Houdini Breaks Wrist and Ankle (?) filming The Grim Game

Posted on February 9, 2020 by hhce

Last year, as part of the 100 year anniversary of Houdini’s movie, The Grim Game, I did a post on how Houdini broke his wrist and the effect it had on filming.

Still (HHCE collection)

It included Houdini’s own account:

It is unexpected that always happens. Though doing daring stunts thousands of feet above good old Mother Earth, flying in cranky aeroplanes, climbing the outside of buildings, swinging from the top of a swaying flag-staff a hundred feet in the air, leaping on and off heavy motor trucks and the like, I never got a hurt, but from a three-foot fall I again broke my left wrist, not so badly as before, however for then a bone was broken in three places, while this time I escaped with one fracture. This accident has detained me in California longer than expected, but my wrist is now rapidly completing its “knitting work”, and I shall soon be able to give the necessary personal attention to the finishing stunts of the picture and return to New York. [MUM July 1919]

Thought I would follow-up, with a post on how he may have broken his ankle (?) filming.

Three Sheet Poster (The Nielsen Gallery)

According to an M-U-M October 2009 article by Tom Ewing on The Nielsen Gallery Grim Game 3 Sheet Poster:

One final word about the straitjacket escape in The Grim Game. The scene called for Houdini to escape from the jacket, untie his feet, and then drop to the street, where his fall would be broken by a store awning and he would jump to the street. During filming of the street-level segment where he supposedly landed on the awning and jumped to the ground, he fractured his ankle. One must wonder if this injury and the daily abuse he inflicted upon his feet contributed to another ankle injury, this time doing the Water Torture Cell escape in Albany, New York in October, 1926. The stocks shifted or dropped as he was lifted aloft and fractured his ankle. We will never know, but it was the beginning of the end for the daredevil escape artist who died a few weeks later in Detroit on Halloween.

Lobby Card (John Cox Collection)

So, after Houdini shared his account of breaking his wrist from a three-foot-fall [escaping one of the prison cells], he broke his ankle (?) during the strait-jacket stunt.

Latest Paramount Artcraft Feature Ads

Posted on January 26, 2020 by hhce

Previously, I had only been able to locate “Latest Paramount Artcraft ads” that included “The Grim Game”:

Finding one that included “Terror Island” as alluded me until now.

I am so glad to be able to add one with “Terror Island” to my collection and share it, along with “The Grim Game” ones from my collection.

So that you may know, The Grim Game is the best show in town, and I’d like to see “Terror Island” right over again.

Arrange for Houdini to Make Own-Story Features (and be directed by Burton King)

Posted on January 12, 2020 by hhce

While doing some research on Burton King, who first directed Houdini in The Master Mystery (1918), I came across the following Moving Picture World, March 8, 1919 article that I found very interesting.

But wait a minute, shortly after The Master Mystery was released, Lasky approached Houdini with a contract. So looks like Houdini abandoned (postponed) forming an independent production company and signed a deal with Famous Players Lasky (FPL).

Per Variety, in March 1919, Houdini was placed under contract by FPL), for a term beginning in May, (where he did the Grim Game).
Then in September 1919, according to Motion Picture News, he signed a new contract to appear in feature films, starting with Terror Island (TI).

TI did $111,000 in the United States and $54,000 abroad. Probably because of those low grosses Lasky and Paramount decided not to invest any more time or money in Houdini. His contract for further films was not picked up.

What makes the Moving Picture World article particularly interesting, is that appears to be the precursor to what would become the Houdini Picture Corporation (HPC), an independent production company formed “to make feature films with the magician as star” where “Houdini will write his own stories, and will be directed by Burton King.” After FPL broke ties with Houdini following TI, he made two features (The Man From Beyond and Haldane of Secret Service) for the HPC with Burton King as the director.

Two reels of Houdini Film

Posted on December 15, 2019 by hhce

Received the following email from our friends Dick Brookz and Dorothy Dietrich (D&D) at the Houdini Museum in Scranton:

Hi Joe,

Just got 14 minutes of digital Houdini film highly watermarked to protect ownership

.Each reel is about seven minutes

One is Houdini hanging from a bed sheet from a 4 story building, swinging from window to window swinging over to a drain pipe and lowering himself to the ground. It is in broken segments as it was filmed.

The other is various clips we have seen small part of before but these are more lengthy. One lowering a person on a shipment, and kissing Bess, a couple quickies wit Harry Kellar, Houdini taking a bow, the putting him a crate and dumped overboard, him being tied up by a gang of monks, etc.

Any thoughts?

Dick Brookz and Dorothy Dietrich

Without seeing the film clips, my initial thought was that they all sound familiar and that there is a “hanging from a bed sheet” scene in The Man From Beyond (TMFB).

Meanwhile, D&D let the owner know I was an expert on Houdini Films, and got permission for me to review and comment on the two reels.

It turns out, I had seen these two Pathe reels at a Houdini Nuts gathering at the Magic Castle last year, but at the time was not allowed to describe what I saw, nor study the films.

Well, thanks to D&D, and the owner of the footage, I can now share what’s on them.

Here’s a breakdown of the Houdini Footage on Reel 1.

Monk Table Tie Escape (0:00:00)

This is footage of Houdini doing an escape on the set of Haldane of The Secret Service. This is not from the movie itself. The scenario appears to be that he’s being challenged by monks (played by actors and assistants.) This is the same cut footage that has appeared in documentaries. The uncut version shows the full escape and Houdini being raised up on the of the shoulders ecstatic monks.

Houdini, Kellar and Hardeen (0:01:48)

This is familiar footage of Houdini shaking hands with Kellar, and then the two getting into backseat of car driven by Hardeen.

Houdini and Kellar Rope Ties (0.02:15)

This footage (found on Film-Flamming and other documentaries) was shot in front of Dash’s house in Flatbush (where Houdini may have been living at the time). The footage is so clear you can read the address on the porch. Houdini and Kellar are seen taking turns demonstrating rope ties. You also see a shot of Bess with Kellar and Houdini in front of the house. As well as Kellar having fun demonstrating his famous Kellar rope tie escape by having Houdini and Hardeen tie his wrists.

Behind the Scenes filming of The Man From Beyond (0.03:21)

You see Houdini rehearsing a scene on a vessel and then consulting with Burton King about the scene. You also see the famous footage of Bessie “sprucing up” Houdini and getting a little smooch from him.

Master Mystery Packing Case (0.05:02)

This is familiar footage from the Master Mystery movie of Houdini doing a Packing Case escape.

Miscellaneous (0.06:15)

This is familiar footage of Houdini in white bathing suit handcuffed with 4 pairs of handcuffs. You then see Houdini surfacing and resurfacing with the handcuffs, checking to see they got some good shots.

So the footage on Reel 1 has appeared on documentaries and much of it is available on YouTube.

But Reel 2 is a different story.

Scaling a Building (0:00:00)

Houdini is hanging from a bed sheet from a 4 story building, swinging from window to window swinging over to a drain pipe and lowering himself to the ground. It is in broken segments as it was filmed.

(0.00.00) We see Houdini opening the shutters of the top window of a 4 story building and looking around. He then pulls out bed sheet’s tied together and hooks them to the window. Houdini then puts his left leg outside the window and grabs the bed sheet ladder.

(0.00.47) We see the bed sheets hang down to the bottom of the second window. Houdini grabs the bed sheet ladder and starts climbing down. He kicks open the right shutter of the second window below and climbs down grabbing hold of the left shutter. He then swings himself attached to the shutter and bed sheet to the adjacent window where he grabs the right shutter and lets go of the bed sheet ladder. He then swings the right shutter close while grabbing the left shutter.

(0.01:50) We see Houdini holding onto a drain pipe and then dropping to the ground and walking away.

(0.01.59) Similar to (0.01:50) footage.

(0.02:06) We see back of Houdini from the waist down on the drain pipe jumping down and walking away.

(0.02:14) Similar to (0.02.06) footage

(0.02:25) We see back of Houdini’s head and hand on drain pipe looking down before he starts to climb down.

(0.02:30) Similar to (0.02:25) footage

(0.02:41) We see Houdini from the waste up climbing down the drain pipe and jumping down.

(0.02:54) We see most of Houdini climbing down the drain pipe and jumping down and walking away.

(0.03:03) Similar to (0.02:54) footage

(0.03:12) Similar to (0.00:00) footage.

(0.03:52) We see Houdini on adjacent window after he let go of bed sheet ladder and shutter of adjacent window. And then we see him make his way to the next adjacent window shutter and then the drain pipe. He then climbs down the drain pipe pass two stories of windows until he reaches the ground.

(0.05:30) We see Houdini at the top window going down the sheet ladder to window below, swinging over to the adjacent window, and from there swinging over to another adjacent window.

(0.06:36) We see Houdini swinging over to another adjacent window, transfer to drain pipe and then slide down the drain pipe.

So where is this footage from?

The Man From Beyond (TMFB)

This footage is not the one from TMFB, nor is it from The Grim Game (TGG).

Although TMFB had an escape where Houdini freed himself from bedsheets, then used the bedsheets to scale down the building.

And TGG synopsis for the scenario writer had Houdini escaping from a jail, then using the rope of a flag pole from the building to scale down each story; arriving on each window ledge, he cuts off the end of the rope, ties it to he cell bar on the window and lowers himself again. TGG script also had Houdini freeing himself from a strait-jacket, swinging like a pendulum at the end of a rope, catapulting his body through a small window, and then scaling a wall and disappearing over the other edge.

Escaping and scaling buildings definitely was a theme in some of his movies.

And Houdini was also known to do “human fly” stunts.

Per a Wild About Houdini post:

He climbed the exterior of 278 to bring Bess flowers on their anniversary. He performed at least one human fly stunt during his return tour of the UK in 1920, when he climbed to the top of a castle in Newcastle and dangled from a parapet.

Houdini also shot random scenes in London, Edinburgh and Paris for a movie he was going to call The Dupe. Some of that footage was later used in Haldane of the Secret Service. But some footage was never used.

All of this said, this footage on reel 2 has never appeared on any known Houdini movie, nor documentary for that matter. Incredible!

Thoughts?

Special Thanks to D&D and the owner for allowing me to review and comment on this footage.

Aerial Delivery: “A Message From The Clouds” Dodger (Leaflet)

Posted on October 27, 2019 by hhce

“Last week, John Cox and I had the extreme pleasure to be able to share Noel’s story of discovering a rare Australian The Grim Game Premiere Advertising card.

Well, there is more to the story.

Was the card dropped by an aeroplane to filter down onto the streets in Sydney?

We know the card was found in a diary of a road workman, so maybe he found it on the ground.

As we pondered the question, Noel found the following piece of evidence:

Description:

1920 (Sept 27) Melbourne-Longreach-Melbourne #51ba Pals “A Message From The Clouds” advertising leaflet showing the Aeroplane dropped from the Maurice Farman Shorthorn biplane flown by RG Carey on the Herald and Weekly Times promotional flight to the Gulf of Carpentaria, endorsed ‘Dropped from Pals aeroplane Port Melbourne 27/9/20’ on back, Cat $650.

Further research revealed:

Carey’s extensive ‘Message from the Clouds’ promotion records cover War and Peace Loan flyers, Vacuum Oil Company, Wangaratta Woollen Mills, charity and sporting events, various traders’ association shop locally campaigns, Palm and Cubitt brand cars and Velvet Soap. Dodgers (leaflets) were scattered from the plane overhead as a novel marketing device similar to that of towing aerial banners or sky writing objectives today. Mindful of promoting his own aviation and motoring business, Carey periodically included huge captions on his planes such as ‘Carey’s Chickens’, ‘Melbourne Air Service’ or ‘Carey’s Auctions’.

So, A Grim Game “Message From The Clouds” dodger was dropped by a Carey delivery plane, found by a road “workman” and used as a bookmark in a diary…

Incredible!

Thank you again, Noel!!!

Coincidentally, Aerial Delivery, was a boasted feature of “The Daily Call” newspaper in “The Grim Game”. The use of these delivery planes was always part of the script but not the crash that turned out to be a really nice bonus and was incorporated into the script and marketing campaign. It enabled “The Grim Game” to show on the screen and advertise “the only airplane collision in the clouds ever photographed”.

24-Sheet Grim Game Poster found in Australia

Australian The Grim Game Premiere Advertising Card Found

Posted on October 20, 2019 by hhce

I am honored to be able to share Noel’s incredible story about discovering this rare item:

Hi, greetings from Australia,

I got your link from the wildabouthoudini site, and since your site is devoted to this movie I thought you might be interested in this..

I discovered this heavy paper stock card (approx playing card size) advertising what I believe to be the first screening of the movie (possibly in Australia) at the Haymarket Theatre in Sydney, in 1920. Note the personal written movie synopsis in Houdini’s own words, (MESSAGE FROM THE CLOUDS… or at least from an imaginative theatre employee??) and that it is the first opening of the movie ‘TODAY’ on the 12th June.(1920) … I believe this would have been a card/flyer handed out to the public to get them to the cinema (haymarket theatre in Sydney, aka Capitol theatre) ….I literally found this only yesterday by chance in an old diary I had bought at a market about 6 months earlier, and presume it was used as a bookmark or the like, as I was repacking some of my paper ephemera collectibles into plastic tubs, it just fell out as I flicked the pages of the diary/journal of what appears to be diary of a road works workman. This may well be the only copy of this item??

Kind regards Noel

I love Noel’s story, especially the fact that the card was used as a “bookmark” and fell out of the book on its own steam. Noel informed me that the book was destined to be put in a plastic tub along with other ephemera and into storage. So, it could have been years before it came to light again. At first when Noel saw the planes and Houdini, he thought it was a ticket to his flight demonstrations in Australia in 1910, but soon realized it was relating to a movie. Prior to finding this card, Noel had no idea that Houdini was featured in films, but he does now.

And now his incredible find can be enjoyed by others.

Thank You Noel!

Bonus:

Below is an advertisement (The Sydney Morning Herald) for a screening of The Grim Game, June 12th, 1920 at the Haymarket Theatre in Australia.

Update:

Aerial Delivery: “A Message From The Clouds” Dodger (Leaflet)

100 Year Anniversary – B.S. Moss Broadway Theatre Screening

Posted on August 25, 2019 by hhce

One Hundred years ago, The Grim Game made its debut at the B.S. Moss Broadway on August 25^th, 1919.

To celebrate, I am sharing the front and back of a program from the opening:

100 Year Anniversary – Private Showing of The Grim Game In New York

Posted on August 18, 2019 by hhce

One Hundred Years ago, Houdini gave a private showing in NYC.

The following passage is excerpted verbatim, even to the punctuation from a private letter WRT to a private showing of The Grim Game on August 18^th, 1919:

Monday night 8 o’clock shapr [sic] there will be a private show of my latest picture The Grim Game which will be shown only to a few chosen magic friends before the regular trade showing and if you have desire to see same would like to have pleasure of having you attend. Takes place at the production room of Lasky Famous Players offices, 400 [485] Fifth Ave near 42^nd St. Monday August 17^th [Note: Monday was really August 18^th] Tried to get you twice on phone and no answer. Regards sincerely yours Houdini. [The Houdini Code Mystery by William V. Rauscher, page 106]

Note: Koval places the private showing at 485 Fifth Avenue, which was the address of the corporate main office right across from the New York Public Library.

Aug 18 – A private showing of “The Grim Game” is given to Houdini’s chosen friends at the Lasky Famous Players Offices at 485 Fifth Avenue, New York City.

The Society of American Magicians officially endorsed The Grim Game at this private showing:

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

…

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”. At the conclusion of Mr. Thurston’s speech, Oscar S. Teale, Secretary of the S.A.M. said:

“Gentlemen, I move that the Society of American Magicians pronounce the picture a glowing success, worthy of highest commendation, and that it go forth as officially endorsed by this society.”

[The Sphinx, September 1919]

Bonus:

According to a 17 September 1919 New York Clipper article, the Famous Players also had New York City offices at 428 Fifth avenue, 729 Seventh avenue and at 469 Fifth avenue, but at the termination of the leases, the company will use the entire front of the Putman Building [at Forty-Third street and Broadway] for its offices:

Next week:

100 Year Anniversary – B.S. Moss Broadway Theatre Screening

100 Year Anniversary – M U M SAM Monthly

Posted on August 11, 2019 by hhce

This month marks the 100 Year Anniversary of the Society of American Magicians endorsing The Grim Game. To celebrate, thought I would share some interesting things from my personal copy of the Magic—Unity—Might M U M The Society of Americans Magicians Monthly Vol 9 No. 3 New York August 1919.

The first is a photo of Dean Kellar, Wizard of Wizards, Irvin W. Willat, Wizard of the Camera, who directed “The Grim Game”, and Houdini, Wizard of Escape. This picture was taken while Dean Kellar was visiting the studio during the picturization of the great story.