Category Archives: The Grim Game

Australian The Grim Game Premiere Advertising Card Found

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I am honored to be able to share Noel’s incredible story about discovering this rare item:

Hi,  greetings from Australia,

I got your link from the wildabouthoudini site, and since your site is devoted to this movie I thought you might be interested in this..

I discovered this heavy paper stock card (approx playing card size)  advertising what I believe to be the first screening of the movie (possibly in Australia)  at the Haymarket Theatre in Sydney,  in 1920. Note the personal written movie synopsis in Houdini’s own words, (MESSAGE FROM THE CLOUDS… or at least from an imaginative theatre employee??)   and that it is the  first  opening of the movie ‘TODAY’ on the 12th June.(1920) … I believe this would have been a card/flyer handed out to the  public to get them to the cinema (haymarket theatre  in Sydney,  aka Capitol theatre) ….I literally found this only yesterday by chance in an old diary I had bought at a market about 6 months earlier,  and presume it was used as a bookmark or the like,  as I was repacking some of my paper ephemera collectibles into plastic tubs,  it just fell out as I flicked the pages of the diary/journal of what appears to be diary of a road works workman.  This may well be the only copy of this item??

Kind regards Noel

I love Noel’s story, especially the fact that the card was used as a “bookmark” and fell out of the book on its own steam. Noel informed me that the book was destined to be put in a plastic tub along with other ephemera and into storage. So, it could have been years before it came to light again. At first when Noel saw the planes and Houdini, he thought it was a ticket to his flight demonstrations in Australia in 1910, but soon realized it was relating to a movie. Prior to finding this card, Noel had no idea that Houdini was featured in films, but he does now.

And now his incredible find can be enjoyed by others.

Thank You Noel!

Bonus:

Below is an advertisement (The Sydney Morning Herald) for a screening of The Grim Game, June 12th, 1920 at the Haymarket Theatre in Australia.

Update:

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100 Year Anniversary – Private Showing of The Grim Game In New York

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MUM-New-York-August-1919-page-17

One Hundred Years ago, Houdini gave a private showing in NYC.

The following passage is excerpted verbatim, even to the punctuation from a private letter WRT to a private showing of The Grim Game on August 18th, 1919:

Monday night 8 o’clock shapr [sic] there will be a private show of my latest picture The Grim Game which will be shown only to a few chosen magic friends before the regular trade showing and if you have desire to see same would like to have pleasure of having you attend.  Takes place at the production room of Lasky Famous Players offices, 400 [485] Fifth Ave near 42nd St. Monday August 17th [Note: Monday was really August 18th] Tried to get you twice on phone and no answer. Regards sincerely yours Houdini. [The Houdini Code Mystery by William V. Rauscher, page 106]

Note:  Koval places the private showing at 485 Fifth Avenue, which was the address of the corporate main office right across from the New York Public Library.

Aug 18 – A private showing of “The Grim Game” is given to Houdini’s chosen friends at the Lasky Famous Players Offices at 485 Fifth Avenue, New York City.

The Society of American Magicians officially endorsed The Grim Game at this private showing:

The endorsement was given at a private showing of the picture for the members of the society in New York, which was attended by Messrs. Houdini, Howard Thurston, Francis E. Werner, G.G. Laurenz, Hardeen, William J. Hilliar and about forty others.

…

After the showing,  Mr. Howard Thurston said: “I have always thought Houdini was a great showman, but I expected nothing like this.  It leaves nothing undone.  Houdini may now retire, confident that he has done his greatest work.  It is one of the most wonderful things I have ever seen”.  At the conclusion of Mr. Thurston’s speech, Oscar S. Teale, Secretary of the S.A.M. said:

“Gentlemen, I move that the Society of American Magicians pronounce the picture a glowing success, worthy of highest commendation, and that it go forth as officially endorsed by this society.”

[The Sphinx, September 1919]

Bonus:

According to a 17 September 1919 New York Clipper article, the Famous Players also had New York City offices at 428 Fifth avenue, 729 Seventh avenue and at 469 Fifth avenue, but at the termination of the leases, the company will use the entire front of the Putman Building [at Forty-Third street and Broadway] for its offices:

NY Clipper 17 Sep 1919 Putnam Bldg To Become Theatre

Next week:

  • 100 Year Anniversary – B.S. Moss Broadway Theatre Screening

 

100 Year Anniversary – M U M SAM Monthly

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This month marks the 100 Year Anniversary of the Society of American Magicians endorsing The Grim Game. To celebrate, thought I would share some interesting things from my personal copy of the Magic—Unity—Might M U M The Society of Americans Magicians Monthly Vol 9 No. 3 New York August 1919.

The first is a photo of Dean Kellar, Wizard of Wizards, Irvin W. Willat, Wizard of the Camera, who directed “The Grim Game”, and Houdini, Wizard of Escape. This picture was taken while Dean Kellar was visiting the studio during the picturization of the great story.

Second, Houdini shares new light on the bullet catching trick:

Third, is a highly sought after four-page color insert:

And last, is an exchange between a Mr. Levett and Houdini regarding Robert Heller and Laura Keene:

 

White Studio Houdini Movie Photos

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The following two White Studio, NY “Houdini Movie Photos” advertised as “originals”  from an estate of magic and circus collection sold yesterday on eBay.

  • Original Houdini Magic Studio Photo #1 ($371.00 + $8.95 shipping):

Note: This is from Terror Island

  • Original Houdini Magic Studio Photo #2 ($515.09 + $8.95 shipping):

Note: This is from The Grim Game

The following White Studio photo below shows the above two White Studio photos (2 Terror Island, 8 Grim Game) plus other White Studio photographs from his movies (1 The Grim Game, 5 Haldane, 6 The Man From Beyond, 9-11 Master Mystery)

Note: This photo is courtesy of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Billy Rose Theatre collection. It was also part of the Houdini Art and Magic exhibition/book.

100 Year Anniversary – Houdini Breaks Wrist

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Photo courtesy of Marc Wanamaker, Bison Archives

On June 30th, 1919 Houdini informs Oscar Teale that he has broken his wrist while filming The Grim Game. [Silverman NOTES to Houdini!!!].

One paper reported:

HOUDINI, the handcuff king now working at the Lasky Studio on the Pacific Coast, met with a bad accident while filming a new thriller now in preparation. Houdini’s wrist was broken and he will be incapacitated for a fortnight or more. [Reading Times, July 4, 1919]

Another paper reported:

Houdini, star of “The Grim Game” now being filmed at the Lasky plant, broke his left wrist a few days ago while doing a simple trick for the picture. [Buffalo Evening News, July 19, 1919]

So how did he break his wrist?

One paper reported Houdini sustained injury in making “The Grim Game” doing the following stunt:

In a fierce battle in which Houdini fights with a quartet of burglar “extras” his wrist snapped in the midst of the action and, though the scene was finished, further work on the picture had to be postponed for several weeks for it was found that a large bone in his wrist had been broken clearly in two. [The Mt. Sterling advocate, March 02, 1920].

However, I can tell you that the incident described above was how he broke his wrist in “The Master Mystery” not “The Grim Game”. That is, he broke his wrist in the Master Mystery while swinging from a chandelier during the fight. So how did he break his wrist in “The Grim Game”?

Silverman has an answer:

And in escaping one of the prison cells, he again fractured his left wrist, not as badly as the year before [in making the Master Mystery], but enough to have his arm wrapped and delay completion of the film by two weeks. [Houdini!!! The Career of Ehrich Weiss by Kenneth Silverman]

According to Houdini:

“It is unexpected that always happens.” Though doing daring stunts thousands of feet above good old Mother Earth, flying in cranky aeroplanes, climbing the outside of buildings, swinging from the top of a swaying flag-staff a hundred feet in the air, leaping on and off heavy motor trucks and the like, I never got a hurt, but from a three-foot fall I again broke my left wrist, not so badly as before, however for then a bone was broken in three places, while this time I escaped with one fracture. This accident has detained me in California longer than expected, but my wrist is now rapidly completing its “knitting work”, and I shall soon be able to give the necessary personal attention to the finishing stunts of the picture and return to New York. [MUM July 1919]

BTW: On July 26th, The Los Angeles Times reports:

Mr. Houdini has just completed the making of his mystery serial entitled “The Grim Game.”

What effect did Houdini breaking his wrist have on the film?

It delayed completion of the film by two weeks, but had no effect on the aeroplane stunt despite what Silverman reports:

Houdini had been willing to attempt the transfer despite his arm sling, but Willat refused to risk aborting his picture by losing his star.

You see, the aeroplane stunt which Houdini was never scheduled to do, took place well before Houdini broke his wrist.

But it did affect other footage. According to the Paramount Script:

Houdini frees himself from a straitjacket, swings like a pendulum at the end of the rope, catapults his body through a small window; and then scales a wall and disappears over the other side.

Photo courtesy of John Cox

However, this changed to the following:

Captured after a fight, Houdini was taken to a rooftop, strapped in a straitjacket and suspended head down over the side.  He released himself, fell into an awning, then dropped to the ground [right hand is holding awning and you can’t see the left hand].

And, if you watch the movie closely, there are scenes filmed where the cast on his wrist is visible, despite the fact they try to hide it and not film his left-side. For example, before he boards the plane (when he is still on the ground), Houdini’s left arm is in a cast but when you see him on the wing, the cast isn’t there; obviously filmed at different times.

100 Year Anniversary – Aeroplane Crash Tidbit continued

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Last week, I shared a tidbit about the Aeroplane Crash in The Grim Game that was not widely known. That is, I shared that the camera plane may have “indirectly led” to the collision, due to a delay in mounting the camera that caused the planes to do the stunt in the rough air of the afternoon as opposed to the calm air of the early morning. I also shared a bonus tidbit, that the stuntman was supposed to make his way to the rear cockpit or drop into the rear seat.  In addition, I shared a couple advertisements from my personal collection showing how the accident happened.

Today, I thought I would share the flip side of the newspaper ad (Toledo Times October 19, 1919) displayed last week, that has a nice jail scene still and describes how “Houdini is supposed to let himself down into the cockpit beside the murderer by means of a rope, and throttle him”:

One of the most amazing air accidents in the history or aviation forms the sensational climax of a new Paramount-Artcraft picture, “The Grim Game,” starring Houdini, the most famous handcuff king, which is coming to the Temple all of this week.

According to the story, Houdini in an airplane is pursuing a murderer, who is trying to escape in another machine. At a height of 3,000 feet Houdini is supposed to glide above the other machine, let himself down into the cockpit  beside the murderer by means of a rope, and throttle him.

All went well, with the stunt, the two machines circling one above the other  and a third , containing Director Willat and the photographer, about a hundred yards away, until Houdini was just about to loose his hold on the rope. Then suddenly a gust of wind lifted  the lower ‘plane into the upper one, and their  propellers locked. They dropped like rockets, revolving nose on nose, with Houdini still dangling on the rope and the the two aviators making frantic efforts to control their machines. Death seemed certain. But a few hundred feet from the ground, with both propellers gone, one of the airmen by a miracle, succeeded in falling into a glide, and, though the other crashed nose-on into a field, the only injuries sustained were slight bruises.

100 Year Anniversary – Aeroplane Crash Tidbit

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The 100th Anniversary of the infamous Aeroplane Crash in The Grim Game is coming up on May 31st.

Of course, it is now “widely known”, that it was stunt double, Robert E. Kennedy, on the rope and not Houdini.

For the 100th year anniversary, thought I would share a tidbit about the plane crash that is “not widely known”. It involves the third machine with the camera.

According to “The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood Classic Aviation Movies by H.Hugh Wynne”, the camera plane may have indirectly led to the collision.

The studio rented three DeMille airplanes and pilots, and scheduled the flight for the calm air of the early morning on May 31, 1919. Maintenance problems and a delay in mounting the camera held things up until after lunch. Finally three airplanes took off in the early afternoon. David E. Thompson and Christopher Pickup flew the stunt planes. Al Wilson piloted the camera plane with Irving Willat, the director-cameraman, riding in the back seat with his camera.

In compliance with the flight plan, Pickup, with Kennedy aboard, flew straight and level while Thompson, with less weight and wind resistance, and better visibility in the lower machine, moved into position directly below. Al Wilson maintained a steady camera platform position to the left, and in line with the performing machines, so that neither his tail section nor wing tip appeared in the camera’s field of vision. By this time of day the air was rough and it was difficult for the pilots to maintain their positions.

Willat recorded the spontaneous incident on film and the studio revised the script to include the mid-air collision.

Bonus tidbit:

The script called for Harry Houdini [Kennedy], to climb down a knotted rope attached to the front mid-wing strut of one plane, drop to the top wing of another machine flying just below, and make his way to the rear cockpit.

Patrick Culliton spoke with Irvin Willat about this stunt and was told that Kennedy was supposed to drop into the rear seat.

When the stunt was filmed it was contrary to the plan and turned out to be one of the most exciting air stunts ever recorded on film.

To be continued…

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100 Year Anniversary – HHCE attends Screening on Terror Island plus more

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On Friday May 17th, I took the Catalina Express out of San Pedro at 8:45 am to Catalina Island (Houdini’s Terror Island) to see the 100th year anniversary screening of “The Grim Game” sponsored by the Catalina Island Museum.

Despite rain the previous day, it turned out to be a gorgeous day to visit the Island. I walked to the Catalina Island Museum to see their new exhibits, including the permanent Houdini Terror Island Exhibit.

Jessica Zumberge (a curator at the Catalina Island Museum) was my tour guide.

The Terror Island exhibit showcases lobby cards (Mark Willoughby collection), a film ad from the Press Book (John Cox collection), article on boat rescue, locations of the film’s most important scenes, and a video of the overboard box escape from the film.

If you look at the 2018 image of Toyon Bay, you will see me in photo, where the natives are in the 1919 photo.

And I am also credited as the one who uncovered the video of the overboard box escape that is missing from the existing movie.  This footage is not available to view anywhere else, so visitors to the island get a rare treat.

I was then joined by fellow Houdini Nuts, Julie Perlin Lee (Executive Director at the Catalina Island Museum) and John Cox (Houdini Expert).

If you look at the old Catalina Map in the photo, you can see a beach called Pebbly Beach to the left of Julie and a beach called Banning Beach (now called Toyon Bay) to the right.  These were key film locations in the Terror Island Movie.

John Cox and I then went to the Blue Water Grill where we talked Houdini, before going to check out “Houdini Point” at Descano Beach.  This is where Houdini took part in a real-life nautical drama. A small vessel had been disabled and was in immediate danger of capsizing or smashing into the rocks off Sugar Loaf Point (I like Julie Perlin Lee’s idea to change the name to  “Houdini Point”).

We then made our way to Overlook Hall, to set up for the main event of the evening, the 100th anniversary screening of “The Grim Game”. Overlook Hall, originally built in 1929, has emerged as Catalina’s premier venue for special events.

It was standing room only.  John Cox who introduced the movie, tweeted:

It truly was a great night for a very special movie with music provided by Award Winning composer, Michael Mortilla. Below are photos from the event:

Hanging out with Michael Mortilla, John Cox, and Michael’s wife.

John Cox hanging out with guests, including Magician Lee Terbosic from Discovery Channel’s Houdini’s Last Secrets.

Hanging out with some of Catalina Island Museum’s amazing staff, Gail Fornasiere, Kellie Costello and Kevin Liebson.

Well it was now time to catch my 9:45 boat back home or was it? Half-way to the boat, my phone rings and I get an invitation to stay over with Perlin Lee Family for the Catalina Island Museum Silent Film Benefit, the next day.

What a treat! The brunch, dancers, speakers, movie and live orchestral music by Michael Mortilla & The Accompanists was incredible.  Bravo!

Below are a couple photos from this amazing event:

David & Julie Lee Perlin and Lee Terbosic & Girlfriend Jessie Marie dancing in the ballroom, plus John, Lee & Jessie in the Art Deco Avalon Casino Theater.

Special Thank You to Julie Lee Perlin and her family for making this trip extra special.

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