October surprise

Well, how about this? WILD ABOUT HARRY and I have received a tremendous honor from the New England Magic Collectors Association (NEMCA), an organization I greatly respect and admire. This was just posted to their Facebook group:

JOHN COX / WILD ABOUT HARRY NAMED NEMCA’S 2025 FOUNDERS AWARD RECIPIENT!

The New England Magic Collectors Association (NEMCA) is an organization of over 150 magicians, magic historians and magic collectors from around the world. It started in Boston, Massachusetts in 1980 with the purpose of preserving and promoting the history, artifacts and publications of the performers of magic and its allied arts.

In 2017 NEMCA created its Founders Award in honor of two of its founders, Ray Goulet and Ed Hill. The Award is used to acknowledge the contributions of people and organizations that exemplify NEMCA’s prime objectives of preserving and promoting the history and artifacts associated with magic and the allied arts. Previous recipients have included the American Museum of Magic, the Conjuring Arts Research Center (CARC), MAGICANA, and The Magic Circle.

It is our privilege to announce that the Board of Directors for NEMCA has unanimously voted to honor Wild About Harry and its founder, John Cox, as the recipient of the 2025 Founders Award.

This celebrates Cox’s many years of effort collecting and sharing information regarding Harry Houdini. Cox’s Facebook page, website (wildabouthoudini.com) in conjunction with the Patreon site, offers pictures and information available nowhere else. The publication of his book, Escaping Obscurity - The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899, is a significant accomplishment and contribution to the community. It is these, and many other considerations, that supported the presentation of this honor.

Magicians around the world will celebrate Harry Houdini in 2026 recognizing one hundred years since the death of Houdini. NEMCA’s next Yankee Gathering will take place in early November and a portion of the conference will be dedicated to scholarship and celebration of Houdini’s memory.

John Cox, through his work on Wild About Harry, has done much to preserve the very rich history of magic and its practitioners, as well as to promote magic to newer generations. The Board of the New England Magic Collectors Association can think of no more deserving organization than Wild About Harry and its founder, John Cox, to receive its 2025 Founders Award. NEMCA congratulates him for all he has done, and continues to do, on behalf of magic history.

I'm excited to read that a portion of their 2026 "Yankee Gathering" will be dedicated to scholarship and celebration of Houdini’s memory. That sounds like my kind of gathering!

Thank you to the New England Magic Collectors Association and all its members. This is amazing.

Related:

• Houdini's Flower Table blooms at Yankee Gathering
• Houdini at Yankee Gathering XV
• Houdini happenings at the first virtual Yankee Gathering

Dixie Dooley's annual Houdini Séance in Las Vegas

Our friend Dixie Dooley will hold his annual Houdini Séance at Balkan Bar and Grill in Las Vegas on Halloween. Doors open at 2PM.

Balkan Bar and Grill is located at 953 E Sahara Ave, Suite B-26, in Las Vegas. Website: balkanbarandgrill.com

Related:

• Dixie Dooley's remarkable visit to 278 (Pateron)
• New Houdini book by Dixie Dooley
• Dixie Dooley writes Houdini fiction

Houdini playing cards deal out $35,000 at auction

A deck of playing cards purported to have belonged to Houdini in his early years sold for $35,000 (43K including premium) at a Goldin auction on Sunday. Wild to think this might have been "one of the first decks used by Houdini," as the accompanying note reads.

Offered is a legendary piece of illusionist history, a deck of playing cards personally owned by the great Harry Houdini, famed escapist and stunt performer. This relic has a long history in the magic community after originally leaving the possession of Houdini in 1926. Houdini passed away in 1926, leaving this deck of playing cards to his wife, Bess Houdini. Bess gifted the deck to a fellow magician Audley S. Dunham, who after Bess' death gifted the deck to legendary "Society Magician," J. Elder Blackledge. Blackledge was well regarded amongst magicians of the time, and worked from the 1920s through the 1950s as a "society magician," performing in the White House for Franklin D. Roosevelt on several occasions. Blackledge popularized in America the famous magic act, "The Chinese Linking Rings," and performed them on occasion in Leland, Michigan. After Blackledge's passing in 1961, the deck was gifted by his widow to fellow magician and Leland resident William B.F. Hall. Hall passed in 1968, and his widow Sally Hall would pass the deck to their final owner Lawrence L. Michaels.

The deck of cards consists of 46 individual pieces. There are 45 playing cards in the offered deck, including a single Joker card. The deck appears to be missing a single Ace, Queen, 10, 9, 6, 5, 4, and 3. The reverse of the cards features a detailed blue/white back design, and traditional Jugendstil design on the obverse. The deck is also accompanied by a blank card, with "THIS DECK was one of the first used by Houdini (about 1890). Mrs. Houdini gave it to Audley S. Dunham who gave it to me December 14, 1943," along with a blue ink signature seemingly of J. Elder Blackledge. The playing cards exhibit heavy general wear, small tears, and associated creases, with soiling throughout the obverse and reverse of each card. Some cards display some minor peeling from the corners, separating the front and back of the card. Some of the cards detailing on the obverse have faded, partially removing the corner symbols on some cards. Several cards display corners that have been clipped or torn.

The auction does not specify the make of this deck, but if you've read that fine book Escaping Obscurity, you'll know that early in his career, Houdini endorsed U.S. and National Playing Cards as "the very best and finest." Those may be what Houdini is handling in the famous image from 1898 that was later used to illustrate his "King of Cards" poster. You can see that the Ace of Spades and card backs do not match the auction cards.

Thanks to Jim Klodzen for the Ace of Spades image and Roger Dreyer for the King of Cards photo.

Related:

• Paging Professor Murat
• The King of Cards in 1926
• Harry Houdini, card cheat

'Halloween with Houdini' at the Palmdale Playhouse

Duffy Hudson brings his Houdini one-man show to the Palmdale Playhouse in Halloween with Houdini: The Life and Work of the Great Harry Houdini, October 31, 2025.

Join us for a mesmerizing one-man show that brings the legendary escape artist to life! The Great Houdini takes center stage to recount his rise to fame, his lifelong fascination with magic and the death-defying feats that made him a legend. Don't miss out on an unforgettable evening of magic and mystery!

Buy tickets and get more information HERE.

Related:

• Catching Duffy Hudson's Houdini in Burbank
• Duffy Hudson brings Houdini to life in South Pasadena
• Meet Harry Houdini this weekend at the New-York Historical Society 

Explore Houdini’s Appleton, Oct 29

Here's another October event for your calendar. The History Museum at the Castle will conduct a historic Houdini walking tour of Appleton, Wisconsin, on October 29, 2025, from 6 PM to 7:30 PM.

October 29: Houdini’s Appleton. Explore the myths and reality of Houdini’s brief life in Appleton. Visit the location where his childhood home once stood, sites of fictional magical feats, and his father’s synagogue. Explore the city that Houdini called home.

You can buy tickets and get more info HERE.

Related:

• Let's all go to Appleton next year!
• 40th anniversary of Houdini Plaza in Appleton
• Metamorphosis sculpture reappears in Appleton

The Voyages of Patrick Culliton

Here's something special. These three videos by Mike Clark chronicle the story of our great friend and leading Houdini expert Patrick Culliton a.k.a. "Houdini's Ghost." While Patrick's Houdini activities do get a mention, these primarily focus on his acting career and relationship with producer Irwin Allen, especially his time working on Allen's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. These are very well done and really interesting. Enjoy.

PART I: THE HOLLYWOOD KID

PART II: INCREDIBLE VOYAGES

PART III: TO HELL AND BACK

Thank you, Patrick!

Related:

• Pat Culliton and I found Bess Houdini's house...like heroes
• A plea from Patrick Culliton: Save the Houdini films before it’s too late!
• Patrick Culliton clarifies the price and purpose of Houdini–the Key

The Last Séance of Harry Houdini in Austin

The Bottle Alley Theatre Company presents The Last Séance of Harry Houdini, October 23 through November 2, 2025, at the Flower Hill Center in Austin, Texas. Nick Gilley plays Edward Saint and Kathleen Fletcher plays Bess Houdini.

Join Edward Saint and Bess Houdini to conduct the tenth and final séance to conjure the spirit of Harry Houdini. They have gathered their peers, friends, enemies, and you at the Knickerbocker Hotel on Halloween night, 1936. An immersive piece centered around the historical event, The Last Séance of Harry Houdini explores themes of love, fame, and grief and the ways each of these can change us. The night unfolds with drinks, mingling, ghosts, and the consequences of disturbing a man’s final rest. Staged within the iconic Flower Hill Center on West 6th, The Last Séance of Harry Houdini will offer a truly immersive experience for those seeking the perfect spectral adventure for an October night. Warning: this production features strobing lights that could affect photosensitive viewers.

Visit the Bottle Alley Theatre website for more info and to buy tickets.

Related:

• Halloween 1936: The Final Houdini Seance
• Exploring Houdini's Austin
• Houdini Plays

The Amazing Race asks, "What would Houdini do?"

Tonight's episode of The Amazing Race is called “What Would Houdini Do?” and sees racers traveling to Budapest, Hungary. What I find amazing is that this show is still on!

“What Would Houdini Do?” – Racers travel to illusionist Harry Houdini’s birthplace, Budapest, Hungary, where a puzzling Fast Forward puts one team to the test, while a horse drawn carriage has teams racing against the clock, on THE AMAZING RACE, Wednesday, Oct. 15 (9:30-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs).

This actually isn't the first time The Amazing Race has contained a nod to Houdini. Back in 2012, racers had to perform a suspended straitjacket escape as part of their challenges.

Thanks to Harry Houdini (real name) for the alert.

UPDATE: The show had a nice Houdini tie-in as David Merlini's The House of Houdini museum was one of the stops. You can temporarily stream this episode for free HERE.

Related:

• Houdini rushes The Amazing Race
• The Amazing Race promises Houdini-inspired finale
• Take a River Cruise to Houdini's Birthplace in 2026

Houdini in New York 3-day Magic Conference

The events keep coming! The New York Magic Conference, in cooperation with the Houdini Museum in Scranton, will hold a three-day seminar devoted to "Houdini in New York," October 31 to November 2, 2025.

 

To register, email your contact information to Robert Dadras at NewYorkMagicConference@gmail.com. For more details, visit the New York Magic Conference on Facebook.

Related:

• Houdini's in New York
• Coney Island: Where Harry met Bessie
• The owners and occupants of Houdini's 278

Escaping Obscurity now available in the UK

Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899 is now available via a few more magic retailers besides publisher Mike Caveney's Magic Words. There's good news for those in the UK who may have avoided buying the book because of postage costs. Collecting Magic Books now has it in stock.

I'm also happy to see The Magic Apple here in Los Angeles (Studio City) has the book in stock. The Magic Apple is a fantastic old-school magic store, so it's a nice feeling to know a book I wrote is on their shelves. I went to magic shops looking for Houdini books as a kid, so I love the idea of some young Houdini nut stumbling on the book here.

At the moment, these are the only outside retailers with books, but Mike tells me more will be coming. I will share them as I get them.

Overall, the book is selling great, and reviews have been very positive. I have learned of a few errors and made a few post-publication discoveries, all of which I'm tracking on my page: ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Discoveries & Corrections.

Related:

• A Houdini Milk Can mystery in Studio City
• The Magic Apple conjures a Houdini card deck
• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY

Take a River Cruise to Houdini's Birthplace in 2026

It's never too early to start making plans for 2026 and the centennial of Houdini's death. Here's an event being organized by our friend Scott Wells of the Magic Word Podcast that sounds like a doozy!

The Magic Word Podcast Presents:
A River Cruise to Houdini's Birthplace in Celebration of 100 Years Since His Death

Join other listeners as the Magic Word Podcast hosts a trip to Old World Europe. Next year will mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Harry Houdini. As many of you know, Ehrich Weiss, aka Harry Houdini, was born in Budapest in 1874 before his family migrated to Appleton, Wisconsin, in the U.S. David Merlini has a world-renowned House of Houdini museum in Harry's hometown and will be hosting a festival around the date of the great escape artist's passing. So, we thought it appropriate to arrange a trip to the Old Country, including Transylvania, during this historic time to join in the celebration, then have a leisurely river cruise on the back end.

This trip will begin with a few days in Romania and Transylvania from October 26-28. Then we join with the Houdini Festival in Budapest from October 29-31. We will spend the following days from November 1-3 exploring in and around Budapest. On November 4-11 we will join the AMA Cruise in Budapest on the romantic Danube aboard the AmaSofia and travel northwest to Vilshofen, Germany. Those longing for the romance of Old World Europe will get to travel into the very heart of the continent, where empires were built, kings and queens were crowned and some of the world’s greatest music was composed and performed by the likes of Mozart and Beethoven. Grand European cities like Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest forever remain timeless. Admire the beauty of Salzburg or the Czech Republic’s charming mountain town, Ceský Krumlov. From grand abbeys and fortresses perched high above the Danube to plentiful iconic UNESCO World Heritage Sites, be romanced by the Danube with all her regal and romantic splendor.

This will be limited to a small group, so don't delay if you are interested. The trip dates will be October 26 (arriving in Bucharest on October 25) through November 11 and departing from Munich, Germany, on November 12. Rates go up after October 31, 2025, and cabin availability will be going fast since it is a river cruise and not an ocean going vessel. 

If you are interested in joining for this once in a lifetime experience, then please drop an email to scott@themagicwordpodcast.com for more information.

Related:

• Let's all go to Appleton next year!
• Hardeen in the House!
• Hungary issues an official Houdini stamp

The search for Stella

For the past few weeks I've been down a rabbit hole searching for the death date of Bess's sister Stella Bartholmes (née Rahner). But Stella is as elusive as the Tatler cuffs! She is not listed among Bess's siblings on Ancestry.com. It's also possible "Stella" was not her birth name. But we know she existed.

Stella and Bess were very close. They shared a room growing up and shared superstitions. When Bess was estranged from her mother, it was Stella and her husband William Bartholmes who provided Bess with her only family connection. Stella is the sister that Houdini and Bess are visiting in Bridgeport in 1897, where Houdini so enjoyed outrunning "all the bike cops" on his "Wheel" (which I discuss in Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899).

According to sister Marie Hinson, Stella died at a young age. Her only child, Beatrice Bartholmes (born in 1893), was raised by the Rahners from the age of seven, which suggests Stella's death occurred in or around 1900. Curiously, I do see the death of a William Bartholmes of Bridgeport on June 30, 1900. Is this Stella's husband? Did they die together? That would explain why their child went to grandma.

Stella's death would have greatly impacted Bess, so I'd really like to know precisely when it occurred so I can see where the Houdinis were at the time. To make it more frustrating, I recall reading about the death of one of Bess's sisters somewhere, but I can't find it.

So if anyone wants to take up the challenge and find any record of Stella and her death, you'll be my hero!

UPDATE: It appears Stella's birth name may have been Pauline and she's buried in Brooklyn, but no birth or death date available.

Related:

• Meet the Rahners
• Remembering Harry Houdini Hinson
• Marie Hinson remembers the generosity of Houdini

New edition of The Treasure Chest: Harry Houdini: Prince of Air

A new paperback edition of Ann Hood's The Treasure Chest: Harry Houdini #4: Prince of Air is released today by Penguin Workshop. When the book was first released by Grosset and Dunlap in 2012, the cover did not feature Houdini, nor was his name in the title. But it is now!

The secrets of Elm Medona thicken . . . with Harry Houdini! 

When Great-Uncle Thorne arrives at Elm Medona, Maisie and Felix's lives get shaken up again. Uncle Thorne moves the family into the mansion proper. One night, Great-Aunt Maisie arranges for Thorne, Maisie, and Felix to rendezvous with her in The Treasure Chest. Minutes later, Maisie and Felix find themselves at a magic show on Coney Island in 1894 starring Harry Houdini. As they follow him and his brother Dash to Pennsylvania and Rhode Island and back to New York City, they wonder what has become of Great-Aunt Maisie and Great-Uncle Thorne. Then one evening at Tom Pastor's Famous 14th Street Theater, the curtain opens and all is revealed.

Another interesting change. The date of this adventure has apparently been changed from 1893 to 1894.

You can purchase The Treasure Chest: Harry Houdini #4: Prince of Air by Ann Hood at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Related:

• Houdini scores a double today
• New cover for The Treasure Chest #4
• Coney Island: Where Harry met Bessie

Ed Cotham, Jr. talks Houdini in Galveston, Oct 28

Historian Ed Cotham, Jr. will give a talk about Houdini's connections to Galveston, Texas, on October 28 at 11:30am. This is part of The Galveston Historical Foundation's "Foundation Conversations" series. Details below.

October 31, 2025, marks the 99th anniversary of famous escape artist Harry Houdini's death. On November 6, 1923, less than three years before he died, Houdini made his one and only appearance at Galveston’s Grand Opera House. But Houdini had been dreaming of coming to Galveston for years. His papers in the Library of Congress include an unmailed postcard telling his mother that he was running away from home to go to Galveston for a year. At the time, Ehrich Weisz (his birth name) was only twelve years old. When Houdini finally got to Galveston 37 years later, he was in the midst of a crusade against the evil side of Spiritualism. As part of his later tours, Houdini delivered lectures with projected slides explaining how some unscrupulous mediums defrauded people. In this unique program, Ed Cotham will explore Houdini’s life and his Texas connections. As part of the program, he will read from the script of one of Houdini’s Spiritualism lectures while showing pictures of Houdini’s original slides. 

Virtual tickets are also available for guests who would like to view the livestream. A link will be sent prior to the event with instructions on viewing. You are welcome to bring your own lunch to enjoy. Lunch will not be provided. Current GHF member tickets are free for in-person or livestream attendance as part of their #GalvestonHistory+ account. Access will start at 11:15 a.m. on the day of the presentation. 

Edward T. Cotham, Jr. is a historian specializing in Galveston and Texas military history. The author of seven scholarly history books, Ed is also a performing magician. He is a member of many prominent magic organizations, including the Academy of Magical Arts at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California.

For additional details and to purchase tickets visit the Eventbrite page HERE.

Related:

• Houdini arrives in Galveston (at last)
• Houdini tours Texas
• Penn & Teller show us the Library of Congress Houdini Collection

The Official Houdini Séance 2025 in Pennsylvania

The Official Houdini Séance will be held this year at House of Magic in Glenside, Pennsylvania. The seance is open to the public, but seating is limited. An old-fashioned spook show will precede the seance. Below is this year's press release.

Nearly a century after Harry Houdini’s death, a group of magicians, historians, and spiritualists with gather in Pennsylvania to attempt what the famed escape artist once promised: Can the dead return?

The Official Houdini Séance will be held at 10 pm on October 31, 2025, at The House of Magic in Glenside, PA.

Fifteen days after performing at the Chestnut Street Theater in Philadelphia, Houdini died on Halloween in 1926 at Grace Hospital in Detroit at 1:26 pm, the result of peritonitis. Before his passing, he promised that if communication from the beyond were possible, he would find a way to prove it.

After his death, Houdini’s widow Bess held annual séances for ten years, culminating in a nationally broadcast attempt from the rooftop of the Knickerbocker Hotel in Hollywood in 1936. Declaring, “Ten years is enough to wait for any man,” she ended her public efforts, but others have continued the tradition.

“Houdini told his brother that if he were able to return in a material way, he would open a unique set of handcuffs,” said séance director Bill Radner of West Springfield, MA. “Those handcuffs, along with other Houdini memorabilia, will be placed on the séance table this year.”

The séance will be led by trance medium Scott Wells of Ft. Worth, TX, with participants hoping for a breakthrough unlike any before.

“We are a very determined group,” Radner added. “We look forward to making contact this year.”

For more Official Houdini Séance information, please contact Bill Radner, 413-531-3333 or email rendar1@aol.com.

While Houdini never performed in Glenside, he did appear with the Welsh Bros Circus for three memorable days in nearby Norristown (covered in Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899). And, of course, Philadelphia was a major Houdini city where he appeared many times. So I'd say his spirit is in the air!

You can purchase tickets for The Official Houdini Séance 2025 at the House of Magic website.

Thanks to Ken Hallgring and Tom Boldt for the alert.

Related:

• Inside The Official Houdini Séance 2024
• The secret origins of the annual Houdini Seance
• When the Welsh Bros. came to town

Houdini BBC radio collection released

BBC audiobooks have released a collection of three BBC-produced Houdini radio programs called Houdini & The Witch of Beacon Hill. Details below.

What drove Harry Houdini - magician, escapologist, and one of the most famous men in the world? Whether it was escaping from handcuffs, a straitjacket or from a box filled with water, Houdini wowed audiences with his seemingly death-defying performance... This BBC Radio collection shares the story behind the trickery: in two fascinating full-cast dramas about the life of Harry Houdini, and in particular his public campaign to expose fraudulent spiritual mediums.

In the stunning full-cast dramatisation Houdini, a man is naked against the world, bound in chains, deprived of all help. Performing a death defying escape from a galvanised iron can, filled with water and secured with massive locks. Failure means a drowning death! This is the gripping story of the master magician, escapologist, and at the time of his death in 1926, one of the most famous men in the world. Michael Maloney stars as Houdini, with Graham Crowden as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Lorelei King as Bess.

Houdini, the showman, longed to believe that he might be able to communicate beyond the grave with his beloved mother, but knew far too much about the trickery and faking of the stage to be easily convinced. The Witch of Beacon Hill is the true story of how Harry Houdini tried to debunk psychics and mediums. Attending séances in disguise, accompanied by a reporter and a police officer he debunked the most famous and celebrated Boston medium Mina Crandon, also known as ‘Margery’. This radio drama tells Margery’s story, and the story of how Houdini set out to disprove her claims. Starring Shelly Thompson as Margery and Nigel Anthony as Houdini.

This double edition collection comes with a bonus episode of Harry Houdini: Escape artist and showman with Rajan Datar. Through interviews, Datar charts the life and career of the legendary Houdini, with writer and biographer Adam Begley, Dr Matthew Solomon, and Dr Katharina Rein.

For the record, Houdini was first broadcast on BBC Radio 2, Oct 1996; The Witch of Beacon Hill on BBC Radio 4, 30 Sep 1989; and Harry Houdini: Escape artist and showman on BBC World Service, 30 Dec 2021

Purchase Houdini & The Witch of Beacon Hill: Two Full-Cast BBC Radio Historical Dramas at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Unfortunately, there does not appear to be a physical release.

Related:

• Ghosts of Beacon Hill
• BBC Radio: The Witch of Beacon Hill
• Peepolykus blend Houdini and Dracula on the BBC

Spellbound Houdini Séance at The House of MAGIC in Santa Paula

The House of MAGIC Foundation for the Arts and Mentalist Anthony Blake will present an immersive Houdini Séance experience called "Spellbound at the Table" this Friday, October 10, at The House of MAGIC in Santa Paula near Los Angeles. Below are the terrifying details.

Dare to Attend?

This Friday, October 10 at 7PM, step into the shadows for a Special Spellbound: At the Table presentation — The Houdini Séance.

Join us inside The House of MAGIC Foundation for the Arts as we recreate the mystery and wonder of Houdini’s world.

🕰️ Flickering candles. Whispered voices. A spirit cabinet waiting to be unlocked.

This is a theatrical séance — a scripted, immersive experience that blends illusion, history, and suspense. We’ll explore Houdini’s battle with spiritualism and the question that haunted him to his final day...

Can anyone truly speak from beyond the grave?

🎩 One night only — limited seating!

📅 Friday, October 10 • 7PM

📍 The House of MAGIC Foundation for the Arts, Santa Paula

🎟️ Get tickets now before they vanish: www.thomagic.org

(For entertainment purposes only. Ages 12+ recommended.)

I've just booked my ticket and, at the moment, I'm all by myself in the front row. So come join me...if you dare! 

The House of MAGIC Foundation for the Arts is located at 15500 W. Telegraph Road STE B15, Santa Paula, CA. 

Related:

• The Official Houdini Séance 2025 in Pennsylvania

50% off new Patreon memberships in October

I thought I'd kick off seance season and the countdown to the 99th anniversary of Houdini's death by offering 50% off new Patreon memberships in October. This applies to the first month and is open to new members only. Just use promo code: SPOOKS.

On my Patreon, you'll find a wealth of exclusive Houdini content, receive special monthly rewards, get the scoop on my current projects, and get an early heads up on new book releases and events. And if we reach 100 members (only 9 members away), you'll hear something truly wild.

You'll also be supporting all the work I do here on WILD ABOUT HARRY and my upcoming projects. So come join us (at 50% off) for what may be a wild month!

Related:

• Announcing WILD ABOUT HARRY on Patreon
• Want to hear unreleased Houdini voice?

Let's all go to Appleton next year!

It's not too early to start making plans for 2026 and Houdini's 100th. Here's an event to seriously consider. The Society of American Magicians (SAM) will hold its annual convention in Appleton, Wisconsin, July 1-4, 2026. And look who's going to be speaking! I'm already cooking up ideas on how to make this one extra special.

You're invited to return to where the magic began. Join The Society of American Magicians in Appleton, WI, Houdini's childhood home, for a once-in-a-century gathering to honor the world's most legendary magician. Celebrate Houdini's life, artistry, and enduring impact on the art of magic, 100 years after his passing. 

July 1-4, 2026 

HOUDINI 100 Years Later: Honoring the Legacy

Registration and information: magicsam.com/page/appleton

I think it would be great to gather as many Houdini nuts as possible for this one. Hey, it's Appleton, it's the SAM, and it's the 100th! Hope to see you there.

Related:

• S.A.M. will honor Houdini in Appleton next year
• Houdini's history with the S.A.M. told in new book
• New Houdini Plaza bust revealed

Houdini is back at the Winchester Mystery House

The famed Winchester Mystery House in San Jose is offering several special "Festival Fright Nights" tour experiences in October, including one themed to Houdini. Here are the details:

Can the Dead speak to the Living? Witness a diabolical secret hidden within an astounding display of magical arts, as legendary magician Harry Houdini mysteriously disappears before a séance rehearsal at Llanada Villa. Surrounded by magic memorabilia and props infamously used to disprove the existence of spirits, Houdini’s assistant invites several lucky participants to the séance table for the ultimate demonstration of staged paranormal trickery. Of course, Llanada Villa is no ordinary stage… and this is no ordinary séance. When avid spiritualist Sarah Winchester departed from the mortal realm, the ancient supernatural forces long kept at bay beneath her beloved home grew restless, waiting for a fresh voice to call out in the dark. Tonight, Houdini’s voice will challenge the unknown, all in the name of magic; if seeing is believing, even the toughest nonbelievers may leave this exclusive performance questioning.

You can book the "Do Spirits Return?" experience via the Winchester Mystery House official website. It will be available through November 1st.

Thanks to Laurie Sippel and Bruce Averbook for the pic.

Related:

• The Houdini way to San Jose
• "Guess who's back?"
• Houdini's spirit trumpet on Ghost Adventures

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

Houdini and The Holy Devil

It's been a minute since we've had a new Houdini graphic novel, but that's what we have here in The Holy Devil by Jason Paulos.

The Holy Devil is an original 136-page full colour graphic novel by Australian creator Jason Paulos. Imagine if Harry Houdini was a Batman/Doctor Strange style crimefighter, as well as a legendary touring magician. Then imagine the epic battle that would result if he was pitted against Grigori Rasputin in the form of a supernatural Lex Luthor inspired sex criminal. Then try and picture it drawn by an artist inspired by the great retro artists of the 70's and 80's with a helping of steampunk in the mix.

You can purchase The Holy Devil at Amazon.com.

Related:

• When Houdini met Batman
• Harry Houdini Vampire Hunter
• Houdini vs. Rasputin by C. Michael Forsyth

Houdini appears at Madame Tussauds in Vienna

The Houdini wax figure from Madame Tussauds Budapest has temporarily moved to Madame Tussauds Vienna. The figure was revealed on Monday during a special event at Magic World Vienna. Lucca & Anca Lucian, the world champions of mentalism, gave a performance. Original Houdini memorabilia from the Circus & Clown Museum in Vienna was also on display.

"Harry Houdini represents courage, illusion, and showmanship like no other. We are delighted to be able to exhibit him here for a limited time and to give our guests unforgettable moments full of magic," said Lukas Rauscher, press spokesperson for Madame Tussauds.

Houdini will be on display in the attraction's wax section until the beginning of November. After that, the figure will return to the main attraction in Budapest.

This isn't Houdini's first time in Vienna. In March 1902, he appeared in the flesh at the Ronacher theater, which still stands today.

For more information, visit the Madame Tussauds Vienna official website.

Top image: Lucca & Anca Lucian with Madame Tussaud Vienna managing director Arabella Kruschinski. Photos by Denise Auer from Heute.

Related:

• Meet Houdini at Madame Tussauds Budapest
• Life-like Houdini figure haunts Monsterpalooza
• Houdini's head

Escaping Obscurity reviewed by David Dellman

Magician David Dellman reviews Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899. What does he think? Watch the video below or on his YouTube channel and find out, and give it a like.

Thank you, David!

Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899 is available exclusively at Mike Caveney's Magic Words.

Related:

• Jessica Jane has a book to share
• ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Reviews & Reactions
• ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Discoveries & Corrections

Deconstructing Houdini '53: A man in love with death

Continuing my scene-by-scene dissection of Houdini (1953). Last time, Harry and Bess had a falling out over the Pagoda Torture Cell. Now, Houdini is alone with his creation. Or is he?

Chapter 23: A man in love with death

The entire premise of this series is to show how Houdini (1953) is more accurate than it is generally given credit for, and that nearly every scene contains embedded within it some real Houdini history. Now we come to a scene that contains no Houdini history whatsoever. It is entirely fictional. And it's my favorite scene in the film. It's just a beautifully written, directed, and performed piece of peak Hollywood cinema. So let's glory in it!

We open with Houdini walking down the street in front of the theater. He passes the large poster advertising his Pagoda Torture Cell, then heads for the backstage entrance. Dissolve to Houdini walking onto the stage of the empty theater. He approaches the finished Pagoda Torture Cell. He turns on a bubble effect, a perfect way to communicate its completion.

For the record, the real Water Torture Cell had no bubble effect. But maybe it should have! It looks pretty cool. When the real cell was displayed at the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame in Canada in the 1980s, a fish tank was placed inside to give it this bubble effect. However, the tank leaked, causing damage to the cell.

Houdini stands back, admiring his masterpiece. That's when he hears clapping. It's Bess, sitting far back in the seats. "I didn't want you to be without an audience," she says coolly as she continues to deliver a slow, mocking clap. The scene continues:

Harry: Cut it out.

Bess: Why? It's what you live for, isn't it?

Harry: What do you want me to do? The theater's sold out for tomorrow night.

Bess: Wherever you go, the theater will be sold out.

Harry: You make it sound like it's something terrible.

Bess: It is. People paying a dollar to see a man in love with death.

She resumes clapping.

This beautifully written exchange is shot in two single shots, further separating the characters. After a further exchange, Bess gets up to leave, but Harry calls out for her to wait.

We then get an extraordinary single shot. We're behind Bess as she stands, and can see all the way to the stage where Harry and the Pagoda Torture Cell stand. Harry grabs his coat, dashes off the stage, down the stairs, crosses the front row, and comes up the aisle directly towards Bess. As he nears, he throws his coat into the seats, grabs Bess by the shoulders, and turns her into a perfect profile two-shot, with the Pagoda Torture Cell visible on the stage behind them. They then deliver their dialogue with building emotion. In the end, Harry admits that without Bess, he wouldn't want to go on and agrees to "cut it out of the act."

If this were a modern movie, this would have been done in a series of shots. Heck, some modern directors would have covered it in several dozen quick cuts (you know who you are). But here, it's all done in one perfectly composed and perfectly performed shot. Yet there is no loss of momentum. In fact, the tension only heightens as Houdini nears Bess, and we see the determination on his face. And then for the actors to complete an entire page of dialogue is even more impressive. I'm amazed Tony Curtis isn't out of breath!

For many years, I wondered what theater this was filmed in. But recently, collector Ken Trombly showed me a collection of rare behind-the-scenes set photos, and I can now confirm that this wasn't a real theater at all. It was all built on a Paramount soundstage. In fact, all of Houdini (1953) was shot on the Paramount lot in Hollywood.

The final beat of this sequence is something I think many people forget is even in this movie. In fact, it's unclear whether it belongs to this scene or the following sequence. It seems to sit strangely on its own. But it is critical.

In Houdini's dressing room, we see Otto giving Harry a massage. Harry winces when Otto touches his stomach. Otto questions him about the pain, and Harry assures him, "It's nothing. It comes and goes." Otto suggests it might be his appendix. After first brushing it off, Harry agrees to have it checked out "after the tour."

In 1911, Houdini was diagnosed as having broken a blood vessel in his kidney. He suffered intermittent pain for the rest of his life. On one level, we could see this as a reference to that injury ("comes and goes"). However, the suggestion of it being his appendix is a different matter. Appendicitis is not something that comes and goes, and it's not something that should be delayed.

We are now back in the realm of real Houdini history. Famously, we know Houdini was suffering from appendicitis in the final days of his tour. We know Houdini delayed treatment, believing the pain in his stomach was caused by a punch. Therefore, the phantom pain here is vital to understanding what happens next.

It's the grand finale of Houdini (1953) and our series, but I will save that for Halloween.

Related:

• Houdini's grand finale: 3 Shows In One
• The beginning of the end
• Did a contract clause kill Houdini?