2017 was an amazing year for Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence (HHCE) for a number of reasons.

Started the year off by sharing some amazing information about Houdini’s relationship with Hardeen, the Keaton’s, and Hackenschmidt. Included new insight to Coney Island story, additional info on Buster Keaton story, and evidence of Houdini promoting wrestling matches.

Hardeen:

• Down Memory Lane with Hardeen, Magician and Handcuff King, Part 1 of 2
• Down Memory Lane with Hardeen, Magician and Handcuff King, Part 2 of 2

Keatons:

• What’s wrong with description of this photo?
• Mystery of the Medicine Show Photo and its Performers

Hackenschmidt:

• Gotch Defeats Hackenschmidt and turns down Houdini

Shared some thoughts and answers to the following questions:

• Did the death of Houdini’s Father cause Houdini to turn on spiritualists?
• What was the Worst Fix Houdini had ever been in?
  • Part I
  • Part II
• What did Rudy have to do with Houdini’s Last Performance in Montreal?
• Did Harry Houdini write a story titled: Thoughts and feelings of a head cut off
• Bess Houdini’s infamous note in the safety deposit box?
• Houdini’s Secret Vault?
• Houdini’s Connections with the Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity House?

Shared evidence of a second prison cell and Barrel Mystery poster:

• Second Prison Cell and Barrel Mystery Poster

Shared Chef Houdini recipes while honoring Chef Gene, a fellow Houdini Nut, who just got married this year:

• Chef Houdini Recipes

Shared beautiful 1976 Volare Auto brochures and 1977 Pharmaceutical calendar ads of iconic Houdini feats:

• Houdini Volare Rare auto brochures
• The Spectacular Release From the Cannon Wheel
• The Perilous Escape From the “Spanish Maiden”
• The Celebrated Straitjacket Release
• Escape from Prison when Manacled in Handcuffs and Irons

Shared some amazing Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh ads:

• October 1954 releases (programs) of Houdini continued
• October 1954 releases (programs) of Houdini
• Houdini Throwaway?

Shared Houdini’s last week leading up to his death as reported by The Philadelphia Record Newspaper:

• Oct 25th – Houdini is near death with acute appendicitis
• Oct 26th – Physicians despair over condition of Houdini
• Oct 29th – Harry Houdini Suffers Relapse
• Oct 30th – Houdini Slightly Better After Second Operation

Shared some national holiday related posts:

• Veteran’s Day: Houdini Serial to be released on Armistice Day
• Labor Day: Happy Labor Day from the Regent Theatre
• Independence Day: 4th of July Matinee Today!
• Father’s Day: Did the death of Houdini’s Father cause Houdini to turn on spiritualists?
• Memorial Day: Whirlwind of Colors
• Mother’s Day: Happy Mother’s Day !!!
• April Fool’s Day: Houdini and Hardeen are Step-Brothers!!!
• Easter Sunday: Happy Easter from Houdini and his giant rabbit, Rudy

Shared my holiday travels:

• Houdini Walt Disney (US and Brazil Book Editions)
• LINK: How About Some Magic for the Holidays (Houdini in Dayton, Ohio)
• Back to Work on Dec 4th (Houdini in Columbus, Ohio)
• HHCE Unbound in Maui (David Saltman’s Book: Houdini Unbound Espionage in Russia)

Shared news from Houdini Museum – Scranton:

• School of Visual Arts Master of Arts Program with Elane Bryne and Dorothy Dietrich
• LINK: Magicians find camaraderie as interest in stage craft blooms
• Historic Seance to be held at site of Houdini’s first New York home
• Houdini Connection – Potential Economic Impact to Community
• Is the Houdini Museum one of the wierdest?
• Houdini-Opoly Box Top
• HoudiniOpoly Box Bottom
• 3 New HoudiniOpoly pawns announced
• HOUDINI-OPOLY

Last but not least, shared some incredible ads, photos, and not widely known info about Houdini and his movies.

Master Mystery:

• Book The Houdini Serial that was shown 99 years ago
• Houdini Serial to be released on Armistice Day
• Houdini Serial to be released November Fourth
• Houdini Historic Film Footage on Two Tapes
• “The Master Mystery” Give-Away Booklet
• Catchy Novelty Used For Houdini Serial
• See Houdini Escape while underwater on his Birthday!
• Ottawa Manager Uses Horse Race to Boost “The Master Mystery”
• The Master Mystery Book Display Aids Serial Exploitation

Grim Game:

• Houdini the Grim Game Glass Movie Slides
• Silent Film Cards – What do these Ladies have in common?
• Harry Houdini Mysteries & Scandals 1998 Documentary PLUS Grim Game Fragments
• Original Theme Music from The Grim Game
• LINK: L302-26 Grim Game Still in Color

Terror Island:

• HHCE Unbound in Maui
• Silent Film Cards – What do these Ladies have in common?
• Terror Island at the Regent plus more
• Amazing Terror Island Related Photographs Sell at Auction today
• Houdini in Riverside

Man From Beyond:

• Premier of The Man from Beyond
• Review of The Man From Beyond for the UK

Thanks to all the readers out there for your support. And a special thanks to Dick Brookz, Narinder Chadda, John Cox, Dorothy Dietrich, Leo Hevia, and Fred Pittella for your many contributions to this site.

Also would like to give a shout out to my fellow Houdini bloggers for keeping Houdini alive and well in 2017 at their excellent blog sites:

• The Houdini File
• The Magic Detective
• Wild About Harry

2018 should be another amazing year for Houdini.

Spending Holiday time with Family at the Magic Kingdom.

Left: US Edition Right: Brazil ca-1980

Credit: Image Courtesy of Arthur Moses

Dayton Daily News, Dec 11, 1916, page 4

Traveling back 101 years this week to December 1916 in Dayton Ohio, Houdini was one of three performers competing for viewers.

Dayton Daily News, Dec 10, 1916, page 8

Below is a link to a 2016 Dayton News Archive article by Bill Stolz about families seeing a performance during the holidays which has some nice references to Houdini performance at B.F. Keith’s Theatre in 1916.

• How About Some Magic for the Holidays

H A P P Y  H O L I D A Y S ! ! !

Related:

• Back to Work on Dec 4th (Houdini in Columbus, Ohio)

I am back to work on Dec 4th after a vacation that wasn’t long enough.

In 1911, Houdini also returned to work on Dec 4th after a vacation that wasn’t long enough:

“I…am confined to my bed with strict instructions not to move,” he wrote Goldston on November 20, “So I am taking a vacation laying on the broad of back and doing some thinking. I have cancelled a number of weeks, but I will be able to go to work as the hemmorrage [sic] has already stopped, but must give the broken vessel [that burst early in Nov during one of his escapes in Detroit] a chance to heal.”

By November 30, Houdini was walking around. “I am allowed to go to work next week, under the condition that I do not do any strait jackets for several months,” he wrote Dr. Waitt. [Source: The Secret Life of Houdini p269; Image: Collection of Joseph Hanosek]

On Dec 4th, Houdini opened in Columbus, Ohio at the B.F. Keith’s Theatre.

Related:

• Houdini!!! in Columbus, Ohio by Joseph Hanosek