Hardeen Presents Houdini's Temple of Mystery

In 1918 Houdini was a busy man. Among his many projects was the creation of a Temple of Mystery. This was going to be a theatre in NY devoted to magic. Part theatre and part museum, the Houdini Temple of Mystery would employ all the latest gadgetry and gizmos to make the experience fun and educational for all who attended. However, it was not to be. Friends cautioned Houdini not to get involved in such an expensive project during war times.

The idea apparently was not completely dead. Jump ahead fifteen years and Houdini has long passed on. Hardeen however is now the busy performer. During a 1933 summer run in Atlantic City Hardeen opens The Houdini Temple of Mystery on the Steel Pier.  From reports of the time, the hall was very large and his run was quite successful. Jim Collins was his chief assistant and Mrs. Collins acted as stage manager.

The entrance to the Temple is on the far left of the photo

Hardeen presented a full show of escapes, magic and illusions. Much of the material was Houdini stuff but there was a lot of Hardeen magic there too. Bess Houdini visited the show once and was acknowledged by the crowd. There was more than one theatre on the Steel Pier and at one point Hardeen was competing with the comedy duo of Amos & Andy for tickets. One Sunday afternoon, Hardeen had 67,000 people show up during his shows that day. I don't know how many shows he did but that's a crazy amount of people. It was a record setting day for the Steel Pier and he beat out the crowds that attended Amos & Andy's show.

Hardeen, who was in his late 50's at this point, was doing the Underwater Packing Crate Escape, TWICE DAILY from the Steel Pier, this according to a blurb in the July 1935 Issue of The Sphinx.

The Temple of Mystery ran from , at least from 1933-1935, I can't find any record past that.

The Steel Pier originally opened in 1898. It was an important Atlantic City landmark and a popular place for entertainers to play. Some who worked the Steel Pier besides Hardeen include: W.C. Fields, Benny Goodman, The Three Stooges, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Glen Cambell and many more. The Pier was destroyed by a fire in 1982 and was rebuilt by the Trump Organization in the 1990's and is still there today.


*One note. I understand the Nov. Genii has an article on Hardeen appearing on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. I haven't read it or seen it and I HOPE I have not duplicated anything that was in the article, though I have a feeling the article just dealt with having Hardeen's character in this TV show.

Hardeen the Illusionist

Hardeen, brother of Houdini. I was unaware that Hardeen was the creator of The Book of Life Illusion. This came as quite a surprise to me actually. I found it in The New Conjurers Magazine Vol 1. Number 6, which is an issue devoted to Hardeen. There is a big two page spread on the Book of Life Illusion by Hardeen. Apparently he got the inspiration from seeing Thurston walk through a giant book to be introduced. However, Thurston's was not an illusion but just a unique way of introducing the magician.

Hardeen wanted to turn the idea into something magical so he devised a Giant Book that would open so that you could see nothing inside. The front and back covers would be closed and instantly a person would magically appear! I will state for the record it's a beautiful effect and it works like a charm. I know because I own the one that once belonged to Harry Blackstone Jr.! I used to use it at the Underground Magic Theatre all the time and it never failed to astound.

1906 Boston Houdini More

During Houdini's run in Boston 1906 he offered a number of exciting one of a kind stunts to his audiences. I found in the Silverman book a mention of Houdini's escape from a Witches Chair. Though, from the description 'an iron out house', I think perhaps the device was a Tramp Chair. Both would make interesting escapes. Both are devices that could be found in the New England region. I learned from Norman Bigelow that Hardeen presented an escape from a Maine Tramp Chair at one point.

The top photo is an actual Witches Chair. It's a torture device to get witches to confess that they are indeed witches. The Tramp chair was usually in the shape of a chair with an iron cell built around it. This was invented by Sanford Baker of Oakland Maine which is why I'm sure it's often called a Maine Tramp Chair.

Now take a look at this picture from the Secrets & Mysteries booklet put out by 'OUDINI'. Notice the shape of the device matches the description from the Silverman book, 'an iron out house'. My guess is that Houdini made his escape from some version of a Maine Tramp Chair rather than a Witches Chair.
One other note of interest. The address to Keith's New Theatre where Houdini performed was 547 Washington St. Boston. There is an address on the cover of the Oudini book which is 230 Washington St.

The new Culliton book says that Oudini was really Frank Rowan and was an actor. I noticed the drawings used for the book are the same as some I've seen in other Houdini books.  Was this really Houdini drumming up more controversy to sell tickets? I'm sure all these things were revealed long after Houdini performed them. Either that, or given the fact that Rowan was an actor, perhaps he had access to these contraptions. The Oudini book lists the Iron Boiler Escape, The Glass Box escape and others that Houdini did perform in Boston.

***Just found a little bit more out about Hardeen's Tramp Chair Escape. He was performing at the Bijou Theatre in Bangor Maine when he was challenged by the Director of Public Safety. Hardeen claims he had never seen nor heard of the device before. The following night the Tramp Chair was brought to the theatre and Hardeen was locked up in it. He escaped in 11 minutes 54 seconds.

I discovered there is a Police Museum in Bangor and within the museum is a Tramp Chair. I can't help but wonder if this is the very chair that Hardeen was challenged with.

 ***One finale update: Take a look at the left side of this poster. You'll see the Maine Tramp Chair that Hardeen escaped from!

Just added another Boston related item here http://deancarnegie.blogspot.com/2011/02/houdinis-boston-jail-escape.html