Friday, April 4, 2025

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.


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3 comments:

  1. Reading the article in THE CITIZEN NEWS, the reporter's cynical/exploitive/invasive style is very L.A. 1940s -like, not unlike the Hearst owned EXAMINER or EVENING EXPRESS.
    Diego Domingo

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  2. I thought the same thing about any Houdini stuff lost in the tragedy. Don't know what her resume looked like but it appears she only worked in a few silent films. No Pickford or Garbo here.

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