Houdini wrote, produced and starred in two of his feature films; he wrote a number of treatments – plots for potential productions; and he self-published several of these treatments. *

This post continues a series of posts where I summarize (or share tidbits about) the film treatments he wrote:

• The Marvelous Adventures of Houdini (1917)*
• The Man From Beyond (1921)
• Haldane of the Secret Service or Mysterious Mr. Yu (1921)*
• Frizzo––Master Magician (1921)
• YAR, THE PRIMEVAL MAN (1921)*
• Il Mistero di Osiris or The Mystery of the Jewel (1921)*
• The Great Tontine (unpublished)* [Tom Boldt Collection (TBC)]
• The Monster (unpublished)* [TBC]
• The Vulture (unpublished)* [TBC]
• Floating Through Space (unpublished)* [TBC]
• Blood Brothers (unpublished) [TBC]
• Out of the Shadows (unpublished) [HHCE Collection]

* “Film Treatment” can be found in Patrick Culliton’s book, Houdini’s Strange Tales – A Collection of fiction by the legendary Harry Houdini [1992]

Originals have sold for $325 (2/2014), $400 (6/2018) and $200 (10/2018) at Potter & Potter auctions.

Today, we look at, Yar, THE Primeval Man, courtesy of John Cox at WildAboutHoudini.com

• Yar, The Primeval Man by Harry Houdini (Part I)
• Yar, The Primeval Man by Harry Houdini (Part II)

Note: The pen-and-ink portrait of Houdini was done by Elcock.  Also, there is a reprint put out by the Houdini Family Collection. Below is my copy:

Teaser for next week (courtesy of Harry Ransom Center):

Houdini wrote, produced and starred in two of his feature films; he wrote a number of treatments – plots for potential productions; and he self-published several of these treatments. *

This post continues a series of posts where I summarize (or share tidbits about) the film treatments he wrote:

• The Marvelous Adventures of Houdini (1917)*
• The Man From Beyond (1921)
• Haldane of the Secret Service or Mysterious Mr. Yu (1921)*
• FRIZZO––MASTER MAGICIAN (1921)
• Yar, the Primeval Man (1921)*
• Il Mistero di Osiris or The Mystery of the Jewel (1921)*
• The Great Tontine (unpublished)* [Tom Boldt Collection (TBC)]
• The Monster (unpublished)* [TBC]
• The Vulture (unpublished)* [TBC]
• Floating Through Space (unpublished)* [TBC]
• Blood Brothers (unpublished) [TBC]
• Out of the Shadows (unpublished) [HHCE Collection]

* “Film Treatment” can be found in Patrick Culliton’s book, Houdini’s Strange Tales – A Collection of fiction by the legendary Harry Houdini [1992]

Today, we look at, Frizzo––Master Magician

Click on images to enlarge for reading.

Note: Frizzo real name was Enrico Longone, not Langone.  Frizzo was taught magic by Compars Hermann. And Frizzo taught magic to Antonio Molini.

Houdini wrote, produced and starred in two of his feature films; he wrote a number of treatments – plots for potential productions; and he self-published several of these treatments. *

This post continues a series of posts where I summarize (or share tidbits about) the film treatments he wrote:

• The Marvelous Adventures of Houdini (1917)*
• The Man From Beyond (1921)
• HALDANE OF THE  SECRET SERVICE or MYSTERIOUS MR. YU (1921)*
• Frizzo––Master Magician (1921)
• Yar, the Primeval Man (1921)*
• Il Mistero di Osiris or The Mystery of the Jewel (1921)*
• The Great Tontine (unpublished)* [Tom Boldt Collection (TBC)]
• The Monster (unpublished)* [TBC]
• The Vulture (unpublished)* [TBC]
• Floating Through Space (unpublished)* [TBC]
• Blood Brothers (unpublished) [TBC]
• Out of the Shadows (unpublished) [HHCE Collection]

* “Film Treatment” can be found in Patrick Culliton’s book, Houdini’s Strange Tales – A Collection of fiction by the legendary Harry Houdini [1992]

A scarce pamphlet published by Houdini to secure a copyright to establish film rights. This one sold for $750 at 2018 Potter Auction and another one sold for $1600 at 2014 Potter Auction

Today, we look at, Haldane of the Secret Service or Mysterious Mr. Yu, courtesy of The Original Houdini scrapbook by Walter B. Gibson:

Note:  There is also a reprint put out by the Houdini Family Collection. Below is my copy:

Houdini wrote, produced and starred in two of his feature films; he wrote a number of treatments – plots for potential productions; and he self-published several of these treatments. *

This post continues a series of posts where I summarize (or share tidbits about) the film treatments he wrote:

• The Marvelous Adventures of Houdini (1917)*
• THE MAN FROM BEYOND (1921)
• Haldane of the Secret Service or Mysterious Mr. Yu (1921)*
• Frizzo––Master Magician (1921)
• Yar, the Primeval Man (1921)*
• Il Mistero di Osiris or The Mystery of the Jewel (1921)*
• The Great Tontine (unpublished)* [Tom Boldt Collection (TBC)]
• The Monster (unpublished)* [TBC]
• The Vulture (unpublished)* [TBC]
• Floating Through Space (unpublished)* [TBC]
• Blood Brothers (unpublished) [TBC]
• Out of the Shadows (unpublished) [HHCE Collection]

* “Film Treatment” can be found in Patrick Culliton’s book, Houdini’s Strange Tales – A Collection of fiction by the legendary Harry Houdini [1992]

Today, we look at, The Man From Beyond (Story Summarized):

• Boys Cinema Jan 13, 1923, v6 n162

Note:  The Man From Beyond was his first picture for the Houdini Picture Corporation and was made from an original story by Houdini bearing the working title of “The Far North.”

• Burton King to be Houdini’s Director

Epilogue:

101 Years ago today, Houdini filmed rapids scene action at the Winchell Smith Dam in Farmington, Connecticut

• CAMERA WORK AT FARMINGTON

Houdini wrote, produced and starred in two of his feature films; he wrote a number of treatments – plots for potential productions; and he self-published several of these treatments. *

This post kicks off a series of posts where I summarize (or share tidbits about) the film treatments he wrote:

• The Marvelous Adventures of Houdini (1917)*
• The Man From Beyond (1921)
• Haldane of the Secret Service or Mysterious Mr. Yu (1921)*
• Frizzo––Master Magician (1921)
• Yar, the Primeval Man (1921)*
• Il Mistero di Osiris or The Mystery of the Jewel (1921)*
• The Great Tontine (unpublished)* [Tom Boldt Collection (TBC)]
• The Monster (unpublished)* [TBC]
• The Vulture (unpublished)* [TBC]
• Floating Through Space (unpublished)* [TBC]
• Blood Brothers (unpublished) [TBC]
• Out of the Shadows (unpublished) [HHCE Collection]

* “Film Treatment” can be found in Patrick Culliton’s book, Houdini’s Strange Tales – A Collection of fiction by the legendary Harry Houdini [1992]

Today, we look at, The Marvelous Adventures of Houdini

The above copy sold at a Potter auction for $9000 in 2017:

Houdini, Harry (Ehrich Weisz). The Marvelous Adventures of Houdini The Justly Celebrated Elusive American. New York: Harry Houdini, 1917. Brown printed wrappers. Bust portrait of Houdini on the recto of the first leaf. 20pp. 4to. Old cellotape reinforcing spine, one piece on verso of upper wrapper, tears to spine, one corner of lower wrapper lacking, scuffing and general wear. One of two examples known, the other held institutionally a variant copy. Most likely a treatment for a film, the booklet lays out a cast of characters including Houdini, his leading lady (“Beulah”), and several “heavies” who take part in the scenario its pages describe. Houdini’s movie career began in 1918, a year after this work was published, and his first film, The Master Mystery, debuted in 1919. Perhaps this treatment was a first attempt at working in Hollywood. This example is the same copy reproduced as an appendix to Milbourne Christopher’s Houdini: A Pictorial Life.

According to Kalush:

…he presented the Williamson Brothers with a scenario for a film that he tentatively called The Marvelous Adventures of Houdini, the Justly Celebrated Elusive American

…

By July of 1917, three months after signing a contract, Houdini was still hashing out the script with the Williamsons.  Both the war in Europe and a war between the Williamsons derailed the project. Desperately trying to salvage  his film, Houdini entered into an arrangement with a company called Westart to film the opening scenes of his scenario, a manacled jump into the sea off the pier at Atlantic City.  Though Westart would in a few years produce a series of low-budget Westerns, this one-day shoot appears to be all that became of The Marvelous Adventures of Houdini.

Per Silverman:

Houdini wrote and copyrighted a treatment for a film that would display his talents dazzingly. Entitled “The Marvelous Adventures of Houdini The Justly Celebrated Elusive American,” its thrill-a-minute plot, a harbinger of rockem-sockem action picture, provided for him to write a code message by a pencil gripped between his toes; wrestle a thug to death, underwater; climb a wall human-fly fashion; get fired from the torpedo tube of a submarine; and escape from [being thrown from a pier in chains; and strung up in ropes], among other things [a ships anchor, a piano box, a diving suit], a straitjacket suspended from a ship’s yardarm, a steel submarine net, and a burning warehouse in which he sat roped to a chair.

What I found fascinating, are the many elements of the story that make their way into his other films:

• Master Mystery: Wrestling a thug to death underwater; Patented diving suit escape after life-line is cut

• The Grim Game: Suspended straightjacket escape; bound and spread in the air

• Terror Island: Packing Box Scene/Escape; Burning Warehouse Scene/Escape; Submarine; Natives

• The Man From Beyond: Scales the walls of a building; Uses sheets from bed on side of warehouse; makes his way down waterpipe or from window to window

Highly recommend you give it a read.

Related:

• Two reels of Houdini Film: Lost and Found at Sherman Grinberg Film Library
• Terror Island Underwater Box Escape Footage Found
• Terror Island Part 4 (1 of 2)
• Terror Island Part 4 (2 of 2)
• The Bear Trap
• Over the Edge With Death Below and Imprisonment Above!
• Review of The Grim Game and the Festivities in Hollywood
• “Seeing is Believing” by J. B. Waye

The “major illusion” to which Houdini refers in his letter [shared in Part 1] is that of “Sawing a Woman in Half.

Below is the second part of the Billboard article from my personal collection:

GOLDIN GETS INJUNCTION

Horace Goldin, who for the past season presented “Sawing a Woman in Half” for the Keith interests, this week secured a temporary restraining order against Weiss Brothers, producers of the expose film. Hearing on a motion to make the injunction permanent is slated for some time next week.

In his application for an injunction Goldin set forth that he is the inventor of the “Sawing a Woman in Half” Illusion and holds patents to substantiate his claim. He also alleges that the billing matter, captions and sub-titles used in the picture are an infringement on his own.

The illusion exposed, is not that of Goldin’s, but a depiction of the version of which P. T. Selbit, and English magician, claims to be the inventor. The effect, however, of both the Goldin and Selbit versions is held to be identical.

Goldin was recently granted an injunction against the Alexander Film Co., which concern also produced an expose of the illusion in question. Goldin estimates that he has been obliged to spend upward of $15000 during the past season in litigation to protest his illusion.

The Rialto Theater, where the illusion is booked to show, has been served with notice of the injunction against the producers.

BONUS

Houdini’s “Slicing of a Woman” Apparatus

October 15, 1926 Schenectady NY Gazette describes Houdini’s slicing of a woman:

The slicing of a woman, a trick derived from the ancient torture machines of China, is one of the big features of the first act. With the aid of assistants, Houdini places a young woman in a casket. Several knives are suspended above her body. The blades descend at a fast rate and seemingly slice the body of the girl. But when the casket is opened she steps out from the box, bows, and makes her exit none the worse for the experience.

Wednesday April 13, 2022

4pm – Rode over to Harry Ransom Center (HRC) with Houdini Collector Dr. Bruce Averbook of Ohio, who shared some photos from his museum he is working on. BTW, next year’s Magic Collector’s Expo (MCE) will feature his museum. Can’t wait!

4:30pm – 5:30 Dr. Eric Colleary put together a fantastic Houdini exhibit (2 glass showcases of Houdini ephemera, plus a one sheet Man from Beyond Poster) just for the Expo and gave a well-received presentation on the HRC and how it obtained the Houdini collection.

5:30pm – 6pm Rode over to Esther’s Follies with HH aka  Harlan Hogan.

6pm – 9:30pm Got to enjoy “the greatest entertainment experience in Texas”, Esther’s Follies Special Dinner & Show for Magic Collector’s Expo. “It’s comedy, magic, music & historical fun!”

9:30pm Rode back with Gary Hunt (website: handcuffqueens.com) and discussed the book, Houdini’s Zanetti Mystery that I published at the beginning of the year.

Thursday April 14, 2022

9am – 9:30pm Entered the Dealer Room at the MCE and made the rounds. Houdini Collector’s Ken Trombly and Roger Dreyer had dealer tables.

Bought an original White Studio, NY “Man From Beyond” Still from Ken Trombly.

Chatted with Roger Dreyer about “Q” from the Master Mystery and NFTs.

10am – 4pm Got to enjoy “the greatest Houdini experience in Texas”, HRC.

Went back to HRC to do research on Harry Houdini’s film career. This included containers with ephemera on the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation (The Grim Game Stills, Terror Island Ads), Film Developing Corporation/Weehawken Street Corporation (Financial statements, correspondence, taxes 1921-1925), Houdini Picture Corporation (Haldane and Man From Beyond stills), Mystery Picture Corporation (Business and Administration, plus info on  Ashes of Passion, original film title Il Mistero di Osiris [The Mystery of the Jewel] later renamed Reincarnation), and Octagon Film Corporation (The Master Mystery Scene Plots and Scripts).

6pm-7pm Ran into Gary Hunt at TexMex restaurant in town and shared my day at HRC.

7pm – 8:30pm Attended MCE.  Randy Pitchford (who purchased the Magic Castle) introduced Neppy, Ricky Jay’s Automaton, which he had John Gaughan restore.

Lance Burton & Fielding West shared reflections and stories on one of the greatest gatherings of magicians in the world (Harry Anderson, Lance Burton, Doug Henning, Harry Blackstone Jr., Siegfried & Roy, John Thompson, Fielding West, Jeff McBride, Mark Wilson, and Max Maven) for a stage spectacular of magic to benefit a very worthy cause.

8:30pm – 11pm Dealer Room Open

Purchased from Kent Cummins a red-tone cover variant of the black-tone cover Lee Jacobs reproduction “Houdini Souvenir Program”.

Friday April 15, 2022

10am – 1pm Went back to HRC to wrap-up research on Harry Houdini’s film career. This included over-sized folders and boxes with original posters (Man From Beyond, Milk Can, WTC, Vanishing Elephant), title cards (Grim Game, Man From Beyond, Master Mystery) and lobby cards (Man From Beyond).

2:30-4pm Attended Session#4 at the MCE. David Charvet introduced his latest book, “The Great Jester” Kent Cummins shared the story of making a tree appear on top of a new building being erected, and Gabe Fajuri introduced Steve Cohen’s new book on Malini.

7pm-8:30pm Attended MCE “Magic of Austin Show” which was very entertaining.

Thank you to Bill Smith and all his helpers for putting on an amazing Expo.

And thank you to Dr. Eric Colleary and Michael Gilmore at the Harry Ransom Center for being so helpful with my Houdini research and making this trip extra special.

Related:

• HHCE Attends his first Magic Collectors Expo

Today, I share the first part of a Billboard article from my personal collection that includes a letter from Houdini.

New York April 15, 1922 – The Society of American Magicians, thru its president, Harry Houdini issued a direct appeal to theater managers all over the country to aid in its campaign to suppress magical expose. This step was taken after it became known that a motion picture disclosing the secrets of a major illusion had been placed on the market and had been booked for a showing in a Broadway picture theater.

Mr. Houdini’s communication to the managers of the country read:

The Society of American Magicians numbers one thousand members , and we, individually and collectively, are trying to suppress the expose of magic and illusions. We magicians have a hard enough time inventing and creating new ideas, and it is an injustice for anyone, for any reason whatsoever, to expose the mysteries of our protection.

We ask you, as a body, please not to present any film exposing the mysteries to the public, and you, as a showman, know it is unethical, unprofessional, and far from belonging to the decorum of any gentleman in any stage of life to deliberately, either for gain or revenge, injure another’s profession.

We understand that a certain film exposing a major illusion is seeking bookings, which prompts our addressing this letter to you,

(Signed) HARRY HOUDINI

In two weeks, I will share the rest of the article, which explains what major illusion Houdini is referring to.

Next week, I am off to the Magic Collectors Expo and the Harry Ransom Center in Austin Texas.

Last Sunday was The World Wide Houdini Birthday Celebration which was a mega success.

Below is my presentation on “The Zanetti Mystery – Houdini’s Lost Novella” that did not air due to a scheduling conflict. Hope you enjoy it!

Special thanks to John Cox for hosting it on his YouTube page for me.

In my last post, I asked how the twins (above) are related to Houdini. The answer is revealed in the image below:

The twins image appeared in a March 19, 1926 newspaper, along with some other incredible Grandmother images of Houdini:

Houdini Bares Fake To Fool Mothers

Mediums will go to any length to fool their dupes. There is an actual case on record of a medium who materialized a pair of twin babies out of his cabinet to convince a mother who had lost her babies through death. The babies looked very lifelike in the dark but they were produced very easily. The medium simply painted baby faces on each of his knees. He had baby caps and gauze concealed in his cabinet and rolling his trouser legs, dressed the tables in short order and stuck his knees through the slit in the curtains of the cabinet.

Dupes Grandmother

Another medium was famous for his materializations of a stooped little old grandmother. He merely put on long robes and an old fashioned cap and bent over as he came out of the cabinet, speaking in a squeaky voice.

Special thanks to Joe Fox for March 19, 1926 newspaper image.