The aim of this series has been to focus on issues of
Genii that have featured Houdini on the cover. From the time
Genii was founded in 1936, these have numbered at least two per decade, and many have been Special Houdini Issues. That's why it was so surprising that after November 1975, Houdini vanished from the cover of
Genii for the remainder of the 1970s and never once appeared on a cover in the 1980s! That's right, the '80s are a lost decade for Genii & Houdini. Well, kinda.
Technically, Houdini did appear on the cover of
Genii in the '80s many times. That's because in 1982
Genii did a cover redesign that featured a background montage of famous magicians, including a nice image of Houdini (hopefully I don't need to
point him out). But apart for this,
Genii showed little love for the Master Mystifier during the "Me Decade."
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| Dai Vernon |
So why did
Genii snub Houdini throughout the 1980s? It's hard to know for certain, but as I noted with the
October 1972 issue, a certain hostility toward Houdini seemed to emerging as Dai Vernon became part of
Genii and the West Coast magic scene. While Vernon was happy to trade on Houdini's name for his own purposes ("The Man Who Fooled Houdini"), he dismissed him as a magician and sniped at him in his
Genii column. Not that Vernon actively suppressed Houdini in
Genii, but the environment he fostered was that
real magicians should discount Houdini as a publicity seeker and instead emulate true craftsmen like...Dai Vernon! (It's an attitude that still exists today.)
But it could also be that there were no seismic Houdini events in the 1980s as there had been in the 1970s with a wave of books and tributes commemorating the 50th Anniversary of his death. In fact, the '70s were so Houdini packed, the magic world might have been suffering a bit of a Houdini hangover in the '80s.
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| Genii, May 1980 |
Still, Houdini was missed. Many Houdini and magic fanatics--like myself--were born of the '70s boom, and
Genii not producing even a single Houdini issue or cover to pull in these new, younger fans might have been a strategic mistake (even I let my subscription lapse). Newer magic publications like
Hocus Pocus and
Magicol happily filled the void, featuring Houdini on the covers of early issues, just as
Genii had done with
issue #2 when it was challenging the dominance of
The Sphinx back in 1936.
However, the tradition of a Houdini Special Issue would be revived in the 1990s, and by a familiar champion.
Coming next: November 1993
I was just thinking yesterday that there had not been much around on Houdini in the 1980s or at least that was my perception of it. My interest developed in 1980 and admittedly, the internet was not there to make it easy but still ... maybe it really was more than just my perception.
ReplyDeleteIt never really hit me until I wrote this how lean the '80s were in regards to HH. Didn't seem that way in the '80s because there was some stuff and anything was exciting, but when you now compare to the '90s and forward...lean time.
DeleteThe 80s had some great Houdini stuff. The YOUNG HARRY HOUDINI movie with Wil Wheaton, The InSearchOf Episode on Houdini narrated by Leonard Nimoy and the LIVE 2 Hour Search For Houdini Special with a host of magic folk.
ReplyDeleteI do agree, there was a distaste for Houdini among some in the magic community. Vernon was only one of many.
True the '80s had some good stuff. The Fitzsimons bio, the televised seance, and Young Harry Houdini as you say. But nothing that was really a game changer like Silverman or Kalush.
DeleteGreat series, John. Looking forward to reading more of these. One of my earliest and favorite childhood "finds" was the Oct. 1961 issue, which I got at a "flea market" at a Pittsburgh magic meeting.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're enjoying it, Tom. I'm enjoying doing these, and I'm surprised how much of a narrative has come forward. This is the darkest chapter, but things start to turn around. Stay turned!
DeleteI made the mistake of bringing up Houdini when talking to Len Vintus. Len and Houdini had a set to once, and Len really preferred not to talk about it or Houdini if he could avoid it. Well, by the time I came in to the magic scene here Len was tired of it and brushed off people who brought up Houdini. I was able to get back in his good graces a little later, but never brought up Houdini again.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, the late Charlie Taylor had no problem talking about seeing Houdini perform here, as well as other greats of magic. Local antiques dealer John McClay spoke openly of what it was like to see Houdini perform the water torture cell (sadly, I didn't think to tape record his comments and now he is gone), so it depends on the individual I guess.
Bruce Thomson
Taping John would have been wonderful! Not sure we have anyone left that saw or knew Houdini.
DeleteWhat did they say about watching Houdini in person? Let's hear it in detail!
ReplyDeleteI think John Calvert is the only one left that saw Houdini.
ReplyDeletePete
I've heard people say that, but I've never heard it from John himself. He talks about seeing Thurston and knowing Bess, but nothing about Houdini. I went to his 101 birthday celebration at the Castle hoping to ask about Houdini, but John was doing his own thing. :)
DeleteMy point is.......accounts of what people really saw when they went to see Houdini are all we have since his stage shows were not filmed. So if anyone, especially magicians, new anyone who actually related first hand accounts of performance details concerning Houdini let's here them! If this info is not collected and documented it will eventually be lost. As an example.....Sid Radner knew Hardeen! Did anyone conduct serious interviews with Sid to document what he heard from Hardeen? I'm talking serious in depth interviews to try to understand and visualize what a Houdini performance was all about.
ReplyDelete