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:
Related:
I both love and hate these kinds of stories because this kind of thing just NEVER happens to me. :p
I hear what you are saying, but am so glad the card and story can be shared.
Most people are never going to find a Picasso or Hitler’s diary in a yard sale.
True, but dreams do come true. And gotta believe there’s more bookmarks out there waiting to be discovered.
WRT first screening in Australia, the Haymarket Theatre on June 12th was one of the first ones, but there was a screening earlier at the Paramount Theatre in Leichart, New South Wales:
http://harryhoudinicircumstantialevidence.com/?p=4139