Thanks to the mighty Arthur Moses, the French Canadian magazine, Monciné, with a Houdini article and artwork from his movies arrived in the mail this week.

For your reading pleasure, I took the liberty to translate the article from French to English via google translate:

It seems that Houdini’s name is known to a very large majority of people in the world. Deceased in 1926, long before the internet and television and even before talking cinema, Houdini still fascinates as much.

He is considered one of the greatest magicians of all time. How could his legend cross the last century despite the presence of great magic like David Copperfield? Why does Houdini’s name remain etched in people’s memories as an exceptional artist who transcends time?

Harry Houdini, whose real name is Ehrich Weisz, was born on March 24, 1874 in Budapest, Austria-Hungary. He immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1878 at the age of four and died on October 31, 1926, in Detroit, United States. He took the name Harry Houdini because of his admiration for the Frenchman Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, the father of modern magic.

He becomes famous thanks to his escape numbers and his publicity shots allowing him to attract the public to his shows. His two favorite numbers were to lock himself in a completely padlocked case submerged in a river, or to be tied by the feet at the top of a building and to try to free himself from a straitjacket. He also has the ability to free himself from all types of handcuffs. Among other things, he managed the feat of escaping from a safe and even from a London prison. In short, Houdini has everything of the superhero of his time, in addition to mastering the art of marketing.

An artist committed against fake mediums, during the height of spiritism, he went around the world to find concrete evidence of communication with the afterlife. This battle is motivated by the death of his father with whom he hoped so much to communicate with again. This search for fake mediums and the truth about the afterlife angered a long intellectual battle between him and Arthur Conan-Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes), who strongly believed in spiritualism. On the other hand, the latter did not know, like Houdini, all the fraudulent means that could exist to make ghosts believe.

Houdini has published many books during his career and participates as a main actor in some films. In most of his cinematographic exploits, he tried to free himself from handcuffs, straitjackets or crates surrounded by chains with his escape techniques. Of course, he managed to free himself and catch the bad guys.

As an actor, his most notable films are:

The Master Mystery (1918)

The Grim Game (1919), Terror Island (1920)

After three films, Houdini created his own production company. He invested $500,000 with his friends in this new company. Over the next two years, he starred in two other films he directed himself.

The Soul of Bronze (1921), Haldane of the Secret Service (1923)

In 1923, he closed the company, complaining of insufficient profits. His tours of shows around the world were much more profitable. Ironically, when Houdini got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it was for his work in film rather than for his success on stage.

Despite his great popularity and the richness of his personna, few films have been made about him. Among the most important are the 1976 telefilm The Great Houdini, played by Paul Michael Glaser and directed by Melville Shavelson. In 2014, Adrien Brody played the famous magician in the two-part Canadian historical mini-series Houdini, The Illusionist. Finally, the most important is Houdini the great magician (Houdini, original title) directed by George Marshall and based on the scenario of Philip Yordan, after the work of Harold Kellock. This film, starring Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, was released on July 2, 1953. It tells the different aspects of Houdini’s life in a very romanticized and somewhat distorted way, not to say totally different from reality. It is certain that this film has added even more mystery around the legend and the character.

Houdini’s name is often mentioned in movies or TV series when it comes time to talk about spiritism or a place in an impossible way.

It should be noted that Houdini and his wife Wilhelmina Beatrice Rahner agreed on a secret code in order to communicate from the afterlife, if one or the other died. This code was never revealed. And Beatrice never received messages from Houdini in her lifetime.

During his career, Houdini created numbers that are still presented by magicians today, like Water Torture Cell. More than 100 years after their creation, they still keep their appeal to the public. In addition, they remain as mysterious as ever.

Houdini is an extraordinary character. Nearly a century after his death. The magician continues to intrigue and the mystery around him continues to grow.

Last year, I attended my first NEMCA magic history conference which featured five Houdini-centric presentations by five fascinating gentlemen, Kevin Connolly, Jim Hagy, Ken Trombly, Arthur Moses and David Ben:

• Houdini-centric Presentations at NEMCA

While this year did not feature any Houdini centric presentations, he was still indirectly represented in some of the lectures, tour collections, auction conducted by NEMCA Sponsor Haversat & Ewing Galleries and the Broadside Breakout Session:

Lecture #1 Dai Vernon Remembered by Gary Plants

Gary shared Dai Vernon ephemera from his personal collection.

[Dai Vernon is known as the magician that fooled Houdini. Dai Vernon also did a scissor-cut silhouette portrait of Houdini from 1920.]

Lecture #3 – Pinetti – Traces of HIs Success by Pietro Micheli

Pietro mentions that [Like Houdini], Pinetti had an incredible skill in promoting his persona and his show; Pinetti had the capability to promote himself with his publicity material and media response.

[Pinetti was one of Houdini’s heroes.]

Lecture #4 – The Great Raymond Collection by Joe Quitoni

Joe shared a large collection of material related to The Great Raymond, including items related to his Handcuff Act.

[Houdini and Raymond had a rift; Raymond crossed Houdini by doing a Milk Can escape without his permission but made amends later.]

Tour #2- A Brief Walk Through Early Magic Literature at the Conjuring Arts Research Center by Bill Kalush

Kalush mentions another Pinetti and Houdini connection:

Pinetti of course, like so many other magicians had magicians steal their secrets, so his combat for that was writing a book of his own secrets and selling under his name which is quite a clever idea and worked very well and went through a number of important editions and is quite a great book [which a copy is displayed]. Now if we fast-forward another 100 or so years, we come to Harry Houdini, …, who had the same problem and so many other people imitated him that he thought one of his best methods of defense would be to reveal his own handcuff secrets … and he put out Handcuff Secrets [book which is displayed along-side what Houdini referred to as the Guiteau Cuffs].

Haversat & Ewing Auction

The auction consisted of 52 lots [with 8 lots related to Houdini]

Lecture #6 – The Screening Room: Preserving a Window into the Past by David Ben and Julie Eng

David Ben and Julie Eng walked us through Magicana’s digital journey in bringing Magicana’s archives and exhibitions online. Starting with early media acquisitions from the Sid Lorraine, P. Howard Lyons and Allan Slaight collections, we learn how the team at Magicana converted analog media into a free, searchable online video database, now housing over six hundred and fifty video clips. We also discover how Magicana procures, preserves, and shares digital media while offering curated insight as to why this media is of such importance to magic and its history.

[Magicana also acquired the McIlhany film archive, which may have some hidden Houdini gems on the vast amounts of unscreened tapes now in their possession]

Tour #3 – by Dr. Tim Moore

Dr. Timothy Moore shared his magic collection that includes some very rare Houdini and Hardeen material:

• Circus Busch Poster
  • Only a few Circus Busch posters survived and the one in Dr. Moore’s collection hung on the wall of Houdini’s Brownstone House in Harlem NY.
• Cabinet of Houdini owned Material
  • Bessie’s Hat, Houdini’s Lapel Pin Cuff Links, and numerous signed photos. Along with Rankin Leg Irons, a  Collar, Stotz Handcuffs, Irish Eights, Adam’s Handcuffs, and Marlin Daily Handcuffs
• Cabinet of Hardeen Material
• Hardeen Milk Can
• Milk Can Poster
  • Despite being a super well-known image, only 2 of the Milk Can posters survive; the other is at the Harry Ransom center.  Dr. Moore mentioned that the Milk can poster used creative deception to foil the audience. In the poster, the locks and the straps are down below the rivot-line, but in the actual can, they are located in a totally different location.

Zoom Session – Broadsides and Other Older Paper Ephemera moderated by Ken Trombly and Mike Caveney

I shared my one of a kind “The Master of Mystery Broadside” of Newspaper Reviews and got some great advice from Ken Trombly and Mike Caveney on how to protect and restore these type of items.

Thank You to the NEMCA Conference Committee, Sponsors, Presenters, Moderators and all the attendees that made my second NEMCA magic history conference a wonderful experience.  Hope to see some of you at the Magic Collectors Expo April 13-15th in Austin Texas, which will include a tour of Harry Ransom Center.

On the 95th anniversary of Houdini’s Death, thought I would share the dressing room scene from my script for a Houdini movie that was never made:

Suddenly, we hear the orchestra tuning as the dressing room door opens: COLLINS.

COLLINS The college boys is here, Mr. H.

HOUDINI Time?

COLLINS Ten minutes to curtain.

INT. HOSPITAL — CORRIDOR — NIGHT

The DOCTOR sits next to BESS, grim.

DOCTOR It’s too late…

BESS What the hell do you mean it’s too late?

A moment.

DOCTOR He’s dying, Bess.

BESS looks up at him. Disbeleif, anger, tears.

BESS Dying… what are you talking about? Houdini can’t die… Houdini never dies…

As promised in a previous post, I am sharing escape scenes from my script for a Houdini movie that was never made:

• RUSSIA TRANSPORT PRISON VAN
• Water Torture Cell
• Berlin Bridge Jump
• Buried Alive

This week, I share the Russian Transport Van scene:

Click on images to enlarge for reading.

I recently acquired this item on eBay:

DESCRIPTION

Movie script for “Houdini” starring Tom Cruise. Due to production issues, this film wasn’t released in 1998 as planned. After a change in directors, it was slotted to be released in 2000. This didn’t happen either. Here is your chance to read the script for a movie that never happened.

Per our friend, John Cox at WildAboutHoudini.com:

The veteran scribes [Stephen J. Rivele and Christopher Wilkinson] who had tackled Nixon for Oliver Stone in 1995, focused their story on Houdini’s famous confrontation with the medium Mina “Margery” Crandon. The thrilleresque script blended fact with fiction and offered some dramatic recreations of not only the Margery sittings, but also the Water Torture Cell, Buried Alive, and the Russia Transport Prison Van escape. The movie opened with a dramatic depiction of Houdini’s famous sea monster challenge.

For more details on how this script came about, check out the following post at WildAboutHarry:

• Ray Stark’s 35 year Houdini conundrum [includes scene for Sea Monster Challenge escape]

Future posts will look at the rest of the escapes planned for the movie:

• Russia Transport Prison Van
• Water Torture Cell
• Berlin Bridge Jump
• Buried Alive

This post looks at Houdini’s answers to questions posed in an earlier post.

No. 1

What is meant by a clairaudient?

“Clairaudient” is French for “clear-hearing,” and “clairvoyant” is French is “clear-seeing.” A clairaudient, in the parlance of the spiritualists, is a medium who hears spirit voices, and a clairvoyant is one who sees spirit forms. The word “clairvoyant,” however, usually includes both meanings.

No. 2

Believing that most people approach the hour of death with fear and apprehension, regardless of the scientific proofs of the existence of psychic phenomena, don’t you think that belief in the religion of spiritualism is to be encouraged if only that it helps to relieve this fear and that it would, too, assuage the grief of those who mourn for a departed one.

No, I do not think the belief in spiritualism ought to be encouraged until it is definitely proved to be honest, unless you wish to take the viewpoint that we ought to believe there is a Santa Claus. I would like to believe in Santa Clause, I think, but you don’t find fraud mediums who look upon their work as of a Santa Clause nature. I believe that one ought to face the inevitable with all the courage possible, knowing full well that we must face the great disintegration.

No. 3

I have before me a well known spiritualism publication which devotes a lot of space to your activities in the world of magic and escapes. In view of your present stand on the subject of spiritualism, I am curious to learn what you have to say concerning the following:

“The controversy raging round the performance of a lady entertainer, who, posing as a ‘medium,’ recently mystified an audience composed of people well known in spiritualism and psychical research, re-opens the question as to the possibility of conjurers doing some of their sensational tricks by means other than normal. For example, Houdini opening a jail cell door in under 3 seconds with the keyhole sealed or Houdini opening a new strong room, secured by the latest time-locks.

As my work consists of a willing acknowledgment of manipulation, and as I accomplish it by my knowledge of the construction of locks, I do not believe you would ask me to expose my secrets. However, any time that you meet me personally, I will explain how I opened the time lock, but I do not care to broadcast this information at present time.

No. 4

I am curious to hear your views on sleep. Do you think that when you lie down and fall asleep (you cannot remember the moment you do) that you pass from one state of existence into another?

You ask for my views on sleep. Strange to say, we spend almost a third of our lives in this peaceful state. Some humans require more sleep than others. I rarely take more than six or seven hours out of the twenty-four. I use sleep as a necessity; others as a luxury; and still others as a life-waster. There are a number of books on the subject. I believe that sleep rests the energy of life, and that the tenant (yourself) who occupies your body permits the landlord (nature) to make repairs in your abode while you sleep. If human beings would realize that they hold only a limited lease on their bodies, then they would not abuse them so unknowingly.

No. 5

Do you believe that a person who suddenly lost a very dear friend would naturally be in a better position to communicate with the departed than one less acquainted, if there actually is such a thing as communication with the dead?

Yes, I positively believe that any person who has lost a dear friend or relative would be in a much better position to communicate with the lost ones. I think that is why the shock of suddenly losing loved ones often causes persons to imagine things.

No. 6

Have you heard of John Slater, whose home was in California? I think he is the man who comes to Lilly Dale every summer and lectures and gives readings. What do you think of his work?

You ask my opinion of John Slater. What do you mean, as a human being, as a clairvoyant, as a spiritualistic evangelist, or as an impossible lecturer before a high-grade audience?

No. 7

In the first installment of your story, The Spirit Fakers of Hermannstadt,” you state that you were playing Vienna at the time. If I am not mistaken , I had the pleasure of viewing  one of your performances, though it might have been Berlin. I was very much interested in the story, and, knowing as I do the superstitions of those people, I can appreciate the predicament you were place in. I await your further experiences with interest.

Yes, I have appeared in Berlin a number of times. My first appearance there was at the Berlin Winter Garden about twenty-five years ago. I played there consecutively for almost fifteen years, and was then brought back as a feature of the Hippodrome Circus by Director Busch. As a matter of record, I have played almost every principal city in the world, except in South Africa and South America.

No. 8

[intentionally skipped due to length]

No. 9

You say that you want to expose fraud mediums. But are there not also legitimate mediums, who can stand every test imposed on them?

Perhaps there are such, but I have never met any. To show you how difficult it is to find a genuine medium, let us go back to 1857, when the “Boston Courier” offered $500 for a medium who could successfully meet the test. Such offers have been repeatedly made since, and a similar offer was backed up by the $60,000 willed to the University of Pennsylvania by Henry Sybert. In rough figures, during the past sixty years there has been offered almost one hundred thousand dollars for a medium who could meet a genuine test, yet no one has ever been granted any bonus for meeting such a test.

No. 10

What is the ritual of “Black Mass”? Looking for a detailed description.

Rarely will you find references to the “Black Mass.” My opinion is that it is a sort of convention of devils, and there the witches, wizards and sorcerers confess. This is supposed to take place on the Devil’s Sabbath.

I have never seen a complete description of the “Black Mass” and the rituals. Some of it, if my memory serves me right, was photographed in Sweden, and was of such a nature that the picture, which cost a fortune, had never been seen by the public. It was called, I believe, “Superstition of the Age.” I saw this film run, but up to the present it has never been seen outside of a private projection room. It took more that two years to make it.

According to Funk & Wagnalls, “Black Mass” is a burlesque on the Christian mass.

No. 11

Is Swami Bhakta Vishita, Hindoo master and author of “The Development of Seership, Hindoo and other Oriental Methods” a fraud?  Also, what about a lady that came this winter from Lilly Dale, N.Y. and has been conducting a spiritualist church in the Moose Hall in Daytona Florida all season and professes to be a medium.

Hindoo psychics in all branches are the most guarded against. I do not what good it will do to read their books, unless you are able to read upon them and eventually refute their teachings. If anyone of them possessed one-third of the power the Hindoo psychics all claim to possess, he could come forward and claim the huge rewards awaiting true psychics. This applies to all who did not come forward for the public test. Incidentally, you mention Lilly Dale, That is the breeding place for psychic fanatics, who are consciously and subconsciously frauds.

No. 12

[intentionally skipped due to length]

No. 13.

[intentionally skipped due to length]

No. 14.

[intentionally skipped due to length]

No. 15.

I am seeking the supreme ruling powers. Can you enlighten me?

There is but one supreme Creator. I believe He has no proxies to perform spiritualistic phenomena. Our destiny is in His hands, and we must be submissive to His mandates.

No. 16

[intentionally skipped due to length]

In this post, we look at some of the questions that appeared in the Ask Houdini section.

No. 1

What is meant by a clairaudient?

No. 2

Believing that most people approach the hour of death with fear and apprehension, regardless of the scientific proofs of the existence of psychic phenomena, don’t you think that belief in the religion of spiritualism is to be encouraged if only that it helps to relieve this fear and that it would, too, assuage the grief of those who mourn for a departed one.

No. 3

I have before me a well known spiritualism publication which devotes a lot of space to your activities in the world of magic and escapes. In view of your present stand on the subject of spiritualism, I am curious to learn what you have to say concerning the following:

“The controversy raging round the performance of a lady entertainer, who, posing as a ‘medium,’ recently mystified an audience composed of people well known in spiritualism and psychical research, re-opens the question as to the possibility of conjurers doing some of their sensational tricks by means other than normal. For example, Houdini opening a jail cell door in under 3 seconds with the keyhole sealed or Houdini opening a new strong room, secured by the latest time-locks.

No. 4

I am curious to hear your views on sleep. Do you think that when you lie down and fall asleep (you cannot remember the moment you do) that you pass from one state of existence into another?

No. 5

Do you believe that a person who suddenly lost a very dear friend would naturally be in a better position to communicate with the departed than one less acquainted, if there actually is such a thing as communication with the dead?

No. 6

Have you heard of John Slater, whose home was in California? I think he is the man who comes to Lilly Dale every summer and lectures and gives readings. What do you think of his work?

No. 7

In the first installment of your story, The Spirit Fakers of Hermannstadt,” you state that you were playing Vienna at the time. If I am not mistaken , I had the pleasure of viewing  one of your performances, though it might have been Berlin. I was very much interested in the story, and, knowing as I do the superstitions of those people, I can appreciate the predicament you were place in. I await your further experiences with interest.

No. 8

[intentionally skipped due to length]

No. 9

You say that you want to expose fraud mediums. But are there not also legitimate mediums, who can stand every test imposed on them?

No. 10

What is the ritual of “Black Mass”? Looking for a detailed description.

No. 11

Is Swami Bhakta Vishita, Hindoo master and author of “The Development of Seership, Hindoo and other Oriental Methods” a fraud?  Also, what about a lady that came this winter from Lilly Dale, N.Y. and has been conducting a spiritualist church in the Moose Hall in Daytona Florida all season and professes to be a medium.

No. 12

[intentionally skipped due to length]

No. 13.

[intentionally skipped due to length]

No. 14.

[intentionally skipped due to length]

No. 15.

I am seeking the supreme ruling powers. Can you enlighten me?

No. 16

[intentionally skipped due to length]

A future post will look at Houdini’s answers to these questions.

FOREWORD

Ingrained in me is a love of mystery and marvel. As a child, Red Riding Hood, Ali Baba, and the Arabian Nights found as much favor with me as the stories from the Bible. All were read to me by my mother. Stories of the weird and wonderful exercise a surpassing charm over my imagination. I feel there are many thousands like me and from these I will be delighted to hear. Who knows but that this department may be the means of bringing to light another Poe or another Hawthorne? Only by writing can you learn to write. By throwing off restraint, the greatest pieces of literature have been produced. This department is yours as much as mine.  HOUDINI

No. 1

Years ago there traveled around the country a man named Samri S. Balwin, known as the “White Mahatma,” Could you tell me if he is still living, and if so, where a letter could reach him. Were there any other White Mahatmas that did the same kind of work?

No. 2

Many explanations have been offered of this practice [used by dowsers to find water] and I am anxious to hear your opinion regarding same.

No. 3

During one of the sittings or seances, the medium sat directly in front of me, held both of my hands in her right hand, and placed he other hand on my shoulder. Then I could see by glancing upward, then a guitar and then a mandolin. This instrument, would float over the heads of the sitters, and I have never been able to discern how this was accomplished. Can you explain?

No. 4

You are answering all questions on spiritualism. Do you consider yourself a human encyclopedia on the subject? I know you will not dare to answer this.

How do you explain Jacoby, who in his autobiography said he saw a number of musicians in his room and they played until early morning?  Jacoby was a brilliant man and gifted scholar.

How can you, at the present time, explain how this happened?

I do not think you would care answer this question, but am sending it to relieve my mind.

No. 5

Why do mediums employ various paraphernalia in conducting their seances. For instance, why is it necessary for the departed one to speak through the medium with the aid of a trumpet or horn? If there is such a thing as communication with the dead, can you advance a logical explanation of why a trumpet or horn should be used?

No. 6

The question I asked on the slip of paper, “H*—, have you any relief from your suffering?” My handwriting was purposedly bad and I wrote the proper noun in such a manner that it would be hard to distinguish whether the word was Harry or Henry. I did this to discover if the medium actually read the questions or not. I am convinced that she did but how? Perhaps you can offer an explanation.

A future post will look at Houdini’s answers to these questions.