When Houdini died on Halloween 1926, his brother Theo Hardeen inherited his show and came out of retirement. Dash had a healthy career as a "Handcuff King" from 1900 to 1917. He then hung up the handcuffs to help run Houdini's ill-fated film factory. But now he was headed back to the stage. As far as I know, this striking poster was the first touting Hardeen as Houdini's successor. This appears in Ken Trombly's new book The Art of Magic.
Ken Trombly Collection
However, Hardeen's inheritance was not unconditional. Houdini's Will contained a curious stipulation that I rarely see discussed. Hardeen could only inherit the show if his sons were confirmed in the Jewish faith within three months. I recently came across an article in which Hardeen himself explained the reasons behind this.
The Herald Statesman, Nov 16, 1926.
Hardeen appears to have adhered to his late brother's wish, and he began his tour on January 17, 1927, in Bridgeport, CT. He continued to perform as "Houdini Legal Successor" until his own death in 1945.
While none of Hardeen's children or their offspring went into magic, we are fortunate today to have his grandson, George Hardeen, son of Harry Hardeen, looking after the legacy of Houdini and his grandfather.
The Official Houdini Séance was held this year at the new House of Magic in Glenside, Pennsylvania. The medium was Scott Wells, and the seance was open to the public this year. Did Houdini return? Apparently not, but a good time was had by all. Below is a collection of photos courtesy of John Costello.
Waiting for Harry.
The Inner Circle gathers.
Tom Boldt, Bill Radner, and the Séance Cuffs.
Medium Scott Wells getting into the spirit.
Barry Spector's creations.
"We are a very determined group." - Bill Radner
Here's looking forward to 2026 and the 100th anniversary of Houdini's death. Maybe Harry is too!
Halloween and the 99th are behind us. Now begins our march toward the 100th and the "Year of Houdini." Looks like the History Museum in Appleton is already taking the lead.
It was my great honor to once again be a guest on Scott Wells' The Magic Word Podcast. And this time Banjoe got in on the action! Or at least he tried.
CONCLUDING my scene-by-scene dissection of Houdini (1953) on this, the 99th anniversary of Houdini's death. Last time, Harry agreed to cut his Pagoda Torture Cell from his Halloween show. But can he resist giving the audience "more?"
Chapter 24: The End
It's Halloween!
Houdini has returned to the stage and is giving the audience thrills that made him famous. We drop into the full evening show as Houdini escapes from a barrel. Applause greets Harry's appearance from the cabinet. By the way, the Halloween imagery we see on the stage is accurate. Houdini used Halloween-like iconography during his final tours (see this poster).
We then move quickly to the next escape as Otto announces, "Houdini has been challenged to escape from a steel straitjacket." For some reason, Otto is the one who does all the talking onstage. This is certainly not accurate, but I like how it harkens back to the buzzsaw scene at Coney Island.
Two men in the audience come forward with the steel jacket. (If anyone knows the names of these actors, I'd love to hear it.) This scene is a favorite as the steel straitjacket has become iconic in its own right. Dunninger provided the prop and claimed it was used by Houdini himself. But I've found no evidence of this. By the way, "Here goes the coat again," is something the real Houdini would sometimes say onstage.
As always, the magic is performed for real in a single shot. Under the cover of his cape, Houdini/Tony Curtis is free in less than a minute. "Better luck next time," he says to the stunned men. It's great stuff, but I don't love the decision to lay in sound effects during his escape. Also, if you have a keen eye, you will see that part of the gaff is exposed as Houdini hands the jacket back to the men.
Houdini is then brought his traditional magician's cape and top hat, two things the real Houdini never wore onstage, but it neatly evokes his stature as THE Master Magician. He then gives his farewell address:
"You're really a wonderful audience, and I do want to thank you for this heartwarming welcome you've given me on my return to the stage. I do hope I pleased you, and that you'll be coming back to see me again and again. And each time you do come back, I promise you bigger and better thrills. Good night, and thank you very much."
As Houdini leaves the stage, the audience begins to shout for "more." Mixed into the applause are some shouts, "What about the Torture Cell? Why don't you do what you promised?" Houdini hears this as he heads into the wings. "Don't listen to them, they are never satisfied," says Otto. Houdini then steps into a nice close-up and says, "I can't." He tells Otto to, "Get the Torture Cell ready."
Houdini dashes into his dressing room and quickly prepares for the encore. He turns sharply and collides with the blunt handle of a prop sword. Right in the appendix! He collapses in pain. This is our substitute for the famous punch from J. Gordon Whitehead, who was still alive when this movie was made. I've heard it said that this is why the filmmakers decided not to dramatize the punch incident itself.
In the auditorium, the curtains re-opens on the bubbling Pagoda Torture Cell as the orchestra plays an ominous waltz. Bess dashes from her box as Houdini appears on stage in his bathing suit. The men who just challenged Houdini are invited back on stage to assist, but this time there is no levity. The mood is as somber as a funeral.
As Houdini is secured in the stocks and raised above the cell, we intercut with Bess, trying to get to the stage, but the doors are locked. She bangs on the glass, but cannot be heard. Back on stage, Houdini takes several deep breaths, then he goes down into the cell as the clock and Otto begin to count off the seconds.
We have some nice Houdini POV shots of the audience through glass. But how I wish these shots were upside down! (See below). Interestingly, the curtain does not conceal the cell entirely; it only conceals the top. There is some evidence that Houdini did perform a version of the Water Torture Cell that was partially visible to the audience.
Having given up on the stage door, Bess now runs around to the front of the theater and enters through the main doors. Meanwhile, things on the stage are not going as planned. Houdini seems unable to maneuver in the confined space. He grits his teeth and appears to grow frantic. That's when Bess appears in the back of the house, just in time to see her husband fall limp with a stream of bubbles flowing from his mouth. Bess screams.
Otto then uses a fire axe to smash the cell glass in a spectacular shot. It appears actor Torin Thatcher is doing this himself, which seems pretty risky. Houdini's limp body is dragged from the cell as pandemonium erupts and the curtains close.
As Houdini is lying on the stage, Bess appears at his side. Houdini coughs and says weakly, "I'll come back, Bess. If there's a way, I'll come back. I'll come back."
Wait a minute!
Time out. The number one criticism of Houdini (1953) is that it depicts Houdini dying in his Pagoda Torture Cell. But that's not what happens here. If Houdini can talk, he's not drowned. He's alive and, presumably, he will now go to the hospital, where it will be discovered that his appendix has ruptured. So he will die in the hospital due to the results of a ruptured appendix, just as he did in real life. All we saw here was an accident, which is not entirely fictional. Houdini did have an accident in the Water Torture Cell during his last days, although not as dramatic as the one depicted here.
The entire premise of this series is that when you put each scene of this movie under the microscope, it is actually far more accurate than it is given credit for. This biggest "inaccuracy" and is actually the best example of this. And it is the last.
Okay, back to the movie.
"I'll come back, Bess. I'll come back."
Of course, this is a reference to the pact Houdini and Bess made that if it were possible to come back from the dead, he would try to do so. As Houdini repeats his promise, the camera moves away, traveling like a ghost past onlookers who seem frozen in place -- frozen in time. The camera drifts into the backstage area and settles on an old but familiar poster of the young Houdini from "Schultz's Dime Museum," and we understand just how far he has come and how high he has risen in this mysterious world of magic. Over this image appears: "The End."
There are no credits; just a repeat of the Paramount logo. Then fade to black.
Here's a standing ovation for the greatest Houdini biopic of them all. Houdini (1953). May it live forever!
Sorry for the super late notice, but if you don't have any Halloween plans tonight, here's a Houdini Seance for you! This is where I'll be. Hope to see you there.
Our good friend Dr. Eric Colleary, Cline Curator of Theatre and Performing Arts at the Harry Ransom Center, recently spoke at the prestigious Club of Odd Volumes in Boston on the topic of "Houdini's Library." Eric is organizing a major 2026 exhibition at the Harry Ransom Center on the subject and writing a companion book.
Before Eric's address, members enjoyed a special Houdini-themed dinner, with Chicken Paprikash as the main course, of course! Bread pudding with Houdini's favorite cherries was for dessert.
What made this talk extra special is that Houdini himself addressed The Club of Odd Volumes on the topic of his library in 1922. Eric recently uncovered some interesting material related to that talk at David Copperfield's International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts in Las Vegas and shared it with club members for the first time.
For more details on Houdini's Library, visit the Harry Ransom Center website. You can also pre-order Eric's book Houdini's Library: Inside the Spellbinding Collections of the Great Illusionist at Amazon.com and Amazom.co.uk.
Today sees the release of Lincoln's Ghost: Houdini's War on Spiritualism and the Dark Conspiracy Against the American Presidency by Brad Ricca. I don't have the book in hand yet, but I'm looking forward to reading this one!
The incredible untold story of how the world's greatest magician, Harry Houdini, waged war upon Spiritualism, uncovering unknown magic, political conspiracies, and surprising secrets along the way.
You won’t live forever, Houdini. You’ve got to DIE. I put a curse on you . . .
During a séance in 1924, Houdini―the greatest entertainer in the world―was cursed by a vengeful spirit, who said his days were numbered. Houdini laughed. He believed talking to the dead was impossible. By 1926, Houdini was dead.
This is the untold story of the last performance of Harry Houdini, who―inspired by his hero Abraham Lincoln―devotes himself full-time to a personal crusade against Spiritualism, the practice of speaking to the dead. In a spellbinding journey across Jazz Age America, haunted by the aftermath of the Great War and a deadly pandemic, Houdini encounters modern-day haunted houses, warlocks, and monsters, and uncovers a shocking conspiracy that stretches all the way to the American presidency―and to the House of Houdini itself.
In a compelling dual-timeline narrative alternating between Houdini’s 1926 dramatic courtroom testimony before Congress and the last otherworldly cases he takes on that lead him there, Lincoln's Ghost is a powerful examination of deception, love, politics, the afterlife, and the very nature of magic itself.
Purchase Lincoln's Ghost: Houdini's War on Spiritualism and the Dark Conspiracy Against the American Presidency at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk (UK release date Nov 17).
It was 20 years ago today that a rare Terror Island poster sold for $12,650 during Swann Galleries' auction of The Christian Fechner Collection of American & English Magic, Part I. Why am I reporting on such old news? It's because this auction ad started this website.
2005
I had never seen this poster. Very few people had. So when I saw this ad in a Swann newsletter, I thought, "Wouldn't it be great if there were someplace that tracked all Houdini activity like this?" Instead of waiting for that to happen, I started doing it myself. First, a small electronic newsletter (2 issues), then a website www.houdini-lives.com, which ran for 5 years, and then WILD ABOUT HARRY, which will turn 15 on November 10th.
Today, this poster hangs in David Copperfield's incredible International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts in Las Vegas. Ironically, I'm able to be in the same room with it precisely because it inspired me to start a blog. So whenever I see it there, a part of me remembers that day in 2005.
Yesterday, I put a poll up on my Patreon asking what makes a high-priced Houdini book "worth it" to you? It's a popular poll and the results are interesting, so I thought I'd open it to everyone to vote. Just click below to go.
If you're interested in joining us on Patreon, know that you currently get 50% off your first month. This offer expires at the end of October. See you on the inside!
It was 99 years ago today that Houdini gave his final performance at the Garrick Theater in Detroit on October 24, 1926. Here is a review of that show that ran in the Detroit Free Press the following day. The reviewer, Philip N. O'Hara, was unaware of the drama that was unfolding backstage. But it's clear from his review that not all was right that night. A remarkable and, yes, somewhat spooky review in hindsight.
Houdini was booked for two weeks at the Garrick, but only played this one day. By the time this review appeared, he was at Grace Hospital fighting for his life.
Well, how about this? WILD ABOUT HARRY and I have received a tremendous honor from the New England Magic Collectors Association (NEMCA), an organization I greatly respect and admire. This was just posted to their Facebook group:
JOHN COX / WILD ABOUT HARRY NAMED NEMCA’S 2025 FOUNDERS AWARD RECIPIENT!
The New England Magic Collectors Association (NEMCA) is an organization of over 150 magicians, magic historians and magic collectors from around the world. It started in Boston, Massachusetts in 1980 with the purpose of preserving and promoting the history, artifacts and publications of the performers of magic and its allied arts.
In 2017 NEMCA created its Founders Award in honor of two of its founders, Ray Goulet and Ed Hill. The Award is used to acknowledge the contributions of people and organizations that exemplify NEMCA’s prime objectives of preserving and promoting the history and artifacts associated with magic and the allied arts. Previous recipients have included the American Museum of Magic, the Conjuring Arts Research Center (CARC), MAGICANA, and The Magic Circle.
It is our privilege to announce that the Board of Directors for NEMCA has unanimously voted to honor Wild About Harry and its founder, John Cox, as the recipient of the 2025 Founders Award.
This celebrates Cox’s many years of effort collecting and sharing information regarding Harry Houdini. Cox’s Facebook page, website (wildabouthoudini.com) in conjunction with the Patreon site, offers pictures and information available nowhere else. The publication of his book, Escaping Obscurity - The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899, is a significant accomplishment and contribution to the community. It is these, and many other considerations, that supported the presentation of this honor.
Magicians around the world will celebrate Harry Houdini in 2026 recognizing one hundred years since the death of Houdini. NEMCA’s next Yankee Gathering will take place in early November and a portion of the conference will be dedicated to scholarship and celebration of Houdini’s memory.
John Cox, through his work on Wild About Harry, has done much to preserve the very rich history of magic and its practitioners, as well as to promote magic to newer generations.
The Board of the New England Magic Collectors Association can think of no more deserving organization than Wild About Harry and its founder, John Cox, to receive its 2025 Founders Award. NEMCA congratulates him for all he has done, and continues to do, on behalf of magic history.
I'm excited to read that a portion of their 2026 "Yankee Gathering" will be dedicated to scholarship and celebration of Houdini’s memory. That sounds like my kind of gathering!
Thank you to the New England Magic Collectors Association and all its members. This is amazing.
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