The talk of Chicago

It was 100 years ago today that Houdini opened his "3 Shows in One" at the Princess Theater in Chicago for the start of what would be a remarkable 8-week run. For the occasion, I thought I'd rerun this post from 2022.

Here's one last post about Houdini at the Shubert Princess Theatre in Chicago in 1926. This 8-week run was longest single theater engagement for the 3 Shows in One and would prove to be Houdini's last appearance in the Windy City. Today I thought I'd share a collection of newspaper ads from the Chicago Tribune that pitched Houdini's show over the course of that record run.

This first ad from Match 4, 1926, shows the comedy play Young Blood with Helen Hayes preceding Houdini at the Princess. The Houdini show was playing the Bronx Theater in New York this week. Houdini flew by airplane to Chicago on March 7th. 

Coming!

Here's an ad for Houdini's opening night on Monday, March 8. You can bet he made sure the theater was ready, even if he had to do it himself!

Week 1

By the second week Houdini was "the talk of Chicago." I can believe it!

Week 2

Wonderful caricature artwork features on this ad for the start of Houdini's third week. If you've ever wondered what tickets cost back then, here you can see "600 Seats at $1 and $1.50 every night."

Week 3

More nice artwork for the start of Houdini's fourth week. "Have Houdini Give Your Friends a Spirit Message." I'm surprised spiritualism isn't played up more in these adverts.

Week 4

The famously prophetic Halloween artwork features on this fifth week ad. "Give yourself a treat. Bring the kiddies!" Any of those kiddies still around, I wonder?

Week 5

This week six ad takes aim at the pocket book. A .50¢ matinee? 300 seats at $1? No excuses now!

Week 6

Week seven saw a special added attraction -- reformed trumpet medium Annie Benninghofen.

Week 7

For his final week Houdini brought back some of his tried and true challenge escapes.

Week 8

Houdini's final two shows were on May 1st. He then traveled on to the Goodyear Theater in Akron, Ohio. Actress Eva Le Gallienne moved into the Princess with two Ibsen plays, The Master Builder and John Gabriel Borkman. Doesn't sound nearly as fun.

Last Day!

The Chicago Princess Theatre was located at 319 S. Clark Street. It converted to a movie theater at the end of the 1920s and closed in 1937. In 1941, the building was razed to make way for a parking lot. The Metcalfe Federal Building now stands on the site.

But let's not forget Houdini was here...for eight full weeks!

Clippings: Newspapers.com. 

Top photo: Houdini His Life Story by Harold Kellock.

Related:

• Houdini never ceases to surprise
• The Benninghofen confession
• Houdini's grand finale: 3 Shows In One

San Francisco treats

Here are a few curiosities from the San Francisco Chronicle that I recently stumbled on. First is an ad for a television showing of Houdini (1953) in October 1969, describing him as "a cat with 9 lives." That's a new one! There's something that feels very 1969 about this.

San Francisco Chronicle, Oct 20, 1969.

Here's another one, this time from 1976. San Francisco had no shortage of adult theaters back then, and their offerings were advertised in the Chronicle. Notice the teaser copy on this ad: "The stars featured in DIRTY STORIES get into positions Houdini wouldn't dare!" Goodness.

San Francisco Chronicle, Jan 24, 1976.

Finally, there's nothing all that unusual about this 1969 clipping; I just like seeing a revival house screening of The Man From Beyond in proximity to one of my favorite James Bond films, On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Just don't make the mistake of seeing Paint Your Wagon!

San Francisco Chronicle, Dec 29, 1969.

Related:

• When Houdini (1953) came to TV
• Harry and Rudy (and Mel)
• And now for something completely different

The Man From Beyond for real

Houdini's 1922 film The Man From Beyond wasn't released in the UK until January 1927. That's right, The Man From Beyond didn't appear in British cinemas until after Houdini's death, meaning the flickering image on those screens really was a man from beyond! Of course, this presented a marketing challenge.

Below is one of the only ads that references Houdini's death, referring to him as "the late Houdini." I found another ad that calls the film as "His Last Great Creation." Apart from these, ads largely ignored the fact that the film's famous star was now deceased.

Evening Advertiser, April 1, 1927.

Evening Post, Feb 17, 1927.

Houdini had planned to tour the UK in 1927, presumably with his "3 Shows in One." It's possible he negotiated the release of The Man From Beyond for 1927 in anticipation of his return to the country after a six-year absence. When he last played the UK in 1920, The Grim Game was just coming out in cinemas.

I've often thought about how audiences perceived this last appearance of Houdini in the UK, where he was so well-known and popular. Seeing The Man From Beyond must have been a somewhat melancholic experience. And, considering the story is of a man returning from the dead, a little spooky!

But very Houdini.

Related:

• Houdini planned to return to the UK in 1927
• The Man From Beyond down under
• The Man From Beyond haunts Hollywood in 1971

Those were the days

Here's an ad from 1980 for all old-time style Bell telephone that evokes nostalgia for 1913. They had me at "Ragtime," and sold me with "The Great Houdini."

The Houston Chronicle, Sept. 29, 1980.

My guess is this wasn't a great seller as it seems ill-timed. Nostalgia was big in the 1970s. I actually had an old-time phone. But a wave of modernity was about to hit the go-go '80s. Ah, those were the days.

Related:

• Calling Houdini...
• Houdini's London address and phone
• Houdini was a "wireless telephone" pioneer

Wild Weber's

Take a look at this advertisement for Weber's Bread from 1972. I was a Wonder Bread kid myself. But had I seen this ad, that might have been different!

Santa Barbara News Press, Feb. 10, 1972.

Weber's Bread was founded in 1908. Kudos to the ad agency for using a photo of Houdini from that very year—unless that was just a happy coincidence.

While Weber's bakery went out of business a few years ago, you can still buy bread with the Weber's name and distinctive checkerboard packaging.

Related:

• Jack Rabbit was a Houdini bunny
• Houdini's secrets brought to you by Camel cigarettes
• Ehrich Weiss makes a name for himself

The Man From Beyond down under

Houdini's The Man From Beyond was released in Australia in January 1923. To exhibit the film, Houdini struck a deal with Australasian Films. Below is a selection of newspaper ads from that release that feature some original artwork. 

Newcastle Herald and Miners Advocate, Feb. 24, 1923

The Sun News Pictorial, Mar. 9, 1923.

The Mail, Jan. 27, 1923

Amusingly, at least one theater got the name wrong, as you can see below.

The Propeller, March 2, 1923.

When the film played in New South Wales later in the year, it appeared under the banner of Master Pictures. I'm unsure if Master Pictures was the same as Australasian Films or a new distributor altogether. This ad uses the Master Pictures logo as its key art.

Maryborough Chronicle, July 25, 1923.

Hope you enjoyed this taste of The Man From Beyond down under.

Related:

• A Grim Game super rarity drops from the clouds
• The Man From Beyond arrived 100 years ago today
• The Man From Beyond haunts Hollywood in 1971

The Man From Beyond haunts Hollywood in 1971

Here's a treat I discovered this weekend. In August 1971, a double feature of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and The Man From Beyond played at The Bijou Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. Both films featured "sound accompaniment" and a magic show by "the master of the magic lamp, Jim Christopher."

While The Man From Beyond (and The Master Mystery) would occasionally screen at the nearby Silent Movie Theater on Fairfax, it's cool to see it playing on Hollywood Blvd. Also, check out the terrific illustrated ad from the Los Angeles Times. This is an uncommon photo of Houdini, and even more so in 1971!

The Los Angeles Times, Aug. 20, 1971.

Around this time, Houdini collector Manny Weltman was selling 8mm and 16mm prints of The Man From Beyond. I wonder if this print was rented from Manny? That might also explain where they got the photo.

The Bijou stood just a few blocks from Grauman's Chinese Theater. It started as an adult film theater in 1969 called the Athena and later the Avon. In 1971, it reopened as a 16mm revival house under the Bijou name. It played an assortment of classic films before turning back into an adult film theater in 1974.

In the photo below, you can see the round sign and arrow that points to the Bijou's entrance. This pic comes from a terrific overview of the Bijou at Los Angeles Theaters. I recommend checking it out.

This was still a few years before my Houdini awakening, but oh how I would have loved to have attended one of these showings!

I also discovered that The Man From Beyond appeared on television in 1980. But that's a story I'll save for another time.

Related:

• The Master Mystery at The Silent Movie Theater
• Houdini's 'Haldane' screened in LA
• Houdini film print sells on eBay

Houdini wanted to sleep in a Haunted House

Attention Houdini fiction writers! Here's a hook for a story that also happens to be true. When Houdini brought his 3 Shows in One to the Academy of Music in Baltimore, Maryland, for the week of November 9, 1925, he took out the following ad in The Afro-American newspaper.

The Afro American, Nov. 7, 1925.

I've never seen anything like this before. Is it just a clever way to advertise his upcoming appearance at the Academy? For sure. But I also think if someone came forward with a "Haunted House," Houdini would have absolutely followed through and spent the night. He also would have mined it for all the publicity it was worth, and that would have been great! Unfortunately, I could not find any follow-up, so it appears a suitable house did not materialize. 

It's up to you fiction writers to tell the story!

Related:

• Houdini and the Omro possession
• Spooks ahead
• Discovering Houdini's Baltimore

The Columbia was wild about Harry!

I've seen effusive Houdini advertising before, but this ad for the independently run Columbia Theatre in Cincinnati, Ohio, takes the cake. This was for Houdini's two-week run in January 1908. I love how it adds "And Houdini" after every other name on the bill.

Cincinnati Post, Jan. 6, 1908

I would love to know what exactly was displayed in Max Joseph's cigar store window. 

This was Houdini's third appearance at the Columbia. During his first week, he escaped from a cell at Cincinnati’s Central Station in 31 minutes. The cell had once held the infamous Scott Jackson (right), a murderer whom some believed had hypnotic power and was able to impose his will on victims using his steel blue eyes.

During his second week, Houdini featured a string of challenges: packing case (Monday), leather bag (Tuesday), iron-bound willow hamper (Wednesday), paper bag (Thursday), and a packing case built on the stage (Friday). He finished his run on Saturday with a straitjacket escape in eight minutes on a $100 wager.

Another nice detail about this engagement is that Houdini's mother joined him. Houdini recorded in his diary that, upon her arrival in Cincinnati, “Charlie the dog went wild for thirty minutes with joy.”

The Columbia Theater stood at 525 Walnut Street. It became part of the Keith circuit in 1910 and was renamed the B.F. Keith Theater in 1912. Houdini played the theater seven times. It closed in September 1965 and was demolished in July 1966. Today, it is the site of Fountain Square.

Want more? You can download research related to Houdini's 1908 engagement in Cincinnati as a Scholar member of my Patreon below. Thanks to my patrons for supporting content like this.

Related:

• Off-script in Cincinnati
• LINK: Houdini, Martin Beck, and Herrmann in Cincinnati
• Houdini living on the air in Cincinnati

High-Class Vaudeville in D.C.

Houdini played Washington, D.C., many times during his career. Starting in 1914, Houdini's regular Washington venue became B.F. Keith's Theater located in the Riggs Building at 1426 G Street and 615-627 15th Street. This was Washington's home for "High-Class Vaudeville."

Below is an unusually detailed vaudeville playbill from the September 20, 1924, Washington Times. This is a great way to see what kinds of acts shared the stage with Houdini during any given week.

Here's an ad for the following week. As you can see, Belle Baker, who once disrupted Houdini's act, was the new headliner. Note the reminder at the bottom of the page that Houdini would be closing out his engagement that night.

While B.F. Keith's Theater is long gone, the building facade survives. This is especially nice as it was also the site of a suspended straitjacket escape (in 1922). Today, what would have been the entrance to the theater is the Old Ebbitt Grill.

Related:

• Houdini catches Belle Baker's "clacque"
• The girl who beat Houdini
• Houdini escapes D.C.

Houdini (1953) pressbook

Our friend Joe Notaro recently acquired an original pressbook from the 1953 Houdini biopic starring Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, and has shared every page on his blog Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence. So if you love this movie like I do, click on over and check it out!

Pages 1-4

Pages 5-8

Pages 9-12

Pages 13-16

Thank you, Joe.

Related:

• Deconstructing Houdini '53
• Grim Game pressbook sells in auction
• The Man From Beyond pressbook sells for $780

Houdini liked The Bat (apparently)

The Bat is a mystery-comedy play by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood that became all the rage when it first played on Broadway in August 1920. It ran for 867 performances in New York before touring. Bob Kane claimed seeing The Bat as a child influenced his later comic book creation, Batman.

It appears Houdini was also a fan of The Bat, as evidenced by his endorsement in an advertisement for the play at the Majestic Theater in San Antonio in November 1923. Houdini had played the Majestic the previous week.

San Antonio Light, Nov. 21, 1923.

The Bat was adapted as a film three times. Below is an excellent overview of those films from one of my favorite YouTube channels Dark Corners Reviews.

If you're interested in reading the original play, an illustrated version is available on Amazon.com.

Related:

• Houdini the playwright?
• When Houdini met Batman
• Movie night

Attention Holiday shoppers

Here's one for you Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers. While I've seen Houdini tie-in advertisements before, I've never seen one on this scale. This ad for O'Gorman Co. "The Big Store" in Providence, Rhode Island, takes up nearly an entire page and is designed around Houdini. Not that I'm complaining!

The Evening Bulletin, Jan. 28, 1907.

Houdini was playing Keith's Theater in Providence this week. The O'Gorman Co. challenged him to escape from a packing case made by their shipping department on the night of February 5, 1907. Houdini got free in 38 mins. But he could never escape the great deals at O'Gorman's!

The Evening Bulletin, Feb. 5, 1907.

Happy shopping.

Related:

• Houdini swears by Zam-Buk
• A word from our sponsor...
• Houdini buys a Ford

Houdini '53 at 70: The competition

Continuing our 70th Anniversary celebration of Paramount's classic Houdini biopic starring Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh.

Besides Houdini, what else could you have seen 70 years ago this week? Here are several newspaper ads showing the competition for your perusal.

Choices, choices! You can see a list of all movies released in 1953 as well as the top grossing HERE.

Related:

• Houdini meets the Martians
• Jerry Lewis visits the Houdinis
• LINK: History's hidden connection between Houdini and The 3 Stooges