"It's a masterpiece." -David Copperfield
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Houdini in New York 3-day Magic Conference
The events keep coming! The New York Magic Conference, in cooperation with the Houdini Museum in Scranton, will hold a three-day seminar devoted to "Houdini in New York," October 31 to November 2, 2025.
To register, email your contact information to Robert Dadras at NewYorkMagicConference@gmail.com. For more details, visit the New York Magic Conference on Facebook.
Monday, October 13, 2025
Escaping Obscurity now available in the UK
Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899 is now available via a few more magic retailers besides publisher Mike Caveney's Magic Words. There's good news for those in the UK who may have avoided buying the book because of postage costs. Collecting Magic Books now has it in stock.
I'm also happy to see The Magic Apple here in Los Angeles (Studio City) has the book in stock. The Magic Apple is a fantastic old-school magic store, so it's a nice feeling to know a book I wrote is on their shelves. I went to magic shops looking for Houdini books as a kid, so I love the idea of some young Houdini nut stumbling on the book here.
At the moment, these are the only outside retailers with books, but Mike tells me more will be coming. I will share them as I get them.
Overall, the book is selling great, and reviews have been very positive. I have learned of a few errors and made a few post-publication discoveries, all of which I'm tracking on my page: ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Discoveries & Corrections.
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Take a River Cruise to Houdini's Birthplace in 2026
It's never too early to start making plans for 2026 and the centennial of Houdini's death. Here's an event being organized by our friend Scott Wells of the Magic Word Podcast that sounds like a doozy!
The Magic Word Podcast Presents:
A River Cruise to Houdini's Birthplace in Celebration of 100 Years Since His Death
Join other listeners as the Magic Word Podcast hosts a trip to Old World Europe. Next year will mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Harry Houdini. As many of you know, Ehrich Weiss, aka Harry Houdini, was born in Budapest in 1874 before his family migrated to Appleton, Wisconsin, in the U.S. David Merlini has a world-renowned House of Houdini museum in Harry's hometown and will be hosting a festival around the date of the great escape artist's passing. So, we thought it appropriate to arrange a trip to the Old Country, including Transylvania, during this historic time to join in the celebration, then have a leisurely river cruise on the back end.
This trip will begin with a few days in Romania and Transylvania from October 26-28. Then we join with the Houdini Festival in Budapest from October 29-31. We will spend the following days from November 1-3 exploring in and around Budapest. On November 4-11 we will join the AMA Cruise in Budapest on the romantic Danube aboard the AmaSofia and travel northwest to Vilshofen, Germany. Those longing for the romance of Old World Europe will get to travel into the very heart of the continent, where empires were built, kings and queens were crowned and some of the world’s greatest music was composed and performed by the likes of Mozart and Beethoven. Grand European cities like Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest forever remain timeless. Admire the beauty of Salzburg or the Czech Republic’s charming mountain town, Ceský Krumlov. From grand abbeys and fortresses perched high above the Danube to plentiful iconic UNESCO World Heritage Sites, be romanced by the Danube with all her regal and romantic splendor.
This will be limited to a small group, so don't delay if you are interested. The trip dates will be October 26 (arriving in Bucharest on October 25) through November 11 and departing from Munich, Germany, on November 12. Rates go up after October 31, 2025, and cabin availability will be going fast since it is a river cruise and not an ocean going vessel.
If you are interested in joining for this once in a lifetime experience, then please drop an email to scott@themagicwordpodcast.com for more information.
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Friday, October 10, 2025
The search for Stella
Stella and Bess were very close. They shared a room growing up and shared superstitions. When Bess was estranged from her mother, it was Stella and her husband William Bartholmes who provided Bess with her only family connection. Stella is the sister that Houdini and Bess are visiting in Bridgeport in 1897, where Houdini so enjoyed outrunning "all the bike cops" on his "Wheel" (which I discuss in Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899).
According to sister Marie Hinson, Stella died at a young age. Her only child, Beatrice Bartholmes (born in 1893), was raised by the Rahners from the age of seven, which suggests Stella's death occurred in or around 1900. Curiously, I do see the death of a William Bartholmes of Bridgeport on June 30, 1900. Is this Stella's husband? Did they die together? That would explain why their child went to grandma.
Stella's death would have greatly impacted Bess, so I'd really like to know precisely when it occurred so I can see where the Houdinis were at the time. To make it more frustrating, I recall reading about the death of one of Bess's sisters somewhere, but I can't find it.
So if anyone wants to take up the challenge and find any record of Stella and her death, you'll be my hero!
Thursday, October 9, 2025
New edition of The Treasure Chest: Harry Houdini: Prince of Air
A new paperback edition of Ann Hood's The Treasure Chest: Harry Houdini #4: Prince of Air is released today by Penguin Workshop. When the book was first released by Grosset and Dunlap in 2012, the cover did not feature Houdini, nor was his name in the title. But it is now!
The secrets of Elm Medona thicken . . . with Harry Houdini!When Great-Uncle Thorne arrives at Elm Medona, Maisie and Felix's lives get shaken up again. Uncle Thorne moves the family into the mansion proper. One night, Great-Aunt Maisie arranges for Thorne, Maisie, and Felix to rendezvous with her in The Treasure Chest. Minutes later, Maisie and Felix find themselves at a magic show on Coney Island in 1894 starring Harry Houdini. As they follow him and his brother Dash to Pennsylvania and Rhode Island and back to New York City, they wonder what has become of Great-Aunt Maisie and Great-Uncle Thorne. Then one evening at Tom Pastor's Famous 14th Street Theater, the curtain opens and all is revealed.
Another interesting change. The date of this adventure has apparently been changed from 1893 to 1894.
You can purchase The Treasure Chest: Harry Houdini #4: Prince of Air by Ann Hood at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
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Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Spellbound Houdini Séance at The House of MAGIC in Santa Paula
The House of MAGIC Foundation for the Arts and Mentalist Anthony Blake will present an immersive Houdini Séance experience called "Spellbound at the Table" this Friday, October 10, at The House of MAGIC in Santa Paula near Los Angeles. Below are the terrifying details.
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Dare to Attend?This Friday, October 10 at 7PM, step into the shadows for a Special Spellbound: At the Table presentation — The Houdini Séance.Join us inside The House of MAGIC Foundation for the Arts as we recreate the mystery and wonder of Houdini’s world.🕰️ Flickering candles. Whispered voices. A spirit cabinet waiting to be unlocked.This is a theatrical séance — a scripted, immersive experience that blends illusion, history, and suspense. We’ll explore Houdini’s battle with spiritualism and the question that haunted him to his final day...Can anyone truly speak from beyond the grave?🎩 One night only — limited seating!📅 Friday, October 10 • 7PM📍 The House of MAGIC Foundation for the Arts, Santa Paula🎟️ Get tickets now before they vanish: www.thomagic.org(For entertainment purposes only. Ages 12+ recommended.)
I've just booked my ticket and, at the moment, I'm all by myself in the front row. So come join me...if you dare!
The House of MAGIC Foundation for the Arts is located at 15500 W. Telegraph Road STE B15, Santa Paula, CA.
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Monday, October 6, 2025
Ed Cotham, Jr. talks Houdini in Galveston, Oct 28
Historian Ed Cotham, Jr. will give a talk about Houdini's connections to Galveston, Texas, on October 28 at 11:30am. This is part of The Galveston Historical Foundation's "Foundation Conversations" series. Details below.
October 31, 2025, marks the 99th anniversary of famous escape artist Harry Houdini's death. On November 6, 1923, less than three years before he died, Houdini made his one and only appearance at Galveston’s Grand Opera House. But Houdini had been dreaming of coming to Galveston for years. His papers in the Library of Congress include an unmailed postcard telling his mother that he was running away from home to go to Galveston for a year. At the time, Ehrich Weisz (his birth name) was only twelve years old. When Houdini finally got to Galveston 37 years later, he was in the midst of a crusade against the evil side of Spiritualism. As part of his later tours, Houdini delivered lectures with projected slides explaining how some unscrupulous mediums defrauded people. In this unique program, Ed Cotham will explore Houdini’s life and his Texas connections. As part of the program, he will read from the script of one of Houdini’s Spiritualism lectures while showing pictures of Houdini’s original slides.
Virtual tickets are also available for guests who would like to view the livestream. A link will be sent prior to the event with instructions on viewing. You are welcome to bring your own lunch to enjoy. Lunch will not be provided. Current GHF member tickets are free for in-person or livestream attendance as part of their #GalvestonHistory+ account. Access will start at 11:15 a.m. on the day of the presentation.
Edward T. Cotham, Jr. is a historian specializing in Galveston and Texas military history. The author of seven scholarly history books, Ed is also a performing magician. He is a member of many prominent magic organizations, including the Academy of Magical Arts at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California.
Friday, October 3, 2025
The Official Houdini Séance 2025 in Pennsylvania
The Official Houdini Séance will be held this year at House of Magic in Glenside, Pennsylvania. The seance is open to the public, but seating is limited. An old-fashioned spook show will precede the seance. Below is this year's press release.
Nearly a century after Harry Houdini’s death, a group of magicians, historians, and spiritualists with gather in Pennsylvania to attempt what the famed escape artist once promised: Can the dead return?
The Official Houdini Séance will be held at 10 pm on October 31, 2025, at The House of Magic in Glenside, PA.
Fifteen days after performing at the Chestnut Street Theater in Philadelphia, Houdini died on Halloween in 1926 at Grace Hospital in Detroit at 1:26 pm, the result of peritonitis. Before his passing, he promised that if communication from the beyond were possible, he would find a way to prove it.
After his death, Houdini’s widow Bess held annual séances for ten years, culminating in a nationally broadcast attempt from the rooftop of the Knickerbocker Hotel in Hollywood in 1936. Declaring, “Ten years is enough to wait for any man,” she ended her public efforts, but others have continued the tradition.
“Houdini told his brother that if he were able to return in a material way, he would open a unique set of handcuffs,” said séance director Bill Radner of West Springfield, MA. “Those handcuffs, along with other Houdini memorabilia, will be placed on the séance table this year.”
The séance will be led by trance medium Scott Wells of Ft. Worth, TX, with participants hoping for a breakthrough unlike any before.
“We are a very determined group,” Radner added. “We look forward to making contact this year.”
For more Official Houdini Séance information, please contact Bill Radner, 413-531-3333 or email rendar1@aol.com.
While Houdini never performed in Glenside, he did appear with the Welsh Bros Circus for three memorable days in nearby Norristown (covered in Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899). And, of course, Philadelphia was a major Houdini city where he appeared many times. So I'd say his spirit is in the air!
You can purchase tickets for The Official Houdini Séance 2025 at the House of Magic website.
Thanks to Ken Hallgring and Tom Boldt for the alert.
Thursday, October 2, 2025
Houdini BBC radio collection released
BBC audiobooks have released a collection of three BBC-produced Houdini radio programs called Houdini & The Witch of Beacon Hill. Details below.
What drove Harry Houdini - magician, escapologist, and one of the most famous men in the world? Whether it was escaping from handcuffs, a straitjacket or from a box filled with water, Houdini wowed audiences with his seemingly death-defying performance... This BBC Radio collection shares the story behind the trickery: in two fascinating full-cast dramas about the life of Harry Houdini, and in particular his public campaign to expose fraudulent spiritual mediums.In the stunning full-cast dramatisation Houdini, a man is naked against the world, bound in chains, deprived of all help. Performing a death defying escape from a galvanised iron can, filled with water and secured with massive locks. Failure means a drowning death! This is the gripping story of the master magician, escapologist, and at the time of his death in 1926, one of the most famous men in the world. Michael Maloney stars as Houdini, with Graham Crowden as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Lorelei King as Bess.
Houdini, the showman, longed to believe that he might be able to communicate beyond the grave with his beloved mother, but knew far too much about the trickery and faking of the stage to be easily convinced. The Witch of Beacon Hill is the true story of how Harry Houdini tried to debunk psychics and mediums. Attending séances in disguise, accompanied by a reporter and a police officer he debunked the most famous and celebrated Boston medium Mina Crandon, also known as ‘Margery’. This radio drama tells Margery’s story, and the story of how Houdini set out to disprove her claims. Starring Shelly Thompson as Margery and Nigel Anthony as Houdini.
This double edition collection comes with a bonus episode of Harry Houdini: Escape artist and showman with Rajan Datar. Through interviews, Datar charts the life and career of the legendary Houdini, with writer and biographer Adam Begley, Dr Matthew Solomon, and Dr Katharina Rein.
For the record, Houdini was first broadcast on BBC Radio 2, Oct 1996; The Witch of Beacon Hill on BBC Radio 4, 30 Sep 1989; and Harry Houdini: Escape artist and showman on BBC World Service, 30 Dec 2021
Purchase Houdini & The Witch of Beacon Hill: Two Full-Cast BBC Radio Historical Dramas at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Unfortunately, there does not appear to be a physical release.
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Wednesday, October 1, 2025
50% off new Patreon memberships in October
I thought I'd kick off seance season and the countdown to the 99th anniversary of Houdini's death by offering 50% off new Patreon memberships in October. This applies to the first month and is open to new members only. Just use promo code: SPOOKS.
On my Patreon, you'll find a wealth of exclusive Houdini content, receive special monthly rewards, get the scoop on my current projects, and get an early heads up on new book releases and events. And if we reach 100 members (only 9 members away), you'll hear something truly wild.
You'll also be supporting all the work I do here on WILD ABOUT HARRY and my upcoming projects. So come join us (at 50% off) for what may be a wild month!
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Let's all go to Appleton next year!
It's not too early to start making plans for 2026 and Houdini's 100th. Here's an event to seriously consider. The Society of American Magicians (SAM) will hold its annual convention in Appleton, Wisconsin, July 1-4, 2026. And look who's going to be speaking! I'm already cooking up ideas on how to make this one extra special.
You're invited to return to where the magic began. Join The Society of American Magicians in Appleton, WI, Houdini's childhood home, for a once-in-a-century gathering to honor the world's most legendary magician. Celebrate Houdini's life, artistry, and enduring impact on the art of magic, 100 years after his passing.July 1-4, 2026HOUDINI 100 Years Later: Honoring the LegacyRegistration and information: magicsam.com/page/appleton
I think it would be great to gather as many Houdini nuts as possible for this one. Hey, it's Appleton, it's the SAM, and it's the 100th! Hope to see you there.
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Monday, September 29, 2025
Houdini is back at the Winchester Mystery House
Can the Dead speak to the Living? Witness a diabolical secret hidden within an astounding display of magical arts, as legendary magician Harry Houdini mysteriously disappears before a séance rehearsal at Llanada Villa. Surrounded by magic memorabilia and props infamously used to disprove the existence of spirits, Houdini’s assistant invites several lucky participants to the séance table for the ultimate demonstration of staged paranormal trickery. Of course, Llanada Villa is no ordinary stage… and this is no ordinary séance. When avid spiritualist Sarah Winchester departed from the mortal realm, the ancient supernatural forces long kept at bay beneath her beloved home grew restless, waiting for a fresh voice to call out in the dark. Tonight, Houdini’s voice will challenge the unknown, all in the name of magic; if seeing is believing, even the toughest nonbelievers may leave this exclusive performance questioning.
You can book the "Do Spirits Return?" experience via the Winchester Mystery House official website. It will be available through November 1st.
Thanks to Laurie Sippel and Bruce Averbook for the pic.
Friday, September 26, 2025
Houdini and the Rio's (attempted) silent movie revival
In 1954, the Rio Theatre in San Francisco converted to an all-silent cinema, banking on nostalgia for the old classics in an era of Cinemascope and 3D. The article below, which appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle on New Year's Day, laid out the plan.
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| San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 1, 1954. |
While not mentioned in the above article, Houdini was an integral part of the Rio's slate. A new episode of The Master Mystery would play before each new feature. Interestingly, Paramount's biopic Houdini (1953) was still playing in theaters, and could be seen at the Roxie on 16th and Valencia at this same time.
The Rio's first offering was the 1923 Lon Chaney classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame, along with episode 1 of The Master Mystery. A Universal Monster and Houdini? I would have been there in a second!
This wasn't the only time Houdini and The Hunchback of Notre Dame played in proximity. The below is from Waco, Texas, when Houdini was on his spiritualism lecture tour in 1924. Did Houdini ever see the movie, I wonder?
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| The Waco Times Herald, Oct. 8, 1924. |
Week 2 featured Orchids & Ermine (1927) with the great Colleen Moore, the 1912 short The New York Hat with Mary Pickford and Lionel Barrymore, and The Mystery Mystery episode 2.
Week 3 featured the Wallace Beery comedy Behind the Front (1926), the Harry Langdon short Soldier Man, and episode 3 of The Master Mystery.
The 4th week features "Anatole France's Classic" Crainquebille (1922) and D.W. Griffith's Judith of Bethulia (1914). Despite an earlier newspaper report that The Master Mystery episode 4 would be part of the program, it is not included in the opening-day advertisement. Possibly it was dropped due to the length of the features.
The Rio's next feature would have been the Clara Bow comedy drama Dancing Mothers (1926), along with Laurel and Hardy's Criminals at Large (1929) and The Master Mystery. A newspaper reported it would be episode 4, offering further evidence that it had been dropped the previous week.
However, a slate of "Disney's True-Life Adventure" films opened at the Rio instead. The San Francisco Call reported the change.
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| The San Francisco Call Bulletin, Jan. 23, 1954 |
The mention of TV may be telling. In mid-January, local San Francisco television station KRON purchased a package of silents and began running its own series of silents as part of its late-night programming. Among their films were The Headless Horseman (1922) with Will Rogers, The Primrose Path (1925) with Clara Bow, and, yes, The Man From Beyond (1922) with you-know-who!
I wonder what print of The Master Mystery the Rio was showing? It could have been the complete 16mm print owned by John Hampton of the Silent Movie Theater in Los Angeles, which was going strong at this time. Perhaps the two theaters worked out an agreement to share films. Finally, how disappointing must it have been to Houdini fans to have the Rio pull the plug after only three (or four) episodes?
In the 1960s, the Rio became the Toho Rio and screened Japanese films. It was then acquired by United Artists and was known as the Metro II in the 1970s. In 1982, it briefly became the Rio again, before being sold and renamed the Mercury Theatre. It screened foreign films until its closure in 1986. It was demolished in 1990.
Below are more appearances of Houdini's movies in revival houses.
UPDATE: Here's a fun update. Our good friend Diego Domingo performed a special Halloween magic show at the Rio when it was the Metro II in 1970. In fact, Diego had pitched the idea of showing his 16mm print of The Man From Beyond to them, but the theater opted for a horror film instead.
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