Category Archives: Magazine

Cinema Chat Series Part 3 of 3

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Number 42, March 8, 1920 [page 16 and 17]

Below is the text from the ad:

Houdini the handcuff king, who is here seen in pictures from his latest film is one of the highest paid men in vaudeville, and one of the most famous men in the world. He started in life as a locksmith. Soon he learned he could pick any lock. He conceived the idea of going into vaudeville as a handcuff expert. He was instantly successful and toured the world in an act which took the form of escaping from any kind of handcuff with which he had been manacled. Escapes, however, were the least of his many stunts, as a list of some the remarkable things he has done would prove.

As an instance he was once handcuffed, tied and sewn in a canvas sack, and thrown from Eiffel Tower, Paris.  Halfway down Houdini was out of the manacles and the sack and clinging to a parachute.  He was thrown from Brooklyn Bridge locked in a steel safe.  He came up in one minute.  He escaped from a strait jacket whilst suspended head downwards from the “Times” Building, in New York.  He has also escaped from every famous prison in the world including the Tower of London, and the Conciergerie in Paris. So far he has never been successfully challenged on any feat, and we will permit anyone to tie him, nail him in a box or seal him up in glass!

Houdini has appeared before all the crowned heads of Europe.  He has been locked and manacled in practically every prison in America. Before he is manacled he is always stripped and examined carefully for keys, etc.  He has also escaped from time-lock safes.

In his first Paramount-Artcraft picture, The Grim Game, Houdini does practically all the stunts that have made him a world-famous figure, a perpetual mystifier, an entertainer par excellence. His aerial feats in this photo-play will cause one all to gasp, for they are simply extraordinary.

In future blogs, I will attempt to describe the scene, character(s) and actor(s) that are depicted in each picture still from The Grim Game.

See below for related links:

Cinema Chat Series Part 2 of 3

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Number 59, July 5, 1920 [page 19] A message from Houdini, The Handcuff King, to readers of “Cinema Chat”:

14 June 1920

To the Editor of Cinema Chat.

Dear Mr. Editor, –

I thought it might interest your readers to know that I am finishing up my tour in Great Britain.

The six months I have spent here have been, without the question of a doubt, the most successful, artistically and financially, of my theatrical career.

I fly to Paris by aeroplane June 27th, and take a few street scenes there for a tentative picture and fly from Paris to Cherbourg July 2nd, where I catch the Cunard liner Imperator and sail for America.

Shall always be delighted to hear from my admirers.

My kindest regards and best wishes to all friends.

I beg to remain,

Sincerely yours,

Houdini

P.S. – Should you wish to inform your readers, those desiring to write to me can address me c/o Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, 485, Fifth Avenue, New York City.

After reading the letter, I asked myself a few questions:

  • What was Houdini doing in London for 6 months?
  • What tentative picture was he talking about?
  • And was it ever made?

I went to the Houdini Bible, The Career of Eric Weiss by Kenneth Silverman, for answers.

Below are some excerpts from Silverman that I believe answer the mail:

…his time abroad was filled with movie work and long post-poned appearances on the Moss circuit.

Before going abroad, Houdini had reached a major decision. Instead of working for Famous Players-Lasky or another studio, he would produce his own motion pictures. He shot street scenes in London, Edinburgh and Paris for a film about counterfeiting, tentatively called “The Dupe”.

When Houdini returned to America, in mid-July 1920, his attention was fixed on film work.  Over the next eighteen months, in fact, he gave not a single stage performance. As if to make it impossible for himself to turn back, before leaving England he unsentimentally destroyed $25,000 (his figure) worth of illusions he had bought–“never used even a thought.”  And when giving his customary shipboard performance for charity, he had himself billed as “the World Famous Cinema Star.”

Although he had brought back street-scenes for a picture about counterfeiting, he also considered making a film version of The Count of Monte Cristo (one of his ten favorite books) or of some tales by Poe (whose grave in Baltimore he photographed).  He dropped these plans, to write the scenario for a movie to be called The Man From Beyond.

I find it amusing that readers of Cinema Chat could address a letter to Houdini; and ironic it was care of Famous Players-Lasky (FPL) Corporation, when he was essentially done with FPL.

Other related links:

Cinema Chat Series Part 1 of 3

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Number 48, April 19, 1920 [cover]

Houdini appeared in a number of ads in the Cinema Chat Magazine.

Part 1 will look at a couple of these ads that appeared in 1920.

Part 2 will look at a message from Houdini The Handcuff King, to readers of Cinema Chat that I think you will enjoy and get a kick out of.

And last  but not least, Part 3 will look at my favorite ad which will include 5 images, 3 of which have not been published since 1920 as far as I know; that’s right I am going to save the best for last; trust me, it will be worth the wait.  Meanwhile enjoy the ads in Part 1.

Number 48, April 19, 1920 [inside cover page] On our cover this week?  Who is it? Why Houdini.  Known throughout the world as the Handcuff King.  Houdini is now playing pictures for the Famous Players-Lasky.

Number 50, May 3, 1920 [page 21] Houdini in a tight fix.  But he gets out of his manacles on the screen as easily as he did on stage.

The Plot Thickens

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The following detailed plot synopsis appeared in the December 6, 1919 issue of The Moving Picture World:

Harvey Hanford, the part played by Houdini in The Grim Game, is a special writer on The Call, who is noted for his nerve and daring in gathering news.  He has an eccentric millionaire uncle who lives with his ward, Mary, and will not let Harvey come near him.  The old man knows that his nephew and his ward are in love with each other, and is opposed to the match.  He is also aware that he is surrounded by three men, any one of whom would profit by his death.  The first is his lawyer, Richard Raver, who has misappropriated some the Cameron funds.  The second is Dr. Tyson, his physician, who expects to marry Mary, heiress to the Cameron millions, when their owner dies.  Clifton Allison, owner and publisher of The Call, is heavily in debt to Cameron, and the old man has threatened several times to drive him to the wall. 

A plan is hit upon by Harvey to work up a big sensation for the paper by getting the old man away secretly and then making it look as if he (Harvey) had murdered his uncle.  After he has been convicted of the crime, Dudley Cameron will be brought back and circumstantial evidence will be given a heavy blow.  The three men agree to this, but each one is determined that the old millionaire shall never return home alive.

The scheme is set in motion and Harvey is arrested for the murder of his uncle.  Then commences a series of Houdini escapes, the last one being a genuine thrill and the most dangerous of the Handcuff King’s career.

While trying to change in midair from one flying machine to another, the two airplanes crash into each other.  This, of course, is an accident, but the camera caught it and also the dive to earth of the machines which followed.  None of the actors in the accident were seriously hurt, and The Grim Game is able to show on the screen an “escape” that is a thriller of thrillers.  The story is brought to a highly satisfactory close, and Harvey and Mary are united.

And is saved by an Awning?

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According to Ruth Brandon and Milbourne Christopher, Houdini frees himself from a strait-jacket, falls into an awning, rolls into the street under the wheels of a moving truck, grasps its underside and rides away:

  • He was captured after a fight and, as one might expect, taken up to the roof of the building, strapped into a strait-jacket and suspended head down over the street below.  (He freed himself, fell into an awning, rolled into the street under the wheels of a moving truck, grasped its underside and rode away). [Ruth Brandon, The Life and Many Deaths of Harry Houdini, page 207]
  • Captured after a fight, Houdini was taken to a rooftop, strapped in a straitjacket and suspended head down over the side.  He released himself, fell into an awning, then dropped to the ground.  Then he rolled under the wheels of a moving truck, grasped the underside and rode away beneath it. [Milbourne Christopher, Houdini The Untold Story, page 163]

 

According to the Paramount Script, Houdini frees himself from a strait-jacket, swings like a pendulum at the end of the rope, catapults his body through a small window; and then scales a wall and disappears over the other side.

According to the Paramount Script, Houdini leaps down into an alley-way and makes a dive under a fast moving truck after he escapes from a jail cell, not after he escapes from the strait-jacket as Ruth Brandon and Milbourne Christopher suggest.

 

So which sequence is correct?

  • (A) Strait-Jacket,  Awning, Truck
  • (B) Strait-Jacket, Window, Wall
  • (C) Jail, Truck
  • (D) B and C
  • (E) None of the above

I believe the answer can be found in the following:

This insert appears to be in chronological order and follows the Paramount Script with the exception, that there is was no scene that mentions an awning in the Paramount Script.

So based on all of the circumstantial evidence, I believe the following:

  • Answer A is incorrect because it includes the Truck and not the Wall
  • Answer B is incorrect because it includes the Window and not the Awning
  • Answer C is correct because it follows Paramount script and chronological insert
  • Answer D is incorrect because B is incorrect
  • Answer E is incorrect because C is correct

That is, I believe that the Awning scene (lobby card L302-75) did happen as part of the strait-jacket escape and appears in the movie.  However, I believe the truck scene happened as part of the jail escape not the strait-jacket escape.

Hopefully, one day I will know for sure.  What do you think?

Double Take

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What is the difference between these ads besides the variation in color?


Each version was the second page of a four-page ad created to promote the original release of the film.  The drawings on each are the same, but the text is quite different.

The first one is the version that appeared in my copy of the MUM Society of Americans Magicians Monthly, New York August 1919. The second one most likely appeared in some magazine as well due to the few staple holes.

Below is the breakdown of the text for comparison.  The text for the first version is in bold and the text for the second version is in italics.

HERE’S HOW IT HAPPENED
YOU READ IT IN THE PAPERS NOW SEE IT IN THE PICTURE!

On June First, 1919, the Associated Press carried from Los Angeles a story of the thrilling aeroplane accident that took place during the filming of “The Grim Game.”
The Associated Press on June 1, carried from Los Angeles a story of the most amazing aeroplane accident that has ever occurred. 

The story of the two planes which crashed together in mid-air and plunged to earth buzzed on the wires to every newspaper in America.
Amazing because no one was hurt, though two machines collided and fell thousands of feet to earth.

You will see the collision in “The Grim Game”.
The accident occurred in the filming of “The Grim Game”

It was an accident, but the camera man had the presence of mind to keep it turning.
The camera man in the third plane was cool-headed enough to keep on turning, though he was sure that the occupants of both machines would be killed.

The drawings on this page show how it happened.
The drawings on this page show what you see in the film. 

Houdini on the rope attempts to descend to the lower plane. 
Houdini prepares to descend to the plane beneath him. He swings off onto the rope.

The camera man was in the third machine.

The lower machine turned its propeller upward – the propellers gnashed together—
The lower plane turns its propeller upward – The propellers gnash together!

The lower plane crashed into the upper one – cutting off a wing –

The two planes, locked and helpless, crashed to earth!
The two planes lock – They plunge to earth!

It’s all in the picture – and lots more! 

The greatest thrill in the greatest thrill picture ever made!
A thrill that can never be duplicated!

 

Note: The third and fourth pages of the four-page ad are the same; And the first page of the four-page ad is the same with the exception that the ad that apprears in the MUM Society of Americans Magicians Monthly, New York August 1919, has one extra line of text added: Endorsed by the Society of American Magicians

S.A.M. Endorses Houdini’s Picture “The Grim Game”

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The Grim Game is endorsed by The Society of American Magicians;  As well as New York Mail, Morning Telegraph, New York Times, New York Tribune, New York American and Harrison Reports:

A special meeting of The Society of American Magicians was held at the Magical Palace, 493 Sixth Avenue, on Thursday evening, August 14th at 8:30 o’clock with President Houdini in the chair.  President Houdini extended invitation to members of S.A.M. present to attend a private exhibition of his latest motion picture production “The Grim Game”, which was eagerly accepted. [MUM New York, August 1919 p 21]

The endorsement was given at a private showing of the picture for the members of the society in New York, which was attended by Houdini, Howard Thurston, Francis E. Werner, G. G. Laurenz, Hardeen, William J. Hilliar and about forty others.  [The Sphinx September 1919, page 162]

After the showing, Mr. Howard Thurston said: “I have always thought Houdini was a great showman, but I expected nothing like this,  It leaves nothing undone.  Houdini may now retire, confident that he has done his greatest work.  It is one of the most wonderful things I have ever seen” [The Sphinx September 1919, page 162]

At the conclusion of Mr Thurston’s speech, Oscar S. Teale, Secretary of the S.A.M. said: “Gentleman, I move that the Society of American Magicians pronounce this picture a glowing success, worthy of highest commendation, and that it go forth as officially endorsed by this society.”  His move was quickly seconded, and the vote was carried unanimously.  [The Sphinx September 1919, page 162]

Lobby Display: The Real Aeroplane used to advertise “The Grim Game”

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When the Princess Theatre of Denver booked “The Grim Game”, T. A. Sullivan, the house’s enterprising manager, looked about for something novel in the way of publicity stunts.

Now the wreck of an aeroplane, a most thrilling and convincing sequence, is one of the film’s notable features, so Mr. Sullivan conceived the idea of getting a real wrecked aeroplane and setting it up in the Princess’ lobby.

He found one, just where we don’t know, and soon had the big machine mounted as you will see by the accompanying illustrations.

There could be no mistaking the fact that the machine had been wrecked.  It looked as if had been through the world war, for it was battered and banged and its paint had long since disappeared.  The crowds which began to collect the moment the machine was exhibited convinced Mr. Sullivan that he had picked a winner, but he did not stop with just showing the frame of the plane.  The big powerful gas motor was carted to the theatre and placed on exhibition also.

The Princess had a crowd of men and women about its lobby every hour of the “The Grim Game’s” showing.

[Motion Picture News November 22, 1919]

The Grim Game Core Experience

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I decided to go for it.  That is, I took a day off from work and drove to the Margaret Herrick Library with the hope of making a future appointment to finally see The Grim Game, Master File 681 Paramount Script Collection and Archive of photos (original stills).

I showed up at the Margaret Herrick Library with a notepad, pencil and driver’s license.  The guard at the front greeted me, took my drivers license and had me fill out some paper-work.  After signing in, he told me to take the elevator to the second floor and check in at the desk.

My heart was pounding as I got off the elevator.  I was given a library card that was good for the day; I was then directed to go discuss my research project with the librarian.

Within moments, the librarian filled out a card for me to see the core collection for The Grim Game and the core collection for Terror Island.

The Grim Game core collection consisted of three envelopes:

Contents of Envelope 1 (1 card)

Contents of Envelope 2 (4 pages)

  • Copy of November 1919, Photoplay article (Page 112 and Page 115)
  • Copy of New School , program notes by Wm. K. Everson, “3/1/1974” (1 page)
  • B&W Copy of Page 19 from MUM Society of Americans Magicians Monthly Magazine August 1919 (Click here to see it in color)

Contents of Envelope 3 (Six stills): The two in bold (298-19 and 298-51), I had never seen before

  • 289-19 (Note:  prod#  is mis-labeled on still, should be 298 not 289)  Harry Houdini and Ann Forrest reading The Daily Call Illustrated Magazine
  • 298-51 (similar to this Library of Congress image) minus the chains and cuffs
  • L302-64 (same as this Lot 271 image that sold at Potter and Potter auction)
  • 298-16 (same as image found in MAGIC April 2001 magazine on page 106) Harry Houdini risks his life to escape by leaping out of moving car
  • 298-53 (same as this Kevin Connolly’s L302-53 image but with 298-53 prod# on it)
  • 298-87 (same as image in Grim Game Press Book  and image in The Adventurous Life of Versatile Artist) Harry Houdini lying down on the top wing of an airplane

 

After reviewing the core files, the librarians showed me how to use the library computers and helped me locate some other references on Houdini.

While I was there reviewing other Houdini references, I also had the opportunity to discuss my research project with Barbara Hall, Special Collections Research Archivist and Faye Thompson, Photograph Department Coordinator.  And schedule an appointment to see The Grim Game, Master File 681 Paramount Script Collection and Archive of photos (original stills).   Stay tuned!