Join the 100th Anniversary Séance at Houdini's home

How would you like to spend the 100th Anniversary of Houdini's death at a séance inside his actual house? For the first time in over 50 years, a series of séances will be held inside Houdini's private New York home (278) on Halloween. Click the ad below to go to the dedicated website houdini.nyc for more information and to purchase a ticket. Participation is very limited.

I am honored to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime event. I will be giving a short Houdini presentation at each session. So you know, this is not a show. This is a legitimate attempt to contact Houdini using psychic medium Jodi-Lynn, who greatly impressed participants of The Official Houdini Séance in 2022. This is a black-tie affair in the epicenter of Houdini's world. If Houdini was ever going to come back, I think this will be the time and place!

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

The event is being organized by magician Reynold Alexander and the homeowners. All proceeds benefit cancer research at the Anandasabapathy Lab at Weill Cornell Medicine and the restoration and preservation of Houdini's House.

I hope to see you on the inside.

Related:

• Inside Houdini's 278
• The haunting of Houdini's 278
• New 278 owners committed to preserving Houdini history

Three-part "Dynamo Vs Houdini" coming to SKY

This weekend, the magician Dynamo performed a death-defying escape that saw him bound in a straitjacket, locked inside a burning car, and suspended 100 feet in the air against the New York City skyline. It was a stunt worthy of Houdini, and that was the point.

Moments after the escape, Sky officially announced Dynamo Vs Houdini, a three-part series that sees Dynamo traveling across America, retracing Houdini’s footsteps and honoring his legacy 100 years after his death. Dynamo asks the question: What would Houdini do if he were alive today?

Shirley Jones, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at Sky, says: “We’re so excited to be working with Dynamo on a series that not only celebrates the enduring legacy of Harry Houdini but demonstrates the extraordinary skill, innovation, and jaw-dropping talent that has made him one of the defining magicians of his generation.”

I had the pleasure of filming an interview with Dynamo last week at Roger Dreyer's amazing Houdini Revealed Museum. He told me about this stunt, and I was more than a little anxious about the outcome. I'm thrilled to hear he pulled it off, and I can't wait to see Dynamo Vs Houdini!

Dynamo Vs Houdini is a co-production between Shine TV (part of Banijay UK) & Seventeen17. The showrunner and executive producer is Rowland French. The series is set to air on Sky and streaming service NOW later this year.

Related:

• Steven Frayne (Dynamo) will honor Houdini's 100th
• Roger Dreyer gets a peek (Patreon)
• Houdini's in New York

FREE international shipping on Escaping Obscurity

One of the big problems in the world of specialty magic publications these days is the cost of international shipping, especially for books the size and weight of Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899. That's why I'm excited to share this incredible offer from publisher Mike Caveney's Magic Words:

An Unprecedented Offer from Mike Caveney's Magic Words. Free postage to anywhere in the world. 

For a very limited time, we will pay the postage on this book no matter where you live. Postage to foreign countries can reach 70 or 80 dollars per copy but we've got you covered. No more excuses to not own this gorgeous book. 

See why David Copperfield called it "A Masterpiece." A. Taylor wrote, "Hearing Houdini's voice through his own words is spellbinding, and the production quality is next level. Stunning." J. Notaro wrote, "The book is a thing of beauty and a must have by all. The unbelievable array of rare photographs alone is worth the investment." Click here to read more about this landmark book. Then select domestic shipping and place your order.

Purchase Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899 with FREE domestic and International shipping now at Mike Caveney's Magic Words.

Related:

• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY
• ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Reviews & Reactions
• Jessica Jane has a book to share

50 years ago: A new Houdini biopic in the works

Last month marked a different kind of anniversary. It was 50 years ago that Melville Shavelson and his crew filmed The Great Houdinis on location around Los Angeles and at the 20th Century Fox studio in Century City. Filming commenced at the Wilshire Ebell Theater on April 28 and wrapped at the Malibu Pier on May 24, 1976. I learned about the movie in the July 1976 issue of The Magic Magazine. Still have the clipping in my old scrapbook.

The Great Houdinis starred Paul Michael Glaser as Houdini and Sally Struthers as Bess. The amazing supporting cast included: Ruth Gordon (Cecelia Weiss), Peter Cushing (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), Bill Bixby (Rev. Arthur Ford), Adrienne Barbeau (Daisy White), Vivian Vance (Minnie Chester), Jack Carter (Hardeen) Barbara Rhoades (Margery), and if you look closely, you'll see Patrick Culliton as Franz Kukol. It aired on ABC on October 7, 1976.

This marked the first Houdini biopic since 1953's Houdini with Tony Curtis, and despite it being heavily fictionalized, I've always had a special fondness for it. It's my second-favorite Houdini biopic and a great example of 1970s television.

In the early days of this blog, I did a day-by-day breakdown of the production. If you're interested, give that review by clicking the link below:

Making the great Great Houdinis

Related:

• The Great Houdinis (1976)
• Watch The Great Houdinis (1976)
• Paul Michael Glaser is Houdini again!

Steve Baker's Houdini tributes

Here's an ad for Steve Baker's Houdini Tribute show in Eugene, Oregon, on Halloween 1974. I especially like the juxtaposed images of Steve and Houdini. Steve Baker once said in an interview that he was inspired to become an escape artist after reading Walter Gibson's Houdini on Magic at age 8. 

The Register Guard, Oct 31, 1974.

The Register Guard, Oct 25, 1974.

While Steve would sometimes boast that he was "better than Houdini" (a very Houdini thing to do), he frequently honored Houdini by recreating his escapes. Below is Steve doing a suspended straitjacket on Hollywood Blvd. in 1976.

Press Telegram, June 12, 1976.

On Halloween 1976, the 50th Anniversary of Houdini's death, Steve did the Water Torture Cell at the Mayfair Music Hall in Los Angeles. Below is a flyer I picked up at a magic shop in Tarzana, where Steve and his wife, Julie, lived. Did you know the Water Torture Cell was "the escape that brought about Houdini's death"? Now you do!

I wish I had gone and seen this. What a way to spend the 50th. But I was only 11, and Halloween was all about trick-or-treating back then. By the way, the Mayfair Music Hall was converted into a variety theater by none other than Milt Larsen.

You can dive a bit deeper into Steve Baker via the links below.

Related:

• Remembering Steve Baker
• Baker beats Houdini (sorta)
• Steve 'Mr. Escape' Baker launches blog

American Pinball releases Houdini Centennial game

Back in 2017, American Pinball released its acclaimed Houdini-themed pinball machine. Now the company has released an updated version to mark the centenary of Houdini's death. Below are details and a pic of the first machines awaiting shipment. Rumor is that one of these games will be available to play at the upcoming SAM convention in Appleton.

 

For more information or to buy a game, visit the American Pinball website.

Related:

• American Pinball unveils 'Houdini' in Texas
• American Pinball offering Houdini game artwork
• Catalina Island Museum will auction their Houdini Pinball machine