Tim Moore Dentist and Magic Collector

Props once owned and used by Robert Houdin

Any Dentist's Office that has magic posters hanging on the wall is definitely the Dentist I want to be seeing! The only problem is, his office is in Ohio! The dentist in question is Tim Moore, who is not only an accomplished dentist but he is also a magician and magic collector. The Robb Report, which is a Luxury Lifestyle Magazine is featuring  Tim and his magic collection in an edition of their magazine called 'COLLECTION' June 2013 edition.

The article is titled 'Grand Illusions-A collector's devotion to illustious artifacts from the golden age of magic'. The photos in this article are amazing. I've never actually seen Tim's collection in person (though I hope to see it one day soon) but he certainly owns some truly remarkable pieces. In one of the first photos you can see the small floating ball that was once used by Howard Thurston. In another photograph, the fabric cards used by Servais LeRoy can be seen. And in another photo, that I'm particularly envious of, Tim Moore is holding onto Karl Germain's Spirit Lock! In fact, the article goes on to describe how he came into possession of the famed Spirit Lock.

It's a fantastic article full of beautiful photographs. I'm personally also intrigued with all the top hats he owns from famous magicians. I believe the article mentions he owned Houdini's Top Hat and if you think Houdini didn't own one, well, he's got a photo of Houdini and Hardeen both wearing their hats!

Here are a just a few items from his Houdini collection, there are a lot more than this!

The Man Who Left Houdini Hanging, Or Did He?

Richard Pitrot, The Globe Trotter

 In the Spring of 1900 Martin Beck, Houdini's manager had made arrangements with an international agent named Richard Pitrot, to book a tour of Europe for Houdini. When Houdini arrived in Europe he discovered there were no bookings and had to take things into his own hands.

It sure seems odd that a successful and up and coming artist like Houdini would be left totally helpless in a foreign country. In fact, it also seems really strange that a person known for booking acts internationally would be the person who dropped the ball. Was this just another part of the Houdini legend or what happened? I'm not really sure, but let's begin with the agent.

Richard Pitrot was born in 1851 in Europe and began his career as a performer. He was what we could call today an impressionist, meaning he did impressions of famous people. He was billed as 'The Monarch of Mimicry'.

His two best impressions were of Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, according to the book The Papers of Will Rogers by Will Rogers. The book says he first came to the United States in 1889 still performing his act. But by the time the Houdini incident took place he was already established as an international agent. In fact, he was known by the moniker, The Globe Trotter.
He not only found American acts for European audiences but also brought over European acts for American audiences.

The book The Papers of Will Rogers page 205 further states "Pitrot was greatly respected by his colleagues for knowing the value of an act and by performers for his integrity in obtaining fair salaries." Another book which speaks of Pitrot's character is Forty Years Observation of Music and the Drama by Robert Grau. That book says "An agent more associated with foreign styles of acts is Richard Pitrot, and no man today stands in greater esteem." The book further stated, "His advice is sought by many before they embark for this country; he is also able to bring to this country any artist he desires without a contract. I have never heard of anyone complain of Pitrot nor has he ever been conspicuous in legal complications for breach of contract, such as is often the case with foreign agents."

In Houdini!!! by Kenneth Silverman he mentions that Houdini wrote the words "Dam Liar" on a telegram dated May 29th 1900, sent from Richard Pitrot to Houdini. The telegram apparently informed Houdini that Pitrot would not be going with him to England, but that there were dates awaiting him.

S.S. Kensington

Houdini and Bess set sail May 30, 1900 on board the S.S. Kensington. This ship was part of the Red Star Line and arrived in England on June 9, 1900. When Houdini arrived, there were no gigs awaiting him. Several sources mention that the British bookers distrusted American acts. For example, page 81 of Houdini-The Man Who Walked Through Walls by William Gresham, he states "The Britishers were not impressed. They had been badly stung on some American acts and were not tantalized by clippings from American papers..." This quote was in regards to Houdini's pressbook filled with articles from American Newspapers. I'm just guessing but perhaps Richard Pitrot did set up a tour, but because the British agents were highly skeptical of unknown American acts, they did not keep their word. This is merely a guess on my part. But given the reputation of Richard Pitrot, it doesn't add up that he would just set-up Houdini for a fall.

Interestingly, Milbourne Christopher's Houdini The Untold Story, implies that Houdini sailed to England knowing he would have no shows waiting but intended to get bookings on the power of his pressbook alone.  There is no mention of Pitrot's involvement in most of the biographies, except for the Kenneth Silverman book where it would seem the discovery was first published.

From Otaga Witness 1901

While in England Houdini continued to correspond with Martin Beck and was agitated by Beck's insistence that Houdini pay Pitrot's commission, even though Houdini arrived to no tour . This information comes from the Silverman book on HOUDINI!!! page 50. Would Martin Beck continue to insist Houdini pay the commission if he didn't believe in Richard Pitrot's abilities? It sure seems odd. But there is a bit more to this. Apparently, Beck must have kept working with Pitrot to book Houdini overseas because I discovered two articles from New Zealand newspapers in 1901 that show Pitrot was still working to book Houdini. However, Houdini was still in Europe at the time so this did not happen.

Despite this initial incident with Houdini, Richard Pitrot went on to have a very successful career as a show business agent. He died from diabetes on March 21, 1929 in NYC.


I must thank the wonderful WildAboutHoudini.com for mentioning the name Richard Pitrot in his final article on TheHandcuffKings Blog. I couldn't recall the name Richard Pitrot, so I began the research and then wrote the piece above.

Cabot St. Cinema Theatre For Sale, I'm Speechless.

The home of the LeGrand David Spectacular Magic Company, The Cabot St. Cinema Theatre in Beverly Mass, is for sale. For the full article go here: http://www.salemnews.com/local/x701045570/Cabot-Street-Cinema-in-Beverly-for-sale

I'm at such a loss for words, I'll have to post my thoughts another time. Here is a link to all the articles I've written about the company and their theatre. http://www.themagicdetective.com/search/label/Cesareo%20Pelaez

Unlocking the Voice of Houdini

Houdini died in 1926, but years before, in 1914, Houdini made a recording of his voice. The original recordings were done on an Edison Wax Cylinder and are owned by David Copperfield.  A version of that recording can be found in various places on the internet. There is one other place were the recordings of Houdini's voice exists and that is in the collection of Arthur Moses.

In the May 2013 issue of MAGIC Magazine, Arthur Moses talks about the recording of Houdini's voice and actually shares some interesting insights into the version that is heard online, as well as a full transcript of the TWO versions that Houdini recorded. I won't give any details away here because I really want to encourage you to purchase a copy of the May 2013 issue of MAGIC and read it for yourself. It's a very revealing article. The information in that article was originally revealed at the Chicago Magic History Conference in 2012 when Arthur gave a talk entitled "Houdini's Recorded Voice, Have You Heard It All?"

Oh, and just before that piece on the Voice of Houdini in Magic Magazine, you can also read an article by Bill Winters called "The Many Editions of Harry Houdini" which is basically an article about Arthur Moses collection. Again, a must read!

Arthur was at the D.C. Magic History Symposium a couple weeks ago and I had the privledge of meeting him. Though I must admit I didn't get to spend but a few minutes chatting. I was unaware of this article prior to the conference however. Always enjoyable meeting a Houdini collector!

Magic Movies

There are a flood of 'magic-themed' movies coming out or have come out. I will state for the record that I did see Burt Wonderstone. I saw it in a movie theatre with a total of three other people.  I kind of liked the movie, but kind of not. There were parts of it that I enjoyed and I appreciate how the producers did their best not to make fun of magic, but instead make fun of the characters. In fact, I'm grateful that they did that. But overall, it wasn't a great movie. It seemed more of an 'insider' movie, because there were plenty of funny things for magicians but lay people wouldn't understand.

I'm sorry to say I will not be going to see Desperate Acts of Magic. I'm judging it by the trailer and I just can't see it. It looks like it makes fun of both magic and magicians and I'm not into that. Magic frankly has enough problems without a movie making fun of it. I could be wrong, and the movie might be quite different, but the poster alone is enough to keep me away. It's hard for me to say that too, because there are many fine people who are in this movie and I know they put their hearts into it. I'm not suggesting that you skip it. If you like comedies and this type of movie, then by all means go see. But for me, I won't be going. I know they are showing the movie before the big SAM National Convention.

A movie not directly about magic, but with many magic elements in it and many magic references as well is OZ-The Great & Powerful. I've seen OZ 4 times now at the theater. It is a sequel to the original movie The Wizard of Oz and the cast and director did an amazing job. The movie begins with a carnival magician named Oz who just so happens to gets caught in a tornado and swept away to the land of Oz. The opening shows a number of magic effects as well as a scene of actor James Franco presenting a magic show. Lance Burton was the magic consultant on this movie. When the wizard arrives in Oz the people are all thrilled because there is a prophecy that states a great wizard will come and help the people of Oz free them from the witch. Franco, as the wizard, thinks something is wrong because he knows he is a fake wizard, not the real thing. Here in lies the conflict and the resolution will only make you smile. It's now out on DVD and on iTunes, so please check it out.

The next magic movie is a documentary, Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay. This movie I will see and hopefully see more than once. Ricky Jay is serious about magic and about treating magic as an art form. He still puts comedy and humor into his performances but the magic is not demeaned in doing so but rather it is enhanced by it. I have the utmost respect for him and look forward to this movie.

The final movie is called Now You See Me and it's a crime drama of sorts with illusionists as the thieves. I'll probably go see that just because it looks cool in the trailers. It seems to treat magic on a level above the 'party clown' stereotype and that is refreshing. And the movie has Isla Fisher doing magic and escapes....SOLD! Where do I buy my ticket?

With so many wonderful stories and characters in the world of magic, we've got plenty of material to have great movies, and often even funny movies about magic without making fun of it. I have a feeling that the audience for Now You See Me will dwarf Burt Wonderstone, only because in one the movie looks cool and in the other the movie looked dorky. Plus, Now You See Me has Isla Fisher as a magician and that to me is GOLD!

For the record, I loved The Illusionist with Edward Norton, The Prestige with Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman, and I also really liked The Great Buck Howard with John Malkovich and Colin Hanks. There are some really good movies about magic out there and let's hope they keep coming.
The History Channel just announced a Houdini movie of sorts, I can't tell you how excited I am about that!

UPDATE: To read my review of Deceptive Practice click HERE. To read my review of Now You See Me, click HERE.

Happy Birthday Doug Henning!

Today is Doug Henning's birthday. He was born May 3, 1947 in Winnipeg Canada. He is credited with the rebirth of magic in the 1970's that eventually led to a second Golden Age for us magicians.

Doug sadly passed away on February 7th, 2000. But we can still enjoy much of his magic that was recorded on video. Below is a wonderful illusion, created by Jim Steinmeyer and first presented by Doug Henning! 

New Edition of MAGIC 1400s-1950s by Taschen

Remember that GIANT magic book that Taschen printed a couple years ago that cost $200? The book was so large, you had to have a special desk just to hold it. In fact, one enterprising individual, Lupe Nielson, is building the very desk that is on the cover of the magazine! By the way, Lupe also sells these tables on her website. These tables are of the highest quality and will be a piece of furniture you'll cherish for ages. Plus, one of the few tables that can hold that giant book!

Well, Taschen is putting out another edition, a slightly more manageable copy at 9.9 inches by 15 inches, hardcover in a slipcase, 544 pages, for $69.99. The great news is, it's supposed to be available sometime this month (May 2013).

This was a must have in it's giant size, so I would say it's a super must have in it's slightly smaller size. To order a copy direct from Taschen, go to http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/popculture/all/44810/facts.magic_1400s1950s.htm

Clearing the name of HOUDINA

On Feb 11, 2012, I wrote a blog article called Houdini Going Postal, in which I relayed the story of a confrontation between Harry Houdini and Francis P Houdina. I found out about the article from one of my readers who forward newspaper clippings of the event. The story is also covered in the book, The Secret Life of Houdini by William Kalush and Larry Sloman.

The short version of the story is that Houdini claimed he was getting mail from Houdina and vice versa and what set him off was a bill addressed to Houdini but was for items that went to Houdina. Houdini went to confront Francis P Houdina at his place of business and a scuffle broke out.

Well, turns out the whole thing was staged. Imagine that, Houdini setting up an event just to gain publicity, shocking. I was contacted by the son of Francis Houdina who had plenty of documentation to prove his story was correct. The name 'Francis P. Houdina' is fictitious. The 'Francis P' part comes from Harry Kellar's fathers first name, the Houdina part is easy enough to figure out. There was a co-worker mentioned in the story as well George Young. That name came from Dorothy Young's last name. Apparently, the two young men were only 18 year olds at the time. And they were from a town not far from Appleton Wisconsin. There is a bit more to the story, but I'm just going to leave it at the story of Houdini and the workers at Houdina Co. is false, a staged story devised by Houdini.

I'm not giving the actual names of the people involved because the individual who contacted me hinted he'd rather not put the spot light on the living members of the family. I'm not really sure that would happen, but I'll gladly honor his wishes.

Houdini and the Welsh Brothers Circus

(library of congress photo)

Today, May 1st, marks the 118th Anniversary of the first day of work for Bess and Harry Houdini with the Welsh Brothers Circus. According to the fine book, "Metamorphosis" by Bruce MacNAB, they signed for a 5 month tour with a weekly salary of $25.

The circus was run by John and Michael H. Welsh and based out of Lancaster Pennsylvania.  The Houdini's presented their Sub-trunk Routine along with a second sight demonstration. They also had other duties as well, among them A Punch & Judy Show, Bess as a singing clown and Harry's work as a Wild Man.

In the beginning of the movie "HOUDINI" starring Tony Curtis, we see Harry pretending to be the Wild Man of Borneo. Apparently, the real Houdini played 'Projea, The Wild Man of Mexico'.

The Houdini's presented their act 226 times in that five month period. And according to Harry the Welsh Brothers "fed their performers extra well."

Harry and Bess would return to the Welsh Brothers at a later date, but on far different terms.

A building that was 'papered' by the Welsh Brothers Circus Advertisements