- No. 5:
The final letter is from the widow, Beatrice and tells of her surprise at seeing Ponzi again.
- No. 6
Ponzi died while Hardeen was playing Hellzapoppin in the early forties. If it was the original Ponzi, he was almost 20 years of age.
harryhoudinicircumstantialevidence.com
Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence
Great stuff Joe! Wish you had transcribed Collins’ letter. It looks like Ponzi wrote it. Hardeen had to eat crow and made Collins do it. Had a bit of an attitude, didn’t he? At the time Hardeen was performing in the Hellzapoppin show, he would meet up with Dai Vernon at a nightclub in Manhattan. Vernon was doing his Chinese act at this venue, and one evening Hardeen came by to pay him a visit. Sam Horowitz, an esteemed member of New York’s Inner Circle was in the dressing room with Vernon when Hardeen saw him and said “What’s he doin here?” He considered Horowitz a rank amateur below him.
Hardeen prematurely accused Gwynn of cashing in on Houdini’s fame, yet I heard that he would purchase antique manacles and sell them off at high prices as once belonging to his brother. And so it goes…
Thanks for the additional insight on Hardeen. Below is my take on transcribing Collin’s letter.
Dear Mr. Gwynne
As you may have heard Hardeen is willed all of Houdini Show & Illusions etc in framing up an act he wishes to do the trick known to us as the Ponzi Gwynne trick & he asked me, if I wouldn’t write an ask if you could part with Ponzi once again as Hardeen would like to use the trick in the same manner as Houdini did as it would save breaking in another bird an early reply would oblige.
Wishing you every success
Sincerely yours J. Collins
Thanks for that transcription Joe!
Poor Bess, feeling ill that winter of 1927, and surely more than a bit depressed.
I find it interesting that Bess sent Jack Gwynne a Bird Vanish, a great favorite of Houdini’s, when the Chicken Trick was essentially a vanishing bird trick. I wonder if Hardeen ever sent Gwynne anything.
Hi Joe–are you wondering if Hardeen paid Gwynne for the rooster? How embarrassing to ask Gwynne for the rooster after treating him shabbily at that S.A.M. meeting. Let’s see, the rooster was a gift to HH from Gwynne, and returned back to him via Bess. She gives it back to back to Gwynne and from there it goes to Hardeen.
It reminds me of that Geico commercial of the chicken that hitchhikes from the truck stop to the campfire party to the tune of Roy Orbison’s Ride Away.
WRT to Hardeen, it was a rhetorical question.
WRT to the Geico commercial, I am still LoL. For anyone interested here is a link to it on youtube: Geico Chicken Commercial 2015
Hardeen backstage attitude toward non magicians may be explained by a conflict that occurred. There was back in the day some kind of ill feeling between professional magicians and the SAM when the center of show business vaudeville etc. was New York City. Non-magicians were in control of the SAM, doctors lawyers accountants etc.It is why the magicians guild was formed by people such as Al Baker, Hardeen, Al Baker was one of the founders and they allowed only fifteen percent of the members to be non Professionals (starting with 15 out of the 100 expected initial members). Meetings were held at the Hotel McAlpin in New York City and The Board of Governors consisted of Theo. Hardeen, Max Holden, Robert Sherman, Richard DuBois and Julien J. Proskauer. Walter B. Gibson was the first vice-president.
etc. One of the first goals of the Guild was to bring live magic shows to Broadway, which was realized on January 21, 1945 with “Mystery Time” at the Bealsco Theatre. The show included Cardini, Hardeen, Al Flosso, Litzka (Great Raymond’s wife) and others. The Great Raymond got sick a few hours before show time and was replaced by Doug Geoffrey (Hardeen Junior), Warren Simms, Hal Haviland, and Jarrow.
The Guild was one of the first groups to introduce regular magic lectures.
Along with their own “Monthly Guild Bulletin”, the Conjurors’ Magazine was the named the official organ for the group from 1945 until it merged with Genii in 1949. Magician’s Guild News Reports could be seen in Genii during the 1966 through 1973. And in 1981,
Harry Blackstone and Warren Simms were elected as “Deans”.
Presidents (not in order)
Cardini
Blackstone
Richard Dubois
Warren Simms
Other members
Richard C. “Dick” Richards
Al Flosso
Coe Norton
Larry Shean
John Tudor
Bob Lynn (aka Tony Raven)
Warren Simms
As a kid being a professional working performer I was allowed to join though did not attend many meetings because of working on the road. As the number of professionals dwindled in the New York area due to live show business thinning, the magicians guild eventually imploded.
Dick Brookz the Houdini museum
As I recall Russell Swan Frank Garcia Mickey McDougall Jack London were also members
just about every New York pro would attend when they could
As well as pros traveling through the New York area would attend if they were off
Dick, that is fascinating insight on Hardeen, New York City, the SAM and the Magicians Guild. Very cool that you were a member of the Magicians Guild. Thanks for sharing.
Milbourne Christopher and Larry Weeks, and Richard DuBois (well known on TV as The Magic Clown) were also members. You name them, if they were pros and worked in NY they were probably members. The Conjurors’ Magazine, put together by Hardeen, Walter B. Gibson, and Julien J. Proskauer was the named the official organ for the group from 1945 and merged with Genii in 1949. Magician’s Guild News Reports could be seen in Genii during the through 1973 if one wants more info.
Dick Brookz
I peformed for “The Magician’s Guild” back in the late 90’s. Actually, the President at the time wanted me there(can’t recall his name right now.) I assisited an older performer with “The Blindfold Bicycle Ride.” We had broken glass all over the floor as “He” rode his bike fully blinfolded around the room. I had to read some text about the act, perform too. Some of our fellow magicians may have been there as I remember the room was full. We met somewhere in NYC. Also, I have the material from that day stored in my scrapbooks somewhere as I am pretty sure that particular meeting was a “Houdini” day. In addition, I was told, “Hardeen” was its founding President!
As far as the “performing Rooster,” Gwynne, Houdini, Hardeen, used this particular bird. I have material on the subject and I remember “Jay Marshall” seeing my material and was totally amazed with me and this material! He asked me, “How did you get this?” I have NOT seen this material before! This took place at an S.A.M. convention whereas I believe I purchased the article, etc. at a dealers table. It immediately caught my eye and in the future will write more about it.
Boy, who thought there would be so much to say about a chicken!
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