Private Project

KILLING HOUDINI

Set in 1966, Miami Beach,
a cocky young magician (the Great Stanford) discovers world-famous Houdini faked his death forty years prior, and attempts to recreate his most death-defying escape, as psychic and political presidential hopeful (Kirk), plans the assassination of 92-year-old Houdini on live TV.

  • Al Blanchard
    Writer
    Knock 'em Dead, the Mad Season, the Disappearance of Jenna Drago, the Stalker, and Tales of Love and Murder
  • Adam Steinfeld
    Writer
    Magic Live!, Yo Houdini supernatural horror series, Ask Madame Wonder? Magic Island, Houdini Girl documentary, Magic Schmuck! 2nd Best Magician comedy series and many more
  • Project Type:
    Screenplay
  • Genres:
    historical thriller
  • Number of Pages:
    118
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Writer Biography - Al Blanchard, Adam Steinfeld

AL BLANCHARD: is former president of, "the New England chapter of Mystery Writers of America" and, author of the nationally published novels; the Murder at Walden Pond, the Mad Season, the Iscariot Conspiracy and Murder on Cape Cod, the Disappearance of Jenna Drago and the Stalker and Other Tales of Love and Murder.

South FLORIDA FILMMAKER:
ADAM STEINFELD: a filmmaker and comedy magician, star of Magic Live!® casino theater shows presented over 2,400 shows at one venue and director of short documentary films; Houdini, talks Houdini, Houdini Girl and Yo Houdini horror series, Ask Madame Wonder? horror twisted-tales anthology series, Creezy, Where are you? thriller. And the comedy spoof short film, Magic Schmuck, 2nd Best Magician, in the Whole-Wide World. BA in Film, Univ. of Miami.

Add Writer Biography
Writer Statement

Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- What if, Harry Houdini, world
famous magician and escape artist, did not die on October 31, 1926, but
faked his own death, reappearing forty years later in 1966.

Houdini always said he'd be back. Could it be he was planning a major
comeback on the Jackie Gleason television show on Halloween night 40 years
after his burial?

"I posed my theory to mystery novelist Al Blanchard in
Aruba, where I presented my grand illusions magic show, Adam Steinfeld
MagicLive! at a local beach casino," Steinfeld says.

The show ended with the famous Houdini Water Torture tank. Steinfeld
would escape from 200 lbs of freezing cold water while locked in chains and
steel shackles.

"Blanchard handed me his business card. 'Send me more on the story,' he
said. So began our two years of collaboration on Houdini Lives! a novel.
Wherever I was performing in the world, we would exchange story drafts by
e-mail," says Steinfeld.

Al Blanchard is also author of the Steve Asher Mystery Series, the
James Callahan Mysteries & a Collection of short stories called 'The
Stalker and Other Tales of Love & Murder'.

The story, which is historical-fiction based on fact, crime thriller, combines
humor and political drama, with a touch of romance.

Houdini has been in hiding from his political enemies and is planning a
dramatic comeback. Who are these enemies from the 1920's, and why are they
still trying to kill him?

No autopsy was performed. He was buried within a few days. His wife
Beatrice, was poisoned, a week earlier before his death, but survived.
"I'm convinced a mysterious old rabbi with an old black robe, who
showed me my first magic trick in Miami Beach was the legendary escape
artist," says Steinfeld.

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