Continued from Sequence D

The captain has orders to take them to the Commissioner at the border.

The commissioner tells them they won’t be in St Petersburg tomorrow. He has orders to send them to Moscow.

Reluctantly, the group boards a Russian train.

Having arrived in Moscow, the gates open at a command from the Captain and the party marches into the courtyard toward the Chief of Police office.

A group of political prisoners, heavily manacled, are seen standing beside a Carette bound for Siberia.

In the office, the Chief of Police acknowledges the great success Houdini has had in Germany.

A detail of guards holding a very heavy iron box, that looks a little bit like a small safe, walk into the room.

The chief tells Houdini that his Majesty the Czar received this box as a gift from his cousin, the Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany. The box is locked. There is no combination. The Czar has had all his locksmiths make an attempt to open this box, but they have all failed. And the Kaiser suggested that you might be the only one who could open it.  If you open it, the Czar has given orders that you are to deliver the papers that are inside to him personally.

In front of the Czar is Houdini in full dress. Houdini hands him the papers from the safe. The Czar takes the papers, opens them and looks at them. He asks Houdini if he knows what the papers say and Houdini replies, No Your Majesty.

The Czar reads the paper which says, I told you that Houdini could open the box, signed Wilhelm, Kaiser of Germany.

The Czar acknowledges that Houdini has given ample proof of his talent with locks and asks if he can give a demonstration of any other powers.

Houdini asks the members of the court to write out their requests on little slips of paper, one will be selected by a member of the court and Houdini will do whatever is requested.

The request is for the low-tone bells (which haven’t been rung in twenty-five years because there are no ropes leading to them) in the Kremlin to strike the hour of twelve.

Houdini lifts his hands high, and we hear twelve bongs, thanks to Bess good shootin’ eye.

Later that evening, Powers tells Houdini it has been a great night and that they ought to have their answer from Beck by morning. Houdini tells Powers he doesn’t care what Beck says, that he is ready and going back to New York.

Back in the Hotel room, Houdini tells Bess that even though everything he had done was prearranged, he felt like he had great power in his hands to do good or evil.

Houdini then tells Bess he has a present for her. He reaches into his pocket and takes out a medal that the Czar gave to him.

Houdini goes to pin it on Bess, but she tells him to wait and pin it on their son.

To be continued…Sequence F

Continued from Sequence C

The carriage is seen coming up the street toward an arched bridge spanning a canal.

We can see that the water in the canal is completely frozen over. A large group of people are standing on the bridge and on both sides of the canal.

Some men have cut a hole in the ice. On the bridge is a wooden crane-like affair and a block and tackle which is suspended over the hole in the ice.

Houdini dressed in a bathing suit is chained, manacled, placed in a packing box, lowered and with a splash disappears in the hole of ice.

After six minutes, a reporter tells Powers something is wrong and to pull him up.

Powers tells the reporter he is not to do anything until ten minutes pass.

Another reporter tells him it is impossible for him to be living, and a third reporter tells Powers that Houdini has earned himself a nice German funeral and that’s what he is going to tell his editor.

Just as Powers orders the box brought up, Houdini is seen treading water with one hand and waving to the people with the other hand.

Houdini tells Powers that getting out the chains was easy, but when he got out of the box the current had taken him beyond the hole in the ice. Looking for the hole, he discovered the air space between the water and ice and kept taking deep breaths until he eventually found the hole.

Meanwhile, Bess thought Harry had drowned, until she opens the window to the sound of a trumpet and sees Houdini with a smile waving his hand and throwing Bess a kiss.

Later, Houdini is in his dressing room and there is a knock at the door.

In the doorway is a Lieutenant of Police, two officers, and a rival magician, Constantine. They have an order for Houdini’s arrest on the charges of fraud, that he used prepared locks and confederates to aid his escape. The Lieutenant places a pair of handcuffs on Houdini, which Houdini throws on the ground as they walk out the door.

We next see Houdini standing in front of the judges bench in the Kaiser’s courtroom, where the judge asks Houdini if he pleads guilty or not guilty of the charges.

Houdini pleads not guilty, and maintains he does not use prepared locks or the aid of confederates in making his escapes and that he would like his accuser, Constantine, to challenge him to a test so he can proof his innocence.

An attendant sets an arm chair in front of the bench and Constantine begins to chain him to the chair.

Houdini’s only request is that he be left alone in the room. The judge honors the request and has his attendants carry Houdini into a room (with no other door and only a small window high up on the wall), shut the door with two guards standing outside to make sure nobody can get in.  Constantine tells the judge he is satisfied that Houdini can receive no outside aid and that Houdini will be forced to admit defeat and have Constantine liberate him.

Suddenly, you hear Houdini call for Constantine’s help and Constantine walks toward door with a triumphant grin. Powers put his arm around Bess and pats her on the shoulder.

The guard opens the door and Constantine steps in and closes door behind him. Instantly as Constantine gets in the room, there is a sound of noise from inside, the clanking of chains. The lock of the door is turned from inside. There is a the sound of struggle.

The judge orders that the door be opened.  The guards put their shoulders to the door and the door splinters under their strength and the guards are shocked by what they see.

In the chair in which Houdini was chained, is now seated Constantine, pretty heavily manacled and fettered.

The guards come out of the room, holding Constantine in the chair and exhibit him to the judges. There are shrieks of laughter.

Houdini is no where to be found, then suddenly he comes into the courtroom thru another doorway fully dressed and says: Your honor, the defense rests.

Houdini is found not guilty and the case is dismissed.

Newspaper headline reads:

HOUDINI MYSTIFIES COURTROOM! COURT APOLOGIZES TO HOUDINI! KAISER GRANTS HOUDINI AUDIENCE

The Kaiser tells Houdini he has vindicated himself and is always welcome in Germany and if he ever goes to Russia, he would like Houdini to perform for his cousin, The Czar Nicholas.

Houdini gets back to his hotel room to share the news of his Kaiser meeting with Bess and Powers.

Houdini senses something is wrong as Bess hands him a cablegram that his Mother’s dead.

Houdini doesn’t want any more bookings, but Bess tells him he has to go on, that’s what Mama would want.

Next stop – Russia.

To be continued…Sequence  E

…Certificates clearly and unequivocally show two births: one in … 1873; and the other … 1874. (Some medical license has been taken in calling the Houdini’s twins as they were year-apart brothers.) …

Harry and Eric hit the performing circuit early as the “Weiss Brothers.” … They were not well-received as a duo because they looked too much alike.  … The duo act folded, … and from that day, Eric and Harry never appeared in public together. …

both twins answered to the name of Harry. …

Then, on a grievous winter day, at the height of their singular career, the frozen Potomic River proved to be the literal demise of Eric, d.b.a. Harry. … and presumably still hold, the trunk and twin. … Newspapers carried the story of his death. When Harry recovered sufficiently, he fabricated the yarn about surviving in air pockets under the ice…

Harry spent his last years in spiritualistic search, trying to contact his twin— not his mother as was reported…

[See Magic June 1997, Houdini Exposed…How else? By Jerry Foley page 59 for full article]

BTW: Happy Easter and April Fools Day!

Joe M. Notaro Collection

H A P P Y  B I R T H D A Y !

Continued from Sequence B

Houdini, running furiously approaches the station and looks at Bess sitting on their trunk crying.

Bess lets Houdini know that everybody is on the train going to Philadelphia where they are to appear in a performance at the Grand Theatre, a performance and paycheck they will undoubtedly miss.

Houdini sits on the trunk beside her and shows her the handcuffs he picked up in an old shop for six dollars.

The attendant tells them they can’t leave their trunk there and that there aint no train that stops here until tomorrow.

Suddenly there is a whistle from an express train and Houdini runs out on the tracks cuffs himself to the rail.

The train grinds to a screaming halt and the conductor asks if Houdini is trying to kill himself and Houdini replies he just trying to get to Philadelphia.

The conductor tells Houdini to unlock the cuffs and get out of here, but Houdini doesn’t have the key.

The conductor looks at him in silent rage and tries to open the cuffs to no avail.

Houdini tells conductor that if he puts his trunk, wife and himself on the train that he will be out of the cuffs before he can say Philadelphia.

The conductor tells Houdini he’s won and Houdini proceeds to get out of the cuffs under the cover of a handkerchief.

Bess and Houdini are sitting in one of the seats when a porter comes up to them and tells them there is a gentleman in the parlor car who would like to see Houdini.

Bess and Houdini follow the porter into the car and approach Martin Beck, the gentleman who was so amused at Houdini’s stunt on the tracks.

Beck tells that them they are in the wrong line of business, that the theatrical woods are full of best minding reading acts in the world, but the handcuff stunt you just worked on the tracks is valuable if he can do that with cuffs that aren’t prepared.

Houdini tells Beck the cuffs weren’t prepared and he can do it with any cuffs any locks.

Beck motions to a Sherriff sitting in a chair to take out his handcuffs and clamp them on Houdini’s wrists.

Beck puts his handkerchief over them and Houdini makes short of work of them.

Beck tells Houdini to forget about the mind-reading act, that he is going to make Houdini a headliner, and to be in his New York office the next morning at ten o’clock.

The next morning, they meet with Beck who has planned an European tour in which Houdini will be billed as an escape artist, accept challenges and perform miracles of liberation.

Beck informs Houdini, Mr. Powers (who acted as advance man for Sandow and Lillian Russell) is going to act as his manager, travel with them and arrange bookings and publicity.

The next morning, the boat whistle blows and you see Beck, Powers, Bess, Houdini and Mrs. Weiss.

Bess kisses Mrs. Weiss good-bye and then shakes hands with Beck as Houdini crosses over him to his mother.

Houdini kisses his mama and she tells him maybe I won’t be here to welcome you when you come back.

Houdini tells her she certainly will, but she says you never no God’s will.

Houdini tells her that the Old Fellow upstairs better have you here when he gets back or he is going to be mad at him.

Mrs. Weiss tells Houdini not to talk like that.

Houdini reiterates she will be here and that he is going to bring her jewels, silks and beautiful things.

Mrs. Weiss tells Houdini that there is only one thing she wants him to bring and that’s a leather pair of slippers from a little shop boot shop in Hamburg like she used to have when she was a little girl.

Houdini says he will get them and Mrs. Weiss reiterates if anything should happen to her, that he must always feel that she is near him.

Houdini doesn’t answer but kisses her.

To be continued…Sequence  D

Continued from Sequence A:

“PROSPERO THE SECOND”

Bess Riley, a very pretty Irish girl with her two girlfriends make their way down front to watch Prospero The Second’s performance.

Erich Weiss, now Prospero The Second, takes the stage and makes a hat dance off his hat and around the stage and back onto his head.

One of the girls reiterates that he’s got a wire on it.

Erich takes the hat off his head and tosses it toward Bess and her friends and as they try to catch it, the hat gets crushed between them.

Bess looks up at Erich and he tells her it is alright, the important thing is that there are no wires on the hat as Bess nods.

Erich continues his performance and makes an orange tree appear from a seed in full bloom and throws out a couple of the oranges to the audience.

He then tells the audience he is going to put an empty bowl over a bowl with rice and turn the rice into wine, but first he needs someone from the audience to make sure there is no substitution.

Bess joins him on stage and holds the bowl with rice, while Erich sets the empty bowl on top and covers the bowls with a napkin.

Bess hands are shaking and the bowls fall and cover her dress with red wine.

Erich tells the audience the red wine got here a little quicker than expected.

The curtain closes with applause from the audience.

Erich tells her not to worry about the dress or her mother that he would take care of both.

Bess and Erich approach the house in a carriage; Erich rings doorbell and Mrs. Riley opens the door and asks Bess what happened.

Mrs. Riley tells Bess to get inside and slams the door shut on Erich who leaves.

Later, Erich returns to house in an automobile with a new dress and rings door bell and Mrs. Riley answers again and lets him in this time.

Bess looks beautiful in her new dress and Erich gets the okay to take her for a ride in the automobile.

The car bogs down and Erich and Bess walk over to a wooden fence, where Erich lifts her up, sets her on it and puts his arms around her.

The two are in love and Bess kisses Erich.

Erich then remembers he has a show in an hour and helps her off the fence and they go to the car.

They jump start the car and Erich asks if Bess will come see his show tonight.

Bess says she will see it every night from now on.

Later, Erich returns to the house and rings the bell and Bess escorts him.

Waiting for him, is Bess’ father, her brothers Edward and Joseph and her mother.

Mr. Riley asks Erich about wanting to marry his daughter and Erich confirms that he does.

Mr. Riley asks what kind of magician he is and how much money he makes.

Erich takes over the scene and produces a bouquet of flowers which he hands to Bess, offers his gloves to Edward as they magically disappear, and then produces a cigar from Edward’s ear, followed by a producing a lit cigarette for Joseph which Mr. Riley slaps from his hand.

Mr. Riley asks Prospero what is real name is.

He takes a little piece of paper from his pocket, strikes a match and burns the paper. As the others watch he rubs the ashes on the back of his forearm and you slowly see the letters, “W E I S S”.

Mr. Riley thinks he just saw the devil himself, sends Bess to her room, and tells Erich there’s no place for him in the family and tells him to get out.

Erich says goodnight and tells them he hopes the dove of peace will find haven in their home, as he bows and suddenly from the folds of his coat he produces three doves that fly into the house.

Suddenly Bess comes from the side of the house to join Erich.

Erich and Bess get married by the Justice of the Peace.

Erich tells Bess that there are things she doesn’t know about him yet and that she has to swear on her life never to tell anyone no matter what.

Bess swears so help her, God!

Erich tells her that’s not enough, she has to swear on her life and her love for him.

Bess is a little worried and asks if he believes in God.

Erich tells her it is not a case of believing, but that all the things he can do himself are by the power and the will he has.

Bess tells him that God gave him that power.

Erich says he gets the power from working and is not saying there isn’t a God but so far he has been getting along on his own.

Bess swears on her life and love for Erich.

Erich takes Bess to her new home, where Mrs. Weiss is waiting with open arms.

The next morning, Erich tells Bess they have to begin to look for work and that they are going to have the greatest mind-reading act in show business that he learned from Robert Houdin.

Bess asks if Robert Houdin will mind if Erich shares it with her.

Erich says he has been dead for along time and he would like to be a man like him with his reputation and greatness.

Bess asks if they will known as Mr. and Mrs. Prospero?

Erich says no that’s not good and that he was thinking of taking Houdin’s name.

Bess suggests changing the name to Houdini because it sounds better and it really means like Houdin.

Erich thinks about it, and says they will be called The Great Houdinis.

To be continued…Sequence  C

I thought I would start February off by paraphrasing the first sequence (Sequence A) of THE GREAT HOUDINI Original Story and Screen Play by Frank O’Connor and Dore Schary, dated February 1, 1936.

I am fortunate enough to have script no. 1363 from Vanguard Films that was copied Apr 3, 1944 in my possession. It contains eights sequences (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H) which I will try and paraphrase in future posts.

Sequence A:

Its 1896 and Prospero The Great is appearing at the Grand Theatre in New York with an Automata that sees all – knows all – tells all.

Rabbi Weiss is giving Hebrew lessons and is not happy that his 12-year old son Eric missed them again.

Mrs. Weiss asks Sophie to run downstairs to see if she can find him at Hugo Schultz lock shop.

Meanwhile, Eric extends his hands and Hugo clamps the heavy manacles and locks on the little boy’s wrists.

Sophie finds Eric, he escapes the cuffs to the surprise of Hugo, and the two leave the shop but end up stopping in front of the Grand Theatre where there are posters of Prospero and Automata. Only appearance tonight.

Eric gets a handbill and tells Sophie he wants to go tonight.

Eric gets home and his father wants him to promise that he will never go to the lock shop again. Eric doesn’t want to lie so he shakes his head No.

Rabbi Weiss doesn’t say a word but takes the boy by the hand and takes him to the closet in the living room and won’t let him out or have any supper until he gives his word.

Mrs. Weiss convinces Rabbi Weiss that he shouldn’t let the boy stay there on an empty stomach.

Rabbi Weiss agrees that is okay for him to have a roll and butter.

Eric standing in the archway between the dining room and living room overhears everything and says Thanks, Papa.

Rabbi Weiss tells Eric he is going to lock him up again and is to stay there this time.

Eric says No Papa, No lock can hold me. I know all about locks.

Eric is in bed and tells his mother he wants to go to the show tonight.

She tells him he can’t go because he didn’t go to Hebrew class.

Eric is next seen getting out of the window, going down the fire escape, and making his way to the theatre.

Eric does not have the 5 cents in his pocket, but he does have the handbill he picked up earlier.

Eric offers the folded piece of paper to the doorman and tells him he has a very important message for Mr. Prospero. The doorman says he will give it to him.

The doorman is walking toward the stage. Eric, in back of him, slips up to the stage and runs in back of some scenery and observes everything.

Prospero takes the stage and presents his Automata and promises a reward of five hundred dollars to anyone who can prove that the predictions of Automata are produced by any other means than by thought.

The curtain is now down and Prospero presses a little device and the back of the Automata opens. Prospero reaches in and lifts out a legless man, John.

Eric steps on something and there is a loud clatter.  Moments later, Prospero has Eric by the scruff of the neck and wants to know why he is spying on him.

Eric says he wont tell anybody and he doesn’t want the five hundred dollars.

Prospero tells Eric he cuts out little boy’s tongues who tell people his secrets.

Eric calls his bluff, and says if you try it, he will tell everybody what he knows.

Prospero tells Eric he was joking and what can he do for Eric.

Eric says he can give him a job because someday he wants to be a great magician like Prospero.

Prospero agrees if Eric’s parents will let him go, but needs to know within an hour since they are leaving soon.

Mrs. Weiss put her arm around the boy and pulls him close to her and says that she is afraid to let him go into the darkness alone.

Eric reminds her that she always told him to never be afraid.

Mrs. Weiss tells him to say his prayers, write every day, and that she wants him to have some money.

She tries to shake some money out of a little bank on the mantle, but can’t get any out without the key that Eric’s father has.

Eric does something to the lock and in a moment the bank is open.

Mrs. Weiss reminds him that any knowledge he will have was given to him by God and he must never use it for evil.

Eric nods his head, takes a handful of coins, grabs his little bag he had already packed, kisses her quickly and then walks out to join Prospero The Great.

To be continued…Sequence B

I am amazed that other than the two posters above, that there is very little information about this jail escape.

According to Brainy History, Harry Houdini performed at Rembrandt theater Amsterdam on January 12, 1903 and escaped the police station Halvemaansteeg in Amsterdam on January 21, 1903.

Based on the Sphinx Vol 1 No 11 Jan 1903, we know Houdini was at the Rembrandt Theatre, Amsterdam, Holland Jan 1-31.

According to the two posters it was Jan 12, 1903, he escaped police station Halvemaansteeg. Note: One of the posters that lists Jan 12, 1903 at the top, also lists Jan 1902 at the bottom.

Frank Koval Research Diary for 1903 lists Jan 12 based on the poster (depicted on p19). Frank also references a photograph (most likely the basis for the posters) on p21 from the Sidney Radner Collection, which Houdini had written that it was probably taken in 1904. Koval states that Houdini was mistaken and that it was taken in 1903.

However, that photograph appears in The Adventurous Life of a Versatile Artist, with the caption: Houdini as Handcuffed and Manacled by the Dresden (Germany) Police, September 1900. Frank Koval’s Research Diary for 1900 has Houdini in Dresden the month of September and on Sep 20 escaping from cuffs and leg irons before Von Windheim, Germany’s highest police official.

That photograph also appears on German postcards from 1900 and 1902, that sold on eBay. So based on photographic evidence, it appears the image used for the poster(s) was based off an earlier escape in Dresden Germany not Amsterdam Holland.

According to Mahatma February 1903: Harry Houdini has returned from England and is now in Amsterdam, Holland. He broke out of two police cells in one day [no date given] – in a nude condition at that.

And last but not least, Silverman’s only mention is the following sentence on page 93: …escaping nude from an Amsterdam jail cell and conquering unusual bolted cuffs, horseshoe-shaped, that fettered his cross hands. [Source: Nieuwe Winschoter Courant, 23? Jan 1903.] FWIW: Houdini’s hands are not crossed on the Amsterdam poster.

That’s all I got, if you have additional information, please share.

UPDATE:

In the Amsterdam poster, the other nude photo of Houdini in the lower right hand corner is from the 1899 earliest Houdini Nudes that he had in an ad in Mahatma Magazine when he signed with Martin Beck.  The “nudes” were taken by Bushnell company in San Francisco in 1899.

John Cox also covered this picture…

http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2013/10/ebay-auction-dates-first-houdini-nude.html

That said, I believe the main image was taken in Dresden.

Special Thanks to Dorothy Dietrich, Dick Brookz and John Cox for sharing info on the other photo in the lower right hand corner.