''The Escape Artist'' is a 1982 film starring
Griffin O'Neal
Griffin Patrick O'Neal (born October 28, 1964) is an American actor. He has appeared in films such as '' The Escape Artist'', ''April Fool's Day'', ''The Wraith'', '' Assault of the Killer Bimbos'', and '' Ghoulies III''.
Early life and career
O' ...
and
Raúl Juliá
Raúl Rafael Carlos Juliá y Arcelay (March 9, 1940 – October 24, 1994) was a Puerto Rican actor. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he took an interest in acting while still in school and pursued the career upon completion of his studies. After ...
. It was based on a book by
David Wagoner
David Russell Wagoner (June 5, 1926 – December 18, 2021) was an American poet, novelist, and educator.
Biography
David Russell Wagoner was born on June 5, 1926, in Massillon, Ohio. Raised in Whiting, Indiana, from the age of seven, Wagoner at ...
, and was the directorial debut of
Caleb Deschanel
Joseph Caleb Deschanel, (born September 21, 1944) is an American cinematographer and director of film and television. He has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography six times. He is a member of the National Film Preservatio ...
. It was the final film of
Joan Hackett
Joan Ann Hackett (March 1, 1934 – October 8, 1983) was an American actress of film, stage, and television. She starred in the 1967 western ''Will Penny''. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and won the Golde ...
,
Desi Arnaz
Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986) was a Cuban-born American actor, bandleader, and film and television producer. He played Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom ''I Lov ...
, and
Gabriel Dell
Gabriel Dell (born Gabriel Marcel Dell Vecchio; October 8, 1919 – July 3, 1988) was an American actor and one of the members of what came to be known as the Dead End Kids, then later the East Side Kids and finally The Bowery Boys.
Acting care ...
, and the film debut of
Harry Anderson
Harry Laverne Anderson (October 14, 1952 – April 16, 2018) was an American actor, comedian and magician. He is best known for his role of Judge Harry Stone on the 1984–1992 television series '' Night Court''. He later starred in the ...
. It was also the final film performance of
Jackie Coogan
John Leslie Coogan (October 26, 1914 – March 1, 1984) was an American actor and comedian who began his film career as a child actor in silent films.
Charlie Chaplin's film classic ''The Kid'' (1921) made him one of the first child stars in the ...
, though one film he had shot earlier (''
The Prey'', which was shot in 1979) was not released until 1983.
Plot
Young and self-confident Danny Masters is the teen-aged son of the late Harry Masters, the "greatest escape artist except for
Houdini
Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American escape artist, magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to his spiritual master, French magician ...
". Danny himself is an accomplished magician and escape artist. He leaves home to join Uncle Burke and Aunt Sibyl in their magic/mentalist act; Sibyl welcomes him, but Burke is unenthusiastic.
Danny soon finds himself embroiled with Stu Quiñones, corrupt son of Mayor Leon Quiñones. The quest for a missing wallet (pick-pocketed by Danny) leads to the comeuppance of the crooked mayor, and separately of his vindictive and out-of-control son. Along the way, Danny comes to terms with the death of his father, the circumstances of which he did not previously know.
Cast
*
Raúl Juliá
Raúl Rafael Carlos Juliá y Arcelay (March 9, 1940 – October 24, 1994) was a Puerto Rican actor. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he took an interest in acting while still in school and pursued the career upon completion of his studies. After ...
as Stu Quiñones
*
Griffin O'Neal
Griffin Patrick O'Neal (born October 28, 1964) is an American actor. He has appeared in films such as '' The Escape Artist'', ''April Fool's Day'', ''The Wraith'', '' Assault of the Killer Bimbos'', and '' Ghoulies III''.
Early life and career
O' ...
as Danny Masters
*
Desi Arnaz
Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986) was a Cuban-born American actor, bandleader, and film and television producer. He played Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom ''I Lov ...
as Mayor Leon Quiñones
*
Teri Garr
Teri Ann Garr (born December 11, 1944) is an American former actress, dancer, and comedian. She frequently appeared in comedic roles throughout her career, which spans four decades and includes over 140 credits in film and television. Her accola ...
as Arlene
*
Joan Hackett
Joan Ann Hackett (March 1, 1934 – October 8, 1983) was an American actress of film, stage, and television. She starred in the 1967 western ''Will Penny''. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and won the Golde ...
as Aunt Sibyl
*
Gabriel Dell
Gabriel Dell (born Gabriel Marcel Dell Vecchio; October 8, 1919 – July 3, 1988) was an American actor and one of the members of what came to be known as the Dead End Kids, then later the East Side Kids and finally The Bowery Boys.
Acting care ...
as Uncle Burke
*
John P. Ryan
John Patrick Ryan (July 30, 1936 – March 20, 2007) was an American actor, best known for his role as Warden Ranken in the 1985 film ''Runaway Train''.
Biography
The son of Irish immigrant parents, Ryan graduated from Rice High School and st ...
as Vernon
*
Elizabeth Daily
Elizabeth Ann Guttman, (born September 11, 1961) better known as E. G. Daily and Elizabeth Daily, is an American actress and singer.
Daily is best known for her animation voice roles as Tommy Pickles on ''Rugrats'' and its spin-off '' All Grown ...
as Sandra
*
M. Emmet Walsh
Michael Emmet Walsh (born March 22, 1935) is an American actor who has appeared in over 200 films and television series, including small but important supporting roles in dozens of major studio features of the 1970s and 1980s. He starred in ''Bl ...
as Fritz
*
Jackie Coogan
John Leslie Coogan (October 26, 1914 – March 1, 1984) was an American actor and comedian who began his film career as a child actor in silent films.
Charlie Chaplin's film classic ''The Kid'' (1921) made him one of the first child stars in the ...
as Magic Shop Owner
*
Hal Williams
Halroy Candis Williams (born December 14, 1938) is an American actor, best known for his recurring roles as Police Officer Smith ("Smitty") on '' Sanford and Son'' (1972–1976), Harley Foster on ''The Waltons'' (1973-1980), and as the patriarch L ...
as Cop At Mayor's Office
*
Helen Page Camp
Helen Page Camp (December 27, 1930 – August 1, 1991) was an American actress. Early years
Born to Austin and Helen (née Landes) Camp in Washington, D.C., Camp's career began onstage, most notably Off Broadway in New York City.
Career
Her fir ...
as Neighbor
*
David Clennon
David Clennon (born May 10, 1943) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of Miles Drentell in the ABC series ''thirtysomething'' and ''Once and Again'', as well as his role as Palmer in the John Carpenter film '' The Thing''. He ha ...
as Newspaper Editor
*
Huntz Hall
Henry Richard "Huntz" Hall (August 15, 1920 – January 30, 1999) was an American radio, stage, and movie performer who appeared in the popular "Dead End Kids" movies, including ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' (1938), and in the later " Bowery ...
as Turnkey
*
Harry Anderson
Harry Laverne Anderson (October 14, 1952 – April 16, 2018) was an American actor, comedian and magician. He is best known for his role of Judge Harry Stone on the 1984–1992 television series '' Night Court''. He later starred in the ...
as Harry Masters
*
Carlin Glynn
Carlin Glynn (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer and retired actress. She is the mother of actress Mary Stuart Masterson.
Life and career
Glynn was born in Cleveland, Ohio. She attended Mirabeau B. Lamar High School in Houston, Texas ...
as Treasurer's Secretary
*
Margaret Ladd
Margaret Ladd (born November 8, 1942) is an American actress, best known for her role as Emma Channing in the CBS primetime soap opera, ''Falcon Crest'' (1981–90).
Life and career
Ladd was born in Providence, Rhode Island. She began acting on ...
as Reporter
*
Garry Marshall
Garry Kent Marshall (November 13, 1934 – July 19, 2016) was an American filmmaker and actor. He started his career in the 1960s writing for ''The Lucy Show'' and ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' before he developed Neil Simon's 1965 play ''The Odd Co ...
as Drummer
*
Doug McGrath
Doug McGrath (born April 13, 1935) is a Canadian actor whose most notable role was that of "Peter" in the acclaimed Canadian film ''Goin' Down the Road'' (1970) and its sequel ''Down the Road Again'' (2011). He also played in acclaimed Canadia ...
as The Photographer
*
Richard Bradford as Sam City Treasurer (uncredited)
Production notes
This film was shot in 1980, but remained unreleased for two years as it underwent extensive re-editing. The cast includes two members of the 1930s troupe the
Dead End Kids
The Dead End Kids were a group of young actors from New York City who appeared in Sidney Kingsley's Broadway play ''Dead End'' in 1935. In 1937, producer Samuel Goldwyn brought all of them to Hollywood and turned the play into a film. They prov ...
: Gabriel Dell and Huntz Hall.
Reception
The film received mixed to poor reviews, with critics generally praising the performances, but finding the script elements unfocused.
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...
of the ''New York Times'' noted that the finished film "represents a lot more talent than is ever demonstrated on the screen."
References
External links
*
*
*
1982 films
1982 drama films
American independent films
Films based on American novels
Films shot in Cleveland
American Zoetrope films
Orion Pictures films
Warner Bros. films
Films about magic and magicians
Films directed by Caleb Deschanel
American drama films
Films with screenplays by Melissa Mathison
Films scored by Georges Delerue
1982 directorial debut films
1982 independent films
1980s English-language films
1980s American films
{{indie-drama-film-stub