However, it then goes on to say Houdini's Wild Man was a "geek" act, in which one bites the heads off live animals. That is not true. Nowhere is it said Houdini's Wild Man was a geek. Geeks tended to be mentally impaired men or alcoholics lured into the despicable act with money. Geek shows where largely frowned upon, and the Welsh brothers took pains to present a "wholesome" show, with strict rules of conduct spelled out in performers contracts. There was even a clause protecting female performers from harassment (yes, in 1898).
What little we do know about "Projea, the Wild Man of Mexico" is that Houdini, in face paint with frazzled hair, was fed raw meat by ringmaster Clint Newton (Houdini quit after being hit in the eye with a piece of meat). It's also said Houdini used sleight of hand to make it appear he was consuming cigarettes thrown into his cage by the audience. He would then distribute the cigarettes among his fellow circus performers. Not sure why Newsweek didn't go with these known details, but...
You can buy Newsweek's The Circus Special Edition HERE. Newsweek is owned by IBT Media.
Thanks to Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz for the alert.
Related:
I'm not an expert on the circus, but I'd have to guess that Houdini's time with the Welsh Brothers is hardly a major event in circus history.
ReplyDeleteHa, that's true. It was hardly a major event in his own history.
DeleteDisagree. He spent 2 seasons with this circus. Rare, steady work where he was able to hone in and develop routines that would serve him the rest of his life. He also would begin to be featured and headline as evidenced by ads of the circus during this period.
ReplyDeleteHoudini Museum, Scranton, PA
The Only Building in the World Dedicated to Houdini
This would turn out to be the longest engagement or booking of his entire career!
DeleteThat is true. I'm not sure how long the 1895 run was, but I know 1898 was 25 weeks. Indeed the longest.
DeleteOkay, I now know the 1895 engagement lasted approximately 23 weeks.
DeleteI think Harry and Bess might have been happy with the 1895 tour for all the reasons you mentioned. But I don't think HH felt great about his return in 1898. I think he must have felt stuck in place, and he was correct. From what I find, he's much less active with outside handcuff escapes, etc. than he was with the California Concert Co. at the start of the year. Silverman shows several "blue funk" diary entries at this time, and HH records that the last two weeks of the tour "seemed like eternity." And it was after this tour that he offered up his act for sale.
BTW, I found a curious clipping showing The Houdinis with the Welsh Bros. in 1899! (Post Martin Beck.) Could be the newspaper just reprinted an old article not realizing the 1899 acts were now different. Or maybe Harry and Bess did a one nighter with the Circus on their way to San Fransisco? Fun idea.
I have become very doubtful there ever was a situation where someone bit off the heads of live chickens. Where is the proof? Is there a contemporary press release or news report? The only source I am aware of is William Lindsay Greeshan, author of the novel, Nightmare Alley, and a non fiction book about carnivals. He had no first hand knowledge of such an act. His source was a carnival worker he met. No carnivals called the performers of this act geeks. This is what reportedly carney people called them. They were billed like Houdini as Wild Men. Now the way it is described in the novel at first the act is faked then the alcoholic does it for real. Does that make sense? If it could be faked, why depend on a drunk to perform it? I suppose it is barely possible one or two carnivals did this, but as a standard carnival staple, I don't believe it
ReplyDeleteI've thought of this, with the release of the new movie based on Gresham's "Nightmare Alley." I wonder if he knew what Houdini did in the Welsh Brothers circus, when he was writing, "Nightmare Alley", and if that influenced him or not. While they were not generally billed as a "Geek", there are ads in The Billboard magazine for, "Geek acts".
ReplyDeleteOne factor pertaining to how true (and often) geek acts actually did bite the heads off chickens/snakes, (thus killing them) was that in a dime museum/sideshow the act(s) could do from 6 to 16+ shows each day depending on business. Did the owners of these shows want to pay for up to 16 chickens/snakes each day? Considering the frugality/economics of those shows and their owners, (including the ones I knew of and/or worked for) I wonder. (maybe those chickens were given to to carnival cookhouse later?)
ReplyDelete