Yesterday saw the gala opening of the S.A.M. Hall of Fame exhibit at the Whittier Historical Society & Museum in Whittier, California. The exhibit includes an impressive Houdini display with some choice rarities that haven't been seen in over ten years, including the elusive Russian Manacle.
The overall collection includes illusions, props, costumes, and memorabilia from the early 1900s to the present day. The exhibition will be on display until December 2024.
Check out the S.A.M. Hall of Fame Facebook page for photos from yesterday's ribbon cutting and magic show. I wasn't able to make it as I had hoped, but it looks like they had a standing-room-only crowd and things are off to a grand start!
The Whittier Museum is located at 6755 Newlin Avenue, Whittier, CA 90601. Admission is free. Hours are Tuesday through Friday 10 am to 4 pm. Saturday 1 to 4 pm.
The S.A.M. Hall of Fame collection will once again be exhibited at the Whittier Historical Society & Museum in Whittier, California. The exhibit includes an impressive Houdini display with three rare handcuff boards, one holding the original Russian Manacle! Below are details about the special launch day celebration on January 27.
The Whittier Museum is excited to welcome back the Society of American Magicians Hall of Fame for a one-of-a-kind exhibition on the history of magic and famous magicians! You do not want to miss this display!
Were you lucky to have seen this exhibit ten years ago? Well, it's back and BIGGER than the last time! You'll see illusions, props, costumes, and more kinds of memorabilia from the early 1900s to the present day. Including items belonging to Harry Houdini!
This exhibit will be on display till the end of December 2024, on the second floor of the Whittier Museum.
We will be hosting a grand opening ceremony and show on Saturday, January 27th, beginning at 12 PM. This is a FREE grand opening for everyone to attend! The magic show will begin at 2 PM.
Several other magicians will be present throughout the exhibit to explain and demonstrate various illusions and tricks.
Mark your calendars for January 27th and tell your friends!
Our friend and master woodworker Barry Spector has produced another amazing work of Houdini art. This time he has crafted a working replica of the famous Russian Manacle, one of Houdini's more elusive "super cuffs." The cuffs are made from mahogany and the key is made from the 278 wood Barry acquired back in 2019. I actually never realized until I saw this recreation that a panel slid down over the keyhole. Check out the images provided by Barry below.
The real Russian Manacle survives and is currently housed in the collection of The Society of American Magicians Hall of Fame and Museum. That collection was last displayed at the Whittier Historical Society & Museum, but has been out of view since 2014.
Barry also recently made a small-scale replica of Houdini's famous Double Fold Death Defying Mystery box. He even built into it what he believes is the secret (but we can't show you that). The real Double Fold box is owned by David Copperfield.
We know Houdini and Hardeen did advertising (notably for Zam-Buk). But did you know that Bess also entered the advertising arena? Here's an ad for Hills Bros Coffee from The Evening Herald, October 25, 1940, with some helpful hints from the "Queen of Magic" on how to prepare your java.
By the way, the Houdini handcuff board behind Bess was one of the displays she and Ed Saint made for the Final Houdini Seance. That particular board contains the Russian Manacle and survives to this day. It was recently displayed at an S.A.M. exhibit in Whittier.
Jim Bentley, a true legend of the Houdini world (he had played Houdini on stage and on TV numerous times), is selling his amazing collection of Houdini handcuffs and locks. The collection including working replicas of Houdini's Mirror Handcuff, the French Letter Cuff, and the Russian Manacle. These were made by master locksmith Ian McColl for the 1998 TNT biopic Houdini. The collection also includes genuine handcuffs from Houdini's time, and an assortment of antique locks and restraints.
The entire collection is housed in two cases which are themselves beautiful replicas the Houdini display cases made for the 1953 Houdini movie, and now part of the David Copperfield Collection. Jim also has letters and material related to the creation of the Houdini cuffs for the TNT movie, along with other Houdini related movie material.
Below are photos of the cases as they were recently displayed at the Malibu Playhouse during the run of Flim Flam: Houdini and the Hereafter.
Johnathon Schaech models the McColl/Bentley cuffs in Houdini (1998).
Jim would like to keep the collection together if he can. This is a very rare chance to own an amazing collection of handcuffs, and also a good way to help out Jim and his lovely wife Suzanne at a time when they could use some assistance.
If you haven't seen the Society of American Magician's Hall of Fame collection at the Whittier Historical Society & Museum in Whittier, CA, know that the clock is ticking. The exhibition will be closing after a "Grand Finale Magic Show" event on July 19.
The exhibition, which opened in 2012, features an impressive display of rare Houdini artifacts, including a dress worn by Bess, Houdini's die box, a brick from 278, and three handcuff displays created by Edward Saint in 1936. On one of these boards is the original Russian Manacle and key. This was a handcuff custom made by Houdini at the height of his Handcuff King career, and along with the Mirror and the French Letter Cuff, is probably the most famous and recognizable Houdini handcuff.
There are some amazing non-Houdini magic artifacts in the exhibition as well, including; T. Nelson Downs' top hat, Cooke's own linking rings with carrying case, and Alexander Herrmann's original cups and balls. There are also some beautiful original Thurston posters.
It's unclear if the collection will move to a new location or go back into storage.
The Whittier Museum is located at 6755 Newlin Avenue, Whittier, CA 90601. Admission is free, but you might to call ahead and make sure the exhibition is open that day. I've heard tales of people traveling there only to discover the exhibition doors locked. Also, the light had been burned out in the Houdini case, making it impossible to see the items inside. Hopefully that has been corrected.
Our good friend Joe Notaro of Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence has had quite a frustrating experience trying to see the S.A.M. magic collection at the Whittier Historical Society & Museum in Whittier, California. You may recall that the collection -- which includes the Russian Manacle, a dress worn by Bess, and three handcuff displays created by Edward Saint -- was sealed in the basement of a bank in Hollywood after it was contaminated by toxic PCBs in 2004. Last September the S.A.M. was finally able to salvage the collection and put it on public display at the Whittier Museum. I attended the opening and reported on it here.
However, seeing the collection has now become as challenging as it was when it was locked away in Hollywood. The exhibit is only opened sporadically, and even if you somehow manage to get inside, you'll discover that the Houdini case is completely dark because of faulty motion sensor lights. (Could this be because there is no motion inside a sealed case? Just a guess.) The case has been dark for two months now.
Anyway, click the headline and read about Joe's misadventures seeing what I'm now convinced is a cursed collection.
The Houdini case (photographed here in September) is now dark.
UPDATE: It appears the title link to Joe's site isn't working correctly. His site may be down. This happened right after I posted this. The curse strikes again!
Today I have a Guest Blog from magician, escape artist and magic inventor Jay Leslie. Jay was at the opening of the SAM exhibit in Whittier and shared with me an interesting theory that I encouraged him to write up for WAH. Take it away, Jay.
This last weekend I attended the re-revealing of a few collectibles from the S.A.M. Museum. Among which were handcuffs belonging to Houdini.
Looking at the display boards, it's fairly obvious the Harvard cuff does not belong there, but I suspect there was another cuff in that location originally and someone took it then realized the board had holes running through it so they threw the Harvards on there to take-up the space.
But seeing photos of the Russian Manacles and of the Mirror cuffs (both Challenge cuffs) I noticed what I thought were differences in the sizes of the bows on both cuffs.
Photo 1
In the first photo you'll notice the bows are not fully closed, Why? Possibly to show how they work but none of the other cuffs or locks are open or partially open, so why? I believe both sides are different. Look at photo 2. What I did was a quick photoshop where the left bow is flipped horizontal and rotated a bit to line-up with the approximate angle of the right bow, then that was superimposed over top.
Photo 2
Granted this was a quick job, but I think it’s easy to see both bows are different. If you are familiar with making castings then you would know there is no difficulty making two bows from the same form.
What does that mean? It would have been easier to make two exact same bows then two different bows. So, was this done as a way to show that the Manacles were made crudely so no one suspected the amount of work that went into making them? I don’t think so. I believe it was on purpose. The purpose for one bow to be larger is possibly to slip the bow or so your smaller hand can maneuver easier.
I have a similar observation (right or wrong) about the Mirror cuff. One bow is larger. Somewhere in the past I read a book that had an outline of Houdini’s hand drawn on a page. Harry was a lot shorter then I am but if that drawing is correct then my hands (at six feet tall) are the same exact size and shape as Harry's. We’re talking exact, to the length of the fingers, size of the wrist, size of the pal, width and height.
But supposing that the drawing was a slight bit larger then real life. In that case this next observation is even more interesting. I have one of the first repro Mirror cuffs that a young man named Ian made. Maybe you’ve heard of him. Here's the deal. I can slip my smaller hand out the bigger lobe of the Mirror cuffs. That means, if Harry's hands were the same size as mine or smaller it's entirely possible he could slip the one side and work the lock, turn the dial, bang the spring or whatever he did to get out.
Now would be a good time for DC to chime-in. No? OK. I’m sticking to my thoughts that Harry could slip one side of the Mirror cuff and use the extra room, on the Russian Manacle, to maneuver his smaller (probably left) hand.
Incidentally, if I really really wanted to, I could slip the Russian Manacles with one hand. I'd probably break a bone but if I was making huge money and hanging my reputation on the line, I would. In the past I've almost broke my right elbow doing a jail escape and, in the moment, I would have done so rather then not escape.
So that's it. But If it was me doing a custom challenge escape, I'd figure out how to get the cuffs made to the size that worked for me. Remember, Houdini was not a gambler, he was a showman.
Houdini's famous "Russian Manacle" are among the items from the Society of American Magicians Hall of Fame and Museum currently on display at the Whittier Historical Society & Museum in Whittier, CA. The exhibition is called Behind Smoke and Mirrors: The History of Magic and Illusion and features an impressive display of rare Houdini artifacts.
The Houdini display -- which sits in a booth behind glass -- includes a dress worn by Bess, Houdini's die box, a brick from 278, signed photos, two original playbills and, most excitingly, three handcuff display boards created by Edward Saint in June 1936 (we know this because newspaper padding used in the boards bears this date). Two of the boards display authentic Houdini handcuffs and another is made up entirely of keys.
But what will be of most interest to Houdini fans is that affixed to one of the boards is the original Russian Manacle and key! This was a handcuff custom made by Houdini at the height of his Handcuff King career. Along with the Mirror and the French Letter Cuff, the Russian Manacle is probably the most famous and recognizable Houdini handcuff. There are several photos of Houdini in this cuff, and it's also featured on this famous poster. While handcuff collectors have crafted reproductions of the Russian Manacle over the years, this is the original. (Unfortunately, the museum does not allow photography, so I can't show it to you on display.)
The Whittier Museum hosted a very well-attended opening reception on Sunday with a magic show by SAM members and refreshments. I was there along with fellow Houdini aficionados Mark Lyons, Joe Fox, Jay Leslie, Jeffery Abraham, Mike Castle, and Mark and Sheila Cannon. Mark was able to examine the boards closely and provided me the information about the newspaper padding. He also pointed out that the keyhole slide on the Russian Manacle is now missing, and that all the cuffs on the board had been painted silver at some point, probably by Edward Saint so they'd look better on display.
While the Houdini items are certainly a major draw, not to be ignored are some of the other amazing magic artifacts on display. These include T. Nelson Downs top hat, Cooke's own linking rings with carrying case, and Alexander Herrmann's original cups and balls. There are also some beautiful original Thurston posters and a faithful reproduction of his colorful Sawing a Woman in Half illusion.
The SAM collection was originally housed in the basement of a Hollywood bank and viewable only by invitation. But in December 2004, an underground electrical blast contaminated the building with toxic PCBs and all access to the collection was sealed as the SAM settled with the LADWP over the cost of decontamination. This is the first time the collection has been displayed since the accident and the first time it has even been opened to the general public.
Behind Smoke and Mirrors: The History of Magic and Illusion runs through July 13, 2013. The Whittier Museum is located at 6755 Newlin Avenue, Whittier, CA 90601. Admission is FREE.
For more information on the collection and upcoming special events, check out the SAM Hall of Fame Facebook page and the official website.
Photo by Hocus Pocus Focus. Used by permission of the AMA / Magic Castle.
The Magic Castle's new Houdini Water Torture Cell aquarium was revealed last night on Animal Planet's Tanked. The aquarium sits in the Inner Circle and was made by request of AMA President Neil Patrick Harris for the Magic Castle's 50th Anniversary celebrations next year.
The hour long episode chronicled the process of designing and building the 240 gallon aquarium, along with a lot of "reality" show complications, such as the tank springing a leak and threatening to flood the William Larsen Sr. Memorial Library. The episode gave a very nice look inside the Castle.
While they didn't show what the designers used as a photographic reference, the tank is a pretty respectable reproduction of Houdini's real Water Torture Cell. The stocks in particular evoke the real cell, with the front hand grips, properly shaped hinges, and lifting ringlets. I just wish they would have completely framed the glass with riveted "brass" strips instead of leaving it with just two on each side. There even appears to be space for two horizontal strips top and bottom. But that's me being picky.
The Houdini mannequin inside was created by Quantum Creation FX, who worked from a Houdini portrait photo. The vintage style straitjacket the mannequin is wearing was acquired from Houdini's Magic Shop in Las Vegas.
In the show, reproduction Houdini posters flank each side of the tank. But as you can see in the photo above -- which the Magic Castle has given me special permission to post -- original Alexander and Will Rock/Thurston Show posters have replaced the Houdini sheets, which I actually think looks much better. Also notice the addition of a nice handcuff display case in the corner. While this wasn't part of the show, it was added to the Inner Circle along with the tank and is a pretty cool addition in itself. The cuffs come from the collection of Jim Bentley and include reproductions of the French Letter cuff, the Russian manacle, and the Mirror handcuffs.
For those of you who are more interested in what's inside the aquarium, the idea was to fill the tank with "dangerous" fish, including: Sabertooth Barracuda (monster fish from the Amazon with huge teeth); Redtail Barracuda (called "Dogfish" because of their canine-like teeth); Spotted Metynnis (relatives of the piranha); Blue Eye Pleco (extremely rare fish from Columbia that can eat and digest wood); and an Asian Swamp Eel (known to be good escape artists who can survive out of water for several hours).
Neil Patrick Harris was very happy with the final result and gave AMA memberships to hosts Wayde King and Brett Raymer on the spot. He predicted that the Houdini aquarium would become a new "destination" inside the Castle for members and visitors. "I can't believe no one has thought of this idea before," he enthused.
However, someone did think of this before -- Houdini! In his original presentation of the escape, Houdini portrayed it as an aquarium. In a playlet called Challenged or Houdini Upside Down (which Houdini performed only once to copyright his new effect), a "multimillionaire sportsman" named Tim Connor eyeballs his clubhouse aquarium and concocts the idea of locking Houdini inside it upside down.
It's kind of ironic that after 100 years the Water Torture Cell has returned to its original purpose as a private clubhouse aquarium.
This Friday marks the 100th Anniversary of Houdini's first performance of the Water Torture Cell on September 21, 1912. Watch for a special look back the history of cell right here on WILD ABOUT HARRY. UPDATE: Houdini has escaped!
An episode of Pawn Stars called "Houdini's Handcuffs" aired last night, and the Handcuff experts are having their say today at Handcuffs.org.
Briefly, the show featured a man bringing in a pair of handcuffs and leg-irons he found among the belongings of his deceased brother. Paperwork showed they had come from the Sidney Radner Houdini Collection auction held in Las Vegas in 2004. Magician Murray Sawchuck was called in to give his appraisal. After telling some (somewhat questionable) stories about Houdini's methods, Sawchuck proclaimed them legitimate and valued them at "over $10,000." The store purchased them for $6000.
I'll leave it to the experts to take it from here:
On Sunday, December 6, 1998, writer/director Pen Densham (who produced the 1979 documentary, Houdini Never Died) realized a dream when his cable film HOUDINI aired as a “TNT Original” movie. The film was supported with strong advertising, making the broadcast a cable television event. The network even broadcast two “encore” presentations immediately after the debut.
HOUDINI, which was filmed under the title, Believe, stars Johnathon Schaech as Houdini, Stacy Edwards as Bess, and Mark Ruffalo as Theo (Hardeen). Shimada also makes a cameo appearance as a street magician. Production design is magnificent, as is the musical score, and while not the best of the Houdini biopics, it has much to recommend it.
Notably, HOUDINI is the first Houdini biography to tackle and dramatize the issue of Houdini’s egotism. Certainly in this way Schaech’s manic and abrasive Houdini is far different from Tony Curtis or Paul Michael Glaser. Of course, it also makes him less likable and more alienating. But as Bessie says in the film, “I fell in love with Ehrich Weiss. I put up with Houdini.”
While Houdini takes plenty of dramatic license (Houdini’s mother never kissed or held him?), it still does a good job of weaving in Houdini history. It's the first Houdini film to give an accurate account of how he and Bess met. In HOUDINI we see them come together as fellow performers; Bessie as part of the Floral Sisters and Harry performing with brother Theo as The Houdini Brothers (okay, they were “The Brothers Houdini,” but that’s a quibble). We also get to see the death bed promise young Ehrich makes to his father. Jim Collins (Karl Makinen) and Martin Beck (George Segal) play their critical rolls in Houdini’s life and career. Even Houdini’s authorship of The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin is given a mention.
Hardeen gets a larger role in HOUDINI than he's ever had in any biopic. But as with Houdini's relationship with his mother, the filmmakers twist the brothers relationship for their own dramatic needs. Here Houdini creates "Hardeen" as a way to repress his brother's own magic ambitions. "It would be just too confusing; two Houdinis," Harry tells him. This film also sets up a class division between the two, with Houdini performing before royalty and Hardeen performing at a Union Hall. But it is nice that part of the dramatic arc for Theo in this film is to forgive his older brother for stealing the spotlight, and it's effective when he "exposes" the final Houdini seance just as Bess is starting to believe.
The film starts to get somewhat loose in its history in the final third, with Houdini suddenly ensconced in a throne-like office space and, yes, failing to escape from the Water Torture Cell after being punched in the stomach. The great Hollywood myth of the USD contributing to Houdini’s death continues here. Unbelievable.
But the film keeps the pedal to the metal in its depiction of Houdini’s stunts, eager to show Houdini as the original king of “extreme” (is that still a thing?). Standouts are the suspended straightjacket escape and a rather flamboyant depiction of the Milk Can. Jim Bentley and Jim Thompson are credited as magic consultants.
The framing device for HOUDINI is a live radio seance. This is presumably the 1936 final Houdini seance which was held on the roof of the Knickerbocker Hotel in Hollywood. Here it is presented on a theater stage, probably for budgetary or production reasons. Oddly, the film climaxes with Houdini making a star-child-like return from the dead. It’s a bit off the reservation, but it’s well written and beautifully performed, and does give the movie an emotional and, yes, magical conclusion.
Densham explains his ending by saying, “Well, you can look at it three ways: Either he dreamed it, or she dreamed it, or it really happened. I have my own theory, but I’d prefer not to say.”
HOUDINI was nominated for three Emmys: Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries, Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, and Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries. Judy Crown won the Emmy for Hairstyling at the 51st Primetime Emmy Awards held September 12, 1999 in Los Angeles.
HOUDINI was released on VHS in 2000, but it has yet to appear on DVD. While Death Defying Acts was released in 2008 making it the most recent Houdini film, HOUDINI was the last straight-ahead biopic of the great magician. Let's hope it isn't the last. UPDATE:HOUDINI is now available on DVD.
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in 2000, but it has yet to appear on DVD. While Death Defying Acts was released in 2008 making it the most recent Houdini film, HOUDINI was the last straight-ahead biopic of the great magician. Let's hope it isn't the last.