Man Vs History explores The Real Houdini, Aug. 3

The new series Man Vs History with Bil Lepp will feature Houdini as their subject this Tuesday, August 3, on HISTORY. Below are details.

You can watch a preview of the episode at the Man Vs History page at HISTORY. The series is also available on Amazon Prime Video.

UPDATE: Review: Man Vs History Vs Houdini

Related:

• Houdini Documentaries
• Houdini's Suspended Straitjacket escapes
• Watch the Houdini episode of The UnXplained

The girl who beat Houdini

Houdini was a superstar in American vaudeville and even once held the distinction of being its highest paid performer. But vaudeville had other superstars who drew crowds and salaries that sometimes matched Houdini. One of these performers was Eva Tanguay.

Today Eva Tanguay is largely forgotten. But if you were around in Houdini's time, you would have certainly known who she was. By many accounts, Tanguay could neither sing nor dance. But that didn't dampen her enormous appeal. A profile of her at the New England Historical Society (Eva Tanguay, The Lady Gaga of Vaudeville) says:

Her celebrity was no accident, but a well-planned assault on stuffy Victorian convention. She provoked reaction, singing songs with titles like Go As Far As You Like and wearing bizarre costumes like a dress made out of pennies. The tabloids ate up stories about her love life, which included a romance with the African-American vaudeville star George Walker. You couldn’t escape her from 1904 to the early 1920s.

Like Houdini, Tanguay was a headliner on the big time Keith vaudeville circuit, thus they played many of the same theaters. This invited direct comparison. Such was the case in Boston in January 1911 as you can read below:

Boston Sunday Post, Jan. 15, 1911.

Not only was Eva beating Houdini's attendance records, but she was also surpassing his salary, making as much as $3500 per week. By 1912 Houdini had to put a spin on his claims of being Vaudeville's highest paid performer. Check out the below ad from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in which he now calls himself "the highest salaried male performer in the world."

Courier Sun, Feb. 25, 1912. 

After losing her fortune in the Wall Street crash of 1929, Eva Tanguay retired in 1930 and slipped into obscurity. She died on January 11, 1947 at age 68. In another Houdini parallel, in 1953 a highly fictionalized biopic was made of Eva's life, The I Don't Care Girl, starring Mitzi Gaynor. This was the same year as the Houdini biopic with Tony Curtis.

If you'd like to learn more about Eva Tanguay check out the book Queen of Vaudeville: The Story of Eva Tanguay by Andrew L. Erdman. Below is the only known recording of Eva made in 1922.

UPDATE: Today I went to the 94th Rudolph Valentino Memorial Service at Hollywood Forever cemetery (Rudy being the other big celebrity death of 1926), and I paid a visit to Ms. Tanguay.

Related:

• ...also Houdini
• Harry Ransom Center presents Vaudeville!

The Grim Game is streaming free at TV Time

Houdini's best and most elusive movie The Grim Game (1919) is now streaming for free via the TV Time app/channel. I'm not sure if TV Time is exclusive to Roku devices. All I know is I found it, hit play, and it played! This is the 2015 restoration with a score by Brane Živkovic which aired only once on TCM.

This could mean the movie will arrive on other streaming platforms soon. Or this could be a fluke. (The restoration credits have been cut off, so this might be less than legit.) But it's high time The Grim Game got out there for all to enjoy. So enjoy!

Related:

• Houdini conquers Hollywood (at last) in The Grim Game
• Rick Schmidlin (Part I): Finding The Grim Game
• Watch clips from The Grim Game at TCM.com

FLASHBACK: Houdini's madcap Hollywood lunch

During my summer slowdown I thought I'd offer up some relevant "flashback" posts to scratch that Houdini history itch. Today we head to Hollywood.

On July 27, 1919, Houdini visited the set of the movie Back Stage at the Comique Studio in Edendale, CA. Relive his "madcap" encounter with some of the top movie comedians of the day in THIS POST from 2018.

The Sherman Library presents Houdini, July 28

The historic Sherman Library in Sherman, Connecticut, will present a Houdini lecture by Mallory Howard this Wednesday, July 28 at 7:00 PM Eastern Time. CLICK HERE to register for the free Zoom event at the Sherman Library website.

Below are a few Houdini Connecticut connections.

Related:

• The Connecticut estate of Leo Weiss?
• LINK: The Man From Beyond in Farmington
• LINK: Unlocking the secrets of Houdini’s life in Stamford

Salem will rename street "Houdini Way"

The City of Salem, Massachusetts, will rename Front Street to "Houdini Way" in honor of Houdini's jailbreak from the Front Street police station on April 16, 1906. Below is the motion from the Office of the City Clerk.

Houdini performed with his own vaudeville touring company in Salem from April 16-18, 1906. This was his only appearance in Salem (as far as I know). The building that stands at the site of Houdini's jail break is the original.

Thanks to Erik Bartlett at TheMagicDetective Group for the alert.

Related:

• LINK: The complete account of Houdini's visit to Salem, Massachusetts
• Petition to rename 113th Street "Harry Houdini Way"
• Houdini in 1906

Sling shot

Here's another unpublished (reproduction) photograph I recently acquired. This one shows Houdini with co-star Ann Forrest and director Irvin Willat on the set of The Grim Game in 1919. But what makes this image special is it shows Houdini with his arm in a sling. This is only the second shot I've ever seen that captures Houdini in his sling.

Houdini had broken his wrist while making the movie in late June and wore a cast for a number of weeks. In most photos taken at that time he is careful to remove the sling and cover up his cast. But not this time. Maybe that's why he doesn't look happy. Ann Forrest, on the other hand, looks lovely.

Houdini's accident was reported in the June 27, 1919 Los Angeles Times, which somewhat downplayed the injury.

Related:

• Houdini's broken wrist and the San Diego connection
• Seeing double on The Grim Game set
• Houdini breaks his wrist (the first time)

FLASHBACK: Houdini's first stunt in Times Square

During my summer slowdown I'm offering up some relevant "flashback" posts. Today we head to NYC.

It was 109 yers ago today that Houdini did his first outdoor stunt in New York's Times Square and, no, it wasn't a suspended straitjacket escape. It was something that is now largely forgotten. 

But you can remember it by CLICKING HERE and revisiting my post from 2018.

William Shatner was (almost maybe) Houdini

The mighty William Shatner has had several close encounters with Houdini. He hosted The Search for Houdini LIVE seance event in 1987. He wrote a work of Houdini fiction in 1992 called Believe. And Houdini was the subject of an episode of his latest series The UnXplained. But here's something I never knew. In 1994 Shatner agreed to play Houdini on stage. Or did he? That seems to be the issue. 

Check this clipping from the September 25, 1994 Bonham Daily Favorite.

Click to enlarge.

I've found additional information that Harry and Arthur would have featured Leonard Nimoy as Conan Doyle! Or maybe that was just wishful thinking.

Below is the front and back covers of William Shatner's 1992 Houdini novel, Believe, on which the play was said to be based.

Click to enlarge.

Related:

• When Houdini went LIVE
• Watch the Houdini episode of The UnXplained
• The men who almost played Houdini

LINK: The Astonishing Adventures of Houdini’s Favorite Detective

Here's a great article from "Fishwrap" (the official blog of Newspapers.com) about Rose Mackenberg, who really seems to be capturing the popular imagination these days. Click the headline and enjoy.

Below is some more Rose.

Related:

• Spooky History uncovers Houdini's Top Spy
• Transatlantic History Ramblings discovers Rose 
• Hocus Pocus #2 conjures Houdini and Rose (and me)

LINK: Amedeo Vacca - Secret Houdini assistant and much more

Dean Carnegie has a wonderful POST at The Magic Detective about Houdini's little-known assistant and collaborator Amedeo Vacca. I especially love that Dean identified Vacca in the photo of the Shelton Pool test "uncover." Dean has also devoted an episode of his Magic Detective Podcast to Vacca.  

Click the headline to have a read at The Magic Detective.

Related:

• Tony Spina reveals Amedeo Vacca
• Houdini's secret mind reading system uncovered?
• Dean Carnegie dials in Houdini's Radio of 1950

FLASHBACK: Death in Asbury Park

During my summer slowdown I thought I'd offer up some relevant "flashback" posts to scratch that Houdini history itch. Today we mark a dark anniversary.

On July 17, 1913, Houdini's mother died in Asbury Park, New Jersey. CLICK HERE for a post from 2016 that deep dives into these tragic few days 108 year ago.

Houdini in Hawaii (yes, Hawaii!)

Recently I was able to acquire this unpublished (reproduction) photograph showing Houdini and Bess in "Honolulu 1910." Houdini in Hawaii!? Until I saw this, I would have told you Houdini never visited the Aloha State. But here's proof that he did! Gotta love the leis around their necks. The other two women are unidentified.

This was almost certainly taken aboard the steamship Manuka when Houdini was returning from Australia. The ship ported in Suva, Fiji on May 17, so it likely ported in Honolulu around May 25. [See UPDATE.] The local paper noted Houdini's presence, and even reported there were hopes he might perform in the city.

Honolulu Advertiser, May 26, 1910

Houdini's return from Australia via the Pacific was the final link in a journey that took him around the world. This made him eligible to join the Circumnavigators Club, which he did in 1912.

So, yes, the Houdinis went Hawaiian! If only for a day. Pretty wild.

UPDATE: I've nailed down the exact dates of Houdini's Hawaiian adventure. The Manuka arrived in Honolulu on May 24 at 7:45pm at the Alakea Wharf. It departed the following day, May 25 at 3pm. So the photo above was likely taken on May 25, 1910. Aloha.

Related:

• Harry and Bess hit Ceylon
• Harry Houdini and the Circumnavigators Club
• Houdini's Melbourne bridge jump (sans corpse)

Posnanski, Houdini, and The Art of Manliness

Our friend Joe Posnanski is interviewed on The Art of Manliness podcast. Always a pleasure to hear Joe talk Houdini.

Joe's The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini is available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Related:

• REVIEW: A Houdini book for everyone
• The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini in paperback
• Houdini, Tarzan, and the Perfect Man

FLASHBACK: When Houdini walked through a brick wall

It was 107 years ago today that Houdini debuted his "Walking Through A Brick Wall" at Hammerstein's Roof Garden and Victoria Theatre in New York City. He would only do the effect for single week, but it remains one of his most famous feats of magic.

CLICK HERE to revisit a post I did on the 100th anniversary of Walking Through A Brick Wall.

Related:

• Summer slowdown

Houdini Revealed, Parts 7 & 8

Last year The Houdini Museum of New York moved to New Jersey and owner Roger Dreyer launched a new website called Houdini Revealed. He also created a series of biographical Houdini videos. Below are the concluding episodes seven and eight.

Below are links to more episodes of Houdini Revealed. You can also find these shared to Linked Videos on my Wild About Harry YouTube Channel.

Related:

• Roger Dreyer launches "Houdini Revealed" (1-3)
• Roger Dreyer's Houdini Revealed, Parts 4-6

FLASHBACK: The shark stunt

During my summer slowdown I thought I'd offer up some relevant "flashback" posts to scratch that Houdini history itch. Here's the first.

In the summer of 1916, Houdini announced a publicity stunt like no other. He would fight a man eating shark! Did he do it? CLICK HERE to revisit my post from 2017 and find out.

Summer slowdown

Hi everyone. Just a heads up that new posts might become less frequent for the next several weeks. My real-world work has returned to pre-pandemic levels while my team has not. So I'm afraid I'll be forced to put my Houdini research aside and make an honest living. But don't worry, I won't let any breaking Houdini news slip past, and I will also offer up some relevant "Flashback" posts. Thanks for understanding.

Now back to work!

Houdini in Portland (UPDATE)

Houdini made his first appearance in Portland, Oregon, during the week beginning Sunday, October 24, 1915. Below is a terrific ad for his opening day from The Oregonian.

Houdini announced his arrival with a suspended straitjacket escape from Portland's Oregonian Building on October 25. This was only his fourth suspended straitjacket escape (by my current count). The Oregonian stood at 135 SW 6th St. (today 537 SW 6th Ave) and was demolished in 1950.

Click to enlarge.

During this 1915 engagement Houdini played the Orpheum Theater on Broadway. Portland had two Orpheums on Broadway and there is conflicting information about which theater would have been active at this time. But the above ad specifies the location as Broadway at Yamhill, which would make it the original Orpheum located at 759 SW Broadway. 

The theater converted to movies in 1915 and the Orpheum shows relocated up the block to the Heilig Theater. It was razed in 1976 and today is the site of Nordstrom.

Houdini returned to Portland in 1923, playing the Heilig Orpheum at 837 SW Broadway for three days starting Sunday, March 11. Along with the Water Torture Cell Houdini presented an escape "in which he loosens himself while tied hand and foot and head in a framework." Also on the bill that week was Jack Benny.

Portland Oregonian, March 11, 1923.

Houdini's final appearance in Portland was when he gave his spiritualism lecture at the Portland Public Auditorium at 222 SW Clay Street on November 4, 1924. As this was the night of 1924 Presidential election, the lecture was poorly attended. Nevertheless, the papers reported that, "The audience was frankly delighted and was friendly to Houdini, bursting into frequent and prolonged applause."

The Portland Public Auditorium later became the Keller Auditorium and still stands today. Below is how it looked in Houdini's time and now.

Thanks to Bill Mullins for finding the 1923 advert.

UPDATE: I recently found this account with a photo of Houdini's 1915 suspended straitjacket escape in Portland. Enjoy.

The Morning Oregonian, Oct. 26, 1915.

Related:

• Houdini spooks Portland in 1924
• Haldane of the Secret Service screening in Portland
• Houdini's known suspended straitjacket escapes

LINK: Harry Houdini coloring page

The website Magician Masterclass is offering a free Houdini coloring page PDF "for the kid in your life who loves magic." Click on the headline for more and to download.

Related:

• Houdini’s Coloring Book
• Houdini adult coloring book
• The color of Houdini's bathing suit?

Eric Colleary on The Magic Word Podcast

Our great friend Eric Colleary, Cline Curator of Theatre & Performing Arts collections at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas in Austin, is the guest on Scott Wells The Magic Word Podcast. In the YouTube version, embedded below, Eric shares some of the treasures from their collection, including Houdini's own copy of The Discovery of Witchcraft and the breakfront bookcase that started it all! This is a great talk so enjoy.

After a fifteen-month closure due to Covid, The Harry Ransom Center will reopen to researchers on July 12. For more information visit their official website. 

Below are links to a few of the topics discussed by Eric and Scott.

Related: 

• Houdini's lost breakfront has been found!
• Ransom Center reveals stunning Houdini 3-sheet
• The wild story of Abb Dickson's Water Torture Cell

Dayle Krall inside "The Lost Houdini Water Torture Cell"

Richard Sherry and Dayle Krall have taken the restoration of the mysterious Water Torture Cell they discovery in 2019 to the next level. Richard has created a special plexiglass liner that allows the cell to be filled with water and performed. (!) Below is a video of Dayle inside the water-filled cell. According to Richard, this is being done in connection with a possible television project.

In the video description Richard now expresses his belief that this cell is genuine:

"This Water Torture Cell does not appear to fit into the commonly accepted timeline of the Water Torture Cell's history. However, after much research and help from many prominent people in the escape community, we have come to the conclusion that this is an authentic Houdini Chinese Water Torture Cell." 

Richard has launched a webpage in which he shares details about the cell and its restoration: www.HoudiniWaterTortureCell.com.

Related:

• A Water Torture Cell has been discovered in Canada
• Guest Blog: Chronicles of the Mystery WTC (Part 1)
• Guest Blog: Chronicles of the Mystery WTC (Part 2)