In Film
Bess Houdini appeared as herself in the 1938 film, Religious Racketeers (a.k.a. Mystic Circle Murder) directed by Frank O’Conner and produced by Fanchon Royer. In the film, she expressed her belief that communication with those who have died is impossible. The film sparked controversy among spiritualists, but was praised by magicians. It was released on DVD in 2006 by Alpha Video.
Bess has been portrayed in film by Janet Leigh (Houdini, 1953), Sally Struthers (The Great Houdinis, 1976), and Stacy Edwards (Houdini, 1998). On stage she has been played by Judith Bruce (Man of Magic, 1966), Viviane Thomas (Houdini - A Circus Opera, 1979) and Kim Lores (The Great Houdini, 1999).
Read more about this topic: Bess Houdini
Famous quotes containing the word film:
“I’ll be right here.”
—Melissa Mathison, U.S. screenwriter, and Steven Spielberg. ET, ET The Extra-Terrestrial, saying goodbye to Elliot as he touches Elliot’s forehead—ET’s final words in the film (1982)
“I think of horror films as art, as films of confrontation. Films that make you confront aspects of your own life that are difficult to face. Just because you’re making a horror film doesn’t mean you can’t make an artful film.”
—David Cronenberg (b. 1943)