A great short film of Houdini escaping from straitjacket.

Actual footage of Houdini Escaping from Straitjacket

Here is rare footage of Houdini escaping from his straitjacket upside down.

Houdini Rope Escape

Master magician Harry Houdini (1874-1926) starred in five silent films from 1919 to 1923.

The famed illusionist/escape artist also founded his own movie company, the Houdini Picture Corporation.

In 1919, the great Houdini entered the movie business, eventually appearing in a total of five silent films that are now available in a special three-disc DVD box set: Houdini:

The Movie Star DVD (Kino International, 2008).

 I have not been able to confirm the exact film that this scene is from, but my guess is that it was a part of "The Master Mystery" (Octagon Films, 1920), a 15 chapter serial — also known as The Houdini Serial — which starred the great Houdini as Quentin Locke, an enterprising G-man who tries to crack a powerful criminal organization.