MovieChat Forums > Houdini (2014) Discussion > Why so much fake information?

Why so much fake information?

posted 10 years ago by yastepanov
46 replies | jump to latest

Harry Houdini was a man who led a remarkable life. Why are they inventing so much fake history for the "History Channel?"

Houdini was never a spy, never ran off with a traveling magician, never hired a magic store owner, never did a bullet catch for the Kaiser, never got trapped under ice, etc. WHY MAKE ALL THIS UP?

The bullet catch is terrible. First, a steel bullet would've been needed for a magnet to retrieve it -- an "expert marksman" would have noticed. Moreover, to load the type of musket he had does not require ANY wad of paper (through it would be useful for a blank to keep the charge from shifting) and NO ONE would mistake a blank for a live round. (Especially if you had just fired a live round!)

This thing is so full of holes it would've leaked more than the milk can.

[–] michiel-van-den-boogaart 10 years ago

The reason is simple. History Channel use to be an informative channel, but now it's pure entertainment. Where they use to broadcast facts, it's now all cheap entertainment. Even science shows like The Universe has been transformed to another Acient Aliens in the last season. Wouldn't be surprised if in the end of the second part Houdini turned out to be an alien ;)

[–] bpollen 10 years ago

There's a book The Secret Life of Houdini that claims he was a spy for the British for years.

Everything in the movie comes from some source, and while maybe not all is proven, none of it, that I can tell, is disproven.

[–] coastaleddy 10 years ago

It's never been disproven that he was an alien vampire either. We can look forward to that.

[–] lathe-of-heaven 10 years ago

Uh, actually he DID tell me in a seance that that was absolutely NOT true... 

I have over 6000 films now, many of them very rare and OOP. I LOVE to trade. PLEASE ASK! 

[–] gerard-21 10 years ago

There was also a book that said 1930's and 40s movie star Errol Flynn was a Nazi spy. Do you believe everything you read?

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] jacowium 9 years ago

The existence of the tooth mouse has also never been disproved. It therefore merits acceptance of the belief that a mouse brought you a dollar when you were a kid.

Please click on 'reply' at the post you're responding to. Thanks.

[–] starline 10 years ago

Here's a great website that has SO many interesting facts about the Houdinis.

Here's the truth (and lies) about part I...
http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2014/09/fact-checking-historys-houdini -night-one.html

And the truth about part II..(which was much more truthful)...
http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2014/09/fact-checking-historys-houdini -night-two.html

[–] starline 10 years ago

They showed this interesting documentary about Houdini on the history channel the other day...

Houdini - Unlocking the Mystery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72IBUiXJogc

Another good documentary...
A&E Biography https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwZFkwVR45Y

[–] HarveyMidnight 10 years ago

Here's the truth (and lies) about part I...

I did wanna point out, tho, that in the link provided... several of the items that came out as 'false'... there were comments like this:

Did Houdini get trapped under the ice of a frozen river?
Even though Houdini himself would tell the story of being trapped under an ice sheet during a bridge jump, there is no evidence that it ever happened...

Did Margery put a curse on Houdini?
Following her exposure, it was widely reported in the press that Margery had put a "curse" on Houdini. Margery denied it and blamed Houdini for planting the story himself (which he almost certainly did).

Well... on one hand I agree that anything passing itself off as a historically-based story, there should be an effort to make it historically accurate. But on the other hand, I can see the idea of when something is fiction, it can be based on LEGEND as much as on history; so I don't mind some historical fiction being based on popular legends about the character.

As they said in 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."

Houdini's character is also the narrator in the film, explaining his own actions, and presumably playing UP his own role as form of boasting or tall-tales, which were also popular in those days... looks like at least some of the 'fake information' is based on rumors that Houdini, himself, started about himself, in his lifetime.

Sometimes fires don't go out when you're done playin' with them.

[–] Ltrazordaddio 10 years ago

...... Why are they inventing so much fake history for the "History Channel?"

Because it is the channel that still has the nerve to call itself HISTORY. This useless POS channel has been out of the "History" business since 2007, their slogan says it all History made(up) every day"

If you deflect the topic of the thread from the show to me, our discussion is over

[–] blisteringlogic 10 years ago

At least they haven't resorted to changing their name to "The Hystory Channel" yet, unlike a certain former science fiction channel...

[–] mlaiuppa 10 years ago

They've gone the way of "The Learning Channel" selling out to ratings. We've only ourselves to blame. They couldn't support their channel with actual learning or history so they had to provide the cheap, entertaining, low IQ schlock that viewers demand.

At least the History Channel hasn't stooped to airing shows with Sarah Palin.

Yet.

[–] progun38 10 years ago

"never got trapped under ice,"

Actually, he was. That event is in his biography. He lost track of the opening and emerged after everyone had gone home.

"never hired a magic store owner"

I can't remember where Jim came from but I was pretty sure that he didn't run a magic shop.

"a steel bullet would've been needed for a magnet to retrieve it"

That was annoying.

I was most upset when he was punched by a Conan-Doyle fan while face-to-face, instead of by a college student . His bio had him lying on a sofa reading his mail when the young man asked Harry about his ability to take a punch. Distracted, Harry said yes but he hadn't tightened up for it.

What was the point in changing that?

[–] catbookss 10 years ago

"never got trapped under ice,"

Actually, he was. That event is in his biography. He lost track of the opening and emerged after everyone had gone home.

I've finally managed to tear myself away from that fascinating Houdini web site, and this is addressed on it. First, Houdini wasn't very attached to the truth, and said (and written) many things that have been proven to be untrue. Some of which he himself contradicted.

Here's what the site has to say about the being trapped under the ice story:

http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2014/03/trapped-under-ice-with-houdini .html

Warning: it's very difficult to tear yourself away from this site. I kept clicking link after link because so many of the articles were fascinating, and lost a few hours! I still have one unread tab up, so may end up losing another hour or two there.

[–] starline 10 years ago

Yes... isn't that Wild About Harry site fascinating... :)

Here's a youtube of Houdini's gravesite. I do hope someone has taken over and cleaned the place up by now. Sad that someone so famous seems so forgotten. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yndl8zeH82U

Even though there's a grave for Bess...she's not buried there. She's buried in a Catholic graveyard. I'm not sure if this is because the Jewish Cemetery wouldn't allow a catholic to be buried there...or if her catholic family insisted she be buried in a catholic cemetery. So Bess and Harry aren't resting near each other. (After so many years together. She was 18 when they married and he was 20. They were only engaged for 2 weeks.)

[–] beaverkisser 10 years ago

"Never got trapped under ice" is accurate. This was a popular tale that a reporter invented and one that he never disputed, as he was wont to do about many rumours and "accounts" of his feats, for obvious publicity reasons.
Although he did many river jumps, one of them in very cold waters, none of them were when the river was frozen and all were in broad daylight as well. Do the research...

[–] fatalfury1192 10 years ago

I think you are confused. This movie was meant for entertainment purposes! It was not intended to be historically accurate. The director actually mad note of this.

And the bullet catch scene was fantastic!
What are you an idiot??? Most guns required the paper back then. It literally took 20 seconds to reload a bullet back then.

By the by, any metal will work for a magnet. Obviously you have never held a magnet.

[–] Ltrazordaddio 10 years ago

I think the problem here is that when people tune to a channel named HISTORY, they expect to see "History" programming that is "Historically" accurate..
... sadly that hasn't been the case since 2007...

If you deflect the topic of the thread from the show to me, our discussion is over

[–] fatalfury1192 10 years ago

Well if you really wanted historically accuracy then you could have just watched a documentary.

[–] ColinInLa 10 years ago

Houdini led a colorful and accomplished life and provided responsible producers and writers plenty to work with. It's nonsense to essentially assert that a biographical film of his life can't be entertaining without resorting to complete fabrication.

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"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana."

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] TyLee896 10 years ago

Why are you idiots arguing about whether lead is magnetic or not??? Obviously it was a silver bullet!

[–] beaverkisser 10 years ago

"any metal will work for a magnet"...
Aaahahaaa! What are you, eight years old?!? Only metal with an iron base will be affected by a magnet!

"Obviously you have never held a magnet."
Obviously, you have never read a science book...

[–] fatalfury1192 10 years ago

No, you are inept at science. I pick up led with magnets all the time.

[–] fatalfury1192 10 years ago

Really? Gee that is funny, because I have picked up lead with a magnet before and it worked just fine.

[–] whereisamber 10 years ago

*pats on head* Sure you did. Because you're magical and can defy the laws of physics! Now just hop back on your unicorn and trot on over to play with your leprechaun friends.

[–] catbookss 10 years ago

Lead isn't magnetic. It would have to have iron in it to be picked up by a magnet.

[–] peahen78 10 years ago

According to several things I've come across, Houdini did indeed spy.

[–] RedManley 10 years ago

The series was based on a "pyschoanalytic portrait." I doubt accuracy is what they were aiming for. It was still entertaining.