The Grimm Life Collective Houdini mystery art

Here's another video from our friends at The Grimm Life Collective. This time, Michael and Jessica visit the home of a private collector of movie memorabilia. If you have a keen eye, you can spot a Houdini image in the background of several shots.

Michael and Jessica do not discuss this Houdini piece. At first, I thought it was the painting from a pub in Avignon, but this one is a little different. So, what's the story with this Houdini mystery art?

You can watch the full video below.

Related:

• Houdini spotted in Avignon
• The Grimm Life Collective: Houdini in Pittsburgh
• Grimm Life Collective visits the Knickerbocker

Deconstructing Houdini '53: Look at those!

Continuing my scene-by-scene dissection of the 1953 biopic HOUDINI starring Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. Last time, Houdini acquired a new assistant on the eve of his return to America. But will he find success in his homeland?

Chapter 16: Look at those!

Houdini returns to the United States. We know that via a stock establishing shot of the Statue of Liberty. This also tells us he has returned to New York City. The following scene is short, but there is a lot to love, and it contains a shot that has obsessed me for years.

As triumphant music swells, we get a close-up of an invitation being opened in a newspaper office (the year strategically obscured on the postmark). Inside is an invitation to a reception at Houdini's home at 273 W 113th Street. Yes, the address reads 273 instead of 278. Why the change? It's possible the filmmakers were sensitive to the privacy of Rose Bonnano and her sister, who were the occupants of 278 at this time. In fact, producer George Pal had visited Rose in preparation for the film. Or maybe it was just nervous Paramount lawyers. But I'm glad they kept it close.

Notice the date of September 3rd. The real Houdini returned to America in late July 1905 and took a three-week rest. If he had arranged a press reception as this scene depicts, it would have indeed been in early September. However, the recipient crumbles up the invite and throws it into the trash as the music takes a downturn. We've gone from triumphant return to ambivalence in one efficient shot. 

We then dissolve to find a forlorn Houdini standing on the stoop of his home. Once again the filmmakers are going for accuracy, although the facade is more Georgian than a classic New York brownstone. But that's what they had (and still have) on the Paramount backlot.

Here's a recent photo of Houdini's actual house, still standing strong on 113th Street in Harlem. 

Inside, we see a banquet laid out for reporters who have not arrived. It's always a treat to see a re-creation of 278 in a Houdini movie, and this remains one of the best. A few things to notice here. There's a mummy case in the room. Also, the dress Janet Leigh is wearing is one of the very few pieces of wardrobe from the film that survives.

"I don't understand it," says Harry, "It's 3:30, and they were invited for 2:00. Why haven't the reporters arrived?" His mother answers, "Maybe they don't know who you are, Harry." Houdini responds, "Everybody knows who I am, Mama. Look at those!" He then points to a collection of posters and memorabilia that fills half the room.

Look at those, indeed!

When I first saw Houdini '53 on television, this shot went by in an eye blink, but I could see there were treasures to behold. With my first Beta tape recording of the movie, I could pause, but the picture was never clear on those early machines. The commercial VHS release and a better machine helped, but one could still only see so much in the low resolution of videotape. But with the advent of LaserDisc, DVD, and now Blu-ray, one can finally look deeply into this glorious shot. So let's break it down:

1. Re-creation of Houdini's famed 1898 "King of Cards" poster with Tony Curtis' image central.
2. Schultz Dime Museum poster, not based on any real Houdini poster. This is the second of three appearances it makes in the movie.
3. Re-creation of The Houdinis 1894 Metamorphosis cutting with Tony and Janet images central.
4. Photographic poster of Houdini escaping from the Russian safe. This seems to be an echo of Houdini's famed Victory in Cologne poster.
5. Actual photograph of Houdini's 1914 packing case escape off the New York Battery.
6. Actual photograph of Houdini's 1910 jump into Domain Municipal Baths in Sydney, Australia.
7. Actual photograph of Houdini's 1917 suspended straitjacket escape in Times Square.
8. Re-creation of Houdini lobby display case.
9. Re-creation of Houdini handcuff and antique lock lobby display cases.

A parlor full of mementos of Houdini's career is consistent with the real 278, although what Houdini displayed were mostly his trophies and awards. A trophy or loving cup would have been a nice addition here.

Mama's response to all this is, "But that was in Europe, Harry. Americans are from Missouri; you have to show them."

I never understood this reference as a kid, but I eventually learned that Missouri is called the "Show Me State." This does fit the timeline. Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver reportedly coined the phrase during a speech in 1899 when he declared, "I come from a state that raises corn and cotton, cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I'm from Missouri, and you have got to show me."

Overall, the idea that Houdini was not immediately embraced back in his home country is correct. He had been absent from American stages for five years, and during that time, rival Handcuff Kings had flooded the market. He attempted a publicity stunt in which he defeated a rival in an underwater handcuff escape contest, but the coverage was skeptical and snarky. He then opened at the Colonial Theater, a famously tough venue in New York City, and made good. At the end of the year, he took out a half-page ad in The New York Clipper, proclaiming: "I TOLD YOU SO!" (You might say he "showed them.")

Back to the movie. Houdini steps up to Otto and says, "If the press won't come to me, I shall go to the press. Get my straitjacket." Notice that Otto is threading a film projector here. In a preceding shot, he was sitting across the room. Has something been cut? Regardless, I classify this projector shot as a nod to Houdini's real-life use of early film as a promotional tool.

 

But what exactly does Houdini have in mind? We'll raise the shade on that next time.

Click to see all chapters of Deconstructing Houdini '53

Related:

• Finding Houdini's 278 at Paramount
• When Bess and her dress returned to Hollywood
• The Houdini Museum of New York adds to collection

"Houdini" works magic for Eminem

Like Dua Lipa before him, conjuring the name Houdini has worked magic for Eminem, with his new single, "Houdini," topping the U.S. and UK charts. The following comes from Billboard.

The song’s impact has been similarly instantaneous, both in terms of its own consumption and in its lifting of associated cuts. “Houdini” has already racked up over 30 million official on-demand U.S. streams through Wednesday (June 3), according to early reports from Luminate, while also selling over 36,000 copies – both tremendous four-day numbers for any artist in 2024, let alone one twice the age of many contemporary superstars. The song has also elevated the rest of Eminem’s discography, with his non-”Houdini” catalog notching nearly 46 million streams combined over those four days, a 38% rise from the equivalent period the prior week. (A big part of that gain comes from 2002’s “Without Me,” whose iconic “Guess who’s back, back again” intro “Houdini” resurrects, and which is up 56% to over 3.1 million streams for those four days.)

Of course, Steve Miller is eating off the “Houdini” success as well: The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s eponymous band’s biggest Hot 100 hit more than doubled its streams over the same period, up 101% to 613,000. And yes, even that other recent hit of the same title is getting some spillover from the deluge: Dua Lipa’s “Houdini” was up 8% in streams over that period, to just over 2 million.

Alt Eminem-Houdini poster by Reddit user BenNice.

Related:

• Eminem drops his own "Houdini"
• Dua Lipa's 'Houdini' reaches #1
• Songs Called 'Houdini': Who Did it Best?

Huber's Palace Museum on The Knick

This came to my attention via one of my favorite blogs, Travalanche, where the great Trav S.D. did a post about Huber's New York Dime Museum for International Museum Day. Huber's was a regular haunt of Houdini's in his early career. Trav pointed out that Huber's was recreated for the Cinemax series The Knick. Above is an image of that recreation. You can see a Houdini poster on the upper right of the building. Cool stuff.

I also found this promotional video for The Knick Season Two that provides a nice look inside their Huber's recreation and some Houdini factoids to boot.

We would love a photo of the real Huber's for the diary book. If you have or know of any Huber's images, please get in touch.

Check out On Huber’s Palace at Travalanche. Below are some more posts related to Houdini and Huber's.

Related:

• Houdini and his electric chair
• Memories of "Dime Museum Harry"
• Deconstructing Houdini '53: Dime Museum

Houdini spotted in Avignon

A user on the r/Magic Reddit shared this image of a Houdini painting in a pub in Avignon, France. You just never know where you'll run into old Harry!

This, of course, is not a real Houdini poster or even a reproduction of one. It's just a fantasy piece. If you're curious, Houdini was at Keith and Proctor's 58th Street Theater in New York on May 1, 1907.

 Au revoir.

Related:

• Merlin McFly's stained glass Houdini window
• Houdini mystery sign found in Boston
• Houdini mystery poster depicts the cannon challenge

'Houdini Unchained' original art and merchandise

The Christmas shopping season is upon us, so I thought this was a good time to showcase some of the original merchandise created for Houdini Unchained: The Legacy of Harry Houdini at Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center in Anaheim, CA. The museum commissioned several artists to create original Houdini pieces. That artwork is on display and also available as prints in the gift shop.

I snapped these photos inside the gift shop last time I was there. Muzeo doesn't have an online store, so it appears the only way to buy these is to visit in person. Or perhaps you could try contacting the artists direct. I've linked them all below.

"The Handcuff King" by Chris Kawagiwa.

"The Handcuff King" by John Coulter.

"Close Call with the Sea Monster" by Justine Prebich.

"Halloween Seance" by Michelle Prebich.

Vanishing Elephant lenticular by Melissa Chan Stone.

"The Key to his Heart" by Olivia Faust.

"Asleep in the Deep" by Vincenzo Savastano.

"Great Escape" by John Coulter.

"Lil Houdini Magic Set" by We Are Pretend Friends.

Houdini patch by Badaboöm Studio.

Muzeo is located at 241 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92805. Normal hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 11am to 5pm. Houdini Unchained: The Legacy of Harry Houdini will be on show until January 22, 2023.

Related:

• Houdini lives in Anaheim!
• Have a "Houdini Unchained Seance" at MUZEO
• Dr. Randall Bell is about to wow us

'The Great Houdinis' window card from the future

One of the things I enjoy about Houdini biopics are the glimpses of mocked-up Houdini posters made just for the film. These typically feature the actor's likeness and are sometimes based on real posters. Here's one I had forgotten about until I recently re-watched The Great Houdinis. As we come back from the last commercial break, we establish Detroit and Halloween with the following image of a Houdini window card.

What I like about this is it evokes the real window cards Houdini used on his final tour. But before you think this was deliberate, I don't believe these Houdini window cards were even known in 1976. I believe the first ones were discovered in the 1980s. So the production somehow channeled the past and future. Kind of freaky.

Just to round things out, the only other poster mockup in The Great Houdinis is the large banner used during Houdini's pier jump. The typeface seen here is the same as seen on Houdini's "Europe's Eclipsing Sensation" posters.

You can see more Houdini poster mockups via the links below. And if you want to watch The Great Houdinis, I recently uploaded it to my WILD ABOUT HARRY YouTube channel HERE.

Related:

• HISTORY's Houdini poster mock-ups
• Houdini poster spied on Liverpool set
• Pausing Houdini

Is Houdini about to join the MCU?

If you saw Disney-Marvel's Eternals this weekend you may have spotted a surprise during the end credits. When the credit for Lia McHugh appears, it is set against a large Houdini poster. It's not a real Houdini poster. It's a mock-up created for the movie and features what appears to be Lia's character Sprite beside the great magician.

So what's this all about? Well, the character of Sprite is a centuries old "eternal" who like all the eternals has helped shape human history. Sprite possesses powers of magic and illusion, so presumably she assisted Houdini at some point. But the reference is so prominent that I'm wondering if this is a setup for a future Eternals movie or even a Sprite spin-off series? So is Houdini about to join the MCU?

Eternals isn't the only new release to feature a glimpse of a Houdini poster. In Paramount's Clifford The Big Red Dog we see a "Do Spirits Return?" poster hanging in the apartment of an amateur magician played by comedian Russell Peters.

UPDATE: Here is the poster as it appears in Eternals. This image comes from Screen Rant who also tackled the question of Houdini's cameo.

Related:

• Houdini nods in Disney's new OZ
• Hidden Houdini in Creed II
• Disney Channel Spain launches 'Club Houdini'

Poster for Houdini's Grand Magical Revue

Over the weekend a poster for Houdini's 1908 appearance at the Circus Brusch in Germany sold on eBay. I mentioned that I had seen that poster along with another for Houdini's "Grand Magical Revue" at Wilshire Coin in Santa Monica in 2016. Here's a photo I took that day of that other poster.

The Grand Magical Revue with a short-lived attempt by Houdini to mount a straight magic show in England in 1914. He only presented it a dozen times. This poster is for the last known performance at the Empire Theatre in Nottingham on June 12, 1914.

Both this and the Circus Brush poster came from the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame in Canada. Both are heavily lacquered. There are a few surviving Grand Magical Revue posters, but what's nice about this one is it lists "De Kolta's Marvellous Cube" among the illusions to be performed. This poster appears on page 101 of Houdini His Life and Art by James Randi and Burt Randolph Sugar.

I've not seen this poster since that day back in 2016, but it was for sale along with the Circus Brush poster. Perhaps that means we will see it appear on eBay as well?

UPDATE: Looks like this poster has inspired some reproductions over the years, as seen below. The one on the left was part of a "Houdini Portfolio" from the 1970s. On the right is a reproduction created by the Houdini Historical Center in 1995 (thanks to Chunk Romano for the image). Looks like the HHC felt the need to add a photo of Houdini in chains, which is incongruous on a poster advertising him as a straight Magician.

Related:

• The Grand Magical Revue
• "Come up and see me magisch."
• 1908 Circus Busch playbill sells on eBay

Houdini mystery sign found in Boston

Reader Aldo from Boston sends in this photo of a Houdini curiosity he discovered on the streets of Boston. This is obviously not an original piece of Houdini advertising, but what is it exactly? Could it be decor from a bar or restaurant that recently closed? Anyone from Boston recognize this?

As for Houdini playing "The Astoria" on May 11, 1908... Houdini was actually playing Keith's Theater in Philadelphia on May 11, 1908. While he was doing the Milk Can at this time, on this particular day he did a challenge handcuff escape, which the papers called "a trifle in comparison to his new tricks."

Below are links to some more found Houdini curiosities.

Thank you Aldo.

Related:

• Houdini mystery prop at FrightFest in Oklahoma
• Houdini mystery poster depicts the cannon challenge
• Life-size Houdini mystery mannequin

Trump can't escape Houdini comparisons

This week's Politico offers up this image of President Trump for a story called Trump's Greatest Escape. The artist has used background elements from Houdini's King of Cards poster and a Grim Game still for the body and chains. Below is the image clean and also how it appears as Politico's online cover.

While every president gets likened to Houdini at one point or another, Trump appears to be setting the record. Below are links to a few more Houdini Trumps.

Related:

• The great escape
• The next Houdini of the United States
• Houdini in the political arena (again)

Chuck Romano wins April Fools Day

Check out what our friend Chuck Romano of Chuck Romano Magic tweeted out yesterday, April Fools Day. Pretty spectacular!

Houdini Vanishing Elephant Lithograph. #Houdini #magician #magic pic.twitter.com/b2cmGuBTTJ

— Chuck Romano (@CRomanoMagic) April 1, 2018

While Chuck has not yet fessed up to this being an April Fools Day prank, there are clues here that tell us this is not a real Houdini lithograph. You might notice Houdini's body is actually that of Howard Thurston from a Levitation poster (cleverly reversed). And Houdini's head is from his 1914 Buried Alive lithograph, as is the typeface.

The subject, the Vanishing Elephant, is very well chosen, because there is famously no known poster for this iconic Houdini illusion. But if one ever surfaced, it would probably look a lot like this, so thank you Chuck!

Related:

• 100 years ago Houdini vanished an elephant
• The lost posters of Harry Houdini
• The Magic Castle announces name change

Now You See Me 2 poster mock-ups

This weekend sees the release of Now You See Me 2, the sequel to the 2013 hit about a team of crime-fighting magicians. As part of the promotion, Lionsgate has created a set of vintage poster mock-ups showing "The Four Horseman" as classic magicians of the Golden Age. As you can see, star Jesse Eisenberg is given the Houdini treatment.

While Houdini doesn't get a name-check in the sequel, you can spot several Houdini posters and photographs in the backgrounds of Daniel's apartment, the Macau magic shop, and the headquarters of The Eye. The movie also opens with a overboard safe escape gone wrong.

You can read a review at Deadline Hollywood.

Related:

• Isla Fisher gets her Houdini on (Now You See Me)
• HISTORY's Houdini poster mock-ups
• Houdini & Doyle gets social

REVIEW: Houdini & Doyle (ep. 4): Spring Heel’d Jack

The real-life mystery of "Spring Heel’d Jack" is the focus of Houdini & Doyle episode 4. The mysterious cloaked figure stalked London in 1837 and is back to challenge our heroes.

"Spring Heel’d Jack" is directed by Daniel O'Hara, and like his In Manus Dei, it's another standout episode. The mystery this time plays out with a fair amount of action, some of it bloody, with nice themes running through, mainly the coming of the automobile and a suggestion that the reappearance of the demon foretells this "tragedy." In fact, a highlight of the episode is seeing Houdini and Doyle traveling in an early motor car (see more on this below).

One problem that seems to have been nicely addressed is the lack of recognition and references to the two men's fame. Throughout this episode people are appropriately excited to find Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle in their homes. "You think I'd get tired of it," says Houdini cheerily.

Spoilers ahead

The actors all once again do a wonderful job, with Stephen Mangan and Michael Weston honing their relationship and displaying real chemistry. Rebecca Liddiard's Adelaide Stratton is not as present this time as she's becoming a mystery herself. The episode ends with the revelation that she is married! More to come on that front I'm sure.

As much as I enjoyed the mystery, I was able to guess early on that the reporter, Lyman Biggs (Blake Harrison), was behind the reappearance of Spring Heel'd Jack. I'm not very good at this kind of thing, so I expect those who are better armchair detectives will have had no trouble at all. But it's nice that the solution doesn't explain everything, and the final shot suggests that the legend of Spring Heel’d Jack will endure.

Just the facts

This episode is bookended with Houdini struggling to find the right poster for his show. The poster we see in the opening is based on a French poster for Houdini's 1918-19 movie serial The Master Mystery. Doyle suggests the catch phrase "Death-Defying," which Houdini instantly likes. ("Well done. You outta consider writing.") However, Houdini didn't use "Death-Defying" until his famous Milk Can poster in 1908. But the billing of "Europe's Eclipsing Sensation" is correct for this time period, as is the font used the spell out Houdini's name.

As I mentioned earlier, seeing Houdini and Doyle in an early motor car is a highlight of this episode. However, there's another one of those missed opportunities that could have come with deeper research. Cars made Houdini nervous. He was not a fan of driving nor being driven. It would have added a nice element to this scene having the fearless Houdini be a nervous passenger, something Doyle could have had some fun with.

In this episode we get to see Weston's Houdini performing magic tricks for the Doyle children. Performing for children was something the real Houdini enjoyed. Houdini's own "spring heel'd" acrobatics recall some of his movie stunts and human fly exploits. But the biggest historical issue, and the one that I expect will have Houdini buffs most up in arms, is the depiction of Houdini smoking opium to help his chronic pain. The scene is cut down in the U.S. version. In the UK we see him actually smoking from the pipe.

Houdini smokes opium (cut from the U.S. version).

At first, this seems like an anathema. The real Houdini neither drank nor smoke, and extolled the virtues of clean living. But before we beat up the writers too badly, know that they did not pull this out of a hat. On page 95 of the excellent book Masters of Mystery: The Strange Friendship of Arthur Conan Doyle & Harry Houdini by Christopher Sandford (which I suspect was a primary research tool for the series), we find this:

Though personally frugal, and, except on their anniversary, rarely known to join Bess in a glass of champagne, Houdini may have explored other mood altering substances around the time he went to Hollywood. Will Goldston believed he sometimes partook of "a nip of opium," of the kind widely available in Edwardian musical-hall circles, if only for analgesic properties. The drug may have numbed the pain of a damaged kidney and other health-related issues collected over the years, but, as with Bess's drinking, it didn't always produce a felicitous state.

So maybe there is something to this opium idea after-all. However, Will Goldston was known to invent Houdini mythology. It was Goldstone who published the story of Bess crying the Mirror cuff key from the representative during Houdini's famous challenge. So maybe we need to take this one with a "nip" of salt.

Next Monday: Houdini & Doyle face-off with a medium in "The Curse of Korhza."

Houdini & Doyle airs every Monday at 9/8c on FOX. You can also watch episodes at FOX NOW.

Related:

• Houdini & Doyle will track Spring Heeled Jack
• Houdini poster spied on Liverpool set
• Houdini was clearly not a car guy
• The real story of Houdini & Doyle

FOR MORE REVIEWS VISIT MY HOUDINI & DOYLE EPISODE GUIDE

(This is WILD ABOUT HARRY's 3000th post.)

Fraud Jedi Exposed!

Two pop culture icons collide in this image being made available on t-shirts, hoodies and phone cases by Teepuplic. Yes, it's Star Wars meets Houdini.

This clever mockup uses Houdini's well-known Do Spirits Return? poster with Darth Vader as the star of his own 3 Shows in One: "Fraud Jedi Exposed."  This would have melted my brain in 1977. It's still doing a pretty good job of it.

Check out all the buying options at Teepublic.

Related:

• The Force Awakens has a Houdini connection
• Houdini's grand finale: 3 Shows In One
• License to debunk

Houdini & Doyle gets social

FOX's social media campaign for Houdini & Doyle is kicking into high gear. Below is a poster mock-up featuring star Michael Weston as Houdini posted to the official Houdini & Doyle Twitter and Facebook. This is based on a real Houdini poster of the same period in which the series is set (1901).

The social media team have also shared the first clip of Michael Weston's visit to the Magic Castle in Hollywood. I had the pleasure of meeting Michael during his visit, so you might be seeing a bit of me behind that bookcase in upcoming clips.

See more of Michael Weston's trip to The Magic Castle soon. Until then, "Open sesame..." #HoudiniAndDoyle pic.twitter.com/2RZyQREm5Z

— Houdini & Doyle (@HoudiniandDoyle) April 13, 2016

Houdini & Doyle stars Michael Weston as Houdini, Stephen Mangan as Arthur Conan Doyle, and Rebecca Liddiard as Constable Adelaide Stratton. It's currently airing in the UK on ITV Encore. It will air Mondays at 9PM on FOX starting May 2.

Related:

• Houdini & Doyle on Facebook, Twitter
• Meeting Houdini (sans Doyle)
• HISTORY's Houdini poster mock-ups

Houdini poster spied on Liverpool set

Houdini & Doyle is back filming on the streets of Liverpool and that means new spy shots! These pics show stars Michael Weston and Stephen Mangan as Houdini and Doyle (not sure I'm feeling Harry's curly hair) as well as a Houdini poster! This, of course, isn't an original poster, nor is it a copy of an original. It's a conceptual fusion of Houdini's early "Europe's Eclipsing Sensation" poster and two later Water Torture Cell posters.

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

These pics come from the Twitter accounts of City of Liverpool (@I_amLiverpool) and the Bondmedia Agency (@Bond_media).

Houdini & Doyle stars Michael Weston as Houdini, Stephen Mangan as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Rebecca Liddiard as Constable Adelaide Stratton. It will air next year on ITV Encore (UK), Global TV (Canada), and FOX (U.S.).

Related:

• Houdini & Doyle shooting in Liverpool
• It's on! Michael Weston and Stephen Mangan are ‘Houdini & Doyle’
• NYPL reveals unseen Houdini poster

Adrien Brody nominated for SAG Award for 'Houdini'

The Houdini miniseries continues to collect honors. Today it was announced that star Adrien Brody has been nominated by the Screen Actors Guild for "Best Actor, TV Movie or Miniseries."

Brody's competition is Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock: His Last Vow (PBS), Richard Jenkins in Olive Kitteridge (HBO), Billy Bob Thornton in Fargo (FX), and Mark Ruffalo in The Normal Heart (HBO).

Brody posted his thanks and appreciation on Instagram along with a great mock-up Houdini poster.

HISTORY has tweeted their congratulations to Brody with this image:

Click to enlarge.

Winners will be announced on January 25, 2015 at a ceremony in Los Angeles.

UPDATE: Hardeen beats Houdini

Related:

• 'Houdini' nominated for WGA award
• HISTORY's Houdini poster mock-ups
  

HISTORY's Houdini poster mock-ups

Here are four poster mock-ups created for HISTORY's upcoming Houdini miniseries. These are based on real Houdini posters and have been revamped with the faces of actors Adrien Brody and Kristen Connolly. Normally these kinds of things are only visible in the background, so I'm excited that A+E Networks is giving us a nice closeup look at them. Fun fun, I've placed them side by side with the originals.

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

You'll want to keep your eyes peeled for more poster mock-ups when watching the miniseries on Monday, including Brodyized versions of Houdini's Amsterdam jail break, Europe's Eclipsing Sensation, and America's Sensation posters.

Houdini airs September 1 & 2 at 9/8c on HISTORY. It will be available as an HD download on all digital platforms September 3. An extended version will be released on DVD and Blu-ray October 7.

A very big thanks to Monica Gonzalez of A+E Networks who has been extremely helpful and generous in providing WILD ABOUT HARRY with all this great 'Houdini' promotional material.

Related:

• Pausing Houdini
• Photo reveals young Houdini and a poster mock-up
• Houdini mystery poster depicts the cannon challenge