Houdini began his final tour 100 years ago today

It was 100 years ago today, on September 2, 1926, that Houdini began his 1926-27 "Coast to Coast" tour of 3 Shows in One at the Lyceum Theater in Paterson, New Jersey. The show featured some new illusions during the Magic section. In fact, advertisements emphasized the magic, stating: "As a MAGICIAN Houdini Starts where others leave off." 

Papers also noted that this was Houdini's first appearance in Paterson in 30 years. They were right. Houdini had last played Paterson with the "American Gaiety Girls" in December 1895. 

Here's a review of opening night from The Morning Call.

Houdini played the Lyceum for three days before moving on to Majestic Theater in Boston for a three-week run. The lasting legacy of this short run is the famous poster (above), which survives today in the Library of Congress.

The Lyceum was located at 123 Van Houten Street. A fire destroyed the theater on March 22, 1931. Below is the only image of the Lyceum I could find online.

Want more? I've uploaded a dozen advertisements and reviews of the Houdini Lyceum show to my Patreon.

Related:

• Houdini's grand finale: 3 Shows In One
• Houdini's "3 Shows in One" turns 100
• American Museum of Magic shares collection online

The Magic Detective discovers Escaping Obscurity

I'm very pleased to see a review of Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897–1899 by our friend Dean Carnegie on his excellent blog, The Magic Detective. Sounds like he liked it!

Dean points out something I never thought about. Some schools no longer require students to learn to read cursive, which means some younger people could not read this diary. All the more reason I'm glad we did this book now and translated the entire diary into script! As Dean says, it's "full of history and adds to many stories you might have read in other biographies on Houdini."

You can buy Escaping Obscurity from Mike Caveney's Magic Words, or you can get a signed copy from my own store, Wild About Harry Press. It's currently on sale, and I will also throw in a couple of signed promo cards for the next installment of the story, Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900–1909.

Thank you, Dean!

Related:

• Signed copies of Escaping Obscurity back in stock
• ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Reviews & Reactions
• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY

Houdini: The Man Who (allegedly) Died Twice

I've just finished Dr. Larrian Gillespie's Houdini: The Man Who Died Twice, the new book that promises to reveal the truth of Houdini's death with sensational new revelations. The book is a Kirkus Indie Award finalist and has received positive reviews from Genii and others. It's a book that has already provoked a lot of discussion. So what did I think?

Well... I liked it. I especially like the hard-boiled detective tone and how Larrian steps us through her investigative process. I normally don't care for this kind of first-person approach in non-fiction, but it's so well written that it hooked me. Maybe it helped that I know all the players. (Full disclosure: I'm one of the "Watsons" in the book. But hopefully David Burke and not Nigel Bruce.)

There is definitely some new information here, and some known information that is nicely placed in context for the first time. I was most taken with the smaller discoveries. Houdini may have had color-changing eyes. Houdini wore a truss to support what he believed was an injured kidney, but may have been a herniated disc. And I have a new appreciation of Houdini's infected butt boil. Yes, no detail about Houdini is too small...or gross.

It's also nice to have all the various affidavits regarding his final days and the dressing room punch collected in one place. These are fascinating to read. The author has also uncovered fresh information about J. Gordon Whitehead, who comes off as the only blameless person in the book!

Ultimately, this is a well-told detective story with a lot of intriguing conjecture. But in the end, the mystery remains. No smoking gun emerges in the final chapter to prove any one of the many theories put forward. So for me, it didn't land a knockout punch (pun intended). As for the most provocative claim, that Houdini died on October 30th and not the 31st (hence the "died twice" title), I have long believed there could be something to this. But I'm somehow now less convinced of this than I was going in. Maybe it was just one cover-up too many.

There is a lot here to absorb, and I will definitely revisit this book when it comes time for me to tackle Houdini's death in my own books. Thankfully, that is still years away. Maybe by then a smoking gun will have emerged, or we will realize this was all smoke and mirrors.

But I encourage you to get the book and make up your own mind. You can buy Houdini: The Man Who Died Twice at Houdini True Crime. International buyers should use Cipher House Books.

Related:

• The truth drops TODAY
• LINK: Interview with Larrian Gillespie at Crime Fiction Lover
• The 2026 Houdini Centennial Bookshelf

When dreams come true

This week I received my copy of A Strenuous Career: The Personal Challenge and Advertisment Scrapbook of Harry Houdini by Dr. Bruce J. Averbook and David Haversat. It's a beauty. In fact, I hated to take it out of the plastic!

Not to play favorites, but this is the 2026 book that I was most excited to receive. That's because I knew this important scrapbook existed, but I had never seen it. It was owned by Sid Radner for many years. When Sid's son Bill inherited it, I heard talk that he was considering turning it into a book. This might have even been his father's idea that he wanted to carry forward. But it never happened. When Bruce Averbook acquired it, I got a quick peek at it at his museum. I was very excited when he said he now planned to turn it into a book (along with a certain diary).

This time it happened! Dreams do come true.

The book is a slipcased hardcover printed on very high-quality, full-color paper. Bruce provides an introductory overview of Houdini's career challenges, along with some rare photos from his collection. Apart from that, the scrapbook speaks for itself. Every page of the scrapbook is reproduced, and every challenge tells a story. It's also fascinating to see how meticulously Houdini chronicled his career. The front of the scrapbook contains an index of all the challenges handwritten by Houdini himself. The challenges span Houdini's entire career, so this isn't A challenge scrapbook; it's THE challenge scrapbook, which is one of the reasons it's so perfect to publish as a standalone book.

I've already spotted some rare gems, including what I believe is Houdini's first full-view straight jacket escape. The challenge doesn't actually say this, but given the timeline, I think I can see exactly what Houdini has in mind. I'm also very excited to finally see the Scottish Gibbet challenge!

The book is published and sold exclusively by David Haversat's 1878 Press, with a print run of only 300 copies. That's a pretty small, and I have a feeling this will sell out by Halloween, if not sooner. So if you are interested in owning Houdini's Challenge scrapbook, I wouldn't delay.

Thank you, David and Bruce!

Related:

• A Strenuous Career' available now from 1878 Press
• The 2026 Houdini Centennial Bookshelf
• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY

How about a review?

My new store and publishing imprint, Wild About Harry PRESS, is doing well. I've sold out of my stock of signed and sealed Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899. Thank you to everyone who bought their copy from me. 

Copies are still available from Mike Caveney's Magic Words, but if you still want to buy a signed or discounted edition from me, let me know by clicking the "Notify when back in stock" button on the product page. If I get enough interest, I will restock.

I've also now added the ability to write a REVIEW. So if you've purchased the book from me (or from anywhere) and want to share your thoughts, just click the "Write a review" button on the product page. As an incentive, I will randomly select one of the first ten reviewers and send them a promo postcard for my upcoming book, Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900-1909.

All this is about me getting ready for that next book, so I appreciate everyone's help in getting the store up and running.

Related:

• Wild About Harry PRESS is open for business
• Escaping Obscurity reviewed by David Dellman
• ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Reviews & Reactions

"An Open Letter to Harry Houdini"

Repost from May 13, 2022, with an update.

Here's a curiosity from the September 11, 1925 Pittsburg Post. I'd love to know whether this "Open Letter" was the Aldine Theater manager's idea alone, or if he and Houdini cooked it up together as a nice bit of cross-promotion. Houdini was performing his "3 Shows in One" at the Alvin Theater in Pittsburgh this week.

The Pittsburgh Press, Sept. 11, 1925

Did Houdini take Mr. Sidney up on his offer? Afraid I don't know the answer, but I'm sure the medium-debunking theme of the movie would have met with his approval.

Despite being a work by Dracula and Freaks director Tod Browning, today, Wikipedia calls The Mystic "a little-known film with a cast of now-forgotten names."

UPDATE: The Mystic has now been released on Blu-ray as part of a special 3-film set of Tod Browning films that includes Freaks (1932) and The Unknown (1927). Below is a review from one of my favorite YouTubers. He does long and very technical reviews. The Mystic is the first of the three films he reviews.  Learning more about the plot, this certainly does seem to be a film that would have interested Houdini, and one he would have supported.

You can buy Tod Browning's Sideshow Shockers on Blu-ray and DVD at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Related:

• The Grimm Life Collective: Houdini in Pittsburgh
• Houdini helps a fellow Hungarian from beyond
• Hardeen among the celluloid spirits

Houdini's last review

It was 99 years ago today that Houdini gave his final performance at the Garrick Theater in Detroit on October 24, 1926. Here is a review of that show that ran in the Detroit Free Press the following day. The reviewer, Philip N. O'Hara, was unaware of the drama that was unfolding backstage. But it's clear from his review that not all was right that night. A remarkable and, yes, somewhat spooky review in hindsight.

Houdini was booked for two weeks at the Garrick, but only played this one day. By the time this review appeared, he was at Grace Hospital fighting for his life.

Related:

• Houdini takes the stage for the last time
• The Garrick after Houdini
• Houdini's last backstage visitor (Patreon)

Escaping Obscurity reviewed by David Dellman

Magician David Dellman reviews Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899. What does he think? Watch the video below or on his YouTube channel and find out, and give it a like.

Thank you, David!

Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899 is available exclusively at Mike Caveney's Magic Words.

Related:

• Jessica Jane has a book to share
• ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Reviews & Reactions
• ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Discoveries & Corrections

LINK: The Cancer of Superstition reviewed

Our friend Michelle Ainsworth recently reviewed The Cancer of Superstition for the Skeptical Inquirer website. Click the headline or image below to read.

Purchase The Cancer of Superstition exclusively from 1878 Press Co.

Related:

• Read 'The Cancer of Superstition' TODAY
• The Cancer of Superstition is FOUND!
• Houdini Lincoln cover story in Skeptical Inquirer

Escaping Obscurity reviewed in September GENII

I'm excited to see a review of Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899 in the September issue of Genii magazine. It's more of an overview than a review, but it's a good one, and you gotta love that first paragraph. Thank you, Michael Claxton.

You can subscribe to Genii HERE. Also, check out their new website Genii Magic.

Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899 is available exclusively at Mike Caveney's Magic Words.

Related:

• ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Reviews & Reactions
• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY
• How we made the Deluxe Edition deluxe

Houdini plays Boston in 1895

Boston was wild about Houdini from the start. We are all familiar with his record-breaking runs at Keith's Theatre on Tremont Street during the height of his Handcuff King days. However, Houdini had appeared in Boston years earlier, well before he became famous and received positive reviews.

In October 1895, the American Gaiety Girls, a burlesque show that Houdini starred in and co-managed, played the Palace Theater on Court Street. This review from the Boston Post gives an excellent idea of what the show was like and singles out The Houdinis and their "European illusion or box trick" for special attention. 

Boston Post, Oct. 29, 1895.

Notice that "dashing burlesquer" Flo Harvey is part of the show. Years later, Flo came to see Houdini when he got his big break in vaudeville at the Omaha Orpheum. Houdini mentions her attendance in his diary, which you can read for yourself in Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899.

The American Gaiety Girls returned to the Palace in Boston in March 1896 and once again received good reviews.

Want more? You can see a rare handwritten letter from Houdini this time, read more reviews, and see images of the Palace as a "Scholar" member of my Patreon below.

Related:

• The American Gaiety Girls forever
• Houdini and the American Gaiety Girls 
• Houdini's return to burlesque in 1912

LINK: Joe Notaro reviews Escaping Obscurity

The first review of Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899, is up on Joe Notaro's excellent blog Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence. Just click the headline above to read.

Joe has published several very important Houdini books himself. You can check those out in the related links below.

If you post a review of Escaping Obscurity on your website, please send it my way and I will share it here. Even the bad ones! (Well, not too bad.)

Thank you, Joe.

Related:

• Houdini Adaptations by Joe M. Notaro
• Joe Notaro publishes 'Houdini's Schooldays'
• Joe Notaro presents Houdini's Jorkins & Co
• ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Reactions & Reviews

No love for The Truth

For me, the documentary The Truth About Houdini was as important as the Tony Curtis film in fueling my excitement for Houdini. It certainly helped shape my understanding of Houdini and introduced me to the major Houdini players at that time. It's still my favorite Houdini documentary. 

That's why I'm so surprised to read this review in the December 30, 1970 Northern Echo that excoriates it! But the doc did generate controversy, at least in the UK. The Magic Circle objected to what it believed were exposures. However, apart from the cross escape (which was removed at some point), there are no significant exposures.

Anyway, this is a fun read, and I can't condemn someone for defending Houdini, even though, in my opinion, it was unnecessary.

Want more? You can view the cut cross escape footage as a Scholar member of my Patreon below.

Related:

• The first great Houdini documentary
• Watch 'The Truth About Houdini' on its anniversary
• Channel 44's Houdini Halloween of 1976

LINK: Greenbriar Picture Shows on Houdini (1953)

The blog Greenbriar Picture Shows takes a look at the classic 1953 Houdini starring Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. Of course, we love this movie around here, and Greenbriar seems to like it as well. They've also shared a nice vintage newspaper ad that I've not seen before. Just click the link below to have a read:

Parkland Picks With Popcorn #5

Related:

• Deconstructing Houdini '53
• Houdini '53 at 70: Star power
• When Houdini (1953) came to TV

The Margery Box in New York

Below is an illustration that appeared in Reginald Marsh's "The Spotlight" column in the New York Daily News on February 8, 1925. Marsh's column consisted of various vaudevillians sketched from the stage and reviewed with a percentage. His sketch of Houdini shows him inside the famed Margery Box.

Houdini was midway through a six-week run at the New York Hippodrome where he offered a different act each week. For this third week, he exposed the tricks of fraudulent mediums, specifically Margery. Marsh's illustration confirms Houdini used the Margery Box this week. It's also the first confirmed appearance of the box outside of Boston.

New York Evening Journal, Jan. 23, 1925

One wonders how effective this would have been on the gigantic Hippodrome stage. What more could Houdini do than demonstrate how Margery could potentially slip a ruler through the neck hole to ring the bell box? Not quite as dramatic as a vanishing elephant! Maybe that's why Marsh only gave him an 85%.

While this is the first appearance of the Margery Box in New York, it's also the last confirmed appearance of the box anywhere. Where did the Margery Box go after this? That's the question.

Below is a look at the complete Hippodrome bill for this week.

New York American, Jan. 25, 1925.

Want more? You can view Reginald Marsh's full "Spotlight" column as a member of my Patreon below and see which Hippodrome performer received the coveted 100%. Thanks to my patrons for supporting content like this.

Related:

• Is the Margery Box still out there?
• 100 years ago on Lime Street
• Revenge of the beach boy

A Magician Among the Spirits turns 100

Today marks the 100th Anniversary of Houdini's last book, A Magician Among the Spirits, published on May 2, 1924, by Harper & Brothers in New York.

Below is a positive review of the book from The Evening Sun.

The Evening Sun, June 28, 1924

And a less positive review from the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 7, 1924

Shortly after publication, Houdini discovered an error in the book. The following appeared in several newspapers.

Hartford Courant, Aug. 10, 1924.

On May 5, Houdini wrote to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle offering to send him a signed copy of the book. If Doyle ever responded, the letter has been lost. But one thing is for sure, the publication of A Magician Among the Spirits marked the end of their famous friendship.

A Magician Among the Spirits has been reprinted several times. The 1972 hardcover from Arno is typically the edition one finds in used bookstores. I've always had affection for this edition.

In 1996, Richard Kaufman and Alan Greenberg published Houdini's original typed manuscript with extensive hand corrections as a limited slipcased edition. It's a beauty and a wonderful tribute to Houdini's last book.

Want more? As a member of my Patreon, you can download a free PDF of A Magician Among the Spirits as this month's reward.

Related:

• LINK: Restoring Houdini's 'Spirits'
• Cambridge Press releases A Magician Among the Spirits
• Original typescript for A Magician Among the Spirits at auction Feb 18

Houdini in the April The Linking Ring

If you're a Houdini fan and an IBM member, then you will be happy with the April 2024 issue of The Linking Ring. The magazine contains three notable Houdini pieces.

The first is "The Search For The Holy Grail of Houdini Handcuffs" in which Joe Notaro outlines his discoveries regarding the elusive Tatler Mirror Handcuffs. In the second, David Haversat tells the story of Bess and magician William Harkness, "The Canadian Houdini." These are both groundbreaking articles. Finally, Larry Lipman offers a very positive review of the 2019 book, The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini by Joe Posnanski.

The Linking Ring is the official magazine of the International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM). You can join the IBM and receive The Linking Ring via their official website.

Thanks to Joe Notaro. 

Related:

• Joe Notaro is hot on the trail of the "Tatler Cuffs"
• Bean Giant surpise (Pateron)
• REVIEW: A Houdini book for everyone

Reviews and pics from 'Houdini's Greatest Escape'

Houdini's Greatest Escape, the new play from New Old Friends in association with Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, is currently touring the UK through June 30, 2024. It offers a humorous take on Houdini's story. Below are links to some reviews.

What's Good To Do

Fairy Powered Productions

Robbie's Backstage Bants

West End Best Friend

Broadway World

Winchester Today

(If you've reviewed this play, please send me the link 

and I will include it here.)

Here are some photos from the production by Pam Raith, courtesy the New Old Friend Facebook page.

CLICK HERE to see all tour dates for Houdini's Greatest Escape.

Related:

• 'Houdini's Greatest Escape' begins UK tour
• Houdini plays

Houdini '53 at 70: Variety review

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

Here is the original review of Houdini that appeared in Variety. This ran in their May 20, 1953 issue.

Not a rave. But also not a pan. It's interesting to read that Paramount screened it in a 1:66 aspect ratio. Projecting a 1:33 film in "widescreen" could lead to problems, as you can read below from the August 1st Decatur Daily.

Related:

• Houdini '53 at 70: Premiere day
• Get ready for Houdini '53 at 70
• HOUDINI (1953)