Author Archives: hhce

100th Anniversary – Terror Island (Catalina Island Museum)

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Today, August 18th, 2020 marks the 100th Anniversary of Terror Island being widely released.

To celebrate, John Cox is doing a live stream with Catalina Island Museum on their Instagram at 11:30am PST.

John Cox and I got to consult on a special exhibition at the Catalina Island Museum called Houdini: Terror Island on Magic Isle.

Having read my blog and extensive research on “Terror Island”, Julie Perlin Lee, the Executive director of the Catalina Island Museum and creator of the first ever Houdini exhibit devoted to his movies first contacted me about helping with this project back in November of 2016. We then got John Cox on board and between the three of us recruited others like Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), Mark Willoughby, Arthur Moses, and Fred Pittella to loan artifacts for the exhibition.

The exhibition came to fruition in 2018 and was on view from May 5th to October 7th. I was lucky enough to visit the Museum on multiple occasions:

Reels (Parts) 3 and 4 of the existing (Library of Congress Realart) version of Terror Island are considered missing.

The exhibit showcased my work that reconstructs and describes the missing Terror Island scenes in chronological order for each part via an audio-visual presentation.

The exhibit also showcased the missing Terror Island Underwater Box Escape Footage that I located on an out of print magic video,

the research on locations on Catalina Island where Terror Island was filmed (Banning’s beach, Pebble Beach), and shown (Strand Theatre),

as well as Trade Cards, Stills, and Programs from my personal collection.

On my HHCE blog, I also uncovered and shared the TI Story that was adapted from the film script,

  1. A Prisoner Among Salvages
  2. A Wonderful Submarine
  3. An Offer Refused and One accepted
  4. The Sham Fire
  5. A Life in the Balance
  6. Sent to a Watery Grave
  7. The Rescue
  8. On the Cannibal Island

working titles for TI, Japanese Actors in TI, a theory of how Terror Island’s lost reels become lost, and exactly when the Library of Congress received their print.

Houdini is now a permanent resident of Catalina Island.

“You’ll note the display features a video screen which plays the overboard box escape from the film. This footage is missing from the existing movie. It was uncovered last year [2018] by our friend Joe Notaro and it is not available to view anywhere else. So Houdini fans who visit the island get a rare treat!”  John Cox

H A P P Y  1 0 0  Y E A R  A N N I V E R S A R Y ! ! !

100 years Ago Today – Terror Island Exclusive First Run

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100 years ago today, Terror Island opens on bill with SEX at the Modern and The Beacon Theatres in Boston, MA.

This was an exclusive first run.

Next theatre to show it was the Burlington Vermont Majestic Saturday April 17th

Other theatres (e.g., Tampa Bay Grand, Waco Rex) followed on Sunday April 18th.

Other Related Posts:

Terror Island Trade Cards – No. 77-81

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Today we look at Early Houdini Trading Cards (No. 77-81) from an extremely rare set of 25 Hoyo De Monterrey of Havanna Tobacco Cards (No. 57-81) circa 1920, depicting stills from his Terror Island movie:

No. 77 Still 318-80 HHCE Collection

No. 78 Still 318-81 HHCE Collection

No. 79 Still 318-65 Kevin Connolly Collection

No. 80 Still 318-52 Arthur Moses Collection

No. 81 Still 318- 61 Arthur Moses Collection

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Terror Island Trade Cards – No. 72-76

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Today we look at Early Houdini Trading Cards (No. 72-76) from an extremely rare set of 25 Hoyo De Monterrey of Havanna Tobacco Cards (No. 57-81) circa 1920, depicting stills from his Terror Island movie:

No. 72 Still 318-42 HHCE Collection

No. 73 Still 318-41 HHCE Collection

No. 74 Still 318-48 HHCE Collection

No. 76 Still 318-70 HHCE Collection

Note: Card No. 75 is currently unidentified.

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Terror Island Trade Cards – No. 67-71

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Today we look at Early Houdini Trading Cards (No. 67-71) from an extremely rare set of 25 Hoyo De Monterrey of Havanna Tobacco Cards (No. 57-81) circa 1920, depicting stills from his Terror Island movie:

No. 67 Still 318-55 HHCE Collection

No. 68 Still 318-67 Ken Trombly Collection

No. 69 Still 318-23 HHCE Collection

No. 70 Still 318-24 HHCE Collection

No. 71 Still 318-5 HHCE Collection

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Terror Island Trade Cards – No. 62-66

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Today we look at Early Houdini Trading Cards (No. 62-66) from an extremely rare set of 25 Hoyo De Monterrey of Havanna Tobacco Cards (No. 57-81) circa 1920, depicting stills from his Terror Island movie:

No. 64 Still 318-7 HHCE Collection

No. 65 Still 318-3 HHCE Collection

No. 66 Still 318-68 Internet

Note: Cards No. 62 and 63 are currently unidentified.

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1978 Mar Apr Calendar – Water Torture Cell

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Previously, the six hard to find 1977 Stuart Pharmaceutical calendars from the series numbered DM-73301 to DM-73306 were shared:

  1. June: Escape from Prison when Manacled in Handcuff and Irons(HHCE Collection)
  2. July: The Celebrated Straitjacket Release(HHCE Collection)
  3. August: The Challenging Release From Wet Sheets (John Cox Collection)
  4. September: The Perilous Escape From the Spanish Maiden(HHCE Collection)
  5. October: The Spectacular Release From the Cannon(HHCE Collection)
  6. November/December: Escape From a Nailed Packing Box(HHCE Collection)

Each featured Spectacular Houdini Feats and original artwork by James Barkly.

This year, I am sharing the even harder to find 1978 Stuart Pharmaceutical calendars from the series numbered DM-17301 to DM-17306:

  1. January/February(George Goebel Collection)
  2. March/April (HHCE Collection)
  3. May/June (HHCE Collection)
  4. July/August (HHCE Collection)
  5. September/October (Missing)
  6. November/December (HHCE Collection)

This month, features the second calendar from 1978 series numbered DM-17302:

Early Houdini Trading Cards

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Today, I thought I would introduce 3 different types of Trading Cards from Houdini’s day:

  1. The Ogden’s Guinea Gold Card from New Series 1 No. B342
  2. Card 4 from the set of Boy’s Cinema Famous Heroes
  3. A set of cards by Hoyo De Monterrey of Havana

Each of these cards was mentioned in a Houdini article found in the Cartophilic Notes & News publication vol 29 no 5:

HHCE Collection

The Ogden’s cigarette card is his rookie card and is identified as 1902 but that date is not correct. That photo used on the card wasn’t taken until 1904. The set first came out in 1902, but the B series with Houdini came out later. Ogden Guinea Gold Cards ran from 1902 to 1907. And thanks to Kevin Connolly, we know there are two variations of this card, the one variation is with a whitish box with “HOUDINI THE HANDCUFF KING” inside the box. The other variation “HOUDINI THE HANDCUFF KING” is in the beige field without the box.”

The set of 24 Famous Heroes cards came out in the Weekly Boys Cinema Magazine, with the first card (No. 1) being inserted in the Boys Cinema Issue No. 117, Vol. 5 March 4, 1922. Each week, they issued another card.

HHCE Collection

The Harry Houdini card (No. 4) came out in Boys Cinema issue No. 120, Vol 5 March 25, 1922.

HHCE Collection

An extremely rare set of 25 Hoyo De Monterrey of Havanna Tobacco Cards (No. 57-81) circa 1920, depicting stills from his Terror Island movie. The card (No. 60) below, sold November 15 2019 on eBay for $247.02.

I have been able to identify 22 of the 25 cards and will be sharing images from my personal collection at later dates:

The Amazing Exploits of Houdini – Adventure of the Midland Express

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During my visit to the McCord Museum, I was fortunate enough to have read a compilation (April 24, 1920 v1 n1 to June 5th 1920 v1 n7) of “The Amazing Exploits of Houdini” found in The Kinema Comic.

  1. The Bride & The Orangutan.
  2. The Jewel Thieves.
  3. “Stop Thief!”
  4. The Gold Melters
  5. ADVENTURE OF THE MIDLAND EXPRESS.
  6. In The Dead of Night.
  7. Out of The Sky.

Each issue contains a several page serialized fictional story (by-lined by Houdini). This week I share my paraphrased version of “Adventure of the Midland Express” found in the May 22 1920 v1 n5 issue:

Houdini is traveling on train from Liverpool to London. The paranoid actions of his sole traveling companion got on his nerves.

Houdini asked what his worry was.

“Well, the fact is sir,” he said, “there are a couple of men on this train who are out to scrounge some rather important papers from me. They are in the next carriage but one to this, and ever since we left Liverpool I have been expecting them to make the trip along the footboard and risk their arm. I’m a bit of an inventor, sir, and ever since I came out of hospital I have been working on an idea concerning a new shuttle which, I feel confident, will revolutionize the weaving industry. Last week I perfected it, and in a week and childish moment before I had got the idea patented. I showed it some friends, who brought one of these aforesaid scoundrels along with them. Ever since that day, this fellow has been working, making plans of my invention, but he had not yet finished. He knows that I have my plans in my pocket now, and that I am on my way to London to get the idea patented. His plans—or, rather, the copy of mine—are not ready, and I know jolly well that he is out to prevent these plans of mine reaching the Patent Office before his, and that he will go to any length to scotch me.”

“My name is Houdini, perhaps you have heard of it. I used to be rather well known in Liverpool. An any rate, I once broke out of the Bridewell there, and mixed up a few prisoners for them, and if you care to trust me, I will guarantee that your plans will arrive safely at the Patent Office tomorrow morning.”

Dane handed the plans over to Houdini.

Houdini told Dane: “At Leicester, I’m going to leave you, but there’s no need for you to be alarmed. I shall be staying at the Contour Hotel in London, and if we should get separated on the way south look me up tomorrow morning, and I’ll have the plans safe and sound for you to take along to the Patent Office.”

The train slid into the Leicester station, and Houdini secretly changed carriages.

Five minutes outside of Leicester, Houdini put his head outside the window and saw a man moving along the footboard toward Dane’s compartment.

By the time Houdini made his way to the footboard, there was no trace of the man. When he reached the window of Dane’s carriage he was being attacked, not by one man, but by two.

Houdini quickly joined in the fight and put one man out of action, then the other.

As Houdini turned toward an unconscious Dane, the man Houdini knocked out first recovered sufficiently to take a steel bar to Houdini’s skull.

“Neither of em’ are dead!” was the first words Houdini heard on recovering consciousness. Bending over Houdini was a man in uniform who told him he didn’t know what happened but that they were in St. Pancras Station. Dane was still unconscious and there was no sign of the other men.

Houdini and Dane were helped into a taxi that took them to a hotel, where a doctor was sent for.

Eventually they both recovered enough to have a conversation.

Dane told Houdini, “They got the plans after all. I saw them searching your pockets before they whacked me on the head again.”

Houdini smiled, and told him to have the hotel servant deliver his correspondence, which included a large envelope.

“That envelope contains your plans. Better just look and see that they are intact. I thought the post would be safer than my pocket, so I addressed the envelope at Leicester and dropped it into the box. Everything all right?”

“I do wish I had a brain!” was all the comment Dane made.