Son of Houdini

A character-driven "Coming-of-Age" Romantic Comedy set in 1926 Memphis, Tennessee, about the orphan, Hyman Weiss, who has reason to believe that the great Houdini might be his father. Raised by his Aunt and Uncle above their dry goods store, Hyman feels that he has a greater destiny than selling fabric behind a counter at Nussbaum's Emporium. When the world-famous magician dies at 52 from a ruptured appendix, HYMAN decides to take up the mantle of his "spiritual father" and become the Escape Artist, "Hyman the Magnificent". MIRIAM ROSEN, the village beauty, is sought after by all the young men in 'The Pinch,' (that section of Memphis populated by immigrants: first the Irish, then the Greeks and Italians, followed by Jews of Middle Europe), all that is except for Hyman. It is Hymie's seeming indifference to the beautiful Miriam, as well as his compelling personality, that draws Miriam to him. Set in the not too distant past with timeless themes that reverberate in the present, featuring voice-overs of Miriam's shy, appealing younger brother Stuart and Hyman's incongruous best friend, SON OF HOUDINI explores universal themes: identity, ambition, conquering fears, finding the courage to love and be loved, in a quaint but universal time and place, with light-hearted profundity and comedic depth. Speaking to Stuart (and partly for Miriam's benefit): "Do you realize that Houdini's last name was Weiss. Erich Weiss. The same as mine. And his first partner was named Jack Hyman. If Houdini had a son, he might have named him Hyman Weiss!" HYMAN: "Stuart, Americans of Hebrew extraction can do anything they put their minds to: look at Al Jolson, the singer; or Benny Leonard, the fighter - Flo Ziegfeld, the great impresario, or Arnold Rothstein, the famous gangster - Bernard Baruch is an advisor to Presidents - and composers: Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin - But, Houdini, Stuart, Houdini was the greatest of them all...."