The world’s most famous magician began life as Erik Weisz, the son of a Hungarian rabbi. In 1878 immigration to the U.S. transformed Erik Weisz into Ehrich Weiss. It was the first of many transformations for the man who would become the first international superstar.
Inescapable, curated by local performer and magician David London, tells the story of how Ehrich Weiss became Harry Houdini and investigates the technologies, marketing prowess and entertainment trends that transformed him into a superstar. On one level, the exhibit is pure fun – incorporating magic, escapes, seances, films, rare artifacts and hands-on illusions. On a deeper level, the exhibit pulls back the curtain, revealing the story of the man behind the image.
In addition to the exploration of his early life, visitors will find sections illuminating stages of his life and career:
Setting the Stage describing the struggles of Houdini’s early life and the difficulties faced by his father, artifacts include a Hebrew bible that belonged to Rabbi Weiss.
The Self Liberator featuring a spectacular display of reproduction posters, photos and press clippings, as well as original apparatus, including a straitjacket and milk can that he used in his performances.
On the Cutting Edge investigates his exploration of new technologies and also features clips from his film career and a chance to listen to a rare recording of his voice.
Houdini’s Third Act: Exposing Frauds showcases his crusade against deceptive spiritual mediums.
The Final Bow/Curtain Call sets the record straight on the events that led to his death and explores the séances to contact him by his wife, Bess.
Houdini in Maryland shines a spotlight on his appearances in the state where he performed close to 100 shows during his career. This section also features Houdini’s personal diary from 1898 turned to the page recording his first tour of Maryland (before his success) where he where he repeatedly reports “no dinner,” as he could not afford to eat.
Throughout the exhibit, visitors also will have the opportunity to try out some of Houdini’s magic tricks, including the world’s smallest version of Houdini’s biggest illusion – making a five-ton elephant “vanish.”
The museum has also revealed a slate of related public programs, one of which features yours truly:
Houdini Unbound
Speaker David Saltman
Sunday, July 15th at 1pm
Inescapable: The Life and Legacy of Harry Houdini runs June 24, 2018 to January 21, 2019. For more information visit the Jewish Museum of Maryland website.
Last night I had the extreme pleasure of giving my "Houdini in Hollywood" talk at the monthly meeting of the historic IBM Ring 96 in Seal Beach, CA. I'm happy to report that the event was a big success. I've never felt more relaxed giving this talk, and Ring Vice President Cliff Gerstman ran a tight meeting and everything timed out beautifully.
The Ring organizers told me this was one of their best attended events, and I was especially happy to see some young people in the audience. I really wasn't sure if teens and preteens would put up with over an hour of silent movie footage and a lecture about a man who has been dead for 89 years, but they were fully engaged from beginning to end, and even came up and asked me questions during the intermission. Yes, there's definitely going to be a next generation of Houdini nuts!
With special permission from Park Circus Films, I was able to screen clips from TCMs newly restored The Grim Game (the jail break and suspended straitjacket escape). The group seemed to really enjoy this. The young people were especially impressed with how Houdini rolled under a truck and rode it away. But the clip that seemed to resonate the most was Houdini's card manipulation short, Velvet Fingers. Made within a year of his death, it remains his most haunting piece of film. The magicians in the room also appreciated this evidence of Houdini's card skills.
Ring 96 holds meetings on the third Saturday of every month. They feature lectures, competitions and other exciting magic based events. I encourage you to bookmark their website and attend their meetings which are always open to the public. I also encourage you to check out Cliff Gerstman's website T.I.E.S. (The International Escapologist Society), and his monthly e-newsletter, The Chainletter, which regularly runs news and features on Houdini.
For this event, I extended my talk by 20 minutes, and I think I found the perfect length and combination of clips. Unfortunately, I don't have any current commitments to do the talk again. But I will be giving an all-new lecture on Houdini's spirit busting activities at the Center For Inquiry in Hollywood and Costa Mesa in October. This new talk is called "Houdini Among The Spirits." I'll post more details soon.
Thanks again to Cliff Gerstman and all the members of Ring 96 for the warm reception and for letting me bring Houdini to Seal Beach.
Houdini might have been an S.A.M. man, but next month he's headed to the IBM when I bring my "Houdini in Hollywood" talk to IBM Ring 96 in Seal Beach, CA. The talk will take place during their regular monthly meeting on August 15, 2015 at 7pm. It's open to the public and admission is FREE.
This will be a "Houdini in Hollywood" mega lecture (with intermission) and will include all the clips that I've only selectively shared at previous talks. Also, thanks to our friends at Park Circus, I will be showing 10 minutes of select footage from TCM's newly restored The Grim Game!
Ring 96 was chartered in 1949 and serves IBM members in the Seal Beach/Long Beach area with lectures, competitions and other magic based events. (One of their past presidents was George Boston, who served as technical advisor on the Tony Curtis Houdini.) Ring 96 has hosted some impressive speakers, so I'm very honored to have been invited to speak at their meeting.
The meeting will take place at the Seal Beach North Community Center, 3333 St. Cloud Drive in Seal Beach, CA 90740. For more information and directions visit the IBM Ring 96 official website. I've also created a Facebook event page.
Recently I had the great pleasure of attending the Midwest Magic History Weekend in Marshall, Michigan. The event was organized by David Charvet in conjunction with the American Museum of Magic, which is located in Marshall. It proved to be a full 5-days packed with magic history, good friends, and Houdini (of course).
May 26
My multi-day Houdini odyssey began the night before I left for Marshall with a screening of Young Harry Houdini at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. This "Castle Perk" was hosted by Steve Valentine; in attendance was star Wil Wheaton. Wil hadn't seen the movie since it was first broadcast way back in 1987, and said of all the film and TV work he's done, this is the one project he thinks about most often. He also said there is family lore that his great grandfather, Frank O'Conner (director of Religious Racketeers), did some ghostwriting for Houdini. It was a terrific perk and great way to kick off a week full of magic!
May 27
On Wednesday I flew to Michigan, arriving in Detroit in the afternoon. I had done research and part of my weekend plan was to visit some famous Detroit Houdini locations. I was tempted to hunt those down right away, but I figured I'd stick to my plan and save them for the end of the trip. Marshall was still an hour and a half away by car.
Arriving in Marshall, I met up with Houdini mega-collector Arthur Moses and Derek Kennedy. We enjoyed dinner and gossip at the historic Schuler's Restaurant & Pub. I must say, I wasn't prepared for the sheer beauty of Marshall. It's an historic town with beautifully preserved Victorian homes and a main street from the 1900s. It was like time travel! I'm not sure if Houdini himself ever visited Marshall (it's equidistant between Chicago and Detroit), but if he did, the streets he walked still look exactly the same.
DAY 1 - May 28
The weekend officially kicked off on Thursday, May 28, with noon registration at The Franke Center For The Arts in Marshall, a beautiful old church converted into a theater space. Everyone agreed this was an excellent facility for the convention, and the theater size was perfect for the approximately 150 attendees.
After getting my registration materials and taking a quick pass around the dealers room, I decided to walk over to the American Museum of Magic and get an early look (the next day would be the official tours). The American Museum of Magic was founded by magic collector and historian Robert Lund on April 1, 1978. It's famous in the world of magic, and ever since I first become interested in Houdini, I've longed to visit. Now here I was at the front door.
I was warmly greeted by the museum staff who were very excited to have the convention in town. The museum and its Research Center (located across the street) were open free to all convention attendees. Museum administrator Keli Hindenach and her son, Alex, really rolled out the red carpet for me. I purchased some Houdini paperbacks in perfect condition that the museum had recently discovered in a box that had remained untouched probably since the 1980s.
Of course, I spent a good amount of time in front of the museum's central Houdini display. There before me was the Houdini-Hardeen Milk Can (more about that later), a spirit trumpet, a pack of Houdini's Needles ("with his DNA on it") and a nice Coast to Coast advertising sign which I'm guessing was for his 1926-27 tour. But what I think is the most impressive item in the entire museum -- yes, even more so than the Milk Can -- was his overboard box. The staff and I spent a lot of time looking it over very carefully, comparing it to the photos on display. It indeed appears to be the same box Houdini used in both his 1912 and 1914 overboard box escapes in New York harbor. It's extremely heavyweight and there's something about the wood that seemed to hold the spirit of Houdini. I was mesmerized.
I then toured the rest of the museum, which is jam-packed with amazing artifacts from great magicians of all eras (it even has suits worn by Penn & Teller). I told the staff that I wrote letters to the museum when I was 15-16, and they said there was an excellent chance that Robert Lund had saved those letters in his files. Traveling across the street to the Research Center, Alex brought me out a file marked: Cox, John. It was strange and moving to re-read my letters from so long ago. I especially loved that I had to wear gloves to handle the file.
It was then back to the Franke Center to set-up my "Houdini in Hollywood" talk, which I would be giving as part of the opening night events. It took a little doing to figure out how best to screen the "Top Secret" Houdini movie I had brought along to show. But David Charvet had brought in an excellent A/V staff, and soon everything was ready to go.
Following a nice reception with food in the Franke lobby, the night kicked off with a few words from Marshall's Mayor, Jack Reed. Then a video of Dan Waldron remembering his friend Bob Lund and the opening of the American Museum of Magic was shown. Susan Collins, the incoming chair of the museum board, then spoke. Diego Domingo then gave a talk about his first visits to the museum.
Next was Bill Spooner who presented a fascinating and funny talk about the infamous "Sex Detector." Then came David Meyer who blew my socks off with a slide show presentation on his 1900-05 Houdini scrapbook called: "What I bought when I was seventeen." Every image he showed was new to me! Even Arthur Moses was drooling beside me. (This weekend I learned just how much unseen Houdini material is still out there.)
After a short intermission (and popcorn), it was my turn to give my talk. Knowing this was a savvy crowd, I modified the talk and tried to show film clips they might not have seen before. Based on the many nice compliments I received throughout the rest of the weekend, I think the talk went really well.
Photo by Wayne Wissner.
My original plan was to screen Terror Island or an episode of The Master Mystery following my talk. But a few weeks before the convention, I decided to go for broke and contacted TCM's Charles Tabesh and distributor Park Circus to see if there was any way I could show the new TCM restoration of The Grim Game. To my great pleasure, they gave me permission to do so!
I kept this largely a secret -- it was not mentioned in any of the convention materials -- and I revealed it as dramatically as I could during my talk. So the first night closed with The Grim Game on the big screen, which was only the third public screening ever. Everyone seemed to enjoy the film. In fact, more than a few people over the course of the weekend told me the movie had changed their minds about Houdini's appeal as a cinema star.
The Grim Game in Marshall. (Photo by Wayne Wissner.)
DAY 2 - May 29
Friday kicked off with official tours of the American Museum of Magic. While I had gone through the museum the day before, it was a blast to be there with magic luminaries such as: William Kalush, John Gaughan, Mike Caveney, David Ben, Julie Eng, and many others. The museum had opened a storage closet where they kept Doug Henning's original Zig Zag Girl illusion. The museum is unable to publicly display the prop because the paint is peeling, and it was a thrill to see this important piece of magic history (you know I'm wild about Doug!). Attendees later gathered in the Research Center to discuss the health and future of this great institution of magic.
The afternoon talks at the Frank Center began with host David Charvet interviewing Adele Friel Rhindress, who worked as Harry Blackstone's Elusive Moth in his big touring show. Adele did card flourishes she learned 67 years ago from fellow assistant, Del Ray, and she was an absolute joy both onstage and off. (She sent me a nice text after my talk saying how much she enjoyed it.) Bill Smith then presented a fascinating and funny talk about working with Harry Blackstone, Jr.
Keith Stickley, a.k.a. Dr. Scream, gave a talk on the history of "Spook Shows Past and Present." During the talk a gorilla suddenly burst from behind the curtains and chased one of his assistants who let off one of the best and most bloodcurdling screams I've ever heard. Just a taste of what was to come that night.
The last speaker of the afternoon was the great Mike Caveney, who presented a riveting talk on "America's Zig Zag Scandal" of the late 1960s. Hearing Mike lecture is always a highlight of any gathering.
After a quick rest and dinner, it was back to the Franke for the Friday night events. First up was Gabe Fajuri who presented a talk on the history of Abbott's Magic Company, which we would be visiting the next day. He then moderated a nostalgic discussion about Abbott's with Tim Wright, Gordon Miller, and current owner Greg Bordner. Magician and author Al The Only then gave a moving talk on the The Magic Graveyard in Colon, Michigan.
The evening concluded with Dr. Scream's Spook Show Revival. It had all the classic spook show elements: magic (including a nice Cremation illusion); lovely girls (Dr. Scream's own "Devil Dolls"); and a signature "Blackout" in which spooks and bugs invaded the audience in the dark. In the tradition of the spook show, a film was then shown, Monsters Crash the Pajama Party, which has to be seen to be believed.
After the show, I got a quick photo with the Devil Dolls, because a man cannot live on magic alone!
DAY 3 - May 30
The third day opened with a trip to Colon, Michigan, the "Magic Capital of the World." Colon is home to the famous Abbott's Magic Company, which has been in continuous operation since 1934. It was great to see the store and workshop, and a hoot to watch Tim Wright perform vintage Abbott's magic tricks as a store pitchman.
Abbott's supplied props to the Tony Curtis Houdini movie in 1953, and there were several posters for the film on the walls, including two large U.S. 2-sheets that I had not seen before. These were even new to Arthur Moses who could not find them in the pressbook. (I posted pics of these in my live tweets.) Abbott's also built props for the 1966 London stage production, Man of Magic, including a working recreation of the famous De Kolta expanding die, which was never used in the production.
Outside I also noticed that Abbott's had an authentic Siberian Transport Prison Van, still in amazing condition! At least that's what I think it was.
Oh, maybe not...
We then visited nearby Lakeside Cemetery ("The Magic Graveyard"), which holds dozens of magicians, including the great Harry Blackstone Sr. and Blackstone Jr. While Thurston tends to be celebrated as the second most famous name in magic, I've always believed that title actually belongs to Blackstone. Robert Lund is also buried here, and I love that his headstone reads: "Among Friends."
Al The Only tries on his plot for size. Perfect fit!
Following lunch at the beautiful River Lake Inn, we headed back to Marshall. After resting up (during which time the Milk Can was transported to the Franke Center, which I'm sorry I missed), we all gathered at the 176-year-old Trinity Episcopal Church for a dinner served by the generous Rev. Anne Schnaare. It was delicious home cooking (I'd forgotten how much I like Swiss Steak), and I was honored to be sitting at a table with John Gaughan and Edward and Adrian Dawes.
It was now time for the big show! Mike Caveney emceed what was billed as "The International Stars of Magic." This was open to the public and there was a full house. The show kicked off with Gene Anderson performing his amazing paper cutting act. David Ben and Julie Eng of Magicana then performed classic and elegant magic.
After a short video explaining the history of Houdini's Milk Can escape, the curtains opened to reveal the Houdini-Hardeen can from the collection of the American Museum of Magic. As advertised, the museum had given special permission for the historic prop to be used this night, which just happened to be the 70th anniversary of Hardeen's last performance of the escape on May 30, 1945. The escape was performed by Hatari (Joseph Patire), and I was thrilled to be invited on-stage to help lock the can. (Read more about this historic performance here.)
Hatari in the Houdini-Harden Milk Can. (Photo by Wayne Wissner.)
After intermission, Skilldini (Tim Wright) did his brilliant magic comedy act. I always enjoy seeing Tim when he performs at the Magic Castle, so it was a real treat to see him here. Throughout the evening, emcee Mike Caveney performed tricks, including a routine with a young volunteer from the audience that was truly hysterical. David Charvet, assisted by Lisa Patire, closed the show with some classic magic.
Following the show, the performers signed autographs in the Franke lobby. We then all gathered in the dealers room for dessert reception.
May 31
While the big show was the official end of the weekend, it was not over for those who stayed on for an extra day (including me). From the stage of the Franke Center, Potter & Potter held their auction of "Old and Rare Magic Books." It was exciting to be there with all the heavy hitters, both in the room and on the phone (two phone bidders took most of big ticket items). One lot I was watching was a rare Russian Houdini book, which sold for an estimate busting $7000. (Read more about that here.) The highest price realized was an astounding $45,600 for a copy of Discoverie of Witchcraft, considered to be the first book on magic.
Before I left town, I made one last stop at the museum archives. Alex had told me he found some more Houdini material that I could look through if I liked. Yes please! Waiting for me was a table filled with file folders, and I plunged in. I came across some real treasures that even the museum didn't know they had. One discovery is of major historical significance, but I will leave it to the museum to reveal it when and how they want. Before I left, Alex made me copies of a few rare photos and letters, some of which I will be sharing here on WILD ABOUT HARRY. (Watch for: "The photo Houdini didn't want you to see.")
My heroes Alex and Keli Hindenach of the American Museum of Magic.
It was late afternoon when I left Marshall, but I still had time for my planned photo safari of Houdini's Detroit before I had to catch my flight home.
My first stop was the site of Grace Hospital, where Houdini died on October 31, 1926. The old Grace Hospital was torn down in 1979 and replaced with the Harper Professional Building at 4160 John R St., which is part of the larger Harper University Hospital complex. It struck me that, unless the streets have changed, Grace probably sat in what is now the parking lot.
After taking a few pics, I slipped inside and had a look around. In the main lobby of the larger hospital I chatted with a friendly and helpful security guard. He told me that a Staff Only area had on the wall some historical information about the building being Grace and Houdini's death. I quipped, "This is the only place he never escaped." That cracked him up, and something tells me that's not the last time that joke will be told there.
Just a few blocks away is the building that once housed Wm. R. Hamilton's Funeral Home where Houdini was embalmed. That building is still standing at 3957 Cass St., although it appears to be abandoned and may not be standing for long. Recent pics of the funeral home show it from Cass St. But if you walk around the corner, you get a better perspective on the building and can see what was most likely the main business entrance in 1926.
I was running short on time, so I decided to skip the Garrick Theater, which stood on the site of what is now the David Stott Building at 1150 Griswold St. Instead I made a dash for the MacArthur Bridge, which in Houdini's day was the wooden Belle Isle Bridge. This is where Houdini made his 1906 bridge jump, but the location has become more famous as being the supposed site of his fabled entrapment under the ice.
I was now in big trouble time-wise, so I only had time for a quick photo of the bridge before I had to race back to the airport and catch my flight home (I just made it).
The Midwest Magic History Weekend was one of the best magic conventions I've ever attended, and these five days proved to be an amazing Houdini vacation for me. Congratulations to organizer David Charvet and the American Museum of Magic. I'm very honored to have been included in this magical event.
This week I'm in Marshall, Michigan for the 2015 Midwest Magic History Weekend. I'm excited to be giving my "Houdini in Hollywood" talk on Thursday night, along with screening a Houdini film. I will then be enjoying the other talks and events, including an escape attempt by Hatari from a genuine Houdini-Hardeen Milk Can during the big show on Saturday night.
It promises to be several days loaded with magic, Houdini, and good friends. Below is my Twitter feed @HoudiniWild where I will do my best to keep you up-to-date with all the magical happenings in Marshall. #MHW
My upcoming talk at the Midwest Magic History Weekend in Marshall, MI got a nice mention on the Magicana blog today. For this event I'll be changing up my talk with some new clips, and I'm also working on something that I hope will make it especially enjoyable for magic collectors. Thanks for the mention, Magicana!
Details of the Midwest Magic History Weekend (May 28-30) can be found HERE.
David Charvet has reveled details of the upcoming Midwest Magic History Weekend to be held May 28-30, 2015 in Marshall, Michigan. As you can see, I will be presenting my full "Houdini in Hollywood" talk along with a screening of a Houdini movie (which movie we haven't decided yet). I'm very excited about making my first visit to Marshall, "The Magic Capital of the World", and to the famous American Museum of Magic, which houses an important collection of Houdiniana. In fact, this entire weekend looks to be a delight for any magic history buff! Here are the confirmed details, with more to come:
Registrations are open for the Midwest Magic History Weekend - May 28-30, 2015 in Marshall, Michigan. Organized in conjunction with the American Museum of Magic, this will be THE event in the midwest this year for magic collectors and devotees of magic history.
Features include:
Behind-the-scenes tour of the American Museum of Magic collection, including the legendary Robert Lund Research Library (not open to the public).
A chartered motor coach day tour to Colon, Michigan with a backroom visit to the Abbott Magic Company including a show of historic Abbott magic on the factory showroom stage.
Three speaker's sessions on Thursday and Friday, including:
John Cox with his acclaimed "Houdini In Hollywood" multi-media presentation, as recently featured at the Magic Castle; including rare film clips of Houdini in action and a showing of his 1920 Paramount feature, "Terror Island."
Bill Spooner on the mysterious and controversial "Pendulum" mystery.
Adele Friel Rhindress with memories of "Blackstone Island" in Colon during her time as an assistant on the Blackstone Sr. show during the 1940's.
Gabe Fajuri with the story of Percy Abbott and the Abbott Magic Company including a panel discussion of what it was like to work at "The Magic Capital of The World" by past Abbott employees.
Friday night "late show" featuring Keith Stickley and his "Dr. Scream's Spook Show Revival" - a full-stage show tribute to the campy midnight ghost shows of the 40's-50's and 60's.
Saturday night "History's Mysteries" Stage show hosted by Mike Caveney, featuring seldom-seen magic and illusions from the past - some on stage for the first time in over 70 years.
And MANY MORE speakers and surprises to be announced.
Dealer's Room with antique and collectible magic for sale.
Sunday auction of historic magic by Potter and Potter.
Plus included in your registration: "Welcome" reception on Thursday night; lunch at the River Lake Inn in Colon on Saturday; full country-style dinner on Saturday evening; Farewell reception on Saturday night.
All in the beautiful, historic town of Marshall, Michigan. Located midway between Chicago and Detroit. Take a step back in time where history lives.
Registration is $225 per person. Hotel rooms are $119/night + tax. This promises to be a weekend you'll remember.
Just a reminder that I will be giving my "Houdini in Hollywood" talk at the Magic Castle tonight at 8:00pm in the Inner Circle. This will be an an expanded version of the talk I gave at Hollywood Heritage back in October. It's a Magic Castle "Members Only Perk." All AMA members are welcome. Hope to see you tonight!
I'm excited to be giving my "Houdini in Hollywood" talk at the world famous Magic Castle on January 6, 2015 at 8pm. This will be a somewhat expanded version of the talk I gave at Hollywood Heritage in October with some new photos and film clips. The perk got a nice ad and mention in the AMA's December newsletter (below).
This "Castle Perk" is open to all AMA members (Magician and Associate) and should be good fun. What better way to kick off 2015 than by spending an evening with Houdini in Hollywood...in Hollywood!
Thanks to Arthur Moses for the use of this great image of Houdini, Harry Kellar, and director Irvin Williat on the set of The Grim Game.
Tomorrow is the last day to see the Houdini display at the Hollywood Heritage Museum. I be there on Saturday to take it all away to make room for their next presentation on William Castle. Check it out if you can! I'm not sure when I'll have the chance to display this much of my Houdini memorabilia in one spot again.
The Hollywood Heritage Museum is located at 2100 North Highland Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90068, directly across from the Hollywood Bowl. The museum is open from Noon to 4pm. Admission is $7. Children are free. For more info visit hollywoodheritage.org.
Last Wednesday, October 8, I had the great pleasure of speaking at a special "Houdini in Hollywood" event at the Hollywood Heritage Museum. I'm happy to report that the evening was a resounding success, and I think all who attended had a great time. It was a true celebration of Houdini and his film career, and the museum was a perfect venue for this.
The Hollywood Heritage Museum is housed in the historic Lasky-DeMille Barn, which sits across from the Hollywood Bowl. This was the very first movie studio in Hollywood. It was here in 1913 that Jesse Lasky and Cecil B. DeMille filmed The Squaw Man. For many years the Barn made up the cornerstone of the Famous Players-Lasky studio on Selma and Vine. This was where Houdini made two of his films, The Grim Game and Terror Island, so, yes, Houdini was here!
The museum threw open the entire front room for our use, and we turned it into a Houdini museum. Three display cases were filled with Houdini memorabilia from my own collection along with memorabilia and handcuffs from the collection of Joe Fox. (The items will remain on the display until October 18.) On the night of the big event, Mark Willoughby provided what I called "the star of the show": an original lobby painting for The Man From Beyond owned by Houdini himself. This is one of only four paintings made for the Houdini film and it has never been displayed before. A stunner!
Original The Man From Beyond lobby painting.
The event sold out at the door and we had standing room only when I took to the podium at 7:30pm. I was excited to see some major magic luminaries in attendance, such as Mike Caveney, Rob Zabrecky, Mark Cannon, Patrick Culliton, and Flim Flam playwright Gene Franklin Smith. I was also happy to see so many friends and family in attendance. (I tried not to think that if I bombed, I would be doing so in front of many people who are very important to me.)
Rob Zabrecky, Mike Caveney, and Patrick Culliton.
I am happy to say my talk went extremely well. The Keynote presentation I had been building for the past month played to perfection (the movie clips had frozen up in my last practice run, so I was biting my nails). My talk, which lasted an hour, followed Houdini's life and career with an emphasis on his involvement in cinema. Despite the fact that the air-conditioning wasn't working, I felt I had the audience with me the entire time. They applauded each film clip as if it where a Houdini performance, and they even applauded some moments in the talk itself. There were also some nice laughs, including a tremendous laugh when I shared Jesse Lasky's assessment of Houdini's acting: "He did his best acting handcuffed and locked in a trunk at the bottom of a river." I have to thank James Hamilton for providing me with this great quotation.
I made a few mistakes that I can remedy here. I said "Lilly" Lee when it should have been Lila Lee. How Green Was My Valley was made in 1941, not '59 (see, I should never go off the topic of Houdini). Also, I think I gave the impression that Nita Naldi was absent from the surviving prints of The Man From Beyond. Not so. I was making the point that any scenes she might have had with Houdini are no longer present.
I had time for a few questions before introducing Jim Steinmeyer. Jim is a living legend who has designed and built magic apparatus for every great modern magician starting with Doug Henning and David Copperfield. Jim is also a best-selling author of several excellent books on magic, including Hiding The Elephant, which I consider one of the very best books ever written on the art. Jim took the podium and spoke briefly about how Houdini tied into his books, The Glorious Deception, The Last Greatest Magician in the World and Hiding the Elephant. Jim had copies to sign and sell during intermission. I have to say, it was a real honor to be sharing the stage with a giant like Jim Steinmeyer.
With Hollywood Heritage President Bryan Cooper and Jim Steinmeyer.
We then held our raffle, which was chaotic and fun. We gave away passes to The Autry National Center; a signed copy of The Glorious Deception (the rare hardcover); a DVD of the Houdini miniseries which Lionsgate had donated for the evening (a friend won this); and a pass for 4 to the The Magic Castle with dinner included. This last prize came from Jim Steinmeyer who sits on the AMA board, and was a real treat for the happy winner.
We then had intermission in which people gathered and enjoyed our Houdini museum. Food and refreshments where provided by Grub on a table nicely themed to Halloween. Interestingly, one of the displays case lights had failed to work during our preparations, and we had given up on it. I was surprised to see that the lights were now all mysteriously blazing away. Are you here, Harry?
We then settled back in the main room for a screening of Terror Island. Hollywood Heritage had selected this particular film because of the connection to Jesse Lasky and the Barn, but I think it was the best choice regardless. Most venues screen The Man From Beyond because it is the most complete Houdini film. But I think Terror Island plays much better for a modern audience. The movie played especially well to this audience of silent movie enthusiasts, who laughed and applauded several sequences. Of course, I really wish we could have shown The Grim Game. Maybe in the future.
This was the debut of my "Houdini in Hollywood" talk and I'm really happy that it went so well. I had to cut it down to fit the full Hollywood Heritage program, but I think an audience would enjoy a slightly longer talk with more clips. I'm now looking to present an extend version of this talk, and I'm currently eyeballing locations. Stay tuned.
I want to thank all the amazing staff at Hollywood Heritage, especially Richard Adkins, Bryan Cooper, and George Kiel. This organization is devoted to the preservation of Hollywood history, from film and photos archives to historic buildings and landmarks. It's a non-profit and a true labor of love for all who work very hard.
Also thanks to Ben Roman at the Magic Castle for arranging a discount to the event for AMA members. Thanks again to Mark Willoughby and Joe Fox for making our display extra special. And a big thanks to the multi-talented Athena Stamos for being my official photographer and taking all these awesome photos you see here.
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