You can bet this is a Lee Jacobs reproduction King of Cards poster. You can read the history this famous magic bedroom mainstay HERE.
But what of the real Houdini in Cincinnati?
Here's something that ties in nicely. Houdini also appeared on Cincinnati radio! During the week of September 20, 1925, Houdini broadcast nightly from station WLM. He addressed spiritualism and even gave magic lessons. I doubt he was as smooth as Dr. Johnny Fever, but I bet he didn't get mike fright!
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| Rushville Daily Republican, Sept. 20, 1925. |
Eagle-eye Dutch also made an interesting sighting in The Greatest American Hero. A pair of straitjackets from the 1953 Tony Curtis Houdini biopic can be spotted in the season 3 episode, "The Resurrection of Carlini", which first aired November 19, 1982. As I covered in my last installment of Deconstruction Houdini '53, these straitjackets where custom made for the movie by Abbott's Magic Co. Wild to see them still available to productions in 1982. I wonder if these are still lurking in some Hollywood prop or costume shop?
Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Dutch!
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Great stuff! Cincinnati must have been a reliable bread and butter city for Harry, much like Boston was. Those Houdini 53 style jackets are I believe still available in S & M bondage websites.
ReplyDeleteIt was certainly a bread and butter city for Keith/Albee vaudeville, and that circuit was Houdini's bread and butter. Eight appearances at this same theater. Makes me curious which theater holds the record for the most appearances by Houdini. This is in the running.
DeleteDo we know how many times Houdini played at the Palace in Manhattan?
ReplyDeleteI live for questions like this. To the Chronology!...
DeleteI have him at the Palace in Times Sq. four times:
Oct. 19-25, 1914
Aug 2-15, 1915 (two weeks)
Dec. 25-31, 1916
Jan. 2-8, 1922
He also played the Hippodrome four times. But these were engagements of many, many weeks. He also appeared in several one-off benefit performances there. The Hippodrome was easily the NY theater where he appeared the most. And if we count number of days, it's very likely the stage he walked the most.
DeleteWhat about the Princess Theater in Chicago? HH spent a lot of time there.
DeleteHe only played one engagement at the Princess. But it was an 8 week engagement. So it depends on how we want to measure it. Number of unique engagements (which is how I've been thinking about it) or number of performances.
DeleteI’ve gone to plays at the Palace in the past. It’s a magnificent restored theatre. All I could do was sit there and imagine that Houdini himself preformed on that very stage. Perry from NJ.
ReplyDeleteHaha. Love it. It's a gift it still survives and in such great shape. So few theaters left where Houdini performed.
DeleteLast I walked by that area they were completing massive construction. Heard they are raising the theatre to build retail stores on a first floor! Perry from NJ.
ReplyDeleteYes, I actually did a post about this. Houdini's name was on the construction signage!
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