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

Read on Patreon

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

Dua Lipa has to explain Houdini was a real person

In an interview with Italian radio station RDS, pop star Dua Lipa explained how she uses Houdini in her new song:

"Houdini is an escape artist and I love the idea of using him as a metaphor for knowing your own worth, knowing when to stay in a situation, knowing what you deserve, and also when something doesn't go your way or something doesn't feel right, knowing when to leave or knowing when to go Houdini. And in this sense, I use Houdini as a verb as well."

Nice answer. But then the interview took a slightly embarrassing turn, which you can watch for yourself below:

Dua Lipa answers an RDS interviewer who mistakes the magician Houdini as a biblical character:

“Well, I mean, Houdini was a real, real person.”

pic.twitter.com/XFzv2p84xP

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) November 11, 2023

To be fair to the interviewer, English is not her first language, and I suspect she meant "epic." But thank you, Dua, for doing the Lord's work!

You can watch the full interview on UPROXX. Purchase "Houdini" on Amazon Music U.S. or Amazon Music UK. Watch the video on YouTube.

Related:

• Dua Lipa unlocks 'Houdini'
• Did Houdini just get the ultimate namecheck?
• Houdini on the Bible, Freud, spirits, and spells

LINK: Houdini comes to the Keansburg boardwalk

Here's a nice article by JF Grodeska about the time Houdini corralled a collection of S.A.M. members to throw a surprise party for Frank and Antonio Martinka at their home in Keansburg, New Jersey. I've always meant to do a post about this, but as Jersey Shore Scene did a fine job, I will let you enjoy it there.

Thanks to Ted at Martinka.com for the alert.

Related:

• Houdini in 1917
• Houdini rarities sell in Martinka auction
• Heroics and hijinks in Atlantic City

Wayne Reinagel's wild Houdini artwork

Artist and author Wayne Reinagel recently shared this original Houdini artwork on Facebook. It's wild stuff! When I was a kid, I would draw imaginative pictures of Houdini in all kinds of fantastic contraptions. This reminds me of that. So I asked Wayne if I could share, and here it is!

I have always been fascinated with the great Harry Houdini. In fact, he is the main subject of my latest painting, engaged in a daring escape. This has got to be one of the most complex paintings I’ve ever created, with multiple layers of textures and shadows, and took me several weeks to complete. (And just about maxed out the memory of my old computer!!). To my knowledge, Houdini never attempted this particular escape, but I’m betting he would have tried it - if it existed. -Wayne Reinagel

Wayne also penned a "Gothic Horror Steampunk novel," Modern Marvels - Viktoriana, that sees Houdini joining Mary Shelley, Jules Verne, and a fellowship of well-known historical figures to take down some vampires. You can purchase that on Amazon.com.

Thank you, Wayne!

Related:

• Houdini by Custode
• Artist Jose Fragoso captures Houdini
• Houdini watercolor by Robert Nelson

Dua Lipa unlocks 'Houdini'

English-Albanian pop star Dua Lipa, who recently scored a hit with a song on the Barbie soundtrack, has released a new single called "Houdini." I'm pretty out of it when it comes to pop music, but she certainly seems to be a big deal, so I'm jumping on the Dua bandwagon!

The single artwork (right) may be a riff on the "passing the key in a kiss" idea. It reminds me of the artwork on Kate Bush's The Dreaming, which also featured a song called "Houdini."

Below is the official video. Catch it before she goes Houdini! 🎼

You can purchase Dua Lipa's "Houdini" on Amazon Music U.S. or Amazon Music UK.

Related:

• Jade Bird describes being caught by 'Houdini'
• Musicians remain wild about Harry
• Kon Kan's Harry Houdini

Broken wand ceremony 2023

The Society of American Magicians held their annual broken wand ceremony at Houdini's grave yesterday. Joe Delvin, president of the parent assembly of the S.A.M., conducted the ceremony. Benjilini handled the religious service. Dorothy Dietrich broke the wand. The photo below comes courtesy of our friend and attendee Fred Pittella.

The wand-breaking tradition began with Houdini's death in 1926. The S.A.M. has continued the ceremony every year since 1969.

Related:

• Guest Blog: Houdini Broken Wand Ceremony 2022
• S.A.M. wand breaking ceremony in 1976
• S.A.M. rededicates Houdini's gravesite

The Magic Detective starts Season 6 with a double dose of Houdini

Our friend Dean Carnegie kicks off Season 6 of The Magic Detective Podcast with two Houdini-themed episodes.

First up is a look at the infamous Arthur Ford Houdini seances of 1928-29. I've never really tackled the Ford seances and scandal here on my blog, so I'm happy to let Dean tell the story.

Ep 96: The FIRST Houdini Seance

Dean has also posted a reading of the 1981 manuscript The Great Houdini Broadcasts by Val Andrews. Dean gives it an old-time radio feel and plays all the parts himself. It's pretty fun.

Ep 97: The Houdini Broadcasts

Related:

• The Margery Files: Inside man
• Bill Rauscher on Arthur Ford and the Houdini Code
• Houdini's known radio broadcasts

Joe Notaro is hot on the trail of the "Tatler Cuffs"

Our friend Joe Notaro at Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence is continuing to investigate the mystery of the "Tatler handcuffs" and has found yet another link in the chain.

As a refresher, in 2014, a page from a 1904 issue of Tatler magazine appeared on eBay that featured a photo of Houdini's Mirror Handcuffs (right). However, the cuffs and key depicted in that photo are noticeably different from the Mirror Handcuffs that survive today in the Copperfield collection. This mystery manacle has come to be known as the "Tatler Cuffs."

Joe had a major breakthrough in 2020 when he found a second photo of the Tatler Cuffs in 1933, along with evidence that Bess gave the cuffs to W.W. Durbin, owner of the American Egyptian Hall Theater and Museum in Ohio.

Now Joe has found compelling evidence that the Tatler cuffs were displayed as part of Ted Heuber's traveling IBM Museum in the 1930s and may have remained in Heuber's possession for a permanent museum that never happened. Joe even found a mention of them in a 1955 Linking Ring.

For this latest development, click over to HHCE and read: The missing IBM Museum is “the key” to the Tatler Handcuffs. This is wild stuff!

Related:

• A fresh new Mirror Handcuff mystery
• The Tatler Mirror Cuff mystery deepens (update)
• First look at the Mirror Handcuffs?

A look inside the Houdini Estate

Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of acting as Houdini historian during a wedding at the Houdini Estate in Laurel Canyon (congratulations Chris and Adrienne). It's great how this has become such a prime Los Angeles event venue that so intrigues people. It's also wild to think I used to crawl around its ruins when I was a kid.

Anyway, I thought I'd share this video from Home Lore. This gives a good look at the property with some nice nods to Houdini history, and the presenter is a lot of fun. Enjoy.

You can find information on how to rent the property for events or even just an overnight stay via the official website. And if you want a Houdini historian on hand, I'd be happy to join the party!

Related:

• The true story of the Laurel Canyon Houdini Estate
• Two rare props come home to the Houdini Estate
• Once Upon A Time in Laurel Canyon

Inside The Official Houdini Séance 2023

The 2023 Official Houdini Séance was held on Halloween at Holy City Magic in Charleston, South Carolina. According to this year's co-host, Howard Blackwell, "We saw some very interesting things happen, but Houdini did not make an appearance for the 97th year in a row. But, the official Houdini seance was an absolute success!"

Below are some images from the Holy City Magic Facebook page.

Howard Blackwell entertains at the sold-out event.

Tom Boldt delivers opening remarks.

The inner circle is joined.

Psychic Andrea St. Amand leads the effort.

Are you here, Harry?

The 2023 program and souvenir pin.

Here's a fun extra. Before the seance, the group went out for lunch at a local deli. Look what was on the menu. Maybe this is how Harry said "hello" this year?

Believe.

Thanks to Howard Blackwell, Tom Boldt, Bill Radner, and Fred Pittella. 

Past Official Houdini Séances:

• The Official Houdini Séance 2022 (Providence)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2021 (Chicago)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2020 (Online)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2019 (Niagara Falls)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2018 (Baltimore)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2017 (Cleveland)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2016 (Milwaukee)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2015 (San Francisco)
• The Official Houdini Seance 2014 (Danvers)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2013 (Halifax)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2012 (Fort Worth)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2011 (Holyoke)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2010 (New York)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2009 (Melrose)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2008 (Madison)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2007 (New York)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2006 (New York)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2005 (Boston)

Dave Powell's 1/6 scale Water Torture Cell replicas

Our friend Dave Powell of Dave Powell Magic Company is offering a breathtaking 1/6 scale replica of Houdini’s original Water Torture Cell. As you can see from the photos, it's a stunner!

Dave spent over two years researching articles and hundreds of photographs to create this highly detailed replica. Each cell is handcrafted in solid mahogany, as was the original, with custom cast handles, drain plugs, hasp, and hinges plated in nickel. Each cell holds over 450 screws. Even the size and configuration of the planks on the sides and back match Houdini's original apparatus precisely.

This is an actual working replica, meaning it contains the secret of Houdini's escape. Shhhh.

These are being offered as a signed and numbered limited edition of only 25. Each cell comes with a booklet describing Dave's process of creating the replica with over 50 photographs.

It's not cheap, but if you have the means, you can ORDER HERE.

Related:

• The Water Torture Cell
• Water Torture Cell replica is mine!
• 278 wood lath Water Torture Cell by Barry Spector

When did Houdini discover his lockpicking skills?

There are two often-told origin stories about how and when Houdini discovered his skills as a lockpicker. There's the "pies in the cupboard" story and the "convict in cuffs" story. But I recently discovered a third entirely different story told by Houdini himself in 1899. Intriguingly, it involves a hand injury as a boy.

This is a Patreon History Exclusive, so click below to unlock this latest lockpicker's tale.

Thank you to my patrons for supporting my research and content like this.

Related:

• Announcing WILD ABOUT HARRY on Patreon
• Did Hardeen reveal Houdini's most secret secret?
• Another reason to question the 'convict in cuffs' story