Ghost Adventures: The Houdini Seance airs April 23 & 24

Ghost Adventures season 21, episode 12, The Houdini Seance, will air April 23 & 24 on Discovery. Zak Bagans and the gang go in search of Houdini at the historic Winchester Mystery House with our friend George Hardeen. I was also along for the ride with a unique Houdini artifact courtesy of Diego Domingo. It was pretty wild!

On the 100th anniversary of Harry Houdini's midnight visit to the fabled Winchester Mystery House, Zak and a team of paranormal experts attempt to summon the legendary magician's spirit. Will escaping death’s grip be Houdini's greatest trick?

Now, how one goes about watching anything on traditional cable these days is the real mystery. But you can start HERE.

Related:

• Ghost Adventures goes in search of Houdini
• The Houdini way to San Jose
• A Winchester Mystery House mystery...solved?

Philip Yordan, the man who wrote Houdini (1953)

While working on a recent installment of Deconstructing Houdini '53, I realized that I rarely mention screenwriter Philip Yordan by name, even though the series is basically all about his work on the movie. In fact, I never even looked him up to see what else he may have done. As it turns out, Yordan had a very full career with over 100 credits, including Dillinger, El Cid, King of Kings, and Broken Lance, for which he won an Oscar. But there was one factoid that instantly jumped out at me.

Philip Yordan died on March 24, 2003. Houdini's 129th birthday!

I also found an excellent profile of Yordan in the Nov/Dec 2009 Noir City Sentile. I've shared that on my Patreon.

Check out my series Deconstructing Houdini '53, in which I bring to light the many hidden accuracies of this first and, IMO, still the best Houdini biopic.

Related:

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Henry Marcus does the Overboard Box in 1907

Today, we have a new contender for who first did the Overboard Box.

On Aug. 6, 1907, the Cleveland Plain Dealer advertised that Henry Marcus would be nailed into a packing case and "thrown" into the lagoon at Luna Park. This is six years before Houdini's first overboard box and three years before Hanco did the stunt with a trunk in Australia. At this time, Houdini was just beginning to do bridge jumps as his main outdoor feat.

The Plain Dealer, Aug 6, 1907.

Did Marcus go through with the escape? Try as I might, I couldn't find any follow-up, nor could I find confirmation of Marcus appearing at Luna Park. It appears Luna Park was in competition with White City, another summer resort, which was featuring "Sensational Free Acts" by Capt. E.C. Wilson. Luna also advertised "Free Open Air Acts." Was the Marcus stunt one of those free acts?

The Plain Dealer, Aug 8, 1907.

Houdini was spending the summer months at home in New York when Marcus did this stunt. He would not play Cleveland again until March 1908. So if this was a one-off stunt, Houdini may have never learned of it. But he was aware of Marcus himself. In the April 15, 1907 issue of the Conjurers' Monthly Magazine, we read:

Marcus, "The man in the box," is featuring Houdini's packing case trick and is industriously seeking engagements. When last heard he was in Coxsackie, N.Y.

If someone wants to take up the challenge and try to find Marcus doing his overboard box anywhere else, I'd love to hear what you find. For the moment, we can add this to the mysterious origins of the Houdini Blackstone Hanco Marcus overboard box.

Related:

• Hanco scoops Houdini (or perhaps Blackstone)
• Houdini's overboard box footage identified at last!
• The Overboard Box

$5000 Houdini pen because why not

Here's more high-end Houdini-inspired merchandise for people with more money than...well, for people with money. I do think this is pretty cool, but at 5K, I'll have to stick with my Sharpie.

Step into the world of magic and illusion with the Montegrappa Icons Harry Houdini Limited Edition Rollerball Pen. Part of Montegrappa’s acclaimed Icons series, this enchanting limited edition celebrates the legendary illusionist and escape artist, Harry Houdini, known for his incredible feats of escapology. With only 150 pieces of this remarkable rollerball pen being produced, this is an exclusive opportunity to own a piece of history, ready to break free from the ordinary.

You can get more info and see more pics at Appelboom. Buy one for each day of the week!

Related:

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Pins and Needles: Love Letters to a Dead Magician

The 2025 Houdini book boom continues with Pins and Needles: Love Letters to a Dead Magician, a chapbook of Houdini poetry by our good friend Colleen Bak. You can buy it for $10 from Bottlecap Press. Colleen loves Houdini and has always been a huge supporter of this site. Let's share the love!

Congratulations Colleen!

Related:

• A Braid of Frost and Felt
• Houdini's handcuffs come out of their case
• Houdini book of poetry from 1933

Dean Robbins chronicles 100 Wisconsin Idols

The new book, Wisconsin Idols: 100 Heroes Who Changed the State, the World, and Me, begins with author Dean Robbins talking about the hero who started it all.

"I've been collecting personal heroes since second grade, when I saw a TV broadcast of the 1953 biopic Houdini. I marveled over the magician's penchant for busting out of sealed crates in coffins and, in homage, I spent hours wiggling out of towels I directed my sister to tie tightly around my wrists and ankles. With Houdini, I established a process I would follow with countless other idols: reading their biographies, hanging their posters on my bedroom wall, and trying to figure out what made them tick."

Unfortunately, and inexplicably, the book does not include Houdini on its cover, nor does he get a mention in the jacket blurb. But he is in the book as hero #51.

You can buy Wisconsin Idols: 100 Heroes Who Changed the State, the World, and Me on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Somebody's missing!

Related:

• Dean Robbins - Houdini in Wisconsin
• Wisconsinite Gene Wilder dies at 83
• LINK: Does Appleton or Milwaukee have the right to claim Houdini as its own?

The tragic death of Lyda Hyman

Here's an account of the tragic death of silent movie actress Dorothy Dale, whose real name was Lyda Hyman. Lyda was the wife of Jacob Hyman, Houdini's long-time friend and first performing partner. The paper even topped the story with a photo of the Houdinis and the Hymans.

Citizen News, May 14, 1957

Not to diminish the human tragedy here, but one can't help wondering if any precious Houdini mementos went up in flames or were among the items dumped "out into the driveway."

Below is the site of Lyda Hyman's home today.

Want more? This article appeared on the front page of Citizen News, a regional Los Angeles paper that served Hollywood and the valley. I've shared the full front page on my Patreon, along with an alternate photo of the Houdinis and Hymans.

Related:

• Uncovering the grave of Houdini's first "Brother"
• Jacob Hyman aka J.H. Houdini
• Geno Munari Houdini collection lost in fire

Champions of Magic get their Houdini on

This is fun. Some nice Houdini references, and I've had the pleasure of meeting three of these four magicians. Ladies and gentlemen, the Champions of Magic!

You can buy tickets and check out tour dates for the Champions of Magic at their website.

Doyle & Houdini comic from Spain

Doyle & Houdini is a new comic from Spain by Lluís Recasens (L'Avi), drawings by Manel Cruz, and text by Josep Lluís Martín Berbois. It runs 68 pages and is published by Amaniaco ediciones. It's the second in a series about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

You can purchase Doyle & Houdini at the Amaniaco website, where you can also see sample artwork.

Related:

• The true story of Houdini & Doyle
• Houdini & Doyle - Episode Guide
• Houdini & Doyle S.A.M. banquet footage appears like magic

DIARY BOOK COVER REVEAL! (update)

Today, I'm thrilled to reveal the cover of my upcoming book annotating Houdini's first travel diary. I think you will all agree, this is magical.

Dear Diary: The Hopes, Dreams, and Secret Loves of Harry Houdini is at the printer and on track for a late summer 2025 release from Mike Caveney's Magic Words.

UPDATE: Just an April Fools Day joke, folks. But it is true that the book is at the printers and will be out this summer. 👏

Related:

• You will soon be able to read Houdini's first diary
• Listen to the new Houdini voice audio!
• The Magic Castle announces name change