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.
There is also the photo of Harry with his left arm in a sling, along with Kennedy and others in an airfield. This was published in Christopher’s Pictorial History. According to Silverman, later on he had to have his left wrist rebroken and correctly set by a surgeon. Apparently that worked better cuz he noted his left wrist got stronger.
That there is, thank you for both references. The Christopher photo is on page 98.
On page 236, Silverman mentions that after the cast [from when he broke his wrist in 3 places making the Master Mystery] was removed, adhesions developed in the joint, which had to be rebroken by a physician, then subjected to a “new baking electrical treatment.” After six months the wrist seemed to him stronger than before, ”as a ring has grown around the break.” but still had not regained flexibility. [And he broke it again, while filming The Grim Game”]
You’re welcome Joe! Thanks for the page numbers. John posted in his blog that unpublished photo portrait of Harry gazing at his hands. You can see a nasty scar on his left wrist.
I think I finally found the exact day!
The San Diego Union and Daily Bee on June 29 says HH “…had met with an accident when he first began work at a Los Angeles studio Saturday morning…”
That would be June 28th. Reported on the 29th. HH writes letter to Teale on the 30th. All fits.
Okay, no question it was the 28th. And I’ve found something related that’s kinda cool. Standby for a post!
Fantastic! Looking forward to the post.
Click on this link for the “must read” post from John Cox.
Thanks Joe!