Reflecting on a WILD 2023

I'm taking my year-end break a little earlier than normal because oh what a year this has been! So much has happened that I feel like I need to sit back and reflect on where I've been and where I'm going. As to where I've been...

I'm still reeling from the incredible time I spent inside David Copperfield's International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts in March and the role I played in making fresh transfers of the Houdini wax cylinders. To have been a part of this Houdini history is beyond an honor. I still can't believe it all really happened.

Speaking of honors, receiving the Milbourne Christopher Ambassador of Magic Award was just that for someone weaned on Christopher's work. My overnight stay at 278 during my self-proclaimed Ambassador's tour was a literal dream come true. My time in Cleveland was fantastic. Celebrating Houdini's 100th Masonic anniversary was a wild time. Being the Houdini historian at two events at the Houdini Estate in Laurel Canyon was a blast. And spending the year annotating Houdini's first known travel diary has been a daily thrill that I'm excited you will all get to experience next year.

There was also plenty of action right here on the blog. A few long-time mysteries were solved, including the baby photo, the checkered flag photo, the origin of Metamorphosis, the overboard box footage, and Hardeen's Metamorphosis. Crossing 10 million views was also pretty satisfying.

I'm especially pleased with my first full year on Patreon. My patrons were right there with me on my Houdini adventures this year. In fact, the support of my patrons made these adventures possible. I've also been able to share some terrific exclusive material and first looks. I'm looking forward to providing patrons with more terrific content in 2024, including this. (I will continue posting to Patreon during my break.)

Between the diary and all the correspondence I've read in the past 18 months, I really feel like I've come to know Houdini in a deeper and more personal way. And you know what? I like him! People may not believe this, but I've encountered NO sign of this massive ego one hears so much about. None. Instead, I've found him to be generous, funny, self-deprecating, philosophical, wistful, a lover of animals, a tireless worker, and a loving husband. He's a person deserving of the attention we give him. Meet your heroes.

Next year, expect more of the same. It's a big year for Houdini centennials. I will be working on a new book project while promoting the diary book. I'm looking forward to the Magic Collector Expo in Long Beach, more trips to Copperfield's, and more discoveries ahead. Because I'm still Wild about Harry! And so are you.

2023 in Review:

January (23 posts)

February (20 posts)

March (21 posts)

April (23 posts)

May (18 posts)

June (24 posts)

July (22 posts)

August (23 posts)

September (16 posts)

October (23 posts)

November (23 posts)

December (6 posts)

Most Viewed New Post of 2023

ALL the Houdini wax cylinder audio has been saved! (March 29)

Up to my socks in the Copperfield collection.

Happy Holidays

See you in 2024

Photo at the top of this post from the McCord-Stewart Museum.

Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney to be redeveloped

ABC News reports that Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, will be relocated, and the area on which it has stood since 1883 will be turned into a "mini-city" of 25,000 new properties, green space, and a Metro station.

What does this have to do with Houdini? Well, Rosehill was one of only three fields where Houdini flew his Voisin biplane. While he learned to fly at Hufaren parade grounds in Germany and clinched the honor of Australia's first flight at Diggers Rest near Melbourne, it was at Rosehill that he made his final and most harrowing flight on May 1, 1910.

All I ask is one of the streets in this new development be named in honor of Houdini!

Thanks to Tom Waller for the alert.

Related:

• Houdini's LAST Australian flight was the wild one
• Bessie down under
• When Houdini showed Australia that a man can fly

Bring home a piece of 278 for the holidays

Before I wrap up the blog for the year, I wanted to give a shoutout to Roger Dreyer's Houdini Revealed and this terrific new novelty he is offering. When I visited Roger's amazing museum in September, he gifted me this authentic piece of 278 brick that sits on a miniature 278 base (a clear plastic dome fits over it all; the dome is off in the image below). I love it!

While I don't yet see this on his website store, Roger said these are available for purchase. So if you're interested in gifting a piece of 278 to a loved one or yourself, give Roger a shout HERE.

Roger also offers full 278 bricks and assorted wood pieces that are listed on his website. So you have many ways of owning a piece of Houdini's home this holiday season.

Thank you, Roger!

Related:

• Ambassador's Tour
• Own an authentic brick from Houdini's 278
• Barry Spector will end his 278 magic wands with #150

Houdini's Denver dives

On October 13, 1907, Houdini leapt manacled from the roof of the band pavilion at Denver's City Lake Park. The stunt was similar to his leap just a few weeks earlier in Los Angeles. But it wasn't advertised. Houdini did this jump primarily for newspapermen and photographers on the day he arrived in the city. This resulted in terrific coverage, as seen below.

The Denver Post, Oct. 14, 1907

The photos taken that day by Daily News staff photographer Ralph Baird were enlarged and displayed in the lobby of the Denver Orpheum. (Including the image at the top of this post, which I'm excited to confirm is Denver.) But The News felt the public would like to see Houdini perform the feat for themselves, so they arranged for him to repeat the stunt on Sunday, Oct. 20. It was unusual for Houdini to repeat an outdoor stunt during the same engagement, but he agreed to do so.

The Daily News, Oct. 17, 1907

It's interesting to see that Houdini wanted a ladder placed atop the pavilion this time so he could make a higher jump. During the first jump, he had hit the bottom of the lake. However, at the last moment, Denver Mayor Robert W. Speer objected to the stunt.

The Daily News, Oct. 20, 1907

Houdini stayed out of the controversy, but The News took the mayor to task for what it saw as his hypocrisy. In an Oct. 31st editorial called "Awake at Last," the paper sarcastically congratulated the mayor for suddenly waking up to the city's blue laws and how he would now, no doubt, close down the saloons and gambling halls that line his pockets. They conclude:

    

And there are any number of other things for the mayor to do, now that he has taken this high moral resolve. And it thrills us with joy to know that we were the unwilling instruments bringing this great good to the city. [...] Why, oh, why didn't we think of the Houdini jump sooner, and get the mayor's conscience waked up two years ago, in time to keep him from helping steal the franchises? But it's awake now; that's one comfort. There should be notable doings in the city pretty quick.

Mayor Spreer

Mayor Spreer survived the scandal and became the only Denver mayor elected to three terms. However, he didn't survive the 1918 flu pandemic and passed away during his third term.

The site of Houdini's Denver leap still exists today. While the pavilion has been rebuilt, it is, presumably, still in the same spot. A terrific Denver Houdini location. Maybe the current mayor, Mike Johnson, can put a historical plaque in the pavilion commemorating Houdini's October 13, 1907 leap and make up for his predecessor denying the citizens of Denver that second jump? Just an idea!

Want more? You can view or download an assortment of newspaper clippings from Houdini's 1907 Denver appearance as a "Scholar" member of my Patreon below. Thanks to my patrons for supporting content like this.

Photo at the top of this post from the McCord-Stewart Museum.

Related:

• Houdini's Westlake leap
• The Westminster Bridge jump that wasn't
• The Houdinis and the Doyles...take an Uber?

Limited edition 'Magical Rope Ties and Escapes'

Philip David Treece at CollectingMagicBooks.com has released a high-quality reprint of Houdini's Magical Rope Ties and Escapes. This is a limited edition hardback (100 numbered copies) printed and bound in the UK by a specialist short-run printer. It is a full facsimile produced directly from an original copy, with all the plates reproduced as plates, just like the original. As you can see below, it's a beauty!

Magical Rope Ties and Escapes was originally published in the UK by Will Goldston in 1921. It was never released in the U.S. The only other reprint I'm aware of was a paperback by Houdini's Magic Shop in 2011. Of all Houdini's books, this is the one that contains the most photos of him.

You can purchase this new limited edition of Magical Rope Ties and Escapes at CollectingMagicBooks.com.

Thank you, Philip!

UPDATE: Excited to have my copy in hand. It's every bit as good as advertised. The quality of the illustrations and photos match the original exactly. (This is certainly not the case with the 2011 reprint.) Originals are scarce and expensive, so if you don't have this book or want a reading copy, this is the one to get!

Related:

• A book that's bound to please
• French edition of Magical Rope Ties and Escapes
• Houdini the writer

Want to hear unreleased Houdini voice?

My Wild About Harry on Patreon is going strong with 80 paid members enjoying loads of exclusive Houdini content. I'm very grateful to all my patrons who help support my work. 

Today, I'm sharing a special incentive to bring more patrons into the fold. If we can reach 100 paid members by year's end, I will post one minute of audio from Houdini's Water Torture Cell patter that has never been made available to the public.

This is not from the recent David Copperfield transfers. This is from an entirely different source that you will see with your own eyes. It's wild stuff.

We're just 20 members away from this goal. So if you join today, you'll not only be supporting my work and unlocking a wealth of exclusive content, but you'll be moving yourself and everyone closer to hearing unheard Harry!

Check out membership details by clicking the image below. Hope to see you inside.

Related:

• Announcing WILD ABOUT HARRY on Patreon
• Houdini and The Divine Sarah (50 member reward)
• ALL the Houdini wax cylinder audio has been saved!

The enduring mystery of David Blaine

I'll just share this here without much comment. It speaks for itself. I was perplexed when David said this back in 2018, and I remain perplexed that he's still saying it today.

David is an admirer of Houdini, so he must know this isn't true, right? Or could the drama of the Tony Curtis movie somehow be stuck in his head? I guess David Blaine is just doing what David Blaine does best. Baffling us!

Thanks to Dave Thomen for this clip.

Related:

• Is David Blaine reviving a Houdini myth?
• David Blaine's Beautiful Struggle started with Houdini
• The biggest myth

Barbara's Vaudeville Scrapbook

I recently stumbled upon a remarkable Facebook page called Barbara's Vaudeville Scrapbook where the relatives of George Channing Eggleston, an electrical engineer and stage lighting man from the vaudeville era, share photos from a scrapbook they inherited.

In 1907, Eggleston traveled with the O Hana San & Co. and shared the bill with Houdini in San Francisco and Los Angeles. While there are no photos of Houdini himself, there are many photos of Franz Kukol and the Houdinis dog, Charlie (with a fresh haircut). I've never seen any of these images! Below is a sample shot of Franz and Charlie.

You can see more photos on the page itself. Unfortunately, it hasn't been updated since 2021. I reached out to page owners but haven't heard back. I've also shared all the Houdini-related images on my Patreon.

Related:

• Franz Kukol
• Houdini's pets
• Houdini and Brindamour: Showdown in San Francisco
  

Houdini's humor

Once, during a Q&A, someone asked me if Houdini used humor in his act. I told them I didn't think so. That Houdini took himself pretty seriously. In fact, he once kicked a comedian (hard!) in the leg when he began telling jokes as Houdini struggled in a straitjacket.

But Patrick Culliton later told me I was mistaken. Houdini did use humor in his act. From that moment, I've kept an eye open for evidence of this, and, by gosh, it's out there! Check out the below from Houdini's appearance at the Regent Theater of Varieties in Salford, England.

This point was further driven home when I was shown a remarkable document at the Harry Ransom Center last year. It's a typewritten page of all the jokes Houdini had at hand during his performances. The jokes are pretty corny, largely dependent on puns and colloquialisms, but they apparently worked on audiences of the time. It's a fantastic glimpse at a part of Houdini's act that is (almost) forgotten.

Where can you read this remarkable document? The Harry Ransom Center, of course! Or you can read it as a member of my Patreon by clicking below.

Thanks to my patrons for supporting my research and content like this.

Related:

• Treasures of the Harry Ransom Center
• Houdini the humorist
• Houdini's madcap Hollywood lunch

Songs Called 'Houdini': Who Did it Best?

Here's a clever video by YouTuber Naomi Cannibal that breaks down three pop songs called "Houdini," including the most recent single by Dua Lipa.

Here's another "Houdini" for your consideration. In 1962, Walter Brennan released his own "Houdini" single. You can hear it on YouTube by clicking the image below. It's plenty folksy!

Related:

• Kate's Bess
• Dua Lipa unlocks 'Houdini'
• Foster The People release video for 'Houdini'

Attention Holiday shoppers

Here's one for you Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers. While I've seen Houdini tie-in advertisements before, I've never seen one on this scale. This ad for O'Gorman Co. "The Big Store" in Providence, Rhode Island, takes up nearly an entire page and is designed around Houdini. Not that I'm complaining!

The Evening Bulletin, Jan. 28, 1907.

Houdini was playing Keith's Theater in Providence this week. The O'Gorman Co. challenged him to escape from a packing case made by their shipping department on the night of February 5, 1907. Houdini got free in 38 mins. But he could never escape the great deals at O'Gorman's!

The Evening Bulletin, Feb. 5, 1907.

Happy shopping.

Related:

• Houdini swears by Zam-Buk
• A word from our sponsor...
• Houdini buys a Ford

Harry's Thanksgiving run

Here's an interesting find that ties nicely into Thanksgiving today. The New York Herald of November 27, 1891, ran an article covering footraces held by various New York Athletic Clubs on Thanksgiving day. Headlined OVER MUDDY HILLS, AND DALES, it reports that "roads were in wretched condition, the heavy rainfall making them so slippery that few of the contestants escaped headers in climbing up the hills on the course."

But it's the last two paragraphs that are of interest to us here:

    The annual championship run of the Olympian Athletic Club took place yesterday over the famous Mamlok-Reid course. The start was made from the Xavier Oval at 135th St. and Railroad avenue. Twenty-five men competed. After a stiff run over bad roads, ditches and hills H. Griffin won by fifteen yards over Harry Weiss, the second man. "Tom" Creed was third, "Billy" Meyer fourth and the others bunched. The distance was six and a half miles and the time 33m. 51 2-5s.

    After the run the boys repaired to Captain Smith's Jerome avenue roadhouse, where a fine turkey dinner was eaten. In the evening, the athletes attended the club's annual ball, held at Arlington Hall, where the all around championship prizes were awarded to the athletes having done the best general athletic work during the year. The awards were as follows:–M. Brever and H. Weiss each tied for the first prize with fifteen points, and on the toss, Breyer won and received the championship emblem.

I think there is an excellent chance that "Harry Weiss" is our Houdini. This was when he was a runner with New York Athletics clubs, and I'm reminded of the comment in his later show program that he was "one of the strongest cross-country runners and was looked upon as a dead sure winner on a rainy day or a muddy track." 

Unfortunately, here Harry missed first place by 15 yards and then missed out on his best athletic work emblem on a coin toss. Unlucky day! But at least he got a free Thanksgiving dinner.

Arlington Hall, where the runners held their annual ball, was located 19-23 St. Marks Place in what is now the East Village. It was a community hall and ballroom for the immigrant community of Little Germany in the Lower East Side. The photo to the right shows the hall around 1892. In 1966 it became the location of Andy Warhol's Electric Circus discotheque. So there's your Houdini-Andy Warhol connection! You can read more about the colorful history of the building HERE.

Here's wishing everyone a happy and lucky Thanksgiving.

Want more? You can see the full New York Herald article as a "Scholar" member of my Patreon below.

Related:

• Harry Weiss, boxer and club swinger?
• Houdini's last Thanksgiving
• Houdini lived again on Thanksgiving 1947

Newark's (barely) surviving Houdini theaters

I've long known that Houdini began 1925 with a week's engagement in Newark, New Jersey. What I didn't know was the theater. Thanks to an advert in the January 2, 1925 Jewish Chronicle, I now know it was Proctor's Palace located at 116 Market Street.

Whenever I learn of a new Houdini theater, I always jump over to the excellent Cinema Treasures website for more information and to see if the theater still stands. Turns out, the theater is still there, although it has been largely derelict since 1968.

An excellent overview of theater can be found in the blog The Forgotten Past of New Jersey. Proctor's was a rare double-decker theater, meaning it had two theaters stacked on top of each other. I've never heard of such a thing. The post also notes that the building was sold in 2016 with plans to demolish it. But a check of Google Maps shows the building still standing, seemingly untouched today. 

This isn't the only surviving Houdini theater in Newark. In November 1925, Houdini brought his "3 Show in One" to the Shubert Theater on Branford Place. Below is an ad for the engagement. I like the tagline: "WHY GO TO NEW YORK?... ALL THE GOOD SHOWS COME HERE!"

The Shubert later became the Adams Theatre and remained active into the 1980s. Like Proctors, the building survives today and is just waiting for its comeback.

Related:

• Discovering Houdini's Los Angeles Orpheum
• Kansas City's last Houdini theater
• Detroit's last Houdini theater

The Haunting of Johnathon Schaech

Here's a unique episode of Houdini-related television. In this episode of The Haunting Of..., actor Johnathon Schaech, who we know as the star of Houdini (1998), returns to the Paramount Theater in Austin to tell of his strange experience during the movie's premiere.

I'm a skeptic when it comes to reality ghost shows like this. I also think the real Houdini would have made mincemeat of this medium/host. But Johnathon tells an intriguing story and comes off as very sincere.

Last year I had the pleasure of visiting the Paramount in Austin. It's a beautiful theater and certainly one of the best-preserved Houdini theaters. I got a full tour, including the haunted projection booth. It was ghostless, as far as I could tell.

Thanks to Dean Carnegie at The Magic Detective for this. Check out Dean's recent post about Houdini (1998) HERE. 

Related:

• HOUDINI (1998)
• Exploring Houdini's Austin
• Johnathon Schaech shares story of sexual abuse

Dua Lipa's 'Houdini' reaches #1

Dua Lipa's single "Houdini" is #1 on the UK charts this week. The song is also #1 on the Global YouTube Music Videos Chart. While many pop stars have released songs that evoke Houdini's name and legend, I don't believe one has ever reached #1. Dua's doing Houdini proud!

You can purchase "Houdini" on Amazon Music U.S. or Amazon Music UK or watch the video on YouTube. Check out more Dua/Houdini whatnot via the links below.

UPDATE: Billboard has a breakdown of where some of the past "Houdini" songs charted:

Walter Brennan spent a week at No. 100 on the Hot 100 in 1962 with “Houdini”; Kon Kan hit No. 33 on Dance Singles Sales in 1989 with “Harry Houdini”; and Foster the People’s “Houdini” hit No. 37 on Alternative Airplay in 2012.

Related:

• Dua Lipa unlocks 'Houdini'
• Dua Lipa drops by the Houdini Estate
• Dua Lipa has to explain Houdini was a real person

Deconstructing Houdini '53: Europe's Eclipsing Sensation

It was 48 years ago today that I first saw Houdini on television, and it changed my life! So what better day to continue my scene-by-scene dissection of the movie. Last time Harry beat two challenges in London. Today he takes on the rest of Europe...

Chapter 13: Europe's Eclipsing Sensation

We're just over an hour into Houdini (1953), and Harry has become a sensation. What better way to show this than with a montage! I love a good Houdini movie montage. It's a chance to quickly touch down on some key events and see some cool recreations, and that's what we get here.

The montage begins with a shot of Houdini entering his 26th Week at the Alhambra in London. Oddly, this is being pasted over his "12th Week." Shouldn't it be Week 25? Anyway, it is true Houdini was held over for many weeks at the Alhambra in 1900, eight weeks during his first run and nine weeks at the end of the year. So a lengthy run at the Alhambra is right in sync with real Houdini history.

The next establishing shot is pretty vague, but it looks appropriately Europe-ish. Here we see Harry and Bess doing the Needles. This is a trick Houdini was famous for, so getting a recreation shot is a treat. The Needles is also on the cover of the Kellock book on which Houdini '53 is based, so that makes this extra special. It's worth noting that all the montage scenes, including several that did not make the cut, were filmed on Halloween 1952.

Paris is the next stop. Nothing vague here as we see a shot of the Eiffel Tower. Here Harry and Bess do an arrow through girl effect. This isn't a trick that comports with any known Houdini history, but this one falls into the category of contemporary magic for audiences of the time. In reality, Houdini's card magic won the day during his first Paris engagement. While Houdini's "big game hunter" costume might seem out of character, recall the photos of Houdini in his "ice cream suit" and pith helmet during his travels to Australia and publicity for Terror Island. So a pith-helmeted Houdini...box checked!

A shot of an overnight train takes us to Germany and the Hotel Europea in Berlin. Here we see Houdini is playing the Wintergarten, another real theater from Houdini's first European tour. As the montage ends, we learn that Harry's many letters sent to the enigmatic Herr J. Von Schweger have been returned.

In Chapter Eight I hinted that Von Schweger is rooted in reality. These returned letters should be the tip-off. To my mind, von Schweger is clearly Wiljalba Frikell. Houdini tried to visit the famous German conjurer during his first European tour, and Frikell repeatedly and mysteriously rejected him. The similarities will become even more evident in a few chapters.

We seem to have taken a leap in time as Houdini now shows grey at his temples. This is our first look at the successful and wealthy Houdinis, and Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh slip into these new roles perfectly. They were, after all, a wealthy and famous married couple!

Bess comments that it's his birthday, which Harry doesn't seem to want to celebrate. But then his mother appears as a birthday surprise. Houdini's mother did come to Europe at this time, so we are once again right in line with real Houdini history. I've also always thought this scene of Harry celebrating his mother in a hotel before an admiring crowd is a nod to the famous reception Houdini had for his mother at the Royal Hotel in Budapest.

Here the movie also reinforces Houdini's great love for his mother. "That's my girl," he says at the end of their dance. This echoes the famed "My two sweethearts" photo of Houdini with Mama and Bess in 1907. This is also the first time we hear "The Golden Years," which was offered as a 45 single and as sheet music and will come back later.

Houdini is then encouraged to do a trick. He does an impromptu broom levitation with Bess. This is not a trick the real Houdini ever performed, but it's another contemporary magic piece performed from beginning to end without a cut by the actors, and it's terrific! It's probably my favorite magic trick in the movie and the most effective.

It's worth noting that this hotel sequence is one that would be truncated or cut entirely when the movie was shown on television in the 1970s and 80s. The version I had recorded on Beta tape and watched endlessly went from the montage to the courtroom scene. It was many years before I ever saw this sequence in its entirety.

We end with Houdini being served a summons to appear in a German court for fraud. "I might go to jail," he tells Bess. Of course, this is also rooted in reality, and it's where we will be traveling next.

Click to see all chapters of Deconstructing Houdini '53

Related:

• Houdini at the Alhambra 1900 brochure sells on eBay
• Potter & Potter photo reveals Mama (still) in Europe
• November 16, 1975

Dua Lipa drops by the Houdini Estate

Our new friend Dua Lipa held the Los Angeles launch event for her new single "Houdini" at, where else, the Houdini Estate! Billboard reports:

When Dua Lipa announced a trio of release-week fan events for her new single “Houdini,” taking place in London, Los Angeles and Tokyo, she kept the exact locations a secret. But was there ever any doubt where the LA party had to be held? 

Lipa invited hundreds of her biggest fans to the mysterious Houdini Estate in the winding hills of Laurel Canyon Boulevard on Tuesday night to navigate an escape room (fitting for the famous illusionist and the slippery new song) and to dance the night away at an open-air disco party.

When the second go-round wrapped up, Lipa teased that she wouldn’t be leaving the estate just yet. “You guys are the f—ing best, thank you so much! I want you guys to stay, enjoy your time, those that haven’t, try the escape room. I’m going to do a little walk around. I’ve got to go and see this spooky-a– place.”

It's not really apparent in the pic, but she's making that expression because she's just discovered the bookcase opens and is a secret passage to the master bedroom. People love that.

Okay, that's the last Dua Lipa post, I promise. At least until she drops her next single, "Hardeen."

Thanks to Neil McNally at The Doug Henning Project.

Related:

• Dua Lipa unlocks 'Houdini'
• Dua Lipa has to explain Houdini was a real person
• Drake scared away from "haunted Houdini house"

Did Houdini ever see the Hollywood(land) sign?

Los Angeles Evening Express, Dec. 8, 1923.

This year marks the 100th Anniversary of the famous HOLLYWOOD sign. The sign originally read "Hollywoodland" and was made to advertise a housing development. Houdini enjoyed Hollywood and even named it his favorite "holiday resort." But did he ever see this famous landmark himself?

When Houdini made his two films in Hollywood in 1919, The Grim Game and Terror Island, there was yet no sign. But Houdini returned to Los Angeles in April 1923, the very month the Hollywoodland housing development was announced. No one seems to know exactly when construction began on the sign. The first evidence of a completed sign comes in December 1923 via the Houdini-friendly Los Angeles Express (above). The City of Los Angeles officially celebrated the sign's 100th anniversary on Halloween this year.

Nevertheless, the excellent 2011 graphic novel The Edge of the Unknown picks up on the idea that the sign could have been under construction while Houdini was in town. They even feature it on their cover art (right). So here we have Houdini and the Hollywood sign joined in fiction at least.

But there's still one more chance Houdini could have seen the sign. It's not generally known that Houdini returned to Los Angeles for two days in October 1924 to give his spiritualism lecture at the Philharmonic Auditorium downtown. So he might have seen the sign in the distance, especially as he was staying at the new Biltmore Hotel which afforded views of the city. The sign was also illuminated back then, so it would have been even easier to see at night.

If Houdini did see the Hollywoodland sign, what might he have thought about it? Would he have seen it as a blight on his beloved Hollywood, a sign of overdevelopment? Or would he have admired it as a clever advertising scheme worthy of himself...

Bess would have been the Houdini who was most familiar with the Hollywoodland sign as it was very much part of the landscape during her years living in Los Angeles in the 1930s and early '40s. In fact, the sign can be seen from the roof of the Knickerbocker Hotel in a photo from the Final Houdini Seance.

You can enjoy more photos and history at the Hollywood Sign website, and more tales of the Houdinis in Hollywood below.

Houdini sign image created by Tom Interval. Vintage filter by PhotoFunia.

Related:

• Houdini arrives in Los Angeles
• Houdini's madcap Hollywood lunch
• Bessie goes Hollywood