In honor of the 100 Year anniversary of Houdini filming The Grim Game, thought I would share the Original Grim Story for comparison to what is depicted on film.
That is, I plan to compare the 24 page Synopsis (that was intended as a special guide for the scenario writer) and the actual scenario as depicted on the existing print.
I thought I would start by sharing the story from the existing print as described in the Exhibitor’s Press Book:
Well, if you compare the pressbook story and the one-page synopsis, you will notice some differences. Mary Cameron was originally Julie Cameron; Harvey Hanford (HOUDINI) was originally Sterling Steele; Ethel Delmead was originally Natalie Nelson; the two old servants are not part of the original story, nor are any guard(s); HOUDINI is not Cameroon’s nephew in the original story; and there is no references to the Call or any aeroplanes in the original story.
Sterling Steel was the chief police reporter of “The Star”
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At the home of Clifton Allison, owner of the Star, we find Allison, Richard Raver, his attorney, and and Dr. Tyson, who is also a well-know alienist, talking over the coffee and cigars.
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Allison has called the other two together because, through friendship, Raver has succeeded in securing for him a promise of an endowment of half a million dollars for the foundation of the Allison School of Journalism. This fund is to be administered by Allison, with Raver and Tyson as trustees. Cameron has not yet made the gift but is about to do so.
While the meeting is taking place, Julie and Sterling are talking over their plans. Cameron awakes, hobbles out to the porch and discovers the two lovers. Julie is frightened and turns toward her lover when Cameron threatens to disinherit her if he sees Sterling again. Sterling leaves to keep an appointment with Allison to talk over a plan to increase the circulation of the Star.
When Sterling arrives, they stop the discussion and talk over plans for the paper. Because of his fight with Cameron, Steele has thought of a plan which will surely increase circulation. He knows the paper advocates the abandonment of capital punishment.
“What would be the effect,” he asks, “if a man accused himself of committing a crime and all the evidence pointed to his guilt? If, then, it was brought out that the crime was a frame-up that the man had not been murdered, then would not the Star gain great circulation over the sensational crime story and greater circulation and credit though proving the inadequacy of circumstantial evidence and scoring this point in its campaign against capital punishment.
The others listen as he expands the idea. He suggests that Cameron be made to disappear. He knows Tyson’s connection with Cameron, and tells Tyson to order Cameron away to a sanitarium in Maine. He tells them to have someone telephone the police. He will arrange to get caught and confess to making away with Cameron. He will say the body is buried in quick lime in the cellar of Cameron’s own house. The police investigate and they will find some of Cameron’s easily identified jewelry which Raver can supply in the quicklime. They will find blood on Steele’s cuffs, which will really be rabbit’s blood placed there by himself.
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Now—each of the three has his own motives to fall in line with Sterling’s suggestion. They all agree that, with Cameron out of the way, the manipulation of the half million will be easy. Tyson figures that this will give him a good opportunity to win Julie, during the old man’s absence. Raver also has his own private secret plan to double cross Allison and win the love of Natalie,
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Allison suggests that in order to get Cameron to go away it might be a good plan to send a pretty nurse with him. He knows a girl who could fill the part admirably. She is Natalie Nelson of the chorus of Gamorrah Theatre.
He goes to the phone and calls a number which the others overhear, Steele does not pay much attention to it at the time, although later he remembers the incident. Raver hears it and smiles darkly to himself.
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Cameron likes the nurse…Raver gets the check for the endowment and leaves Dr. Tyson with Cameron and Julie. Cameron tells Tyson to watch over Julie while he is gone and Tyson accepts the nomination gladly. While Julie packs her things to go to her Aunts Tyson is making unwelcome love to her and in the cellar we see Raver dropping some of Cameron’s jewels into the quick lime which had been delivered secretly.
Tyson tells Cameron he will send a cab to take him to the station that night. He leaves him his ticket and tells him to meet the nurse at the station where they will take a night train.
At the office of the Star Steel begins to act peculiarly. The city editor notices this as well as the reporters. Steele is playing his part and leaves the office nervously.
Some time later we see Natalie and Raver in Natalie’s apartment. Natalie looks at her watch, then calls the police as pre-arranged. She tells them she had reason to believe that there has been a murder committed at Cameron’s house.
The paper learns from the police blotter and the editor hunts for Steele. Allison who is at the paper shows great surprise. The editor phones Steele’s house. The landlady answers and goes to call Steele. Steele is washing something from the sleeve of a shirt when she finds him.
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Natalie, now alone in her apartment, receives a note which tells her to take the enclosed ticket and the night train for Staggcliff in the Adirondacks, as plans have changed. She will meet her patient there. The note is signed with Dr. Tyson’s name. She crumples the note and leaves to catch her train.
Through the telephone call and an anonymous letter broadly hinting at Steele, he is suspected. The detectives catch him leaving his house. He is accused of the crime and the landlady now suspicious, remembers seeing him washing his cuffs of his shirt.
Steele is arrested. They find the shirt in his closet and it is taken as evidence.
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At her Aunt’s house Julie sees the paper and is very pleased that her lover put his story over.
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Out of curiosity she goes to her guardian’s house. Immediately the detectives detain her. They take her to the cellar where she finds a key which has been overlooked by them.
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To the astounded Julie, Dr. Tyson now declares before the detectives that he has found traces of human remains in the quicklime.
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Julie goes to the jail and tells Steele of the finding of actual human remains in quick lime.
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Left in the lurch by everyone, Sterling now appeals to Julie. “Find Cameron and that nurse, “ he directs.
He also demands that the blood stains be analyzed. They are not human blood, he asserts.
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Julie first goes to Allison, Tyson and Raver…denies everything.
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After she goes, Allison demand the check from Raver and Raver refused to give it up. They quarrel and each is suspicious of the other.
We next see Natalie at the Adirondack Lodge. She has been made a prisoner by “Grumbler” Grimwood, a guide and game warden at the Lodge. Cameron has not shown up at the Lodge. He has really been murdered.
Julie in the city has already learned that her guardian is not at the appointed place in Maine. She realizes that he is dead and begins to believe more strongly in Dr. Tyson and to suspect her own lover.
She does not go to the jail anymore. Steele decided that he must break jail to see her.
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Steele finds Julie and convinces her of his innocence. He then remembers the telephone number which Allison had called. He tells her to trace it.
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While Steele is hiding, Julie locates the apartment of Natalie and uses the key which she found, thus discovering what key it is. She finds the crumpled note signed by Dr. Tyson’s name and thus learns of Staggcliff.
The police follow her from the apartment to where Steele is hiding. Thus Steele is captured after Julie has told him of Adirondack Lodge and that she is going there. The police overhear this and Ravor, Tyson, and Allison hear of it as well, and that the police and Julie know.
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We next see Allison, Raver, and Dr. Tyson each hurrying away. The police have begun to get suspicious. The blood on the shirt has been found to be rabbit’s blood, not human blood.
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Julie arrives at Staggcliff, meets Natalie, who is a prisoner. She tells of entering her apartment and finding the note. Natalie asks her how she got in and Julie shows her the key.
While this is going on, we notice that Raver, Allison and Dr. Tyson, each independent of the other have arrived in the neighborhood of the lodge.
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Natalie is about to tell something when a gloved hand comes in through the door and smothers the kerosene light. A man enters the darkened room and rushes to Natalie’s side. He sees Julie and turns on her savagely. This leaves Natalie to believe that Raver has been caught and she in turns rushes to Julie’s assistance and tries to protect her from the unknown assailant.
Steele alluding his pursuers, is now in the neighborhood of the Lodge. He comes upon an abandoned cabin, enters and provides himself with rubber boots which he steals from the cabin, because in freeing himself from the straightjacket and the rope he was forced to remove his shoes.
Following the corduroy road which leads to the lodge he is suddenly set upon by Grimwood and his men who have had orders to permit no one to enter the Lodge. They overpower Steels and do a spectacular stunt by suspending him from four saplings by ropes.
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Steele releases himself, eludes Grimwood and the others and approaches the Lodge as Julie is battling with unknown assailant. He hears someone coming. Natalie is unconscious, having been struck down by him and he wickedly tosses Julie into a closet, locking the door.
The unknown assailant then seizes a bolo from the wall and hides under a cot.
Steele enters, strikes a match, lights the lamp and throws the burning match on the floor. It drops near the side of the cot and we see the match burn. A hand comes out from under the cot, puts the match out before it sets fire to the floor. Steele know now there is someone under the bed.
As the bolo swings viciously all we see is that it cuts through Steele’s boots.
Steele, however has swung himself to a rafter, leaving his boots on the floor. He hangs by his toes, reaches down and lifts the cot from over the man. He tosses it aside and pounces on the man whom we recognize as Allison.
A terrific fight continues between Allison and Steele. Allison with the bolo is trying to kill his opponent. We next see the detectives who have forced Grimwood and his men to release Tyson and Raver whom they previously seized…They start for the Lodge.
Steele is just overcoming Allison when the detectives, with Raver and Dr. Tyson, followed by Grimwood and his men rush in, with asylum keepers.
Steele rushes to the closet door where Julie is a prisoner and by his strength bursts it down. Raver rushes over to Natalie who is now recovering consciousness.
As Steele frees Julie, Raver tells Natalie of Allison taking the check from him under force.
Natalie, asks Raver to show her his key to her apartment. He does so.
Natalie leaves Raver and rushes to the chief detective. She points toward Allison and accuses him of the crime.
As she is accusing Allison, Julie comes forward and produces the key which she found in the quick lime.
The detective demand that Allison produce the key to Natalie’s apartment, Natalie asserts that there are only two keys – one given by her to Raver, the other to Allison.
She accuses Allison of keeping her a prisoner at Staggcliff, a hunting lodge which he hired for the purpose. Grimwood confirms this.
Julie then shows Tyson the note and asks him to explain it. He swears the note is a forgery and Allison is again confronted.
Caught in the net, Allison is unable to produce the key and cannot deny hiring the Lodge and writing the Tyson note.
Although weakened from a wound he attempts to escape but is overpowered and made prisoner.
The detectives exonerate Steele as Allison breaks down and confesses. Turning to Steele he speaks:
“Circumstantial evidence implicated you – now it frees you.”
As the detectives handcuff Allison and lead him out followed by the crowd, Julie, now happy, turns toward her lover. “You have escaped the death sentence – to be sentenced for life”
Note: This photo is courtesy of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Billy Rose Theatre collection. It was also part of the Houdini Art and Magic exhibition/book.
