Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Talking Houdini on Scamapalooza
I recently recorded a conversation with Australian magician and comedian Nicholas J. Johnson on his excellent Scamapalooza podcast. We spent an hour discussing Houdini, spiritualism, Margery (and her private parts). The episode (#24) is now live, so click below to have a listen on the Scamapalooza webpage or iTunes.
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Great interview John! Best part of it for me was the revelation that after his brother Bill died in 1925, HH locked himself all day in one of the rooms in 278. Was it meditation, or an attempt to contact Bill? Let us not forget that HH always wanted to believe and left the door open.
ReplyDeleteI talk about that in my Houdini spiritualism talk. I think it's in Silverman.
DeleteNot in Silverman. Brandon quotes Hardeen who mentioned that he and HH went to the upstairs 278 office at midnight. They waited there for a sign from Bill and heard nothing. They also went to Bill's grave in the middle of the night for some kind of message, but still no sign.
ReplyDeleteThanks Leo. It was he and Hardeen at 278? I recall the story of them in the graveyard, but I though HH was alone at home. Guess I've been telling that story a little wrong. Thanks.
DeleteHey! You're welcome. It's on page 300 in Brandon. She also noted that Hardeen and Collins finished that interrupted 1926 3 In 1 tour. I didn't know that.
ReplyDeleteJust read your retrospective for this year. A great Houdini 2015 wasn't it?
Hardeen finished the tour? That I've never heard. I didn't think he ever did a full evening show. Would like to know Brandon's source on that.
DeleteAll right, here then is the evidence from Brandon:
ReplyDelete300 "We...agreed...": Hardeen, Lecture on Houdini to Chicago Kiwanis, 1936, McMYC.
McMYC stands for McManus & Young Collection.
Bear in mind that Brandon used the transcript for this lecture to highlight Hardeen's recollection of that midnight rendezvous at 278 and at Machpelah. She may have taken a liberty in saying that Hardeen finished the tour with Collins.
It's possible he may have finished the tour as a way of fulfilling his late brother's contractual obligations and to hit the ground running with his own show. No need to create preliminary bookings since there was a vacuum left behind by HH. Obviously, Hardeen's show wasn't his brother's 3 In 1 extravaganza.