Continued from Sequence E

Powers shakes his head no, when the Manager of the Empress Theatre in Times Square asks if Houdini is here.

Houdini is still at the hospital with his sick kid, which has taken the kick out of all the success he had in New York.

Houdini is leaning up against the wall of the corridor. Bess sits in the little chair next to him. They quickly turn as the door near which they are placed, opens.  Two Doctors come out. These are Doctors Perry and Kahn. Houdini quickly straightens up.

The doctors tell Houdini the baby is very sick and they are doing everything they possibly can and that they should get some rest.

Houdini insists on the truth; Dr. Khan tells him it is out of his hands and he needs a little help (and with that he looks up)

Next, we see Houdini sitting in a cab looking up and saying a prayer:

I don’t know whether YOU’RE up there or not.  They say you are.  I want to believe that. Don’t do anything to my son — If you want, do something to me, but leave him alone — he’s so little.  You’re the top act – the top magician — Open up your bag of tricks – Help my boy. Help him! Please – help him!

Next, we see Houdini is being tied to a board on a buzz saw.

An assistant on the stage pulls a huge lever. There is the sound of the buzz saw turning. In another instant the traveling table, with Houdini bound to it, his head facing the saw, slowly begins to move toward the saw.  There is a distance of about 12 feet from Houdini’s head to the saw.

On the table as he begins to move his arms.  He shakes his head as if trying to fight off something. He’s usually free by now.  The table is much closer to the saw. He is struggling with his bonds.  Again he makes that gesture of shaking something off his mind.

Houdini has freed the upper part of his body and struggling with the bonds around his knees which still hold him fast to the table.  He comes nearer and nearer to the saw then suddenly he gets free just as it would appear as if the saw must strike him. As Houdini frees himself. He half turns his body and we can the saw clip his coat.

After the show, a doorman walks into scene and Houdini asks if he saw the show. The doorman says no and Houdini tells him he missed a great show, death just missed me like that.

The doorman bows his head and tells Houdini he’s got a message from the hospital.

Death didn’t miss Houdini altogether.

Houdini closes his eyes in shock and quickly runs off stage.

Houdini is then seen standing with Bess at the hospital. He holds her close in his arms as she sobs.  In front of them is a small bed.  Houdini is looking at the bed, his face is grief-stricken.

Bess asked why did it have to be that way, she prayed and prayed for some help.

Houdini said he prayed too, for the first time in his life and the last.

To be continued…Sequence G

Continued from Sequence D

The captain has orders to take them to the Commissioner at the border.

The commissioner tells them they won’t be in St Petersburg tomorrow. He has orders to send them to Moscow.

Reluctantly, the group boards a Russian train.

Having arrived in Moscow, the gates open at a command from the Captain and the party marches into the courtyard toward the Chief of Police office.

A group of political prisoners, heavily manacled, are seen standing beside a Carette bound for Siberia.

In the office, the Chief of Police acknowledges the great success Houdini has had in Germany.

A detail of guards holding a very heavy iron box, that looks a little bit like a small safe, walk into the room.

The chief tells Houdini that his Majesty the Czar received this box as a gift from his cousin, the Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany. The box is locked. There is no combination. The Czar has had all his locksmiths make an attempt to open this box, but they have all failed. And the Kaiser suggested that you might be the only one who could open it.  If you open it, the Czar has given orders that you are to deliver the papers that are inside to him personally.

In front of the Czar is Houdini in full dress. Houdini hands him the papers from the safe. The Czar takes the papers, opens them and looks at them. He asks Houdini if he knows what the papers say and Houdini replies, No Your Majesty.

The Czar reads the paper which says, I told you that Houdini could open the box, signed Wilhelm, Kaiser of Germany.

The Czar acknowledges that Houdini has given ample proof of his talent with locks and asks if he can give a demonstration of any other powers.

Houdini asks the members of the court to write out their requests on little slips of paper, one will be selected by a member of the court and Houdini will do whatever is requested.

The request is for the low-tone bells (which haven’t been rung in twenty-five years because there are no ropes leading to them) in the Kremlin to strike the hour of twelve.

Houdini lifts his hands high, and we hear twelve bongs, thanks to Bess good shootin’ eye.

Later that evening, Powers tells Houdini it has been a great night and that they ought to have their answer from Beck by morning. Houdini tells Powers he doesn’t care what Beck says, that he is ready and going back to New York.

Back in the Hotel room, Houdini tells Bess that even though everything he had done was prearranged, he felt like he had great power in his hands to do good or evil.

Houdini then tells Bess he has a present for her. He reaches into his pocket and takes out a medal that the Czar gave to him.

Houdini goes to pin it on Bess, but she tells him to wait and pin it on their son.

To be continued…Sequence F

Continued from Sequence C

The carriage is seen coming up the street toward an arched bridge spanning a canal.

We can see that the water in the canal is completely frozen over. A large group of people are standing on the bridge and on both sides of the canal.

Some men have cut a hole in the ice. On the bridge is a wooden crane-like affair and a block and tackle which is suspended over the hole in the ice.

Houdini dressed in a bathing suit is chained, manacled, placed in a packing box, lowered and with a splash disappears in the hole of ice.

After six minutes, a reporter tells Powers something is wrong and to pull him up.

Powers tells the reporter he is not to do anything until ten minutes pass.

Another reporter tells him it is impossible for him to be living, and a third reporter tells Powers that Houdini has earned himself a nice German funeral and that’s what he is going to tell his editor.

Just as Powers orders the box brought up, Houdini is seen treading water with one hand and waving to the people with the other hand.

Houdini tells Powers that getting out the chains was easy, but when he got out of the box the current had taken him beyond the hole in the ice. Looking for the hole, he discovered the air space between the water and ice and kept taking deep breaths until he eventually found the hole.

Meanwhile, Bess thought Harry had drowned, until she opens the window to the sound of a trumpet and sees Houdini with a smile waving his hand and throwing Bess a kiss.

Later, Houdini is in his dressing room and there is a knock at the door.

In the doorway is a Lieutenant of Police, two officers, and a rival magician, Constantine. They have an order for Houdini’s arrest on the charges of fraud, that he used prepared locks and confederates to aid his escape. The Lieutenant places a pair of handcuffs on Houdini, which Houdini throws on the ground as they walk out the door.

We next see Houdini standing in front of the judges bench in the Kaiser’s courtroom, where the judge asks Houdini if he pleads guilty or not guilty of the charges.

Houdini pleads not guilty, and maintains he does not use prepared locks or the aid of confederates in making his escapes and that he would like his accuser, Constantine, to challenge him to a test so he can proof his innocence.

An attendant sets an arm chair in front of the bench and Constantine begins to chain him to the chair.

Houdini’s only request is that he be left alone in the room. The judge honors the request and has his attendants carry Houdini into a room (with no other door and only a small window high up on the wall), shut the door with two guards standing outside to make sure nobody can get in.  Constantine tells the judge he is satisfied that Houdini can receive no outside aid and that Houdini will be forced to admit defeat and have Constantine liberate him.

Suddenly, you hear Houdini call for Constantine’s help and Constantine walks toward door with a triumphant grin. Powers put his arm around Bess and pats her on the shoulder.

The guard opens the door and Constantine steps in and closes door behind him. Instantly as Constantine gets in the room, there is a sound of noise from inside, the clanking of chains. The lock of the door is turned from inside. There is a the sound of struggle.

The judge orders that the door be opened.  The guards put their shoulders to the door and the door splinters under their strength and the guards are shocked by what they see.

In the chair in which Houdini was chained, is now seated Constantine, pretty heavily manacled and fettered.

The guards come out of the room, holding Constantine in the chair and exhibit him to the judges. There are shrieks of laughter.

Houdini is no where to be found, then suddenly he comes into the courtroom thru another doorway fully dressed and says: Your honor, the defense rests.

Houdini is found not guilty and the case is dismissed.

Newspaper headline reads:

HOUDINI MYSTIFIES COURTROOM! COURT APOLOGIZES TO HOUDINI! KAISER GRANTS HOUDINI AUDIENCE

The Kaiser tells Houdini he has vindicated himself and is always welcome in Germany and if he ever goes to Russia, he would like Houdini to perform for his cousin, The Czar Nicholas.

Houdini gets back to his hotel room to share the news of his Kaiser meeting with Bess and Powers.

Houdini senses something is wrong as Bess hands him a cablegram that his Mother’s dead.

Houdini doesn’t want any more bookings, but Bess tells him he has to go on, that’s what Mama would want.

Next stop – Russia.

To be continued…Sequence  E

…Certificates clearly and unequivocally show two births: one in … 1873; and the other … 1874. (Some medical license has been taken in calling the Houdini’s twins as they were year-apart brothers.) …

Harry and Eric hit the performing circuit early as the “Weiss Brothers.” … They were not well-received as a duo because they looked too much alike.  … The duo act folded, … and from that day, Eric and Harry never appeared in public together. …

both twins answered to the name of Harry. …

Then, on a grievous winter day, at the height of their singular career, the frozen Potomic River proved to be the literal demise of Eric, d.b.a. Harry. … and presumably still hold, the trunk and twin. … Newspapers carried the story of his death. When Harry recovered sufficiently, he fabricated the yarn about surviving in air pockets under the ice…

Harry spent his last years in spiritualistic search, trying to contact his twin— not his mother as was reported…

[See Magic June 1997, Houdini Exposed…How else? By Jerry Foley page 59 for full article]

BTW: Happy Easter and April Fools Day!