While Houdini boasted of his American success at the end of 1905, the truth was he was still competing with a sea of Handcuff Kings, some of whom were better known in the U.S. at this time. But all that was about to change.
This post is now retired. But you will be able to enjoy the story of Houdini in 1906 in my upcoming book.
Great read - thank you. Publishing the book and the magazine in the midst of all this enormous physical activity, and at such a young age, is amazing and shrewd, helping to distinguish him and to establish his credibility in the minds of the public.
The Hackenschmidt film... The only mention of it anywhere remains a single log book entry by the theater manager that Matthew Solomon uncovered and put in his great book, "Disappearing Tricks: Silent Film, Houdini, and the New Magic of the Twentieth Century". It was a cool find.
But as the years have worn on and nothing more has turned up, I've kinda started to downgrade it in my mind. Should we really consider it Houdini's first film? Was it even a film? Maybe it was just slides? I just don't know what it was.
I've actually cut it from my Houdini in Cinema talk and go right to the 1907 Rochester bridge jump as the first appearance of Houdini on film, as HH himself claimed. Maybe someday someone will turn up new info on Hackenschmidt.
It was a familiar scenario: Harry struggling too long on some challenge escape, and Bess leaving the stage in tears.
ReplyDeleteGreat read - thank you. Publishing the book and the magazine in the midst of all this enormous physical activity, and at such a young age, is amazing and shrewd, helping to distinguish him and to establish his credibility in the minds of the public.
ReplyDeleteJoe Notaro provides interesting info on his blog about the Houdini Defeats Hackenschmidt short film:
ReplyDeletehttps://harryhoudinicircumstantialevidence.com/?p=4677
DeleteThe Hackenschmidt film... The only mention of it anywhere remains a single log book entry by the theater manager that Matthew Solomon uncovered and put in his great book, "Disappearing Tricks: Silent Film, Houdini, and the New Magic of the Twentieth Century". It was a cool find.
But as the years have worn on and nothing more has turned up, I've kinda started to downgrade it in my mind. Should we really consider it Houdini's first film? Was it even a film? Maybe it was just slides? I just don't know what it was.
I've actually cut it from my Houdini in Cinema talk and go right to the 1907 Rochester bridge jump as the first appearance of Houdini on film, as HH himself claimed. Maybe someday someone will turn up new info on Hackenschmidt.