Monday, January 3, 2011

Houdini's mystery mistresses

Looks like we've opened a can or worms.

Following on my illicit loves of Houdini article (our most viewed post), Houdini expert Patrick Culliton has posted on his own website several photos of other women said to have been "sometimes associated with Houdini." But no names. That's for us to figure out.

Click here to check out the mystery women at Houdini's Ghost. You can also join the discussion at The Magic Cafe forum, which includes some criticism that we shouldn't be delving into Houdini's (alleged) extramarital adventures. Your thoughts?

6 comments:

  1. I don't know who that woman is but I'll say this, she was rather attractive for the time! I'm not sure I want to get back into the MagicCafe, but I did read it and I don't know that the idea that Houdini had 'alleged' affairs does anything to hurt his standing. We also have a tendency to put modern day ideals on people from the past and I'm not sure the conclusions are always accurate. He may have just been a big flirt, lol. Or it could be that many women wanted him and he found it flattering but didn't act on it. Who knows? Not really as important to me as his magic and escapes and his incredible career.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, she's a beauty!

    Yeah, I don't have any problem with discussing this stuff. EVERYTHING about Houdini is fascinating to me. Besides, every one of these women is another nail in the coffin of Ruth Brandon's impotency theory. :p

    BTW, the young gal on the far right of Pat's page is one of the conjoined Hilton twins. I originally had them in my article, but cut them because there is no evidence whatsoever that Houdini and the girls were anything but just friends. Houdini helped them out. Cruel magicians said ugly things.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That girl in the photo is a stunner and I think I posted that on the Facebook page.

    I read that discussion too. I think some might have misread the intent of that particular blog entry.

    I'm not interested in his love life because I'm looking for some dirt on him. I'm interested in him as a person and curious about what made him tick. Clearly I am not a magician; I love the magic and think he was an absolute genius. However my overriding interest is with him and Bess. I can't imagine a man like Houdini going 52 years without a single affair or temptation coming his way. My impression is though that he loved his wife as he loved nobody else (even Charmian London and she was almost like a female version of him by the sounds of it). He also loved his mother and haven't some people had a field day over that one. But as Dean said, putting a modern day interpretation over something like that can lead you up the garden path at times.

    Where was I going with this again? Oh yeah ... I am interested John so keep it up. It's all worth putting out there and very entertaining as well.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I was expecting that I would get a negative reaction from some. People get weird about sex, and it's true that a lot of this is just based on rumor and hearsay. But, hey, we endlessly discuss all the rumor and hearsay related to the Mirror cuff or Margery, so... And, as I also expected, it's my most viewed post. But I do think we've/I've exhausted it at this point. That is until a new name comes forward.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll give you a clue.
      She was pretty big.

      She was even on the cover of Time Magazine.

      She also performed on Broadway.

      She appeared in one of Greta Garbo's movies.

      One more clue later if you do not get this.

      Dick Brookz & Dorothy Dietrich

      Delete
  5. Last clue....Her initials are the same as you might call a microchip or semi conductor.

    Dick Brookz & Dorothy Dietrich
    Houdini Museum
    Scranton PA

    ReplyDelete

Translate