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
And now we look at letters from 1919 and The Grim Game:
- Movie Related Correspondence with Quincy Kilby – March 7 1919
- TBS
Today, I share a March 7th Letter:
My Dear Q.K.,
…
We expect to leave for Los Angeles in 6 weeks as I have signed with Jesse Lasky for a feature picture.
So you see I am drifting away from vaudeville, and with the exception of my European dates have no plans re a return.
If I do not give my own show, will very-likely return to Hippodrome, unless I remain in pictures, and now you know all my plans.
Houdini
Related:
- Arrange for Houdini to Make Own-Story Features (and be directed by Burton King) [Moving Picture World, March 8, 1919]

Thanks for another Kilby letter, Joe! There can be no doubt from this letter that HH saw Hollywood as his escape from the grind of vaudeville. Unfortunately for him, that escape proved elusive.