An evening of Houdini inspired poetry at the MMoCA

As part of the special programing for Houdini Art and Magic, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art in Madison, Wisconsin will host an evening of poetry this Friday, May 4, 2012. Here's the description from the MMoCA website:

Magic and Metamorphosis: An Evening of Poetry - Members of the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets will read original works that delve into themes expressed in Houdini: Art and Magic. The evening will include a performance by Karl Elder of his major work The Houdini Monologues.

Houdini Art and Magic will be on show at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art through May 13, 2012. This is exhibition's final stop in a tour which has included New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

Franz Kukol guestbook page on eBay

A guestbook page signed by Houdini's assistant Franz Kukol, complete with a nice photo of Kukol that I've never seen, is currently up for auction on eBay. This is from the week of May 24, 1909, when Houdini was performing at the Portsmouth Hippodrome in Southsea, Hampshire, UK.

The auction starts at £999 ($1,622) with £82 ($133) shipping and insurance. Top dollar for a Kukol item to be sure (heck, it would be top dollar for a Houdini item). I'll be curious to see if it sells.

Patrick Culliton brings Houdini to a new generation

Here's a terrific item from the current Magic Castle newsletter that I thought was worth sharing. Do you think a new "Houdini Guy/Girl" might have forged on this day? I think so. Way to keep the legend alive, Patrick!

Click to enlarge

Winchester Mystery House movie in the works

Deadline Hollywood reported last week that Hammer Films (yes, they are still around) is developing a horror movie about the famous Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California. The house is one of the best examples of Spiritualism run amok as the owner, Sarah Winchester, heiress of the Winchester rifle fortune, was told by her spirit guides that if she kept adding to her house she wouldn't die. The result is a sprawling 160 room maze-like mansion with doorways to nowhere and stairways into ceilings.

But why I'm bringing this up here is there are several Houdini connections to the famous home. First off, Houdini himself visited the house in the 1920s shortly after the death of Sarah (yes, she did die). In fact, the original newspaper article about Houdini's visit is on permanent display in the house museum, as I discovered during my own visit in 2006.

Here's an extra bit of trivia about that visit. In 1988 a man by the name of Fred Paul Faltersack died at the age of 94. In his obituary it was reported that Faltersack was the tour guide who showed Houdini the house that day. It also claims Faltersack later "helped Houdini create some of his illusions."

The Winchester Mystery House was also the site of a Houdini seance in 1977 held by the Society of American Magicians Assembly No. 94. The event -- which was called the "50th Anniversary Seance" even though 1977 marked 51 years -- was covered in The New Tops magazine. The unsuccessful seance was followed by a "nostalgic seance" in which the S.A.M. pros made sure the guests enjoyed some ghostly manifestations.

Finally, in 2009 a graphic novel was developed called Winchester that featured Houdini as "the bad guy." The book was written by Dan Vado with artwork by Drew Rausch. Winchester was supposed to be released in October of that same year, but I was never able to track down a copy, so I'm sure if it ever actually made it to stores. But you can get a peak at Winchester's "bad guy" Houdini below (this comes from the blog, The Mind of Drew Rausch).

I wonder if this new movie might put Houdini into the story in some way? It's never a bad idea...

Clinton on Obama: "He’s not Houdini"

No, I'm not diving into the political arena here (God forbid), just pointing out this story in today's Washington Examiner headlined: Clinton on Obama: ‘He’s not Houdini’. Here's the relevant excerpt:

Leave it to master communicator Bill Clinton to hatch a winning theme for President Obama’s reelection campaign: Cheer up, everybody, Obama’s economic policies are working their magic faster than anyone thought possible.

“Somebody will say to you, maybe, but I don’t feel better,” says Clinton. “And you say, look, the man’s not Houdini; all he can do is beat the clock. He’s beating the clock.”

For the record, Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney in 2009 called President Obama's economic polices, "Harry Houdini Economics".

Grim Game plane wreck lobby display

Our friend Joe Notaro -- who runs Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence, a blog devoted to The Grim Game -- has knocked it out of the park with his discovery of an article from the November 8, 1919 Motion Picture News which shows airplane wreckage being used a part of a display for The Grim Game at the Princess Theatre in Denver, complete with pictures!

Now, unfortunately, the article doesn't say this is THE wreckage of the actual plane from the film. But this is certainly an inspired promotional idea and, who knows, it does appear to be the same model as The Grim Game plane...

For those who don't know what I'm talking about, one of the highlights of The Grim Game -- Houdini's first Hollywood feature film -- was a real-life plane crash caught on film. The crash was incorporated into the story and used extensively in publicity...right down to theater displays like this one.

Head on over to Joe's wonderful blog to see more photos and read the original Motion Picture News article.

Is the Margery Box in Las Vegas?

Anna Thurlow, the great-granddaughter of Mina Crandon a.k.a. Margery The Medium, has responded to my story from last week that asked, What happened to the Margery box? Not only is it a great honor to have a genuine Margery relation comment on my blog, but she brings some potentially encouraging news! Says Anna:

"The Margery Box was never in Margery's possession, so I do not have it. When I went to a Houdini Seance in Las Vegas (I think 1998?) I was told that someone living in Vegas had the box in a storage unit there. I tried the telephone number later but it was disconnected. Presumably it still exist and hopefully someone will bring it to light. As an aside - my grandfather (her son) understood Houdini to have put the ruler in the box. I guess we will never know what really happened that day."

Okay, to the person who may have the "Margie Box" (as Houdini called it), here's a plea. How about letting me come out to Vegas and photograph it for WILD ABOUT HARRY? I know it would be a thrill for all Houdini and Margery fans to see this historic item. In return, I'll promote whatever you'd like me to promote on the blog, or you could remain anonymous. If this is doable, please shoot me an email. We could make magic history by bringing this box back into the light!

Thank you, Anna Thurlow.

'Death and Harry Houdini' in Florida

The acclaimed House Theater of Chicago production, Death and Harry Houdini, is now playing at the Adrienne Arsht Center's Carnival Studio Theater in Miami-Dade, Florida. It will run through May 20.

Written and Directed by Nathan Allen, this avant-garde stage show features magician Dennis Watkins as Houdini. In the course of the evening Watkins performs the Water Torture Cell among other famous Houdini escapes.

Click here for showtimes and tickets.

The Houdini-blue-tini

The Magic Castle held a special Members Only night last night. A drink special of the evening; The Houdini-blue-tini. Just another reason to love the Castle!

Unfortunately, the "Houdini Linguini" was taken off the menu when the Castle changed chefs a few years back.

This image come from the Magic Castle's Instagram: AMA_Magic.

Foster The People release video for 'Houdini'

Foster The People has released a video for their hit song, Houdini. While the video doesn't feature Harry himself, it does include a nod to the craft of Black Art, which is deeply rooted in stage magic. It's also a pretty cool video and a good song. Enjoy.

Genii & Houdini: October 1938

Today we continue our look back at issues of Genii, The Conjurors Magazine that have featured Houdini on the cover. The second Houdini cover was Vol 3, No. 2, October 1938.

About this cover photo of Houdini and his "two sweethearts", Editor and Publisher William Larsen Sr. (father of Magic Castle co-founders Bill and Milt Larsen) writes:

"This picture, incidentally, is one of my most prized possessions and I am happy to be able to share it in this way with my many friends in magic. Through the good offices of Mrs. Houdini I have, in my files, much interesting Houdiniana. But I chose the cover photo as being one of Harry, himself, would like to see on Genii were he here to advise me. I know it shows him with the two people he loved best in all the world."

The issue inside does not contain as much Houdini material as did Genii's first Houdini cover in October 1936. There's only the annual "In Memorial" page from Bessie (this time with an interesting illustration) and the editorial by Larsen, in which he also states, "Ninety-five per cent of the magicians alive today owe some part of their success to Harry Houdini." (Can't you just see Dai Vernon gnashing his teeth over that one?) 

This issue is also notable in that it contains news of the death of T. Nelson Downs, the famous King Of Koins, who was a friend and colleague of Houdini's.

Coming next: October 1939.

Click here for a complete list of all the Genii-Houdini cover issues.

Harry Houdini - Toymaker

Houdini did it all. He even patented inventions. Well-known is the patent Houdini filed in 1921 for a quick release diving suit. But less well-known is this "Figure Toy" Houdini patented in 1926. The design allowed for "Houdini" to struggle free of a straitjacket when turned upside down onto his head. Pretty clever!

Unfortunately, the great Houdini figure toy never went beyond the patents office (as far as I know). In fact, a Houdini action figure of any kind was conspicuously absent until Accoutrements released their Houdini Action Figure in 2005.

UPDATE: The great Pat Culliton informs me that a prototype for this toy was made and owned by the Hinson family. Indeed, you can see the prototype in this photo from the collection of John Hinson.

Today the whereabouts of this Houdini Toy is unknown.

Houdini is the King (of Diamonds)

The United States Playing Card Company, makers of Bicycle Playing Cards, has released a limited edition "Vaudeville Deck". The cards celebrate Vaudeville with custom artwork designed "to show that the era may be gone, but it is definitely not forgotten."

What I really like about this deck is the Kings are all magicians of Vaudeville's Golden Age, with Houdini himself as the King of Diamonds! The other magical Kings are Thurston (King of Spades), Carter (King of Clubs), and Alexander (King of Hearts). The Jacks and Queens pay tribute to antique fashion styles.

The back design shows stage curtains surrounding a crystal ball. The tuck case features the custom Vaudeville logo.

You can buy the Vaudeville Deck at Amazon.com or direct from The Blue Crown.

'Dark Side' Houdini handcuffs on eBay

A pair of gaffed Houdini handcuffs that were featured on Steve Santini's Deals From The Dark Side TV show are now for sale on eBay. Bidding starts at $3000 with a Buy It Now price of $4,500. The cuffs have excellent provenance (not covered in the show), which Steve lays out in the auction description below:

Offered is a very rare set of Froggatt "Darby" handcuffs made for legendary escape artist Harry Houdini by well known Victorian British handcuff and restraint maker Tomas Froggatt. Froggatt and Houdini were friends and it is known that Froggatt made a number of tricked handcuffs and restraints which Houdini used in his acts of self liberation. This particular pair of handcuffs were made by Froggatt with a shortened spring which allowed Houdini to "rap" them open and escape from them without any tools or lock picking instruments. These handcuffs originally come from the Joseph Dunninger collection of magic memorabilia which included many original Harry Houdini owned and used props. In the 1980's these handcuffs, along with a number of other Houdini related artifacts went from Joseph Dunninger's widow to one Richard Silmzer, a Canadian escape artist and collector who had befriended Mrs. Dunninger. From there they passed through the hands of two collectors before finally coming to me. I am more than happy to outline all of this information in a provenance letter I will supply with the cuffs. Unlike many alleged Houdini owned restraints, these cuffs were tricked at the time of manufacture by Froggatt and show no signs of tampering post manufacture. The end caps, pictured, show no signs of having ever been removed post manufacture to substitute a weaker spring in the cuffs. The cuffs are featured in a episode of the Canadian T.V. show, "Deals From the Dark Side" where we took them to The Houdini Museum in Scranton, PA. A master locksmith and collector of restraints at the museum studied the cuffs and said that he believed that the gimmicking proccess which allows the cuffs to be rapped open was done at the time of manufacture. The cuffs themselves function perfectly and come with the original key. Both cuffs and key are stamped with the number 3 and the cuffs are also stamped with the maker's name, FROGGATT. If you are a collector of Houdiniana, this is one items that is a must have for your collection. View auction.

Click here to watch the Houdini handcuffs episode of Deals From The Dark Side.

UPDATE: The cuffs sold for $3,800.