Well... I liked it! I especially like the hard-boiled detective tone and how Larrian steps us through her investigative process. I normally don't care for this kind of first-person approach in non-fiction, but it's so well written that it hooked me. Maybe it helped that I know all the players. (Full disclosure: I'm one of the "Watsons" in the book. But hopefully David Burke and not Nigel Bruce.)
There is definitely some new information here, and some known information that is nicely placed in context for the first time. I was most taken with the smaller discoveries. Houdini may have had color-changing eyes. Houdini wore a truss to support what he believed was an injured kidney, but may have been a herniated disc. And I have a new appreciation of Houdini's infected butt boil. Yes, no detail about Houdini is too small...or gross.
It's also nice to have all the various affidavits regarding his final days and the dressing room punch collected in one place. These are fascinating to read. The author has also uncovered fresh information about J. Gordon Whitehead, who comes off as the only blameless person in the book!
Ultimately, this is a well-told detective story with a lot of intriguing conjecture. But in the end, the mystery remains. No smoking gun emerges in the final chapter to prove any one of the many theories put forward. So for me, it didn't land a knockout punch (pun intended). As for the most provocative claim, that Houdini died on October 30th and not the 31st (hence the "died twice" title), I have long believed there could be something to this. But I'm somehow now less convinced of this than I was going in. Maybe it was just one cover-up too many.
There is a lot here to absorb, and I will definitely revisit this book when it comes time for me to tackle Houdini's death in my own books. Thankfully, that is still years away. Maybe by then a smoking gun will have emerged, or we will realize this was all smoke and mirrors.
But I encourage you to get the book and make up your own mind. You can buy Houdini: The Man Who Died Twice at Houdini True Crime. International buyers should use Cipher House Books.
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Now I must decide between the monkey glands or the butt boil as the strangest fact I know about him… poor Harry - Abby Martin
ReplyDeleteI'm in the middle of Chapter 4 and so far I like it too! I'm panning for gold nuggets here and finding them. There's a passport photo of an older Leo that's incredible. I've never seen photos of him beyond his twenties. The hair is thin and the goatee is gone. The photo of Major Samuel White, Bill's son, was another shocker. Apparently he had been taking care of his aunt Gladys for some time. Hardeen's gambling addiction resurfaces here as well. Had to skip the monkey gland chapter. Too graphic for me, but it solved the mystery of the hospital with the Cecilia Weiss wing.
ReplyDeleteWe know Hardeen "liked to play the ponies," but it might be too much to say he had a "gambling addiction." I've never seen any evidence of that. Look at the life of Chico Marx for an example of true gambling addiction.
DeleteDid Hardeen ever meet any of The Marx Brothers? - Abby Martin
DeleteDon't know. Groucho tells a famous story about going on stage during a Houdini performance, and Houdini was on the same bill with the brothers at a charity event once. So he likely met them. But when Hardeen returned to the stage in the late '20s the brothers were entering their movie careers, so they would not have had as much occasion to meet up.
DeleteI just checked and it looks like Hardeen and the Marx Bros (in The Coconuts) were both in Cleveland the week of March 6, 1927. So maybe!
DeleteJohn in your post of November 23, 2011 (https://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2011/11/sold-houdini-straitjacket-grabs-46980.html) you state: Or is it possible that Dash, who was known to be a gambler, gave Campbell this as payment for a gambling debt? regarding the straight jacket that sold. Radner also said he was a gambler.
DeleteDr. Gillespie-'you noted the Ernst letter in your book that acknowledged to Houdini he would cut Hardeen's salary as Houdini had requested. Possibly gambling related as you point out.
DeleteLeo...actually the salary cut was because Harry was running out of funds for his show and needed the money at the same time as he signed the promissory note to the Shuberts and the Wilbur Theater. I dont think it was to cut off Hardeen for gambling, but rather a cost saving measure since the business ahd been dead for more than a year. What I do say is that Hardeen gambled and that, combined with no performance income on his own, could have been a motive for creating the legend of Houdini dying on Halloween to ensure Hardeen would be viewed as the successor and always have a remembrance of his death. If Valentino died on Valentine's day, we sure would remember HIS death.
DeleteI always assumed this was the end of Hardeen's FDC salary.
DeleteI think it was a bit too coincidental to have occured at the exact same time he was needing money to put on his show but of course, that could also be an explanation. The note is signed August 30, 1926 and the letter from Ernst is dated August 4, 1926 terminating Hardeens salary.
DeleteIt could be both. HH might have left Hardeen on salary to clean things up, and also just to give his brother some support. But with the expenses of the new season looming, it was time to tighten his belt. It all fits with your basic idea. HH was going into his final tour with some money concerns.
Deleteyes both things can be true at the same time!
DeleteFor some reason this book is only available as a Kindle version at Amazon.co.uk. I hope there will be a print version soon. Amazon.com won't ship it to the UK.
ReplyDeleteHi Roger--I can obtain a copy for you here in the U.S. and mail it to you. You might have other friends here as well that can do that.
DeleteThis link should take you to the international order page for paperback. Hope it works.
Deletehttps://books.by/cipher-house-books/
DeleteInternational printing is done by Books.by POD so the cost is almost identical to the USA cost of the paperback and the quality is very good. It was the only way to allow for international sales and quicker shipping. The ebook is available internationally as well on amazon and other distributors.
DeleteMany thanks everyone. I was able to obtain a copy from cipher house books and will now get stuck in! Good idea to print via Books.by to keep shipping costs down. Most magic books from the US cost a fortune in shipping costs here in the UK. Roger Woods
DeleteRoger...that is why I searched to find an answer because I agree...most people are going to want the story...and that is totally affordable this way. My POD copy is used all the time for referrals, revisions ( yes there is NEW info coming up)...and the quality of the paper is very good compared to Amazon's glaring white. So, I hope you will be happy with the printing ( each country has their own local printer ) and will be looking forward to your thoughts on the book.
DeleteThere are numerous new details that are in the book. I identify WHO was the doctor at the bedside ( it was NOT Kennedy ) because Bess herself told NYLIC it was Cohn. His office notes ( he was NOT a staff doctor at Grace hospital ) has October 30 noted 3 times as he filled out the Proof of Death affidavit. I then include the letter from Enrst telling him to change the date to match Kennedy's who signed death certiicate for the City of Detroit is now recodnized as a fraud. Cohn only changed the date to the 31 in his notes but never changed the affidavit because his cousin was the notary, and there were severe penalties for falsification of documents. Others including Dunninger stated Houdini died on the 30 as did NYLIC in their press release when they settled with Bess strictly out of fear of a greater loss in court. Collin's telegram has a HUGE mistake: He says 1:26pm instead of 1:30 which is what Kennedy filled out the next day. All press releases say Houdini died at 1:26 pm which is also what is noted by Cohn, who called the time of death....on October 30. Other facts are also noted including Silverman saying Houdini died on either Saturday or Sunday.
ReplyDeleteI should aslo add that even Bess' obituary stated Harry died on October 30.
ReplyDeleteAMAZON ISSUE: AMazon has lost all orders...no kidding. They are unable to find them and so none have come through to my account. This has been for 18 days so far and they cant locate them other than the few friends who gave me their order ID. I have sent 38 letters to Bezos on this and they have acknowledge it is all their fault but I cant ship out what I dont get. Sooo....if you ordered the book on amazon, please go to my site houdinitruecrime.com and send me your order ID ( image would be great ) so I can ship out your book and add another order to Amazon's search. Its a stupid programming error but one they have never seen before ( or so they say.) All future orders please place through CipherHouseBooks.com which I will get and can ship out.
ReplyDeleteOMG, what a nightmare. So sorry. I've removed the Amazon link. I'll also add Cipher House for international.
Deletethank youJOhn..it is almost beyond a nightmare and the worst is I cant do anything but wait for their responses to me every 48 hours....and its always the same..we cant find them...keep sending us ID's.
ReplyDeleteTodays update from Amazon: Our technical team has identified that the orders are stuck in an authorized state and the system workflow that should move them to your Seller Central account for fulfillment was never triggered. This is a technical issue within Amazon's order routing system, and the appropriate team is actively working to resolve it.
DeletePerhaps Houdini is saying something from the great beyond, a message. No one else selling books has this issue on the launch of a new book.
DeleteNaaaah (shrugs) technology just doesn’t work sometimes yah know? - Abby Martin
DeleteActually we don't know that. Amazon is fluoxed and in 22 days has been unable to identify sales IDs, but does acknowledge the ones I gave them prove the orders are being paid and they have the money but nothing is being triggered to the order folder in my account.It also seems they are unable to find the unknown orders because something has disconnected the ASIN/ISBN from the account. As would say, its a royal cockup and they keep apologizing. So, if anyone wants the paperback version, please go to CipherHouseBooks.com. I can ship immediately.
DeleteNo comment on the book….but I could not refrain from commenting on the mention of David Burke….two of my kids are currently o seeded with Jeremy Brett and they adore David Burke….he ranks as a top tier Watson here.
ReplyDelete—colleen
Oh my gosh, I love that they are watching the Granada series! I worship that series. I think they might love The Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes Podcast. They cover every episode and this podcast is gift to the Holmes world: http://sherlockpodcast.com/
DeleteBTW, I do love Nigel Bruce and the Rathbone films as well. No hate. But it works for the joke. :)
DeleteOh my goodness, that podcast sounds incredibly up their alley! They are intensely into Sherlock right now and the Granada series is just super adored.....I am even into it, so I'm thankful that they introduced me....Jeremey Brett seems to live and breathe the character....and we are not familiar with the Rathbone interpretation yet (although we do have some dvds to someday watch)....currently David Burke is beloved above all Watson's in this household.....with H. Marian Crawford coming in a slugging second.
DeleteThis book is throwing more punches at me than Whitehead threw at Houdini. He had to borrow $8,000 from the Schubert Brothers in late August 1926. WTH? Adjusted for inflation, $8,000 in 1926 is equal to $144,829 in 2026.
ReplyDeleteThis was new to me as well. Larrian, would love to get the source for this.
DeleteThe promissory note for $8,000 to Lee and J.J. Shubert is reproduced on page 181. I wonder where Dr. Gillespie found it. Somebody's private collection? It tells us HH was experiencing cash flow problems at this time.
DeleteAh, thanks. The letter was in a 2023 Potter auction. I guess I did see it.
DeleteYep, the 3 Shows in One was an expensive show to mount. But I bet it was quickly repaid from his earnings. I wrote in my post 2014 that the show routinely grossed $8000-$10,000 per week in ticket sales. In Chicago, his first week grossed $12,500. (Don't ask me my source; I don't remember, likely Silverman).
You're not the only one who had confidence in HH. The Shubert Brothers must have loaned him the money. So much Houdini stuff has flowed down Potter Auctions over the years that I can't remember most of it.
DeleteYes I researched all the auctions I could find for information. The final year of his life was indeed Annus Horribilis! Piecing it together was both exhilirating and exhausting as one led to another to another and reverification. I don't know what his percentage was from the gross receipts, but having known how much Cher's tours cost vs her income I can tell you the performer doesnt always get what you think! Productions are extremely costly to produce...and THAT is where the money goes to for each show- the producers. Saying this, I don't believe Harry was out of debt to the Shuberts by Schenectady, which would also explain his anger at discovering his manager had deceived him with the Play or Pay clause, which resulted in his continuing to perform while in enormous pain..
DeleteThe book was a fascinating read! It clarified certain people, places and events that were foggy before. Doctor Gillespie's detective approach is the way to go for old mysteries. This was how the late David Alexander attacked the mystery of the identity of Erdnase.
ReplyDelete1. Hardeen definitely had the most to gain from a Halloween death. He knew he would need HH pixie dust to give his upcoming return to magic some sparkle.
2. Interesting how Ernst manipulated the Price and Smilovitch affidavits so they would match for the double indemnity payout for Bess.
3. The medical observation that Whitehead wasn't quite all there.
4. The meal at the Rhode Island restaurant that gave Bess food poisoning was possibly the spark that set off the chain reaction.
5. No matter the reason, it was ultimately Houdini's call to make and he made the wrong decision turning down Dr. Dretzka's supplication for immediate surgery.
6. Houdini had been swept up by the force of inertia: The debts, the Pay or Play clause, the weight of responsibilities, and the belief in invulnerability can kill a man.
Leo that is an excellent summary of the book and I appreciate your sharing it here. Although you did not buy the book on Amazon ( we are now in day 25 with no resolution in sight as to the internal programming bug) Amazon does allow reviews to be posted if an individual has bought the book elsewhere as long as you have bought $50 of items on Amazon in the past year. Please mention you purchased the book on another platform in the review. This book is a finalist for the Kirkus Indie Award in biography and Kirkus DOES look at Amazon reviews by customers.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! Thank you for adding to the Houdini Canon! A lot of gold nuggets in the book I had hoped to find. Biographers can't cover everything so your book was a filter for the nuggets that slipped through the cracks of other authors. I haven't purchased anything from Amazon in years. These days I just go on eBay if I need or want something. Anything. But I will write up a review wherever I can including Facebook.
DeleteRidiculous claims about Hardeen. This guy is way off.
ReplyDeleteDr. Gillespie is a girl--not a guy. Hardeen advertised himself as the Brother of Houdini in his magic shows. He definitely wasn't averse to invoking his brother's name for added star power.
DeleteHow sweet you think of me as a girl and not an old lady Leo! Made my morning!
DeletePrego!
DeleteNot speaking about Gillespie, talking about you Mr. Hevia. You are a "man"? You are way off in so many ways about Hardeen.
ReplyDeleteFrom Doctor Gillespie's book:
Delete"According to Sidney Radner, a major collector of Houdini artifacts and friend of Hardeen, Theo liked to play the ponies, and by late 1926, he had just lost his steady paycheck from the Film Developing Corporation. Meanwhile, Bess was the sole beneficiary of Houdini's life insurance policy, leaving Hardeen with little financial security of his own...For a man suddenly without income, watching his brother's empire teeter, the temptation to turn crisis into legend must have been irresistible."
A Halloween death was just what the doctor ordered...🤣
H.Elliott Stuckel I believe was the first to think of this angle, being the PR agent for the Shuberts and close with Hardeen and Bess. Bess even gave him one of the metamorphosis trunks....rather special for someone who was not a magician. He then went on to head the PR division for CBS nationally.
DeleteHe was also at the bedside when Houdini died.
I hope this lets me put up Hardeen's business card..but it reads: The Master Illusionist Hardeen Successor to His Famous Brother Houdini ( sorry it wont accept screen images)
ReplyDeleteAnd the point is? it's his brother, a magician who is succeeding his brother. It's the reason why Houdini's Will named his brother specifically. Your reasoning is as weak as your book.
ReplyDeleteAgain, stop hiding behind Anonymous and shooting arrows at a book that is a Finalist in the Kirkus Indie Awards. Pioneers are used to it.
ReplyDeleteDid Mr. Hevia or even better Gillespie tell George and Debbie Hardeen when you ate dinner with them that their grandfather was a low life bum because a guy named Sid who profited greatly from, and made a career out of Houdini and became relevant because of Theo Hardeen. So Hardeen was just rubbing his hands together and could not wait until Harry died. The two of you should be ashamed of yourselves.
ReplyDeleteMr. Radner was the caretaker of a lot of Houdini’s material for many years. He took good care of the props and that big important scrapbook now in Appleton. If he profited from that, he deserved the money. Don't you think? As for the gambling habit, Radner suspected Hardeen was gambling at the race tracks. I see no reason to doubt Radner. I'm sure he had a good reason to suspect that.
DeleteNobody ever said Hardeen was a no good bum. You said that. Did he ride his brother's coattails? Yes he did. I wholeheartedly believe he owed Houdini a whopping debt of gratitude for his living. When Houdini called him over to Europe from New York to be his handcuff act competitor, he obeyed. When Houdini asked him to run the FDC he obeyed again. He owed his magic career to Houdini. Make no mistake about that.
Hardeen owed his brother nothing. He was his own person, they loved each other and got started together. Hardeen never was jealous and bitter. Unlike Houdini's other brothers in which Houdini would become estranged with in one way or the other, Hardeen and Houdini remained on good terms. Houdini names Hardeen in all drafts of his Wills including the earliest of ones in the early 1900's up until his last. if it wasn't for Hardeen that giant scrapbook you talk about and other Houdini would be lost, don't you think? Smarten up young man, your not as intellectual or knowledgeable l as you think.
DeleteNobody ever said Hardeen was jealous or bitter. Only you mentioned that. If it wasn't for Houdini I don't believe Hardeen would have gotten as far as he did. Houdini would say that if you wanted to see his old material on stage go see Hardeen.
DeleteKirkus Indie Awards. How much did you pay into it. Look it up everyone, pay to play?
ReplyDeleteYou must be such a miserable person that you are spending all this time and emotional energy on hate, ignorance and narcissitic rage. You really should read my book...it would help you understand why you feel the need to 1) hide behind Anonymous 2) reveal your emotional underwear.
ReplyDeleteRe Kirkus Indie Award...all awards have a fee for entrance but you cant guy a Kirkus Star Review , nor a Kirkus Best Books of 2026 and certainly not one of six finalists for the award. But again, you must have green eyes.
ReplyDeleteThese comments have became pretty personal. Moderation-wise, I try to abide by the idea that comments can criticize ideas, even aggressively, but when name calling begins, I feel like I need to start deleting. This whole post has been on the bubble. But even though this is a generally unpleasant conversation, it is interesting and brings out some valid information. So...
ReplyDelete