Monthly Archives: December 2019

A Look Back at 2019

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2019 was an amazing year for Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence (HHCE) for a number of reasons.

Celebrated the 100 year anniversary of The Grim Game movie by attending screenings and sharing some incredible ads, photos, and not widely known info about the movie:

Also, shared info about some of his other movies.

Terror Island:

Master Mystery:

Received Joe Posnanski’s new book, “The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini”, which included how I discovered the name of the daily mirror reporter, my current thoughts on how Houdini escaped the mirror cuff, and my research on two other endings to the Tony Curtis movie.

Shared some special posts that included not widely known information about Houdini:

Shared my research on the McGill Lecture:

Shared a number of items from my personal collection:

Shared a number of McCord Museum Collection related posts:

Shared additional information on the Mirror Challenge:

Shared news from Houdini Museum – Scranton:

Ended the year by receiving, studying, and commenting on unpublished Houdini footage to be shared next year.

All of this said, the highlight of 2019 for me, was the discovery of a message from the clouds, the Australian Grim Game Advertising Card, used as a bookmark:

2020 should be another amazing year for Houdini.

Writers Who Knew Houdini

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In looking through some old books in their collection, Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz (D&D) of the Houdini Museum in Scranton came across some thoughts from a couple people who knew Houdini while he was alive, which I think Houdini fans will find fascinating. I know I did.

One is from an agent who booked Houdini and the other one is from a Rabbi who knew Houdini as a child.

So what are you waiting for, Click on over to the link below at D&D Houdini Museum website and check it out for yourself.

Bonus:

Here’s a 5 minute peek behind the curtain at the Houdini Museum in Scranton that I think you will enjoy also.

Two reels of Houdini Film

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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.

Related:

The Amazing Exploits of Houdini – “Stop Thief!”

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During my visit to the McCord Museum, I was fortunate enough to have read a compilation (April 24, 1920 v1 n1 to June 5th 1920 v1 n7) of “The Amazing Exploits of Houdini” found in The Kinema Comic.

  1. The Bride & The Orangutan.
  2. The Jewel Thieves.
  3. “Stop Thief!”
  4. The Gold Melters.
  5. Adventure of the Midland Express.
  6. In The Dead of Night.
  7. Out of The Sky.

Each issue contains a several page serialized fictional story (by-lined by Houdini). This week I share my paraphrased version of “Stop Thief!” found in the May 8 1920 v1 n3 issue:

The hour was late and the London streets empty, when suddenly Houdini was approached by a runner, who flung a bag into his arms, and said:

“Here! Quick! Mother McGinty’s in the Mile End Road, at five o’clock. I’ll take the cops off the scent.”

Then, without the slightest warning, a policeman tackled Houdini.

Houdini told the police who he was and that they got the wrong guy.

“The Handcuff King?”, questioned the inspector laughingly at the station, as he locked Houdini in a cell.

The cell into which Houdini was put presented no difficulties. Years ago he had broken out of the condemned cell in Liverpool Bridewell, and had even exchanged some of the prisoners and placed into different cells in which the authorities had placed them, to the sheer surprise of the governor.

Houdini went to work very quietly on the lock of the cell, and soon had it undone. Then, opening the door quietly, removed his boots and crept quietly along towards the charge-office.

The passage by the side of the counter, which led towards the door appeared to be perfectly clear.

Houdini reached the door of station, took the boots he had been holding in his mouth, put them on, and was on his way to Mother McGinty’s.

It was a little broken-down hardware shop, obviously a receiver’s pace, and Houdini knocked loudly on the door.

The door was opened a few inches, and Houdini asked, “Had he got back?”

The reply was that Jim got back about an hour ago and has been waiting.

Houdini stepped inside the shop and told Jim that he was the one who passed him the sack and mentioned the name of the road.

“Who are you? Jim asked.

“I’m the fellow who got the sack and I’ve had to plant it because the police kept on my track.”

“Oh, where?

“Well, that’s hardly a fair question. Now that I’m in on this outfit, I think I ought to be on a share and share alike basis. Come with me, and I’ll show you where.”

“All right, Jim said. ‘I’ll come with you.”

Houdini saw Jim slip a revolver in his pocket and realized that what he intended to do was to get possession of the sack of valuables, then bolt, leaving Houdini shareless and perhaps lifeless.

They left the shop, and together tramped along the Mile End Road, until Houdini was fortunate enough to get a hold of a taxi returning to the garage.

Houdini explained that they wouldn’t be able to carry that large sack through the streets at this time.

When they were safely in the cab, Houdini gave the driver the address of the police station, and told him to drive straight up to the door and pull up suddenly.

As soon as they pulled up a the police station, Jim suspected the trap, and made a dive for the pocket with the revolver.

Although Houdini was only average height, he was strong and had Jim on the floor of the cab before Jim realized it, and the revolver in his possession.

The rest of the adventure was elementary. With the revolver leveled at his heart. Houdini commanded Jim to walk with him into the station, which he did.

The expression of the inspector’s face when he saw Houdini driving this man into the station was really funny.

Houdini said, “This is the burglar you are looking for, and the man you should have arrested instead of me.

The inspector’s lower jaw dropped as he looked towards the door leading to the cells.

Houdini said, “I know, I told you I was Houdini, but you would not believe me, and I had to demonstrate the fact to you.

A servant from the house which had been burgled identified the man captured as the burglar. Jim got three years, and Houdini was thanked by the judge for the part he played in the capture.

“The Master Mystery” Broadside of Newspaper Reviews

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The Master Mystery (first four episodes) was first shown at a special trade show on November 7, 1918 at the Strand Theatre in New York City.

To honor this special event, I shared the following 1918 Master Mystery Newspaper Reviews on the day they appeared 101 years ago:

And as promised, today, I tie all the reviews together by sharing from my personal collection, this special broadside used to advertise “The Master Mystery” when it first came out: