Escaping Obscurity at the Magic Castle

Monday's Escaping Obscurity book event at the Magic Castle was a big success and a lot of fun. There was a lot of love in the room for Harry and Bessie, and genuine excitement about the book. Mike Caveney sold every copy that he brought. As a surprise, Dr. Bruce Averbook brought along the actual diary from his collection and even allowed attendees to handle it, just as Houdini had done 128 years ago. Wild. 

Thanks to everyone who came out to see us and to the Magic Castle for hosting us. I've written more about the evening and shared photos on my Patreon below.

If you haven't yet grabbed a copy of Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899, you can do so at Mike Caveney's Magic Words. There are still plenty of copies left, but the print run was not huge, so one day this book's availability will vanish and Houdini's diary will go back under glass. Just saying!

Related:

• Escaping Obscurity book signing at the Magic Castle
• ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Reviews & Reactions
• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY

Arnold Leibovit on HOUDINI (1953)

Here's a nice video about my favorite Houdini biopic from the Trailers From Hell YouTube channel. A few details here I didn't know, such as George Pal initially wanting Marlon Brando to play Houdini? Wow. Anyway, enjoy.

Thanks to Diego Domingo for the alert.

Related:

• The men who almost played Houdini
• Joanne Gilbert and Houdini (1953)
• Graded Houdini (1953) VHS, because I'm a nut

Houdini opens at the Alvin 100 years ago today

It was 100 years ago today that Houdini opened his full evening 3 Shows in One at the Alvin Theatre in Pittsburgh with a special Labor Day matinee. While Houdini had previewed the show in Cumberland, this marked the true start of his 1925-26 tour. Howard Thurston attended the opening show, perhaps to see what kind of competition he would be facing that season.

The Houdini show was extremely well promoted. He had arrived in the city early and threw down his famed $10,000 challenge for any proof of genuine membership. The show played the Alivn for two weeks. He was off to a great start! 

The Alvin Theatre was located at 119 6th Street in Pittsburgh. While no longer a theater, the building still stands today.

Want more? I've created a Google map showing every stop on both his 1925-26 and 1926-27 3 Shows in One tours, available exclusively on my Patreon.

Related:

• Houdini's grand finale: 3 Shows In One
• Houdini's "3 Shows in One" turns 100
• Guest blog: Houdini in Pittsburgh by Zabrecky

Did Houdini escape from a lion's den?

Here's a new one. Did Houdini do an escape from a lion's cage at a Belgian circus? The following is from The Football Post on January 4, 1913.

Football Post, Jan. 4, 1913.

Before we dismiss this as the product of an overly imaginative reporter, know that there is supporting evidence for this from Houdini himself. During his run at the Circus Hagenbeck in Brussels in late 1912, Houdini sent one of his circus playbills to his friend Quincy Kilby in Boston. On it he wrote:

I performed my act in the Lions cage. H. H.

The entire menage was ironed off like a hugh [sic] cage.

I'm still not entirely sure what Houdini did here, but he appears to have done something involving lions, and that's pretty wild!

Interestingly, one of "The Amazing Exploits of Houdini" stories features Houdini escaping from a lion's cage. "The Cage" ran in the February 18, 1922, issue of the Kinema Comic and is one of the stories collected in the new book from Joe Notaro and Arthur Moses, Kinema Comic 1922 (Jan-Jun) The Amazing Exploits of HOUDINI.

Want more? You can see the original playbill Houdini sent Kilby as a "Scholar" member of my Patreon.

Top image generated by A.I.

Related:

• Locating Houdini's lion
• Houdini's bizarre plan to fight a shark
• When Houdini escaped the belly of the beast

Escaping Obscurity reviewed in September GENII

I'm excited to see a review of Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899 in the September issue of Genii magazine. It's more of an overview than a review, but it's a good one, and you gotta love that first paragraph. Thank you, Michael Claxton.

You can subscribe to Genii HERE. Also, check out their new website Genii Magic.

Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899 is available exclusively at Mike Caveney's Magic Words.

Related:

• ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Reviews & Reactions
• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY
• How we made the Deluxe Edition deluxe

Reviewing the Ghost Adventures Houdini Séance

Here's an excellent video by our new friend Kenny Biddle, Chief Investigator for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, dissecting the recent Houdini Seance episode of Ghost Adventures (which I happened to be on). Kenny debunks it piece by piece, and even has a special guest star explain his boneheaded comment that "Houdini believed in Spiritualism." You can view it below or check it out on YouTube. 

Thank you, Kenny!

Related:

• Houdini's spirit trumpet on Ghost Adventures
• A Winchester Mystery House mystery...solved?
• Houdini seance at the Winchester Mystery House in 1938?

Escaping Obscurity book signing at the Magic Castle

Just a reminder that I will be joining Mike Caveney, Bruce Averbook, and Michael Albright for a discussion and signing of our book Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899 next Monday, September 8, at the Magic Castle. The event is open to all AMA members. It will also stream live on the Magic Castle website.

Looking forward to a magical evening at the Magic Castle! If you are a member, I hope to see you there.

Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899 is available exclusively at Mike Caveney's Magic Words.

If you can't make the event but still want a signed copy, know that I'm currently listing one of 25 signed Author Copies on eBay. The auction ends on Wednesday.

Related:

• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY
• ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Reviews & Reactions
• Escaping Obscurity event at the Magic Castle, Sept 8

Houdini's "3 Shows in One" turns 100

Today marks the 100th anniversary of Houdini's full evening 3 Shows in One at the Maryland Theater in Cumberland, Maryland, on August 31, 1925. Below is the ad for that very first show from The Cumberland Evening Times.

The 3 Shows in One was unlike anything Houdini had ever presented before. In many ways, it was the culmination of his career, with acts devoted to Magic, Escapes, and Fraudulent Mediums Exposed. The show played in Maryland for three days. This appears to have been a test run for the new show. After a week off, the show opened in its primary 1925-26 tour at the Alvin Theater in Pittsburgh on Labor Day.

This wasn't the first time Houdini played Cumberland. On September 24, 1898, the Welsh Bros. Circus played the city with The Houdinis as the feature of their concert. Houdini recorded in his travel diary that day: "Rain hard. No dinner." He'd come a long way!

Want more? To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 3 Shows in Own, I've created a Google map showing every stop on both his 1925-26 and 1926-27 tours. You can see that as a member of my Patreon below. My September reward will also be a review of the Maryland show.

Related:

• Houdini's grand finale: 3 Shows In One
• Big Houdini news 100 years ago today
• Houdini debuts 3 Shows in One, but not where we thought

Jessica Jane has a book to share

Still on a bit of a break, but I had to drop this in here now because one doesn't get an endorsement like this every day. Thank you, Jessica!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jessica Jane Peterson (@jessicajanemagic)

You can purchase Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899 at Mike Caveney's Magic Words. The Deluxe Edition that Jessica shows here is sold out, but there are still plenty of Regular Editions.

Related:

• Jessica Jane finds Houdini in Kansas City
• Houdini sheet music
• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY

Summer break

This will be the last post of the month. I'm going to give myself a summer break to recharge my batteries, chamber some posts, and work on my projects. I will still be active on Patreon. Otherwise, see you in September!

Photo from Houdini His Legend and His Magic by Doug Henning and Charles Reynolds.

News 10 on Houdini's Rochester bridge jump

Here's a terrific report from WHEC News 10 in Rochester about Houdini's jump from the Weighlock Bridge and the film footage that captured that leap. It's well-researched, and we get to see our friends Jeff and Debbie Blood. I love that they pinpointed the location and identified one of the still-standing buildings glimpsed in the footage. Enjoy.

I think this footage is an excellent candidate for the National Film Registry, which every year selects 25 films that showcase American film heritage and increase awareness for film preservation.

Thanks to Jeff and Debbie Blood for the alert.

Related:

• Houdini's Rochester bridge jump
• In search of Houdini in Rochester
• Let's nominate The Grim Game to the National Film Registry

Amazing Indianapolis by Ashley Petry

Houdini makes an appearance in the new book Amazing Indianapolis, which is released this week. Author Ashley Petry is an Indianapolis native and the award-winning author of three previous books about her hometown. Here's a description.

Amazing Indianapolis is a fun and fascinating collection of Circle City history, from the city's first jailbreak in 1821 to its modern-day claims to fame. It features both celebrities and unsung heroes, and it highlights the city's surprising connections to historical figures such as Thomas Edison, Harry Houdini, and John Wilkes Booth. Amazing Indianapolis also shares the origin stories of sliced bacon, Wonder Bread, Raggedy Ann, and the rearview mirror, among other Indianapolis inventions. In addition, the book profiles the companies and industries the city has lost, from early manufacturers to a beloved modern bakery (and its spectacular downfall). And it discusses chilling tales of true crime alongside the bizarre history of an alleged curse, a legendary hoax, the infamous Irvington School War, and the city's first recorded exorcism. Why was one group of Indy residents called "the worst family in the world"? Why did Carl Fisher throw a car off a building? Native Hoosier and award-winning author Ashley Petry showcases the city's greatest hits alongside lesser-known stories that celebrate more than 200 years of Indianapolis history.

Purchase Amazing Indianapolis at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk or direct from Reedy Press.

Related:

• Houdini's last suspended straitjacket escape?
• Did Houdini play hero in a forgotten theater fire?
• The real deal

Where Houdini took his Water Torture Cell photos

We are all familiar with the famous photos of Houdini doing his Water Torture Cell. When and where these photos were taken has, to my knowledge, never been identified. But I think I may have finally found the answer.

I'm sharing this one on my Patreon as a History Exclusive. Click the image below to view it and 43 other similar discoveries. Lucky patrons!

Related:

• A warning from Houdini
• The Water Torture Cell at 100
• Houdini Torture Cell photo escapes with $889