Houdini radio serial in production

Serial Squadron, a company that produces original radio serials for release on DVD and MP3, have announced they are working on a new Houdini serial, The Adventures of Harry Houdini: Diet of Wyrms.

Written by Greg Glick, the 5-chapter cliffhanger serial finds Houdini, his wife Bess and assistant Ape (?) traveling to New England to investigate spiritualists, stolen books of magic and mysterious monsters.

Sounds like good fun. We’ll keep you posted on the progress. For more on Serial Squadron visit their website.

Houdini’s final ad

The excellent Carnegie Blog has uncovered a newspaper advert for Houdini’s very last performance on Sunday, October 24, 1926 at the Garrick Theater in Detroit, Michigan.

While reviews did note that Houdini didn’t quite seem himself that night, little did the audience know he was performing with a ruptured appendix and a 104 degree temperature (which rose to 106 by evenings end).

Houdini would die seven days later on Halloween 1926.

American Museum of Magic receives bequest

The Battle Creek Enquirer reports that the American Museum of Magic in Marshall, Michigan recently obtained a bequest of magic memorabilia from the Jay Marshall Estate which contains a number of items relating to Houdini, including pictures, notes, and an audio recording of the great 20th century magician's voice.

The bulk of the Marshall collection is paper ephemera including posters, handbills, photos, theater programs, correspondence, patents and notes related to 19th and 20th century magicians. It will be housed with the current collections in the museum's present home two buildings in the Historic District in Marshall, Michigan, a small town midway between Detroit and Chicago.

The American Museum of Magic and the affiliated Museum Library are built around the collection of Robert Lund, one of the world's foremost magic collectors and co-founder of the museum with his wife, Elaine. Lund passed away in 1995, and since his wife's passing in 2006 the museum has operated governed by a board of directors as a non-profit corporation. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, or by request (269-781-7570).

Houdini helps launch Warehouse 13

Houdini got a nice name check last night in the premier episode of Warehouse 13, a new series on SyFy (formally SciFi Channel) that is sort of X-Files meets the last shot of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

In the pilot episode Houdini’s wallet -- one of the many mysterious objects housed in a Top Secret government warehouse in North Dakota -- effects an escape and...well...it doesn’t do much of anything. But according to its Warehouse 13 index card, it is capable of “Charonic Transfer” (whatever that means).

Maybe the wallet will make a return appearance in a future episode?

Meet Johnathon Schaech

Actor Johnathon Schaech, who played Houdini in the 1998 TNT original film, Houdini, will be appearing at the Hollywood Collector’s Show on July 18 and 19. This will be Mr. Schaech’s first appearance at the show.

The Hollywood Collector’s Show is held three times a year at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, 2500 North Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA. For more information visit the official website.

Listen to Houdini's ‘Imprisoned with the Pharaohs’

UPDATE: Unfortunately, it appears this is no longer available.

The Classic Tales Podcast has posted an audio reading of the classic Houdini short story, Imprisoned with the Pharaohs (aka Under the Pyramids). The story is read by character actor B.J. Harrison.

First published in the May-June-July 1924 issue of Weird Tales, the story tells of Houdini’s adventures trapped in a Egyptian tomb. While it appeared under Houdini’s byline, the story was actually ghost written by the great H.P. Lovecraft.

According to Wikipedia "J.C. Henneberger, owner of Weird Tales, wished Lovecraft to write up an account Houdini had told him: on a trip to Egypt, he had been bound by Arabs and left in some deep chamber of Campbell's Tomb in the valley of the pyramids. Houdini was attempting to pass off this adventure as a true occurrence, but Lovecraft's subsequent research established that the story was largely fictitious. As such, Lovecraft allowed his imagination free rein, transferring to the temple of the Sphinx but otherwise retaining many of the details of the narrative as related by Houdini."

Imprisoned with the Pharaohs - Part 1
Imprisoned with the Pharaohs - Part 2

Million Dollar Theater celebrates The Magic of Tony Curtis

A very special screening of the 1953 classic HOUDINI was held at the historic Million Dollar Theater in downtown Los Angeles yesterday. Mr. Curtis was on hand for the day-long celebration, THE MAGIC OF TONY CURTIS, a part of the L.A. Historic Theatre Foundation’s Jules Verne Festival.

Before the screening escape artist Curtis Lovell performed a water cube escape for the packed crowd. Having escaped, Lovell was congratulated by Mr. Curtis himself, who came on stage to a standing ovation.

HOUDINI was a treat to watch with a live audience (including many children) who laughed at the humor and applauded each feat of magic.

For more on the post-HOUDINI screening activates, including pictures, visit Dear Old Hollywood, one of my very favorite destinations on the web.

New Houdini graphic novel by C.E.L. Welsh

Campfire has released a superb new biographical graphic novel Harry Houdini by C.E.L. Welsh with illustrations by Lalit Kumar Singh.

Keshav Thirani, who set up Campfire in India two years ago to produce graphic novels for 7-15 year olds, says that figures like Houdini are generally excluded from the syllabus of children, “Yet, they had magical lives.”

Campfire also caters to fiction with graphic novel adaptions of Tom Sawyer and Sherlock Holmes.

C.E.L. Welsh's Harry Houdini can be ordered with free shipping from www.campfire.co.in or Amazon.com.

Nathanson will unlock The Secret Life of Houdini

IGN.com is reporting that screenwriter Jeff Nathanson has signed on to write and direct The Secret Life of Houdini for Summit Entertainment.

Summit hopes to launch a fictional action franchise in the vein of Indiana Jones and Sherlock Holmes featuring Houdini’s supposed adventures as a spy for the British government.

Nathanson shared credit on the latest Indiana Jones film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and has worked with Steven Spielberg on numerous projects. He also has the dubious distinction of writing Speed 2: Cruise Control.

Death Defying Acts released on DVD in the UK

Death Defying Acts is released today on DVD in the UK by Lionsgate Home Entertainment. Priced at £15.99, the region 2 DVD features an anamorphic widescreen (1.78.1) transfer, Dolby Digital 5.1 audio and cast interviews.

Death Defying Acts stars Guy Pearce as Houdini and Catherine Zeta-Jones as a Scottish psychic. While it is an entirely fictionalized episode in Houdini’s life, it’s a decent movie with excellent production design and performances.

Death Defying Acts can be purchased now at Amazon.co.uk.

UPDATE: The DVD is now on sale for only £3.99!

Two ultra rare Houdini props hit eBay

Two one-of-a-kind Houdini props from the storied collection of Arthur Moses have been put up for sale on eBay.

First is Houdini's Original Spirit Cabinet Illusion. According to listing, this escape effect was built in 1924 and intended it to replace his famous Water Torture Cell. Houdini would be encased within four wooden boxes. Iron rods were then placed down the length of the four corners, locking the boxes in place. He may have also been restrained in ropes or chains strung though the holes on either side of the cabinet. The cabinet would then be concealed behind a small drape, from where Houdini would quickly emerge free - yet the cabinet, when shown and inspected, was still tightly secured. The New York Hippodrome program referred to it as "an almost perfect mystery." Opening bid: $18,000.

Next is an Original Houdini packing crate from his home in New York City. The crate contains old shipping labels stating that the trunk belongs to Bess and Harry Houdini. Each end of the crate contains Houdini's theatrical labels in large black letters proclaiming HOUDINI. The crate has Houdini handwriting on one side. In pencil, he wrote "ALL STRAIT JACKETS, OCT 1920." Milbourne Christopher's biography on Houdini clearly states that this was during the time that Houdini formed his movie company and placed his props in the basement to concentrate on making motion pictures. Starting bid: $30,000.

Rush Limbaugh co-opts Houdini poster for attack

Conservative gas-bag Rush Limbaugh has helped himself to Houdini’s classic King of Cards poster to help illustrate his latest attack on President Obama.

Says Limbaugh, "Is Obama the new Houdini? You know, it's Barack H. Obama. Does the "H" now stand for Houdini? Is he trying to escape all responsibility, that he has no responsibility for his own votes for TARP?”

Whatever.