I recently went through a Houdini scrapbook compiled by Houdini’s personal friend, Quincy Kilby, and thought I would share items related to his movies in chronological order.
Previously we looked at letters from 1918 and the Master Mystery:
- Movie Related Correspondence with Quincy Kilby – June 14 1918
- Movie Related Correspondence with Quincy Kilby – July 14 1918
- Movie Related Correspondence with Quincy Kilby – October 7th 1918
- Movie Related Correspondence with Quincy Kilby – October 27 1918
- Movie Related Correspondence with Quincy Kilby – November 7 1918
- Movie Related Correspondence with Quincy Kilby – November 14 1918
- Movie Related Correspondence with Quincy Kilby – December 15 1918
Letters from 1919 and The Grim Game:
- Movie Related Correspondence with Quincy Kilby – March 7 1919
- Movie Related Correspondence with Quincy Kilby – April 12 1919 and April 24 1919
- Movie Related Correspondence with Quincy Kilby – May 1919
- Movie Related Correspondence with Quincy Kilby – June 9 1919
- Movie Related Correspondence with Quincy Kilby – June 28 1919
- Movie Related Correspondence with Quincy Kilby – July 12 1919
And now we look at letters from 1919 and Terror Island:
- Movie Related Correspondence with Quincy Kilby – September 10 1919
- Movie Related Correspondence with Quincy Kilby – October 20 1919
- Movie Related Correspondence with Quincy Kilby – November 4 1919
- Movie Related Correspondence with Quincy Kilby – November 16 1919
- Movie Related Correspondence with Quincy Kilby – December 25 and December 30 1919
Today, I share December 25 Letter:
We sail this coming tuesday on the Cunard Liner Mauretiana, we will bid you good bye, and enclose you my permanent address during my stay abroad,
Good Luck God bless you and yours are the wishes from Mrs H and your friend
Houdini
And a December 30 postcard:
Dear Q.K.
We are on our way at last. Rec’d your letter, glad all is well.
Good Luck. Good Health, Happiness & may God Bless you and yours
Houdini and Mrs. H
Give Bettie a New Years kiss for me.
Before the letter (Dec 25) and postcard (Dec 30) had been written, Houdini landed on Catalina via sea plane (Nov 16), attempted to rescue a stalled boat drifting into rocks (Nov 27), finished filming scenes on Catalina (Nov 30), took a train from Los Angeles (Dec 9) to New York, and film title was officially announced as Terror Island (Dec 13).

