Arthur Moses reprints the first Houdini & Holmes adventure

Here's something exciting. Arthur Moses has released a new book that examines the 1908 story "Auf den Spuren Houdinis" (On The Trail Of Houdini). This marked the first fictional pairing of Houdini and Sherlock Holmes. The book includes the original German text as well as a never before published English translation. Below are details.

After a performance in Berlin, Germany, Houdini is kidnapped by his lesser rivals. Sherlock Holmes is urgently summoned to Berlin to investigate. Through his masterful deductive reasoning he tracks down the dangerous perpetrators in the nick of time. 

A recreation in its entirety of the German language pulp magazine series Aus den Geheimakten des Welt-Detektivs, featuring the 1908 issue number 101 "Auf den Spuren Houdini's" (On The Trail Of Houdini). Uniting Harry Houdini and Sherlock Holmes, formidable protagonists together, one being a fictional character and the other a living legend of history, is a masterful stroke synchronizing their uniquely charismatic identities. This text focuses on a single 1908 German language publication which brought them together, along with its never before published English translation in addition to later translated foreign language editions based upon the German work. Their two personas are as popular today as ever, with many modern pastiches, comic books and films successfully pairing Houdini and Holmes. 

Other reprints of this title in other foreign languages are represented by reproducing their covers; France, Belgium, Denmark, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, and Spain. Sherlock Holmes was the creation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

But it gets even better! Arthur has also released two other separate volumes containing the rare Portuguese versions of this story from 1911 and circa 1920.

Says Arthur, "All 3 will have a great interest for both Houdini and Sherlock Holmes collectors." He has launched a website devoted to the books. All can be purchased from Amazon:

Harry Houdini & Sherlock Holmes Together Again In 1908: Auf Den Spuren Houdinis (On The Trail Of Houdini) 

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Harry Houdini & Sherlock Holmes "Extraordinary Adventures of a Secret Police - The Missing Athlete" (Portuguese Edition 1911) 

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Harry Houdini & Sherlock Holmes "Extraordinary Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Missing Athlete (Portuguese Edition 1920) 

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

The books can also be found on Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it, Amazon.jp, and Amazon.ca.

Related:

• Sherlock Holmes
• Arthur Moses updates his Houdini Periodical Bibliography
• 'Houdini Speaks Out' in new 2014 edition

The hidden meaning of Houdini's iconic suit

Last night I had the pleasure of joining Mike Caveney and Jonathan Levit "Behind the Bookcase" at the Academy of Magical Arts, where I shared some things I haven't yet posted to the blog. First and foremost was "the secret of Houdini's suit." So today I wanted to share with all and lay out my theory in full. Enjoy!

This is a famous photo of Houdini likely taken in early 1918. Here we see him in a black suit of clothes that appears in many other photos. And I mean many. In fact, I have not seen a photo or film clip of Houdini in everyday life taken between 1914 and 1918 in which he isn't wearing this same black suit. There's even a photo of him wearing it on a golf course!

So what's the story? Was this just a favorite suit? Or is there something else going on? I believe there's something else going on, and I have a theory of what that something might be.

Whenever Houdini does something inexplicable in his personal life, I always consider the possibility that it has something to do with his mother. Because it always does! At first I thought this was maybe a suit she bought for him. Or maybe it was one she simply thought he looked good in. That would probably be enough for Houdini to wear it everyday for four years. But as far as I can find, this suit first appears a few months after his mother's death. And that's the key.

This was a time when Houdini was displaying his grief in any number of ways. He even had new stationary and greeting cards made rimmed in a black boarder. I believe this suit was another part of his formalized grieving. I believe what we've been looking at all these years is Houdini in a mourning suit.

Mourning clothes are typically associated with women, but it was not unheard of for men at this time. Women's fashion dictated veils, etc., but the only real requirement for men was that it should be black. Also, in Jewish tradition, someone in mourning is not allowed to wear new clothes for a year. And that's another aspect of this suit that has always struck me as peculiar even before I landed on this idea. Houdini was fairly modern, even dashing, in his dress leading up this time. (Just look at him here.) But this is a very Victorian suit.

Houdini also had a specific hat that went with this suit with a thick hatband that can be seen in several photos. Turns out hatbands, typically made of crepe, were a feature of Victorian male mourning clothes. And according to The Vintage News, "widows were expected to wear special clothes to indicate that they were in mourning for up to four years after the death." Houdini appears to have worn this suit for, yes, a little over four years.

But I think the most convincing evidence is that he wore this suit to the 1916 dedication ceremony for the exedra he created for his parents at Machpelah cemetery. In a photo from the event we see others dressed formally in tail coats and top hats. But not Houdini. Obviously Houdini would have thought very carefully about how he dressed for such a sacred occasion, and it's unthinkable that he'd wear his old "everyday suit" if it didn't broadcast special meaning. Wearing this suit was making a statement which now seems abundantly clear. He was a man in mourning.

Below are a few choice images of Houdini in the black suit.

In the graveyard (1914).

In California with Jack London (1915).

At the exedra dedication (1916).

On the golf course (undated).

With Harry Kellar (1917).

Traveling to Hollywood (1919).

The last images I've found of Houdini in the suit are from his early days in Los Angeles in April 1919 when he came to work on The Grim Game. It may be telling that a young starlet commented in a fan magazine on the strange suit Houdini was seen wearing around Hollywood. So maybe he decided to it was time to give up the ghost. By May 1919 he is sporting a new suit and a youthful straw hat. This old suit appears to vanish.

But Houdini wore this suit for so long and in so many photos that it has become part of his iconography. It inspired Harvey Keitel's wardrobe in 1998's FairyTale: A True Story. It also appears in the 1976 biopic The Great Houdinis in the scenes following his mother's death. It's telling that the costume designer instinctively associated this look with mourning. The suit is not described in the screenplay, but in the novelization it says: "That coat he's wearing, she thought, that had to be thrown out. And that terrible hat. He looks like an immigrant. One more week without shaving, he'll look just like his father, the Rabbi."

So what do we think? Was this Houdini's mourning suit? Sound off in the comments below.

Related:

• Sady's mourning dress for Bess
• Mama's death and the birth of a myth
• The Houdini-Weiss exedra turns 100

When Douglas Geoffrey became Hardeen Jr.

It was 75 years ago today that Theo Hardeen named Douglas Geoffrey his official successor. As "Hardeen Jr.", Geoffrey would carry the Houdini-Hardeen show all the way into the 1980s. To mark the occasion, here's a link back to a post from 2011:

The Untold Story of Hardeen Jr.

Below are a few more links related to Geoffrey and his show "Houdini Lives Again."

Related:

• Houdini lived again on Thanksgiving 1947
• The end of the road...

Listen to The New School's 1977 Houdini Seance

In 1977 The New School in New York City offered a 10-week course called "The Incredible Houdini: The Man...The Myth...The Magic". It was taught by Gabriel Grayson and included a mouthwatering lineup of guest speakers. Last weekend Joe Notaro shared a flyer from the course showing that lineup of a-listers (click to view).

While doing a little more research I discovered something pretty wild. The New School Archives has a 2+ hour recording of a Houdini Seance held in their auditorium at 66 West 12th Street on Halloween 1977. While not part of the official curriculum, it was related to the course and open to the public. At the table was Milbourne Christopher, Bernard C. Meyer, Billie Dunninger, Morris N. Young, Louis Rachow, Henry Muller, and Sidney Radner. (Walter Gibson was ill and unable to attend.) The moderator was Gabriel Grayson.

It's not your typical Houdini seance in that the medium, Ethel Meyers (who played a role in the Amityville Horror hoax), quickly makes contact and "Houdini" speaks to the gathering in the first person. This means the experts at the table can ask questions of Houdini directly.

Did she/he pass scrutiny? If you want to hear for yourself, you can access both parts via the link below.

HOUDINI SEANCE AT THE NEW SCHOOL

If you don't want to go to the trouble of listening, I can tell you that Meyers, after getting off to a good spooky start, bombs spectacularly when the questions begin. She...I mean, Houdini...cannot or will not answer even the most basic question. The knockout blow occurs when Sidney Radner asks, "What do the letters USD mean to you?" Her answer: "United States Detention Home."

One thing that has me intrigued is when Christopher asks details of a seance Houdini attended in January 1926. It's clear Christopher has Houdini's notes on this seance, but it's one I've never heard of. If anyone is aware of these notes or has the details, please give me a shout.

I'm also wondering if The New School recorded the course and guest speakers. To hear the remembrances of Houdini by Walter B. Gibson would be phenomenal. Also, Louis Rachow played the Houdini voice recording during his class on November 15. This marked the first time the recording was played publicly. How much of it did he play?

If anyone attended this course, please share your memories in the Comments below.

Related:

• The Grim Game screened in 1974
• The Houdini seance inside Room 401
• The haunting of Houdini's 278

Rapper who went by "Houdini" killed in Toronto

A Canadian rapper who called himself "Houdini" has been shot and killed in an ambush attack in Toronto. He was 21.

According to a report in the Mirror--which used the headline "Houdini Dead"--the rapper, whose real name is Dimarjio Antonio Jenkins, was one of Canada's most streamed independent rappers with 19.2 million plays on Spotify in 2019.

Ironically, Houdini said he would not reveal how he received his name until "later in life" when he became more successful.

UPDATE: The Toronto Sun is catching flack on Twitter for this headline:

Related:

• Drake scared away from "haunted Houdini house"
• "The lean make me feel like Houdini"
• Houdini gets a bad rap

Watch Strange Inheritance 'Houdini Jewel' on Tubi

The first four seasons of Strange Inheritance with Jamie Colby are available to stream for free on Tubi. This includes the episode "Houdini Jewel" devoted to Bess Houdini's royal crown brooch. Interviewed are David Copperfield, Milt and Arlene Larsen, and me!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH ON TUBI

There have been developments since the episode first aired on January 22, 2018. David Copperfield is no longer the owner. The brooch now belongs to Randy and Kirsty Pitchford of the Cardini family. I also discovered a 1952 article in which Gerri Larsen says the brooch was given to Bess by the Grand Duke of Russia (Sergei Aeksandrovich), not Czar Nicholas, confirming the theory I express in the show.

However, the most recent twist is a 1902 Christmas card that proves Bess had the brooch before the Houdinis ever went to Russia, so it appears we can forget about Russian royalty altogether! But the brooch has passed through the hands of magic royalty, and that's what continues to make it a true treasure.

This was a fun shoot and I think the episode is well done. And while I don't know this for certain, I think this is how I landed on David Copperfield's radar and why I received the great honor of visiting his incredible museum in 2018 (which you can read about here).

Thanks to Ashley Drew for the alert.

Related:

• Bessie's brooch pins down $72,000 at auction
• Strange Inheritance unearths the Houdini Jewel
• Lindsay Benner brings Bess to the AMA Awards

Talking Houdini with the AMA this Thursday

With the Magic Castle closed due to Covid-19, the Academy of Magical Arts wanted some way to continue to bring members magical experiences. Among those efforts are Facebook Live events called "Behind the Bookcase," which have proven to be very popular. So I'm excited and honored to have been asked to join Mike Caveney and Jonathan Levit for a "Behind the Bookcase" all about (surprise) HOUDINI this Thursday, May 28 at 7:00 PM PST.

"Behind the Bookcase" is available to all AMA Members via the AMA Facebook Group. Episodes are then archived and available on the Magic Castle website. So if you are a member of the AMA, I'll see you Thursday "Behind the Bookcase." (We'll turn Mike Caveney into a "Houdini Nut" yet!)

UPDATE: I'm happy to report that the event went so well we are planning a Part 2. And I think Mike might be re-catching Houdini fever (his interest in magic actually began with the Epstein book). And if you want to know the "secret of Houdini's favorite suit", I've shared it HERE. Thanks to all who watched!

Related:

• Magic Castle Houdini Seance is coming back to life
• See the Magic Castle's lost Houdini display case
• Houdini lives in Pasadena

LINK: The escape artist

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a nice article today by performer Dan Kamin about how he and his friends were influenced by the 1953 biopic Houdini.

"Until we’re all set free, you might enjoy watching Tony Curtis’ exhilarating portrayal of a man who could not be confined."

Click the headline to have a read at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (be forewarned you only have a few clicks before a registration wall pops up).

Related:

• HOUDINI (1953)
• November 16, 1975
• Houdini (1953) streaming free on Pluto TV

Watch ETHER: The Strange Afterlife of Harry Houdini & Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Playwright Susan I. Weinstein has uploaded the first 10 minutes of ETHER: The Strange Afterlife of Harry Houdini & Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to YouTube. The 2-act play made its debut at the iRT Theatre in New York City last December and was in the processes of seeking an Off Broadway Showcase before theaters were shut down due to Covid-19. But now you can enjoy a taste of it at home.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ON YOUTUBE

UPDATE: You can now watch the full play via THIS LINK.

Thanks to Susan Weinstein.

Related:

• ETHER at the iRT in New York, December 19-22
• ETHER: The Strange Afterlife of Harry Houdini & Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• The real story of Houdini & Doyle

New Italian edition of Gibson's Houdini on Magic

A new edition of the Walter B. Gibson classic Houdini on Magic has been released in Italy. The cover features Houdini's Prison Cell and Barrel Mystery poster art (which was also just used on the large print edition of the Joe Posnanski book).

This isn't the first release of Houdini Il Mago in Italy. The book was previously released by Editoriale Corno in 1977 (below).

Houdini Il Mago can be purchased at LibroCo.it.

Thanks to Arthur Moses for the alert!

Related:

• The perennial Houdini on Magic
• New Italian Houdini biography by Massimo Polidoro
• A taste of Houdini horror from Italy

The 'Houdini House Pen' gets it write

Our friend and woodworking artist Barry Spector has teamed with Master pen maker Mike Duffy to create a very special limited edition Houdini House Pen. This high quality pen has been beautifully crafted from authentic wood from Houdini's New York home (stand not included).

Barry has been creating unique works of art using wood lath from Houdini's 278 (see related links below). But for these Barry and Mike did not use lath. The wood for these pens comes from the window casing of a mystery room located off Houdini's library in the back of the house, possibly once used by his brother Leopold as his "operating room." The window was removed during recent renovations.

I'm excited to have received one of these yesterday (No. 3), and I can attest to the fact that it is a heavy duty quality pen in all regards. In fact, it's so nice, I'm afraid to use it!

Each pen comes with a certificate of authenticity. Two styles of presentation cases can also be purchased at extra cost.

You can purchase the Houdini House Pen at Etsy. 

Related:

• Magic wand made of wood from Houdini's house
• Barry Spector's latest 278 wood lath creation
• 278 wood lath Water Torture Cell by Barry Spector

Houdini's Madison straitjacket escape then and now

Here's a terrific video from the Wisconsin Historical Society on YouTube about Houdini's suspended straitjacket escape in Madison on January 23, 1924. I especially like that they travel to the location today.

The video gives a brief glimpse at the story which ran in the Wisconsin State Journal the day of the escape. Below is a look at the full front page.

Click to enlarge.

It was during this same Madison engagement that an eyewitness claimed Houdini performed his Water Torture Cell in full view of the audience. You can relive that one via the top related link below.

Related:

• Did Houdini do the Water Torture Cell in full view of the audience?
• Houdini's Suspended Straitjacket escapes
• Houdini comes home to Wisconsin

Instagram Live event with Katherine Factor

Rediscovered Books in Idaho will be hosting an Instagram Live event with author Katherine Factor this Wednesday, May 20, from 4:00pm to 5:00pm MDT.

Join us for an Instagram Live event with author Katherine Factor, featuring her Choose Your Own Adventure SPIES: Harry Houdini on the Rediscovered Books Caldwell Instagram Page! 

Choose Your Own Adventure SPIES: Harry Houdini takes YOU to stages around the world—from Paris to Moscow, Coney Island to San Francisco—wowing audiences with your death-defying stunts and magic tricks. But that’s not all that Houdini was up to at the turn of the century...Will YOU agree to a lifetime of spying for the US and British intelligence agencies or is your magic routine life threatening enough? 

Katherine Factor is a freelance editor, book coach, and educator. She has her MFA in Poetry from The University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and has held positions at Idyllwild Arts Academy and Interlochen Arts Academy. She is a recipient of grants from the Iowa Arts Council, and the Arts Enterprise Laboratory for supporting projects publishing young writers. She is the author of both Choose Your Own Adventure: Mata Hari and Choose Your Own Adventure: Harry Houdini.

Related:

• Choosing Houdini
• Experts weigh-in on 'Secret Life' spy revelation

Master Mystery episode 10 poster sells for $24,570

A poster for episode 10 of Houdini's The Master Mystery sold for $24,570.00 (including buyers premium) during this weekend's Haversat & Ewing magic auction. The image is one of the most striking of all The Master Mystery posters.

Another Houdini highlight from the auction was a copy of The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin inscribed to Hatty Fisher, along with an invitation to the 1916 dedication of the Weiss family exedra at Machpelah Cemetery. The book included a leaf pressed between its pages, presumably from the dedication itself. It took $3,276.00.

Related:

• The Houdini-Weiss exedra turns 100
• The Master Mystery posters
• Master Mystery episode 9 poster scares up $28,500

At last! Evidence of Houdini's near fatal buried alive surfaces

The story of Houdini nearly dying during a buried alive stunt in California is one that appears in most biographies. As told by Houdini in a 1925 Collier's article ("When Magic Didn't Work") he was trying the escape at different depths. But when it came to six feet, he found the weight of the earth too much and for the first and only time in his career he panicked and shouted for help. But he could not be heard under the soil. By sheer will he was able to claw his way to the surface and collapsed as his assistants hauled him from what had almost been his real grave. Houdini called it "the narrowest squeak in my life."

Illustration by Noa Kelner.

It's a great story, but there has always been a problem with it. There's no evidence that it actually happened. Exactly where the stunt took place has never been clear. Houdini first said it happened "in Hollywood." But it later became "Santa Ana", which is a good 30 miles from Los Angeles. Nor has a date ever been established. Most biographies, while never explicitly dating it, place it in their chapters covering the years 1915-16. But in Collier’s Houdini wrote that it occurred "six years ago," which would make it 1919. But Houdini was famously bad with dates.

The only thing that has kept me from dismissing this story as Houdini-generated mythology is a handwritten annotation Houdini made on some Buried Alive notes which appears (undated) in Walter B. Gibson's Houdini's Escapes (1930):

"I tried out 'Buried Alive' in Hollywood, and nearly [?] did it. Very dangerous; the weight of the earth is killing." 

So this is where things have stood on the Buried Alive story for decades.

But last Wednesday while doing some unrelated research, I stumbled on the following from the May 16, 1919 Los Angeles Times and nearly fell out of my chair!

Los Angeles Times, May 16, 1919.

So is this THE buried alive? Let's dig deeper.

Houdini had arrived in Los Angeles in late April 1919 to begin work on The Grim Game. By mid May he had already performed with the Lasky players at two Liberty Loan drives in Pershing Square (in which he was tied to a cannon). So this is right in line with his activities at this time. And it looks like Houdini had the year right after all!

The Air Memorial Day circus was a major event featuring over 50 airplanes and staged dogfights. The grand finale was to be the bombing of a German balloon, but it broke loose and drifted off over Hollywood. The crowd was estimated at 100,000.

The location, De Mille Field, sat at Crescent and Melrose Avenue between the cities of Hollywood and Santa Monica, which is likely what Houdini meant when he wrote Santa Ana. If DeMille Field sounds familiar, that's because it's where The Grim Game airplanes were leased and took off on their own fateful flights.

DeMille Field.

But there are some problems. In Houdini's telling it was a private test done on a bet with the magician trying the escape at graduating levels. I was also able to find several accounts of the Air Memorial Day event itself, including a detailed schedule, and there is no mention of Houdini, let alone a near death experience. Not something you'd expect a newspaper to ignore! So it appears Houdini did not do the escape at the event itself. Nevertheless, I still think we've found it.

My thinking is Houdini's close call occurred while he was practicing the escape, likely a day or two before the event. This fits with the graduating levels. He then cancelled the performance when he discovered six feet, as announced, was not feasible and damn dangerous. For it to be announced on the 16th, and then the papers show Houdini removed from the lineup on the 18th, suggests this test happened on the 16th or 17th. It seems logical Houdini would have tried it at DeMille Field itself, although we can't know that for certain. But a test before the event makes sense, and the fact that he didn't do the escape as announced only reinforces the idea that something happened.

So there we have it! Houdini's near fatal buried alive stunt is not the stuff of mythology but appears to have happened in mid May 1919. Maybe even 101 years ago today?

The illustration at the top of this post is by Noa Kelner and used with permission. Bottom illustration is from Patrick Culliton's Houdini The Key.

Related:

• Buried Alive
• Digging into Houdini's Buried Alive
• Houdini's Last Secrets ep. 4 unearths Buried Alive

10th Anniversary: Those Vanishing Elephant photos

It was ten years ago today that I shared what would turn out to be one of my most popular (and frustrating) posts to that date. It concerned the rumor that color photos of Houdini's Vanishing Elephant illusion ran in a 1918 issue of New York World magazine. You can revisit below:

The vanished Vanishing Elephant photos

TEN YEAR UPDATE: I wish I could say that these photos have been found within these past ten years, but I cannot. They remain as elusive as ever, and I'm beginning to wonder if they ever really existed. But, hey, this is the kind of thing that keeps up going!

For those who might be disappointed in the lack of progress on the elephant front, know that I have made another major Houdini find that I will share this weekend. You'll dig it! (And that's a clue.)

Related:

• 100 years ago Houdini vanished an elephant
• A new vanishing elephant pic appears
• Welcome to our WILD 10th year!

Mystifier, Spring 2002

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

The Spring 2002 issue of Mystifier begins with a lengthy review by HHC curator Kimberly Louagie of the new book, Final Séance: The Strange Friendship Between Houdini and Conan Doyle by Massimo Polidoro. Louagie compares and contrasts the book to the Bernard Ernst and Heward Carrington's 1932 Houdini and Doyle: The Story of a Strange Friendship, of which it draws much inspiration. While somehwhat critical of Polidoro's work, in the end she recommends the book.

The newsletter continues with a good article about Houdini's Walking Through a Brick Wall by guest contributor Stephen Forrester. Jim Klodzen is a familiar name among the new HHC Members.

Sid Radner begins his "Backstage" column discussing how Houdini's fight against frauds continues with federal and Florida state officials recently cracking down on the Psychic Readers Network. Says Sid, "Strange, isn't it, that these people who claim to predict the future can't seem to avoid the authorities?"

Sid reports that Houdini appeared as a character in Dave Graue's and Jack Bender's comic strip "Alley Oop" from December 3, 2001 through January 9, 2002. He recommends Mickey Hade's New Encyclopedia of Escapes, but points out that the method Hade's gives for Houdini's Water Torture Cell is incorrect. And Sid would know!

Sid finishes with a reminder that the Travel Channel's Houdini documentary will air on April 15, 2002.

Mystifier

Volume 12, Number 1

Spring 2002

6 pages

Contents:

The Strange Friendship Between Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
New Members
Houdini's "Walking Through a Brick Wall" Illusion

Backstage with Sid Radner

PREVIOUS ISSUE | INDEX | NEXT ISSUE

Related:

• The true story of Houdini & Doyle
• When Houdini walked through a brick wall
• No, that's NOT the secret of Houdini's Water Torture Cell

Houdini gets tricky with DeMille

Here's an item that ran in the Los Angeles Times 101 years ago today. It shows Houdini and famed director Cecil B. DeMille at the Famous Players-Lasky studio, where Houdini would soon begin production on The Grim Game. I don't know exactly what trick Houdini is showing DeMille here. But this is a great example of how the studio publicity department made it known that the Handcuff King had arrived in Tinseltown!

Los Angeles Times, May 13, 1919.

Another photo of Houdini and DeMille taken at this same time appears in Houdini His Legend and His Magic by Doug Henning (page 118). Years later, Bess Houdini posed for a photo with the director and his daughter on the Paramount lot. You can see that pic via the top related link below.

Related:

• Bessie visits Paramount (and so do I)
• A gathering at Famous Players-Lasky
• Houdini arrives in Los Angeles

Days of Thrills and Harry Houdini

While the big boys were slugging it out in last week's Potter & Potter auction, spending thousands on some important Houdini lots (and some that didn't seem that important), I was happy to snap this up on eBay for a $15 Buy It Now. No, it's not rare, and you might not even understand exactly what this is. But I've always wanted one of these "Houdini dangles from a cliff!" lobby cards from Days of Thrills and Laughter because I've long considered this movie an important part of Houdini's amazing afterlife. But I'll get to that.

Released by 20th Century Fox on May 5, 1961, Days of Thrills and Laughter was a feature length documentary made up of extended clips from silent movies. It was the third such film from producer Robert Youngson after The Golden Age of Comedy and When Comedy Was King. The original New York Times review of the movie at the Sixty-eighth Street Playhouse states:

Since he is concerned not only with comedy but also with thrills, Mr. Youngson has included bits by Douglas Fairbanks ("Wild and Woolly") and some mad material from the likes of such serial experts as Pearl White ("The Perils of Pauline," etc), Ruth Roland, Warner Oland, Boris Karloff and, believe it or not, Harry Houdini, rescuing a somewhat foggy damsel from taking the distressing drop over Niagara Falls.

The Houdini segment runs about 5 minutes and shows more than just the Niagara Falls rescue from The Man From Beyond. We also see the entire cliff fight (as shown on the lobby card, although obviously not in color) and the coat rack escape from The Master Mystery. But what will be of most interest to Houdini buffs is rare behind the scenes footage of Houdini and Bess visiting producer Al Christie at Universal Studios in 1915. It's a remarkable piece of film that I don't believe has appeared anywhere else. All the Houdini footage is excellent quality and is credited as coming from the Larry Weeks collection.

I consider Days of Thrills and Laughter important because it was the first such documentary to establish Houdini and his film work as "essential nostalgia" from this era. Along with television clip shows like Fractured Flickers, these went a long way in flagging to a new generation what was worth remembering. They also anticipated the cable biographies of the 1990s and beyond. So it's interesting that Houdini film career, generally considered a failure, affords him a place beside cinema giants like Fairbanks and Chaplin in this early work. Houdini always said he was making his movies for "future generations." So maybe not such a failure after all?

Days of Thrills and Laughter was released on DVD in 2010 and can still purchased at Amazon.com. But it can also be streamed for free via Amazon's Prime Video.

Related:

• Days of Thrills and Laughter released on DVD
• LINK: 'Houdini Cliff' found in the Palisades
• Houdini caught by Christie Girls (update)

"Houdini's School Days"

No sooner do I post about "The Amazing Exploits of Houdini" than comes an eBay auction which reveals the existence of yet another series of fictionalized Houdini tales in a UK magazine. This time it's "Houdini's School Days" in Merry and Bright. The auction is for a bound volume of stories from 9/18/1920 to 4/16/1921. I'm not sure if this is the complete run or if these went on until Houdini's demise as did "Amazing Exploits."

The opening price is a whopping $9,900, so I'm not sure who can afford to add this to their collection. (It has cycled once unsold already.) But I'm excited to learn about this series and grateful for the pics.

1920-1921 "Merry and Bright - The Favorite Comic" was published in London and cost three halfpence English coins. Merry & Bright comics, featuring "Houdini's Schooldays", was 8 pages of newsprint published every Thursday. This book contains 30 publications from 9/18/1920 thru 4/16/1921. Harry Houdini signed the first page as he did on most of the books in his collection. These comics include both amusing illustrations and short fictional stories. Being Houdini's grand nephew myself, I feel lucky to have been the caretaker of this book for 50 years. My grandmother (Bess Houdini's sister) gave it to me when I was 18 years old. In 1999 two of Houdini's niece's and his nephew all signed a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) attesting to the authenticity of this book. A well known American magician has 2 of these Merry and Bright books. The outer red covering has some stains as it was often on the coffee table in my grandparents (Houdini's brother-in-law and sister-in-law) apartment.

Before you ask, no, I don't know who this particular grand nephew is. But I know it isn't John Hinson, so I'm guessing this is the Blood side of the family (maybe Jeff Blood?).

Related:

• "The Amazing Exploits of Houdini"
• The Chronicles of Young Houdini
• Young Houdini #1 cover and synopsis

The Siberian Transport Prison Cell escape

Today marks the 117th anniversary of Houdini's escape from the Siberian Transport Prison Cell in Moscow on May 10, 1903 (in Russia the date was April 27th as they followed a different calendar at this time). It is one of his most famous and celebrated feats. So today I thought I'd link back to these two posts from 2016 in which I covered the escape and enduring mystery of how exactly Houdini did it. Enjoy.

Houdini vs. the Siberian Transport Cell, Part I: The escape

Houdini vs. the Siberian Transport Cell, Part II: How did he do it?

Related:

• Houdini in 1903
• Houdini's Last Secrets episode 3 unlocks the Carette
• Guest Blog: A modern day Transport Cell challenge

R.I.P. Roy Horn

Today the entire magic world is mourning the loss of Roy Horn of the legendary magic duo Siegfried & Roy. Roy succumbed Friday from complications related to Covid-19. He was 75.

A wonderful artist, a legend - Roy gave so much to entertainment and our community. https://t.co/HsBhXCtV0Q

— David Copperfield (@D_Copperfield) May 9, 2020

We are all mourning the loss of #RoyHorn of #SiegfriedandRoy. S&R invented, created, pioneered the very idea that a magic show could be a full evening in Vegas. If not for S&R there would be no P&T in Vegas. He was so full of life, wild, and unpredictable. We will miss him. pic.twitter.com/sHW5NAyBMu

— Penn Jillette (@pennjillette) May 9, 2020

I am heartbroken to hear the news of Roy Horn’s passing. My heart goes out to Siegfried and the entire S&R extended family.

The loss for Las Vegas is enormous. For me the loss is personal. As a boy I saw Siegfried and Roy on television and was inspired.

— Lance Burton (@LanceBurtonMM) May 9, 2020

So sorry to hear about the loss of Roy, a very pivotal magician that opened the doors to many of us. In this photo I asked both Siegfried and Roy to do a serious pose (it was tough for Siegfried but Roy managed!) In… https://t.co/FhSbnVOQ40

— David Blaine (@davidblaine) May 9, 2020

Photo from The Academy of Magical Arts on Facebook.

Houdini did not approve this message

Here is an untypical advertisement for Houdini's spirit lecture at the Music Hall in Akron, Ohio, on February 25, 1924. This appeared in the Akron Beacon Journal. But this is an ad Houdini himself would not approve of, as I'll explain below.

This ad appeared during Houdini's first spirit lecture tour during the early months of 1924. When he signed with the Lyceum Circuit for a second tour in the Fall, he annotated his contract by hand with some specific stipulations. Below is a look at the actual document from the Ken Trombly Collection showing one key stipulation:

"In all billing matter I object to the use of the words of Hocum and Fakery. They are too vulgar."

In the Akron ad we see both offending words featured prominently, exactly the kind of "vulgar" advertising Houdini wished to avoid. This could even be the ad that motivated him to add this stipulation, although I have seen the words used elsewhere at this time. You'll also notice the bottom of the ad containing the lecture details is a mismatch with the top of the ad, which is curious. By the day of the lecture, the advertising had been tamed more to Houdini's liking.

So why didn't Houdini like the words hocum (hokum) and fakery? I think it's simply a matter of him wanting his lectures to perceived as serious presentations and not magic or spook show entertainments. Another stipulation for this second tour was that he would not perform his Milk Can escape as he had during his first tour. Of course, this perception didn't aways come across, as was most acutely demonstrated during the Chattanooga debacle.

It's interesting to note that Milbourne Christopher makes reference to this contract stipulation on page 200 of Houdini The Untold Story. However, the book contains a misprint, saying Houdini objected to the use of the words fakery and hocas. This was never corrected in any edition, and I'm sure more than a few folks were puzzled as to why Houdini would object to the word "hocas." This is a good example of why going back to original source material is so important.

Oops.

I, for one, like the word hokum, and it has gone on to be associated with Houdini. In fact, Hokum was the original proposed name for Penn & Teller's skeptical television series Bullshit. Now there's a word Houdini would have objected to!

Related:

• Houdini's Spiritualism Lectures
• Houdini and the Spiritualists with Ken Trombly
• Houdini describes his spiritualism lecture in full

Choosing Houdini

Last week saw the release of Choose Your Own Adventure SPIES: Harry Houdini by Katherine Factor. This is a spy-themed spinoff of the popular Choose Your Own Adventure series of books, and the first to feature the Handcuff King.

I have mixed feelings about this one as I'm generally put off by anything that furthers the notion that Houdini was a spy (check out my FAQs for my take on this). However, the cover art by Mia Marie Overgaard is fantastic, as are the interior illustrations by Eoin Coveney, and the author is a nice person who has crafted a fun and unique reading experience. So I'm happy to add this to the shelf.

Choose Your Own Adventure SPIES: Harry Houdini by Katherine Factor puts YOU in the shoes of America’s first famous magician, Harry Houdini, also known as “The King of Cuffs.” 9-12 year old readers will enchant audiences across the United States with death-defying stunts, live escapes, and thrilling face-offs with local police. 

Choose Your Own Adventure SPIES: Harry Houdini is an interactive adventure book in which YOU decide what happens next. 

You are a famous magician. You are known to challenge local police to defy your skills by locking you up. Reporters follow this story, and so do jealous rivals. But one follower of your magic act has a serious request: with all of your sleight of hand and intelligence, will you, Harry Houdini, the famous magician, become a spy to learn information abroad and help the United States? 

You can purchase Choose Your Own Adventure SPIES: Harry Houdini at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Related:

• Experts weigh-in on 'Secret Life' spy revelation
• Brad Meltzer is out peddling the myth that Houdini was a spy
• Houdini books for kids (all posts)

LINK: The Man From Beyond in Farmington

Joe Notaro has joined Sean Doran in the hunt for filming locations from Houdini's The Man From Beyond. Joe has turned up two remarkable articles that reveal details about the crew filming in Farmington, Connecticut, on May 8, 1921.

Among the finds is that the company stayed at the historic Elm Tree Inn (above) and filmed scenes at the Winchell Smith dam on the Farmington river. This is fantastic stuff (and gold for my 1921 chronology), so click the headline and have a read at Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence. You can also check out Sean Doran's recent discoveries below.

Related:

• LINK: A ghost of the Gilded Age found
• LINK: 'Houdini Cliff' found in the Palisades
• LINK: Houdini's sensational swim in the rapids of...the Hudson?