This week, I thought I would share an interesting article from Houdini Himself about Handcuffs (American, British, French, Hungarian and Russian) he has met:
The Chanute Daily Tribune Fri, Jun 6, 1919 Page 3
Thoughts?
Grim Game Image – Courtesy of Bio4Kids
HARRY HOUDINI BREAKS WRIST
Harry Houdini, whose business is to get out of things, got into trouble yesterday in a motion picture studio in Yonkers by clinging to a wall in a parachute descent indoors. He broke his left wrist and suffered several bruises, but he doesn’t believe his injuries will prevent his appearance in “Everything” at the reopening of the Hippodrome on August 22. Mr. Houdini is appearing in a twenty reel motion picture serial soon to be released, in which he is supposed to put a flat wheel in the grim reaper’s best chariot. He got out of an aeroplane in the studio, and something went wrong with the parachute he caught himself just in time. As the camera was “grinding,” several hundred feet of film not in the scenario will add an extra chapter to the serial. [Page Eight New York Herald, Tuesday August 13, 1918]
Unlike the Grim Game Aeroplane accident, I don’t believe the several hundred feet of film ever made it on screen.
John Cox at Wild About Houdini just posted an excellent blog: Gone With The Handcuff King: David O. Seiznick’s Houdini which talks about a Houdini biopic in the 1940s that Hardeen was on board with as the technical adviser. Then, like so many Houdini biopics before, it vanished in a puff of smoke.
Hardeen was also going to reissue The Master Mystery:
Manny Baum and “Hardeen”, brother of the late Houdini, will reissue the 15-two-reel episode serial “The Master Mystery”, which starred Houdini, originally released in silent form by Octagon Films, Inc., 25 years ago. The reissue film will contain a narration and musical background. [Motion Picture Daily Vol. 55 No. 41 Tuesday, February 29 1944]
Unfortunately, I think it vanished in a puff of smoke.
Here is another Spanish-language Master Mystery Exhibitor Ad. This is a double-sided card-stock insert from Cine-Mundial, the Spanish-language version of Moving Picture World magazine.
The Main actor is Houdini
Produced by B A Rolfe
Authors are Arthur B. Reeve, C.A. Logue and John W. Grey
A series of Houdini is raising the viewer guessing
Action – Quick and sensational
Topic – Intense – Creepy
Acts of skill – Breathtaking
Uncertainty – Who keeps the interest in ever ascending scale
Emotions – That hurt and are quick to electrify the public
Release Date – Soon
Taken to the canvas by B. A. Rolfe, Inc
All foreign rights governed by EXPORT & IMPORT FILM CO., INC
Here is a Spanish-language Master Mystery Exhibitor Ad. This is a double-sided card-stock insert from Cine-Mundial, the Spanish-language version of Moving Picture World magazine.
The Houdini Serial has taken the country by storm. It is gold mine for independent exchanges. Territory going fast. Produced by B.A. Rolfe.
Mystery Terror and suspense abound in the Houdini serial. The greatest open market proposition ever presented.
Export & Import Film Co., Inc Secure Choice Contract for Pictures by Internationally Known “Escape Artist” and Sales Start Off Splendidly.
Click here and read all about it.
Expert and Import get Rolfe Rights. In the coming weeks, I will post some Export and Import Film Co Houdini Ads.
The last two weeks, I shared some missing images from the Baker’s Dock Scene in Houdini’s Serial, The Master Mystery. Each image included a funny caption as it appeared back in 1918. As promised, here are couple more images from the movie, along with their film fun captions. Enjoy!
Last Sunday, I shared an image from the Baker’s Dock scene (Episode Three) in the Houdini serial, The Master Mystery. Most of the Baker’s Dock scene is missing in the surviving prints. Below is another image from the Baker’s Dock Scene you won’t see in the serial.
Since today is Super Bowl Sunday, I thought I would share a missing image from The Master Mystery Serial that depicts The Great Gray Mystery (robot) coaching.
Enjoy the game!
“The Master Mystery” Film Daily Ad – August 25 1918
Harry Houdini is recovering from injuries received while working in the new Houdini (Rolfe) serial [The Master Mystery] at Yonkers, Houdini bumping against a wall while making an indoor descent in a parachute. His left wrist was fractured and bruises suffered, but the injuries will not prevent him from opening with the Hip show, New York, Aug 22. [Variety Fri August 16 1918 page 6 Vaudeville]
“Everything” opens Thursday August 22, 1918 at the Hippodrome (aka the Hip) in New York.
Houdini appeared with his left hand bandaged. He explained that because of an accident in which his wrist was fractured, he could not present his burial trick. But he escaped from a straight jacket, while hanging head down, at a height near the top of the proscenium. He must have been in pain, for he never did the escape quicker in public. [Variety Fri August 30, 1918 page 16 Show Reviews]
Houdini felt called upon to apologize for the simple nature of his stunt. [New York Tribune August 23 1918]
Several acts left “Everything” at the Hippodrome Saturday [Nov 2], including Houdini, Reynolds and Donegan, and Gerda Guida, the Danish danseuse. They had been engaged on a ten-week basis with contracts expiring and not renewed. Houdini had been working under a handicap ever since the opening of the show because of a broken bone in his wrist. [Variety Fri November 8 1918 page 5 Vaudeville]
When Houdini returns to the Hippodrome he promises to present the most sensational act he has ever attempted. In full view of the audience, lying flat on the floor of the stage itself, he will allow himself to be covered with three tons of sand — dumped on him out of a big automobile truck. Then he will dig himself up through the pile in less than 60 seconds. To make it more difficult Houdini will be put in a strait-jacket before the sand is dumped on him. The date of his reappearance at the Hippodrome will depend on his complete recovery from a recent accident in which he broke his wrist. [Variety Fri November 29 1918 page 7 Vaudeville]
Harry Houdini was in New York Monday [Dec 2] with the plaster cast off his wrist. He has a ten weeks’ leave from the Hippodrome. Three of them have been spent by Houdini before the camera [The Master Mystery]. He may play vaudeville during the other seven weeks outside Greater New York, according to permission given by the Hip management. [Variety Fri December 6 1918 page 11]
Buried Alive Stunt on stage is postponed until September 1926. The escape is finally debuted at the Majestic Theatre in Boston: