The countdown to Houdini's WILD 2019 begins...

FIVE...

FOUR...

THREE...

TWO...

ONE...

These teaser ads appeared in the Evening Review April 10-11, 1919.

Bess and I are taking a Christmas break

It's time to wrap up 2018, which was a truly amazing year for Houdini. This year saw the sale of 278, four major museum exhibitions, new plays, books, graphic novels, TV appearances, and an assortment of discoveries and special events. For me the year brought memorable Houdini adventures in Las Vegas, Catalina, New York, Baltimore, Fort Worth, City of Industry and here at home. I'm overwhelmed by how much joy and generosity Houdini brings into my life. I feel very grateful to have stumbled on this "hobby" 43 years ago.

I thought the below from the Tampa Bay Times, which appeared 80 years ago yesterday, was a good way to end the year. So Bessie and I will take our "rest", and we'll see everyone back here on January 1st for what I expect will be another huge year for Houdini.

Have a very Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year!

Review 2018 below:
January (32 posts)
February (27 posts)
March (32 posts)
April (32 posts)
May (31 posts)
June (37 posts)
July (37 posts)
August (36 posts)
September (31 posts)
October (34 posts)
November (27 posts)
December (16 posts)

First promo for 'Houdini's Last Secrets'

The first promo for the Science Channel's new 4-part series Houdini's Last Secrets is below. The series features George Hardeen and magician Lee Terbosic investigating some of Houdini's enduring mysteries. (I may even show up as well.)


Despite what this promo implies, I've been assured that the show will not actually expose Houdini's secrets.

Houdini's Last Secrets premieres Sunday, January 6 on the Science Channel and the SciGO app.

Related:

• Science Channel announces 'Houdini's Last Secrets'
• Shhhh
• Houdini Documentaries

Harry Houdini and the Circumnavigators Club

Houdini enjoyed belonging to fraternal clubs such as The Society of American Magicians, The Magicians Club, The Rabbis' Sons' Benevolent Association, the Elks, and the Masons. But here's a club that I had no idea Houdini belonged to until I got a friendly email from David Mink, the current president of the intriguingly named Circumnavigators Club.

The Circumnavigators Club was founded in 1902 and headquartered in New York. As the name implies, it was made up of individuals (exclusively men until 1983) who had circumnavigated the globe. Houdini joined the club in 1912, citing his tours of Europe and especially his journey to Australia as his credentials as a world traveler.

Click to enlarge.

Accepted as a member, Houdini became "Circumhoudini" in the tradition of naming club members with "circum" before their last names. Houdini attended his first banquet at the Hotel McAlpin in New York on March 2, 1916. A photograph of the dinner (above) was shared in the March issue of the official club journal, The Log, which included the following account:

Circumhoudini traveled from New Orleans especially to attend the dinner, and he spoke very nicely of how the Circumnavigators' Club was the first club he had joined and that he made this long journey to meet the officers and members for the first time because he felt that it was "home" to him; that he knew many of the members through reading The Log and that he was not disappointed. Circumhoudini said he flew the first aeroplane in Australia; that he is one of six pioneers living who were the original aviators and that he stopped flying when women took it up. Circumhoudini is a very moderate eater at all times and he did not care for "another piece of pie." Furthermore, on his recent trip to the Pacific coast and back he got the whole "pie" in the way of front page publicity in the leading newspapers of the different cities.

If you're wondering what the whole "piece of pie" thing refers to, according to David Mink: "Harry was the featured speaker at a dinner along with John Henry Mears who set the world record for circling the globe. Mears related that people of many nations, particularly the Japanese, are very hospitable, and in Tokyo he was offered another piece of pie that cost him a bit of time on this record trip. Harry who spoke next [said he] didn’t care for another piece of pie. I suppose this got a laugh!"

Houdini would occasionally contribute to The Log himself. In 1921 he took out a two page ad. The first page was blank -- Houdini having "slipped through" to the second page. "That's my act!"

Click to enlarge.

Houdini also wrote articles for the club journal, including a remarkable piece called "My Happiest Christmas" in 1923 (made even more remarkable by the fact that Circumhoudini was Jewish). In it he tells the story of when he stumbled on an idea how to make extra money as a messenger boy during the holidays. This story appears in many biographies, but Houdini's account in The Log provides more details, including a nice tidbit about how his brother Bill "did the best handwriting in the family." Below is the first page for a taste.

Click to enlarge.

Houdini remained an active member of the Circumnavigators Club for the rest of his life. At one point he and John Phillip Sousa sat on the board of governors together. Below is a photo of Houdini and The Log editor in 1918.

The Circumnavigators Club remains active to this day. The Log is still published and available to anyone to read at their official website. There you can also find details on how to join. The club's mission is worth repeat here in full:

The Circumnavigators Club is the only organization devoted to bringing together those men and women who have circumnavigated the globe. The Club's purpose is to encourage global fellowship and understanding. It strives to inspire people to see and absorb as much as they can about the world in which we live. It is devoted to providing those who have circumnavigated the globe with a forum for intellectual exchange.

Thanks to David Mink for alerting me to this and allowing me to share these remarkable mementos of "Circumhoudini".

UPDATE: A few developments. David Charvet reminds me that Edward Saint mentions Houdini's membership in the Circumnavigators Club during the famous Final Houdini Seance recording. And Dr. Bruce Averbook owns Houdini's membership book and card (below). Very nice.

David Mink has also uncovered a few more items related to "Circumhoudini," which I will share in the New Year.

Related:

• Yes, Houdini was a Mason
• Houdini the Elk
• Houdini the aviator

Guest blog: The Brothers Houdini reading in NYC

Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz of the Houdini Museum in Scranton attended Tuesday's reading of  The Brothers Houdini at the Consulate General of Hungary in New York. I'm pleased to share their review of the evening.

The Brothers Houdini review

by Dorothy Diertrich and Dick Brookz.

We spent a interesting evening at very well presented reading of the The Brothers Houdini... The Musical at the Hungarian Consulate on 223 East 52 Street in New York City.

The evening started with champagne, wine, orange juice and a fun assortment of Hungarian snacks.

There were several very special moments during the reading.

 The beginning of the play sets up the strong relationship between Houdini (Perry Sherman) and his younger brother Theo (Rico Le Bron
). They were close in age by two years. Houdini did have a great relationship with his brother, which is an ongoing theme of the show. The truth is Houdini died in his brothers arms. It presented the two as great pals with a lot of plans for their successful future.
 They worked the streets to raise money to help their family. A scene shows the proud boys saying ... Shake me Momma (who was played by Amy Bodnar)... as the coins fell from the boys pockets. Amy portrayed her part as a loving mother who was very supportive of her sons adventurous ways.

It covers the fact that their father Samuel (Wade Mc Cullum) was not in good health. He died when Houdini was only 18 and Houdini vows to his mother that they will take care of her, which the brothers do. All is well with them as a team, until they meet lovely Beatrice Rahner (played by Quiana Holmes) who was working with an act called the Floral Sisters.

A precious moment when Bess tells Houdini about how much she loves the song Rosabelle. There’s a great sense that they have met their perfect love. They soon after get married.
 This leads to one of the very special moments during the reading.

The show is not linear, but goes back and forth in time. Several of the transitions are very clever and magicial. For instance Bess taking on the role of assistant in the act is depicted by having Harry and his brother Hardeen present the trunk trick but at the finale instead of the brother coming out of the trunk Bess appears. A very exciting and magical transition as a trick, but in time and space as well. There should be more moments like this.

Another is the scene regarding Houdini’s contentious run in with the noted spiritualist Mina Crandon, aka Margery (Laney Allan), who played several other roles to great aplomb. Laney’s feisty performance gave a real sense of who Mina was. Margery holds a seance for Houdini and apparently “talks” to Houdini’s mother, which he exposes as a ruse. Though this never happened, this way, it was again a dramatic juxtaposition of two actual events.

Houdini meets theatrical agent Martin Beck (Wade McCullum) who changes everything. 
The performance of Wade McCullum was brilliant. He more than aptly portrayed the two characters of Houdini’s aging father Samuel and Houdini’s agent Martin Beck. He adds much to the characters he plays. It’s a joy to watch him playfully bring the story forward. Martin Beck’s wise guy character is full of chuckles and comic relief.

Houdini sets out on tour having great success with his new agent in charge of the tour, but leaves Bess behind. 
Beck introduces Houdini to his new attractive assistant Daisy (Pilar Martinez). Daisy is interested in being more than assistant to Houdini.

Gordon Whitehead was played by Terrell Foster-James who presents the famous punches to Houdini’s abdomen.

The fun story plays loose with the facts. Although Houdini may have toyed with the Bullet catch in his youth and been hurt, the show has him presenting it successfully. In this same vein it has him rescued out of the Water Torture Cell by breaking the glass. I guess in a way, a homage to the Tony Curtis movie. 
It also has Houdini taking punches in the stomach, incessantly from childhood on to his untimely death, which could have been a one time event. 


Toward the end of the story, Peter Scattini plays the theater manager who insists that Houdini performs even though he is gravely ill.

The play has a lot of potential. The fact that it’s a musical is even more exciting.

As to the songs in the show, only about half were presented in the time allotted, but they move the story along well. However the only memorable melody that people might leave humming or singing was the classic Rosabelle, so it should be reprieved several times, and possibly at the end.




It would be great to have a Broadway Show about Houdini.

We will do all in our power to help any such production.

For more information visit the official website: www.houdinionbroadway.com.

Thanks to Dorothy and Dick for the review and pics.

Related:

• Reading of 'The Brothers Houdini' in New York
• Houdini musical can't escape sound problems
• Guest review: The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini

Houdini's Burnley Empire theater saved

The Burnley Empire Music Hall where Houdini appeared in December 1902 has been purchased by the Burnley Empire Theater Trust for £1. The theater, which was built in 1894, has stood abandoned for 23 years. The news was picked up my the UK's Daily Express and tweeted out by @jamesfspencer (coincidently on the anniversary of Houdini's opening day there).

Today’s Daily Express, regarding the latest Burnley’s Empire Theatre. pic.twitter.com/J12wp8OM2S

— James (@jamesfspencer) December 8, 2018

Houdini appeared for a second time in Burnley at The Palace in 1911. According to the Burnley Empire Theater Trust, at one time the city had five music halls. The Empire is the only one still standing.

You can follow the good folks at the Burnley Empire Theater Trust and help out in the restoration via their Twitter and official website.

Related:

• Houdini in 1902
• LINK: Eerie remains of Burnley theater where Houdini performed

Joe Notaro finds Houdini on the East Coast

Recently our friend Joe Notaro of Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence took a trip to the East Coast where he attended the Official Houdini Seance, explored Houdini sites, and got to visit some the world's finest Houdini and magic collections. Joe has chronicled his trip in five terrific posts with lots of photos. Click each link below to go, and enjoy the trip!

Day 1: Official Houdini Séance Experience
Day 2: George Goebel
Day 3: Houdini Museum NY, Kevin Connolly, 278, and The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini
Day 4: Ken Trombly
Day 5: Houdini in Baltimore, JMM Exhibition, Houdini in Hollywood and The Grim Game

Dover will release The Right Way to Do Wrong in 2019

The 2019 Houdini books are starting to reveal themselves, and among them will be a reprint of Houdini's first book, The Right Way to Do Wrong, from Dover. Dover has a long tradition of releasing Houdini titles. They've kept The Secrets of Houdini and Houdini on Magic in print for decades, and last year released Houdini's Paper Magic. Below is the cover art, which is worthy of a major biography!

With this remarkable book, the legendary magician conducts a master class in crime by revealing the trade secrets of crooks. Harry Houdini is known not only as an illusionist and escaper of handcuffs and jail cells, but also as a debunker of phony spiritualists and other charlatans. His interest in exposing fakery led Houdini to interview both police and criminals around the world. The result is this captivating volume, intended to help readers avoid being victimized by pickpockets, con artists, and other thieves. 

Written with verve and humor, these lively chapters recount the techniques of burglars, sneak thieves, shoplifters, and pickpockets as well as those of faith healers, fortune tellers, art forgers, card sharks, and counterfeiters. The instructive and amusing book concludes with an autobiographical essay, in which Houdini discusses the early days of his career and the experiences that contributed to his renown as the Handcuff King and Prison Breaker.

Other books due for release in 2019 are: The Sensational Houdini's Puzzle Safe (April), Harry (April), Before Houdini (July), and paperback editions of Escaping from Houdini (August) and The Escape Artist (April). October will then see the release of the most anticipated book of them all, The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini by Joe Posnanski.

Related:

• Houdini the writer
• Dover publishes 'Houdini's Paper Magic'
• Joe Posnanski's Houdini book will be a 2019 release

When things went wrong

Houdini cultivated good relationships with both police and the press, which certainly helped in his escapes from jails and the subsequent news coverage. But here's a case where it all appears to have gone wrong. The resulting coverage is unflattering (and a bit bizarre), but it does give us a different picture of what sometimes occurred during a Houdini jail break.

Click to enlarge.

This seems to have been of a pattern. For for many years Houdini was not able to win over the New York City police and press. He received similar snarky coverage in The Times for his Boudini underwater challenge in 1905 (I wondering if this might be by the same reporter), and police repeatedly stepped in and shut down some of his outdooor stunts, forcing him to sometimes perform them unannounced.

Thanks to Harry Houdini.

Related:

• Houdini the Jail Breaker
• Houdini's low point
• Houdini's escape from Murderers Row

Christmas Day screening the Houdini Miniseries at the Jewish Museum of Maryland

The Jewish Museum of Maryland will screen the 2014 Houdini Miniseries on Christmas Day as part of their Inescapable: The Life and Legacy of Harry Houdini exhibition programing.

Houdini: The Mini-Series
December 25 @ 12:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Tickets to this program include Museum admission. 

Buy Now! (Members: Reserve Your Seats!) 

Follow the man behind the magic as he finds fame, engages in espionage, battles spiritualists and encounters the greatest names of the era, from U.S. presidents to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Grigori Rasputin. Houdini stars Adrien Brody, Kristen Connolly, and Evan Jones.

Inescapable: The Life and Legacy of Harry Houdini runs through January 21, 2019. For more information visit the JMM website.

Related:

• REVIEW: History gets a C- in Houdini
• Making the Houdini Miniseries
• Discovering Houdini's Baltimore

278 in the 1940s

Our friend Alec Mathieson recently discovered this terrific photo of Houdini's 278. This comes from the NYC Municipal Archives of tax photos and was taken between 1939 and 1941 by the WPA.

There isn't anything new to be gleaned here, but it's cool to see the house in the days when Hardeen and Bess were still alive, and very much how Houdini would have remembered it. At this time, 278 was occupied by the Bonannos, who bought the house from Bess in 1927. (To see a pic of the house in Houdini's time, click here.)

Thank you Alec.

Related:

• The owners and occupants of Houdini's 278
• New 278 owners committed to preserving Houdini history
• The haunting of Houdini's 278

Houdini envelope delivers $1,750

A standout item in last weekend's Haversat & Ewing Galleries magic auction was the below envelope which sold for a remarkable $1,750 on an $80-$100 estimate. While this is a very uncommon piece of stationary, I'm thinking the reason it went so high is because it appears to be signed. However, the auction listing made no mention of a signature.

King of Handcuffs illustrated envelop mailed by Houdini 110 years ago to Wallace Dibble in 1908. Postmarked in front and back. Envelope only, no contents. $80-100

So is this signed, or is that signature just part of the stationary artwork? The book Houdini A Pictorial Life reproduces this artwork on its title page, and there is no signature present. Same goes for the actual stationary, which you can see in this post. So...

Related:

• Choose your "H"
• Houdini letterhead I've never seen (updated)

20th anniversary of TNT's HOUDINI

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the TNT Original movie HOUDINI. The two hour biopic aired on December, 6, 1998 at 8pm, and was immediately played a second time as an "encore." The movie was heavily promoted by TNT as a cable television event.

Written and directed by Pen Densham (who also produced the documentary Houdini Never Died), HOUDINI stars Johnathon Schaech as Houdini, Stacy Edwards as Bess, Mark Ruffalo as Hardeen, and George Segal as Martin Beck. For whatever reason, I've never warmed to it, even though the production design is excellent, as is the musical score. But it was the first Houdini biopic in 22 years, so it was treat to settle in and watch it unfold...20 years ago tonight.

TNT's HOUDINI is available on DVD.

Related:

• HOUDINI (1998)
• Reel Mirror
• Houdini (1998) now available on DVD

New candidate for Houdini's first police station test

Our friend Bill Mullins has uncovered a new candidate for Houdini's first known police station handcuff escape. The below clipping from the Worcester Daily Spy includes a great description of the American Gaiety Girls performance on November 14, 1895, including how Houdini dealt with a "fresh" volunteer. The final paragraph mentions the station house escape on that same day. This is a week before our other candidate.

It would be poetic if this was Houdini's first such publicity stunt as Worcester was also the site of his last known publicity stunt in 1926 (the Summerfield's Department Store test). In fact, Worcester seems to have been a place where Houdini tried many firsts, including his Buried Alive.

Thank you Bill.

Related:

• Houdini's first police station challenge?
• Site of Houdini's last publicity stunt
• "Slicing A Girl" in Worcester

Surprise! It's a Houdini cake.

My friends and co-workers threw me a surprise birthday party the other night (their planning was codenamed "Operation Houdini"). I thought I'd share a photo of the amazing cake!

Thanks for the terrific surprise everyone.

Related:

• Rousing the spirits
• At The Magic Castle today...
• Unseen Houdini poster appears at New York exhibition

The last original Houdini Seance

Last night I had the pleasure of taking part in the very last Magic Castle Houdini Seance in its original form. As announced back in July, the Seance will now go on hiatus as it is being significantly retooled. It will be relaunched in the second half of 2019.

The seance table attendees were: Patrick Culliton, Arthur Moses, Mark Willoughby, Joe Notaro, Neil McNally, Brian Verkuylen, Adam Glass, Mia Glass, Tabitha Kostka, Dawn Kostka, and myself. Our medium was Leo Kostka, who told us he has done more that 5,500 seances.

We took a nice group photo which will appear in Leo's column in the next AMA Newsletter.

UPDATE: Here's the AMA Newsletter item:

Related:

• Magic Castle announces changes to Houdini Séance
• Magic Castle Houdini Seance Coin marks 55 years
• Houdini Seance Room (and the Castle around it) turns 50

The magician speaks

Like finding new photos, I love finding a new quotes from Houdini that reveal him in some unique way. Here's a quote from a 1925 letter. It not all that often we hear Houdini talk about himself as a magician, so this is pretty cool.

"You see a trick when performed by an ordinary magician is not the same in my hands. I weave an air of romance and mystery about it and it appears in a different light, for example my card star trick, silk trick, fish bowl stack, and even Palagenesia, so when I get hold of the effect I will see what I can do with it. Remember I try out lots of tricks and throw them away."

Speaking of Houdini the magician, here's something I recently found; a 1906 lesson by Houdini on how to tie a one-hand knot ("one of my most baffling feats").

Click to enlarge.

Below are a few more memorable Houdini quotes.

Related:

• "Come up and see me magisch."
• "I'm not an advertiser, I'm news."
• "It's not egotism, Hilliar; it's Houdini-ism."

Houdini gets a Doctor Who namecheck

Houdini got a nice namecheck on the last episode of Doctor Who. The new season features Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor.

While Houdini has been mentioned several times in the series, he's never actually appeared in an episode. However, Houdini and The Doctor have had adventures in spinoff media such as audiobooks and comics (see links below).

Thanks to Doctor Who cosplay cover girl Athena Stamos for the heads up.

Related:

• Houdini and The Doctor regenerate
• Who-dini audiobook available in U.S.
• The Doctor meets Houdini (at last!)

Mystifier, Fourth Quarter 1995

Continuing my issue by issue look back at the Mystifier, the newsletter of the Houdini Historical Center that ran from 1991-2003.

The Fourth Quarter 1995 Mystifier is made up largely of an article by curator Benjamin Filene about Houdini's 1926 Congressional testimony in support of a Bill outlawing Fortune Telling in the District of Columbia. The article includes excerpts and focuses on how the Congressmen continually questioned Houdini about his own "powers".

The issue of Houdini's supernatural abilities repeatedly derailed his efforts to expose spiritualistic frauds before the committee. Repeatedly he tried to demystify spiritualistic effects by showing that he himself could duplicate the illusions. The congressmen instead interpreted these demonstrations as evidence that, for better or worse, Houdini and the spiritualists were in the same camp after all.

So it appears Congress was just as ignorant and ineffectual then as they are today! There is one short quote from Houdini that I've not seen reprinted before which I really like:

"I am very happily married, 52 years of age, well to do, and very proud."

The newsletter continues with a profile of the HHC's new director Steven M. Wilson. The museum shop announces the restocking of Kathy Cogger Salm's six book series for grade schoolers, Harry Houdini, An Appleton Original. They also note that copies of the new Houdini fiction Nevermore by William Hjortsberg are available, but "will only be sold to adults over 18 due to graphic violence and explicit sexual content." Some familiar names in the listing of news members are Don Bell and Roger Dreyer.

In his "Backstage" column, Sid Radner talks about Houdini in the news, including a syndicated story about how the management of Machpelah cemetery closed Houdini's grave to the annual wand breaking ceremony that year. The cemetery complained that the ceremony attracted too much news and vandalism. Instead, the ceremony was held on November 16, the Jewish calendar date of Houdini's death.

Sid then reports on The Official Houdini Séance, held that year in his own home town of Holyoke, Massachusetts, inside the building that once housed a police station where Houdini broke out of manacles on December 1, 1895. Sid always characterized this as Houdini's very first police station escape, but we now know that it wasn't. But it was a one of the first.

Sid concludes with the news that Ken Silverman spoke about Houdini at the Los Angeles Conference on Magic History that year.

Mystifier

Volume 5, Number 4

Fourth Quarter, 1995

6 pages

Contents:

Houdini Testifies at Hearings

Christmas Greetings from Houdini

New Executive Director Named

Books Featured at Museum Shop

Backstage with Sid Radner

PREVIOUS ISSUE | INDEX | NEXT ISSUE

Related:

• Mr. Houdini Goes to Washington Part I | Part II | Part III
• 'Nevermore' released for the Kindle
• Houdini's first police station challenge?

Reading of 'The Brothers Houdini' in New York

There will be a reading of a new musical play called The Brothers Houdini at the Consulate General of Hungary in New York on Tuesday, December 11 at 6PM.

Houdini was produced in Budapest and enjoyed a fully sold-out run in a 2,200 seat arena. It was a critical and commercial success with standing ovations. After the promising success of the Hungarian production, we're determined to take The Brothers Houdini on the road to audiences across the United States and other countries.

For more information visit the official website: www.houdinionbroadway.com.

Thanks to Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz for the alert.

UPDATE: Guest blog: The Brothers Houdini reading in NYC.

Related:

• Houdini musical can't escape sound problems

LINK: The Belle Isle Bridge jump

Today marks the 112th anniversary of Houdini's jump from the Belle Isle Bridge in Detroit on November 27, 1906. This has become one of his most mythologized stunts. Click the headline to revisit my post from 2015 for the facts behind this famous feat.

Below are some more posts about notable Houdini bridge jumps.

Related:

• Houdini's 1907 Rochester bridge jump
• Delta Bravo finds Houdini's jump site
• Houdini’s Melbourne bridge jump remembered

The Great Houdinis on Talking Pictures this week

The rarely shown 1976 TV biopic The Great Houdinis is airing on Talking Pictures TV in the UK this week. It was shown yesterday and will repeat Thursday night, Nov. 29 at midnight (technically Friday).

The Great Houdinis sports a stellar cast that includes Paul Michale Glaser, Sally Struthers, Ruth Gordon, Peter Cushing, Bill Bixby, Viviane Vance, and Adrienne Barbeau. I'm a big fan of this biopic, despite the liberties it takes. It first aired on October 8, 1976 on ABC.

Thanks to Karl Bartoni for the heads up.

Related:

• Making the great Great Houdinis
• Paul Michael Glaser – the Houdini of '76
• Sally Struthers on how she created her Bess

Hemingway kept 'Houdini' at hand

Our friend Scott Wells of The Magic Word Podcast recently visited the home of Ernest Hemingway in Havana, Cuba. Looks like "Papa" keep reading material at hand for all occasions. Notice anything of interest on the top shelf of his bathroom bookcase?

Click to enlarge.

That's a copy of Houdini: The Man Who Walked Through Walls by William Lindsey Gresham. The book was released in 1959 and was the definitive Houdini biography of the day. I can certainly understand the attraction Houdini held for Hemingway.

Be sure and check out the The Magic Word Podcast where you can enjoy the full story of Scott's magical Cuban adventure.

Related:

• The first great Houdini biography
• The Magic Word is Wild About Harry

Ricky Jay has passed away

Sad news today. One of the true giants of the magic world, Ricky Jay, has passed away. He died yesterday at his home in Los Angeles of natural causes. He was 72.

Ricky Jay's career was varied and unique. He was not only a star of magic, but also appeared in films, once even playing a James Bond henchman (Tomorrow Never Dies). His one major involvement in the Houdini world that I'm aware of was consulting on the ill-fated Houdini Broadway musical that was to star Hugh Jackman. He also appeared as himself in the Houdini episode of The Simpsons. I've also always thought of his classic book, Learned Pigs & Fireproof Women, as a companion to Houdini's Miracle Mongers and Their Methods.

In 2013, I saw Ricky speak at the Motion Picture Academy Theater in Los Angeles on the subject of magic in film. As part of his presentation he spoke about Houdini and showed a clip from Terror Island.

You can read Ricky Jay's obituary at The New York Times.

Related:

• Terror Island terrorizes the Academy
• Houdini gets The Simpsons treatment
• New York Times: What went wrong with Broadway's Houdini musical

Houdini vs. Rasputin by C. Michael Forsyth

C. Michael Forsyth, author of 2015's The Adventure of the Spook House, is back with a new work of Houdini fiction: Houdini vs. Rasputin.

While performing before Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, the world’s greatest escape artist Harry Houdini becomes pitted against a formidable foe: Rasputin. A powerful mystic, Rasputin has made puppets of the Tsar and his wife Alexandra. To save the nation from ruin, a small band of patriots recruits Houdini to expose the imperial “spiritual advisor” as a charlatan.  

The American magician’s daring and ingenuity are put to the test in an adventure that takes him from the grand palaces of St. Petersburg to the frigid wastelands of Siberia. Along the way, Houdini makes allies and enemies of a host of real-life figures, including the mischievous imp Princess Anastasia, the colossal former boxer and royal bodyguard Jim Hercules, the crossdressing conspirator Prince Yusupov and the sinister Black Sisters, practitioners of the occult who scheme to use Rasputin for their own ends.

You can purchase Houdini vs. Rasputin at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Related:

• Speaking of Rasputin...
• Houdini and Conan Doyle get spooked
• The Handcuff King's blog: Breaking into Russia

Houdini's first police station challenge?

I shared this to my Twitter yesterday, but I thought it was worth a share here as well. This is the earliest police station challenge that I've been able to find. Was it the first? This comes from the November 22, 1895 Gloucester Daily Times.

#OnThisDay in 1895 #HarryHoudini did what may have been his very first police station challenge handcuff escape in Gloucester, Massachusetts. pic.twitter.com/49KavlMYGQ

— John Cox (@HoudiniWild) November 22, 2018

As you can see, this is when Houdini and Bess where traveling with the ill-fated American Gaiety Girls burlesque show. Houdini was part owner of the troupe, and it appears his police station challenge was his attempt to drum up publicity for the show. It worked! Houdini would follow-up with similar tests in Woonsocket (Nov. 27), Springfield (Nov. 28), Holyoke (Dec. 1), and Fall River (Dec. 9). The rest is history.

UPDATE: The amazing Bill Mullins has found a police station escape a week earlier in Worcester.

Related:

• Houdini and the American Gaiety Girls
• Houdini the Jail Breaker
• The New Houdini Chronology

Houdini's ten favorite books

The below is from the The Courier Journal, May 9, 1923. Would have been nice to have seen The Memories of Robert-Houdin on this list, or any magic book for that matter. But I do love that he includes "Sherlock Holmes".

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Related:

• Houdini the bibliophile
• Houdini's own Houdin
• Sherlock Holmes

'Houdini Comes Alive!' with David London, Dec. 9

Magician David London, who curated the spectacular Inescapable: The Life and Legacy of Harry Houdini exhibition at The Jewish Museum of Maryland, will be giving a special "living history performance" at the JMM on December 9th as part of Baltimore's Downtown Dollar Day. Details below.

Houdini Comes Alive!
Downtown Dollar Day
Sunday, December 9, 2018 at 2:00pm
Performance by David London 

Admission: $1
Get Tickets Now! (JMM Members, Reserve Your Seats) 

Harry Houdini wasn’t born – he was invented. 

The world’s most famous magician began life as Erik Weisz, the son of a Hungarian rabbi. In 1878 immigration to the U.S. transformed Erik Weisz into Ehrich Weiss. It was the first of many transformations for the man who would become the first international superstar. 

This engaging and entertaining living history performance tells the story of how Ehrich Weiss became Harry Houdini and investigates the technologies, marketing prowess and entertainment trends that transformed him into a superstar.

Inescapable: The Life and Legacy of Harry Houdini runs through January 21, 2019. For more information and a full list of events visit the JMM website.

Related:

• Inescapable: The Life and Legacy of Harry Houdini
• Discovering Houdini's Baltimore

Science Channel announces 'Houdini's Last Secrets'

Looks like I didn't need to keep my secret for long! The Science Channel has officially announced their upcoming docuseries Houdini's Last Secrets. I just returned from Fort Worth where I had the great pleasure of shooting a segment for the first episode with George Hardeen below. (And now you know what was in the bag!)

THE SCIENCE BEHIND HISTORY'S MOST ICONIC ILLUSIONIST

"HOUDINI'S LAST SECRETS"

PREMIERES SUNDAY, JANUARY 6 AT 10PM ON SCIENCE CHANNEL

Magicians, past and present, marvel at the death-defying performances of the legendary Harry Houdini. His breathtaking escapes and astonishing illusions have never been equaled, or fully understood. With the help of skilled engineers, accomplished illusionists, and a member of his own bloodline, a new Science Channel series looks to uncover the methods to Houdini's magic and madness. HOUDINI'S LAST SECRETS, a four-part series, premieres Sunday, January 6 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Catching a speeding bullet, being buried alive, submerging himself in a water torture cell. How did the world's greatest showman pull off such death-defying stunts? His talents allowed him to become one of, if not the biggest celebrity in the world. Those same unique skills, along with the company that he kept, led some to believe that he was an informant for the top U.S. and European spy agencies during World War I. Helping piece together clues and testing out his most daring stunts are Houdini's grand-nephew George Hardeen, magician and daredevil Lee Terbosic, and master stunt builder Steve Wolf. With access to the master illusionist's personal scrapbooks, letters, and pictures, they look to uncover the science of Houdini's stunts as well as the myths behind his legend.

"Harry Houdini is the definition of mind-blowing," said Marc Etkind, General Manager of Science Channel. "He was clearly ahead of his time when it came to using engineering to accomplish his stunts, so much so that his methods continue to be debated by today's master magicians. It's no wonder that just the name Houdini still stirs the imagination of people, nearly a century after his death."

Each episode will be centered around one of Houdini's most daring stunts. The premiere looks at Houdini's famous water torture cell escape to unmask the potential methods he may have used, and what the dangers involved could have been. He performed this feat many times in Washington D.C., where President Woodrow Wilson was rumored to often sneak over to watch Houdini. Other episodes focus on The Siberian Transport stunt, catching a bullet, and his escape from being buried alive.

HOUDINI'S LAST SECRETS is produced by Megalomedia for Science Channel. Executive producers for Megalomedia are Jonathan Zowaradan and David Barsky. Wyatt Channell is executive producer for Science Channel.

So it looks like Houdini's Last Secrets will be the first big Houdini event of 2019. I can't wait!

Related:

• Shhhh
• NPR unlocks the secret of Houdini's bloodline
• Lee Terbosic recreates Houdini's straitjacket escape in Pittsburgh

Shhhh

No posts today as I'm currently out of town on a Top Secret Houdini adventure. What could be in this bag, I wonder?

UPDATE: The secret is out of the bag! Science Channel announces 'Houdini's Last Secrets'.

The Master Mystery premiered 100 years ago today

It was 100 years ago today that Houdini's The Master Mystery (episode 1) premiered at the St. James Theater in Boston. Houdini attended the premiere with co-star Marguerite Marsh. Below is an opening day ad from The Boston Globe.

The 15 episodes that comprised The Master Mystery would continue to roll out into the the new year. This is why you sometimes see the serial dated as 1919. But I date it from its premiere: November 18, 1918.

A truncated version of The Mastery Mystery was released in VHS in 1998 and later on DVD by Kino (now out of print). Recently I was able to watch the almost complete serial at the UCLA Film and Television Archive. You can read more about that via the top link below.

Related:

• A Master Mystery revelation at UCLA
• A Master Mystery UCLA update
• Houdini's leading ladies: Marguerite Marsh

Was Houdini's caged Water Torture Cell a reality?

We are all familiar with the famous 1916 lithograph showing Houdini's Water Torture Cell encased in a cage of padlocks of different makes. Like most, I assumed this poster was just an exaggeration for dramatic effect. This certainly isn't how Houdini's Water Torture Cell was actually presented on stage.

Or was it?

Recently I found two pieces of evidence that suggest Houdini did perform the Water Torture Cell with this cage of locks when he was touring the U.S. in 1915-16, right around the time this lithograph was created.

The first piece of evidence comes from the Baltimore Evening Sun, April 27, 1915. The paper features an artist's illustration (above) of The Water Torture Cell as seen at the Maryland Theater. It looks very similar to the caged cell of the poster. And this illustration was done before the creation of the Strobridge litho, so it could only have come from life.

The next piece of evidence is even more compelling. In a January 29, 1916 review of Houdini's performance at the Majestic Theater in Houston, the Water Torture Cell is described as having "solid steel cage" with "22 locks"!

This leads me to believe that the Water Torture Cell went through a few incarnations, as did many of Houdini's escapes. We know he originally used an inner cage (or "steel grill" as he calls in in the uncut voice recordings). I'm thinking this may have been the next evolution; the inner cage was replaced by an outer cage of locks. How long Houdini did it this is unknown, but we know by the time of 3 Shows in One, the cell appeared on stage as we know it today.

Interestingly, illusion builders and Water Torture Cell specialists Sherry and Krall created a their own caged Water Torture Cell based on the famous poster art. They advertise it as "coming to life for the first time." But maybe not!

UPDATE: Richard Sherry left the following comment on Kevin's Connolly Conjuring History Facebook Group which I thought was worth sharing here:

"My Grandmother saw Houdini when she was a teenager. She often spoke of him and Shirley Temple as I was growing up. When we watched Henning's Water Torture Cell on television she said to me that's not what Houdini's looked like. It looked like a jail cell with many locks. I thought it was time for her to take her medicine but maybe, just maybe it wasn't!"

Related:

• The Chinese Water Torture Cell
• Rare photo of Houdini's early Water Torture Cell
• NEW photo of Houdini and his Water Torture Cell unearthed in Scotland

Copperfield shares Houdini and Kellar

David Copperfield has shared to his Instagram three treasures from his collection related to Houdini and Harry Kellar, starting off with this fantastic unpublished portrait shot.

View this post on Instagram

"Dean of American Magicians", Harry Kellar was the prominent, world traveling magician of the late 19th and early 20th century. At the time of Kellar’s retirement in 1908, Houdini was making a name for himself and looked up to Kellar for inspiration as the elder magician. The two became great friends, Houdini was even able to convince Kellar to come out of retirement for one final performance at the Hippodrome Theatre in New York. Kellar and Houdini would write to each other often. I was able to acquire quite a bit of their correspondence from over the course of nine years! #WednesdayWonders #DavidCopperfield #MODC #DCMuseum #DavidCopperfieldTheater #LiveTheImpossible #MGMGrand #Inspire #Magic #Houdini #Kellar #Hippodrome

A post shared by David Copperfield (@d_copperfield) on Nov 14, 2018 at 8:06pm PST

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to visit David Copperfield's museum in Las Vegas. You can read about that incredible adventure by clicking the top link below.

Related:

• Into The Copperfield Zone, Part I | Part II
• Letter from Kellar to Houdini sells for $32,500
• Harry Kellar visits The Grim Game set