The week Kansas City is Wild About Harry!

This week, Kansas City and the local chapters of the SAM and the IBM are celebrating Houdini and his very first suspended straitjacket escape. In fact, September 2026 is officially "Harry Houdini Month" in Kansas City! The upcoming events have already received some nice publicity from KCUR, the Kansas City Star, and an especially good piece at News Press NOW. Here's a rundown:

Wednesday, September 9 at 6:00 PM

Kansas City Central Library

I will be giving a one-hour lecture on "Houdini's Kansas City Connections" at the Kansas City Central Library in the Helzberg Auditorium. Kansas City has a lot of terrific Houdini history, and I'm looking forward to sharing the full story. You can find more details at kclibrary.org. The talk will also be live-streamed via the library's YouTube channel.

Friday, September 11 at 2:00 PM

Corner of 10th and Main Street

A historic marker commemorating the site of Houdini’s first suspended straitjacket escape on September 8, 1915 will be unveiled in a ceremony that will feature remarks from the local SAM and IBM presidents and a reading of the Kansas City Proclamation signed by Mayor Quinton Lucas, officially recognizing September 2026 as Harry Houdini Month. I will also be on hand to say a few words. The unveiling ceremony will conclude with a live suspended straitjacket escape attempt by magician Lance Rich.

This week's events represent a long-term effort by Dennis Burks, the local IBM Ring 129, SAM Assembly 38, and the city to preserve Houdini’s Kansas City legacy. Funding for the historic marker has been provided through grants from the SAM Magic Endowment Fund and the IBM Endowment and Development Fund.

Hope to see you in Kansas City!

Top image generated with ChatGPT using artwork available at Bozz Prints.

Related:

• Next stop: Kansas City
• Evidence of Houdini's first suspended straitjacket escape 
• LINK: St. Joseph magician steps into Houdini’s history with upcoming Kansas City escape attempt

Going wild on The Skeptical Help Bar, Friday (Aug 1)

This Friday (Aug 1), I will be live-streaming with Kenny Biddle, Chief Investigator for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, on The Skeptical Help Bar. This is Kenney's "Open Mic Night" Q&A style show. We will be talking about Houdini, Escaping Obscurity, my recent appearance on Ghost Adventures, and wherever anyone wants us to talk about! And, yes, we will be drinking.

The live stream link is embedded below, or you can check it out on YouTube. The time is 5pm Pacific. The video will reflect your own time zone. You can be notified when the stream goes live by clicking the video below.

Hope to see you there!

Related:

• Houdini's spirit trumpet on Ghost Adventures
• Center For Inquiry welcomes Houdini (and I)
• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY

Watch 'Houdini A Magician Among the Spirits' LIVE

Heads up! The new UK production Houdini: A Magician Among The Spirits will be streaming LIVE from The Seagull Theatre at 7:30pm GMT. That's only 40 minutes from the time of this posting! The show can be watched free on YouTube. Enjoy.

For more information visit www.houdinishow.co.uk and Facebook.

UPDATE: The stream has ended, but the recording remains online, so you can still watch above. Well done everyone!

Related:

• See 'Houdini A Magician Among The Spirits' in the UK
• Houdini plays

Broken Wand Ceremony for Ron Cartlidge

A broken wand ceremony will be held for Ron Cartlidge today at 7:00 PM Central Time. Ron passed away on December 12 at age 82. The event will be streamed on YouTube. I've embedded the stream below, but you can also watch live on YouTube itself.

We celebrate the life of Ron Cartlidge with a broken wand ceremony. Ron was a Houdini expert who wrote Houdini’s Texas Tours 1916 & 1923. He was a strong proponent of magic in Texas, lending his energy to the Austin Chapter of the Society of American Magicians and was responsible for reviving the Austin Magic Auction. Ron was a member of the I.B.M., The Magic Circle, and a Life Member of the S.A.M.

If you are in the Austin area and wish to attend in person, they can accommodate about 20 people at the Fantastic Magic Center in Georgetown Texas. You must RSVP by emailing kent@kentcummins.com. If you wish to speak, but cannot attend in person, you can join the event through Zoom. Register HERE. 

Thanks to Kevin O'Donnell for the alert.

Related:

• Ron Cartlidge has passed away
• LINK: Houdini’s Final Texas Tour By Ron Cartlidge
• S.A.M. wand breaking ceremony 2020

The Grim Game is streaming free at TV Time

Houdini's best and most elusive movie The Grim Game (1919) is now streaming for free via the TV Time app/channel. I'm not sure if TV Time is exclusive to Roku devices. All I know is I found it, hit play, and it played! This is the 2015 restoration with a score by Brane Živkovic which aired only once on TCM.

This could mean the movie will arrive on other streaming platforms soon. Or this could be a fluke. (The restoration credits have been cut off, so this might be less than legit.) But it's high time The Grim Game got out there for all to enjoy. So enjoy!

Related:

• Houdini conquers Hollywood (at last) in The Grim Game
• Rick Schmidlin (Part I): Finding The Grim Game
• Watch clips from The Grim Game at TCM.com

'Houdini Unbound' live stream performance today

This is super late notice, but the Don't Go Into The Cellar! Theatre Company will live stream their production of HOUDINI UNBOUND today at 9PM UK time on Facebook Live. The performance is free to view, but they also have a Go Fund Me page where you can donate the cost of a ticket. 

For more details and to link to the performance check out the Houdini Unbound EVENT PAGE on Facebook. 

Related:

• Houdini Plays

Houdini & David Copperfield OIA Induction (video)

If you missed the livestream of the Houdini and David Copperfield induction into The National Museum of American Jewish History's Only in America® Gallery/Hall of Fame, don't fret! Below you can rewatch the entire event via the museum's YouTube. Enjoy.

Congratulations to David Copperfield and all participants: Brad Garrett, Lucy Darling (a.k.a. Carisa Hendrix), Asi Wind, Jeff and Debbie Blood, George Hardeen, and all the good folks at the NMAJH. And congratulations to Houdini of course!

Let me know what you thought of the show in the comments below.

UPDATE: The NMAJH sent out a final event email thanking viewers and saying the event was seen by over 42,000 people and raised more than $750,000…and counting! They also including the following:

Related:

• How to watch today's Houdini-David Copperfield event and get the poster
• Houdini and Copperfield 'Only in America' event December 12
• Houdini and David Copperfield to be inducted into National Jewish Museum Hall of Fame

How to watch today's Houdini-David Copperfield event and get the poster

The National Museum of American Jewish History will simultaneously induct Houdini and David Copperfield into their Only in America® Gallery/Hall of Fame TODAY at 5 PM PST / 8 PM EST. Below are links where you can watch the special livestream event:

Tiltify (Special Event Platform)

NMAJH YouTube Channel

NMAJH on Facebook

NMAJH Website

For those who have been drooling over the fantastic artwork created for the event, know you can get one of 250 limited edition posters for a donation of just $25, or a poster signed by David Copperfield for $100. Go to the Tiltify Event Page and click the "Rewards" tab for this and other special offers.

The Only in America® Gallery/Hall of Fame recognizes the achievements and contributions of American Jews who have significantly impacted American society and culture. Past inductees include: Golda Meir, Albert Einstein, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Barbra Streisand, Irving Berlin, Emma Lazarus, and Steven Spielberg.

UPDATE: Houdini & David Copperfield OIA Induction (video)

Related:

• Houdini and David Copperfield to be inducted into National Jewish Museum Hall of Fame
• Houdini and Copperfield 'Only in America' event December 12
• David Copperfield vs. Harry Houdini

Magic Collectors' Corner goes inside the Houdini Museum of New York

This Sunday, June 28, the Magic Collectors' Corner weekly ZOOM conference (#11) will again be Houdini-themed. The highlight will be a tour of the recently reopened Houdini Museum of New York by owner Roger Dreyer himself.

"I look forward to sharing the Houdini Museum of New York with you all this Sunday. Not just Houdini, but Copperfield, Blackstone, Henning, and even a rubber chicken!" -Roger Dreyer

Magic Collectors' Corner Live Event #11
Meeting ID: 869 8962 9592
Password: Dante

IMPORTANT NOTE: The ZOOM event is limited to the first 100 participants, but a LIVE simulcast can be viewed on the Magic Collectors Corner Facebook Group. Join it now so you'll be assured you can watch the program.

Related:

• Magic Collectors' Corner #8 - Houdini Special
• Fantasma Magic presents The Eyes Of Houdini
• Guest blog: The Houdini Museum of New York, Part I | Part II

Watch Strange Inheritance 'Houdini Jewel' on Tubi

The first four seasons of Strange Inheritance with Jamie Colby are available to stream for free on Tubi. This includes the episode "Houdini Jewel" devoted to Bess Houdini's royal crown brooch. Interviewed are David Copperfield, Milt and Arlene Larsen, and me!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH ON TUBI

There have been developments since the episode first aired on January 22, 2018. David Copperfield is no longer the owner. The brooch now belongs to Randy and Kirsty Pitchford of the Cardini family. I also discovered a 1952 article in which Gerri Larsen says the brooch was given to Bess by the Grand Duke of Russia (Sergei Aeksandrovich), not Czar Nicholas, confirming the theory I express in the show.

However, the most recent twist is a 1902 Christmas card that proves Bess had the brooch before the Houdinis ever went to Russia, so it appears we can forget about Russian royalty altogether! But the brooch has passed through the hands of magic royalty, and that's what continues to make it a true treasure.

This was a fun shoot and I think the episode is well done. And while I don't know this for certain, I think this is how I landed on David Copperfield's radar and why I received the great honor of visiting his incredible museum in 2018 (which you can read about here).

Thanks to Ashley Drew for the alert.

Related:

• Bessie's brooch pins down $72,000 at auction
• Strange Inheritance unearths the Houdini Jewel
• Lindsay Benner brings Bess to the AMA Awards

Stream 'Mr. Swallow: Houdini' at Soho on Demand

Nick Mohammed's Mr. Swallow: Houdini, which enjoyed a popular run at London's Soho Theater in 2017, is now available to stream at Soho Theatre on Demand until May 20th for a minimum donation of £4.

In these worrying times of global pandemics and lockdowns, who better to lift your spirits than the eccentric tour de force that is Mr. Swallow, a man willing to pay the ultimate homage to Houdini himself by recreating the master’s legendary underwater escape (and you thought your lockdown was bad??) Mr. Swallow is once again joined by his trusty assistants Mr. Goldsworth (David Elms) and Jonathan (Kieran Hodgson) as he charts his own imitable interpretation of Houdini’s life, fusing daredevil magic (his words), hilarious comedy (also his words) and a series of musical numbers that are, frankly, to die for (…yep).

All proceeds raised will go to charity, with 70% going to NHS Charities Together to support frontline workers leading the response to the Covid-19 emergency, with the remaining 30% put into a trust for comics most affected by the pandemic and the resulting financial instability.

Related:

• 'Mr. Swallow - Houdini' at Soho Theater in London
• LINK: Mr Swallow: Houdini – a giddy feat of comedic derring-do
• Houdini back at the Edinburgh Fringe

Houdini (1953) streaming free on Pluto TV

Just a heads up that Houdini (1953) is now streaming free in HD on Pluto TV. Pluto is quickly becoming my go-to app for free streaming movies. I'm not sure how long they make movies available, but it great to see there's now a free option. So if you've never see this magical biopic starring Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, know that it's just a click away.

Related:

• When Houdini (1953) came to TV
• HOUDINI on channel 13
• Houdini (1953) premiered 65 years ago today

The Magic of Houdini with Alan Davies on Amazon

The 2014 documentary The Magic of Houdini with Alan Davies is now available for streaming and purchase via Amazon Prime.

The Magic of Houdini on Amazon Prime

In The Magic of Houdini, Alan Davies, a UK comedian and personality, travels to various Houdini locations in the UK and U.S. Along the way he talks with: Roger Dreyer, David Copperfield, Ruth Brandon, Ken Silverman, Kevin Connolly, Richard Sherry and Dayle Krall, and 93-year-old Larry Weeks (his last interview). As I wrote in my original review, it offers up a nice time capsule of the Houdini world in 2014.

Related:

• Alan Davies brings us Houdini in 2014
• 'The Magic of Houdini' now streaming on Netflix
• ITV announces The Magic of Houdini with Alan Davies

Houdini miniseries leaves Netflix March 2

The Houdini miniseries starring Adrien Brody will be leaving Netflix on March 2. The streaming network put up the two-part biopic in March 2015. I'm always amused when people tell me they watched "the Netflix Houdini movie" with no idea it was originally shown on HISTORY in 2014.

Netflix streams the edited U.S. broadcast version. The full unedited international version can be found on DVD and Blu-ray. You can read my review HERE.

Related:

• 'The Magic of Houdini' now streaming on Netflix
• FairyTale now streaming on Netflix

'Houdini Unlocking His Secrets' on Amazon Prime

The 1995 television special Houdini: Unlocking His Secrets is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The only catch is that's dubbed in Spanish (but you can turn on English subtitles).

The show featured modern magicians performing Houdini's feats intercut with biographical information. It's a well-done special with excellent performances and some nice Houdini photos and film footage. I covered the show in depth HERE.

Houdini: Unlocking His Secrets was released on VHS in 1996, but it never made it to DVD. So this is one way to see this rare Houdini program.

Click to watch on Amazon Prime Video (free with membership)

Related:

• Unlocking Houdini's secrets in 1995
• Houdini Documentaries
• Houdini (1953) streaming on Amazon

Justin "Houdini" Willman breaks out on Netflix

It's rare that I give a shoutout to a magician or show that doesn't have a firm Houdini connection, but that's what I'm doing for Justin Willman's new series on Netflix, Magic For Humans. It's terrific. And while the show may not have a Houdini connection, Justin does!

You might remember that Justin played Houdini at the 2015 Houdini Historical Roast at Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles. He also performed at the 2015 Official Houdini Séance in San Fransisco. I met him on both occasions. He's a great guy and a superb magician. And he looks like Houdini!

Houdini's spirit message to his 2015 roasters.

Magic For Humans is currently streaming on Netflix. Justin is also touring. For more info visit his official website. I would also recommend watching Justin & Jill's DRUNK HISTORY wedding parody, which is charming, and Breaking up with a magician, which has a nice Houdini inside joke.

Related:

• Roasting Houdini
• REPORT: The Official Houdini Séance 2015
• 'The Magic of Houdini' now streaming on Netflix

Houdini meets Mr. Peabody & Sherman

Houdini puts in an appearance on the DreamWorks Animation series The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show. In Season 4, Episode 5, "Gone Comic Gone / Harry Houdini", Peabody and Sherman time travel to 1895 to "teach Houdini restraint."

The show is pretty manic, but the Houdini storyline is fun. Harry starts off as an unsuccessful and overbearing "show off" magician (who bares a striking resemblance to Criss Angel). With the help of Mr. Peabody and Sherman, he transformers into the iconic magician of history. We even get to see him do his thumb racket!

Houdini is voiced by Jeff Bennett. The show was written by Mike Leffingwell.

The series is now airing on the Universal Kids TV network, but all four seasons are available on Netflix where this episode premiered on April 21, 2017.

Below are links to some other Houdini animated adventures.

Related:

• Jem and the Houdinis
• Houdini's great mouse adventure
• Houdini gets The Simpsons treatment

Another Period "Séance" available on Amazon

You can now purchase and stream the Houdini episode of the Comedy Central's Another Period. "Séance" featured Gil Ozeri as Houdini taking advantage of the more rich than bright Bellacourt family.

Purchase "Séance" and other episodes from Another Period Season 3 at Amazon.com.

Related:

• Houdini visits 'Another Period'
• Gil Ozeri is Houdini in Another Period

Amazon uses Houdini clip to promote 'Lore'

Aaron Mahnke's popular podcast Lore is now a series on Amazon. Episode 4, "Passing Notes", deals with spiritualism and features Houdini. Below is a promotional clip for the series featuring part of the Houdini segment.

One interesting mistake this clip makes is saying that Bess held her annual seances "every Halloween." At some point I'll get into this in more depth, but not only am I skeptical that Bess ever did "annual" seances in the 10 years after Houdini died, but the few I'm aware of were not done on Halloween. In fact, it's possible the first Halloween seance was actually the Final Houdini Seance of 1936. But, as I said, we'll save that for another time.

Lore starts steaming today at Amazon Video. The series is free for Prime members.

Related:

• Mama's death and the birth of a myth
• The real story of Houdini & Doyle
• Halloween 1936: The Final Houdini Seance

Talking Houdini with Dash Finley and Dark Times

Recently I was interviewed by Dash Finley for Dark Times: Unsolved Horrors and Mysteries. The interview was held in the Houdini Seance Room of the Magic Castle and aired yesterday on Facebook's Super News Live. Dash had excellent questions and the interview was a lot of fun. Click below to watch. (It takes about 30 seconds to start.) Please give it a Like if you like!

Thanks to Dash Finley and Amanda Urrego. Also thanks to Ben Roman at the Magic Castle.

Related:

• Talking Houdini on Beyond Reality Radio TONIGHT
• Talking Houdini with Jeff Richards
• Houdini & Doyle day at The Magic Castle