Tag: Houdini

Latest Magic News, Magic Book Review

Houdini Slated as Next Movie Superhero

The Secret Life of HoudiniThere scattered reports earlier this year that Summit Entertainment purchased the film rights to William Kalush and Larry Sloman’s biography, The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America’s First Superhero, to make “an action thriller featuring a character who is part Indiana Jones and part Sherlock Holmes.”

Entertainment web site IGN opined Summit’s decision to stray from the bio-pic format was to build a franchise on Houdini’s fame; not necessarily his life.

The studio announced in March 2009, it was looking for a writer to craft the story and build the super-hero character.

They apparently found their writer and his credits fit the need for a super-hero take on Houdini.

Jeff Nathanson, writer of Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will write the script. Mr. Nathanson worked with Steven Spielberg on Catch Me if You Can and the horrible waste of celluloid The Terminal. His action credits also include Rush Hour 2 and Speed 2: Cruise Control.

IGN was not able to receive confirmation of the writing assignment from Mr. Nathanson’s Hollywood agents, CAA.

Summit was apparently excited by the book’s suggestion that Houdini was a spy for Britain, and possibly murdered by spiritualists in retribution for his very effective debunking of their craft. The book certainly made the suggestions but offered very little support for either the spy or murder claim.

News of this potential deal brings up a sore subject for us here at Inside Magic.

Continue reading “Houdini Slated as Next Movie Superhero” →

Latest Magic News, Magician Feature

Curtis Lovell and Tony Curtis Live

Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh in HoudiniWe must have seen the movie more than any other,  save The Wizard of Oz.

Tony Curtis’ portrayal of Harry Houdini in the classic 1953 story of the great magician’s life and death was more than inspiring — it was perspiring.

After seeing the film for the first time, we tried every escape an eight-year-old can create.  In any other household, cries of “C’mon, Mom.  Tie me up good this time!”” would likely bring an intervention or rescue.

It was a bit disheartening to learn Houdini did not die as portrayed in the film.  But that’s Hollywood.

We met Tony Curtis in Las Vegas a few years back.  He was still in great shape and looked ready to make another dozen films.  Let’s not kid ourselves, he was and remains one heck of a good-looking man.

Check out the live showing of Houdini at the Million Dollar Theater in Los Angeles on June 13th.  The film is part of the Jules Verne Adventures Festival.

Inside Magic Favorite Curtis Lovell III will be performing an incredible escape in celebration and in the spirit of Houdini.

Continue reading “Curtis Lovell and Tony Curtis Live” →

Magic News, Magic of Australia

Melbourne’s Magic Age Featured in New Exhibit

The young, Australian museum curator Simon Gregg believes “the history of Melbourne as two parallel stories: one about the development of a modern-day metropolis and the other about the emergence of floating ladies, vanishing handkerchiefs, straitjacket escapes and a bottomless barrel of logic-defying tricks and illusions.”

Mr. Gregg is featured in a big way in Melbourne’s The Age for his new museum exhibit Hocus Pocus: Melbourne Magic, Mystery and Illusion.  The show starts next week, December 6, at the beautiful City Museum.   The focus is “the city’s so-called golden era of magic, from 1850 to 1950.”

Gold was discovered in Melbourne’s environs during the 19th Century.  And where there is gold, there are people.  And where there are people, there are audiences.  And where there is an audience, there is bound to be at least one magician.

Mr. Gregg believes Melbourne’s “emergence as a magic town came to be after the discovery of gold and the subsequent population explosion of the 1850s.”

Continue reading “Melbourne’s Magic Age Featured in New Exhibit” →

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Dean Gunnarson Cleans Up in New Escape

World-Famous Escape Artist, Dean Gunnarson is not normal.

Rather, he is nuts.

He performs an escape attempt each Halloween as a tribute to Houdini.  The escapes are never easy and rarely safe, but always the subject of great media attention.

Performing escape attempts that combine high risk and great difficulty is sure bet for unexpected and tragic results.  Perhaps that is why the press follows each attempt so closely.

Quoth Houdini: No one wants to see someone die, but they want to be there if it happens.

A quarter century ago, Mr. Gunnarson came with in a breath or two of losing his life in an underwater escape dedicated to Houdini.

As more than 10,000 watched, Mr. Gunnarson was shackled inside a coffin and lowered into the frigid, rushing Red River in Winnipeg, Canada. Continue reading “Dean Gunnarson Cleans Up in New Escape” →

Magic News

Curtis Lovell Escapes Death on Halloween

Curtis Lovell is well-known to television audiences.  He cut Paris Hilton in half on her show The Simple Life, provided instructions to escape from handcuffs on the Spike TV show Manswers.  He called out David Blaine and John “I talk to dead people” Edward.

Neither performer had the guts to take him up on a magic duel.

Mr. Lovell made a great impression with his performance of his Cube of Death on the USA Network’s Road Characters.

On the 84th anniversary of Houdini’s passing, Mr. Lovell literally went underground.

By performing an escape Houdini himself said was too dangerous to repeat, Mr. Lovell took an enormous risk — an not just to his career.

The Buried Alive escape is a test of physical endurance and mental focus.  Oxygen is in short supply and panic is a constant enemy; ready to steal the limited amount trapped within the sealed coffin.

Mr. Lovell attempted the escape as part of The Halloween Haunt in Grand Terrace California’s Pico Park. Continue reading “Curtis Lovell Escapes Death on Halloween” →

Latest Magic News, Magic News

Magic Castle Celebrates New Houdini Star

Halloween means different things to different people.

To kids, it means costumes and candy.  To adults, it means candy without the need for costumes.  To magicians — half-way between kids and adults on the maturity scale — it means increased bookings and Houdini.

The Magic Castle sends news of their good work on the streets of Hollywood; where adults of all callings can wear festive and mysterious costumes year-round.

The Magic Castle’s Founder, Milt Larsen received a call on November 1, 2000 from a concerned visitor to the Walk of Fame, that the Houdini star, located just one block south of The Magic Castle, was cracked.

Interestingly, the manifestation happened exactly 25 years to the day of its placement at Hollywood and Orange.

Thanks to the efforts and donations of David Copperfield, Penn and Teller, Lance Burton, Tihany, Marvyn Roy (Mr. Electric), Siegfried and Roy, and the Larsens, Houdini’s star has been refurbished.  The Magic Castle and some of its Hollywood friends unveiled the new star on October 24, 2008 — the 84th anniversary of Houdini’s last performance. Continue reading “Magic Castle Celebrates New Houdini Star” →

Latest Magic News, Magic News

Buy A Brick Infused by Houdini’s Spirit

Brick + Houdini = $$

The Detroit News tells us of a great opportunity to connect with the great Harry Houdini.

Jamie Flora is more than just a fan of Harry Houdini.  He owns bricks from a home that may have been built from with materials salvaged from the demolition of The Garrick Theatre in Detroit.

Okay, it is a stretch but it is better than any connection Inside Magic can currently claim; especially since we learned recently blow driers were not even invented when Houdini was performing and we likely bought a piece of junk from that nice old lady.

Mr. Flora researched the construction lineage of his Plymouth, Michigan home and came to the inescapable conclusion – there may be some connection!

Consider the following factors if you will:

First, Mr. Flora’s house was built in 1928 — the year they tore down The Garrick Theatre in Detroit.

Second, his home was made, at least in part, of bricks. Continue reading “Buy A Brick Infused by Houdini’s Spirit” →

Latest Magic News, Magic News

Why Did Houdini Flick Fail? Inside Magic Knows

Death Defying Acts is out on DVD says Lisa Miller in The Imperial Valley News.

Inside Magic had high hopes for the 2008 drama staring Guy Pearce and Catherine Zeta-Jones.  Inside Magic opined during the film’s pre-production that it was a sure fire hit.  How could it go wrong with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Houdini?

Sure, the story was completely made up, but how was that different from anything you might read on this website?  Who were we to fling objects that look like rocks?

The drama based on a fictitious tale about Harry Houdini had the components necessary for a hit but apparently did not find the audience Houdini and Ms. Zeta-Jones deserved.

The film told the story of Houdini searching for a true psychic.  The great magician is taken in by Ms. Zeta-Jones’ character Mary McGarvie and her young daughter Benji.

Already the story sounds good, right?  Who couldn’t love a film where Catherine Zeta-Jones has a daughter who is a dog?  Like you, we saw all of the Benji movies in the 1970’s and, probably not like you, we saw them again later during detox (the second stay).

The Benji movies were great and great fun.

They were kind of like The Daring Dobermans‘ films but without the attacking and jerky cinema verite editing and pan shots.

We read somewhere Benji was actually a female dog.  That is not new.  Lassie was a boy dog.  So, we have no problem believing a girl spirit could inhabit the body of what everyone knows is a boy dog. Continue reading “Why Did Houdini Flick Fail? Inside Magic Knows” →

Latest Magic News, Magic News

Houdini the Musical Loses Theater Before Opening

The Stage (UK) reports the much anticipated Houdini the Musical lost its home before it could even open.

The Ambassador Theatre Group (“ATG”) removed the new show from its Spring line-up “after an investigation revealed that the show was intending not to pay its cast and crew for rehearsals or performances at the Regent Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent.”

Houdini the Musical’s producers Shattered Nerve Studios Ltd were booked into the Regent Theatre for a week-long run in March 2009.  In anticipation of that premiere, the producers auditioned performers on “the condition that, if employed, they would not be paid for rehearsals and performances from January to March 2009 inclusive.”

The producers were quick to point out performers would be paid “if the show was successful and embarked on a national tour after its run in Stoke.”

But until the show was a success — or at least road worthy — performers would receive only “expenses, a one-off fee for a cast recording and pay for any outreach and education work they undertook alongside the show.”

Houdini would not have worked for free.  Even as a young performer he demanded $12 per week for 20 shows per day.  But then again, he did not sing. Continue reading “Houdini the Musical Loses Theater Before Opening” →

Latest Magic News, Magic News

Houdini and Radner Find New Home

Sydney Radner Shows Houdini Cuffs to Elizabeth Dobrska

Houdini’s legacy passed down through his brother Hardeen and safely kept by Sydney Radner has found a new home in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

Mr. Radner’s care for the great showman’s equipment is legendary.  For years, many of the pieces sat on display in Houdini’s hometown of Appleton, Wisconsin.

He donated pieces outright to the Outagamie Museum and leased other items for their exhibits.

Following a well-publicized dispute with curator Terry Bergen, Mr. Radner sold much of the collection at auction.

The New York Times covered the sad lead-up to the Halloween 2004 sale.

“Mr. Radner said this week that he would not rest until he had removed the Houdini Historical Center from the control of the Outagamie County Historical Society and had relocated it far from the grip of Ms. Bergen.

“I don’t care where it goes, so long as it is not in Appleton,” he said. “She doesn’t know Houdini from Liberace. She just knows dollars.”

Mr. Radner found a new museum and new director for what remains of the collection, and perhaps more importantly, the legacy it represents. Continue reading “Houdini and Radner Find New Home” →