my arm.

Well, if I let you go I'll never see you again.

I have no intention of seeing you again.

Here.

And now folks, you can step over

in this direction, I want to introduce you

to the mystic isle of little fuchsia.

Now, of course, you won't believe me,

and oddly enough, their names are Mr. and Mrs. bigger.

Probably because he is bigger than she is.

Ah, you will notice that he doesn't say anything

because like all normal husbands, he's not allowed to.

Now, they lead normal lives just like you and me.

Psst psst.

Don't be afraid.

I'm not afraid.

= then come here.

You better get back in your cage before they whip you.

You wouldn't let him whip me, will you?

I wish I could help you.

Well, you can.

How?

By having dinner with me tonight.

= well that's the most ridiculous...

Oh Bess, you don't seem to understand.

I just wanted to meet you...

= you fake!

No, Bess.

Excuse me, ma'am.

Excuse me, Bess.

The wild man!

Please, let me explain.

Get away from me.

Miss, I've gotta talk to you.

I don't want anything to do with you.

Oh, you could have tears in your eyes

for the wild man, but for the great Houdini, nothing.

You're crazy.

Listen, you get your junk out of here, you're fired.

All right.

Now, wait a minute.

He's fired, I tell you, let him go, he's fired.

Over here, over here.

What made you want to come to coney island tonight?

= oh, I don't know, I just, well, I wanted to come.

As long as we're here, let's skip these

side show things and go on some of the rides.

All right.

Let's go over here maybe, Fred.

Only 10 cents, a thin dime.

A 10th of a dollar.

- But Bess - Oh, let's go in here, Fred.

You said we'd go on a ride.

Oh, we will, promise, later,

but let's go in here first, please.

Ah, Houdini the great.

Watch it, watch it closely, ladies and gentlemen.

Will Houdini survive, or will he become

a chip off the old block.

Watch it, watch it, ladies and gentlemen.

This is without the doubt the most dangerous stunt

ever performed before the public.

Are the ropes securely tied, gentlemen?

Yes, sir.

Thank you, thank you very much.

Now, if you'll clear the conveyor.

Ladies and gentlemen, before I throw this switch,