Houdini vs. Hodgson in new book

A new book, Hodgson: A Collection of Essays by Sam Gafford, collects essays about the life and work of William Hope Hodgson, including "Houdini v Hodgson: The Blackburn Challenge," Gafford's in-depth investigation into what may have been Houdini's most difficult challenge. This essay first appeared in Weird Fiction Review #3. Here's a description of the book:

William Hope Hodgson (1877-1918) wrote many classic of supernatural horror including THE HOUSE ON THE BORDERLAND, THE NIGHT LAND, "The Voice in the Night", "From the Tideless Sea" as well as creating CARNACKI, THE GHOST-FINDER. Since 1992, Sam Gafford has been at the fore-front of Hodgson criticism and scholarship. This book combines several of his most important essays along with newer articles about Hodgson's life and work. Included here is the ground-breaking essay, "Writing Backwards: The Novels of William Hope Hodgson" that led to a completely new evaluation of Hodgson's novels with the revolutionary claim that THE NIGHT LAND was actually the FIRST novel that Hodgson ever wrote! An in-depth investigation of Hodgson's infamous with Harry Houdini in 1902 is the subject of "Houdini v Hodgson: The Blackburn Challenge". This collection provides a foundation for further criticism and study of Hodgson's life and career.

Purchase Hodgson: A Collection of Essays by Sam Gafford on Amazon.

Houdini gets tipsy this Tuesday

Houdini may have been a committed non-drinker, but he's going to get thoroughly blasted on Comedy Central's Drunk History this Tuesday, August 13. The series, created by Derek Waters, features drunk storytellers talking about history while well-known actors perform their inebriated version of events. It's pretty funny stuff.

Drunk History's Tuesday episode is called "Detroit" and will have a segment about Houdini and Spiritualism. Houdini is played by Ken Marino and Alfred Molina plays Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I don't know who the selected storyteller is, but he'll be drunk!

UPDATE: A sober recap of Drunk History's Houdini episode.

Mayor to proclaim Sept 27 as 'Dorothy Dietrich Day' in Scranton

Today I have a fantastic exclusive from our good friends at the Houdini Museum in Scranton, PA. Mayor Christopher Doherty will officially proclaim September 27, 2013 as "Dorothy Dietrich Day" in the city of Scranton.

The honor is being bestowed on Dorothy for all the business and tourism her Houdini Museum has brought to the city, as well as the publicity generated when she and Dick Brookz replaced Houdini's bust on his grave in Queens during a "commando" raid in 2011. September 27 marks the second anniversary of that event.

The proclamation will also acknowledge Dorothy's many accomplishments and titles given her over the years, including: The First Lady of Magic, America's #1 Female Magician, The Female Houdini, and the Modern Day Houdini. She's also celebrated as the first and only woman to perform the Bullet Catch in her mouth. Her Scranton-based Houdini Museum -- the only building in the world totally devoted to Houdini -- has celebrated the magician for over two decades, and is the site of the annual Original Houdini Seance. (The museum recently received an amusing mention on The Office.)

I'm very happy to see Dorothy being honored in this way. She's not only a bona fide legend of magic, but she is a tireless and selfless promoter of Houdini's history and legacy. With her museum, radio show, TV appearances, and her continued upkeep of Houdini's gravesite, it could be said that no one is as devoted to persevering Houdini's memory as Dorothy Dietrich. She's one of my heroes.

Congratulations Dorothy!

Houdini Begins

When did Harry Houdini become a magician? The answer is not always clear. While there are many tales of young Ehrich Weiss performing acrobatics and magic in five cent circuses in Wisconsin, most serious Houdini biographies attribute the start of his magic career with his reading The Memories of Robert-Houdin in 1891.

But according to the remarkable book, Sixty Years of Psychical Research, written by Houdini's boyhood friend Joseph F. Rinn in 1950, Houdini was giving semi-professional magic performances two years before he ever read the Robert-Houdin book. Rinn's recollections begin on page 65:

[In 1886] I joined the Pastime Athletic Club, which had grounds at Sixty-seventh Street and the East River, where I quickly developed as a runner. I became captain of the club and was its champion sprint runner in 1889, when a new member joined by the name of Ehrich Weiss, who later became famous as Harry Houdini, the magician and escape artist.

As Weiss was ambitious to win a running prize, he turned to me as captain for advice, and under my instruction he trained and won his first prize.

At the time, Weiss (or Houdini, as I shall henceforth call him) was making and lining ties at a low wage for H. Richter's Sons. His ambition to be a boy magician was curtailed by lack of funds for the purchase of paraphernalia, for performances he gave after working hours at small social affairs and in public schools.

When Houdini learned that I was a magic fan and a friend of the Herrmanns, we became good pals.

In the spring of 1889 Houdini has another friends in his shop, named Jacob Hayman, who was a magic fan, and they frequently worked together, giving amateur magic performances.

On April 30, 1889, Houdini informed me that he and Jack Hayman were booked to give a magic performance at some social affair. "I guess we'll make a flop of it," said Houdini ruefully, "because we haven't enough paraphernalia."

"Oh, I can remedy that," I said, "Come over to Martinka's with me and I'll make you a present of some magic apparatus. Consider it my Christmas present," I added, as Houdini was quite proud and touchy about money matters."

As this is before Houdini's exposure to Robert-Houdin, I wonder what named he and Jack used at what sounds like their first professional engagement?

Later in the book, Rinn recalls when his friend read that seminal work of magic and truly set off to become a professional magician:

It was early 1891 that Ehrich Weiss read The Memories of Robert Houdin, the French magician, and determined to become a professional magician under the name of Harry Houdini, which name he legally made his own at a later date.

A short time after he made his decision, he said to me, "I've made up my mind, Joe, to quite my job and become a professional magician under the name of Harry Houdini."

"But Ehrich, you are only seventeen," I protested. "Isn't that rather young to give up a good job for an uncertain theatrical career?

Houdini replied, "It may seem daffy to a solid businessman like you, Joe, but I've the urge in my blood to be a professional magician and nothing can stop me."

"Well, it's your funeral, Ehrich," I said resignedly; "but get a recommendation for your present employer in case you can't make a success of being a magician."

A few days later Houdini saw me and reported: "Well, I've quit my job, Joe. I followed your advice and got a recommendation. Here it is." I read the letter, which I now possess.

H. RICHTER'S SONS

502 & 504 Broadway

New York, April 3, 1891.

To Whom It May Concern:

We hereby certify that Mr. Ehrich Weiss has been in our employ for two years and six months as assistant lining cutter and we cheerfully recommend him as an honest, industrious young man.

H. Richter's Sons

It's interesting that this oft quoted recommendation letter found its way into Rinn's collection. He doesn't say how he got it, but I can imagine Houdini giving to it to his friend once he had achieved fame as The Handcuff King. Maybe he even gave it to him as "a Christmas present."

Joseph F. Rinn (Library of Congress Collection)

Houdini in Real Science Adventures 9

Houdini returns for yet another indie graphic novel adventure in Atomic Robo Real Science Adventures #9 by Brian Clevinger. The book is released this month by Red 5 Comics. Here's the plot description:

In the wake of financial panic of 1893, a cabal of industrialists plot to overthrow the government. Their "Black Coat" army stole Nikola Tesla's most top secret technologies. Now they lurk in the shadows of New York City. Starring Charles Fort, Winfield-Scott Lovecraft, and Ehrie "Harry Houdini" Weiss!

You can find Atomic Robo Real Science Adventures #9 at comic books stores and websites such as Midtown Comics.

UPDATE: This is the first in a serialized story, so you can look forward to more action with Ehrie "Harry Houdini" Weiss in Real Science Adventures #10, #11, and #12, coming soon.

LINK: Harry Potter star Evanna Lynch on becoming Houdini’s wife

The Irish Post has a nice interview and profile of Evanna Lynch today. The Harry Potter star has been tapped to play Bess in the new UK play, Houdini.

It was the story — and particularly the feisty, strong-willed character that is Bess — that attracted Lynch to the role in the first place. “He [Harry] called her his lucky charm and I think it’s so interesting to explore the minds of these people who were in the background, who were supporting these people who become our idols,” she says.

Click the headline above to read the full interview at The Irish Post.

Who-dini audiobook available in U.S.

AudioGo's Doctor Who-Houdini audiobook adventure, Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctor 5: Smoke and Mirrors, is now available in the U.S. via Amazon.com. The title was released in May in the UK. Here's the official plot description:

The Doctor answers a psionic distress call sent from England in the 1920s. There, in the environs of a fairground, he is reunited with an old friend: Harry Houdini. To Adric and Nyssa the name means very little, but to the Doctor's companion Tegan he is a legend. Escape artist extraordinaire, Houdini's reputation will last for decades. But how does Houdini know so much about Tegan herself? Is it really just guesswork, as he says? Is Houdini right to be concerned about the fairground's fortune teller, who claims to have supernatural skills? Both he and the Doctor suspect an alien influence may be at work. What neither the Doctor nor his friends realise is that, somewhere in the shadows, a sinister and all too familiar presence is lying in wait for them...

Purchase Doctor Who: Smoke and Mirrors from Amazon.com.

Houdini's lost scrapbook is found in Magic Castle newsletter

The August 2013 Magic Castle newsletter contains a report by yours truly about the discovery of Houdini's lost spiritualism scrapbook last month. The Castle newsletter is sent out only to AMA members, but I'm taking the liberty of sharing this one page here.

Click to enlarge.

You can read my original report on the scrapbook here. If you are an interested, you can still send the owner, Mike, a confidential message via my Contact page.

With thanks to Magic Castle newsletter editor and media director Rich Cowley.

Mr. Taroug would like to know...

A unique Hollywood-related Houdini item is on eBay at the moment. This is an original memo from director Norman Taroug dated Jan. 24, 1952. He is almost certainly talking about Paramount's Houdini with Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh here, and he appears to be cracking a joke. He was, after all, the director of the Martin and Lewis comedies.

Click to enlarge.

As this is before the start of production and Taurog was a major Paramount director at the time, I can't help but wonder if he was in consideration to direct Houdini? The film was ultimately directed by George Marshall.

Norman Taurog directed 180 films in his career. He received the Academy Award for Best Director for Skippy in 1931. He was later nominated for Best Director for the film Boys Town (1938). He later directed six Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis comedies (including my favorite, Living It Up with Janet Leigh) and nine Elvis Presley films. He passed away in 1981.

Related:

• HOUDINI (1953)
• Houdini (1953) makes list of 10 most inaccurate biopics
• Bessie visits Paramount (and so do I)

BBC: The new Doctor is "Houdini"

If you're a Doctor Who fan, you know that Matt Smith will be leaving the series after the Christmas special and a new actor will take his place as The 12th Doctor next season. The BBC will reveal who that actor is this Sunday on live television.

According to the Evening Standard, the BBC has instituted a codename to keep the new Doctor's identity a secret: HOUDINI.

"We can’t wait to unveil the next Doctor with everyone live on BBC1 on Sunday night," says BBC drama controller Ben Stephenson. "Amongst all the speculation and betting, there has been lots of fun and intrigue at work as we’ve been using the codename Houdini as a decoy."

Gotta love it.

Houdini and the Doctor have been engaged in quite a dance lately. Not only has Houdini been name-checked several times in the series, but recently a short story, Houdini and the Space Cuckoos, was offered on the official Doctor Who website. In May a new Doctor-Houdini adventure, Smoke and Mirrors, was released as an audiobook. There's also a new t-shirt, The Great Whodini, being offered on websites like teecraze.com.

So who is Houdini? Find out Sunday.

For a complete list of Doctor Who-Houdini references check out TardisWikia.

UPDATE: Houdini is [click here].

Original challenge casket on display at Houdini Museum of New York

The original coffin built by the National Casket Company and used to challenge Houdini in Boston in 1907 is now on display at Roger Dreyer's magnificent Houdini Museum of New York. The casket comes from the collection of Kevin Connolly and I expect this is the first time it has ever been put of public display. Here is a photo of the casket as it appears in the museum, courtesy of Fantasma Magic.

The Houdini Museum of New York is located at the Fantasma Magic Store at 421 Seventh Ave., Third Floor. Open 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Admission is free.

Click here to see more pics from the Houdini Museum of New York.

Houdini's plan to tour East Asia in a 500-seat super car

"You wanna do what now, boss?"

One thing that is notable about Houdini's career is that he never performed in Asia. Many magicians of the time made tours of countries like China, Japan and India, scoring great success and coming back to the West with trunks full of exotic bragging rights. Some performers like Dante and Murray made world touring their life's work. But apart from his 1910 Australian tour, Houdini confined himself to North America and Europe.

However, an article in a July 1914 New York Dramatic Mirror reveals that Houdini was indeed planning to tour East Asia at the beginning of 1915. His plans were, of course, pure Houdini. In an article titled "How Harry Houdini Picked the Lock of Success", the paper reports:

Houdini plans to sail to the Continent in January, crossing to Russia and going by way of the Trans-Siberian Railroad to Japan. While he is an excellent swimmer, he doesn't like sea travel, and is going as far as possible by land. He is now having a huge motor car constructed according to his own ideas for a trip into the interior of Japan and China. The car will be built so that it can be opened to six times its own length, and will seat 500 people. With the van open and a stage arranged in front of the seats, Houdini can give entertainments at will.

One thing that should be pointed out is that the Trans-Siberian terminates in Beijing (then Peking), not Japan, so one wonders how Houdini and his 500-seat super car would deal with the body of water that separates China and Japan.

While it sounds wild, I do believe this East Asia tour was on the level. In fact, I expect the roadshow Houdini was going to present would have been his Grand Magical Revue, which he was performing at this time. This is especially interesting as it's evidence that Houdini was planning his evolution from Vaudeville headliner to touring magician as early as 1915.

So what happened to Houdini's ambitious plans? It seems likely that World War I scuttled the idea. The war broke out on July 28, 1914, just a few weeks after this article was published. Houdini would not even be able to travel back to the UK until 1920. He would remain in the U.S. and in Vaudeville for the duration of the war, and would not head up his own roadshow until 1925.

It's too bad, because oh what a chapter in the Houdini story this super car tour would have made! Thanks a lot, War. Now it's personal.

Thanks to Steve Knight at The Magic Cafe forums for putting on the path to this discovery.

Alpha releases Houdini 3-pack DVD

Alpha Video has released a set of all three of their Houdini silent film DVDs for one price. The set includes Haldane of the Secret Service, The Man From Beyond, and Terror Island.

Judging by the item photo (left), it doesn't appear these three DVDs are contained on a special box or slipcase, so I'm not sure it's a must buy for those of us who bought the films when they came out individually. (Memo to Alpha: Whip up a slipcase with unique artwork and, boom, you have me again.)

While these Alpha releases tend to be nothing special as far as the prints are concerned, Alpha does go the extra mile with nice cover art and menus. Their release of Haldane of the Secret Service is the only stand alone DVD release of Houdini's last film.

You can purchase Alpha Video's Houdini DVD three pack from Amazon.com or Oldies.com.

By the way, Alpha's DVD of Mystic Circle Murder (aka Religious Racketeers -- the 1938 Bessie movie) is currently on sale for $3.99 at Oldies.com. Why not make it a four pack!