Word: houdinied
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...spark of stage wit, the faculty of knowing when and how to break away from the regular routine speech with an immediate answer for every question, is that which distinguishes a Houdini, a Thurston, from the magician Blackstone, the feature of this week's Keith-Albee bill. Mr. Blackstone exhibits a complete performance of the accepted sleight-of-hand tricks with the ease of Keller, but he lacks the vital touch of spontaneity...
Thurston is now Houdini. He describes his tricks, but never explains them. His most sensational "illusion" was chopping off a friend's head. Because women fainted he never repeated it. He is contemptuous of Oriental "magic." Out of three thousand fakirs he examined in India, not one had even heard of the rope trick. (A rope is thrown into the air, is mysteriously suspended while a boy climbs up it, disappears.) The easiest people to fool, says Thurston, are scientists, men-of-letters, psychologists. The hardest are lawyers and preachers because "they do not lose their poise" when invited...
Past-president of the Society is Howard Thurston of Beechurst, L. I., famed professional, near-peer of the late great Harry Houdini. He was succeeded last week by Hardeen, brother of Houdini. Other prominent national members include the following amateurs: Artist Harlan Tarbell of Chicago, Patent Attorney J. C. Wobensmith of Philadelphia, Royal C. Vilas of Bridgeport, Conn. The New York chapter is headed by Lawyer Bernard M. L. Ernst. Its officers include Leo Rullman, acting Deputy Collector of the Port of New York, and Dentist Lionel Hartley...
Charlotte pirouetted on artificial ice. . . . Houdini wore straitjackets . . . Annette Kellerman in black epidermal tights . . . Toto . . . Marceline . . . Perche-rons . . . choruses not as pretty but much harder-working than the later Follies...
...reporters were absolutely bent, baffled, and bewildered. They said that Famed Conjurer Dunninger was the legitimate successor to Harry Houdini. One man who had watched the exhibition of miracles was disgusted by them. He was Charles E. Davenport, the manager of Nino Pecoraro, a medium who had issued a challenge to Dunninger for a "phenomena producing" contest. After watching the things which Dunninger did, Davenport withdrew his challenge because Mr. Pecoraro was alleged not to be in the right psychic condition...