Houdini BBC radio collection released

BBC audiobooks have released a collection of three BBC-produced Houdini radio programs called Houdini & The Witch of Beacon Hill. Details below.

What drove Harry Houdini - magician, escapologist, and one of the most famous men in the world? Whether it was escaping from handcuffs, a straitjacket or from a box filled with water, Houdini wowed audiences with his seemingly death-defying performance... This BBC Radio collection shares the story behind the trickery: in two fascinating full-cast dramas about the life of Harry Houdini, and in particular his public campaign to expose fraudulent spiritual mediums.

In the stunning full-cast dramatisation Houdini, a man is naked against the world, bound in chains, deprived of all help. Performing a death defying escape from a galvanised iron can, filled with water and secured with massive locks. Failure means a drowning death! This is the gripping story of the master magician, escapologist, and at the time of his death in 1926, one of the most famous men in the world. Michael Maloney stars as Houdini, with Graham Crowden as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Lorelei King as Bess.

Houdini, the showman, longed to believe that he might be able to communicate beyond the grave with his beloved mother, but knew far too much about the trickery and faking of the stage to be easily convinced. The Witch of Beacon Hill is the true story of how Harry Houdini tried to debunk psychics and mediums. Attending séances in disguise, accompanied by a reporter and a police officer he debunked the most famous and celebrated Boston medium Mina Crandon, also known as ‘Margery’. This radio drama tells Margery’s story, and the story of how Houdini set out to disprove her claims. Starring Shelly Thompson as Margery and Nigel Anthony as Houdini.

This double edition collection comes with a bonus episode of Harry Houdini: Escape artist and showman with Rajan Datar. Through interviews, Datar charts the life and career of the legendary Houdini, with writer and biographer Adam Begley, Dr Matthew Solomon, and Dr Katharina Rein.

For the record, Houdini was first broadcast on BBC Radio 2, Oct 1996; The Witch of Beacon Hill on BBC Radio 4, 30 Sep 1989; and Harry Houdini: Escape artist and showman on BBC World Service, 30 Dec 2021

Purchase Houdini & The Witch of Beacon Hill: Two Full-Cast BBC Radio Historical Dramas at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Unfortunately, there does not appear to be a physical release.

Related:

• Ghosts of Beacon Hill
• BBC Radio: The Witch of Beacon Hill
• Peepolykus blend Houdini and Dracula on the BBC

'Houdini: The Elusive American' audiobook released

An unabridged CD audiobook of Adam Begley's Houdini: The Elusive American is released today by Tantor and Blackstone Publishing. It is read by Barry Adams.

Published in March of last year, Houdini: The Elusive American is part of the Jewish Lives series and is a solid and scholarly Houdini biography.

Purchase the audiobook at Amazon.com.

Related:

• REVIEW: A solid and scholarly Houdini biography
• 'Houdini: The Elusive American' released today
• HOUDINI on The Jewish Lives Podcast

"Imprisoned with the Pharaohs" by HorrorBabble

Here's Houdini's short story "Imprisoned with the Pharaohs" read by Ian Gordon for HorrorBabble Productions. The story, which first appeared in the May-June-July issue of Weird Tales magazine in 1924, was ghost written for Houdini by H.P. Lovecraft.

 

 

For a taste of some more Houdini short stories, visit the links below.

Related:

• Bahl Yahn the Strong Man. A Good Night Story by Harry Houdini
• Dan Cupid–Magician. A story by Harry Houdini
• New radio adaptation of 'Imprisoned with the Pharaohs'

d'ILLUSION- The Houdini Musical

d'ILLUSION- The Houdini Musical is an "Audio Theater Experience" featuring Julian R. Decker as Houdini, Quiana Holmes as (the first black) Bess, Rico LeBron as Hardeen, and Ben Toomer as Martin Beck. Below is a description and trailer from the official website.

When we entered 2020, we couldn’t have predicted the challenges we were about to face. We were hopeful and felt the energy of the new decade. New ideas and hopes were the cornerstone of our future. When the pandemic broke out and disrupted the whole world, it wasn’t just a health problem; our social and emotional lives were also affected. We took our precious moments for granted, whether it would be our personal or professional lives. It left us in darkness. 

The Audio Theatre Experience was born during this incredible time. It is bound not only to give a much needed escape from the troubling realities that surround us, but its true intention is to keep theater alive, our community together, and be an example that no matter how difficult things get, we can overcome our obstacles and defy them. It just takes a shift in the mind. 

Over 50 exceptional artists worked tirelessly for four months. Our team, from all over the world, faced the trials of recording their parts remotely with different recording devices, time differences, and language barriers. Even though most of them have never met or been in the same room or continent- our passion, trust, and respect brought us together. 

Houdini is one of the most inspiring people in history. His commitment, drive, and belief has helped guide us through these past months and he has been indeed the lighthouse in this storm. So, here we are after thousands of hours of work, these prodigious actors, musicians, voice talents, and creative staff are honored to present: d’ILLUSION: The Houdini Musical. Welcome to the world of Houdini!

You can enjoy the full audio play at the d'ILLUSION- The Houdini Musical YouTube Channel.

Related:

• Houdini Plays
• The women who have played Bess
• 'Man of Magic' released as limited edition CD

Listen to Houdini's 'The Right Way to Do Wrong'

If you're stuck at home (and who isn't these days), here's a nice time killer. The good folks at Bookflix on YouTube have posted a full read of Houdini's 1906 book, The Right Way to Do Wrong. Enjoy.

Related:

• Houdini the writer
• Teller introduces new edition of 'The Right Way To Do Wrong'
• LINK: 10 nifty tips for becoming a criminal, according to Harry Houdini

Harry Houdini's War is at peace with the facts

Big Finish has released their Doctor Who audio drama Harry Houdini's War on CD in the UK. This is the conclusion of a trilogy of adventures with the Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker) and features Houdini played by John Schwab.

I thoroughly enjoyed this audio play, and while I don't think I'm versed enough in Doctor Who to compare it to other Who adventures, I can review its use of Houdini.

It's clear writer Steve Lyons and all involved have done their homework. Peppered throughout the production are snippets of authentic Houdini history, kicking off with the first lines of dialogue which are a recreation of Houdini's Water Torture Cell patter taken from his only known voice recording. John Schwab nicely imitates Houdini's super syllabic enunciation ("Lay-dees and gen-tell-men"). Thankfully, he doesn't keep this up or we would never get through this! Schwab's Houdini does feel deliberately contemporary (reminiscent of Michael Weston in Houdini & Doyle), but that works for the story and nicely highlights Harry as a man ahead of his time and a good fit with the Doctor.

The story opens with Houdini performing in New York City in September 1917, which is accurate (although he was only doing War benefits at this time). Houdini teaching doughboys how to escape German restraints gets a nod. His history and skills as an aviator comes into play in a major way. We also hear mention of his movie work, his handcuff escapes in Germany "a decade before", and after a Tardis time warping makes him a day older (or is he younger?), Houdini quips, "I'll have to change my birthday...again." Hey, we get that!

Also mentioned is Houdini being turned down as too old to enlist, although John Schwab sounds younger than Houdini's 43 years at this time. The Water Torture Cell gets a lot of attention. We even get to hear "Asleep in the Deep" during the performance. Okay, Houdini used "The Diver" for the Water Torture Cell and "Asleep in the Deep" for the Milk Can, but it's creative license and "Asleep in the Deep" works better. The fact that they used any authentic Houdini music gets a big thumbs up from me.

The CD also includes 10 minutes of interviews in which Houdini is discussed by the producer, director, and stars Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, and John Schwab.

I'm not generally a fan of Houdini fiction, but this is a case where it is all done right. They frame their fiction with facts instead of bending Houdini history to fit their story. It's a class act by Big Finish.

Alt cover with Colin Baker era DOCTOR WHO logo.

You can purchase Doctor Who: Harry Houdini's War audio CD at Amazon.co.uk. In the U.S. you can buy direct from Big Finish.

Thanks to Athena Stamos.

Related:

• Houdini and The Doctor regenerate
• Houdini and The Doctor meet again!
• The Doctor meets Houdini (at last!)

Doctor Who: Harry Houdini's War

Houdini and The Doctor are once again in action in a new audio drama by Big Finish Productions, Harry Houdini's War. This is the conclusion of a trilogy of adventures featuring the Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker). Harry Houdini's War is written by Steve Lyons and features John Schwab as Houdini.

The world is at war, and Harry Houdini wants to fight for his adoptive country. He might get the chance, when an old friend crashes his New York show. 

The Doctor is on the trail of a Central Powers spy ring, which has somehow acquired unearthly technology. But he is also keeping a dangerous secret… 

Finding himself on the run behind enemy lines, the world’s greatest escape artist has to work out who he can trust – and fast.

Doctor Who: Harry Houdini's War will be released this month and can be purchased at Big Finish.

UPDATE: This can now be pre-ordered as an Audio CD at Amazon.co.uk. Release date October 31 (of course!).

UPDATE #2: Review: Harry Houdini's War is at peace with the facts.

Related:

• Houdini and The Doctor regenerate
• Houdini and The Doctor meet again!
• The Doctor meets Houdini (at last!)

The Adventure of the Spook House audiobook

If FOX's Houdini & Doyle still isn't enough Houdini and Doyle for you, know that C. Michael Forsyth's 2014 novel, The Adventure of the Spook House, has been released as an audiobook read by the author himself.

The year is 1922. A respected judge inexplicably vanishes in a decrepit mansion and two of the world's most remarkable men are summoned to investigate: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, and Harry Houdini, the world's greatest escape artist. Aided by a beautiful, young psychic, the unlikely partners probe a mystery that becomes murkier and more perilous at every turn and brings them face to face with evil incarnate. To solve the riddle of The Spook House - and to survive its dangers - they must call upon all of their extraordinary mental and physical powers. The story draws upon the real-life friendship of Conan Doyle and Houdini, two vastly different men brought together by their fascination with the paranormal.

Purchase The Adventure of the Spook House from Amazon.com.

Related:

• Houdini and Conan Doyle get spooked
• C. Michael Forsyth on Houdini, Doyle, and African Adventure

Listen to The Master Mystery

As we know, Houdini's 1918 movie serial The Mastery Mystery was published as a photoplay edition by Grosset and Dunlap. This book makes for a nice Houdini/silent cinema collectible, especially when found with the original dust jacket  (right). It's also a valuable tool when trying to piece together the 15 episodes of the existing film, which does not survive complete.

The Master Mystery photoplay is in the public domain and has been reprinted several times. But now LibriVox Audiobooks has recorded an audiobook version complete and unabridged. The recording comes in at a whopping 7 hours 52 minutes and can be listened to in it's entirety for free. The reader is Roger Merlin.

You can also download a full version in various formats along with cover art and CD insert at the LibriVox website.

Related:

• Master Mystery photoplay lands $585
• Puzzling together The Master Mystery
• Look who dropped by the L.A. Magic History Conference

New radio adaptation of 'Imprisoned with the Pharaohs'

Dark Adventure Radio Theatre is offering an all-new radio adaptation of Houdini's Imprisoned with the Pharaohs. The "true" story was ghostwritten for Houdini by H.P. Lovecraft and features the Escape King trapped in the heart of an Egyptian pyramid.

As war brews in Europe, world-famous magician Harry Houdini and his wife Bess stop in Cairo on a world tour in the summer of 1914. There they meet with Miskatonic professor of archaeology Nate Ward, who tells them the story of Nitocris, the dreaded ghoul queen of the 4th Dynasty. After a visit to the Sphinx and a dig site led by German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt, the Houdinis follow their mysterious Arab tour guide, Abdul Reis al Drogman, to the top of the Great Pyramid. Secret identities are revealed and after a desperate struggle Houdini must attempt the escape of a lifetime from under the pyramids!

In this production, Houdini is voiced by Sean Branney and Bess is voiced by Leslie Baldwin. The adaptation is by Sean Branney and Andrew Leman. Original music is by Troy Sterling Nies with "Bub-L-Pep Jingle" written by Andrew Leman and arranged and performed by Harald Lindell and Kathleen Demarest. Audio engineering is by Chris Horvath.

The CD comes in a jewel case and is packed with nice extras, including a letter on authentic Cairo Museum letterhead in which Nate Ward describes the sarcophagus and mummy of Nitocris; a Cairo postcard from Houdini to tycoon Charlie Tower; the playbill from Houdini's show at the American Cosmograph Theater in English, French, Greek and Arabic, and more.

You can buy Imprisoned with the Pharaohs on CD or as an MP3 via the Dark Adventure Radio Theatre website.

Related:

• Under the Pyramids - the book
• Houdini's tomb tale digs up $680
• Houdini, Lovecraft, and The Cancer of Superstition

Audible releases 'Imprisoned with the Pharaohs'

Audible.com has released a new recording of the classic Houdini short story, Imprisoned with the Pharaohs (aka Under the Pyramids), read by Cathy Dobson.

First published in the May-June-July 1924 issue of Weird Tales magazine, the story tells of Houdini's adventures trapped in a Egyptian tomb. While the story appeared under Houdini's byline and is told in the first person, it was actually ghost written for the magician by the great H.P. Lovecraft.

This new reading of Imprisoned with the Pharaohs is available on Amazon.com for $7.91, or Free with an Audible.com 30-day free trial membership.

Amazon notes this recording is: "Unsuitable for claustrophobics, people of a nervous disposition, or people with a vivid visual imagination." Nice.

Who-dini audiobook available in U.S.

AudioGo's Doctor Who-Houdini audiobook adventure, Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctor 5: Smoke and Mirrors, is now available in the U.S. via Amazon.com. The title was released in May in the UK. Here's the official plot description:

The Doctor answers a psionic distress call sent from England in the 1920s. There, in the environs of a fairground, he is reunited with an old friend: Harry Houdini. To Adric and Nyssa the name means very little, but to the Doctor's companion Tegan he is a legend. Escape artist extraordinaire, Houdini's reputation will last for decades. But how does Houdini know so much about Tegan herself? Is it really just guesswork, as he says? Is Houdini right to be concerned about the fairground's fortune teller, who claims to have supernatural skills? Both he and the Doctor suspect an alien influence may be at work. What neither the Doctor nor his friends realise is that, somewhere in the shadows, a sinister and all too familiar presence is lying in wait for them...

Purchase Doctor Who: Smoke and Mirrors from Amazon.com.

Spoken Silverman

Last week I mentioned that I'm listening to The Secret Life of Houdini audiobook in my car. Until now, I've never paid much attention to Houdini audiobooks. But I've discovered this is a wonderful way to groove on the Houdini story and even catch a few factoids that slip past in reading (like this).

However, Secret Life is only available in an abridged audio edition, and the editors can't resist including all the book's lapses into dramatic narrative...which drives me nuts! Give me the facts, ma'am. Just the facts. (Does anyone still get that reference?) But it is what it is, and jumping between this and Penn Jillette's latest podcast makes L.A. traffic trouble me not!

Now I've tracked down another Houdini audiobook, Houdini!!! The Career of Ehrich Weiss by Kenneth Silverman. For me, Silverman is the Holy Text. It's the best, most accurate Houdini biography ever written. And best of all, this audiobook, released by Books on Tape in 1997 and read by Lloyd James, is unabridged! Fourteen 1 1/2-hour cassettes make a whopping 21 hours. Oh, baby.

I contacted the publisher to see if the book was available on CD or mp3, but they informed that that they no longer hold the rights. So now I just need to find a (affordable) way to transfer these 14 cassettes to a playable format. Any tips?

Houdini was the 25th person to fly

We all know Houdini was the first person to fly a plane in Australia. That's his aviation milestone and it's in the history books (no matter what cranks on Wikipedia say). But while listening to The Secret Life of Houdini audiobook in my car the other day (yes, I'm doing that), a sentence flashed by that blew my mind. Because it revealed what I think is an even more remarkable Houdini aviation fact:

"With Brassac on hand to assemble the machine and to instruct the fledging pilot, Houdini was poised to become the twenty-fifth man to conquer the air in a powered craft."

Twenty-fifth! Somehow I think this is even more impressive than being #1 in Australia. It's a remarkably low number. The Wright Brothers first flew in December of 1903. By 1909, when Houdini bought his Voisin bi-plane in Germany, I assumed hundreds of men had flown.

But this just shows how difficult it was to fly in those days. Not to mention that flying was also deadly. Not all of those 25 survived. It took nerves of steel to climb behind the wheel or what was essentially a motorized box-kite that could soar over 100 feet. But that's Houdini!

(Of course, I've not tried very hard to confirm this fact.)

Houdini and The Doctor meet again!

While Houdini has been name-checked several times on the BBC series, Doctor Who (celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year), it has always surprised me that the Time Lord and the Handcuff King have never been directly teamed-up in any TV, book, or audio adventure.

Happily, this changed back in December with an online short story posted on the official Doctor Who website called, Houdini and The Space Cuckoos. But now we have an even more substantial Who-dini mash-up with Destiny of the Doctor 5: Smoke and Mirrors.

This is the fifth part of an exclusive audio series produced by Big Fish and AudioGo. Written by Steve Lyons and performed by Janet Fielding and Tim Beckmann, Smoke and Mirrors features The 5th Doctor, as played by Peter Davison, and his companions Tegan, Nyssa and Adric. Here's the official plot description:

The Doctor answers a psionic distress call sent from England in the 1920s. There, in the environs of a fairground, he is reunited with an old friend: Harry Houdini. To Adric and Nyssa the name means very little, but to the Doctor's companion Tegan he is a legend. Escape artist extraordinaire, Houdini's reputation will last for decades. But how does Houdini know so much about Tegan herself? Is it really just guesswork, as he says? Is Houdini right to be concerned about the fairground's fortune teller, who claims to have supernatural skills? Both he and the Doctor suspect an alien influence may be at work. What neither the Doctor nor his friends realise is that, somewhere in the shadows, a sinister and all too familiar presence is lying in wait for them...

Destiny of the Doctors 5: Smoke and Mirrors is available now in the UK from Amazon.co.uk. It will be released in the U.S. on June 11 and can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com.

So now we have a Who-dini adventure in print and audio. Could a TV appearance be far off?

Only a Time Lord can tell.

For a complete list of Doctor Who-Houdini references check out TardisWikia.

Houdini Sounds of Mystery on CD

The Miracle Factory is offering a unique audio CD collection of Houdini related rarities. Houdini: Sounds of Mystery contains nine MP3 audio tracks for the Houdini buff, including:

• Houdini’s voice in a 1914 Edison recording (the only known recording of Houdini’s voice).
• The famous 1936 Final Houdini Seance featuring Bess Houdini and Edward Saint.
• Groucho Marx’s hilarious Houdini anecdote.
• 1937 Unsolved Mysteries Houdini radio program.
• Audio recordings of Miracle Mongers and Their Methods, The Right Way to Do Wrong, The Master Mystery, and two vintage articles in audio form, “Handcuff Releases” from Scientific American in 1912 and “The Story of Harry Houdini” from The New York Times in 1918.

For more information and to purchase visit The Miracle Factory website.

Final cover art for The Secret Life of Houdini

From author Bill Kalush comes the final cover art for what promises to be the most intriguing Houdini book of the year, The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America’s First Superhero.

In The Secret Life of Houdini, Bill Kalush and Larry Sloman present their theory that Harry Houdini worked as a spy for both the U.S. and British governments. Bill gave a lecture on his theory at the Magic Collectors convention in Virginia this year. Those who attended said while the idea sounded far-out at first, the author apparently has some pretty strong evidence to support his case.

The Secret Life of Houdini will be approximately 600 pages with over 140 illustrations. The book will also be released as a Simon & Schuster audiobook.

I have to confess, this is the most excited I’ve been about a Houdini book since the Silverman biography came out in 1996.

The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America’s First Superhero is due for release on October 31 (when else?) and can be pre-ordered now.

The Secret Life of Houdini cover art

Cover art for The Secret Life of Houdini by William Kalush and Larry Sloman has appeared on Amazon.com.

While this art appears only with the audio book, presumably it will be the same or similar to the hardcover.

The Secret Life of Houdini presents a theory that Harry Houdini acted as a spy for the U.S. and British governments. Author Kalush gave a lecture on his theory at the Magic Collectors convention in Virginia. Those in attendance said while the idea sounded far-out at first, Kalush apparently has some pretty strong evidence to support his case.

The Secret Life of Houdini is due for release on October 31, 2006, and can be pre-ordered now on Amazon.com.

This is one I'm definitely look forward to!

UPDATE: Author Bill Kalush informs us this is NOT the final cover art for The Secret Life of Houdini. This is a temporary publisher mock-up used for promotion.