Category Archives: Literature

Blogcast #7: Dynamite Magazine Harry Houdini Punch-Out

Posted on March 30, 2019 by Houdini

By Tom Interval Dynamite magazine, issue #79, December 1980, features an article about Harry Houdini titled “HOUDINI: The Magic Man Who Knew Whodunit!” As part of that theme, the mag includes a companion two-piece punch-out that, when constructed, becomes a mechanical toy showing … Continue reading →

Posted in animation, Art, Chains, Collecting, Drawings, Dynamite, Ephemera, Escapes, Handcuffs, Literature, Multimedia, Optical Illusions, Patreon, Periodicals, Videos | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Blogcast #5: Wild About Houdini Since 1975

Posted on March 2, 2019 by Houdini

By Tom Interval Blogcast #5: Wild About Harry Since 1975 is live! I talk about John Cox, the creator of the most comprehensive Houdini-related website on the Web: Wild About Houdini. If you’re a Houdini, magic, or history enthusiast and haven’t visited … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Cannon, Chains, Collections, Digital, Escapes, Experts, Handcuffs, John Cox, John Cox, Letters, Milk Can, Movies, Physical, Podcasts, Straitjacket, Videos, Water Torture Cell, Websites, Wild About Harry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Blogcast #1: Harry Houdini’s Dad Fired for Not Speaking English?

Posted on February 20, 2019 by Houdini

By Tom Interval Last June I wrote an article asserting that Harry Houdini’s father, Rabbi Mayer Samuel Weiss, was not fired by his congregation simply because he couldn’t speak English. I’ve decided to make that blog the first in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Bernard C. Meyer, Bess, Biographies, Books, Cecilia, Family, Gladys, Herman, kenneth silverman, Leopold, Letters, Life Phases, Mayer, Nathan, Parents, Podcasts, Siblings, Theodore (Hardeen), William, Youth, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mademoiselle Houdini

Posted on July 2, 2018 by Houdini

By Tom Interval From the time Harry Houdini graced the stage in the early 1890s as one of the two Brothers Houdini, to the day he died in 1926, he earned a superabundant paper-flood of press coverage. Whether he was mentioned … Continue reading →

Posted in Bess, Popular Science Monthly | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Rabbi Weiss’s Farewell Sermon

Posted on June 29, 2018 by Houdini

By Tom Interval Listen to/watch this blog entry in video format → When Rev. Dr. Mayer Samuel Weiss arrived in the United States in 1876, doubt likely plagued his mind. At 47, he wasn’t a young man anymore, but he … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Bernard C. Meyer, Bess, Biographies, Birth, Books, Cecilia, Collections, Digital, Family, Gladys, Herman, Homes, kenneth silverman, Leopold, Literature, Mayer, Nathan, Parents, Siblings, Theodore (Hardeen), William | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Dynamite Houdini Punch-Out

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Houdini

By Tom Interval I recently dug up a 1980 Dynamite article about Harry Houdini that includes a full-color punch-out of the master mystifier escaping from chains. To read more and to see an animated version of the punch-out, check out the … Continue reading →

Posted in animation, Art, Chains, Drawings, Dynamite, Literature, Paintings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Happy 142nd, Harry

Posted on March 24, 2016 by Houdini

By Tom Interval Newborn Erik Weisz (Americanized Ehrich Weiss), who would later generate fame, fortune, and folklore as Harry Houdini, escaped his mother’s womb in Budapest on this day in 1874. For those who don’t know much about the man, calling … Continue reading →

Posted in Anniversaries, Biographies, Birth, Books, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mrs. Houdini: A Novel

Posted on January 16, 2016 by Houdini

By Tom Interval Mr. and Mrs. H would be pleased to know there’s a novel centered around their love life about to be published: Mrs. Houdini, by Victoria Kelly. According to the publisher, Simon & Schuster (Atria Books), the book is a “captivating debut novel, meticulously researched … Continue reading →

Posted in Bess, Books, fiction, Literature | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Nearly Dying for a Living”

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Houdini

By Tom Interval History’s Houdini two-part miniseries, which aired in the United States on Sept. 1 and 2, introduces a younger generation to one of the most enduring Houdini myths of all time: the legendary escapologist and illusionist almost drowning under an … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, Books, Hearst's, Literature, Movies, Myths, Periodicals, Portrayals, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Legends and Lore Persist in Houdini Miniseries

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Houdini

By Tom Interval It’s the dead of winter. Thousands of gawking spectators flood a bridge spanning the frozen river below. The crowd braves the bone-splitting cold for only one reason: to see a man die. Of course, they might not … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Bernard C. Meyer, Bess, Cannon, Cecilia, Death, Escapes, Literature, Mayer, Milk Can, Movies, Parents, Portrayals, Siblings, Straitjacket, Television, Theodore (Hardeen), Water Torture Cell | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments