The Master Mystery (first four episodes) was first shown at a special trade show on November 7, 1918 at the Strand Theatre in New York City.
To honor this special event, I am sharing from my personal collection, the following 1918 Master Mystery Newspaper Reviews on the day they appeared 101 years ago:
- Sat Nov 9
- Sunday Nov 10
- Friday Nov 15
- Saturday Nov 16
- Exhibitors Trade Review
- The Billboard
- Saturday Nov 23
- Motion Picture News
- The Moving Picture World
And at the conclusion of this series, I will do a special post that ties it all together.
Today, I share the reviews from Exhibitors Trade Review and The Billboard:
Great stuff Joe! Laudatory reviews here make me wonder if the writers here were spotted cash to praise it to high heaven.
I love that the first review gives us an idea of what Houdini said during his address, and that it was between chapters, not at the start of end of the screening. That’s new info. Thanks!
HH mentioned the invention he gave to the government. I wonder if it was the quick release diving suit.
Indeed, Houdini’s diving suit was used as a prop in the movie. And it was patented (U.S. Patent Number 1,370,316) on March 1, 1921.
Me too! Definitely some gems buried in these newspaper accounts.
These are amazing.
Gives great insight into his acceptance by the industry. Too bad he was cheated, and could not have continued with a profitable and successful run with these producers who seemed to understand his appeal and talent.
His movie career might have moved forward in a more positive direction.
Keep posting and sharing these.
Dick Brookz and Dorothy Dietrich
The Houdini Museum. Scranton, PA
The Only Building in the World Dedicated to Housini