Back in 2017, five of the six 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)

Each featured Spectacular Houdini Feats and original artwork by James Barkly. At the time, we didn’t know what the number 6 (DM-73306) calendar was, but we do now.

It is for the The Daring Underwater Escape from a Nailed Packing Box and covers the month of November and December.
Stuart Pharmaceutical’s also created six 1978 Houdini calendars, of which five ot them I will be sharing at later dates; the September/October 1978 calendar still alludes me.

There were two Houdini items (Lot #260 and Lot#267) that I had my eye in in the July 12-13 Haversat & Ewing Howie Schwarzman Auction Part II.

Lot# 260 [Price Realized $1,925,00] :

Laurel Canyon, California. Bess Houdini writes in her hand: My home on Lookout Mountain, Laurel Canyon, Hollywood, Calif. Very rare! [Estimate $125-150]

Note: This is also the home that Houdini may have stayed in when he came to California in 1919 to film, The Grim Game.

Lot #267 [Price Realized $460.00]:

Small scrapbook with clipping mostly pertaining to Houdini. Other articles on Blackstone and Kellar. two dozen pages along with many additional blank pages.

[Estimate $80-100]

Note: The scrapbook contains an original 1925 Parson’s Theatre Program

I am not surprised that both items went for way more than their estimate.

Congratulations to winner(s).

Related:

• Parson’s Theatre Program 1925 Original?
• Lookout Mountain in Laurel Canyon
• LINK: Inside the Houdini Estate

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 “Out of The Sky” found in the June 5 1920 v1 n7 issue:

One moment the plane was gliding smoothly on its journey, and the next it appeared to take a decided list and to wobble anywhere, with a peculiar fancy for a spiral dive.

Houdini climbed out of the passenger seat with a jack knife and a pair of pliers. He began to move forward slowly until he reached the damaged section. He hacked away at the woodwork, ripped the canvas, and then cut the whole section free of the wires. At the end of five minutes he had finished the job and watched the damaged part go sailing down to earth.

The pilot yelled: The balance! The balance!

Houdini moved toward the extreme edge of the plane, testing each inch as he went in the manner of a child on a see-saw. An equal balance was not achieved until he passed the place beneath where he had cut the damage away. The machine gradually righted itself and was able to land.

On their way to London, they landed somewhere between the border country of England and Wales. The countryside was particularly desolate. Not a house of any sort within view.

The pilot’s nerves were considerably shaken. For a long time, he remained in his seat, recovering from the strain of the landing.

Houdini crossed over to the pilot, who thanked Houdini for saving him.

Houdini and the pilot were interrupted by a clatter of hoofs on the hard ground, and the next moment a youngster on a pony swept round the end of the machine and asked if he could help anyway.

Houdini asked if he could direct them to the nearest house or railway station.

The youngster not more than sixteen years of age, directed them to his brother’s house. The youngster couldn’t accompany them, because there was a bit of trouble and he needed to stay on look-out. He would keep an eye on the machine and catch up with them later.

After thanking the youngster, Houdini helped the pilot from his seat and they walked to the farm house where they met the older brother and sister, who insisted they have a meal and spend the night.

During the meal, they learned that the older brother had been a major in the Army and on retiring had bought a stud farm from a widow who had been unable to carry on with it after her husband’s death.

Houdini asked about the trouble that the younger brother had mentioned. The major mentioned that the people in the district regard him in the light of an interloping foreigner. Somewhere at the back of their minds they believe that he did the widow wrong, but that is not the case.  The widow could not carry on, and advertised the place for sale, and he bought it at her price and is making it pay. That morning he got an anonymous letter, telling him that unless he makes preparations to leave the place, his ponies would be wiped out. It means that the youngster and his older brother have to be up and out all night. After hearing this, Houdini volunteered to be out all night, too.

Before setting out for the stables, Houdini procured a small quantity of flour and a white sheet.

They set out across a huge plain. It was decided to prowl about separately, and if anything should happen, they would call one another by firing a shot in the air.

It was a lonely job. There was no moon out, and the night, consequently, was pitch black. Houdini’s animal trotted along at a nice comfortable pace for about an hour, when suddenly he stopped and planted himself firmly on his four legs. They were at the top of a hill, and not fifty yards away was the damaged plane.

All of a sudden, a shot rang out on the clear night air, it was the signal. Stopping by the aeroplane had given Houdini an idea.

Carrying the sheet and the flour with him, Houdini rushed across the machine and threw them into the driver’s seat. He turned the nose of the aeroplane in the direction from whence the sounds had come and pushed the machine towards the slope, which was steep enough to carry her down. When the speed was sufficient, he jumped aboard and rigged himself has a ghost.

Houdini made a beautiful-staged entrance. The machine ran down the slope across the little valley, and came to stop a few yards on the other side.

Peeping over the side, Houdini discovered that he was in the midst of a crowd of about twenty men. Some were mounted, and other were on foot. On seeing them, Houdini rose to his full height and raised his arms above his head. Then, without uttering a sound, climbed from the pilot’s pit and walked with a stately tread along the broken plane. Every eye was on him.  They all stood still as if petrified or in fright.

Then, as Houdini came nearer, there was a stampede, as you heard flying hoofs and feet running away in fear.

Houdini then laughed out loud and removed the sheet from his shoulders.

In 1950, Film Producers, Inc was going to make a Houdini Pic. They commissioned a 150-page screenplay (June 25, 1950) by Stephen Longstreet which led to a 172-page screenplay by Endre Bohem and Hilda Gordon (August 29, 1950).

Below is a summary of the 172-page screenplay:

It is Halloween in New York City and the year is 1927 – the first anniversary of the Great Houdini ‘s death. In accordance with his instructions, a group assembles in a bare room of his house on 113^th Street to conduct a séance in the hopes that Harry Houdini can return to them. Among them are Bess, his attractive beloved wife, in her middle forties; Roy, sixty, his manager; Tony, fifty, his best friend; Dr. Jamieson and Dr. Schaeffer, scientists; Joe Quinn, a reporter. A sealed envelope left by Houdini is opened and read by Tony. Houdini promises to come back tonight if he can, and to help him he wants his friends to concentrate on him. Each of them has a different thing to remember. Tony will remember him as a child, when he was still little Ehrich Weiss…

Ehrich is only thirteen when he astounds his pal Tony and their school teacher by mysteriously getting out of a locked classroom where he is supposed to remain as punishment for not paying attention. Ehrich then runs off to the carnival grounds where he accepts the challenge of Roy and Stella Comstock, a young couple performing cycling and magic stunts, to duplicate the great needle trick. Ehrich is bound, suspended head first and picks up the needle with his eye-lid. Roy is impressed and offers Ehrich a job, but the boy insists on having his five dollars instead. With it Ehrich buys a coveted Chinese puzzle lock from the junkman and exasperates Mama Weiss and Tony with the long hours he spends before he finally opens it. Mama is a pleasant, careworn woman, who resignedly realizes that her beloved Ehrich is a problem boy who may spend all his life trying to find the answers to mysteries…

By the time Ehrich is in his early twenties, he is performing as a magician with Roy and Stella Comstock and gets billing as “The Great Houdini.” During a show at a high school auditorium, Houdini selects the pretty, eager Bess Rahner from the audience to assist him. A pebble from a small boy’s slingshot breaks the beaker of chemical water and ruins Bess’s dress, but this give Houdini an excuse to make amends and see Bess again. Despite the opposition of Bess’s stern mother, a romance develops between them and leads to an early marriage, which alienates Bess and her mother. Mama Weiss, however is very pleased that her son has found as pretty and sweet a girl as Roy’s Stella…

Bess’s first appearance at a third-rate theater as Houdini’s assistant finds her frightened, and angry with Houdini for making her wear tights, but his glib patter and sensational feats of magic overcome her fear, and afterwards he kids her out of her anger…

Houdini constantly practices new stunts and escape routines, and hoping to get into big-time vaudeville, he and Bess go to Detroit with Roy and Stella for an audition. They are booked, but when Houdini tries to escape from a strait-jacket, he finds he hasn’t yet mastered it and as a result they all lose their jobs. To get fare back to New York, Houdini performs a daring stunt by being handcuffed, leg-ironed and weighted, then diving through a hole in the ice into the Detroit River. Bess, Stella and Roy, in the waiting crowd, become panicky when Houdini fails to come up. Roy is on the point of going after him, when Houdini at last emerges triumphantly, having located the hole in the ice barely in time. This stunt is highly publicized by Joe Quinn, a young newspaperman, and as a result Houdini accepts a lucrative offer from the Orpheum Circuit and hires Joe as his press agent. Realizing he will be doing daring stunts for the rest of this life, Houdini feels it’s wrong to ask Bess to face the torture of having to stand by and wait and never be sure he’ll emerge alive, but Bess shares his confidence in himself as well as returning his love and she insists on sticking with him…

Houdini becomes well-known as an escape artist. When he appears at the Palace Theater in Pittsburgh, Tony, Mama Weiss and Mrs. Rahner, Bess’s mother whom Mama has as last gotten to accept her daughter’s marriage, are in the audience. Houdini escapes from an ancient Chinese water-torture chamber, but in the process his ankle is broken. Tony, who is studying medicine, tries to make Houdini take proper care of his ankle, but Houdini insists on keeping his engagements in New York…

Houdini confounds the N.Y. police by escaping from a locked cell in the Tombs. Then, although his ankle is still in a cast, Houdini, dangling head downward and supported by ropes, works himself out of a strait-jacket, has he is lowered from a building in Times Square…

Photo courtesy of Fred Pittella

On tour across the country with Bess, Houdini continues to perform more and more spectacular escape stunts and he becomes famous for them and for his showmanship. When he learns that Stella has been injured during the performance of her and Roy’s bicycle act, he talks them into going to London to look over the act of a Harvey Houdini who claims that Houdini is imitating him. Houdini wants Roy to set up a way for him to debunk the phony. Meanwhile, Houdini buys a home for Bess in New York, and has Mama Weiss and Mrs. Rahner get it in shape so they can move into it when they return from England. Before they go, Houdini performs an escape feat for an assemblage of Boy Scouts in which he is tied to a stake from which he has to free himself before a ring of fire envelops him. It very nearly leads to his being burned to death since kerosene has been used on the fire. Afterwards Tony, now a doctor, warns Houdini that he must give his body a chance to recover from the many beatings he’s been giving it. Houdini refuses to do so, but insists that Tony go abroad with him and Bess to be on hand for occasional checkups.

Aboard ship, Houdini and Bess amuse the passengers by conducting a séance, but it disturbs Houdini when one of his guests, a Dr. Schaeffer, insists on taking the supposed message from his dead son seriously…

In London, Houdini cleverly debunks the trickery of the phony Houdini, making the latter a laughingstock to the audience…

Houdini captivates Europe with his fantastic feats, but in Paris he has a narrow escape from a trickily locked safe when an attendant tampers with the lock…

In Russia, the Secret Police are furious when Houdini pulls off the impossible feat of escaping from a large safe-like metal box-car. Celebrating afterwards with Bess, Stella and Roy at a nightclub, Houdini witnesses Hindu Ramandra’s endurance test of remaining locked in an air-tight coffin for eighteen minutes. Houdini determines to do the stunt the next night and remain inside twice that long, despite Bess’s apprehension. However, Houdini doesn’t get to perform this feat, for the critical illness of his mother sends them all hurrying back to New York.

Mama Weiss dies before Houdini gets there, and he becomes haunted by a fragmentary message to him which she was unable to complete – a message about something he should know about. Houdini feels that it may be possible to contact Mama and with the worried and understanding Bess, he investigates the possibilities through various mediums, all of whom he finds to be fakes. He discovers that Dr. Shaeffer is being duped by these phonies, and he launches a crusade to expose them, giving lectures and staging exposes, with Bess’s help. A Dr. Jamieson, head of a psychological foundation, enlists Houdini’s aid in exposing the famous Angelus Sisters, which Houdini does by duplicating their supposed spiritual phenomena by mechanical means. But this whole business seems to depress Houdini and to get him interested in his former feats, Roy gets Ramandra to challenge him. At the Hippodrome Theatre, Houdini astounds the world by remaining in a sealed, airtight glass casket for an hour and thirty-one minutes. However, afterwards, Houdini seems like a changed, broken man, and Bess becomes frantic with worry because she can’t seem to reach him at all. She is very apprehensive when several months later, Houdini insists on being locked in a sealed casket and buried in a grave. When he remains inside for three and half hours, Bess suffers agony, but at last, he frees himself and, like a frightening apparition, emerges from the earth…

Bess thinks it a miracle that Houdini is now his cheerful self, and he asks her forgiveness for having had to undergo this experiment which he hoped would put him in touch with his mother. While it failed, he feels that perhaps after his death, he may be able to contact Bess…

And so, a year after the death of the Great Houdini, Bess and his friends are assembled in the hope that Houdini will return. They sit in expectant silence with Bess nervously playing with Houdini’s Chinese puzzle lock, which she’s always carried for good luck. They wait many minutes past the scheduled time, and then Bess suddenly is elated to discover that the puzzle lock, which no one has ever opened except Houdini, is now open. She took tenderly at Houdini’s photograph and it is almost as if he were smiling…

Credits:

• Summary Snippets courtesy of Paramount Files at Margaret Herrick Library

Related:

• THE GREAT HOUDINI Sequence A
• Another Ending to the Tony Curtis Houdini Movie

Although there is no real evidence to support this claim, Houdini’s sister Gladys once stated that Houdini/Ehrich was named after an infant son [born April 6th, 1873?] who died through a fall.

That said, John Cox wrote a wild blog post, The Houdini Earth birth year conundrum, that suggested Houdini believed he was born in 1873 until he discovered his true birth year [1874] during his weekend visit to Budapest with his mother in 1901. John speculates:

Having discovered the truth in 1901, Houdini recorded his real birth year in official records. But for the public record, one that his mother might read, it remained 1873 for HER. Tellingly, the 1914 edition of his pitchbook [The Life, History and Handcuff Secrets of Houdini pitchbook], published after her death, his birth year is updated [from 1873] to 1874.

So, after Houdini’s mother died, that was the end of 1873 or was it. Well, I just recently acquired Houdini’s Book of Magic and Party Pastimes (Copyright 1927, by Beatrice Houdini, Executrix of the Estate of Harry Houdini), where it surfaced again:

I wonder where the publishers got their source for the date and brief story of his extraordinary life?  Obviously, not from Bess?

Happy Father’s Day!  And special congrats to my son, who just became a father to my grandson that the hospital nurses nicknamed “Little Houdini”.

Related:

• Houdini was a twin?
• Houdini’s Book of Magic times three

During my visit to the McCord Museum, I was fortunate enough to have read a compilation (April 24, 1920 v1 n1 to June 5^th 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 “The Bride & The Orangutan” found in the April 24 1920 v1 n1 issue:

A car on the wrong-side of the road with blinding headlights is bearing down on Houdini, as he jumps up in the air and lands on the hood of the vehicle. The driver who appeared to be up to no good, yells that he can’t stop and that Houdini will have to jump for it. Houdini climbs over the short door of the driver’s compartment and grips the man around the throat, but is confronted by another man with a gun. Houdini gets the driver’s body between him and the gun and discovers the man holding it was not the only occupant in the cab. With him was another man and girl. After a struggle, Houdini receives a blow to the head and then is drugged with chloroform.

When Houdini gains consciousness, he is lying on the floor of a room, bound hand and foot. He hears the sound of rushing water, accompanied by the grind of some machinery. He also smells a distasteful odour, that reminds him of his old circus days. But then he hears someone breathing heavily in the opposite corner of the room. He his pleasantly surprised it’s the girl from the car.

She tells Houdini he should not have exposed himself to danger and that now they are both trapped and helpless now.

Houdini rolls over on his side and within thirty seconds he his free. She remarks that not even Houdini could have gotten out of those ropes any quicker that you did.

Houdini lets her know that he is Houdini. She tells him that she is Mary, the third daughter of the Countess of Millingham and this morning is her wedding and she doesn’t see much chance of getting away in time for the ceremony. She has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom by the men that kidnapped her. Three weeks ago, the men wrote to her father, threatening this action on her wedding, unless he paid them a sum of five thousand pounds. Leaving the theatre last night, she got abducted in the car, and then Houdini came to her rescue.

Houdini asks where they are; and Mary replies somewhere in Surry, perhaps thirty miles out of London. WRT building, Mary imagines that it is some vacant mill and ask if Houdini can hear the water-wheel.

After freeing Mary, Houdini starts to walk toward the window as possible means of escape, when suddenly the boards beneath him give way and Houdini feels himself fall. Houdini manages to grasp the side of the floor. Searching for a foothold on the walls of the well, Houdini gradually muscles himself up to the surface of the floor.

The window was no longer an option, which only left one other exit and that was the door. Near the top of the door was a square hole about six inches across, and heavily barred. Houdini hoisted himself up until he could look through and discovered the cause of the peculiar odour. Crouched up against the wall furthest from the door was a huge orangutan that watched Houdini’s every movement.

Taking the ropes that they had been bound in, Houdini used one to tie his keys to the end, lower it through the grill, and by so doing managed to pull it underneath the bottom of the door. A loop was thus formed, which he maneuvered until he had it fastened on the bolt. The door was then easily opened.

The beast sprang forward and into the room toward Houdini’s neck. Houdini jumped to one side and the beast went toppling down to its death as it hit the water wheel.

Houdini took Mary’s hand and together they rushed out the door down the stairs to the car which had very nearly run over Houdini the previous night.

It was 4:30 in the morning and the wedding didn’t start until 11:30. Houdini started the car and off they went to the police station. A squad car went off right away and captured the whole lot in beds.

Mary looked well as a bride.

Tomorrow marks the day that Houdini first performed the Water Torture Cell. It was April 29, 1911 that Houdini performed the escape in South Hampton, as part of a 1 act play with 2 scenes called Challenged or Houdini Upside Down.

So today, I thought I would share the actual challenge from the play:

Dear Sir,

We the undersigned members of the Eccentric Club, hereby challenge you to escape from the aquarium we have in the lounge-room at our clubhouse, into which we intend to place, you, under the following conditions:

First of all, we have constructed a lid or cover, to fit over this aquarium, which separates in the middle, as per drawing herewith:

This cover will be fitted with four locks, such as are used on traveling trunks, with long brass hasps. We intend locking your feet in this cover, after which we place around this cover a metal square so that, even if the locks were opened, you could not possibly release your feet.

On this metal square we will have rings placed and, after we have you securely locked into this cover, we will place two locks in these rings, fastened to a cable and, with the aid of derrick or winch, we will hoist you up into the air, turn you in an upside-down position, and place you over the aquarium.

We will then lower you down into the aquarium, head first. Excluding the possibility of your breathing when under water, we will proceed to lock the lid down to the aquarium at each corner, making use of our locks and as many of these as we see fit.

We will allow you make use of any covering or drapery you wish, and allow you in this way to conceal your methods of escape.

In the event of any accident occurring which will prevent your making your escape, we are not to be held responsible for this accident in any shape or form.

If you manage to release yourself and make your escape, we stand willing to pay the sum of L1,000 which we have deposited as a side-bet. You may attempt this feat either publicly or privately, as you see fit. We demand the right to select our own committee, and you can select a like number of gentlemen to represent you.

Trusting to hear from you, we remain

I find the description of the first Water Torture Cell and cover with a metal square placed around it very interesting.

I wonder what happened to this prototype?

Special Thanks to George Goebel for sharing the play with illustrations during our very special visit.

Note: The one act play and its two scenes can be read in its entirety in Patrick Culliton’s excellent books, Houdini’s Strange Tales (collection of fiction by the legendary Harry Houdini) and Houdini – the Key.

Bonus:A one of a kind broadside for this challenge sold at Potter & Potter Auction yesterday.

I recently have come across two Chicago Footlights Theatre Magazines with Harry Houdini:

• September 1903
• June & July 1904

And thought I would share some snippets.

The first one is Volume 1, Number 3 for September 1903 that I found on eBay. It prints a letter Harry Houdini had written from Moscow, Russia on July 25, 1903.  The Houdini letter appears on page 8 and takes up about 2/3 of a column and is addressed “My Dear Old Pal”. The letter describes the great success “Harry Money Houdini” was having in Russia which he describes as “…the biggest sensation ever made in Russia”. Houdini also reports that he “… had sent more money home from this country in four months, than any other country in ten.”

 

A LETTER FROM MOSCOW, RUSSIA

Follow’s a letter from The Great Houdini. It speaks for itself. He is a wonderful little man and all America wishes him continued success.

Moscow, Russian, July 25, 1903

My Dear Old Pal: Seeing your life’s history in Clipper, also when you were captured and your released put me in mind that it would be proper to drop you a few lines, an as to let you know that we are still in the land of the living, and have managed to keep out of the clutches of the law even up to this late day.

Have made the biggest sensation ever made in Russia and have sent more money home from this country in four months, than from any country in ten.

Why, I do not know but nevertheless it may come in handy some day, when they will refuse to book Harry Money Houdini.

April 27^th, I managed to break out of the M Siberian Transportation Cell, and that is what started the salary list rifling sky high. So you see that even though we are doing the old act, we are doing a new act getting money.

From what I hear from Chicago every once in a while, I hear that you are away up on top!

Am greatly pleased to hear of this, and trust that you will keep the good work up.

…

It may interest you know that I was speaking Russian like a Turk. When I return to America, I think I will open a small Education of Domestic School of Languages for I have had to speak my introductions in no less than eight languages.

Magical news is very scarce, so can’t tell you of anything that would interest you. Will share with kindest regards and best wishes to you and Mrs. In which my Mrs heartily praise, I remain as ever your friend.

H. HOUDINI

My bookings three months ahead so in case you had time drop me a line. Month of September, Circus Carre, Groningen Holland

Month of October, Central Theatre, Dresden Germany, after that we return to England

…

The second one is Volumes 1 & 2 for June & July 1904 that I found at the McCord Museum.

And the article on Harry Houdini appears on page 4 and takes up about 2/3 of a column. The article describes a man who became “successful” and yet “was not too busy to run all the way from New York to Chicago to see his friends and reward his benefactors of other times.”

HARRY HOUDINI

Houdini like a soft summer zephyr off the lake on a torrid day, blew into our sun burnt city, from over the seas, a few days ago, and did as much good, and was the cause of as much joy to many of his old acquaintances, as one should suspect a ministering seraph to do and for a suffering soul about to depart this earthy fever. Success is a mighty fine sensation. All of us can become accustomed to adversity, but few ever learn to bear upon them lightly the mantle of prosperity. Houdini is as natural in the role of a rich man all covered over with success and diamonds as he was in the poor struggling days when together we sold Hostetter’s almanacs for magic books in Mr. Hedge’s museum.

Harry has purchased with the good old coin he made by slipping out of handcuffs, $40,000 worth of New York municipal bonds at 4 per cent, and owns a large flat building in New York which yields him enough to buy ten dollars worth of ham and eggs at every meal for life, no matter how long the strike keeps up. Softly, — Harry sought and found all his old friends who treated him kindly in the bleak hours, and one particularly, who had slipped down the greasy way to uselessness — a good man, intelligent, and at one time a worthy, respectable citizen, but who tried to drink up all the whiskey in Chicago, — (he is too sincere and honest and old man to mention his name, —) Houdini found this old acquaintance who, with tears in his eyes, sobbed out his thanks as he was dressed up in new underwear, shoes, socks, ties, suit, hat, gloves, shirts, —everything,— was given a modest little roll to tide him over and because why, — because he had been kind one day to a hard working man who did tricks for a living and who meant  to succeed and did. All honor to him. We wish he had a bank full of money. Houdini who never called himself “great” but is. Remember the name, Harry Houdini, —an actor—a magician,—a success,—a man. Above all the man who was not too busy to run all the way from New York to Chicago to see his friends and reward his benefactors of other times. Remember his name Harry Houdini,—handcuff king.

Kenneth Silverman published photo (above) of Houdini waving a checkered flag in some auto race [???] in his Notes to Houdini! on page 179.

So where was this photograph taken?

• [A] Worcester, MA
• [B] Montreal, Canada
• [C] Detroit, MI
• [D] None of the above

Let’s explore each of the possible answers.

[A] The caption under the photo in Silverman’s Notes reads as follows:

Inscribed on the back by N.J. Weiss, Houdini’s sister-in-law: “Worcester, Mass, King, driver, last picture of Harry, 1926″.

Well, Houdini performed in Worcester September of 1926, he did the Buried Alive on stage at Worcester Opera House (the week of 9/27), Submerged casket test at YMCA pool (9/28) and Sealed casket test at Summerfield’s (9/30).

So, was there an auto race in town? So far, I haven’t found any evidence. The New England Fair was in town, but it featured horse racing from 9/28 to 9/30.

However, I did find out via an October 7, 1934 photo (above), that the first name of the driver was Bob. [Source: Dirt Track Auto Racing, 1919-1941 A pictorial history by Don Radbruch]

[B] Per an Oct 19, 1926 letter (McCord Museum) addressed to Houdini at Princess Theatre, Montreal:

Would you be interested in an automobile “stunt” for a display ad, to be run by the manufacturer of the motor? It would probably simply mean a picture in [by] the car.

Well, Houdini performed in Montreal from October 18^th to October 23^rd, he got punched (10/22) in dressing room of theatre and left Montreal (10/23) on the 11 pm overnight train (where is appendix burst on the way) to Detroit.

So, was there an auto race in town?  No, apparently the only early racing was in 1917 and 1918 at Deslormiers Park in Montreal. [Source: Don Radbruch]

[C] Per December 2008 Genii Thread, Houdini’s Last Photograph:

The photo was given to niece Marie Blood by Bess Houdini [and] Marie was led to believe it was that final (show) date in Detroit.

Well, Houdini performed that final show, October 24, 1926 at the Garrick Theatre in Detroit. The show was supposed to start at 8:30pm, but didn’t start until about 9pm.

So, was there an auto race in town?  The answer is Yes.  According to the 1926 AAA Championship Car Season Schedule and results, The Detroit 100 was run on October 24^th at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway. But, would Houdini squeeze an appearance at an auto race in his condition before his evening show.

Or is it [D] none of the above. The car has Shenandoah printed on it.

According to Wikipedia:

Oh Shenandoah, the song appears to have originated with Canadian and American voyagers or fur traders traveling down the Missouri River in canoes

Shenandoah is a town in Virginia [hot spot for fairground auto races], but there was also a Shenandoah in other places like New York.

Well, Houdini was in New York from October 10^th to October 17^th. At the time, New York was also a hot spot for fairground auto races. So…?

Conclusion:

All of this said, we still don’t have the smoking gun.

But we did learn about a possible automobile “stunt”, the first name of the driver in the car, and that there was a auto race in Detroit on October 24^th.

For now, we’ll have to go with [A] Worcester, MA, but would like to see some more evidence, besides the inscription on the back of the photo, supposedly written by N.J. Weiss, Houdini’s sister-in-law. I am not aware of a sister-in-law with that name; He had a brother, named Nathaniel Josef Weiss, who married a Sadie Glanz Weiss. Sadie divorced Nathan and married Houdini’s brother Leopold. So was it Nat [brother], Sadie [sister-in-law] or someone else related to Houdini who wrote the inscription on the  photo.

Thoughts?

Related:

• Near Death Photo

Our friends, Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz, of the Houdini Museum in Scranton share the following Houdini News with us:

1) Dorothy Dietrich on Mysteries At The Museum:

• Scared to Death episode airs again on the Travel Channel, Wednesday April 17th at 7pm | 6c

2) Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz on Night-Light with Host Mark Eddy. They discuss the legacy of Houdini which includes his friendship with the T. Nelson Downs, the Daily Mirror Challenge, possible new info (to be revealed at a later date) on how Harry got his name and more.

3) A new Mason Blog with an article on Harry Houdini

• Harry Houdini The Masonic Magician

4) Two part series about a Hopewell man’s (Professor William Dunlop Tait) connection to Harry Houdini. You may recall that Prof. Tait invited Houdini to Lecture on Fraudulent Mediums at McGill and commented that he Looked Deathly at Lecture.

• The Hopewell professor and Houdini’s mysterious death – Part 1
• The Hopewell professor and Houdini’s mysterious death – Part 2 [Note: The photo is from a movie short and not of Harry Houdini performing at the Princess Theatre]