 |
| Bangor Daily Commercial, Sept. 27, 1921. |
By the way, $12,500 is the equivalent of $197,646 today. Maybe the three of them could have worked something out!
Related:
Showing posts with label 1921. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1921. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
No escape
Here's a fun one that's new to me. I'll let it speak for itself.
By the way, $12,500 is the equivalent of $197,646 today. Maybe the three of them could have worked something out!
Related:
By the way, $12,500 is the equivalent of $197,646 today. Maybe the three of them could have worked something out!
Related:
Friday, June 28, 2024
Triangulating The Houdinis first appearance
The very first engagement I played with Mrs. Houdini at the Fall River Museum, then under the management of J. S. Dunbar, I lectured on the entertainment and it fell to my lot to introduce Alexander Weyer to the public. He was then posing as a strong man, and his particular feat consisted of forcing nails through two inch planks with his bare hands. This was the incident which proved to be the inception of a life long friendship
This made me sit up! Houdini appears to reveal here when and where he and Bess made their debut as The Houdinis, information that has never been published as far as I know. At least, he almost does. But with some searching and triangulation of facts, I think I can zero in on this magical moment. It's not a home run, but let me run my work past you.
Houdini provides us with the year 1894 and a place, the "Fall River Museum." As to the date, the Coney Island Clipper announced that The Brothers Houdini would become The Houdinis on July 28, 1894. The first confirmed engagement for The Houdinis I've been able to find was during the week of October 15 at Barton's Theatre in Newport, Virginia. So their debut would need to fall somewhere between those dates.
As to the place, there was a Fall River Dime Museum in Kansas. But I don't think that's what Houdini is talking about here. I believe he's talking about the Wonderland Museum in Fall River, Massachusetts. To make the case even stronger, that museum was managed by G. F. Dunbar. Yes, Houdini calls him J.S. Dunbar, but it all fits too well for this not to be the place.
Fortunately, the Wonderland makes our work easier. The museum began its Fall 1894 season on August 20. It then closed prematurely on September 29 to become a new theater (the Columbia). So that narrows the search to a mere six weeks. And look what we find on the bill for the week of September 10!
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| The Fall River Daily Herald, Sept. 8, 1894. |
There is WEYER working as a strong man, just as Houdini said. This would be a home run if we were just looking for Weyer. But we're also looking for The Houdinis, and they are not on the bill, darn-it.
However, there could be any number of reasons why they are not listed. They may have been a late addition. Or because, as Houdini says, he was working as the "lecturer" (which we might think of as an MC today), it could be that was his primary role this week, and he did Metamorphosis with Bess as an added attraction. That's not a bad way to test it out before an audience. So I don't think it's fatal to the case that The Houdinis are not advertised. And this is likely why it has never been found before.
So did The Houdinis make their debut at the Wonderland Museum in Fall River during the week of September 10, 1894? I think it's a pretty darn good possibility. But if you can do better, let us hear your theory in the comments below.
Houdini also talks about reuniting with Weyer in Liege, Belgium, which is the second rabbit hole I've been exploring with the help of Bill Kalush of the Conjuring Arts Research Center and Eric Colleary at the Harry Ransom Center. But that's one I'll save for another time.
Want more? You can read Houdini's full MUM "In Memoriam" for Weyer and view related research as a "Scholar" member of my Patreon below. Thanks to my patrons for supporting content like this.
Saturday, December 2, 2023
Limited edition 'Magical Rope Ties and Escapes'
Philip David Treece at CollectingMagicBooks.com has released a high-quality reprint of Houdini's Magical Rope Ties and Escapes. This is a limited edition hardback (100 numbered copies) printed and bound in the UK by a specialist short-run printer. It is a full facsimile produced directly from an original copy, with all the plates reproduced as plates, just like the original. As you can see below, it's a beauty!
You can purchase this new limited edition of Magical Rope Ties and Escapes at CollectingMagicBooks.com.
Magical Rope Ties and Escapes was originally published in the UK by Will Goldston in 1921. It was never released in the U.S. The only other reprint I'm aware of was a paperback by Houdini's Magic Shop in 2011. Of all Houdini's books, this is the one that contains the most photos of him.
Thank you, Philip!
UPDATE: Excited to have my copy in hand. It's every bit as good as advertised. The quality of the illustrations and photos match the original exactly. (This is certainly not the case with the 2011 reprint.) Originals are scarce and expensive, so if you don't have this book or want a reading copy, this is the one to get!
Monday, August 21, 2023
Joe Notaro publishes 'Houdini's Schooldays'
In 2020, Joe Notaro acquired Houdini's own bound volume of the serialized story Houdini's Schooldays from the Houdini family. Now Joe has published those stories, complete with the original illustrations and his own research. It's another groundbreaking work from Joe and a must for any Houdini collection.
Joe M. Notaro brought Houdini’s full novella, The Zanetti Mystery into print and now he tackles Houdini’s Schooldays. Houdini’s Schooldays was serialized over 30 weeks (9/18/1920 to 4/2/1921) in the Merry and Bright comics and has never been published in book form until now. Herbert Allingham was the author and Harry Houdini owned the dramatic and screen rights.
This is a BIG story. An extremely fine production in all respects. Don’t miss this amazing yarn.A MAN LIKE HOUDINI could not fail to have had a wonderful early life, and this story tells of his adventures while still at school. In addition to sharing Houdini’s Schooldays with original illustrations, Joe. M. Notaro shares his research on the history of the story, along with photos of rare items (from various collections). Research includes other Allingham stories with Houdini’s name attached, Copperfield’s Merry and Bright books, Houdini and Allingham correspondence, Houdini’s education (Appleton, Milwaukee), and a look at possible illustrators for the story.
You can purchase Houdini's Schooldays as a hardcover or paperback from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk. However, if you buy directly from Joe, you can get the book signed and a limited edition bonus card. Just click over to Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence for details.
Thank you to Joe for sharing this rare treasure.
Friday, December 16, 2022
Unseen Houdini to end the year
What better way to wrap up 2022 than with an unpublished photo of Houdini that also provides a peek at an unknown poster. This gem comes from the Harry Ransom Center (where else?) and was taken in Boston during Houdini's Christmas week engagement in 1921. I only wish we could see more of the poster behind him.
Below is an ad for that Christmas week engagement. As I shared in my 2020 sign off post, Santa Claus was also on the bill this week.
 |
| The Boston Globe, Dec. 20, 1921. |
I hope you all enjoyed another year of WILD ABOUT HARRY. I know I enjoyed it. Visiting the Harry Ransom Center in August was certainly a highlight for me. I also made terrific progress on my chronology book. I've embarked on a very exciting Top Secret collaborative project that I think everyone will flip for. And launching a Patreon has proven to be a big success. I really appreciate all the support.
Next year expect more of the same. Because I'm still Wild about Harry! And so are you.
Friday, October 7, 2022
LINK: When the world’s most famous psychic met its most famous magician
Here's an interesting "Throwback Thursday" at WNKY News 40. While I knew about Houdini attending the Jack Dempsey vs. Georges Carpentier fight on July 2, 1921 in Jersey City, I didn't know psychic Edgar Cayce was with him. In fact, I wasn't aware of any meeting between Houdini and the famed seer. I wonder if Cayce predicted who would win the flight?
This information comes from the book Edgar Cayce: An American Prophet by Sidney Kirkpatrick (pages 233-234). The author also says Houdini, Hereward Carrington and William McDougal attended readings at the McAlpin Hotel. This is all good stuff and I would love to know Mr. Kirkpatrick's source.
Thanks to Richard Hatch for the tip.
Related:
Related:
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
Joe Notaro cracks 'The Mystery of the Jewel'
The story goes that Houdini acquired the negative of a 1919 Italian film, Il Mistero de Osiris, in a U.S. Customs auction of unclaimed goods in 1921. Just like his recently completed The Man From Beyond, the movie was a riff on the theme of reincarnation. Under the guise of a new company, Mystery Pictures, Houdini copyrighted the movie as The Mystery of the Jewel (Talisman) and printed an English translation of the plot synopsis, just as he had for his (bonkers) Yar The Primeval Man film treatment. And that's about all most books have to say about The Mystery of the Jewel, if they say anything at all.
But these documents reveal Houdini's plan to spruce up the film for release in the U.S. by creating new English inter-titles and inserting new footage. One sequence involved stock animal footage that Houdini provided specific instructions on how to assemble and where to insert into the movie. It's also possible Houdini planned to shoot new footage in Egypt, although that's not clear. Along the way the film's title changed to Ashes of Passion and in March 1922 Houdini attempted to interest the Vitagraph Co. in the still unfinished project.
I was excited to see this contact as it appeared to finally explain what happened to the movie and I was set to search for a film called Reincarnation. However, Joe found another document dated April 24, 1923 in which Mystery Pictures entered into a new agreement with someone named Sheik Tahar. The movie was now back to being called Ashes of Passion and Tahar was granted a $1 option on the film against a $6000 purchase price. So it appears the Levey-Basic Enterprises deal didn't work out.
That's the last document, so it's unclear what became of Ashes of Passion. But I think it's likely Tahar never found a buyer and the film never saw a release. It became just another one of Houdini's unrealized and unprofitable film ventures.
You'll want to check out the original documents at Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence where you can also read a synopsis of the movie's plot. And be sure to follow Joe's current series looking at Houdini's various film treatments. His next installment will be on The Great Tontine.
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Miracle Mongers and Their Methods (Centennial Edition)
Curious Publications has released what they are calling a "Centennial Edition" of Houdini's Miracle Mongers and Their Methods. Official description below:
This book is a republication of the 1920 edition of Houdini's Miracle Mongers and Their Methods, as originally published by E. P. Dutton & Company. In it, Houdini collects notes and stories about various dime museum attractions and circus wonders he met personally while traveling or learned about while studying his profession. These tales includes feats of sword swallowers, fire eaters, poison defiers, human ostriches, and more. Do not try them at home. Or anywhere else.This Centennial Edition appears 101 years after the original E. P. Dutton publication. One year escaped us.
Actually, Miracle Mongers and Their Methods was published in early 1921, so this really is a "Centennial Edition." But apart from calling it this, there doesn't appear to be anything added or special about this particular reprint.
But if you've never picked up a copy of what is probably Houdini's best book, you can buy this one at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
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| New York Herald, Jan. 30, 1921. |
Friday, June 4, 2021
The Houdini footage you were never supposed to see (2/2)
Reel One
contained footage that is generally known, but in such great first generation quality that much of it seemed new. Today I
bring you REEL TWO which really is all new. In fact, it's the Houdini film you were never supposed to see. But I'll get to that.
While I've embedded it below for convenience, this is HD quality so I encourage you
to watch it on YouTube where you can enlarge it for best results.
Okay, you might be asking yourself, "What the heck was that?" That's what we were all asking when we first saw this reel
at the Magic Castle back in 2018. My first thought was that this might be
part of the film Houdini shot during his 1920 European tour. But the point of those street shoots were to showcase European locations and
landmarks, and there's nothing like that here. It's also striking that this footage reveals the use of an obvious stuntman on safety wires.
So is there anything in the footage itself that can help us explain it? The warehouse location could be anywhere and there's nothing distinctive about Houdini's appearance. But the footage does contain periodic flash frames with strange markings on them.
Or maybe not so strange. Because when I turned this image upside down and held it up to a mirror, I saw the following:
 |
| CLIMBING ROLL I SEC. II H.H. |
While the writing itself doesn't really tell us much, these identification frames do match similar frames on the Reel One footage
of Haldane of the Secret Service and The Man from Beyond. So that suggests this footage is from the Houdini Picture Corporation era and was likely shot in 1921.
Then Joe Notaro made a
breakthrough observation that The Man From Beyond features a scene of
Houdini's Howard Hillary using bedsheets to climb down the side of a large stone wall (a location that's yet to be identified, by the way). This also shows Houdini using bedsheets as a rope. So could this be an unused version of that same stunt?
I took a good look at the scene in the movie and what clinched it for me was the matching wardrobe, right down to his bow-tie being undone. So, yes, I believe what we are seeing here is the complete and uncut footage for an unused version of this same stunt from The Man From Beyond. And the idea here is actually superior! I love how Houdini/Hillary uses the window shutters as a means to swing his way across the length of the building in order to reach the drain pipe. That's an idea that would hold up today.
However, it just doesn't work here. It is clearly a
stuntman on visible wires who is never able to sell the window shutters idea. None of this could be cut together to make a convincing scene. So it's likely Houdini screened this footage and realized they had to do the entire thing over again, dropping the shutter idea, changing the location, and shooting from a
greater distance to better conceal the stuntman and safety lines.
So think about it. This is footage Houdini probably only ever viewed once, and might have even ordered it destroyed. Not
only was it unusable, but it clearly reveals that he did not always do his own stunts, and we don't want that! Yet somehow this reel of film
survived in pristine condition for 100 years and here we are able to watch it today thanks to our friends at the Sherman Grinberg Film Library. Fantastic.
This footage is available to
license for use. If interested, contact Lance Watsky via
the Sherman Grinberg Film Library website.
Additional thanks to Joe Notaro at Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence (where you can see a timecode breakdown of both reels) and the Houdini Museum in Scranton.
Related:
- Watch Sherman Grinberg's Houdini found footage (1/2)
- The Sherman Grinberg Film Library has something exciting to show us
- Here is that remarkable Houdini mystery footage
Wednesday, June 2, 2021
Watch Sherman Grinberg's Houdini found footage (1/2)
Today I'm thrilled to finally be able to share this footage with everyone. This comes courtesy of Lance Watsky and the Sherman Grinberg Film Library. I'm
starting with REEL ONE. While I've embedded it below for
convenience, this is HD quality so I encourage you to watch it on YouTube
where you can enlarge it for best results.
This first reel is made up of footage that will be familiar to some. But
the quality is what makes it so remarkable. For comparison, check
out the way this footage is normally seen compared to the Sherman Grinberg
footage (below). Yes, this is the same shot! This is just an example of how much
quality matters and how it can reveal details we never knew were
there.
The quality also helps us identify and date some of these clips for the
first time. Mostly notably is the footage of Houdini and magician Harry
Kellar. From the now visible landmarks, this appears to be New York's Times
Square in November 1917. Kellar was in town to participate in a
benefit that Houdini
was producing at the New York Hippodrome.
In the photo below you can see the landmarks that appear in the footage, such as
the Variety office, Loews New York, and even the subway
construction crane Houdini would use for a suspended straitjacket escape on November 5, 1917, to promote the Hippodrome show. Houdini and Kellar are exiting the
front door of the Hotel Astor (red arrow).
|
| It's only a single frame, but there's the crane! |
The Kellar footage continues at Hardeen's home in Flatbush, where the
Houdinis were living at this time. How do we know this is Hardeen's house?
Check out the now very visible address on the steps behind them!
Below is a full breakdown of Reel One with some insights this
footage provides.
00:00:13 - Houdini is tied to a table by monks. Shot in 1921 on the set of Haldane of the Secret Service (Houdini Picture Corp., 1923). Not part of the movie. One of the monks is Houdini's chief assistant, Jim Collins.00:02:00 - Houdini and magician Harry Kellar exit the Astor Hotel in Time Square, New York, and get into a car being driven by Houdini’s brother, Theo Hardeen. November 1917.00:02:26 - Harry Houdini taking bows in 1917.00:02:35 - Close shot of magician Harry Kellar in 1917. Notice his vanishing eye glasses.00:02:41 - Houdini, Bess Houdini, and Harry Kellar greeting each other in front Theo Hardeen’s home at 394 East 21st Street, Flatbush, New York (the Houdinis were living with the Hardeens at this time). 1917.00:02:45 - Harry Kellar shows Houdini how to tie a knot. Filmed at 394 East 21st Street, Flatbush, NY. 1917.00:03:11 - Houdini, Theo Hardeen, and Harry Kellar in front of Hardeen’s Flatbush home performing the Kellar Rope Tie. 1917. Dog seen in background is Houdini’s dog, Bobby.00:03:34 - Houdini performs a stunt on the set of The Man From Beyond (Houdini Picture Corp., 1922). Filmed in 1921. This does not appear in the final movie.00:04:32 - Houdini and director Burton King review the script on the set of The Man From Beyond (Houdini Picture Corp., 1922). Filmed in 1921. Note the cameraman writes scene number 54 on the slate.00:04:49 - Bess touches up Houdini's makeup on the set of The Man From Beyond (Houdini Picture Corp., 1922). They share a shy kiss. Filmed in 1921.00:05:15 - Overboard box escape from The Master Mystery (Octagon Films, 1918). This footage appears in Episode 5. [Trimmed by YouTube due to a copyright claim.]00:05:33 - Close shot of Houdini’s handcuffed hands. Date unknown. This shot is sometimes seen inserted into Houdini’s short film, The Merveilleux Exploits du Célébre Houdini à Paris (Films Lux, 1909).00:05:43 - Houdini in water holding handcuffs. Red bathing suit. Date unknown. Likely filmed to be inserted into existing footage of past bridge jumps.00:06:12 - Houdini in water holding handcuffs. White bathing trunks. Date unknown. Likely filmed to be inserted into existing footage of past bridge jumps.
Next up is REEL TWO which contains footage that has never appeared anywhere before. It's "the Houdini film you weren't supposed to see."
Thanks again to Lance Watsky. This footage is available to license for use. If interested,
you can contact Lance via the Sherman Grinberg Film Library website.
Additional thanks to Joe Notaro at
Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence
and the
Houdini Museum in Scranton.
Monday, April 5, 2021
Houdini's return to form
Even though Houdini had announced his retirement from vaudeville to make
movies, in December 1921 he went back on the vaudeville circuit for a 10-week
tour commencing Christmas week at B.F. Keith's in Boston. To publicize his
return, Houdini did a suspended straitjacket escape from the
Boston Post building on December 22. The temperature that day was a bone chilling 14 degrees with what was described as a "stinging Northwest gale." The
escape benefited the "Santa Claus Fund" and marked Houdini's first such
outdoor stunt since 1917.
Over the weekend I discovered a treasure trove of photos from this escape
in the Boston Post. These beautifully capture Houdini's 1921 return
to form.
Oh, and there's also film!
While this footage from George Eastman House is not dated, it is identified as being Boston and you can see it's
clearly cold outside. You can also see a Christmas wreath in a window and
Houdini is using the gigantic megaphone as seen in the above photos. So I'm
certain this is December 22, 1921.
If you are wondering what Houdini is yelling to the crowd through that
megaphone, the Post quotes him as saying:
"I risk my life for Santa Claus' fund, that Boston's poor children may find no stockings empty Christmas morning. Now you risk your dollars! Give to the fund which will help thousands of children to keep their faith in Santa!"
The Boston Post building stood at 259 Washington Street between
Water and Devonshire. Here's the site of Houdini's escape today.
Below are some more notable Houdini suspended straitjackets escapes.
Monday, January 25, 2021
The ship(s) from Haldane of the Secret Service
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| The "Carvania" as seen in Haldane of the Secret Service. |
So what do know we about the Carvania? Well, for starters, it didn't exist. In the movie we get several establishing shots of the ship at a distance. But those shots appear to be the RMS Aquitania.
 |
| RMS Aquitania (Wikipedia) |
The RMS Aquitania was a British ocean liner launched in 1914. Aquitania was the third in Cunard Line's grand trio of express liners and the last surviving four-funnelled ocean liner. After being used as a troop transport and a hospital ship in World War I, she was returned to transatlantic passenger service in 1920, earning the nickname "the Ship Beautiful" from passengers. Houdini captured his shots of the "Ship Beautiful" in 1921.
The Aquitania was retired from service in 1949 as was scrapped the following year. Houdini never sailed on the Aquitania. But he did sail on her sister ship Mauretania in 1920.
While the Aquitania may be the ship we see in Haldane, I recently I found evidence that Houdini used a different vessel to film the scenes aboard the ship itself. The below is from the August 12, 1921 Variety.
This makes it pretty clear Houdini shot his scenes aboard the America. In fact, it appears to be the final "CA" in the name AMERICA can be glimpsed on the lifeboat in this shot from the film.
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| USS America (Wikipedia) |
The SS Amerika was launched in 1905 as part of the Hamburg America Line of Germany. She sailed primarily between Hamburg and New York. On the night of April 14, 1912, Amerika transmitted a wireless message warning about icebergs near the same spot where RMS Titanic would sink less than three hours later.
At the outset of the war, the Amerika was seized by the United States Shipping Board and became a Navy troop transport with her name Anglicized to America. In 1920, the ship was assigned to the United States Mail Steamship Company and returned to passenger service. Houdini filmed his scenes aboard the ship in August 1921. The America remained in service until 1949. She was sold for scrap in 1957.
This means we now know the famous photo that Marie Blood used to sign and give out to fans (including yours truly) was taken aboard the America. I wonder if Marie recalled the name of the ship as those years later? If not, it would have been fun to have been able to share it with her. Alas, Marie passed away in 2004.
Finally, I don't know which vessel was used for the stunt in which Heath Haldane is dragged along the side. It certainly appears to be a real stunt using a real ship, but I find it hard to believe any in-use passenger ship would allow this. So it's possible this may have been a third yet identified Haldane ship.
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Finding Houdini's Washington Square...in Brooklyn
Turns out the sequence was actually filmed at the corner of Henry and Remsen streets in Brooklyn Heights. The filmmakers chose the location to take advantage of the stately former home of New York subway magnate Alexander E. Orr (also known as the Thomas Hunt house), which stood on the southeast corner and had become a boarding house. In the film it would stand in as the exterior of the Ormsby home where much of the action at the start of the movie is set.
An excellent article about the shoot appeared in The Standard Union on July 22, 1921. Under the headline, HEIGHTS IS STIRRED BY PICTURE ACTORS, the article begins:
For more than two hours last night the crowd estimated at five thousand had thrills aplenty at Henry and Remsen streets. The crowd cheered itself hoarse. So did the occupants of houses in the neighborhood. A motion picture concern used the Heights section as a scene for some lively incidents in a play featuring Harry Houdini and Gladys Leslie.
The article goes on to explain how the Haldane crew arrived at 8pm and set up large arc lights that illuminated the entire street and attached a large crowd. In some shots you can see the crowd in the background as well as their shadows. Many in the crowd believed Gladys Leslie was Mary Pickford and shouted out to the actress by name. Diners at the nearby Hotel Bossert left their tables and watched the action from the roof.
The article describes the scenes shot, which pretty much matches what we see in the finished film:
Shortly after nine o'clock the arc lights were put to work and the street was alight as if by sunshine. Miss Leslie, attired as a bride and carrying a suitcase dashed out from the rear of the old Orr mansion and ran along Henry Street towards Remsen shrieking for help. Houdini, in a dinner coat, was in her path and she threw her arms around him. At this point an automobile dashed up to the curb and two men leaped out. They tore Houdini from the girl and beat him to the sidewalk.
It's possible another scene may have been shot this night that did not make it into the final film. The below ran in the Dunkirk Evening Observer on September 2, 1921.
I'm somewhat skeptical of the above account. This was two months after the actual shoot and the dramatics sound a little too much like a publicist's embellishments. But it should be noted that Haldane of the Secret Service lacks the traditional hero and heroine coda that we see at the end of Houdini's other movies, so maybe this wedding scene was the original intended ending? I do like the idea of the movie beginning and ending at this same location.
This was also the night a photograph was taken that Houdini would later send to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for examination. (For more on that read: The photo Houdini thought would fool Conan Doyle.) The photo gives us a nice look at the crowds and arc lights as described by the Standard Union.
So what about this location today?
Unfortunately, the Orr mansion is long gone and replaced by a modern condo building. However, the other buildings still stand and are still recognizable. The corner of Henry and Remsem, where Houdini's Heath Haldane discovers a bag full of counterfeit cash, looks very much the same. So one can stand in this same spot and examine your own bag of cash!
Below is an embedded Google maps so you can explore Houdini's "Washington Square" in Brooklyn.
Orr house photo from the Brooklyn Public Library Digital Collections.
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