The Last Original Magic Castle Houdini Séance “as we know it” was held on December 1, 2018 at Midnight.  And I was there to experience it, along with other Houdini Nuts, John Cox, Patrick Culliton, Adam&Mia Glass, Joe Fox, Neil McNally, Arthur Moses, Brian Verkuylen and Mark Willoughby.

In July, Lisa Cousins booked the Final Houdini Séance “as we know it” for the Houdini Nuts. However, since booking the Séance, Lisa moved out of the state and unfortunately couldn’t join us, but she was definitely there in spirit.  Thank You Lisa!

When I arrived at the Magic Castle, I received my Houdini Seance Experience ticket and went straight to the Magic Castle Library, where I was greeted by Joe Fox and Brian Verkuylen. In honor of the last Houdini Séance “as we know it”, Brian gave me an envelope that contained a strange reality card where an image of Houdini magically appears. Thank You Brian!

Joe Fox then demonstrated a thumb tie routine using zip-ties, a prediction with astrology cards, a leather strap escape, and a nice rope and blocks puzzle that had Brian and I scratching our heads. Thank You Joe!

I then went and caught Handsome Jack’s show in the Parlor before meeting up with John Cox, Patrick Culliton, Arthur Moses and Mark Willoughby for our 9:45 dinner reservations arranged by our host John Cox. Thank You John!

After listening to our friend Pat talk, it was time for the Last Original Magic Castle Houdini Séance, where we were joined by the resident medium Leo Kostka, his wife Dawn and their daughter Tabitha. It was truly a Houdini family affair and special night for all in attendance.

Our medium Leo Kostka has hosted for more than 30 years. He brought considerable polish and presence to the proceedings. Alas, Houdini showed up for his last time in 2018 and I can say I was there. Thank You Leo!

After the Séance, Arthur Moses, the CEO of Houdini Nuts, handed out a beautifully made booklet of Houdini Tattoos (that included famous poses, escapes and posters) to honor this special occasion and gathering of Houdini Nuts. Thank You Arthur!

We then took a group picture.

And last but not least, Leo signed my séance ticket, which along with the Strange Reality Card from Brian has been added to the keepsake from Arthur Moses.

Truly a night with special people, that I will always remember.

Note: The Houdini Séance “as we know it”, will be taking a vacation and return as a totally new experience in the second half of 2019.

Last week, I shared Day 4 (Ken Trombly) of my incredible Houdini Adventure on the East Coast, made possible by my friend and tour guide, Fred Pittella.

Today, I share Day 5 (11/4), where Fred Pittella, John Cox and I got to track down Houdini locations in Baltimore and explore the Houdini exhibit at the Jewish Museum of Maryland (JMM), before John Cox gave his Houdini in Hollywood talk and screened The Grim Game at the JMM.

HOUDINI IN BALTIMORE

At the corner of Charles Street and Baltimore, we found the location where the Sun Building would have been where Houdini did his suspended straitjacket escape on April 26, 1916.

We then found what turned out to be the site of the Kernan Hotel (where Houdini may have stayed) now Apartments, and a theatre complex that consisted of the Maryland (where Houdini played in 1905, 1907, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1922, 1925) now gone,

the Auditorium (where Houdini played in 1906) partially standing

and the Academy of Music (where Houdini played in 1925) now gone.

For more details and information, check out John Cox post:

• Discovering Houdini’s Baltimore

Next stop, the Jewish Museum of Maryland (JMM) for their Houdini exhibition, John’s talk on Houdini in Hollywood and the screening of The Grim Game.

EXHIBITION INESCAPABLE: THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF HARRY HOUDINI

The exhibition Inescapable: The Life and Legacy of Harry Houdini is currently on display through January 19, 2019

It is a must see.  It covers the life of Harry Houdini from birth to death via films, rare artifacts and hands-on illusions.

It covers the early years including: Mayer Samuel & Cecilia Steiner in Budapest, Birth of Erik Weisz, Rabbi Weiss Ordination, Arriving in America, Appleton (1878-1882), Milwaukee (1882–1886), Running away from home, NYC (1887-1892), Dime Museums, Medicine Shows, Brothers Houdini, Metamorphosis, 1893 World’s Fair, Coney Island, Meeting Bess, Welsh Bros Circus, and Vaudeville.

It then covers Martin Beck, Challenges, and Houdini the Self Liberator AKA the Master Mystifier, Jailbreaker, King of Cards, America’s Sensational Perplexer, Handcuff King, Europe’s Eclipsing Sensation, and Genius of Escapes (e.g., Milk Can, Water Torture Cell and Straitjacket).

This is followed by Houdini the Film star,

Exposing Fraudulent Spirit Mediums,

The Final Bow & Curtain Call and Houdini in Maryland.

Thanks to everyone at the Jewish Museum of Maryland and all of the collectors for this incredible gift, truly an amazing display of artifacts and history.

HOUDINI IN HOLLYWOOD AND THE GRIM GAME

At 1pm, John was introduced by David London, the curator for the exhibition.

John then proceeded to give an excellent talk and presentation on Houdini in Hollywood.

He told the amazing story of Houdini’s involvement in early cinema, which included Houdini filming many of his outdoor escapes and showing them at the start of his vaudeville acts. John covered his films: Houdini Defeats Hackenschmidt (1906), Merveilleux Exploits du Celebre Houdini a Paris (1909), The Master Mystery (1918), The Grim Game (1919), Terror Island (1920), The Man From Beyond (1922), Haldane of the Secret Service (1923) and Velvet Fingers (1925-26). John also mentioned Houdini’s motion picture companies: Houdini Picture Corporation, Film Developing Corporation and the Mystery Pictures Corporation. Attendees were treated to dozens of rare photos and film clips of the legendary Harry Houdini in “Action!”, including the recently discovered lost overboard box footage from Terror Island.

John ended his presentation with a thank you.

Next was the 2 pm screening of The Grim Game, starring Harry Houdini.

Echoing John’s words, “Being able to see The Grim Game is now a rare treat. The movie never materialized on DVD and has never repeated on TCM. So it remains the hardest of all of Houdini’s movies to see.”

Everyone who attended were not disappointed, they were treated to something truly special.

Cheers to Houdini and John Cox for a job well-done!

CONCLUSION

Thank You to Fred Pittella, John Cox and everyone at the Jewish Museum of Maryland for making this such a memorable day.

Last week, I shared Day 3 (Houdini Museum NY, Kevin Connolly, 278, and The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini) of my incredible Houdini Adventure on the East Coast, made possible by my friend and tour guide, Fred Pittella. Today, I share Day 4 (11/3), where Fred had made arrangements to visit another major Houdini collector, Ken Trombly in Bethesda.

Fred picked me up in my hotel in New York and we were on our way.  But before we got to Ken’s place, we made a few stops along the way.

The first stop was Houdini’s Film Development Lab in Union City, New Jersey. It once housed Houdini’s workshop and his ill-fated Film Developing Corporation. It is now known as the Houdini building and is part of Hudson River Studios. There is even a picture of Houdini inside the front door.

Next stop was lunch at a road-side travel stop, before heading to the Baltimore Airport to pick up another Houdini Nut, John Cox, who was coming into town to give his Houdini in Hollywood talk and screen The Grim Game the next day (11/4) at the Jewish Museum of Maryland, where the exhibition, Inescapable: The Life and Legacy of Harry Houdini, is currently on display through January 19, 2019.

Fred and I brought John up to date on Days 1, 2, and 3 of our Houdini adventure, as we traveled to Ken’s place.

When we arrived at Ken’s beautiful home, we were greeted by Ken and his son’s new dog that was only about 6 months old.

Ken’s formidable collection was overwhelming. I feel like we only got to scratch the surface of what he has. It is a researcher’s paradise.

The highlight for me was seeing a Master Mystery Pressbook. Wow! I can now say that I have seen Pressbooks for The Grim Game, Terror Island, Man From Beyond, Haldane and now Master Mystery. I also enjoyed seeing a “Houdini Herald” that promotes the Master Mystery.  Wow!

Later, we got to meet Ken’s wife and thank her for letting a few more Houdini Nuts besides Ken in her lovely home.

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

We left Bethesda and drove to Baltimore and ended Day 4 by going out for a late Italian dinner and then checked into our Hotel so we could rest up for the next days festivities. To be continued…

Last week, I shared Day 2 (George Goebel) of my incredible Houdini Adventure on the East Coast, made possible by my friend and tour guide, Fred Pittella. Today, I share Day 3 (11/2), where Fred had made arrangements to visit two major Houdini collectors, Roger Dreyer at the Houdini Museum of NY and Kevin Connolly of NJ; Our friend John Cox had made arrangements to see 278; And I had made arrangements to see The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini by Cynthia Von Buhler. Holy smokes, all of this in one day, we must be nuts.

HOUDINI MUSEUM OF NEW YORK

Fred picked me up at my hotel in the morning and off we went. First stop, Houdini Museum of NY. The museum is located in the City’s premier magic store, Fantasma Magic, which is located at 213 West 35th St. They are on the 4th floor, so just take the elevator up and take a left when you get off!

One of the first things I noticed when I walked in was one of Houdini’s Gravesite busts and an original Grim Game Poster on the wall, behind it.

Upon closer inspection, this turns out to be the bust, that was stolen in August, 1983 and recovered in March 2002.

And to the left of the front door, you couldn’t help but notice, Q the Robot from the Master Mystery and an original poster from Episode Nine of the 15-part serial. (Note: Roger Dreyer had limited edition numbered Glicee’s made from the original poster; I got number 5).

The beautiful replica of the robot was made my John Gaughan, the mastermind behind many of the world’s most famous stage illusions.

Fred and I looked around the museum and were entertained by a young magician, while we waited for Roger.

As soon as Roger showed up, he immediately gave Fred and I the VIP tour of the museum.

On display, was an interesting page from Hardeen’s notes for an unpublished Houdini biography, stating that Houdini was born April 6, 1874 and was named Ehrich Prach after Prince Ehrich (who his father killed in a dule).  It also had a different account of the genesis of the infamous bullet lodged in Houdini’s left hand; Houdini’s own account was that he was shot by gamblers. Hardeen’s account has Houdini becoming a jockey, riding horses, mules and accidently getting shot in the palm of his left hand.

Roger recently acquired a couple lamps that were said to be from Houdini’s bedroom.

Also on display was one of Houdini’s Original Metamorphosis Substitutions Trunk and Houdini’s Original Escape 1907 Escape Coffin.

Roger then gave us the behind the scenes tour of the back room and office, where he pulled out all kinds of goodies that most people don’t get to see. This included some unpublished photos and candid images from his movies, that I had not seen before.

And speaking of movies, Kevin Connolly’s mighty collection was next and it was later than we thought. So, we took a picture with Q and said our good-byes.

What a blast, we had hanging out with Roger. I highly recommend the experience. Roger, his museum, magic shop and staff are all first rate. Thank You!

KEVIN CONNOLLY

I thought this day would never happen, but thanks to Fred, it was about to. I had dreamed of this day ever since I purchased my first Houdini Fix from Kevin years ago.

We pulled up to Kevin’s place at exactly 1:26 pm and were met by Kevin and his lovely wife Susan.  Come to find out that Susan knows her Houdini stuff and has given lectures on Houdini; she also plays a role in the collecting as well. Who knew?

I was given free reign, to explore the walls, bookcases, and cabinets in the study.  Of course, a number of things caught my eye, like the Russian pitchbook, Hungarian pitchbook with Master Mystery images, lobby cards from Houdini movies, and of course the largest collection of tobacco cards. Wow!

And speaking of movies again, Kevin had me sit at the dining room table, where he brought out the pressbook of all pressbooks.  It was the Haldane of the Secret Service pressbook, which may be the only one in existence.  It was about three times the size of any other Houdini Pressbook.

Kevin just kept bringing out binder after binder of photos, letters, playbills, and programs, including the letters on monkey gland research.  It was all a lot to digest, but so cool to see and experience.

Just wanted to say thank you to Kevin and Susan for the Houdini Fix of all Houdini Fixes.  Spending time with them was a real treat and honor.  Their hospitality and generosity in sharing their treasures is something I will always remember.

278

My last trip to NY, I ran out of time, and didn’t get to visit 278, which has been on my bucket list for quite some time. Was the same thing going to happen again? The answer was No.

278 was sold to new owners, who are currently in the process of undertaking the large job of restoring the brownstone and have been keeping John Cox up to date on the progress. John Cox arranged for Fred and I to get a sneak-peak at the work being done.  What a treat!

We arrived at 5 pm and got to explore this amazing place inside and out and top (roof) to bottom (basement) for over an hour.

Thank You to John and the new owners for making this dream come true.

THE GIRL WHO HANDCUFFED HOUDINI

And if 278 wasn’t enough, we still had VIP tickets waiting for us at the Theatre 80 to see Cynthia Von Buhler’s play, The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini. The trick was to get from 278 to Theatre 80 in time. Well, Fred is a New Yorker and knew how to drive and navigate his way through the busy streets of New York. He dropped me off in front of theatre around 7ish to get the tickets, while he tried to find a place to park in the city. I got our Passports for the show and was told that as VIP members, we needed to meet outside at 7:15 pm for something special.  Well, in all of the excitement going on in, realized we hadn’t had anything to eat all day and there were selling slices of pizza across the street.  As I was crossing the street, I was surprised to see Fred walking. He actually found a parking spot. We each woofed down a couple slices of pizza and a bottle of water before rushing to the show, where we were escorted up a flight of stairs.

I took a seat at Margery’s séance table next to someone who introduced herself as “Minky, she sat on one side of Margery and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle sat on the other side of Margery.

After a private séance with Margery, I walked down to the main theater with Cynthia Von Buhler herself for a front-row seat to see the Great Houdini.

There are a number of different characters you could follow (Houdini, wife Bess Houdini, spiritualist Margery, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, puncher J. Gordon Whitehead, assistant Jim Collins, students Jack Price and Smilowitz, Houdini’s lawyer, or medical staff, or the exciting, sexy but more fictional character Minky Wookcock) depending on your passport. Fred and I followed Houdini throughout the evening as the story leading up to Houdini’s mysterious death unfolded. Fred even got to say a few words on Houdini’s behalf at his funeral.

The production was well researched and offered a meticulously detailed slice of history. It was truly a work of genius and the cast was amazing.

Afterwards, Fred and I got our books signed and each of us took a photo with Cynthia Von Buhler, the creator of this beautiful work of art.  Thank You Cynthia for the VIP treatment.

What an incredible Day 3. To be continued…