The Garrick after Houdini

Houdini was booked at the Garrick Theater in Detroit for two weeks starting Sunday, October 24, 1926. As it turned out, he only did one show before entering Grace Hospital early on the morning of October 25. There, he would spend the rest of the week battling peritonitis before dying on Halloween the following Sunday.

But what happened at the Garrick during Houdini's absence? I find this kind of thing interesting, so let's have a look.

Houdini's hospitalization was unexpected, and the next day, Monday, October 25, the paper advertised him appearing at the Garrick that evening as usual. However, the theater was dark that night.

Detroit Free Press, October 25, 1926

Detroit Free Press, October 26, 1926.

The Garrick remained dark on Tuesday, October 26. Then Duse Mohamed Ali and his Oriental Theater Company moved from Orchestra Hall to the Garrick and played out the rest of the week.

Duse Mohamed Ali wasn't the only performer at the Garrick that week. The Junior League of Detroit presented "Old King Cole" during three afternoon performances on October 28th, 29th, and 30th. It appears these performances would have happened even during Houdini's run, as they were announced before Houdini's arrival in Detroit.

Houdini was originally booked for a second week at the Garrick starting October 31st. Of course, this was not to be. It appears the Garrick remained dark this entire week. The only advertisement for the theatre announced the coming of "The Garrick Gaieties" for the following week of November 7th, when Houdini would have moved on to Cleveland.

The Garrick Theater closed on August 11, 1928. Its last show was Gene Buck's dramatic play Ringside. 

Last week for Ringside and for the Garrick Theater.

The Garrick was torn down in early 1929 to make way for the David Stott building, which still stands today. In an account of its history in the Detroit Free Press, writer Len G. Shaw did not mention the Garrick as the site of Houdini's last performance, but that is certainly what it is remembered for today!

Detroit Free Press, Nov. 1, 1928

Want more? You can read Len G. Shaw's full history of the Garrick Theater as a "Scholar" member of my Patreon below.

Related:

• Houdini's last stop
• Houdini's Detroit today
• Plymouth man believes house bricks from Garrick Theater