Category Archives: The Grim Game

Number 46 of top movies in 1919

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Houdini The Movie Star Back Cover46. The Grim Game

Year:1919,Director:Irvin Willat
Cast:Tully Marshall, Arthur Hoyt, Thomas Jefferson, Harry Houdini, Ann Forrest, Augustus Phillips

According to movielist,

The Grim Game comes in at number 46 of top 50 movies in 1919:

The Grim Game comes in at number 4 of top 8 Irvin Willat (Director) movies:

The Grim Game does not make the top 50 Tully Marshall (Actor) Movies:

•             http://www.movieslist.in/actor-actress/tully-marshall/films#

The Grim Game comes in at number 34 of top 50 Arthur Hoyt (Actor) movies:

The Grim Game comes in at number 7 of top Thomas Jefferson (Actor) movies:

•             http://www.movieslist.in/actor-actress/thomas-jefferson/films#

And The Grim Game comes in at number 1 of top Harry Houdini movies according to Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence.

What is Houdini’s Greatest Stunt on Screen?

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Care to take a guess?

1920 03 20 The Picture Show Image 1

During an half an hour interview, Houdini was asked the following question:

WHAT do you consider the greatest stunt you have done for the screen?

“ Another incident in the same picture,” answered Houdini.

“ I stood in the archway of a prison, thus –“ Here he took up a crouching position, in the corner of the room, and enacted the whole thing for my benefit.  “ A heavily loaded jerry, going at twenty-two or -four miles an hour rolled by me.  I threw myself on the ground, completely rolling over between the fast revolving fore and hind wheels over and over, till I caught the transmission bar, and hung there for very dear life! Thus was I carried to the aid of the heroine.  Though my words may not convey very much, this was my greatest stunt.  It allowed of no rehearsals – I said to the camera-man, ‘Get this now or never!’  And had I made the slightest false move I should have been crippled for life, if not killed ”.  [The Picture Show, March 20, 1920 p19]

Here is another account of the incident.

Here is another great stunt from the Grim Game.

Related:

The Prison/Truck stunt(s) sound amazing, as does the Strait-Jacket/Awning/Wall stunt(s). For me, I need to see the movie to decide which one is the greatest stunt.

Special Thanks to Bill Mullins who shared with me the “Half-An-Hour with Houdini” Interview and photo from The Picture Show Magazine.

1920 Kinema Comic Insert

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1920 Kinema Comic InsertThis is a large paper insert issue given away with comics.  It measures 212mm x 103mm.

The writing at the bottom of the card reads:

Paramount-Artcraft
Presented with No. 3 of the Kinema Comic, May 8th, 1920.
HOUDINI
The Handcuff King

Note: Paramount-Artcraft was the picture company that made “The Grim Game”.  The Handcuff King image on the card is from still L302-55:

HHCE L302-55 11x14

According to Arthur Moses, the British Boys weekly “The Kinema Comic” ran a serial “The Amazing Exploits of Houdini” (“Written by Houdini Himself” – or so it says) and always began on page 6 and continued on to others.  These were tales of pure fiction with maybe 2% fact thrown in. The weekly serials began with the v1n1 April 24, 1920 issue.

Harold Kellock says in his book “Houdini His Life-Story” (1928) that “The Kinema Comic” serial ran for seven years.

2005-09-007

An Amazing Magical Work of Art

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The following amazing magical work of art that was estimated to sell between $1,200/$1,500 just sold yesterday at Potter & Potter Auctions for the starting bid of $600.00.  Congratulations to the winner.  BTW, I was the winner.

Houdini Grim Game Limited Edition 1 of 10

366. Houdini, Harry. Grim Game Dimensional Giclée Print. American, 2006. By Dave Avanzino. Number 1 from a signed and numbered edition of 10. Recreating a three-dimensional version of the color lithograph advertising Houdini’s silent film, The Grim Game. Handsomely framed to an overall size of 18 ¼ x 24 ¼”. Signed and numbered by the artist. Fine condition.

This artwork originally debuted at the Los Angeles Conference on Magic History in November of 2007 with remaining pieces offered to the rest of the magic community via ads in magic magazines like Genii (e.g., Vol 71 Issue 3 and 5). The listing price in the ads was $1200 each.

Mixed Media and famed Disney Artist David Avanzino used this beautiful rich piece to create a unique dimensional scene where the characters seem to come alive and float in space.  Each element has been hand cut by the artist and, after painting the edges of each piece, he assembled them in a shadow box of amazing dimensionality.

The classic poster image was reproduced from the library of Nielson Magic Posters with their permission.  All of their posters are scanned directly on 1:1 proportion from the original.

Houdini in “The Grim Game” – aka Houdini Believes in Reincarnation (Ad 4 of 4)

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Yesterday, I posted ad 3 of 4 from page 5 of a local newspaper in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Here is ad number 4:

Fort Wayne Indiana 19 Oct 1919 Ad 4Double-click image above to enlarge for easier reading..

For More Information on Houdini’s beliefs in reincarnation, I recommend the following:

4 Days Starting Today – Something New Under the Sun (Ad 1 of 4)

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On this day, October 19, 1919, The Grim Game appeared at the Strand in Fort Wayne, Indiana

Fort Wayne Indiana 19 Oct 1919 Ad 1

This is just one of 4 ads that appeared on page 5 of the local newspaper Ninety Four Years ago.

I will share the rest of the ads in the coming days. Below are the titles for each day:

  • 4 Days Starting Today – Something New Under the Sun (Ad 1 of 4)
  • Many Film Thrills at the Strand – Houdini in the Grim Game (Ad 2 of 4)
  • A Rhyme Dedicated to Houdini the Wonder Man – The Grim Game Houdini (Ad 3 of 4)
  • Houdini in “The Grim Game” – aka Houdini Believes in Reincarnation (Ad 4 of 4)