I am the proud caretaker of Houdini’s signed copy of the Merry & Bright Book he compiled with the Houdini’s Schooldays Story.

Houdini’s Schooldays was serialized over 30 weeks (9/18/1920 to 4/2/1921) in the Merry and Bright comics. Herbert Allingham was the author and Harry Houdini owned the dramatic and screen rights to this yarn.

I plan to release the story in book form (with original illustrations), and share my research on the history of the story (with photos of rare items from various collections).  Research includes other Allingham stories with Houdini’s name attached (e.g., The Amazing Exploits of Houdini), Copperfield’s Merry and Bright books, Houdini and Allingham correspondence, Houdini’s education (Appleton, Milwaukee), and a look at possible illustrators (e.g., Ogle) for the story.

Today, I continue my series of posts where I share an interview that Pictures and Picturgoer magazine did with Harry Houdini:

“WILL you step this way, please?” The call-boy of a popular London music-hall beckoned to PICTURES representative, and hurried along endless corridors to a dressing room where reposed the man whose name is a household word the world over—Harry Houdini—the Handcuff King. Repose may seem an inadequate term to use in connection with this live, active and almost restless personality, but it is accurate. Houdini works hard, plays hard, and rests hard.

We talked of many things; of life and hopes and ambitions, of business and of romance.

• His future film plans.
• His pet superstition.
• His greatest happiness.
• His fertile brain.
• His pleasure in films.

His pleasure in films.

One of his reasons for his pleasure in the popularity of films is rather delightful. “Because they give old people a chance of securing work as actors,” he said.

This feeling is no doubt born of his long and happy association with stage-folk, whom he dearly loves, and while at the Lasky studios making The Grim Game he met two or three hundred men and women of the theatrical world who were too old for the stage, yet were earning a generous livelihood at film-acting.

One more word about Houdini ; he neither drinks nor smokes. Movieland be glad to welcome him into its fold—on and off the screen, for we are glad to know we have men of such ideals amongst us. M. O. B.

Source:

• Picture and Picturegoers March 6, 1920

Today, I continue my series of posts where I share an interview that Pictures and Picturgoer magazine did with Harry Houdini:

“WILL you step this way, please?” The call-boy of a popular London music-hall beckoned to PICTURES representative, and hurried along endless corridors to a dressing room where reposed the man whose name is a household word the world over—Harry Houdini—the Handcuff King. Repose may seem an inadequate term to use in connection with this live, active and almost restless personality, but it is accurate. Houdini works hard, plays hard, and rests hard.

We talked of many things; of life and hopes and ambitions, of business and of romance.

• His future film plans.
• His pet superstition.
• His greatest happiness.
• His fertile brain.
• His pleasure in films.

His fertile brain.

Not so engulfed in his own career that he has no time to watch what is going on in the outside world, Houdini is interested in topics and problems of the day, and has also various hobbies.

One of these is—invention. He loves inventing things, and the scheme of the new American travelling trunk now on the market emanated from his fertile brain. He got the idea for this while on tour with a circus many years ago, when facilities for carrying luggage were such that it required great ingenuity to carry anything at all.

Will power is one of Houdini’s strong points—always he had the will to succeed. Perhaps that is why he did. Once having made up his mind that a thing is possible he will never rest until he has accomplished it. An example of this is when once he practised for six weeks in order to get one effect [scaling the wall of a building, then climbing out on the flagpole and then doing some additional fancy work while hanging by his knees] on the screen [The Grim Game].

Source:

• Picture and Picturegoers March 6, 1920

Today, I continue my series of posts where I share an interview that Pictures and Picturgoer magazine did with Harry Houdini:

“WILL you step this way, please?” The call-boy of a popular London music-hall beckoned to PICTURES representative, and hurried along endless corridors to a dressing room where reposed the man whose name is a household word the world over—Harry Houdini—the Handcuff King. Repose may seem an inadequate term to use in connection with this live, active and almost restless personality, but it is accurate. Houdini works hard, plays hard, and rests hard.

We talked of many things; of life and hopes and ambitions, of business and of romance.

• His future film plans.
• His pet superstition.
• His greatest happiness.
• His fertile brain.
• His pleasure in films.

His greatest happiness.

“I find my greatest happiness, ” he said, in my library among my books, in the company of my wife. I have a number of rare editions and a choice collection—one of the greatest in the world, I believe—of theatrical books. Some of my most treasured possessions, too, are souvenirs of various kinds, of famous stage-folk whom I have met in my career.

“My greatest ambition—maybe I’ll surprise you with my answer—it’s just this—to be worthy of my mother.” And in that one can sum up the character of this many-sided and amazing personality.

Houdini is a dark, slim man, in the early forties, active as a boy, always in the pink of condition, thanks to the healthy, athletic life he leads, and with a super-abundance of energy. Curiously enough he declares that. the less he sleeps the better he works.

Source:

• Picture and Picturegoers March 6, 1920

Today, I continue my series of posts where I share an interview that Pictures and Picturgoer magazine did with Harry Houdini:

“WILL you step this way, please?” The call-boy of a popular London music-hall beckoned to PICTUR ES representative, and hurried along endless corridors to a dressing room where reposed the man whose name is a household word the world over—Harry Houdini—the Handcuff King. Repose may seem an inadequate term to use in connection with this live, active and almost restless personality, but it is accurate. Houdini works hard, plays hard, and rests hard.

We talked of many things; of life and hopes and ambitions, of business and of romance.

• His future film plans.
• His pet superstition.
• His greatest happiness.
• His fertile brain.
• His pleasure in films.

His pet superstition.

For instance. I once broke my wrist getting out of a window three feet from the ground. I reckon a brave man is one who takes risks while fully realising what he is undertaking—it is the fool who is reckless.

I’m not superstitious, really, but like most people I have one pet superstition, and it is that it is unlucky to keep a lock of another person’s hair. Once when I was experiencing a run of bad luck I remembered that I was carrying a lock of the famous Duke of Wellington’s hair as a souvenir. Directly I remembered this I determined to lose no time in getting rid of it. It was 4 o’clock in the morning when I thought of the lock, but I got up and burned it—and my luck changed.

When the conversation turned on ” happiness,” Houdini warmed to the subject and divulged what that magic word meant to him.

Source:

• Picture and Picturegoers March 6, 1920

Today, I continue my series of posts where I share an interview that Pictures and Picturgoer magazine did with Harry Houdini:

“WILL you step this way, please?” The call-boy of a popular London music-hall beckoned to PICTUR ES representative, and hurried along endless corridors to a dressing room where reposed the man whose name is a household word the world over—Harry Houdini—the Handcuff King. Repose may seem an inadequate term to use in connection with this live, active and almost restless personality, but it is accurate. Houdini works hard, plays hard, and rests hard.

We talked of many things; of life and hopes and ambitions, of business and of romance.

• His future film plans.
• His pet superstition.
• His greatest happiness.
• His fertile brain.
• His pleasure in films.

His future film plans.

Houdini has left his picture work for a few months, only because he had an old music hall contract to fill—that is why he is in London now, but he is going back to it, and has already on hand scenarios for four more films. “I intend to devote myself to the film profession for good when my variety contract is concluded,” he informed me,” and shall take several English players back to America with me to play in my future pictures. The studio work interests me immensely, and I’ve made up my mind to never fake an effect; I never have yet, on stage or screen, and I never shall.

“There is an aeroplane stunt in The Grim Game, my Famous Players-Lasky film, which you will see here next autumn, which was an unrehearsed accident, and the chances were a million to one that all the players would meet their death—yet no one was injured.

“I am absolutely devoid of fear, through keeping my nerves in perfect order, and though I had to risk my life several times daily while making The Grim Game, I never had a single nervous moment. Strangely enough, the few accidents I have ever had have been caused at times when danger was at a minimum.

Source:

• Picture and Picturegoers March 6, 1920

Today, starts a series of posts, where I share an interview that Pictures and Picturgoer magazine did with Harry Houdini:

“WILL you step this way, please?” The call-boy of a popular London music-hall beckoned to PICTUR ES representative, and hurried along endless corridors to a dressing room where reposed the man whose name is a household word the world over—Harry Houdini—the Handcuff King. Repose may seem an inadequate term to use in connection with this live, active and almost restless personality, but it is accurate. Houdini works hard, plays hard, and rests hard.

We talked of many things; of life and hopes and ambitions, of business and of romance.

Yes, romance, too, for Houdini has had a great romance in his life. There is a Mrs. Harry Houdini, who shares all his joys and his sorrows, his triumphs and his failures, and to whom he has many times turned in his career for the sympathy and relief that has helped him to “carry on”—even through the darkest shadows. Houdini confessed to us that he was still in love with his wife, and he is happy in the thought.”

Future posts will cover:

• His future film plans.
• His pet superstition.
• His greatest happiness.
• His fertile brain.
• His pleasure in films.

Source:

• Picture and Picturegoers March 6, 1920

Last month at the Magic Collectors Expo 2023 in Cleveland, I was excited to finally add a Beagles Famous Cinema Star Series Postcard of Harry Houdini to my collection.

I missed out on this rare item, when Potter and Potter auctioned one off, that sold for $1200:

Description

HOUDINI, Harry (Erik Weisz, 1874 – 1926). Tinted Real Photo Postcard of Houdini in Restraints. London: Campbell-Gray, ca. 1910. “Real Cinema Stars” series RPPC of Houdini in a classic pose, encumbered with numerous locks, cuffs, and restraints. Embossed border, with flesh tones tinted in realistic colors, as issued. A near-fine example, postally unused.

Although, the Potter and Potter auction listed this as 1910, it actually came out in 1920s.

Per Early Cinema Postcards:

Beagles Famous Cinema Star Series Postcards Main Series (Card No’s 101 – 301) were published between 1920 to 1930 in both sepia and hand tinted colour versions with embossed borders. Selected cards in the Main Series were also published as sepia with a flat plain border OR black and white with an embossed border.

It would appear that the letters were assigned in batches of 6 so when card 195A was produced, number 195B/195C/195D/195E/195F were reserved for that star to be issued maybe at a later date.

That said, I have only seen the Houdini Card No. 195A [Harry] Houdini as a hand tinted colour version with embossed border.

Lots to love about this rare item:

1. Guaranteed to be a real photograph that has been tinted by hand.
2. The classic pose was taken by Campbell-Gray during the same time as Houdini’s Mirror Cuff feat at the London Hippodrome which I am fascinated with and have studied.
3. The postcard represents Houdini as a famous cinema star which has been a focus of mine for years.

Feel like I hit the trifecta.

Related:

• Early Houdini Trading Cards

The October 16, 1920 edition of ‘Pictures and Picturegoer’ contained a story adaptation of the Grim Game movie.

Over four posts, I plan to take you inside this edition of ‘Pictures and Picturegoer’ and share each chapter of the story by John Fleming.

• Chapter I
• Chapter II
• Chapter III
• CHAPTER IV

Today I share CHAPTER IV:

CONTENT MOVED: To be available in my 2024 book: Houdini Adaptations, The Grim Game and Terror Island Stories

Related:

• Terror Island Story found in Boys Cinema
• Houdini Adaptations – Arthur B Reeve

May 31st, marks the 104th anniversary of the aeroplane accident that took place during the filming of “The Grim Game”.  In honor of that, thought I would share an incredible two-page spread of The Aeroplane In Film Plays:

The possibilites of the aeroplane as a thill-provider in the more sensational type of film plays have been duly realised, and some wonderful air stunts from part of the latest productions. Our photographs illustrate a new Paramount Artcraft picture entitled “The Grim Game,” in which Houdini, the famous escape artist, is shown descending from one aeroplane to another while the two flying at a height of 3000 feet. It is the first time this feat has ever been done. During the same play, he also escapes from manacles, prison cells, and a bear-trap made of pine-trees which whirls him into air, and climbs down the smooth side of a tall building; but none of these more or less familiar performances, marvelious as they are, provides such exciting moments as his dizzy adventures in the aeroplane scenes.

Next week, you can see how they handle the aeroplane scene in the final chapter (Chapter 4) of The Grim Game Story Adapatation.

Related:

• 100 Year Anniversary – Aeroplane Crash Tidbit
• 100 Year Anniversary – Aeroplane Crash Tidbit continued
• First Ever Pictures of Aeroplane Collision