tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post6646758794945574317..comments2024-03-28T03:39:00.025-07:00Comments on WILD ABOUT HARRY: Did Houdini do the bullet catch in the 1890s?John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-31425905838091419992023-04-18T18:56:27.205-07:002023-04-18T18:56:27.205-07:00Incredible story PAW. Thanks for sharing.Incredible story PAW. Thanks for sharing.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-52695142675689485272023-04-18T13:15:16.220-07:002023-04-18T13:15:16.220-07:00My stage partner and I performed the "bullet ...My stage partner and I performed the "bullet catch" aboard the RMA Queen Mary (Long Beach, CA) 15 or 20 years ago. A member of the audience with some kind of weapons background (ended up being a police officer) was asked to come up and inspect the .357 SW 686, and choose one of 6 bullets (all live ammo). The police officer was directed to write his first initial on the tip of the bulletPAWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-53767649302606749522022-05-12T08:00:22.252-07:002022-05-12T08:00:22.252-07:00I've come to understand and appreciate where p...I've come to understand and appreciate where people like Jim Steinmeyer are coming from when they criticize Houdini as a magician. Jim is not repeating what Vernon said. Vernon bashed Houdini as a bumbler. That wasn't the case. I think for Steinmeyer, who is a magic genius, it's more about Houdini's overall taste in magic, his presentation, and his conceptualizations. It wasn'John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-34800095799885673382022-05-12T01:37:11.000-07:002022-05-12T01:37:11.000-07:00Yes, I do get mifted as well when I see people lik...Yes, I do get mifted as well when I see people like Steinmeyer repeating the Dai Vernon lie about Houdini being a bad magician. <br /><br />Houdini did stock magic tricks in his early days performing at side shows and dime museums. Through out the day he did many, many shows. <br /><br />I know when I worked at Six Flags Magic Mountain, I did five shows a day. After awhile, you do get a certain Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-15583112801478710302022-05-12T01:30:23.153-07:002022-05-12T01:30:23.153-07:00Houdini's idol, Robert-Houdin, did use two gun...Houdini's idol, Robert-Houdin, did use two guns in his dual in the desert in Algiers. One gun was fired against a white wash wall showing blood from a ghost. The other one was used to shoot at Robert-Houdin who caught the bullet between his teeth. <br /><br />So, it seemed that Houdini was emulating his hero once, again, but with a slight twist. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-78020558635639984312019-01-11T18:51:20.364-08:002019-01-11T18:51:20.364-08:00Just an update as I look back at this post (which ...Just an update as I look back at this post (which is enjoying new popularity), I never received these photos.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-83895489544744290242014-10-20T08:48:11.175-07:002014-10-20T08:48:11.175-07:00That would be wonderful! CLICK HERE for my email.That would be wonderful! <a href="http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/p/contact_6512.html" rel="nofollow">CLICK HERE</a> for my email.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-21930848936039459652014-10-19T18:23:10.450-07:002014-10-19T18:23:10.450-07:00will have to have the photos scanned, Johnwill have to have the photos scanned, JohnSKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15945196183250800995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-19722571045565208792014-10-19T15:26:19.790-07:002014-10-19T15:26:19.790-07:00Wow. I would LOVE to see those photos. If you'...Wow. I would LOVE to see those photos. If you'd be willing to share them, please get in touch with me via my Contact page above.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-35893308638456295642014-10-19T15:16:31.765-07:002014-10-19T15:16:31.765-07:00Hello Patrick
I had heard of the family connectio...Hello Patrick<br /><br />I had heard of the family connection to Fleishman's Yeast through my late father, William Newman Kalfon. He was the son of Fanny Newman Kalfon, who was the daughter of Simon Newman. Fanny's mother was Rose Steiner Newman, sister of Cecelia Steiner Weiss. I was not aware they had a third sister.<br /><br />FYI: I have a family picture of Houdini, Bess and their Sharon Kalfon Kurlanskyhttp://trees.ancestry.com/tree/24586545/familynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-53202914590408324812014-09-02T08:41:24.747-07:002014-09-02T08:41:24.747-07:00Not really. Just what I've posted above.Not really. Just what I've posted above.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-54585571783174512242014-09-02T08:15:09.242-07:002014-09-02T08:15:09.242-07:00Is there one shred of evidence, in a program, or n...Is there one shred of evidence, in a program, or newspaper article from an eye witness or reporter that suggests Houdini did the Bullet Catch? Garry HayesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-91926973362688891062011-03-14T13:24:33.816-07:002011-03-14T13:24:33.816-07:00I just noticed the update. It never quite made sen...I just noticed the update. It never quite made sense to me that Houdini didn't ever do the Bullet Catch as he was fond of that kind of magic, edgy, realistic, dangerous. This now clears it up. Great work as always.Carnegiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10142955905272650610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-15785583253423625452011-03-14T10:32:07.299-07:002011-03-14T10:32:07.299-07:00I've never heard of anyone doing that. Pretty ...I've never heard of anyone doing that. Pretty effective. Once again we see Houdini -- "the bad magician" -- innovating a trick in a very clever and modern way.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-35224421946899807732011-03-14T10:20:49.293-07:002011-03-14T10:20:49.293-07:00That's an interesting presentation of the bull...That's an interesting presentation of the bullet catch. Did other performers do it that way? I'm referring to demonstrating the authenticity of the gun by first having a bullet filed at a plank of wood.Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-22954407055873916662011-03-14T08:04:08.016-07:002011-03-14T08:04:08.016-07:00My pleasure, Steve.My pleasure, Steve.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-44829964532431954852011-03-13T12:09:09.852-07:002011-03-13T12:09:09.852-07:00This is fascinating. Thanks for sharing it, John!This is fascinating. Thanks for sharing it, John!Steve Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11099318091066423508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-34264612770369494922011-03-13T10:57:46.805-07:002011-03-13T10:57:46.805-07:00It's got to be the scariest thing he's eve...It's got to be the scariest thing he's ever done and that's saying something. I'll bet Bess didn't sit around offstage for that one.melbohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14032793912135092967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-76471679767978574692011-03-13T08:19:00.632-07:002011-03-13T08:19:00.632-07:00I've updated the article with the quote from P...I've updated the article with the quote from Patrick. This is all pretty good evidence. I don't think the bullet catch can be called "the trick so dangerous even Houdini wouldn't try it" anymore.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-51084630785129997882011-03-12T16:41:32.008-08:002011-03-12T16:41:32.008-08:00Oh, wow, thanks, Patrick. Looks like Houdini did i...Oh, wow, thanks, Patrick. Looks like Houdini did indeed do the bullet catch early in his career. :)John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-55826522693765379412011-03-12T16:08:01.823-08:002011-03-12T16:08:01.823-08:00Houdini told about performing the bullet catching ...Houdini told about performing the bullet catching trick to the Club of Odd Volumes in Boston in 1922. It's on page 77 of Tao of Houdini.<br />"I had a rather unique experience performing the bullet-catching feat. It was customary for me to present this with a large horsepistol, allowing the committee to load it with a marked bullet, so that I never really touched the gun. There was a Houdini's Ghosthttp://www.houdinisghost.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-89686158309329632362011-03-12T11:35:50.387-08:002011-03-12T11:35:50.387-08:00Brilliant - really, really good.Brilliant - really, really good.melbohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14032793912135092967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-23627556486354629702011-03-12T10:32:15.379-08:002011-03-12T10:32:15.379-08:00Houdini may have written about this in one of his ...Houdini may have written about this in one of his diaries?Leo Hevianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-80819755138545350322011-03-12T10:21:08.265-08:002011-03-12T10:21:08.265-08:00Thanks for the info re Fleischman's Yeast, Pat...Thanks for the info re Fleischman's Yeast, Patrick. Now that you mention this, I think I have heard this before. Maybe from you!<br /><br />Yeah, I don't think Saint created this. I just had to write that as a possibility. I don't think he needed to -- Houdini's life was rich enough without invention.<br /><br />Do you recall where Houdini wrote about this? The audience member John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-64597633239701374282011-03-12T10:18:30.444-08:002011-03-12T10:18:30.444-08:00Great piece John. And great comment by Patrick wit...Great piece John. And great comment by Patrick with additional historical info. Love this stuff.Carnegiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10142955905272650610noreply@blogger.com