Tuesday, May 31, 2016

REVIEW: Houdini & Doyle (ep. 5): The Curse of Korhza

Houdini & Doyle episode 5, The Curse of Korhza, will be of special interest to Houdini buffs as it brings Harry into battle with his traditional nemesis; the medium! In this case, it's the attractive Madam Korhza (Emily Hampshire), a psychic medium who specializes in solving crimes, especially lost children. Is Korhza for real, or is she "solving" her own crimes?

Needless to say, Houdini is the skeptic and Doyle the believer in a debate that in real-life brought about the end of their friendship. However, the idea of spiritualism as a movement and religion isn't part of the debate here. The focus is on the question of Korhza herself.

This is another solid, well-written episode with snappy dialogue and nice twists. In her séance parlor, Korhza pulls off manifestations that (temporarily) stump Houdini. She even does her own version of Metamorphosis. There is a nice secondary storyline with Houdini being suspicious (jealous?) of a man his mother is dating. We also get to see Houdini in underwater action as he saves the final child victim. "I work with water a lot," says Harry.

Surprisingly, mid-way through the episode, Houdini sleeps with Korhza. It seems a touch gratuitous, but I do like that it echoes the ultimate Houdini and Margery fantasy. In fact, there is a lot of Mina Crandon present in the characterization of Korhza. But we will talk more about that below.


Speaking of trysts, it appears the potential Houdini-Adelaide relationship is being sidelined as we delve deeper into the question of Adelaide's past and former husband, who we now learn is deceased. During the episode, Korzha predicts that "Adelaide Stratton" will not survive, and indeed she doesn't! That's because the episode ends with the revelation that Adelaide is living under an assumed name. This not only adds another layer of mystery to Adelaide, but also gives Korzha a layer of legitimacy.

In fact, Korhza comes off looking pretty good in the end. She's a trickster as skilled as Houdini, a detective as skilled as Sherlock Holmes, but also someone who might be able to plug into the other side. If there is a Season 2, I expect Madame Korzha will be back.

Just the facts

Houdini & Doyle is slowly revealing Houdini's biography, which is something I'm obviously enjoying about this series. In this episode, we take an important step in that we finally hear Houdini's real name, Ehrich (clip below).


As I mentioned above, Korhza appears to echo the real-life Mina Crandon a.k.a. Margery, a vivacious medium who had Boston society and scientists stumped until Houdini landed in her séance chamber. While Houdini never slept with Margery, there was one attempt at seduction. But Houdini famously said, "Her applesauce means nothing to me." How I would have loved it if Weston's Houdini would have mentioned Korhza's own "applesauce."

The most dramatic bit of Houdini history is Harry's admission that he worked a fraudulent medium in his early days. This, of course, is true. However, the story he tells about how one of his sitters killed herself to be with her dead husband is far more tragic than anything that ever happened to the real Harry. The strangest event is when Houdini predicted a boy would fall from his bicycle and break his arm. When it happened the next day, the hysterical mother returned to the theater and accused Houdini of black magic.

Of his time as a medium, Houdini later wrote:

“No matter what I pulled, someone in the audience was pretty sure to claim it as a direct message. When I noted the deep earnestness with which my utterances were being received, and that I was being considered a medium of far more than ordinary psychic powers, I felt that the game had gone far enough.”

This episode was penned by Magic Castle member Josh Brandon, so we get some nice nods to real magic effects. The Kellar Rope Tie gets a mention. And according to Josh, Michael Weston performed a one-handed card cut for the episode, but it was cut for time.

While I doubt Cecelia Weiss ever "dated" after Rabbi Weiss's death, the close and loving relationship between Houdini and his mother is all very accurate. In fact, this episode ends with a touching scene between them that beautifully illustrates the real-life closeness of mother and son. Houdini would have approved.


Next Monday: Houdini & Doyle travel to the country to face "The Monsters of Nethermoor."

Monday, May 30, 2016

Houdini & Doyle: World of Wonders

The promotional webseries Houdini & Doyle: World of Wonders is now available to view on YouTube via KindaTV. It has previously only been available to view in Canada. The series is hosted by Rebecca Liddiard who plays Constable Adelaide Stratton on the showBelow is a playlist featuring all ten installments. Enjoy.



Houdini & Doyle airs every Monday at 9/8c on FOX and GlobalTV. You can also watch episodes at FOX NOW.

Thanks to Stephanie @miss_steph42.

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Houdini & Doyle tonight

Houdini & Doyle take on a medium in episode five, The Curse of Korzha, tonight at 9/8c on FOX. Here's a short clip I think Houdini buffs will enjoy.


An attractive traveling medium uses her psychic gifts to solve crimes, frustrating Houdini when he can’t figure out her tricks. Doyle feels she may be the real thing, so he is mortified by her next prediction: the end of Adelaide Stratton.

"The Curse of Korzha" is written by Magic Castle memeber Josh Brandon. Josh will be live tweeting both the east and west coast airings tonight @THEJoshBrandon. Watch for my review tomorrow.

Houdini & Doyle airs every Monday at 9/8c. You can watch earlier episodes at FOX NOW.

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Friday, May 27, 2016

Houdini in 1900

This Memorial Day marks the 116th anniversary of Houdini's first trip to Europe on May 30, 1900. To mark the occasion, here's a look back at that all-important year.

The year 1900 was transformative for Houdini. After nearly a decade of hard struggle, he was now on a path to becoming one of the most famous entertainers of all time. But it wasn't going to be all smooth sailing.

Having signed with vaudeville manager Martin Beck in 1899 -- and achieving success on Beck's Orpheum circuit out west -- "Houdini The King of Handcuffs" kicked off the new year playing Keith's flagship theater in Boston. Here, the press compared him favorably with another recent magical sensation, Ching Ling Foo. Houdini featured the quote on his advertising.

In February, Houdini experienced embarrassment at the New York Theater when Bess got stuck in the Metamorphosis trunk. The story made the papers. Following an engagement at Shea's Theater in Toronto, Houdini was back playing the Keith's circuit in April, performing nude jail escapes in Chicago and Kansas City that garnered favorable press. (Some cite these as Houdini's very first jail escapes, but he had done jail escapes in Holyoke and Halifax in 1895 and 1896.)

Under Beck's guidance, Houdini had achieved a respectable measure of success. But he was not yet a regular headliner, despite his flair for getting publicity. Beck also took a hefty 20% cut, which Houdini did not like and said so. Beck reminded him of the situation when they met a year earlier: "No managers would believe your act was fit for vaudeville, they all considered it a museum act."

Popular mythology characterizes Houdini's mid-year trip to Europe as a bold all-or-nothing gamble, that Harry and Bess had $20 in their pockets and a one-way ticket. The truth was Houdini was already earning up to $400 a week on the Keith's circuit. It was typical to send acts to Europe to enhance their reputation in the states, and the European trip was a calculated effort by Beck to "boom him to the top-notch." The trip had originally been planned for the Fall of 1899, but England's Boer War had depressed the entertainment economy, so it was postponed until Spring.

Beck's European representative, Richard Pitrot, made the arrangements. Pitrot assured Harry that he had advanced bookings in Berlin, London, and Paris. Houdini would be advertised as "America's Sensation," and by now, he had an impressive scrapbook of clippings to back that up. On May 30, 1900, Harry and Bess set sail on the S.S. Kensington.


Houdini battled seasickness for the entire crossing. At one point, Bess tied him to his bunk when, delirious, he threatened to throw himself overboard. When they landed in London, they discovered no bookings had been made. Houdini wrote, "[Pitrot] was a Dam Liar." In the showbiz parlance of the time, they were "shipwrecked."

These first weeks in London must have been a nightmare for Houdini. After finally breaking through, here he was in a new country with no bookings and theater managers who were not impressed with his scrapbook or tales of breaking out of American jails. Harry and Bess found lodging at a boarding house popular with magicians at 10 Kepple Street (T. Nelson Downs and Howard Thurston would pass through at this time). Eventually, Houdini met Harry Day, a young English agent, who arranged for an audition at the prestigious Alhambra Theatre in Leicester Square.

Legend tells of how Houdini won his engagement at the Alhambra by making a bold all-or-nothing bet with manager C. Dundas Slater that he could escape handcuffs at Scotland Yard. It's a great story, but all evidence points to a more conventional start. By his own account, Houdini gave several trial performances at the Alhambra, one for Scotland Yard detectives, and finally won the 10th spot on the bill. Interestingly, the 14th spot that same week was another newcomer, Chung Ling Soo (William Robinson), who would become famous in his own right and Houdini's good friend.

On his first night, Houdini was challenged onstage by Cirnoc, who claimed to have originated the Handcuff Act. Houdini defeated his rival with a pair of Bean Giant handcuffs. The unexpected confrontation made the papers. With his handcuff escapes, Metamorphosis, and card magic (which was still a part of his act at this time), Houdini became the hit of London. Originally booked for two weeks, the Alhambra held him over for two full months.

Riding high, Houdini postponed his return to America, where he was booked to play the Keith circuit in August. Instead, he accepted bookings in Germany. Martin Beck cautioned him against getting a "swelled head."

Under Kaiser Wilhelm II, Germany was an authoritarian state, and all entertainers had to be certified by the police. On September 20th, Houdini visited the new police headquarters in Berlin. Before 300 officers, he was strip-searched, heavily manacled, and gagged. Allowed to work under a sheet, he freed himself in a matter of minutes. The police grudgingly approved his act: "At this time, we are unable to explain the way in which the locks are opened and remain undamaged." But Houdini would continue to butt heads with the German police in the years to come.

The German public went wild for the brash young American who could not be restrained, and Houdini quickly became as much a sensation as he had been in the UK. Houdini believed it helped that he spoke to audiences in his native German. "It makes them all friendly with me before I have performed a single trick." However, newspapers poked fun at his pronunciation.

After a month-long engagement at the Central Theater in Dresden (Cirnoc appeared at an opposition theater), Houdini moved to the Wintergarten in Berlin, where he headlined for two months. Tickets were sold four and five days in advance, and the crowds grew so large that the police stepped in and refused to allow any more tickets to be sold. The Wintergarten paid 4000 marks to a theatre in Vienna to hold Houdini for an extra month.


Besieged now with imitators, Houdini decided to create one of his own. He cabled his brother Theo in New York, "Come on over, the apples are ripe." In November, Dash booked passage on the German liner Deutschland and met Harry in Berlin. There, he discovered Houdini had created a duplicate act for him, right down an assistant named Miss Trixy, who would act as his very own Bess in the substitution trunk. Houdini had also come up with his new name: Hardeen.

With theater managers now fighting for his services, Houdini played a 10-day stint at the Circus Variete in Magdeburg, Germany. The Variete offered to pay the Alhambra a fine equal to two weeks' salary if they could retain Houdini for another two weeks. The Alhambra refused. They wanted Houdini back in London. Houdini boasted that it was "a record for a return engagement at this world-famous theater." For days, men paraded up and down the street in front of the Alhambra with sandwich boards heralding Houdini's return.

Houdini opened at the Alhambra on December 14 and played out the rest of the year to jam-packed houses. His billing was featured above the famous Alhambra ballets, which, according to Houdini, "is something unheard of!"

In time, Houdini would create a new series of dramatic posters to replace his "America's Sensation" sheet. This time the posters proclaimed him, without exaggeration, as Europe's Eclipsing Sensation!

Related posts:

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Haversat & Ewing auction June 3-4

Haversat & Ewing Galleries upcoming "Spring Into Summer Auction" on June 3-4 will include several interesting Houdini rarities among their 190 lots.

Two items specifically relate to Houdini in New York. The first is a program and ticket stubs for Houdini's 1917 S.A.M. benefit for the families of the Antilles disaster, in which he shared the stage with Harry Kellar among others (Lot 145). To promote the patriotic event, New York officials finally granted Houdini permission to perform a suspended straitjacket escape in Times Square. There's also a program for Houdini's first appearance at The Palace Theater, in which he shared the bill with Fanny Brice (Lot 136). The Palace was a collaboration between Martin Beck and B.F. Keith and became the preeminent vaudeville house of the golden age.

Also at auction are eleven typed pages about the Davenport Brothers compiled by Oscar Teale for Houdini (Lot 146). An article called "The Idolatrous Dog" signed by Houdini to Will Goldston: "W.G. Knowing your love of your pretty little Greyhound - know this will interest. Regards, Houdini" (Lot 137). And two keys from Houdini's personal collection owned by Jerry Metallo, who was once Houdini's metal worker (Lot 160).


You can view the full online catalog HERE. Active bidding on all lots begin at 11:30 AM EST - Friday, June 3, 2016. The first lot closes Saturday, June 4, 2016 at 5:00 PM EST.

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Houdini's on First

I caught news of this late, but last Monday the Point Loma Playhouse in San Diego held a staged reading of a new play written by Hilary White called Houdini's on First.

A tattered but still glamorous theatre on First Avenue in Chicago is the latest stop on the tour of Harry Houdini and his enchanting assistant Celeste. When Houdini's biggest fan, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, catches the show one evening the great magician and the Sherlock Holmes creator bond over their mutual passion for Spiritualism but clash in their very different methods of proving life after death. But the existence of the otherworldly both men desperately seek may be closer than either of them realize. Truth and illusion, two sides of the same coin, are at the heart of this story of friendship and love set against a backdrop of magic and mystery. 

Hopefully the reading went well and we will be hearing more about this production in the future.

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

The truth about The Magic of Houdini

Amazon's steaming video service recently added a documentary called The Magic of Houdini. Even though it shows a 2016 date, this is actually the 1970 BBC documentary The Truth About Houdini.

This was the first Houdini documentary and remains one of my favorites. It's well worth watching if you've never seen it. Just don't be fooled into thinking you're buying or renting something new.

This isn't the first time this has happened. This was offered on DVD under the same title back in 2010, but vanished quickly.

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Tuesday, May 24, 2016

REVIEW: Houdini & Doyle (ep. 4): Spring Heel’d Jack

The real-life mystery of "Spring Heel’d Jack" is the focus of Houdini & Doyle episode 4. The mysterious cloaked figure stalked London in 1837 and is back to challenge our heroes.


"Spring Heel’d Jack" is directed by Daniel O'Hara, and like his In Manus Dei, it's another standout episode. The mystery this time plays out with a fair amount of action, some of it bloody, with nice themes running through, mainly the coming of the automobile and a suggestion that the reappearance of the demon foretells this "tragedy." In fact, a highlight of the episode is seeing Houdini and Doyle traveling in an early motor car (see more on this below).

One problem that seems to have been nicely addressed is the lack of recognition and references to the two men's fame. Throughout this episode people are appropriately excited to find Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle in their homes. "You think I'd get tired of it," says Houdini cheerily.

Spoilers ahead
The actors all once again do a wonderful job, with Stephen Mangan and Michael Weston honing their relationship and displaying real chemistry. Rebecca Liddiard's Adelaide Stratton is not as present this time as she's becoming a mystery herself. The episode ends with the revelation that she is married! More to come on that front I'm sure.

As much as I enjoyed the mystery, I was able to guess early on that the reporter, Lyman Biggs (Blake Harrison), was behind the reappearance of Spring Heel'd Jack. I'm not very good at this kind of thing, so I expect those who are better armchair detectives will have had no trouble at all. But it's nice that the solution doesn't explain everything, and the final shot suggests that the legend of Spring Heel’d Jack will endure.

Just the facts

This episode is bookended with Houdini struggling to find the right poster for his show. The poster we see in the opening is based on a French poster for Houdini's 1918-19 movie serial The Master Mystery. Doyle suggests the catch phrase "Death-Defying," which Houdini instantly likes. ("Well done. You outta consider writing.") However, Houdini didn't use "Death-Defying" until his famous Milk Can poster in 1908. But the billing of "Europe's Eclipsing Sensation" is correct for this time period, as is the font used the spell out Houdini's name.


As I mentioned earlier, seeing Houdini and Doyle in an early motor car is a highlight of this episode. However, there's another one of those missed opportunities that could have come with deeper research. Cars made Houdini nervous. He was not a fan of driving nor being driven. It would have added a nice element to this scene having the fearless Houdini be a nervous passenger, something Doyle could have had some fun with.


In this episode we get to see Weston's Houdini performing magic tricks for the Doyle children. Performing for children was something the real Houdini enjoyed. Houdini's own "spring heel'd" acrobatics recall some of his movie stunts and human fly exploits. But the biggest historical issue, and the one that I expect will have Houdini buffs most up in arms, is the depiction of Houdini smoking opium to help his chronic pain. The scene is cut down in the U.S. version. In the UK we see him actually smoking from the pipe.

Houdini smokes opium (cut from the U.S. version).

At first, this seems like an anathema. The real Houdini neither drank nor smoke, and extolled the virtues of clean living. But before we beat up the writers too badly, know that they did not pull this out of a hat. On page 95 of the excellent book Masters of Mystery: The Strange Friendship of Arthur Conan Doyle & Harry Houdini by Christopher Sandford (which I suspect was a primary research tool for the series), we find this:

Though personally frugal, and, except on their anniversary, rarely known to join Bess in a glass of champagne, Houdini may have explored other mood altering substances around the time he went to Hollywood. Will Goldston believed he sometimes partook of "a nip of opium," of the kind widely available in Edwardian musical-hall circles, if only for analgesic properties. The drug may have numbed the pain of a damaged kidney and other health-related issues collected over the years, but, as with Bess's drinking, it didn't always produce a felicitous state.

So maybe there is something to this opium idea after-all. However, Will Goldston was known to invent Houdini mythology. It was Goldstone who published the story of Bess crying the Mirror cuff key from the representative during Houdini's famous challenge. So maybe we need to take this one with a "nip" of salt.

Next Monday: Houdini & Doyle face-off with a medium in "The Curse of Korhza."

Houdini & Doyle airs every Monday at 9/8c on FOX. You can also watch episodes at FOX NOW.

Monday, May 23, 2016

Tonight on Houdini & Doyle...

The fourth episode of Houdini & Doyle airs tonight at 9/8c on FOX. Here's a teaser for Spring Heel’d Jack.


In the first of several attacks, a businessman is murdered by a mysterious phantom with demonic eyes and gravity-defying leaps. As panic spreads across London, the trio tries to determine if this is a case of mass hysteria, or is there a beast out there that thrives on fear?

"Spring Heel’d Jack" is written by Carl Binder and directed by Daniel O'Hara. Watch for my review tomorrow.

Houdini & Doyle airs every Monday at 9/8c. You can watch earlier episodes at FOX NOW.

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Sunday, May 22, 2016

Houdini & Doyle released on DVD in UK

A 3-disc DVD set containing all 10 episodes of Houdini & Doyle Season 1 is released today in the UK. The full series has already aired in the UK on ITV Encore. It's currently showing in the U.S. on FOX.

This Region 2 DVD will not play on U.S. players. But I expect we'll be getting a DVD release here in the U.S. as well.

Purchase Houdini & Doyle on DVD at Amazon.co.uk.

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Saturday, May 21, 2016

Boxed Bess

The story of Bess getting stuck in the Metamorphosis trunk is one that appears in most Houdini biographies. It was also amusingly dramatized in The Great Houdinis (1976). Recently I came upon this story from the Feb. 6, 1900 Sedalia Democrat describing exactly what happened that night, right down to Bessie's outburst, "So this is the way you try and kill me, is it?"

Click to enlarge.

The offending trunk was almost certainly the trunk that was for many years was owned by the great Patrick Culliton. This is the trunk the Houdinis were using in 1900. It's a trunk I've had the pleasure of being put inside. I did not get stuck.

Bessie's nemesis.

For those familiar with how the Metamorphosis works, it's a little hard to fathom how Bess could become "trapped" due to a lack of keys. Of course, to get out would have exposed the trick to the audience, so Bess might have just been a trooper and allowed herself to remain locked up. Or is it possible this was all just an attention getting publicity stunt? If so, I doubt Harry was happy when he saw the paper identified him as Robert Houdini.

Many assume this happened during the Houdinis early struggling days, as portrayed in the clip below from The Great Houdinis (the singing is a Hollywood invention). But by February 1900, Houdini had already signed with Martin Beck and had scored success on Beck's Orpheum circuit out west. He had also just appeared at Keith's flagship theater in Boston. Fortunately, this did not happen at a Keith or Orpheum theater.



This happened at The New York Theatre on Broadway between 44th and 45th Street. The theater was built by Oscar Hammerstein in 1895 as the Olympia (a precursor to his Victoria) and contained two theaters and a roof garden. Harry and Bess were performing in the 1,675-seat Music Hall which was reserved for variety acts. The New York was an independent theater and a competitor to Keith's Union Square. Maybe that's more evidence to suggest this was staged. Houdini could afford to have an "accident" like this off the Keith circuit.

The New York Theater. (Source: Cinema Treasures.)

In 1915, Marcus Loew turned the New York into a "multiplex" cinema. The building stood until 1935. Today the site of Bessie's boxing is the Criterion Center Stage Right in Times Square.



Related:

Houdini miniseries repeats May 28

HISTORY will repeat their two-part Houdini miniseries starring Adrien Brody on Saturday, May 28 at 7:30 AM (part 1) and 9:30 AM (part 2).


The Houdini miniseries first aired in September 2014. For those who are discovering it for the first time, check out my review and fact checks below.

No shortage of Houdini on TV these days!

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Houdini & Doyle on Mysteries At The Museum, May 27

If you're enjoying Houdini & Doyle on FOX, you might want to catch the real story on The Travel Channel's Mysteries at the Museum on May 27. The series will repeat their 2014 episode in which host Don Wildman travels to the Houdini Museum in Scranton to uncover the story of Houdini and Doyle's famous falling out.


The show highlight's the museum's original portrait of Cecelia Weiss, which hung inside Houdini's New York home. Owners Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz acquired the portrait (along with another of Houdini's father) at a 1980 auction of Houdini memorabilia in New Jersey.

"Doyle & Houdini, The Poison Squad, The Great Imposter" airs May 27 at 6pm/5c. Check out The Travel Channel for more details.

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Thursday, May 19, 2016

Bill Kalush to receive 2016 Milbourne Christopher Award

William Kalush, co-author of The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero and founder of the Conjuring Arts Research Center in New York, will receive the Milbourne Christopher Award for Literature at the upcoming 2016 Milbourne Christopher Awards on June 25.


The Milbourne Christopher Foundation was established by Maurine Christopher in 1989, and was created to perpetuate the memory of her husband and his lifelong interest in encouraging excellence, originality, and leadership in the art of magic. The award categories reflect Milbourne Christopher’s own diversified career. Among his many works, Christopher wrote Houdini: The Untold Story (1969).

The 2016 Milbourne Christopher Awards will be held at 6:00 PM on June 25 at the Garde Arts Center, 325 State Street, New London, Connecticut. Tickets can be purchased here.

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The Witch of Lime Street paperback in October

The paperback edition of David Jaher's The Witch of Lime Street: Séance, Seduction, and Houdini in the Spirit World will be released on October 11 according to a new listing on Amazon.

This non-fiction work examines Houdini's spiritualistic investigations and his famous battle with Mina Crandon aka Margery. The book was released last year to excellent reviews, including one from myself.

In December it was also announced that STX Entertainment had purchased the movie rights and had begun development on a film based on the book.

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Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Houdini & Doyle stuntman injured in Torture Cell break

If you thought the Water Torture Cell glass breaking scene in Monday's episode of Houdini & Doyle looked frighteningly real, that's because it was! According to actor Michael Weston, the stuntman doubling him as Houdini was even injured and taken to the hospital.



For those keeping score, we've now seen Houdini fail to escape from his Water Torture Cell in Houdini (1953), The Great Houdinis (1976), Houdini (1998), Houdini Miniseries (2014), and now Houdini & Doyle (2016). Of course, in real life, Houdini always made it.

Houdini & Doyle airs every Monday at 9/8c on FOX. You can also watch episodes at FOX NOW.

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Tuesday, May 17, 2016

REVIEW: Houdini & Doyle (ep. 3): In Manus Dei

For my money, Houdini & Doyle episode 3, "In Manus Dei," is the best yet. The core mystery and personal storylines are very well integrated, making this episode both intriguing and moving (especially the end). For the first time, this series gripped me beyond just being a Houdini novelty.


This time Houdini (Michael Weston), Doyle (Stephen Mangan) and Constable Stratton (Rebecca Liddiard) investigate the sudden death of a man during a faith healer's ministry. Was he struck down by the hand of God for being a non-believer or was he murdered? Houdini, who is portrayed as the ultimate unbeliever in this episode, is himself struck down with a mysterious illness in the course of events. He even fails to escape from the Water Torture Cell (more on that later). Doyle also has a deeply personal experience that might be related to his own faith, as his wife, played by Stephen Mangan's real-life wife, Louise Delamere, suddenly revives from her coma.

The budding relationship between Houdini and Adelaide, set-up at the end of episode two, is only serviced with a few lines of dialogue this time. Will they or won't they? Something tells me it's going to take the entire season to find out. We again see Houdini's mother (Diana Quick) and Houdini's assistant Florrie (Jerry-Jean Pears), who has the honor of breaking the glass of the Water Torture Cell to save her boss. The faith healer, Elias Downey, is very well played by Nathan Stewart-Jarrett.


Spoilers ahead
This time the solution to the mystery was a nice surprise. However, the script employed a major cheat by withholding the fact that Downey's sister gave the victim "a refreshment" shortly before his collapse. This was later shown to the audience only in flashback, but Houdini and Doyle appeared to known it the entire time? Feels like a mystery series can only get away with something like that so many times (if ever). But, as I said, the personal aspects of this episode are what really drove it home. The ending, when Doyle's wife suddenly lapses back into her coma, is truly devastating.

Just the facts

Unlike episode two, in which the Houdini's attitude towards reincarnation is diametrically opposed to the real man, here his attitude towards faith healers is spot on. Houdini condemned them along with fake doctors and medicine show practitioners in his first book, The Right Way To Do Wrong (1906). But what about Houdini's own faith?

There's a moment in which Weston's Houdini express an opinion that would suggest he's an atheist: "God was invented to explain things we don't understand. Now we have science." While the real Houdini was not overly religious (I like to say his religion was Magic), he was not an atheist. He even reaffirmed his belief in God while under oath before Congress. However, he was frequently accused by spiritualists that he was "attacking religion" and even today there are those who equate his skepticism with atheism. But this was not the case.

Houdini being chopped free of his Water Torture Cell has been dramatized many times, most famously in the 1953 film Houdini starring Tony Curtis, which had him die in the escape (a myth that persists to this day). This never happened. Even if Houdini had been trapped in the USD, as he called it, its unlikely the axe would have ever been used. The cell had drainage valves at the bottom of the tank that could be opened in an emergency.

Only once, as far as we know, did Houdini have an accident while doing the Water Torture Cell. While performing in Albany in 1926, he broke his ankle as he was being raised above the stage. And speaking of broken bones...

At one point Doyle examines Houdini's x-rays and notes his history of many broken bones. Says Doyle, "You must be in agony every single day." This is more Evel Knievel than Harry Houdini. Apart from the aforementioned broken ankle and a broken wrist while doing a movie stunt, Houdini did not break many bones during his career. However, he did rupture a blood vessel in his kidney while doing a straitjacket escape, and that injury did cause him lifelong pain. But in 1901, when Houdini & Doyle is set, Houdini was in top physical shape.


Finally, there's what I thought was a missed opportunity when Houdini's mother feeds him chicken soup during his feverish illness. Houdini claims it was the source of his sudden cure. Wouldn't Farmers Chop Suey have been better? This was a favorite childhood dish that Houdini asked for during his final illness in Detroit. Not only would this have been a nice nod to the real Harry, but it would have spared the audience the chicken soup cliché.

Next Monday: Houdini and Doyle tackle the legend of "Spring-Heel’d Jack."

Houdini & Doyle airs every Monday at 9/8c on FOX. You can also watch episodes at FOX NOW.

Monday, May 16, 2016

Magic Collectibles "Houdini Mania" sale May 18

This Wednesday, May 18, Jim Rawlins at Magic Collectibles will be launching a special "Houdini Mania" sale. From 8 to 10 PM eastern, Jim will be listing a new Houdini item every three minutes. There will be 40 items with prices ranging from $30 to $2900. These will be high quality items, many which have appeared in recent auctions and several that have not been seen before.


All prices will be fixed. No bidding, no buyers fee. Jim promises that prices "will be reasonable and generally lower than the latest auction values unless our item is superior in some way."

Set-up an account at magiccollectibles.com and get ready for Houdini Mania on Wednesday night.

Houdini & Doyle episode 3 tonight

The third episode of Houdini & Doyle airs tonight at 9/8c on FOX. Here's a plot description for tonight's case: In Manus Dei.

When a heckler is mysteriously struck down at a faith healer’s show, the team investigates whether the healer is truly channeling the power of God. And if so, can he work a miracle on Doyle’s dying wife?

"In Manus Dei" is written by Melissa R. Byer and Treena Hancock and directed by Daniel O'Hara. This is a standout episode. Watch for my review tomorrow.



Houdini & Doyle airs every Monday at 9/8c. You can watch earlier episodes for free at FOX NOW.

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Sunday, May 15, 2016

A forgotten Houdini assistant?

Recently I received an email from Ruth Owen in the UK who tells me family lore claims her grandmother, Ellen Cook, assisted Houdini while he was performing in Yorkshire in 1914.

Had Ruth mentioned any other year, I would have been skeptical. As we know, Houdini primarily used male assistants or Bess during the bulk of his career. But 1914 was the year Houdini experimented with his "Grand Magical Revue" in the UK, and in that show he would have used female assistants for illusions such as "Goodbye Winter" and "The Arrival of Summer." So was Ellen Cook one of them? Here's what Ruth's mother recorded:

"Eventually Mum obtained a post at Barnsley Empire Theatre. She used to tell us that one of the highlights was when she assisted Houdini in his spectacular escapology feats. Photographs of her then show fine features and long, thick, black hair styled in a bun. 
Lucky for me that she was in that place, at the time, or I would not be writing this! For it was at the Empire that my father, Christopher Musgrave, first saw her assisting Houdini."

To investigate this further, I turned to Derek Tait, the true expert on Houdini in the UK (watch for Derek's The Great Houdini: The British Tours coming this year). Derek tells me Houdini did appear twice in Yorkshire in 1914. Between February 16 and 21 he played the Empire Theater in Leeds. Later he played the Palace Theatre in Hull from April 27 to May 2, where he did indeed present the Grand Magical Revue. However, there is no record of Houdini in Barnsley.

So we have the right time, the right region, the right type of act, but not the right theater. But that doesn't preclude the possibly that Ellen Cook is a forgotten Houdini assistant. We'll just need to keep digging

This has also set me to thinking about Houdini's Grand Magical Revue. The idea that Houdini would have had to have used new female assistants never occurred to me before. (Unless Bess worked each illusion with him?) Houdini may have hired his "box jumpers" regionally, so there may be a few Ellen Cook's out there.

Thanks to Ruth Owen and Derek Tait.

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Friday, May 13, 2016

Guest blog: The Houdini Museum of New York, Part I

Recently our friend and frequent contributor Neil McNally traveled to New York where he visited the remarkable Houdini Museum of New York in Fantasma Magic. Neil was able to interview owner Roger Dreyer about what is now one of the largest public displays of authentic Houdini memorabilia in the world. I'm very excited to share PART ONE of that interview today.

by Neil McNally

If you ever find yourself in New York City at the corner of 33rd Street and 7th Avenue look up. On the face of the towering Sports Plaza office building, you might just be able to make out the confidant visage of Harry Houdini staring down at you. Or more to the point, a row of vintage Houdini magic posters taking up one row of office windows. This impressive display is what greeted me one rainy December afternoon as I made my way to “Fantasma Magic,” home to the “Houdini Museum of New York.”

As the elevator doors open you are greeted by a vintage fortune telling machine. Inside his glass cage is Zoltan who is more than happy to share his wisdom with you…for a small fee of course. Push past two metal doors, and you will find yourself transported to a golden age of New York magic. It’s an age that harkens back to a simpler and more innocent time where legends like Al and Jackie Flosso would hawk their magical wares and educate those who were willing to learn.

Fantasma Magic is the brainchild of businessman and Houdini collector Roger Dreyer. After the bulk of his Houdini collection, second only to David Copperfield’s, was used in the travelling exhibition Houdini: Art and Magic he decided to set up a more permanent museum of his own in the foyer of his own magic shop.

It is here that I was able to meet with Mr. Dreyer and get a personal and insightful tour of his collection. It’s a collection that has to be seen to be believed. But, in the world of Harry Houdini you wouldn’t want it any other way.

Can you tell me a bit about your collection and the Houdini Museum of New York?

"Everything is from my personal collection with the exception of a lone item from the Society of American Magicians which is Houdini’s second bust that was created and then stolen in 1976...and then magically reappeared at the Nassau County Police Department. There’s another story unto itself right there.

Our whole goal (at the museum) is to motivate children to be the next legends of magic or the next Harry Houdini. We have a lot of inspirational talks and different lectures and performances where we even let the kids try on the actual Houdini handcuffs…We’re very proud of a lot of the unique items that we have on display. Many people say this is the largest permanent collection of Houdini items that is on display seven days a week where people can visit."

In terms of the museum setting itself, it’s very obvious that you were going for a very classic magic feel for the displays. Tell us a bit about that.

"The Houdini Museum of New York has only been in this current location for 2 ½ years. Fantasma Magic has had a small Houdini display since 2006. But, it really took off with the help of the architect David Rockwell (who had worked on the now defunct Hugh Jackman Houdini musical) who came in and designed our museum for us. It’s with customized, beautiful burgundy wall paper and gold sparkled floors with a really cool type of magic mini-theater."

What initially got you into collecting?

"In the past I was inspired by Al Flosso whom I used to work for as a kid (at Martinka Magic). From him, I would get paid a lot in antique magic which I would collect for years. When I started collecting Houdini in the 90s, I ended up trading a lot of this rare apparatus with other magicians. So, it was a lot of fun acquiring it from people who knew Houdini, relatives of Houdini, as well as through other magic collectors…

A lot of my items came from the estate of Jack Chanin. Many came from Bernard Ernst’s collection…and the Sidney Radner auction. Also, much of it came from Stanley Palm who knew Marie Hinson (Bess Houdini’s sister). So, we have been very fortunate."

As we began to walk throughout the museum, Roger excitedly began to point out the many highlights of the collection and how he obtained them.

"The initial pieces of our collection range from a Robert-Houdin letter, which of course was the inspiration of Jacob Hayman naming Houdini from that...We have the famous 1895 photo of Houdini as the King of Cards…We have pictures of Jacob Hayman as the Brothers Houdini doing the barrel escape. Over here is a picture of Houdini in Atlantic City when he was sixteen.

We have something rare. Not only do we have Houdini’s escape mailbag that we actually got from Jack Chanin. Jack Chanin’s father used to run a barbershop in Philadelphia and Houdini once left the mailbag there and never came to pick it back up after the show. During the Sid Radner sale, I was able to buy a whole bunch of Houdini’s picks and equipment. One of them was a mailbag bolt…so this is Guy Jarrett’s own bolt that he designed for Harry Houdini that Houdini used with the reverse thread (for the mailbag escape).

We also have the last trick that Houdini performed onstage for “The Whirlwind of Color.” Houdini collapsed at the end of the first act and this trick was actually finished by his assistants when Houdini was rushed to the hospital."


One of the more unique aspects of the Houdini Museum of New York are its interactive elements. Situated by the framed exhibits is an animatronic straight jacketed Houdini that drops from the ceiling upside down…only to magically escape moments later.

"What’s kind of cool about our venue is that we have Houdini coming down every fifteen minutes where kids can see him…Then at the end Houdini does in fact get out of the straight jacket. (Looking at the animatronic Houdini as it escapes from its straight jacket) And yes ladies and gentlemen Harry Houdini has escaped!"


Join us next time for PART TWO when Roger talks more about his thoughts about Houdini, magic history and collecting, and the renowned Houdini escape coffin.

Roger Dreyer photo from New York Daily News. All other photos by Neil McNally.

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Thursday, May 12, 2016

House Theatre of Chicago resurrects Death and Harry Houdini

The House Theatre of Chicago's 2012 hit Death and Harry Houdini is once again at The Chopin Theatre from today through July 24, 2016. The play is written and directed by Nathan Allen and features magician Dennis Watkins as Houdini. Below is the cool new poster for this latest revival.

A ringmaster leads us through the events of Harry’s life, all told through stunning magic, poignant dialogue and original music. We travel from the untimely passing of his father, through his first tent shows with his younger brother Theo, meeting his wife Bess, and beginning a journey towards fame on the Vaudeville circuit. All the while, Harry feels Death close on his heels and he won’t rest until he’s conquered him once and for all. Harry will walk on broken glass, swallow razor blades and risk his life in the Water Torture Cell, but will he pull off an escape from Death? Marvel with us as Houdini battles Death once more.

The Chopin Theater is located at 1543 W. Division St., Chicago, IL. For more details and to buy tickets visit the House Theatre of Chicago.

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Wednesday, May 11, 2016

When Houdini threatened to sue Doyle

The new series Houdini & Doyle (Mondays at 9/8c on FOX) will not dramatize the famous falling out between the two friends. The show creators say they might tackle it should the show continue for more seasons. But for these initial 10 episodes, Houdini and Doyle will remain friendly competitors.

But the real Houdini and Doyle did have a nasty split over the issue of spiritualism. How bad did it get? In 1925, Variety reported that Houdini was considering suing Doyle, whom he called "a menace to mankind."


Houdini appears to have never followed through with his threat.

Thanks to Bill Mullins.

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Tuesday, May 10, 2016

REVIEW: Houdini & Doyle (ep. 2): A Dish of Adharma

In Houdini & Doyle episode 2, "A Dish of Adharma," our heroes investigate the shooting of a prominent suffragette by a young boy who claims he is avenging his own murder in a past life. For Doyle, this could provide proof of reincarnation. For Houdini, it's a chance to prove Doyle wrong. (Except the real Houdini believed in reincarnation, but more on that later.)


This second episode felt much more like a classic TV police procedural. Maybe too much so. What felt absent was any notion that these are two famous men. Not once does anyone have any reaction to the fact that Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle are suddenly standing in their living rooms. So the fun of the premise is somewhat missing this time. On the other hand, Constable Adelaide Stratton (Rebecca Liddiard) continues to shine, and I couldn't help but think this series could stand up even if it was just about her.

This episode not only explores the idea of reincarnation, but also equal rights for women and female empowerment. It's a nice undercurrent, even if it all feels a little too contemporary to be challenging. Houdini is presented as being the more sexist of the two men...or maybe he's just trying to get under Adelaide's skin, which brings us to the next point.

There's a suggestion in this episode that Adelaide and Houdini might come together romantically (so that's why Houdini is single in this series). Throughout the episode, they probe each other with "truth trades." At one point Adelaide senses conflict in Houdini and asks, "What did your father do to you?" Houdini answers: "Nothing, I loved my father very much." But Michael Weston, a strong actor, plays the moment in such a way to suggest there clearly is something here. I'm excited to find out what that is.

As for who done it? Well, it turns out the boy is not a reincarnation, and once again Houdini is proven right and Doyle wrong. I'm thinking they'll need to change this up eventually. But what supernatural occurrence will turn out to be unexplainable? We'll have to keep watching to find out.

Just the facts

As mentioned above, this episode shows Houdini being skeptical of the idea of reincarnation. "It's mathematical," he says. "There's a billion more people on the planet than there was 100 years ago. Where's the giant soul factory?" (Good point.) This works well in the context of the show as it sets Houdini and Doyle at odds.

But in reality, Houdini was not only a believer in reincarnation, for a time he was a Doyle-like advocate. He even wrote, produced, and starred in a film, The Man From Beyond, which featured reincarnation as a core theme. It's been said Houdini believed he was the reincarnation of Friedrich von der Trenck, a German spy who had an uncanny ability to escape Prussian jails and who was executed in 1794. On the topic, Houdini wrote:

"But there is something--of that I am convinced--in the theory of reincarnation. Just how much, I cannot say, nor do I believe it will greatly profit us to try and tear aside the veil. In due time it will be lifted, and we shall see beyond with Milton--'the bright countenance of Truth.'"

I should add that later in his life there's evidence that Houdini may have changed his mind about reincarnation.

Besides the mention of his father (whom Houdini did indeed "love very much") the only other factual morsel for us to chew on came during the final scene with Houdini and Constable Stratton having dinner. Here Weston's Houdini mentions his disillusionment with his boyhood hero, Robert-Houdin:

"There's somebody I admired. Idolized even. Robert-Houdin. Greatest magician who ever lived. I named myself after him. The more I studied his act the more I realized he wasn't employing any real skill. Just relying on cheap tricks, juvenile props. In short, he was a fraud."

Houdini did indeed idolize Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin and did name himself after the great French magician. It's also true that he later turned on his idol. But what disillusioned Houdini was his discovery that Robert-Houdin was not the great inventor he claimed to be; that other magicians were responsible for creating effects and establishing firsts credited to the Frenchman. In 1908, Houdini published The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin, an aggressive exposé of his former hero. It's not a book that was embraced by the magic world then or now, and Robert-Houdin's reputation as "the father of modern magic" remains intact. But Houdini never wavered in his belief that Robert-Houdin was "the prince of pilfers."

Interestingly, Houdini sent Conan Doyle a copy of The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin as a means of introduction in 1920.

Finally, what of Houdini's attitude toward women's suffrage and suffragette movement? While Houdini did not involve himself in politics, there is some evidence that he was sympathetic to the movement. In 1908, he accepted a challenge by a group of six Suffragettes to escape from sheets and ropes. After Houdini freed himself, he complimented the women on their abilities, noting that he had never been so securely tied and that it was one of his most difficult escapes.

Below is an original playbill from 1908 Suffragettes Challenge from my own collection.


Next Monday: Houdini & Doyle investigate a faith healer in "In Manus Dei." Houdini & Doyle airs every Monday at 9/8c on FOX. Past episodes can be watched at FOX NOW.

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