Besides my autographed book, “Houdini’s Schooldays” with limited edition bonus card, I hightly recommend “Magic Babylon, 1,001 Strange Conjuring Facts, Fallacies, and Tales” by Joe Hernandez.  There is lots of Houdini in this book.

The author is currently offering these on eBay or you can pick up a copy on Amazon.

Below is the description:

CONJURING EVENTS THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED

Everything you need to know about odd, amusing, and little-known incidents of conjuring trivia but have yet to learn is within these pages. Here you will find 1,001 genuinely unpredictable collections of stories, history, and bizarre events that have taken place since the beginning of magic, demonstrating that reality can be stranger than anything we can imagine in a work of fiction. These short, thought provoking and anecdotal stories will pique your interest and have you reconsider much of what you thought was true or false about conjuring.

You will amaze your friends and become known as an undisputed master of conjuring trivia:

· — Bess Houdini falsely claimed in a newspaper interview to have had a daughter.

· — President Abraham Lincoln was an amateur magician.

· — The town of Faucett in Buchanan County, Missouri, is named after magician Faucett Ross’s grandfather.

· — Houdini authored articles for the magic publication, Mahatma, posing as a European correspondent using the pen name of Herr N. Osey.

· — Jimmy Grippo once managed the career of Mario Bettina, the light-heavyweight boxer. Under Grippo’s management, Bettina won the world championship and held the title for five months.

· — The 1908 Famous Tin Pan Alley song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” was written by an amateur magician.

Joe Hernandez is the author of Conjurer’s Wisdom Vol 1 & 2 and Phonetastic. He frequently contributed to the magic journal Apocalypse and produced magic shows at the State Theatre in New Jersey. He was a consultant to the yearly NBC show “The World’s Greatest Magic.” Joe has collaborated in producing many magic videos, including DVDs from Rene Lavand, Harry Lorayne, Gene Maze, Mike Gallo, Sol Stone, and Herb Zarrow. He has appeared on numerous public television shows performing close-up magic, including a solo show on WABC. Joe is a member of the Society of American Magicians and the International Brotherhood of Magicians and a monthly columnist for M-U-M and The Linking Ring magazines.

Today, I share 3 of 4 Trade Press Notices mentioned in the February 20th Kinematograph & Lantern Weekly ad below:

The Kinematogragph Weekly Feb 13th, page 81:

The Bioscope February 13, 1919 pages 65 and 77:

The Era, February 12th, page 19:

Today, I continue my series where I share 4 page supplements that appeared in Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly and promoted Houdini’s movie serial, The Master Mystery, in the UK.

• Feb 6, 1919
• Jab 23 1919
• Jan 30, 1919
• FEB 13, 1919

It appeared on supplement pages ix-xii of the February 13, 1919 Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly

BONUS

The following appeared on page 85 of the February 13, 1919 Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly:

“Houdini” – at Sing-Sing.

“The Master Mystery,” the big serial in which Houdini stars, has beewn a phenomenal success is the States-where big features are a common occurentces-and had had a queer and unique honour conferred on it. Under the auspices of the Mutual Welfare League the film is being shown to the convicts at Sing-Sing. The first episode was shown last Tuesday, and one episode a week is being given until the whole serial has been exhibited. Will any society arrange to get it shown over here at Dartmoor?

Today, I continue my series where I share 4 page supplements that appeared in Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly and promoted Houdini’s movie serial, The Master Mystery, in the UK.

• Feb 6, 1919
• Jan 23 1919
• JAN 30, 1919
• Feb 13, 1919

It appeared on supplement pages i-iv of the January 30,1919 Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly

Today, I continue my series where I share 4 page supplements that appeared in Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly and promoted Houdini’s movie serial, The Master Mystery, in the UK.

• Feb 6, 1919
• JAN 23 1919
• Jan 30, 1919
• Feb 13, 1919

It appeared on supllement pages xiii-xvi of the January 23, 1919 Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly

Houdini Schooldays: Plus history of the story is now available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

Product Description:

Joe M. Notaro brought Houdini’s full novella, ‘The Zanetti Mystery” into print and now he tackles ‘Houdini’s Schooldays’.

‘Houdini’s Schooldays’ was serialized over 30 weeks (9/18/1920 to 4/2/1921) in the ‘Merry and Bright’ comics and has never been published in book form until now. Herbert Allingham was the author and Harry Houdini owned the dramatic and screen rights.

This is a BIG story. An extremely fine production in all respects.

Don’t miss this amazing yarn.

A MAN LIKE HOUDINI could not fail to have had a wonderful early life, and this story tells of his adventures while still at school.

In addition to sharing ‘Houdini’s Schooldays’ with original illustrations, Joe. M. Notaro shares his research on the history of the story, along with photos of rare items (from various collections). Research includes other Allingham stories with Houdini’s name attached, Copperfield’s ‘Merry and Bright’ books, Houdini and Allingham correspondence, Houdini’s education (Appleton, Milwaukee), and a look at possible illustrators for the story.

Joe M. Notaro is a Houdini historian, author, collector, blogger, and expert on his movies and writings. For more info, please visit his website: HarryHoudiniCircumstantialEvidence.com

BONUS:

While supplies last, the first 52 customers (U.S. only) to purchase directly from me via PayPal will receive an autographed copy of the book with a signed and numbered limited edition bonus card (1 per customer):

• 5×7 card of HOUDINI as a schoolboy

Please inquire about price and availability via email: Joe.M.Notaro@gmail.com

Today,starts a series, where I share 4 page supplements that appeared in Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly and promoted Houdini’s movie serial, The Master Mystery, in the UK.

• FEB 6, 1919
• Jan 23 1919
• Jan 30, 1919
• Feb 13, 1919

Image courtesy of WildAboutHoudini; Credit Mark Mawston Collection

I first learned about the above 4-page “Houdini Herald” supplement via the following WildAboutHarry post:

• https://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2014/10/the-houdini-herald.html

It appeared on pages 33-36 of the February 6, 1919 Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly

BONUS

The following appeared on page 76 of the February 6, 1919 Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly:

The Houdini Serial – The New Bio is giving two big Trade shows at the Lonon Pavilion on Feb. 11 and 12 of “The Master Mystery.” featuring the great Houdini. Apart from the merits of the picture, we understand that the firm is negotiating for the serial rights which will be reproduced in one of the leading papers, and also that is contemplating putting out a most novel competition in connection with this serial, which should be of great interest both to the public and to exhibitors. We hear most enthusiastic reports in connection with the drawing powers of this film, and we feel sure exhibitors will be the fits to realise the great attractive powers of Houdini name. We are asked to state by the New Bio that those exhibitors who have not yet written in for reserved tickets for the London Pavilion music hall for February 11 and 12 should do so immediately, owing to the very heavy demand.

The following appeared on page 68 of February 13, 1919 Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly:

The ‘Houdini Herald”

It has been said that half the art of advertising lies in attracting attention. If this is so, then the Houdini Herald, which we published as a supplement last week, is cetainly an outstanding advertiement, for it could not be missed by anyone seeing the paper. The advertisement has been the subject of much comment and discussion, and we congratulate the firms handling the Houdini serial on that fact. It needs the commercial courage to test new methods, but, we think, the people concerned will find ample reward in this case. This Herald serves the double purpose of interesting the exhibitor in both a business and more personal sense, as the articles are interesting reading for anyone, and also form pulling publicity for the exhibitor to use later.

Grim Game lobby cards came in 11×14 and 8×10 sizes.

Lobby cards were traditionaly made in sets of 8, plus a title card. The images were selected to give a sense of the story line of the movie and to supply the credits. The rotogravure process used in printing Lobby Cards made them more durable than the fragile photographic stock on which the movie stills were printed.

But what about these phographic stock Grim Game production (298-xx) and newspaper reproduction only (L302-xx) stills?

Grim Game stills (photos) are typically 8×10, but recently I acquired an original 11×14 still:

14×11 still (HHCE Collection)

The 14×11 still was created from a photo image with a 5:4 ratio, so you lose an inch on the width and height.

Thus you only see L302-8 vs L302-84.

You can also see this rare still in the Henning book on pages 78 and 79.

Bonus:

10×8 Still 298-84 (MHL Collection)

Postcard of still 302-84

I am the proud caretaker of Houdini’s signed copy of the Merry & Bright Book he compiled with the Houdini’s Schooldays Story.

Houdini’s Schooldays was serialized over 30 weeks (9/18/1920 to 4/2/1921) in the Merry and Bright comics. Herbert Allingham was the author and Harry Houdini owned the dramatic and screen rights to this yarn.

I plan to release the story in book form (with original illustrations), and share my research on the history of the story (with photos of rare items from various collections).  Research includes other Allingham stories with Houdini’s name attached (e.g., The Amazing Exploits of Houdini), Copperfield’s Merry and Bright books, Houdini and Allingham correspondence, Houdini’s education (Appleton, Milwaukee), and a look at possible illustrators (e.g., Ogle) for the story.

Today, I continue my series of posts where I share an interview that Pictures and Picturgoer magazine did with Harry Houdini:

“WILL you step this way, please?” The call-boy of a popular London music-hall beckoned to PICTURES representative, and hurried along endless corridors to a dressing room where reposed the man whose name is a household word the world over—Harry Houdini—the Handcuff King. Repose may seem an inadequate term to use in connection with this live, active and almost restless personality, but it is accurate. Houdini works hard, plays hard, and rests hard.

We talked of many things; of life and hopes and ambitions, of business and of romance.

• His future film plans.
• His pet superstition.
• His greatest happiness.
• His fertile brain.
• His pleasure in films.

His pleasure in films.

One of his reasons for his pleasure in the popularity of films is rather delightful. “Because they give old people a chance of securing work as actors,” he said.

This feeling is no doubt born of his long and happy association with stage-folk, whom he dearly loves, and while at the Lasky studios making The Grim Game he met two or three hundred men and women of the theatrical world who were too old for the stage, yet were earning a generous livelihood at film-acting.

One more word about Houdini ; he neither drinks nor smokes. Movieland be glad to welcome him into its fold—on and off the screen, for we are glad to know we have men of such ideals amongst us. M. O. B.

Source:

• Picture and Picturegoers March 6, 1920