The photo below is from my personal copy of the January 5th, 1921 issue of Boys Cinema. It shows Houdini about to be thrown into the water bound hand and foot.
Many of you may recall seeing this “Under Water Escape” image in “Houdini on Magic” by Walter B. Gibson:
It also appears in the Strand Magazine “Houdini the Enigma” by A. Conan Doyle:
But it first appeared in “Magical Rope Ties & Escapes” by Houdini in 1920:
Although, the Boys Cinema photo incorrectly identifies it as an incident in the Paramount Film, “Terror Island”, I believe it, along with Houdini’s dyed black hair for the movies helps support that it was taken during the making of Terror Island in 1919 for inclusion in his 1920 book Magical Rope Ties & Escapes.
Could it have been taken in Elliotta Springs while he was doing his underwater stunts for “Terror Island”?
Or was it taken at Lasky Studio, where we know Houdini did a series of photos with actors Thomas Meighan and Jack Pickford for the 1920 book, Magical Rope Ties & Escapes?
Regardless, comparing photo(s) with all of the stills from Houdini’s two Hollywood movies, “The Grim Game” and “Terror Island”, I believe that is Houdini’s Hollywood hair from “Terror Island”.
Thoughts on when and where under water escape was filmed?
I always thought it was some kind of back yard pool ever since I bought Gibson’s book in the 70s. It could very well be Elliota Springs. Do we have photos of that location?
Harry took a lot of publicity photos when he landed in Hollywood for his two films. He was lashed to just about anything that stood upright. And then there were the buzzsaw and handcuff photos with Cecil B. Demille.
I have looked but haven’t been able to find any La Elliotta Springs Plunge (swimming pool) photos.
I believe the buzzsaw and locomotive photos were taken during the making of The Grim Game, as opposed to Terror Island.
I’ve always been intrigued by these pics. I agree they are likely Hollywood/1919 (but remember he got his hair dyed in 1918). I’ve always thought the key was being able to identify the men handling him. That’s what ultimately happened with those other pics confirming them as Hollywood.
It’s definitely intriguing. In Magical Rope Ties & Escapes, Houdini identifies all of the men handling him in the photos with the exception of the underwater escape photos. Besides the men handling him, identifying “where” the photo was taken could be key or “when” it was taken.