Houdini’s New Jersey workshop found

Yet another significant Houdini location has been uncovered by Patrick Culliton and shared on Kevin Connolly’s terrific blog "Houdini Himself".

This time it’s Houdini’s workshop located at 216 19th St, Union City, New Jersey. For details and a photo of the workshop today head on over to Houdini Himself.

UPDATE: Unfortunately Kevin's site is now offline, but you can see then and now photos of Houdini's workshop HERE.

Hollywood home rumored to be Houdini residence for sale

A Hollywood home “rumored” to have once been a residence of Houdini is for sale. The 4 bedroom house was built in 1918 and is located at 1616 N. Curson Ave. between Sunset and Hollywood Blvd.

While Houdini is known to have rented a (now demolished) house in nearby Laurel Canyon while he made The Grim Game and Terror Island for Famous Players/Paramount, there is some credence to this being another residence.

In the well-researched book The Story of Hollywood, author Gregory Paul Williams notes on page 78 that “the renowned magician Houdini occupied a cozy craftsman in the Gardner Tract while acting in movies.”

The book doesn’t give an address, but this is a craftsman style house in the Gardner tract (and a beautiful one at that). The current owner, who grew up in the house, says his parents always told him Houdini once lived there.

UPDATE: Local Houdini expert Patrick Culliton tells me this was actually the house occupied by Bess Houdini and Ed Saint sometime after the 1936 Final Houdini seance. Says Patrick, “Houdini was never in that house. But old-timers told me of visiting Bessie and Ed at 1616 N. Curson.”

...make that Bessie Houdini.

Sportswear banks on magic of Houdini name

Does this company really think I’ll buy their sportswear just because the label reads “Houdini”? Well, they’re right. I will. Here’s their pitch:

Everything Houdini stands for comes from how we live - and we live to play hard. The idea for Houdini first came to us when we were stranded in what most people would call an impossible situation, our backs against the wall. It was a do or die time. Everyone on the team knew that if se were going to make it down the mountain, we would need the skills and steel nerves of an escape artist to see us through. So, we called out to the best of the best: Houdini. That day his spirit came and helped us through. He's been with us ever since.

Check out the official Houdini Sportswear website.

LINK: This way to Houdini's House

Noted magic collector and historian David Stahl has traveled to Budapest Hungary in search of the original Weiss family home and other notable Houdini locations. David’s photos can been seen on Kevin Connolly’s terrific blog Houdini Himself. Click the headline above to visit Houdini's childhood hood.

UPDATE: Unfortunately Kevin's site is now offline and the title link is no longer active. But you can see images of Houdini's birthplace in THIS POST.

The Mysteries of Myra novelization

The “long lost” novelization for the 1916 serial The Mysteries of Myra, for which Houdini served as technical consultant, has been restored and is available to purchase as a paperback or hardback from the NEW Mysteries of Myra website.

The novelization is co-credited to Hereward Carrington, a paranormal investigator and Houdini colleague who later published the book, Houdini And Conan Doyle: The Story of a Strange Friendship.

Houdini’s consultant credit on The Mysteries of Myra is generally considered his first real foray into “Hollywood” cinema.

New book to tell story of Marie Blood

Greg Edmonds, whose Ars Praestigium recently released the amazing new cold cast bronze bust of Houdini created by renowned sculptor Peter Close, tells us he is currently working on a new book that will tell the story of Houdini’s niece, Marie Blood. Says Greg:

“The book I'm working on is tentatively entitled Harry and Bess - Marie Hinson Blood's life with The Great Houdinis. We decided to aim the publication at the adolescent market because Marie was only days shy of her ninth birthday when Harry died, and because a portion of the book's proceeds will go to the Society Of American Magician's youth chapter, with which Marie was heavily involved. 

As you may be aware, after Harry's death, Bess moved in with Marie and her parents. Marie inherited Houdini's bedroom suite, and slept in his bed until she married Forrest. As a youngster, she frequently resided with the Houdinis in Harlem, and went as far as Detroit to appear as a "child volunteer from the audience" in Houdini's shows, something she did several times.

I put the project aside for several years for a variety of reasons, Marie's declining health and my own, chief among them. I am slowly getting the book together again, though. Over the last couple of months I've been gathering items from Jeff [Blood], and hope to include a good many photo illustrations in the work. I plan, at this stage, to publish the work through Ars Praestigium (we have a few others on hold as well), then attempt to shop it out to a big publishing house.”

This sounds like something very special! We’ll keep you updated.

USQ presents Houdini musical, Aug 20-29

The University of Southern Queensland’s “USQ Artsworx” presents Houdini: The Man From Beyond, a musical theater celebration of the life of Houdini written by renowned Australian poet Bruce Dawe and local musician and composer Russell Bauer.

The production stars Chris White as Houdini and and Kristen Thompson as Bess. Guest director is Sue Rider. Designer is Carolyn Taylor-Smith.

Come marvel at the master mystifier!

Date: 20, 21, 27 and 28 August 2010
Time: 7:30pm
Matinees: 11:00am - Wednesday 25 August 2010

2:00pm - Sundays 22 and 29 August 2010

Venue: USQ Arts Theatre, Toowoomba campus
Duration: tbc
Rating: PG
Cost: $25.00 Adult, $20.00 Concession, $15.00 Student, $7.50 Child, $11 each School Group >20

Bookings: USQ Artsworx Box Office - 07 4631 1111 or boxoffice@usq.edu.au

This project has been funded by the Regional Arts Development Fund which is a Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and Toowoomba Regional Council partnership to support local arts and culture.

Paramount buys Boilerplate

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Paramount has picked up rights to Boilerplate: History’s Mechanical Marvel, a graphic novel-picture book hybrid by Paul Guinan and Anina Bennett which purports to tell the story of the world’s first robot.

In the book Boilerplate fights alongside Teddy Roosevelt, journeys to the South Pole, and works alongside Houdini (apparently in silent films) before disappearing on the battlefields of World War I.

Guinan originally pitched the concept and character via his Boilerplate website 11 years ago when trying to drum up interest in a graphic novel. The site eventually took on a life of its own when some people started believing the robot and its history to be true. The book was published last year by Abrams Image.

J.J. Abrams, Lost co-creator and director/producer of films such as the recent Star Trek reboot is set to produce.

Houdini bust from ArsPraestigium

The amazing new cold cast bronze bust of Houdini created by renowned sculptor Peter Close is now available for purchase at the new ArsPraestigium website.

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The bust depicts Houdini in a straightjacket and measures approximately 12 inches and weighs around 10 pounds. Each limited edition piece is signed by artist Peter Close. It sells for $390 + $35 shipping to North America. All busts are created at the time of order.

Click here for more info and to purchase.

Elfman gives update on 'Houdini' at Comic-Con

I was in the audience yesterday when Danny Elfman told a packed audience at the San Diego Comic-Con that he is still working on his score to a Broadway musical based on the life of Houdini.

However, Elfman said the nature of large Broadway shows like this can be “tumultuous” and he couldn’t say when, or if, the show will see the stage. But he said he is enjoying the work and the collaboration with “some very good people.”

The Elfman Houdini musical was announced back in April 2008 for a Spring 2010 debut, but little news has been available about the status of the project.

This was Elfman’s first appearance at Comic-Con, and he received two standing ovations.

Days of Thrills and Laughter released on DVD

Days of Thrills and Laughter is released today on DVD by VCI Entertainment.

The 1961 documentary feature takes an affectionate look back at the silent era and includes footage from Houdini's 1922 film The Man From Beyond. While Houdini appeared on the original promotion material, looks like he didn't make the cover of this DVD, although he is name-checked on the back.

Purchase the Days of Thrills and Laughter DVD from Amazon.com.

'Carter Beats The Devil' reappears at Warner Bros.

Carter and Houdini in 1910.

Deadline Hollywood reports that Warner Bros. has optioned Michael Glen David Gold’s Carter Beats The Devil for Jon Shestack to produce with Ginny Brewer and Jeremy Stein.

The site reports that the book was "a hot property when optioned for high six-figures in 2002 by Paramount for Cruise/Wagner, a time when Tom Cruise was intrigued with playing a magician. It was eclipsed by a different C/W-developed magic book, David Fisher’s The War Magician. Ultimately, nothing happened on either front."

Shestack had tried to option the novel when it first came out, and has followed the many failed attempts to turn it into a movie at other studios. "I’ve been trying to get Warner Bros. to buy it since the day it came out and that it’s finally happened is enough to make me believe in magic," Shestack says.

Michael Gilio has been hired to write the script.

The superb 2001 novel features Houdini in a small but significant role as Carter’s inspiration and mentor. Here's hoping Carter can beat Development Hell!

Photo of Charles Carter and Houdini in Sydney Australia (1910) courtesy of Kevin Connolly HoudiniHimself.com.

New fiction: Houdini’s Flight

A new novel, Houdini’s Flight by Angelo Loukakis, has been released by Harper Collins in Australia. Description follows:

Terry Voulos is struggling. His marriage, his relationship with his son and his work prospects are shaky. He finds solace in the possibility of a new career as a magician, before a tragic accident sends him into exile, estranged from all that is familiar. 

Hal Sargeson, a one-time magician and lifelong disciple of Harry Houdini, takes Terry under his wing. He begins to school Terry in the same arts of escape that the great Houdini used to thrill Australian audiences a hundred years earlier, but keeps to himself a knot that might have beaten even the master. 

Terry is eventually brought to truths more disturbing than his present troubles, and to a moment when the healing power of magic is truly needed. Between Houdini′s example and Hal′s guidance, Terry learns much more than the routine illusions of the everyday magician. 

HOUDINI′S FLIGHT is a moving and surprising story of finding meaning in the most unexpected places.

Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps tribute to Houdini

The La Crosse Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps will debut its 2010 show, Houdini, at Onalaska High School in Onalaska, WI on June 23, 2010.

This program tells the story of Houdini with contemporary classical compositions by Philip Glass and music from the movies The Illusionist and The Bucket List and the opera Nixon in China.

The Blue Stars are known for telling stories on the field such as the American factory during World War II and Tour de France. This year they have selected a much darker show in Houdini but hope to capture the story of the man who once had the greatest act on earth, said Brad Furlano, former Blue Stars drum major who is the corps’ executive director.

The color guard will use handcuffs and crates and wear straight jackets while spinning flags in their routine.

The concert will begin at 7 pm and is free to the public. The corps do ask that you bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the La Crosse Hunger Task Force.