Houdini's head

Tom Interval's terrific new Facebook page devoted to the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame has stirred up a lot of nostalgia among Houdini buffs for the old museum (which burned in 1995). So I thought it was time to share this little item from my own collection. Some can say they have Houdini's bust. But I have his head!

This is one of the original mannequin heads from the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame. Other mannequins from the museum were made of hard plaster, but this one is made of painted foam rubber which gives it a realistic feel. It has a brown wig, blue plastic eyes and is mounted on a short broomstick handle.

This Houdini head appears to have served multiple roles during its time at the museum. I know that it was once part of a full Houdini mannequin used in a seance room display (below). However, that display was later replaced and where the head went from there I don't know. But it's possible it was last used as the "talking" head in front of the museum that welcomed visitors. I say this because part of the wig has been stripped away, possibly to work better with the projection illusion. If anyone has any memories or theories of where they might have seen this head in the museum, I'd love to hear them.

The Houdini head survived the fire in 1995 which destroyed the Water Torture Cell and closed the museum for good. Only a bit of soot on his lips (which I've never rubbed off) shows evidence of the blaze.

I acquired the head at an auction of artifacts from the museum held at Butterfield & Butterfield in Los Angeles on November 15, 1999. It was Lot 449. I paid $150, well below the auction estimate of $300-$500. The head was the first thing I had ever bid on in a live auction, and when I landed it my fellow Houdini collectors gave me a hand (they had teased me about how much I wanted it).

I love this head because not only is it a genuine part of the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame story, it's also a relic of the museum's hokey style. I sometimes think of the Hall of Fame as Houdini's last Dime Museum.

"The Head" has sat atop my Houdini bookcases for many years and has drawn some attention. One close friend claims that the expression changes and that the head moves position from time to time. One night she swears it spoke to her!

Believe.

UPDATE: Tom Interval has posted a photo to the Houdini Magicial Hall of Fame Facebook page which appears to be the head. This photo is from Houdini: A Mind in Chains by Bernard C. Meyer and was possibly taken at the original Centre Street location. Thank you Tom!

Arthur Moses posts transcripts of his full Houdini voice recordings

Arthur Moses has posted on his website houdinispeaks.com the full unedited transcripts of both Houdini voice recordings in his collection.

As Arthur demonstrated when he played the recordings at last year's Magic Collectors Weekend, the one minute and twenty second version we are all familiar with is actually an edited and greatly shortened combination of both recordings.

While Arthur hasn't posted the audio itself, you can at least read what is a transcript of Houdini's complete and authentic Water Torture Cell patter. You can also see for yourself how the edited version was created.

Click over to houdinispeaks.com and enjoy

Related:

• Houdini speaks in 1970
• Tom Interval conjures Houdini's voice
• HOUDINI SPEAKS AT THE MCW IN CHICAGO!

Magicol hosts Guests & Ghosts of 278

Magicana has announced that Magicol No. 184 will be shipping next week, and I'm honored to see that the article I wrote about the Houdini family guestbook has made the cover! Here's a description from the Magicana blog:

Drawing from his presentation in May 2012 from the 43 MCW, John Cox, of Wild About Harry, presents an overview of one of magic’s seldom-seen treasures, Houdini’s Guest Book from 278 W. 113th Street. Filled with signatures from 1919 to well beyond Houdini’s death to1952, the book shares its own tale travelling from home to home and owner to owner. John does a beautiful job highlighting some of the more famous and arcane visitors.

Magicol No. 184 also includes articles on Rex Slocombe, Tenichi, Mademoiselle Catherine, Charles Dickens and a review of Robert-Houdin's autobiography by Ian Keable.

You can subscribe to Magicol at www.magicana.com.

Double Fold Death Defying Mystery poster on show in Sheffield

A rarely seen original poster for Houdini's "Double Fold Death-Defying Water Mystery" is currently on display as part of an exhibition at the University of Sheffield's Western Bank Library in the UK.

"Sheffield Entertained" covers 200 years of variety entertainment in the city, including the growth of music halls, the world of magic, early cinematograph shows and travelling funfairs. The exhibition is curated by Professor Vanessa Toulmin and Amanda Bernstein, with audio visual materials curated by Andrew Moore.

Houdini appeared in Sheffield on seven separate occasions (according to exhibition materials). Houdini's final visit to the city was in 1920. This poster is dated to a 1911 appearance and belongs to the Museums Sheffield who lent it to the exhibition.

The Double Fold Death Defying Mystery was an enhanced version of Houdini's Milk Can escape. After being locked in the water-filled can, the can would then be locked inside a large wooden chest. According to Bill Kalush, the chest still exists and "the craftsmanship is beautiful." A photo of Hardeen performing the escape can be seen in Christopher's Houdini A Pictorial Life (page 54).

"Sheffield Entertained" runs through May 6, 2013. Click here for the exhibition location and hours. For more information visit the news and events page at Sheffield University's National Fairground Archive.

Exhibition flyer (click to enlarge).

UPDATE: Houdini's Double Fold Death Defying Mystery at auction.

The secret of Sony's Houdini movie

After a flurry of reports in 2011 about the hiring of screenwriter Scott Frank and director Francis Lawrence, news on Sony Pictures' Houdini movie has all but dried up. This certainly wouldn't be the first time a Houdini project has become trapped in Development Hell, especially at this studio. I suspect this movie isn't going to get made.

So today I'm going to spill a little tidbit about the project that didn't find its way into any of the news reports. In fact, there seemed to be an effort by the studio to misdirect people in regards to the plot, which was reported to be about Houdini falling in love with a beautiful spiritualist (shades of Death Defying Acts). Not true.

The real plot is about Houdini and Chung Ling Soo working together to break a man out of prison. According to my secret sources, Chung Ling Soo plays as big a roll in the movie as Houdini. The script also includes a large element of the supernatural.

Chung Ling Soo was actually William Ellsworth Robinson, a skilled American magician who gained fame posing as a Chinese conjurer. Amazingly, the public never knew his true identity or nationality. Houdini and Robinson were good friends. In fact, they shared the bill at the Alhambra Theatre in July 1900 and both catapulted to fame at the very same time. Chung Ling Soo was later killed onstage performing the bullet catch.

I like the idea of a movie featuring a newly famous Houdini (a Hungarian posing as an American) and Robinson (an American posing as Chinese) becoming involved in some sort of adventure in the early 1900s. Of course, I would rather see it played straight. But you know Hollywood; if it isn't an action movie they don't understand it.

Other Houdini projects languishing in the pits of Development Hell: The Secret Life of Houdini (Lionsgate); The Houdini Box (20th Century Fox); Voices from the Dead (DreamWorks); Among The Spirits (NBC); The Arcanum (Gold Circle); and Carter Beats the Devil (Warner Bros). There are also untitled Houdini projects being developed at Walden Media and Ron Howard's Imagine Entertainment.

Houdini - Hollywood ghost

This is a segment about Houdini from the 1986 documentary Hollywood Ghost Stories. It contains nice footage of Houdini performing card flourishes in a 1926 Pathe short and sound footage of Bess Houdini from Religious Racketeers (a.k.a. Mystic Circle Murder). We also get to see the Laurel Canyon estate at its most overgrown.

But the segment also contains a whopper when Psychic Researcher Gordon Rattray claims Bess, a "devout Christian", was pressured by her church to retract the Arthur Ford Houdini message. Of course, Bess was Catholic, and how devout she was at the time of the Ford seances is debatable. And I've never heard of any church involvement in the matter.

Audio is low so you'll want to boost it all the way up. Enjoy the spooky.

Hollywood Ghost Stores is hosted by John Carradine and is definitely a product of its time. The DVD can still be found on Amazon.com. It can also be rented on Netflix.

You can see more videos like this at the WILD ABOUT HARRY YouTube Channel.

Constance Phillips resurrects Harry

Next month sees the release of a new Houdini-themed paranormal romance, Resurrecting Harry by Constance Phillips. The author tells me, "As someone who loves and writes romance, I wanted to tackle what is (in my mind) one of the 'Great Romances' of our time." Here's a description of the book.

Devastated by Harry Houdini’s unexpected death, his widow, Bess, clings to his promise to deliver a coded message from beyond the grave. She’s determined to provide the bridge for him to cross, just like she assisted him on the stage, even if that means befriending her husband’s sworn enemy.

In order to save the only woman he’s ever loved from self-destruction, Harry puts his afterlife on the line by entering a wager with purgatory’s keeper, who gives Harry a younger face and body, and a new name: Erich Welch. Even with Harry’s soul and memories, Erich feels out-of-place and disconnected from everything he once called his own.

Will Erich be able to help Bess recover from her loss and will any good come from resurrecting Harry?

To celebrate the release of Resurrecting Harry, Constance Phillips will begin a series of blog posts at her official website, constancephillips.com, "about the common misconceptions and little known facts about Harry Houdini."

I've given Constance a few suggestions for topics, so this could be fun. I'll repost each of her installments at the WILD ABOUT HARRY Facebook page, or you can follow Constance herself on Facebook at Constance Phillips, Romance Author.

Resurrecting Harry will be available in print and eBook versions via Amazon.com and other online retailers on March 1, 2013. (No pre-order links just yet.)

UPDATE: Constance has posted her first blog entry, How did Houdini die? Meanwhile, her Facebook page has achieved an interesting number of "Likes" today.

 Believe.

Return to the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame

Tom Interval of HoudiniMuseum.com is back with another terrific exclusive. Tom has posted a 40+ minute video of the inside of the infamous Houdini Magical Hall of Fame in Niagara Falls, Canada. The video was shot on August 23, 1994, only eight months before the museum was destroyed by fire. You can watch the video HERE.

Tom has also launched a new Facebook page devoted entirely to the museum with terrific old photos and rare paraphernalia from its 27 year history. Give that a look and a "Like" HERE.

Visit on Facebook

WIN a free copy of Masters of Mystery

Today sees the U.S. paperback release of Christopher Sandford's excellent book, Masters of Mystery: The Strange Friendship of Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini, and publisher Palgrave Macmillan is offering five FREE copies to the readers of WILD ABOUT HARRY.

To win you need to reside in the U.S. or Canada and know a little about Houdini and Conan Doyle. Just answer the questions below:

1. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created the famous detective Sherlock Holmes. Name the title of at least one book that teamed-up Houdini and Holmes in a fictional adventure.
2. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was played by which famous actor in the 1976 television movie, The Great Houdinis?
3. Name at least one mistake Lady Doyle made when she supposedly contacted Houdini's mother during their Atlantic City seance?

Email your answers along with your name and address to [the competition is now closed] by February 28, 2013. My spirit guide will randomly select five winners who will be announced on March 1st. Your book will then be sent direct from the publisher.

Good luck!

Masters of Mystery: The Strange Friendship of Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini can be purchased at Amazon.com. You can read my review HERE.

UPDATE: AND THE WINNERS ARE...

Rare German Water Torture Cell poster uncovered

David Haversat, a dealer of vintage and antique magic, has uncovered an extremely rare German one-sheet for Houdini's Water Torture Cell. The poster has never been mounted and the colors are still bright. The paper is brittle, but entirely intact. The poster will undergo necessary restoration and be properly mounted on acid free paper and canvas.

David says, "As a dealer you often have to make the decision of what to keep and what to sell. I tend to keep what appeals to me and the pieces I realize may never pass through my hands again, so in this case this is a keeper for sure!"

There are now three known examples of this poster. One is said to be in the Library of Congress, the other is part of Roger Dreyer's Houdini Museum of New York, and the third now in the Haversat Collection.

Nearly two years ago a Houdini Metamorphosis lithograph was located in an attic in France. "You never know what you may find in a basement or barn," says David. "I've located some of my best and unique finds in an attic in Maine and a basement in Massachusetts. Ironically the one owned by Dreyer was originally found folded in a book from a second-hand store near Cambridge Massachusetts. Who knows, there may just be another waiting to be discovered."

Congrats David!

Quest for the "Pagoda Torture Cell"

Our friend Joe Notaro of Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence is branching out from his singular focus on The Grim Game and is investigating the classic 1953 HOUDINI via production files in the Margaret Herrick Academy Library.

In Part 1 Joe discovered details about cut scenes. Now in Part 2 Joe has uncovered correspondence related to the Water Torture Cell, or what the script called the "Pagoda Torture Cell." These reveal that the production was considering using Houdini's real cell in the film, but with modifications "so that our actor in the back doesn’t drown."

"Wait. Drown?"

This is, once again, some fine detective work by Joe, so click here to have a read at Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence.

Houdini the golfer

I figured I'd go with a sports-themed post on this Super Bowl Sunday. Here is a never before published photo of Houdini on a golf course with his manager, Martin Beck, and two unidentified men. This comes from Jon Oliver who is generously sharing with us rare images from his remarkable collection.

Click to enlarge.

Jon also shares an amusing story about this photo and Houdini expert Milbourne Christopher. Says Jon:

"Christopher was not always as smart as he claimed. I asked him about Houdini's golf game, and he told me Houdini never played golf never even stepped on a course in his life. I showed him a photo of Houdini and Martin Beck playing golf and he shot back that the photo was staged!"

By the way, in March a book will be released called Houdini Shots: The Ultimate Short Game Survival Guide by Martin Hall and Dave Allen. No doubt a collection of techniques employed by Houdini on this very day! But you'll need to wear a three piece suit to pull them off.

If we could now just find a photo of Houdini playing football. Happy Super Bowl Sunday, sports fans!

Thanks again to Jon Oliver.

Discussing HOUDINI (1953) with the sensational Dorothy & Dick

"You can have tears in your eyes for the Wild
Man; but for The Great Houdini, nothing."

In December I recorded two episodes of The Sensational Stories of Dorothy & Dick with Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz of the Houdini Museum in Scranton. We spent a very fun hour discussing the 1953 biopic, HOUDINI.

Part 1 first aired on WFTE FM 90.3 and 105.7 in Scranton on December 23, 2012. It repeated along with Part 2 on January 6, 2013.

For those who missed it, know that Part 1 is now available at dorothyanddick.com and the WFTE FM Archive. Look for "Show14-John Cox interview Pt 1."

The Sensational Stories of Dorothy & Dick airs on Community Radio station WFTE on Tuesdays at 11:30am and Saturdays at 9:00am. It also streams live at the WFTE website.

UPDATE: Part two is now available at dorothyanddick.com and the WFTE FM.

Original typescript for A Magician Among the Spirits at auction Feb 18

Houdini's original revised typescript for his final book, A Magician Among the Spirits, is going on the auction block February 18, 2013 as part of PBA Galleries online auction of Rare Books & Manuscripts. The estimate is $70,000 to $100,000 (!). Here is the full auction description:

Sale Number 500. Lot 109.
Original typescript, 408 leaves on quarto sheets, numbered 1-398 + 11 pages numbered 299b-299k . 28.5x21.5 cm (11x8½"). In period ring binder, covered in green

The original typescript for a new edition of Houdini's exposé of the fraud and deception endemic amongst the spiritualists, psychics and other paranormal practitioners. When first published in 1922 by Harper's, Houdini's manuscript was dramatically cut from 175,000 words down to 75,000 words. Displeased with the published work, Houdini was preparing this typescript for a second edition at the time of his unfortunate, and untimely, death. The typescript contains several holographic notations in Houdini's hand as well as other revisions in the hand of his assistant Oscar Teale. Provenance: The Collection of Milbourne Christoper, sold at Swann Galleries, October, 1997 (lot 191); a private collection since. Bookplate from the Christopher Collection inside the rear cover. Apart from a facsimile of this typescript printed while part of the Christopher collection, this revision has never been published.

Click here to view the auction page and bid at PBA Galleries.

Thanks to Greg Jung of PBA Galleries for permission to use this photo.

UPDATE: No sale for Spirits typescript.