Joe Notaro has another home run at his blog Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence today. Joe has uncovered some terrific details about Houdini's time spent in Riverside, California while filming Terror Island in early November 1919. During the shoot, Houdini and the crew stayed at the Riverside Mission Inn, which stands to this day. Underwater scenes were shot at the nearby Elliotta Springs Plunge.Interestingly, the local press reported the title of the movie as Deep Sea Loot, a title that sometimes shows up as a separate Houdini movie. Salvage was another early working title for Terror Island.
Click the headline to have a read at HHCE.
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Hey John,
ReplyDeleteAfter graduating from Rim Of The World High School in Lake Arrowhead I moved down and lived in an old nunery in Riverside, I worked for a few months at the Riverside Mission Inn,,,its a beautiful place however beneath the mission lies a helluva creepy and cool set of catacombs that as I was told extended outwards under the city to serve as evacuation routes during its early years, When I used to go down there, it was full of old stuff in the most unusual nooks and crannies,,,,I used to think wow, this would be so cool of a place for a magician to hang out in,,,,,
Interesting. Thanks for sharing, Michael. Wouldn't it be nice if someone found some old Terror Island props down in those catacombs!
DeleteI've never been to the Inn, but I'm planning on making a trip soon. I once emailed the museum asking if they'd like me to do a talk on Houdini in the movies, but they never wrote back.