tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post1949638478602805644..comments2024-03-28T21:34:40.656-07:00Comments on WILD ABOUT HARRY: Saint John historian claims Houdini straitjacket origin story a mythJohn Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-29343027168436523932019-05-01T16:57:58.874-07:002019-05-01T16:57:58.874-07:00I know I'm late to the game. I have absolutely...I know I'm late to the game. I have absolutely no problem believing Houdini made up the origin story. He had no problem making up other stuff that would be easy to corroborate, even in those days (example: escaping from under a frozen river; his accounts vary). Regarding the inventor of the straitjacket, Houdini might have truly _believed_ it to be Steeves, but it still does shed doubt on theTom Intervalhttp://www.intervalmagic.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-61995474869023787682015-08-12T09:56:05.444-07:002015-08-12T09:56:05.444-07:00Fantastic information. Thanks so much.Fantastic information. Thanks so much.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-88149467365122461562015-08-12T09:07:59.667-07:002015-08-12T09:07:59.667-07:00Great comments. I can add a few more things to mos...Great comments. I can add a few more things to most of the above. There were two Dr. Steeves. Senior had a heart attack in 1895 and was gone from the hospital. His son Junior was fired a week before Markos visited the City in 1896. The local newspapers gave very detailed account of the Markos tour, even Harrys visit to the local jail. Harry is his own scrapbooks and records makes no mention of CancerManhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00121741612452855754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-83271116441781215062013-10-20T19:36:20.844-07:002013-10-20T19:36:20.844-07:00Harry certainly played the Opera House in Saint Jo...<br />Harry certainly played the Opera House in Saint John, NB prior to 1900, but did he ever appear at the Imperial Theatre there, prior to his death? <br /><br />'No mention in MacNab's great book re Harry.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-49813642906180031452013-01-27T22:04:06.247-08:002013-01-27T22:04:06.247-08:00His Canadian tour? Think it's pretty well docu...His Canadian tour? Think it's pretty well documented that it was 1896. Whole book about it: The Metamorphosis: The Apprenticeship of Harry Houdini by Bruce MacNab. Unless you're saying Houdini did an earlier tour? That would be news to me.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-64875913871496658772013-01-27T20:22:42.456-08:002013-01-27T20:22:42.456-08:00Tour was 1894-5. Tour was 1894-5. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-55980898611193631482011-08-24T08:38:45.252-07:002011-08-24T08:38:45.252-07:00Good points, Dan. Thanks.Good points, Dan. Thanks.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-57503304519568192772011-08-23T14:44:10.707-07:002011-08-23T14:44:10.707-07:00Your blog states that, “While Write acknowledges t...Your blog states that, “While Write acknowledges that Houdini was in Saint John in 1896, he says "no proof exists that Houdini ever knew Steeves or that he ever visited the asylum."<br /><br />It also says on the Saint John Directors website that, “Dr. Steeves had to end his career at the Lunatic Asylum due to a massive cerebral hemorrhage on September 2, 1895.” (A misleading statement?Dan Pollackhttp://bestevermagic.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-18720507538469530862011-08-21T07:50:56.312-07:002011-08-21T07:50:56.312-07:00Oh! The plot thickens. Thanks.Oh! The plot thickens. Thanks.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-78024508912435898402011-08-20T09:27:40.070-07:002011-08-20T09:27:40.070-07:00According to this website, Dr Steeves left the hos...According to this website, Dr Steeves left the hospital in 1895:<br /><br />http://www.saintjohn.nbcc.nb.ca/~heritage/LunaticAsylum/Directors.htmAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-20826197873226518432011-08-20T08:59:33.413-07:002011-08-20T08:59:33.413-07:00Hey, that's an excellent point, Leo. Yeah, if ...Hey, that's an excellent point, Leo. Yeah, if this was a fabrication, it's very unlikely he'd mention a real person by name. That really might be the best evidence that this was not a case of Houdini "fakelore" (good word). Thanks.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-3932091868113302012011-08-19T14:49:05.633-07:002011-08-19T14:49:05.633-07:00Hi John--
We all know that Houdini was notorious f...Hi John--<br />We all know that Houdini was notorious for his "fakelore." But he did mention that he was invited to St. Johns by Dr. James Steeves. If Houdini fabricated the story, wouldn't he have been afraid that Dr. Steeves could publicly deny this? It would not have been that difficult for a reporter to contact Dr. Steeves to confirm this story.<br />Unless Dr. Steeves passed Leo Hevianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-75544625332131907092011-08-18T10:04:50.984-07:002011-08-18T10:04:50.984-07:00Excellent point, Pat.Excellent point, Pat.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-65006136843993225022011-08-18T09:50:02.189-07:002011-08-18T09:50:02.189-07:00John, as you know, I have researched Houdini in Lo...John, as you know, I have researched Houdini in Los Angeles in very much the same way that Bruce McNab has researched Houdini in Canada.<br />I believe that Bruce or I would admit that we couldn't FIND any evidence of this or that.<br />I am of this opinion: if Houdini said he knew Dr. James Steeves, he did.<br />It's been written that Houdini only slept four hours a night.<br />Kalush Patrick Cullitonhttp://www.houdinisghost.comnoreply@blogger.com