This unheralded gem was produced by Francis Ford Coppola's Zoetrope Studios.
I give it 10 stars for the theme music alone.
There are some very good performances by Griffin O'Neal (his debut) as Danny and Desi Arnez Sr (Lucille Ball's husband) as the crooked Mayor...but the best performances are Raul Julia as Stu, the slightly(!) unhinged son of the Mayor and Joan Hackett as Danny's Aunt Sibyl.
Funny and understated performances by John P Ryan as Stu's sidekick Vernon and Teri Garr as Stu's dotty girlfriend Arlene (pure eye-candy) are also worth mentioning.
There's even a couple of the original 'Dead-End Kids' in the mix, Huntz Hall and Gabriel Dell, plus the original Uncle Fester and silent screen kid actor, Jackie Coogan. I've just realised all the names I've mentioned bar O'Neal and Garr are all gone now. Sad.
M.Emmet Walsh throws in a greasy, smirking performance as the Chief Jailer with corruption oozing from every pore. Walsh never disappoints, even in a cameo role.
The ending just about pulls it all together but not quite, though it doesn't disappoint. Once again though...beautiful music
One strange thing, Richard Bradford as Sam the City Treasurer is missing off the film credits. It took me two updates to get his name listed on IMDb as uncredited.
The Escape Artist (1982) 1080p YIFY Movie
The Escape Artist (1982) 1080p
Teenager Danny Masters, the son of the late Harry Masters, considered the second best escape artist in history, wants to follow in his father's footsteps, he already a skilled but untested magician. As far as Danny knows, his father died in a dangerous escape routine. Escaping from under his grandmother's roof, Danny, in a step to achieve his goal as they have all his father's old professional paraphernalia, reunites with his Aunt Sibyl and Uncle Burke in the town of Harding where they have a mind-reading act, she who actually can read minds but which only impinges on the smoke and mirrors they've developed with the act itself. In his wanderings around Harding, Danny gets involved with corrupt Stu Qui?ones, and indirectly with Stu's equally corrupt father, the town's mayor, Leon Qui?ones. This father/son pair no longer associate with each other as although Stu aspires to be as corrupt as his father, Stu's activities are a little too brazen and public for a politician with which to ...
IMDB: 6.20 Likes
The Synopsis for The Escape Artist (1982) 1080p
Teenager Danny Masters, the son of the late Harry Masters, considered the second best escape artist in history, wants to follow in his father's footsteps, he already a skilled but untested magician. As far as Danny knows, his father died in a dangerous escape routine. Escaping from under his grandmother's roof, Danny, in a step to achieve his goal as they have all his father's old professional paraphernalia, reunites with his Aunt Sibyl and Uncle Burke in the town of Harding where they have a mind-reading act, she who actually can read minds but which only impinges on the smoke and mirrors they've developed with the act itself. In his wanderings around Harding, Danny gets involved with corrupt Stu Qui?ones, and indirectly with Stu's equally corrupt father, the town's mayor, Leon Qui?ones. This father/son pair no longer associate with each other as although Stu aspires to be as corrupt as his father, Stu's activities are a little too brazen and public for a politician with which to ...
The Director and Players for The Escape Artist (1982) 1080p
[Director]Caleb Deschanel
[Role:]Griffin O'Neal
[Role:]Raul Julia
[Role:]Teri Garr
[Role:]Desi Arnaz
The Reviews for The Escape Artist (1982) 1080p
Brilliant but confusing.Reviewed byangryangusVote: 7/10
About legacy, and fathers and sons. Much better and deeper than the ratings on this board give it credit for, in my opinion. There is little violence, sex or break-neck action but much boils under the surface and there are powerful moments. This is a fine movie.
A whimsical bittersweet tale with quirky characters, charming moments and which is quite enchanting as a whole. Griffin O'Neal (Ryan's son) as the young lead character showed great promise in this film. Raul Julia is at his most vibrant as the spoiled son of a mayor (played by Desi Arnaz!) who befriends O'Neal's character. This film is HIGHLY under-rated and desperately needs to be remastered and reissued on video.
