A Grim Game Title Card and Lobby Card Set that once belonged to the director, Irvin V. Willat, sells at auction
Yesterday’s Potter and Potter Auction had some great Houdini Movie Lots (27, 28, 32, 36, 39, 40, 75-82), with the highlight being Lot 75 which was advertised as a complete Grim Game Lobby Card Set (8) w/business card (Price Realized: $8,500) that a previously owner sold in 2007 (with a asking price of $2000.00 for each lobby card).
Below is Lot 75 description:
The Grim Game Complete Lobby Card Set. Paramount, 1919. Eight cards; title card and seven monochrome photographic images cards for the silent film starring Houdini. Story by Arthur Reeve and John Gray, directed by Irvin Willat. Together with an Irvin V. Willat business card SIGNED by Willat (possibly being the set owned by the director). All seven pictorial lobby cards depict Houdini, and three include scenes with handcuffs or policemen; two show Houdini on the Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” (the film featured an unscripted mid-air collision between two Jenny planes). 11 x 14” each. Dampstains and chipping to title card, tape repair on verso; slight creases and pinholes to pictorial cards. The first complete set we have offered or found in the marketplace.
Min. Bid: $4,000.00 Estimate: $8,000.00 – $12,000.00
Note: The Grim Press Book Lobby Card Set (above) had a different Title Card and 8 Cards versus 7 cards.
(0) TITLE CARD
(1) “THWARTED – BUT ONLY FOR A MOMENT.”
(2) “GET ABOVE HIM! I’LL DROP TO HIS PLANE.”
(3) AT A HEIGHT OF 4000 FEET, HOUDINI CLIMBS FROM ONE PLANE TO ANOTHER
(4) FALSELY ARRESTED AS A MANIAC, HOUDINI BATTLES FOR FREEDOM
(5) SAVED AFTER A FALL HEAD DOWNWARD FROM A SEVEN STORY BUILDING
(6) THEY COULDN’T EVEN DROWN HOUDINI!
(7) “LOCK HIM IN THE STRONGEST CELL”
(8) OVER THE EDGE – WITH DEATH BELOW AND IMPRISONMENT ABOVE!
Below is an example of the title card and additional lobby card (8) shown in the pressbook:
These are 11×14 inch lobby cards, however, there is another set of 9 different lobby stills that are even rarer that were 8×10 inches with captions like CAUGHT; RUN TO SAFETY! I’LL FOLLOW IN A MINUTE!; PLANNING THEIR GRIM GAME; DEATH AWAITS HIM IN THE BEAR-TRAP; HOUDINI AGAIN RISKS HIS LIFE TO ESCAPE; I AM NOT GUILTY, AND I’M GOING TO GET OUT AND PROVE IT!; RACING FROM AN AEROPLANE 4000 FEET IN THE AIR, HOUDINI DODGE THE BLADES OF HIS ENEMIES PROPELLER; WITH A MIGHTY CRASH, THE AEROPLANE STRUCK THE EARTH; and a different Title Card.
original workbook photo in my collection
A previously owner sold this extremely rare set as well in 2007 (with a asking price of $14,000 for the entire set), Potter and Potter had it up for auction in 2023 (Estimate $15,000–$20,000 Lot passed).