Houdini & Those Daring Young Men and Their Jaunty Jalopies

For those shoppers who look at this double-disc Blu-ray price tag and think "It's too good to be true," you're right on one hand and wrong on the other. This Tony Curtis Blu-ray double feature packs a surprising amount of bang for its buck. Both "Houdini" (1953) and "Those Daring Young Men and Their Jaunty Jalopies" (1969) are presented here on their own single layer Blu-ray discs. The picture quality is surprisingly good for the price, but I'd be lying if I said these were sparkling HD transfers. Both films are 1080P, and "Houdini" appears the best of the two as far as picture quality.

For those unaware, "Houdini' stars married couple Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, and the story functions as a semi-biographical depiction of the great escapist and magician Harry Houdini. Its an interesting drama with some thrills thrown in, and it's an entertaining film to watch regardless of whether it falls short of genuine "classic" status. However, aside from the great story, its also worth watching simply for the on-screen pairing of Curtis and Leigh. "Houdini" has been released multiple times on DVD, but this edition is likely the best the film will ever look. There are light scratches and skin tones are slightly too red, but the Blu-ray is definitely an improvement over all previous releases. It should be noted that "Houdini" is NOT widescreen and is presented here in its correct aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (aka black bars on the left and right sides of the picture). I can't say much about the film's sound. It seems fine to me, but some audio aficionados will undoubtedly have a problem with the compressed stereo audio. No special features are present, but its hard to complain considering the list price for the product.

On the second Blu-ray disc, we get another Tony Curtis film "Those Daring Young Men and Their Jaunty Jalopies." While "Houdini" is a drama, "Daring Young Men" is a high octane comedy film that will have some laughing with delight while other viewers may resort to staring at their watch. Its not for everybody, and falls into the same vein as another Tony Curtis film "The Great Race." That said, if you like Tony Curtis and you like a little over-the-top humor, you will enjoy this transnational caper film. Unlike "Houdini," the film was shot in widescreen and is presented here in the correct 2.35:1 ratio. The picture quality with "Daring Young Men" is less consistent than "Houdini" and there is noticeable color fluctuations as well as more scratches and blemishes. However, it still looks quite good, and definitely surpasses the picture quality of its DVD predecessors. Once again, no special features, but that's to be expected with the price tag.

Overall, this 2-disc Blu-ray set offers viewers the chance to view two lesser known Tony Curtis titles in HD form. No, the picture quality isn't perfect, but it certainly look pretty darn good for a pair of non-restored films that most would have never thought would join the HD world. If you already own these two films, it may not be worth upgrading (depending on your own fondness for the two) but its certainly a great deal to take advantage of for those who do not already own these two entertaining titles.

This bluray set is a good buy for fans of Tony Curtis, or older movies in general. Houdini (1953) features Curtis as the legendary magician and escape artist Harry Houdini (1874-1926). Janet Leigh, married to Curtis at the time, appears as Houdini's wife Bess. The film is in color, presented in full screen (1:33 ratio), and remastered for this Bluray release. The second film is an international production, originally titled Monte Carlo Or Bust (1969), but was renamed, Those Daring Young Men In Their Jaunty Jalopies (1969), for release in America. It is a breezy adventure/comedy that follows automobiles driven by teams of drivers entered in a rally race across Europe. Tony Curtis is one of the stars, in a solid ensemble cast that also includes Peter Cook, Terry Thomas, and Dudley Moore. This feature is presented in 1:78 widescreen.

I have reviewed each of these films separately, so this review will covers the Bluray editions.

Released in 1953, Houdini features Tony Curtis in one of his early starring roles, as the young star gives a winning and charming performance. The film hits some of the high points of the magician's colorful life, while embellishing the truth for dramatic purposes. After marrying Houdini, Bess becomes his assistant. Houdini becomes an expert escape artist and illusionist, who eventually travels to England, where he achieves great notoriety and success performing in Europe. Houdini's returns to America, eventually becoming a star in his home country.

The colors in the Bluray release are generally rich and saturated, with a decent amount of sharpness. The tight full screen presentation doesn't look the greatest on a widescreen TV, but if you plan to own the film, the high definition version still has a lot to recommend it. Unfortunately, there are no subtitles.

While not entirely historically accurate, Houdini the movie is quite entertaining, and gets a lot of things right, while building up the mystique surrounding the famous magician. With some impressive set designs, and winning performances from Curtis and Leigh, Houdini rates a solid 4.5 stars.

The auto racing adventure, Those Daring Young Men In Their Jaunty Jalopies (1969) co-written by Ken Anakin and Jack Davies, was their follow up to Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines (1965). The sequel was based on the Monte Carlo Rally, and is set in the 1920's. It is mostly a light fun romp, as the racers experience madcap adventures while travelling through England and Europe. A series of goofy incidents with no predictable direction, this is a film where you just go along for the ride. A joint British/French/Italian production, some of the humor reflects certain nationalistic stereotypes, and to some extent satirizes them.

Despite a less than inspiring title, the film is well-paced, with lots of action. The special effects are quite good, with many stunts involving real cars, as well as shots featuring model cars. The colors in the Bluray presentation may not be as vibrant and richly saturated, but sharpness and definition are very good. This is kind of a double edged sword, as the scenes shot on location generally look fantastic, while processed and composited shots may not look as convincing. Rear projection is heavily used for shots involving moving cars, and some scenic background shots. How well this technique holds up varies, as high definition often makes some of the "fakeness" more evident. It's just part of the charm of a film from this era.

Tony Curtis and Susan Hampshire are teamed together as racers. The cast also includes Peter Cook, and Dudley Moore (Arthur) as British Army soldiers. Terry Thomas is Curtis' arch rival, while Gert Frobe (Goldfinger) plays a German criminal, using the race as a cover for smuggling jewels.

Character development is a little skimpy, and the writing is uneven, but for pure 60's whimsy and fluff with very European sensibilities, Those Daring Young Men In Their Jaunty Jalopies is mostly a fun ride. The film looks very good in high definition, the action scenes are solid, and the editing and cinematography are quite good. Unfortunately like Houdini, there are no bonus materials or subtitles.

For those interested in either film, this attractively priced set is worthy of consideration, as each film benefits in different ways from a high definition release.

Buy Houdini & Those Daring Young Men and Their Jaunty Jalopies Now

Good Value for Two movies.There is no extras.Very good Blu-Ray copies.

A goog laugh.All region 1

Ken Barrett

Mooroolbark.

Vic Australia

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If you enjoyed "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines" then I'm sure you'll enjoy this film too.

Similar basic plot, replace aeroplanes with cars and the race destination from Paris to Monte Carlo. Then add many of the best comedy actors of the time and a fun script and the result is a film that you can enjoy over and over again.

Also included is a film on the life of Houdini. Not one I have seen before and probably not one I'll watch again. It is an almost superficial account of Houdini's life. OK to watch once or for anyone who has no idea who Houdini was (is that possible?) but that's about all that can be said in it's favour. None the less "Those Daring Young Men in their Jaunty Jelopies" (Known as "Monte Carlo or Bust" in the UK), more than justifies the price.

For those purchasing from the UK both Discs play OK on my UK Blu-ray player.

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Strange pairing and no frills, but two great movies at a rock bottom price. No HD or even multi-channel audio unfortunately, but picture quality passable. Houdini is pan and scan.

Would love to see Jalopies with it's own special release as it has be Terry-Thomas at his finest, an utter cad!

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