It's time to wrap-up the year with a look back at the highlights of 2017.
January's
33 posts kicked off with a look at what Houdini himself
was up to in 1917. A collected edition of
Rough Riders Vol. 1 was released. Houdini showed up on
Mysteries at the Museum and on
Timeless. I paid a magical visit to the workshop
of John Gaughan. The Houdini Museum announced
HOUDINI-OPOLY. Quirkology
vanished Houdini's elephant as a new vanishing elephant pic
appeared. We discovered Houdini's
Coca-Cola connection and
his favorite hotel. Harry and Bess
hit Ceylon while
Sherlock Holmes and
Audacity Jones met the Handcuff King.
February (
24 posts) opened with an investigation of a
famous forgery. A Water Torture Cell poster
made history. The Magic Castle revealed a new
Seance Coin. Houdini threw
shade at Edison. A major Houdini exhibition
opened in Madrid. Ken Ralston remembered an
unmade Houdini movie. Tell
flipped the bird as eBay went Wild About...
Clempert? We heard from a creepy
grave robber and saw Houdini artwork
by Tom Lovell.
Le Kaiser Et Le Roi Des Menottes hit stores as author Vivianne Perret discovered
Hardeen in Budapest. The month ended with a look back at the first great
Houdini documentary.
In
March (
31 posts) we explored
Houdini in 1901 as well as his bizarre plan to
fight a shark. A Houdini poster
appeared at the Winchester Mystery House, where Ed Saint once considered holding a
Houdini séance. Tony Curtis channeled the
young Houdini. Kevin Connolly gave us a Houdini
birthday present. American Pinball unveiled
Houdini in Texas. Peepolykus mixed
Houdini and Dracula while rappers mixed
Houdini and drugs. A Water Torture Cell photo
escaped with $889.
The Secret Life of Houdini screenplay was
reviewed...and seemed as silly as
Benny Hill. Potter & Potter showed us
Mama in Europe, and we got a taste of
Houdini horror from Italy.
April (
28 posts) began with the news that The Magic Castle
changed its name! But no one was fooling when Bessie's brooch
pinned down $72,000 at auction. The Houdini Museum of New York gave fans a chance to try on
Houdini's handcuffs. Houdini
tried to buy the Oakland Oaks and gave a free show for
Buffalo's newsies. Houdini engaged in a
great radio debate while a lucky diarist
saw Houdini in 1911. Penn Jillette discussed
a "nut" in England as Dave Koenig made the
case for Houdini's Ghost. Houdini also
saved a life, met
The Tramp, and had a
Close Encounter.
May (
33 posts) began with a screening of
Terror Island in St. Charles.
Mysteries at the Museum revealed
the real ghostbusters. Hardeen appeared
on television as Bess discussed (not)
having a son. We looked at how Houdini didn't
vanish an elephant or
walk through a wall. Leopold's house went
up for auction. An Escapology exhibition opened in
East Kilbride. Magic came
to Montreal and Houdini
took D.C. We saw inside David Blaine's
magic lair and enjoyed some original artwork by
Luis Dominguez. Houdini appeared in
Heavy Metal and
Vanish while
VIZ named Houdini
the Hunkiest Harry.
In
June (
25 posts) Wild About Harry
hit 5 million pageviews. But the big news was that Houdini's New York home ("278") went
on the market. I jetted to
New York City and went
inside 278, which was the Houdini experience of a lifetime! Meanwhile Hardeen's Tramp Chair was
displayed at Oakfest. Houdini's lecture slides sold
for $31,980. I spotted
evidence of a lost Houdini poster while David Haversat shared his restored
Master Mystery 6-sheet. Dover released a new edition of
Houdini's Paper Magic. A Houdini exhibit opened in
Davenport. Houdini covered
Riders on the Storm #4 and Drake got
scared away from Houdini's "haunted house."
278 kept us talking in
July (
31 posts) with a detailed look back at the
owners and occupants. Houdini showed up on
Jeopardy while his plane landed in a
Diggers Rest cafe. Is a Houdini pet is
buried in West Hollywood? Maybe
The Shadow knows? Criss Angel got a star on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame and someone got taken by an eBay fraud (
I tried to warn you). Derek Tait's
The Great Houdini: His British Tours was released in the UK while
The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini was previewed at
Comic Con.
August (
33 posts) kicked off with a look at
Houdini in 1902.
Dead Famous went
in search of Houdini. Harry took a turn
as a serial killer. A new Houdini book by
Charlotte Montague was released. Robert Wringham taught us to
Escape Everything! Film fragments revealed a
Houdini pier jump and
a rare poster. 278 briefly went
off the market as we brewed up
Houdini beer. Houdini secrets were unlocked
in 1995.
The Magician and the Spirits was released. We waited for Houdini at the
2000 Official Séance as Lorde rocked the
Houdini Estate. Milbourne Christopher
channeled Houdini, and our friend Colleen Bak gave us a
new perspective on an old photo.
In
September (
34 posts) I investigated Houdini's
Prison Cell & Barrel Mystery. The Houdini Estate in Hollywood got
new gates while his house in New York lost its
bookcase and piano. But is there a Houdini
prop in the basement? We looked at Houdini in
Ragtime and also found him at
Historic Auto Attractions. The future of Appleton's
Metamorphosis remained unclear. David Haversat landed Houdini's
spirit slates and chair. Houdini became a
calendar boy and a
pitch man. A lost Magic Castle Houdini
display case reappeared. I reviewed Derek Tait's
new book while Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz reviewed
The Last Séance. And did Hardeen really reveal his brother's
most secret secret?
October (
40 posts) opened with my visit to
Terror Island in
Riverside. Fred Pittella revealed the
Bobby Handcuffs. Dean Carnegie celebrated Houdini all month on his terrific blog
The Magic Detective. We revisited why Houdini's last show
was a killer.
MOVIES gave us multiple airings of
Houdini (1953) while
HISTORY revived
Houdini (2014). Vivianna Perret's 3rd book sent Harry to
Budapest. And speaking of Budapest, Hardeen was
in the House! Gene Gamache's Houdini doc
arrived on DVD.
The Great Houdini's Puzzle Vault was released. A
Grim Game lantern slide
sold on eBay.
Paul Zenon brought
Linking Rings to
the Secret Cellar. 278 had another
open house.
Joe Mantegna explored
Houdini's Secret Life. Houdini muscled in on a
Blackstone auction. And I decided to mark Halloween with the untold story of Houdini's
secret straitjacket escape.
November (
37 posts) began with a recap of Halloween séances,
official and
otherwise. But maybe Houdini is waiting for
2022? We celebrated the centenary of Houdini's
Times Square escape. Appleton held their annual
Houdini 10K run. David Saltman released
HOUDINI UNBOUND. A mystery prop appeared at
FrightFest. The Disney Channel launched
Club Houdini with
Iñaki Ruiz de Galarreta as our new Harry. Russian researchers offered a
Harry Houdini Prize. We learned David Copperfield wants
Houdini's bookcase. A Houdini mystery sack sold
in auction. June Horowitz remembered
a visit from Houdini.
Rough Riders Vol. 2 was released along with
The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini #1. American Pinball offered Houdini
game artwork. We ended the month with a look at
Houdini in 1903.
December (
17 posts) started with the Houdini-Hilliar Code
hand off.
A Regular Little Houdini came to New York. The Flaming Nose asked the burning question:
Houdini -- Hot or Not? A 1933 Houdini poem was
reprinted. We previewed Vivianne Perret's
4th book. A Houdini musical couldn't escape
sound problems, and 278 had a
price reduction. The McCord announced the winner of their
poster contest. Houdini and Dunninger showed up in
The Shadow. The Houdini Museum of New York moved to a
new location. A medium waged
a final battle while Margery materialized
on eBay. A review site
deep dived the new Houdini pinball machine. Houdini
rang in the New Year at auction. And we asked the all important question:
Does the Jawa in Star Wars say "Houdini"?
Sadly, this year we lost some notables from the Houdini world: Houdini Hall of Fame co-founder
Henry Muller; collector
William McIlhany; Herrmann expert and friend
James Hamilton; the great biographer
Kenneth Silverman; magician and escape artist
Celeste Evans; collector Ray Goulet; and "Mr. Escape" himself
Steve Baker.
This year I enjoyed talking Houdini with
Dash Finley and Dark Times. I was honored to be a guest on Scott Wells' popular
The Magic Word podcast. I was also interviewed for an upcoming episode of
Strange Inheritance.
The Linking Ring shared my story of going
Inside Houdini's 278. I launched new standalone pages devoted to Houdini
Plays,
Documentaries, and my ongoing project to document Houdini's life
Year by Year. And I shared my strange confession about
Charles Nelson Reilly.
I will be taking the rest of the year off, but I'll see you all back here on New Year's Day for what I expect to be another WILD year. Thanks for all your support. Please feel free to share your own 2017 Houdini highlights in the comments below.
Resting up for 2018.