Did Houdini really perform in San Francisco in 1926?

The Official Houdini Séance 2015 will be held this year at the historic Brava Theater in San Francisco. The seance is open to the public and promises to be a spectacular event. The official website notes that Houdini himself performed at the Brava -- then called the Roosevelt Theater -- in 1926, the year it opened. But Houdini in San Francisco in 1926? Can that be right? As the attending Houdini Historian for this event, I felt like this was something I had a responsibility to investigate. Here's what I found out.

According to organizer Robert Strong, the source of the Brava claim is a plaque on the wall of the theater lobby which states that Houdini performed there in 1926. So I contacted the good folks at the Brava Theater who were very nice and eager to help. They said the plaque was actually put up by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) who held an event at the Brava last year. They are the one's who researched the history and discovered the alleged Houdini connection. One certainly can't blame the Brava for leaving the plaque up and taking pride in this famous association!

So I fired off an email to SFMOMA to discover the source of their information. Unfortunately, the museum is closed for construction and no one was available to answer my email (another possibility; they blew me off). So the trail went cold.

But knowing what we know about Houdini, and especially how much we know about his activities in 1926 (the year he died), how possible is it that he performed in San Francisco that year?

First off, it should be pointed out that San Francisco was a very important city in Houdini's career. It was the first city he played under the management of Martin Beck in 1899, and is where he achieved his first real recognition and success. Houdini returned in 1907, 1915, and 1923. He performed an overboard box escape in San Francisco Bay (ad left) and a suspended straitjacket escape from the Hearst Building at Third and Market above a reported 30,000 spectators. So Houdini and San Francisco are linked in meaningful ways.

Now, as I said, 1926 is a year very well documented in the life of Houdini, and there is no record of him in San Francisco that year. Not even close. Also, the Roosevelt opened as a vaudeville/movie house, and Houdini had moved well beyond vaudeville by 1926 and was touring with his own full evening show ("3 Shows in One"). Houdini's roadshow did not make it beyond Detroit in 1926.

So we have a few possibilities to consider. Houdini made a trip to San Francisco in 1926 that has somehow gone unrecorded (seems unlikely). The Roosevelt showed a Houdini movie and over the years it has been confused with the real man (seems possible). Or could it be that Houdini had pre-booked the Roosevelt as the San Francisco stop for his "Coast to Coast" tour in 1926-27? So Houdini shows up in the old theater archives -- possibly uncovered by the researchers at SFMOMA -- as being scheduled to perform there, and the assumption was that he made it.

I admit this last theory is a speculative stretch, but I do like it. If Houdini was scheduled to perform at the Brava/Roosevelt, then there's something poetic about holding The Official Houdini Séance there. The theater has been waiting for Houdini to arrive for 89 years!

However, my spirit guide offers another explanation from the great beyond:

It's true! On March 24, 1926, Harry jumped into his Voisin biplane and flew out to the West Coast for a quick canoodle with Charmian London. While out getting some Farmers Chop Suey, he stopped in and gave an impromptu performance at the Roosevelt. Then with Nikola Tesla's help, he teleported back to New York before Bess sobered...I mean, woke-up.

So we can believe whatever version we like.

Recent seance publicity has focused more on the fact that Houdini performed in San Francisco 100 years ago this year, which is certainly true. But regardless of the history, the Brava is a beautifully restored theater from Houdini's time and I think it's going to make a terrific venue for The Official Houdini Séance 2015.

Tickets to the Official Houdini Séance 2015 are now available direct from the Brava website. But you also have SIX days left to buys tickets through the Official Houdini Séance Kickstarter where you can choose from a whole host of special premiums. Either way, it's time to make your plans for Halloween, and I hope to see some familiar faces at the Brava.

And, who knows, maybe Houdini's face will appear as well!

With thanks to Anastacia Powers Cuellar of the Brava Theater, Robert Strong, and Theatre Histories for the then and now image at the top of this post.

Related:

• Official Houdini Seance 2015 reaches initial funding goal
• The Official Houdini Seance 2015 - FULL DETAILS
• Official Houdini Seance 2015 will be held in San Francisco

Christine U'Ren captures Houdini in San Francisco

What was I just saying about San Francisco being a hot-bed of Houdini activity these days? Now the San Francisco Silent Film Festival blog has posted the first of a multi-part post by guest blogger Christine U'Ren about, you guessed it, Houdini in San Francisco.

Christine has gone above and beyond in her research and, among other things, has uncovered a terrific full page article from the June 19, 1899 San Francisco Examiner with some images of a roped Houdini by Coover and Rasmussen (who also took this famous shot) that I've never seen before.

Below is the link to part one, which primarily discusses 1899. I will add links to the next installments as they appear at the SF Silent Film Festival blog.

Houdini in Vanishing San Francisco, part 1 (1899)
Houdini in Vanishing San Francisco, part 2 (1907-15)
Houdini in Vanishing San Francisco, part 3 (1923-4)

The San Francisco Silent Film Festival recently screened Houdini's The Grim Game at the historic Castro Theater in San Francisco.

UPDATE: Link to part 2 now added. I'm excited to see it includes a rare photo of Houdini's 1915 overboard box escape in San Francisco Bay from the collection of Dr. Bruce Averbook. This is the only photo of that escape of which I'm aware. I'm also excited to see Christine plans a part 3.

UPDATE: Link to part 3 now added. I very excited to see Christine has uncovered some newspaper clippings from Houdini's suspended straitjacket escape from the Hearst Building.

Houdini and the Rio's (attempted) silent movie revival

Cinema Treasures

In 1954, the Rio Theatre in San Francisco converted to an all-silent cinema, banking on nostalgia for the old classics in an era of Cinemascope and 3D. The article below, which appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle on New Year's Day, laid out the plan.

San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 1, 1954.

While not mentioned in the above article, Houdini was an integral part of the Rio's slate. A new episode of The Master Mystery would play before each new feature. Interestingly, Paramount's biopic Houdini (1953) was still playing in theaters, and could be seen at the Roxie on 16th and Valencia at this same time.

The Rio's first offering was the 1923 Lon Chaney classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame, along with episode 1 of The Master Mystery. A Universal Monster and Houdini? I would have been there in a second!

This wasn't the only time Houdini and The Hunchback of Notre Dame played in proximity. The below is from Waco, Texas, when Houdini was on his spiritualism lecture tour in 1924. Did Houdini ever see the movie, I wonder?

The Waco Times Herald, Oct. 8, 1924.

Week 2 featured Orchids & Ermine (1927) with the great Colleen Moore, the 1912 short The New York Hat with Mary Pickford and Lionel Barrymore, and The Mystery Mystery episode 2.

Week 3 featured the Wallace Beery comedy Behind the Front (1926), the Harry Langdon short Soldier Man, and episode 3 of The Master Mystery.

The 4th week features "Anatole France's Classic" Crainquebille (1922) and D.W. Griffith's Judith of Bethulia (1914). Despite an earlier newspaper report that The Master Mystery episode 4 would be part of the program, it is not included in the opening-day advertisement. Possibly it was dropped due to the length of the features.

The Rio's next feature would have been the Clara Bow comedy drama Dancing Mothers (1926), along with Laurel and Hardy's Criminals at Large (1929) and The Master Mystery. A newspaper reported it would be episode 4, offering further evidence that it had been dropped the previous week.

However, a slate of "Disney's True-Life Adventure" films opened at the Rio instead. The San Francisco Call reported the change.

The San Francisco Call Bulletin, Jan. 23, 1954

The mention of TV may be telling. In mid-January, local San Francisco television station KRON purchased a package of silents and began running its own series of silents as part of its late-night programming. Among their films were The Headless Horseman (1922) with Will Rogers, The Primrose Path (1925) with Clara Bow, and, yes, The Man From Beyond (1922) with you-know-who!

I wonder what print of The Master Mystery the Rio was showing? It could have been the complete 16mm print owned by John Hampton of the Silent Movie Theater in Los Angeles, which was going strong at this time. Perhaps the two theaters worked out an agreement to share films. Finally, how disappointing must it have been to Houdini fans to have the Rio pull the plug after only three (or four) episodes?

In the 1960s, the Rio became the Toho Rio and screened Japanese films. It was then acquired by United Artists and was known as the Metro II in the 1970s. In 1982, it briefly became the Rio again, before being sold and renamed the Mercury Theatre. It screened foreign films until its closure in 1986. It was demolished in 1990.

Below are more appearances of Houdini's movies in revival houses.

UPDATE: Here's a fun update. Our good friend Diego Domingo performed a special Halloween magic show at the Rio when it was the Metro II in 1970. In fact, Diego had pitched the idea of showing his 16mm print of The Man From Beyond to them, but the theater opted for a horror film instead.

Related:

• The Master Mystery at The Silent Movie Theater
• The Man From Beyond haunts Hollywood in 1971
• Houdini sells out in Sierra Madre

San Francisco treats

Here are a few curiosities from the San Francisco Chronicle that I recently stumbled on. First is an ad for a television showing of Houdini (1953) in October 1969, describing him as "a cat with 9 lives." That's a new one! There's something that feels very 1969 about this.

San Francisco Chronicle, Oct 20, 1969.

Here's another one, this time from 1976. San Francisco had no shortage of adult theaters back then, and their offerings were advertised in the Chronicle. Notice the teaser copy on this ad: "The stars featured in DIRTY STORIES get into positions Houdini wouldn't dare!" Goodness.

San Francisco Chronicle, Jan 24, 1976.

Finally, there's nothing all that unusual about this 1969 clipping; I just like seeing a revival house screening of The Man From Beyond in proximity to one of my favorite James Bond films, On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Just don't make the mistake of seeing Paint Your Wagon!

San Francisco Chronicle, Dec 29, 1969.

Related:

• When Houdini (1953) came to TV
• Harry and Rudy (and Mel)
• And now for something completely different

100 years ago: Houdini in the drink and at the clink

It was 100 years ago today on Saturday, November 6, 1915 that Houdini performed an overboard box escape in San Francisco Bay as part of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The world's fair, which marked a comeback for the city following the devastation of the 1906 earthquake and fire, is also celebrating it's 100th anniversary this year.

While Houdini's New York overboard box escapes are well documented, precious little is known about this San Francisco stunt, even though papers reported that it was filmed. Below is an advertisement for the escape from The San Francisco Chronicle. Notice that Helen Keller was also appearing at the fair that day.

San Francisco Examiner, November 8, 1915.

LOWERED INTO BAY

At the Exposition last Saturday, Houdini permitted himself to be locked in a heavy wooden box which was then roped and lowered into the bay. Less than a half minute later he appeared at the surface of the water and swam to the waiting barge. This entire scene was filmed, and the motion picture incorporated in the act, will be shown throughout the country.

The following day, November 7, Houdini performed at San Quentin Prison where he did his famous Needles trick for some 2,300 inmates in the prison yard. You can see a photo taken during that performance in The Secret Life of Houdini Laid Bare, page 136.

San Quentin in 1915.

Partly in recognition of Houdini's visit the to the City by the Bay 100 years ago, The Official Houdini Seance was held this year in San Francisco. Full report here.

UPDATE: Although not credited as such, a photo from the collection of Dr. Bruce Averbook of what appears to be the Pan Pacific Exposition overboard box escape of 1915 appears on page 276 of The Secret Life of Houdini (below).

Related:

• Houdini in 1915
• Watch Houdini's overboard box escape
• The untold story of Houdini's 1914 Battery Park escape

150 Years of Jewish Magicians exhibit in San Francisco

An exhibition featuring "150 Years of Jewish Magicians" is currently on show at the Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco. Among the displays are cases devoted to Houdini and Hardeen. Below is a description and details of a special upcoming event on January 20.

From Victorian to contemporary performers, many magical entertainers have made a lasting impression on the world of performing arts. There were women as well as men who toured the country performing magic. There were families of five and six generations who followed in their magical forefather’s footsteps (the Bamberg and Herrmann families were the magical royal dynasties of their time.) In every past decade there have been performers who became household names. Today large numbers of entertainers including David Copperfield, Ricky Jay, Jami Ian Swiss, David Ben, and the Bay Area's own Jay Alexander practice the art of magic worldwide. 

SAVE THE DATE!!
Join us on January 20 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm when the Elizabeth S. and Alvin Fine Museum will sponsor a gala night of historical and contemporary magical entertainment! Guests will take a trip back through time experiencing the wonders of famous Victorian magicians and also be treated to contemporary San Francisco Bay Area performers representing the present and future of Jewish magicians. Do you know about The Great Lafayette? Max Malini? Adelaide Herrmann? These, and possibly Houdini himself (who might make a surprise appearance) are just a few of the samplings from the magicians who will be wowing the audience with their magic! 

Please register for this very special event so we know to expect you.

San Francisco has certainly been a hot bed of Houdini activity this year!

Related:

• The Great Houdini Escape Room in San Fransisco
• REPORT: The Official Houdini Séance 2015
• Did Houdini really perform in San Francisco in 1926?

Houdini and Brindamour: Showdown in San Francisco

Magic historian Gary Hunt, who blogs at Magic Footnotes and has made a specialty of researching escape artists of Houdini's era, has uncovered a story about Houdini and a rival "Handcuff King" that I don't think has ever appeared in print before. I'm excited to share that story today.

In September of 1907, Houdini was appearing in San Francisco at the Orpheum Theatre on Ellis Street near what's known as the Fillmore District. The Orpheum had relocated to the area while downtown was being rebuilt after the devastating earthquake and fire of 1906. Right next door to the Orpheum was another vaudeville house, The Princess.

During the final week of Houdini's engagement, a rival escape artist, Brindamour, was booked into the Princess Theater. Below is a photo from Brindamour's own scrapbook showing the side by side theaters at this time. In fact, you can see a Brindamour poster in front of the Princess.

Click to enlarge.

George W. Brindamour was born to French Canadian parents in Cannon Mills, Minnesota on April 5, 1870. A one time photographer, Brindamour began performing handcuff escapes at the turn of the century. He claimed to have been the originator of the handcuff act. With his mustache and goatee, it was said he also sometimes doubled on stage for Herrmann the Great (presumably Leon).

In 1900, when Houdini was first finding success in the U.S. under the management of Martin Beck, Brindamour twice appeared in opposition theaters in Providence and Philadelphia offering an exposé of Houdini's act. Soon Houdini was off to Europe and super stardom; but his absence allowed Brindamour to gain a foothold in America vaudeville with his own version of the handcuff act.

Gary reports that a confrontation between Houdini and Brindamour had been building during the summer of 1907. The men sniped at each other in the pages of Variety, which ran an ad touting Brindamour's $1,000 per week salary as the highest ever paid by the Western States Vaudeville Association. Rumor had it that the William Morris Agency had signed Brindamour to play against Houdini who had recently signed with a rival agency. As if to tweak Houdini even more, the Princess advertised Brindamour as "King of All Handcuff Kings." Variety predicted that "fur should fly" when the two rivals finally met in San Francisco.

So did Houdini march over to the Princess with his Bean Giant, Mirror Cuff, or one of his other "handcuff king beaters"? Did he send confederates to gum up Brindamour's act or knock down his advertising? (Recall Houdini once allegedly threatened to shoot down a balloon advertising Blackstone that flew within sight of his own theater.)

The September 21, 1907 issue of Variety reported what happened:

Jail Breakers at Peace

Despite the predictions of open warfare when the rival jail breakers (Houdini and Brindamour) came into as close a competition as they were last week in this city, the dove of peace reigned supreme over Ellis street. Both lock defiers pursuing the even tenor of their ways as though oblivious of the other’s existence.

Anticlimactic, I know, but that's also what makes this interesting. Why didn't Houdini go after Brindamour (or vice versa)?

Well, in 1907, Houdini was already looking beyond handcuffs and jail-breaking as his bread and butter. His feature that week was a challenge to escape from a box made by employees of the Emporium department store. The week prior he had escaped from a paper bag without tearing the paper. In fact, while Brindamour's was billed as King of all Handcuff Kings, Houdini's billing at the Orpheum was: "Houdini in New Sensations." So Brindamour might have seemed less of a threat to Houdini at this time, and to have engaged him would have just given him publicity. The best way to hurt Brindamour (and William Morris) was to do nothing.

But it's also possible Houdini and Brindamour might have made a truce. It's possible both men could sense that a spat over who was the superior "handcuff king" might seem trivial and petty to citizens of a city that was still digging out from one of the worst catastrophes of the 20th century.

After San Fransisco, Brindamour and Houdini never again crossed paths, and Brindamour would meet what The Santa Cruz Sentinel called his "waterloo" just a few weeks later in Sacramento.

Brindamour keep doing the handcuff escape act long after it went out of fashion. When bookings got slim, he would sometimes put on a full evening show or just do magic. He performed on all the major vaudeville circuits through the 1920s. He retired to Los Angeles in 1930 and was said to have played character roles in movies. George Brindamour passed away on July 31, 1941 at the age of 71.

Today the Orpheum and Princess are long gone, and Ellis Street has been subdivided with a shopping center and condos. (I visited the area last Halloween while I was in San Francisco for the Official Houdini Seance.) But it's fun to know that, for one week in 1907, Houdini and Brindamour shared the street as co-handcuff kings.

Thank you Gary Hunt for this story, photos, and additional background information on Brindamour.

Related posts:

• Christine U'Ren captures Houdini in San Francisco
• Houdini vs. Boudini: The forgotten challenge
• Houdini vs. Hardeen in Oakland
• REPORT: The Official Houdini Séance 2015

REPORT: The Official Houdini Séance 2015

Last weekend I had the great pleasure of participating in The Official Houdini Séance 2015 at the Brava Theater in San Francisco. The séance this year was co-hosted by magician Robert Strong and Wonderfest and was a gala public event. I'm happy to report that the séance was a great success (well, apart from Harry not showing up). I made the most of my visit to the City by the Bay, so here's my blow by blow.

Friday - October 30th

I drove up to San Francisco in the morning and settled into the very nice Hotel Kabuki where Robert and the organizers generously put up the Inner Circle attendees. That night Robert had a meet and greet at his beautiful home. I enjoyed mingling with Robert's friends and my fellow summoners. There Jamy Ian Swiss showed me a copy of a remarkable document telling an "untold story" of Houdini's vanishing elephant (hoping to do a post on this in the future). I was able to pull Bill Radner aside and snap a few pics of him with the famous Séance Cuffs. Would tomorrow be the night that they finally open?

Bill Radner and the Seance Cuffs.

I also had a nice conversation with our medium Terrie Huberman who said she didn't want to know anything about Houdini. She wanted to remain pure and have no pre-knowledge of the people or events in his life. She was taking it very seriously, which I respected. Hey, it isn't easy being a medium at a Houdini Seance/Skeptical Conference. I was also happy to finally meet in person the great David Saltman of The Houdini File. I was updating on Twitter (#WildSeance) and posted this photo of David with "The Official Houdini Pumpkin."

Later, Bill shared photos from past seances, which everyone enjoyed. We then made our way back to the Kabuki. It was a toss up which was discussed more that night -- Houdini or the wonders of Uber!

Saturday - October 31st (HALLOWEEN)

The Official Houdini Séance would be made up of three different shows at the Brava Theater this day. At 2:00 PM would be "The Greatest Halloween Family Magic Show of all time!" with host Robert Strong, magician Justin Willman, and mentalist Paul Draper. Unfortunately, magician and escape artist Brian Brushwood could not attend as planned because he was stuck in Austin due to a hurricane (and, yes, Robert got off a nice joke about Austin being the only thing Brian could not escape). At 5:00 would be a discussion of "Skepticism and the Supernatural" with Jamy Ian Swiss and Michael Shermer. Then at 8:00 PM would be the main séance and show.

I had the morning free, so I decided to go in search of a few San Francisco Houdini sites. I was joined on my expedition by fellow Houdini nuts Tom Boldt, Fred Pittella, and Midge Markey.

Our first stop was, coincidentally, right near the hotel. The Orpheum Theater where Houdini performed in 1907 stood on Ellis Street somewhere near the intersection of Fillmore. Today there are only modern buildings and no signs of this area ever being any kind of entertainment district. But Houdini was here and that was good enough for us! (UPDATE: A recent blog post about Houdini in San Francisco by Christine U'Ren explains that the Orpheum was located in this area while downtown was being rebuilt after the 1906 earthquake.)

Our next stop was another theater that Houdini played, but this one is happily still around and quite magnificent! While Houdini played the main Orpheum in 1923, he also did an additional week at the year-old Golden Gate Theater. This was a "Junior Orpheum," but there seemed nothing "junior" about the building we saw this day. It's huge! Unfortunately, the theatre was dark so we couldn't go inside.

Tom Boldt tries to get into the Golden Gate to see Houdini (in person).

During my research for this trip, I discovered that Houdini gave his anti-spiritualist lecture at the Golden Gate during a Friday matinee on April 20, 1923. This was one week before his lecture at the Hillstreet in Los Angeles, so it looks like we have to once again rewrite Houdini history and relocate the birth of his ghostbusting to San Francisco. (That is, until we inevitably discover an even earlier date.)

We then walked a few blocks to the beautiful and historic Hearst Building at the corner of 3rd and Market Street. This is where Houdini performed a suspended straitjacket escape on March 19, 1923. It was reported that 30,000 people packed the street that day to watch. The helpful security guard, who knew a lot about the building's history, was nevertheless unaware of the Houdini connection. Unfortunately, I don't believe I've ever seen a photo of this escape.

The Hearst Building.

We then had lunch at nearby John's Grill, famous for its connection to The Maltese Falcon. The restaurant was founded in 1908, so it's very possible Houdini himself might have had a meal here. It was during lunch that 1:26 PM came and went, clocking exactly 89 years since Houdini died.

Our morning expedition took longer that I had anticipated, so Tom and Fred headed to the magic show at the Brava while I decided to head back to the hotel to rest up and get ready for the big night.

I arrived at the Brava Theater around 5:00 PM (Gwen Stefani's Houdini-inspired The Sweet Escape was playing in the Uber on my way over -- a good sign!). The Brava was built in 1926 and the historic space was a great venue for a Houdini séance. I was happy to see Joe Notaro of Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence there with his son and daughter-in-law. Word was the magic show had been a big success with a near capacity crowd. We all then enjoyed Jamy Ian Swiss and Michael Shermer's talk on "Skepticism and the Supernatural," which was also very well attended and interesting.

Jamy Ian Swiss and Michael Shermer on stage at the Brava.

It was then time to prep for the big event. I was to be the first guest speaker, so I got everything ready (great staff at the Brava and huge shout-out to show producer Tucker Hiatt of Wonderfest). The Brava Theater played Houdini footage in the lobby (I brought them Todd Karr's Houdini Captured on Film DVD) as attendees arrived. I was excited to see how many people came in period dress and costume. It was going to be a great Halloween.

The Main Event

Dead for 89 years, Houdini proved he could still sell out a theater! Every seat was filled when Robert Strong kicked off the show promptly at 8:00 PM with introductions and some terrific comedy magic.

Host Robert Strong.

It was then my turn to take the stage and give a short history of Houdini and the Official Seances themselves. I think my talk went over really well and it was a true honor to have been asked to be a speaker at this event. Below is a pic Robert Somerdin snapped of me on stage. Love the background slide he captured!

It was then time for the Official Séance, or what was billed in the program as the "Earnest Séance" (there would be a "Magical Séance" later). The table was set up center stage and Robert introduced the members of the Inner Circle who took their seats one by one. Bill Radner and Tom Boldt took their traditional places. Also making up the Inner Circle this year were Dr. Bruce Averbook, Midge Markey, Fred Pittella, Robert Somerdin, and myself. In addition were two guest attendees who had purchased a seat at the table via the Official Séance Kickstarter. While the program read Sophia Liu, it was actually her 11-year-old son who took her seat. Also joining us was Houdini Enthusiast John Michael Zorko from San Francisco.

Medium Terri Huberman then took her seat at the head of the table and worked to summon Houdini... or any spirit who might like to drop by the Brava. At least three spirits came to her during the session. While none of them appeared to be connected to Houdini, one did appear to have connections to Midge. Houdini would certainly understand that the show must go on, so after 20 minutes we decided to let him rest in peace for another year and move on with the evening.

UCSF Neuroscientist Melina Uncapher then took the stage and gave a thought provoking talk that at times seemed more mystical than the séance! (I'm still trying to figure out if "I'm a brain" or "I have a brain.") Jamy Ian Swiss then delivered a terrific talk about Houdini's career exposing fraudulent spiritualists. Jamy also played the Houdini voice tape and the recording of Bess Houdini at the Final Houdini Séance.

Justin Willman

Magician and comedian Justin Willman then took the stage and brought down the house! You might recall Justin played Houdini at the recent Houdini Historical Roast in Los Angeles. He has made appearances on The Tonight Show and Comedy Central and is clearly on his way to becoming a major star in the world of magic. His performance was fantastic with tricks that were modern and mind-blowing. I have a feeling in the future we will remember this séance as the one in which superstar Justin Willman performed. Oh, and he and his wife Jillian are very nice people.

Speaking of celebrities, Michael Shermer, founder of The Skeptics Society and monthly contributor to Scientific American magazine, then spoke on the topic of skepticism, science, and doubt. After Michael came Mentalist Paul Draper who, before he began his set, sang Asleep in the Deep (he's also a trained singer). Paul then did magic while gathering audience members for the "Magical Séance" which delivered spooky results.

Robert Strong then closed the Official Houdini Seance event for 2015. It was a fantastic show that ran like clockwork. The audience seemed to really enjoy the entire experience, as did I!

Bill Radner, Tom Boldt, Robert Strong, Bruce Averbook, Robert Somerdin, John Cox.

After the show we all went out to grab some drinks. While we were walking down the streets of the lively Mission District, a young woman approached me and asked why we were all dressed up -- which seemed an unusual thing to ask considering it was Halloween and the street was teeming with people dressed as zombies and ghouls.

I told her we had just held the Official Houdini Séance at the Brava Theater. She looked stunned for a moment, then shook her head and said, "No, sorry, I don't believe that."

Sunday, November 1st

It was time to head home, but I wanted to make the most of being in the Bay Area, so I planned a few stops along the way. The first was in Oakland where Houdini and Hardeen famously performed in November 1915. I made some discoveries, but I will save those for a special 100 year anniversary post later this month. Suffice to say that Oakland is well aware and proud of its Houdini history.

(Coming Soon)

My last stop was the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum in Niles, California. The museum is filled with memorabilia and equipment from the pioneering days of silent film and home to a genuine Thomas Edison Movie Theater. The small community celebrates Charlie Chaplin who made shorts in Niles for the Essanay Film Co. I've always suspected it was here that Houdini met Chaplin in 1915 and is where they took their famous photo.

With the help of the friendly staff, I learned that Chaplin had used the Niles studio earlier in the year, but by November 1915 he was renting studio space in Los Angeles. So the famous pic was more likely taken in Hollywood. Sorry, Niles, I tried! But even though Houdini wasn't here, it was still a great place to visit and a perfect way to end my 2015 Official Houdini Séance adventure.

Thanks to Bill Radner, Tom Boldt, Robert Strong, Tucker Hiatt, and all the folks at the Brava and Wonderfest. Also thanks to Bill Radner and Robert Somerdin for the use of their photos. Speaking of which, here are a few more.

Midge Markey and Fred Pittella.

John Cox and Jamy Ian Swiss.

Robert Somerdin and Paul Draper.

Houdini footage playing in the Brava lobby pre-show.

Back of the official program.

CLICK HERE to see more photos from the event by Yau-Man Chan.

Related:

• Follow me at The Official Houdini Séance in San Francisco
• Official Houdini Séance is SOLD OUT
• Did Houdini really perform in San Francisco in 1926?
• The Official Houdini Séance 2015 - FULL DETAILS

Official Houdini Seances past:

• The Official Houdini Seance 2014 (2014)
• The message from Halifax: Houdini stayed silent (2013)
• Report: The Official Houdini Seance in Fort Worth (2012)
• Official Houdini Seance draws Houdini notables...but not Harry (2011)
• Official Houdini Seance held in New York (2010)
• Official Houdini Seance held in home of Anna Eva Fay (2009)
• Official Houdini Seance held at the Dorothy Young Center (2008)
• Houdini is a no show at official seance (2006)
• When Houdini went LIVE (1986)

LINK: Houdini was ready to hang up his handcuffs. Then, San Francisco helped save his career

SFGATE has posted a well-researched article by Katie Dowd about Houdini's performances in San Francisco. Nothing all that new here, especially for those who followed Christine U'Ren's excellent series on the same topic in 2015 (link below). But a very good general article about Houdini in SF with some nice images, including the cool caricature on the right.

Click the headline to have a read at SFGATE.

Thanks to John Hinson and Fred Pittella for the alerts.

Related:

• Christine U'Ren captures Houdini in San Francisco
• Houdini and Brindamour: Showdown in San Francisco
• 100 years ago: Houdini in the drink and at the clink

LINK: HOUDINI will not escape!...

Chuck Romano at My Magic Uncle has a nice post today showcasing a March 17, 1923 article from the San Francisco Examiner headlined: "HOUDINI WILL NOT ESCAPE, O’BRIEN VOWS." It features a photo that I've never seen.

Click to view at My Magic Uncle

Chuck also has another recent post well worth the read: Houdini Gets Stabbed.

Related:

• LINK: Houdini in vanishing San Francisco, part 3
• Houdini goes overboard in San Fransisco
• Houdini and Brindamour: Showdown in San Francisco

"Unbelievably rare" Grim Game promo card sells on eBay

A unique promotional "Movie Card" advertising an upcoming showing of Houdini's The Grim Game at Kinema Theater in San Francisco has sold on eBay for $260.01.

According to the seller, these cards were exclusive to the Kinema, Franklin and the T&D Theaters in Oakland and San Francisco (all owned by the Turner & Dahnken Theatre Circuit based in San Francisco) and were not nationally distributed. The seller believes it to be the only one in existence and called it "unbelievably rare."

This card contains an image of Houdini holding co-star Ann Forrest after the climatic plane crash. It also features a facsimile Houdini signature in white. The back of the card also promotes Charles Ray in The Egg Crate Wallop.