Click on the headline link to have a read at Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence.
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Sunday, October 7, 2018
LINK: Terror Island exhibition ends today...or does it?
Click on the headline link to have a read at Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence.
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Saturday, October 6, 2018
Houdini giving his all in Detroit
I already did a post about Houdini's 1922 engagement at the Madison Theater in Detroit (which still exists, kinda). But I recently came across this terrific newspaper ad from the October 8, 1922 Detroit Free Press that I thought was worth the extra share.
As you can see, Houdini appeared in person with his movie The Man From Beyond doing assorted magic. He also did a suspended straitjacket escape from the Fyfe Building. One thing this ad doesn't contain is the fact that Houdini also gave a talk on the methods of fraudulent spirit mediums during his Madison engagement. This was one of his first public lectures on a topic that would come to define his career in the coming years. So this week really did have it all!
Speaking of Houdini and spiritualism lectures, I'm hoping to see some of you TODAY at the Homestead Museum's "Ticket to the Twenties" festival where I will be giving two talks on Houdini at 4:00 pm & 6:00 pm.
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As you can see, Houdini appeared in person with his movie The Man From Beyond doing assorted magic. He also did a suspended straitjacket escape from the Fyfe Building. One thing this ad doesn't contain is the fact that Houdini also gave a talk on the methods of fraudulent spirit mediums during his Madison engagement. This was one of his first public lectures on a topic that would come to define his career in the coming years. So this week really did have it all!
Speaking of Houdini and spiritualism lectures, I'm hoping to see some of you TODAY at the Homestead Museum's "Ticket to the Twenties" festival where I will be giving two talks on Houdini at 4:00 pm & 6:00 pm.
Related:
Friday, October 5, 2018
Houdini the who on The Who Was? Show
The Netflix series The Who Was? Show has an episode devoted to Marie Curie and Houdini. It's high energy and pretty fun. I especially like the folk singers who only sing songs about Houdini's life. Houdini is played by Zach Timson and Bess is played by Lilla Crawford.
Watch The Who Was? Show Season 1, Episode 8, Marie Curie & Harry Houdini on Netflix.
The Who Was? Show is based on the New York Times bestselling children's book series. Their Houdini volume was released in 2002 and is still available on Amazon.
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Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Proof of Houdini's daring dive in San Diego surfaces
Last week I received my copy of Houdini, Mago dell'impossibile by Massimo Polidoro. This certainly appears to be a serious Houdini biography, and I hope one day it will be published in English. But even in Italian I was able to learn something new.
Among the book's several unpublished photos are two on page 107 from the collection of Ken Trombly that made me whoop. The reason being these show a stunt that was thought to have never happened!
In 2011, San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Richard W. Crawford published The Way We Were in San Diego. In his book Richard shared hitherto unknown details about Houdini's only performance in the city in 1907. He also found a newspaper advert saying that Houdini would dive handcuffed from Spreckle's wharf into San Diego Bay. But he could find no evidence that the stunt ever happened and concluded that it had not "for reasons unknown."
But now these photos show that it did happen, and they even provide us with a date, October 7, the same day Houdini opened at San Diego's The Grand Theater on Fifth Street. So we have some revised Houdini history here. Love it when that happens!
You can purchase Houdini, Mago dell'impossibile at Amazon.it and Amazon.co.uk.
Related:
Among the book's several unpublished photos are two on page 107 from the collection of Ken Trombly that made me whoop. The reason being these show a stunt that was thought to have never happened!
In 2011, San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Richard W. Crawford published The Way We Were in San Diego. In his book Richard shared hitherto unknown details about Houdini's only performance in the city in 1907. He also found a newspaper advert saying that Houdini would dive handcuffed from Spreckle's wharf into San Diego Bay. But he could find no evidence that the stunt ever happened and concluded that it had not "for reasons unknown."
But now these photos show that it did happen, and they even provide us with a date, October 7, the same day Houdini opened at San Diego's The Grand Theater on Fifth Street. So we have some revised Houdini history here. Love it when that happens!
You can purchase Houdini, Mago dell'impossibile at Amazon.it and Amazon.co.uk.
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Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Come hear me talk Houdini and the spirits at "Ticket to the Twenties"
This Saturday, October 6, I will be giving two talks about Houdini's crusade against fraudulent spirit mediums at the Homestead Museum's Ticket to the Twenties festival at 4:00 pm & 6:00 pm (same talk twice). The festival runs two days and celebrates the 1920s. It sounds like a lot of fun and it's free!
My talks will run a half hour with Q&A and will not be slide presentations as I normally do. But thanks to the festival organizers, I will have some cool onstage visual aids, and I will share something I only recently discovered hiding in plain sight in a well-known Houdini spirit photograph. But you'll have to come to the festival to find out what that is!
The Workman & Temple Family Homestead Museum is located at 15415 East Don Julian Road in the City of Industry, CA. For full details visit the official website or Facebook. In the event of rain, the festival will be canceled.
Hope to see you there!
UPDATE: Haunting the "Tickets to the Twenties" festival.
Related:
My talks will run a half hour with Q&A and will not be slide presentations as I normally do. But thanks to the festival organizers, I will have some cool onstage visual aids, and I will share something I only recently discovered hiding in plain sight in a well-known Houdini spirit photograph. But you'll have to come to the festival to find out what that is!
The Workman & Temple Family Homestead Museum is located at 15415 East Don Julian Road in the City of Industry, CA. For full details visit the official website or Facebook. In the event of rain, the festival will be canceled.
Hope to see you there!
UPDATE: Haunting the "Tickets to the Twenties" festival.
Related:
Monday, October 1, 2018
Neil McNally launches Doug Henning documentary fundraiser
Our friend Neil McNally has launched a new webpage and Indiegogo fundraiser for his currently in-production documentary Doug Henning's Magical World. Neil has been spearheading a revival of interest in Doug via his popular blog The Doug Henning Project. This first ever documentary is another important step in celebrating and cementing Doug Henning's place in magic history. But to complete it, Neil needs our help.
You can learn more about the documentary, watch the trailer, and donate to the fundraiser at the official website:
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You can learn more about the documentary, watch the trailer, and donate to the fundraiser at the official website:
You can go directly to the fundraiser at:
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FINAL WEEK to catch Houdini on Catalina Island
Housed in the museum's standalone SAPAP Gallery, the exhibit tells the story of Houdini second Hollywood feature, Terror Island, from its conception, through its filming on Catalina, all the way to its opening at the local Catalina Island movie theater in 1920.
Almost all the artifacts are being displayed for the first (and likely only) time. Among the contributors are: Arthur Moses, Mark Willoughby, Fred Pittella, Joe Notaro, Chip Romero, the Motion Picture Academy Library, and myself.
Catalina Island can be reached using the Catalina Express, which runs boats to and from the island all day long. The ride takes about an hour. Just watch out for cannibals!
Houdini, wizard of the stage and screen, was reported to have declared that Santa Catalina Island was the most ideal spot that he had ever come across, and that when he had finished his work before the footlights that he intended to come back to the island and build a magnificent home.
- The Catalina Islander, 1936
For more information visit the Catalina Island Museum website.
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Sunday, September 30, 2018
Reassessing Haldane of the Secret Service at 95
Today marks the 95th anniversary of the release of Houdini's final feature film, Haldane of the Secret Service. Even though Houdini had shot the movie immediately after The Man From Beyond in 1921 (and location footage in 1920), he held it back as the planned second release for his Houdini Picture Corporation. But instead of self distributing via States Rights, as he had done for Beyond, Houdini turned to FBO (Film Booking Office) to release the movie. They did so on September 30, 1923.
By the time Haldane was released, Houdini was deep into his new role as a debunker of fraudulent spirit mediums, and was touring the country with his spirit lecture. Therefore, his support of the movie was not what it had been for his previous films. He did find time to make a personal appearance at the Crescent Theater in Austin during the movie's run there in November. But by in large, it's clear that Houdini had moved on from movies and was now among the spirits.For many years, Haldane of the Secret Service was dismissed as Houdini's worst movie; a clumsy mis-mash of plot baked with random footage from his 1920 European tour. But I actually find it on par with The Man From Beyond, and maybe even the superior film. Of course, I don't dislike any of Houdini's movies, but I do find his two HPC productions the weakest of his filmography. The Man From Beyond remains fascinating as it's Houdini's most personal film and offers a glimpse into his mindset at the time, such as his fascination with reincarnation and early endorsement of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. But it's a pretty turgid slog until the climax on Niagara Falls, which largely redeems the film.
Haldane, in contrast, is a sprightly detective thriller (once we get past the overlong bag-swapping opening). And far from being a liability, the 1920 location footage is fantastic, capturing those famous city streets at the time, and it's fun to see Houdini set against historic landmarks like Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, and the Statue of Liberty. Houdini being dragged by an ocean liner is wild stuff (the publicity claimed this was all real, and it certainly appears so). It's also cool to see Houdini dressed in a cape and top hat during the London club sequence; the classic image of a magician which he never assumed during his magic career. The lively Gladys Leslie is an experienced silent movie actress and a big improvement over the casting of novice Jane Connolly in Beyond. And the water wheel stunt at the end is as spectacular as any escape in any Houdini movie. One might even argue that Haldane showed Houdini's HPC movies were improving, although maybe too slowly to salvage his movie career.
Sure, the plot is a bit overwrought (with some offensive stereotypes), but not any more so than The Master Mystery, which Haldane reminds me of a great deal. It's almost as if we are seeing the continuing adventures of Quentin Locke. But, come on, we're not watching these movies for the plots. We're watching them to see Houdini in action, and Haldane gives us some great and varied Harry with lots of nice closeups and moments to savor.
Being a James Bond fan, I'm always struck by how Haldane anticipates the basic structure of the spy film genre. After setting up the action in New York, the hero globe trots to various thrilling cities, evading death traps by henchmen who work under the command of a mysterious supervillain (Dr. Yu = Dr. No). And it all ends with a set-piece finale in a monastery that the villain uses as a lair (as does the 1981 Bond film For You Eyes Only). In his pitchbook biography, Houdini His Life and Work in Prose and Picture (left), Hardeen makes a similar claim the Haldane anticipated the popular "G-man" movies of the '30s.The reason I think Haldane of the Secret Service was so maligned for so long was because so few people had actually seen it. Haldane was as lost to the world as The Grim Game. (My understanding was a collector held what was thought to be the only copy on VHS, and would rent it at an exorbitant fee.) So most biographers simply accepted the verdict of the Variety review at the time (which was not kind) and equated Haldane's box-office failure with creative failure and moved on. But in 2007, a print screened at The Silent Movie Theater in Los Angeles, which often ran The Man From Beyond. That print found its way onto DVD and eventually to streaming, so these days a fresh assessment can be made of the movie along with Houdini's filmography as a whole.
As for today's anniversary, I've never been able to find a premiere, or a clear first showing of Haldane. The release date of September 30 comes from the excellent film notes by Bret Wood on the Kino DVD set. IMDb also uses this date. I have found an opening day ad for September 29 at the Unique Theater in El Paso, so it might have slipped out a little early in some territories. But I think it's safe to use September 30, 1923 as the day Haldane was officially released to the world.
So on this 95th anniversary, here's a shoutout to Houdini's last and most under-appreciated movie. "The name's Haldane. Heath Haldane."
UPDATE: Since doing this post I have found sources that put Haldane's release date as September 23, 1923, instead of the September 30th. However, I've yet to find evidence or the movie playing in any theater before the 30th, so I'm not yet sure which date to come down on the side of.
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Saturday, September 29, 2018
'After Houdini' launch party at the Houdini Museum of New York, October 4
The Houdini Museum of New York will host a launch party for Jeremy Holt's new graphic novel After Houdini on Thursday, October 4, 2018 from 6-9PM.
The Houdini Museum of New York is located at 213 West 35th Street, Room 401, New York, New York 10001.
After Houdini will be officially released on October 9th and is available to pre-order at Amazon.com (U.S.) and Amazon.co.uk (UK). Next year will see a follow-up volume, Before Houdini.
Insight Comics is proud to present the debut of AFTER HOUDINI, hosted by The Houdini Museum of NYC!
Written by Jeremy Holt, art by John Lucas, and colors by Adrian Crossa, Holt will be available for a meet-and-greet to sign copies.
The event is from 6-9PM, food and drinks provided! RSVP on Facebook.
The Houdini Museum of New York is located at 213 West 35th Street, Room 401, New York, New York 10001.
After Houdini will be officially released on October 9th and is available to pre-order at Amazon.com (U.S.) and Amazon.co.uk (UK). Next year will see a follow-up volume, Before Houdini.
Related:
- After Houdini
- Guest blog: The Houdini Museum of New York, Part I
- Houdini Museum of New York moves to new location
Thursday, September 27, 2018
6 MILLION PAGEVIEWS
Thank you all for your support.
Houdini goes overboard in San Fransisco
Here's a terrific new photo of Houdini doing his overboard box escape in San Fransisco Bay on November 6, 1915. Houdini performed the escape as part of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition and to promote his appearance at the Orpheum Theater on O'Farrell St. starting the week of November 8.
There are surprisingly few images of this high profile stunt. The only image I had ever seen belongs to Dr. Bruce Averbook and shows the box being lowered into the water (it appears on page 276 of The Secret Life of Houdini and can be seen here). But now we have this stunner!
It's interesting to read that the stunt was filmed. Unfortunately, that footage has not survived to my knowledge. In fact, the only surviving film of Houdini doing a public overboard box escape is this footage at an unidentified location.
By the way, the top of this box is a very nice match for the one that now sits in the American Museum of Magic in Marshall, Michigan.
There are surprisingly few images of this high profile stunt. The only image I had ever seen belongs to Dr. Bruce Averbook and shows the box being lowered into the water (it appears on page 276 of The Secret Life of Houdini and can be seen here). But now we have this stunner!
It's interesting to read that the stunt was filmed. Unfortunately, that footage has not survived to my knowledge. In fact, the only surviving film of Houdini doing a public overboard box escape is this footage at an unidentified location.
By the way, the top of this box is a very nice match for the one that now sits in the American Museum of Magic in Marshall, Michigan.
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini takes the stage
Written and directed by Cynthia von Buhler, the play stars Pearls Daily as Minky Woodcock, Vincent Cinque as Houdini, and Robyn Adele Anderson as Bess. Below is a description of what sounds like quite an experience!
Audience members will witness Harry Houdini’s final days through an immersive theater experience in which they are assigned a character to follow and then view events through that character’s point of view. They might find themselves attending a séance, helping the magician rehearse backstage, sipping absinthe in a speakeasy, spying on an affair in a hotel room, witnessing an attempted murder, visiting Houdini in his hospital room, or viewing his body in the morgue. All attendees “travel via train” to watch Houdini’s final month of performances, including his iconic Water Torture Chamber act, in Rhode Island, Montreal and Detroit. VIP guests follow Harry Houdini or Minky Woodcock, receive the best seats in the house for the stage portions of the show, and are invited onstage to inspect the Water Torture Chamber. Audience members are encouraged to come back again to follow other key players and see alternate facets of what actually led to Houdini’s fateful death. Evidence is revealed, but the truth is left up to the theatergoer to decide.
All full price tickets include a signed copy of the collected hardcover edition of The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini. For more information and showtimes visit the official website.
It's also announced today that Minky will return in a second graphic novel series, Minky Woodcock: They Die Fast on Broadway, in which she will investigate the real-life death of Olive Thomas, whose murder was one of the earliest Hollywood scandals.
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Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Mystifier, First Quarter 1995
Continuing my issue by issue look back at the Mystifier, the newsletter of the Houdini Historical Center that ran from 1991-2003.
The First Quarter 1995 Mystifier begins with an excerpt from the transcript of Houdini's 1926 Congressional testimony. HHC curator Benjamin Filene credits the transcript having been uncovered by HHC member Paul Rosen at the Library of Congress. It's interesting to see that Houdini cites Sarah Winchester of Winchester Mystery House fame in his list of people he believes were ruined by their devotion to Spiritualism. Houdini states:
Wisconsin researcher and writer Larry Widen contributes a very well researched article called "Houdini in Milwaukee: The Forgotten Years." I was impressed that Widen mentions Harry and Bessie's 1897 tour as part of "Rogers Orpheum Stars", which is rarely mentioned in biographies. But most intriguing is his paragraph about the magic show young Ehrich Weiss witnessed in Milwaukee:
Notice he does not identify the performer, and that he locates it in a Dime Museum. This is very different from the accepted story of Houdini's father taking him to see the celebrated Dr. Lynn at the local Opera House. In his notes, Widen lists a clipping for "Litt's Mammoth Dime Museum" in the Milwaukee Sentinel for February 22, 1885, which is presumably his source for this performer. This appears to corroborate the recent thinking that it was not Dr. Lynn that young Ehrich Weiss saw that day in Milwaukee.
The newsletter includes a museum shop update, announcing the availability of Benjilini on Houdini. It also notes that HHC Executive Director Donald Hoke has accepted a new position in Dallas.
In my 35 years I have never seen one genuine medium. Millions of dollars are stolen every year in America, and the Government have never paid any attention to it, because they look upon it as a religion. Sara Winchester spent $5,000,000; the celebrated judge of New York, Edmonds, spent all his fortune; Professor Hare, of Yale College, heard voices and saw forms, and stated a lead pencil stood upright on the table and wrote messages, and answered questions.
Wisconsin researcher and writer Larry Widen contributes a very well researched article called "Houdini in Milwaukee: The Forgotten Years." I was impressed that Widen mentions Harry and Bessie's 1897 tour as part of "Rogers Orpheum Stars", which is rarely mentioned in biographies. But most intriguing is his paragraph about the magic show young Ehrich Weiss witnessed in Milwaukee:
One evening in 1885, an elegantly garbed gentleman was working on stage at a Milwaukee dime museum. Billed as "The Bloodless Vivisectionist" he produced a series of gleaming, wicked-looking knives and proceeded to dismember a living human being before the audience's eyes. With a flourish, the man then replaced his victims limbs and head, apparently none the worse for wear. Eleven-year-old Ehrich Weiss sat spellbound through this performance. He had never seen magic combined with this caliber of showmanship. Houdini later cited the vivisectionist's performance in Milwaukee as a primary inspiration for becoming a magician.
Notice he does not identify the performer, and that he locates it in a Dime Museum. This is very different from the accepted story of Houdini's father taking him to see the celebrated Dr. Lynn at the local Opera House. In his notes, Widen lists a clipping for "Litt's Mammoth Dime Museum" in the Milwaukee Sentinel for February 22, 1885, which is presumably his source for this performer. This appears to corroborate the recent thinking that it was not Dr. Lynn that young Ehrich Weiss saw that day in Milwaukee.
The newsletter includes a museum shop update, announcing the availability of Benjilini on Houdini. It also notes that HHC Executive Director Donald Hoke has accepted a new position in Dallas.
Sid Radner devotes his "Backstage" column to his recent trip to Las Vegas, where he reports that he saw Dixie Dooley and the Harry Blackstone Jr. show (Siegfried & Roy and Lance Burton's were dark during the Christmas season). He also makes a pitch for artifact donations to the HHC.
Sid finishes with "Houdini in the News" in which he reports that Wisconsin Public Television will feature the HHC and the Harry Houdini Assembly of the Society of Young Magicians on the children's program Get Real. He says that a reproduction Houdini bust and Water Torture Cell poster will appear as props in upcoming episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful set inside Houdini's house.
Sid also has a clever new sign-off: "Until next time, keep opening those locks."
Sid finishes with "Houdini in the News" in which he reports that Wisconsin Public Television will feature the HHC and the Harry Houdini Assembly of the Society of Young Magicians on the children's program Get Real. He says that a reproduction Houdini bust and Water Torture Cell poster will appear as props in upcoming episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful set inside Houdini's house.
Sid also has a clever new sign-off: "Until next time, keep opening those locks."
Mystifier
Volume 5, Number 1
First Quarter, 1995
6 pages
Contents:
Houdini Testifies Before Congress
Limited Edition at Museum Shop
Houdini's Years in Milwaukee
HHC Executive Director Moves to Dallas
Houdini in the News
Houdini in the News
Backstage with Sid Radner
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Monday, September 24, 2018
Jaguar Houdini commercial
Here's commercial for Jaguar featuring Houdini posted to the rights clearing company website Greenlight. (Just don't tell them Houdini wasn't a car guy.)
Below are more adventures in Houdini advertising.
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