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Friday Fun is back! For this week's, we're off to the Eight Kingdoms for a taste of sexy goodness. Book four, The Shadow Road, is currently available for preorder…and full of temptations!
From The Back Cover: In the wake of Dealla's latest atrocity, Macsen has learned a lesson he will never forget. To love is to fear, and he intends to make sure that his fear never comes to pass. Bran is less than pleased with being left behind while Macsen hunts Dealla, but he has trouble of his own to distract him. An unknown ability is growing in him—magic that has nothing of Summer in it. Disturbed, Bran convinces Macsen to come with him to question his mother. Only she knows who Bran's father is, and the secret half of his bloodline is the most likely source of his new power.
Elenn agrees to Bran's request, but for her own reasons. Faelan, one of the gancanagh, is to be Bran's guide to his father, and she has ordered him to seduce the Red King and prove his love false. Faelan has no desire to follow through, but also no choice. His queen has commanded, and he must obey.
Macsen and Bran aren't the only lovers whose feelings are being put to the test. After five thousand years of separation, Myrddin has no choice but to accept Kas' help in restoring the spring and its rite to the mortal world. The difficulty is that he wants Kas to desire him for himself, not out of necessity, and the whole of reality is standing in his way.
Where is the line that divides determination from desire? Love is power—but is it enough?
Macsen ran his fingers through the wild mess of Bran's hair, bent to his mouth and pressed Bran back against the table behind him, back and back until he was sprawled half across it. "Did you miss me? You taste like you missed me."
Bran arched up into his arms, hooked a leg around Macsen's legs and held him close for a deeper kiss.
"Does that mean yes? Bran… I missed you, Bran." His hands were cold, cold like they hadn't been since the beginning. His mouth, too, was cold—cold against Bran's mouth, his throat, his collarbone, his shoulder. He could tell just by how hot Bran felt against him. "Missed you… Missed you."
He wrapped his arms around Bran's body, curled himself over him and kissed the curve of his ear. "Tell me you're well, Anwylyd." And again, against the line of his throat, "I missed you."
"I'm fine. Fine. Better now that you're home." He turned a little in the circle of Macsen's arms. "I missed you too." He lifted his mouth expectantly, and Macsen pressed closer, kissed him again more deeply. "Hmm…" Bran pulled back. "You're so cold."
"Yes. And you are hot." Macsen drew Bran up, kicked the bench out of the way and pushed him back onto the table. Bits of gold scattered, glinting in the firelight and ringing as they rolled and fell.
"Not here. You're going to make a mess, Macsen."
"Yes, let's make a mess." Macsen ran his tongue over the line of Bran's throat as he tilted his head back, down along his collarbone to his shoulder. "A beautiful mess." Faintly, the pattern of his own teeth was marked there, the scar of the bite he had left to heal on its own at Bran's request, when they'd begun their courtship, when he'd had to leave…
As it had every time since the first time he'd noticed the scar, the sight filled him with desire, woke all his possessive instincts. Maybe no one else could see it, but it didn't matter. Indelible, it beckoned him, called to him. This time when he gave in to his own desire and bit deep, seeking Bran's blood, it was just in that place, aligning the new bite with the marks of the old.
Bran shuddered in his arms, groaned and twitched his hips up against Macsen's body. "The floor—everything is going to—Macsen, you…ohhh…" But Bran couldn't make the words into a sentence, and his body betrayed the truth of his desire. He didn't relax his embrace, and one moaning exhalation after another came hot against Macsen's skin. His fingers crawled up Macsen's back and held tight.
"I'll help you pick everything up. Later. Now, make more sounds for me."
Macsen's voice was rough with blood, with the feral rush that was the result of such a feast as he had made for himself in the mortal world. Winter's strength was restless in him, his own power was building on the heels of it, and beside all those things the wanton willingness of his lover—beloved, beautiful, groaning under him, muttering his name again and again… It flushed him with lust.
"Is there anything you wouldn't give me, Bran?" He murmured the words against the soft heat of Bran's throat. "Anything I could ask to which you might say no?"
There was no answer but moaning, the soft exhalation of hot breath as Macsen slipped his hands under Bran's tunic. Bran moved in his arms, wrapped his legs around Macsen's back, reached up into his hair with both hands.
Macsen knew what he wanted, all of what he wanted, and laughed all but silently against the curve of his shoulder. "A mess, you said. I will make a mess of you, and everything, everything. I'm going to take you right here." He pushed Bran back onto the table. There was a clatter and chiming as more metal fell to the ground and Bran lay back across the empty space, his fingers grasping at Macsen's arms.
For an instant he looked back over his shoulder, trying to see what had fallen, but Macsen took hold of his trousers in both hands and tore them from him—ripped the laces and the soft sidhe silk right down the seams. Then he bent and bit at the curve of Bran's hip, kissed a line along the shallow curve of his pelvis, nipped the soft skin of his thigh and set the blood flowing. It made a red stream that he followed greedily with his tongue.
Moans, and "More," and "More," came from Bran, and Macsen wet his fingers with oil and pressed two of them deep. There was a dark flush on Bran's cheeks, his throat, his chest, and Macsen knew there would be fire soon, the beckoning heat Bran could never restrain. He slipped his other hand from Bran's thigh to his cock, rubbed his thumb over the head.
Fire reached out and wrapped around his arms, his waist, slipped into his clothes and under them, tugging at his skin. He resisted the urge to give in at the first touch, resisted while filaments of heat licked at his cock, brushed over his nipples, slipped past his lips on his every breath. He could feel Bran's want of him in every touch, and there was pleasure in each one of those demanding caresses.
Macsen bent and took the head of Bran's cock into his mouth, just for the taste of him, and his hands darted down to cup the back of Macsen's head. He licked his lips and stood straight again, pulled Bran the tiniest bit closer, right to the edge of the table, and replaced his fingers with his cock. He didn't say a word, gave no warning, and Bran gasped under him, clawed at his shoulders, pulled himself tight against Macsen's body and let out one long cry. It was just what Macsen wanted, his name drawn out into an unrecognizable sound.
"Open up for me just like that. So good, Bran."
Bran shook, shuddered, and trembled finally as he relaxed. Everything was heat, and the fire clutched at Macsen's skin, but Bran was so tight around his cock he couldn't move. The pleasure was a torment. It was so hot—so hot—there was just one distraction, and he held Bran against his body and bit deep into his throat, sucked up the red, dark blood.
The first mouthful was enough to take Bran shuddering over the edge, all but untouched, heart speeding under Macsen's tongue, all of him shaking and his cock throbbing its white essence in pulses between them. His body gripped Macsen's cock almost painfully, then relaxed while he tightened his fingers in Macsen's hair again and again.
He stayed still and let Bran ride out his climax, took slow mouthfuls from the brilliant spill at his throat. Brighter. Brighter than it had been since they had left Summer. Was it the power Bran used for his work?
So much sun.
Slowly, Macsen pulled back, then thrust deeper, again and again. He felt desire as it sneaked back into Bran's body, up his calves and his trembling thighs, into the tautness of his buttocks and the sudden tenseness of his hips. The shadow of fire trembled across his skin as he arched back, flickered over his abdomen, his chest. There was fire in his blood, too, as it streamed over Macsen's tongue and down his throat.
Summer, it was Summer green and gold, rich juices and wine. He knew he should pull back but Bran's fingers were tight against his scalp, his skin. The heat of his cock was rigid and twitching against Macsen's belly, and his hips rocked back against every thrust, begging for more. His whole body was begging for more, his eyes closed and his mouth open for wordless groans.
Faster. Deeper. Harder, until he had to hold Bran still with both hands, grip his hip and shoulder to keep him still against his mouth. The tightness and the fire, the almost-pain where Bran pulled his hair, dug his fingers into Macsen's back… So good. Pleasure overwhelmed him, one sharp pulse after another spilling out of him and into Bran. Bran cried out a little, shivered, then begged.
"Please, I'm so close, please." He tugged harder at Macsen's hair, and Macsen slipped his hand between them, stroked Bran's cock—but he still pulled, gasped, demanded, and the heaving curve of his throat was too much vulnerability, too much temptation for Macsen to resist. He bit deeper, took more, and Bran locked his legs behind Macsen's hips and groaned out his release.
Want more? Preorder your copy of The Shadow Road!
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November 8, 2015 Belinda Burke	Leave a comment
This week, I'm sharing a bit of steamy Sunday fun from a new guest! Welcome author Jamie Steele, who is sharing a bit from their new release, Provocateur.
Author Bio: Jamie is an international author of mystery. Originally born in the quiet country of New Zealand Jamie packed their bags and headed towards the bright lights of London.
Published author by night and superhero by day Jamie is always up to no good.
Come read Provocateur and enter the mind and world of London's underground.
Carter strained beneath him. He was already close to losing control, barely able to think. His cock strained painfully against the confines of his pants, and he wanted nothing more than to be flipped onto his knees and fucked. Hard, fast and brutal. Carter moaned as Brandon's mouth once again moved over his face and neck. He was moving slowly, too slowly, as if they had all the time in the world, and as if Carter wasn't about to come, untouched like a sixteen year old during his first time. Brandon's cock twitching at the sound of his voice, his hips rubbing against Carter's. "Christ" Carter whispered hoarsely.
"You like that?" Brandon chuckled. His hands moved down to the trailing ends of Carter's shirt, undoing each of the tiny grey buttons. Ever so gently, Brandon untied his hands before swiftly removing his shirt, and retying him once again to the headboard. Brandon's mouth and tongue explored the crevices of Carter's muscles, slowly, lightly, tormenting him with each touch. Carter's body stood tense and ready, electrified by the loss of sight and touch, trying to guess where Brandon's lips would caress him next.
Instinctively, Carter's hips widened, as he pressed himself higher, pushing his crotch closer to Brandon's and allowing the other man to sink into the space, as his hands once again crept further down his body. He felt Brandon's soft hands work at the button of his jeans, a fingertip, a knuckle, grazing against his smooth belly. Too slow, Carter thought as he pressed against his touch again, more desperate this time, Brandon's thumbs tracking the deep V above his hips.
With deft movement, Brandon lifted Carter's ass, and slid down his jeans. His mouth pressing lightly against the large bulge in Carter's boxer briefs, teasing him through the fabric. "Please" he heard Carter moan underneath him. Agonisingly slowly, he freed Carter, sliding his underwear down his legs and off before running his hand gently down his silky cock, hard beneath his hand. "Impressive" he whispered against the the skin of Carter's belly. Swirling his tongue over the tip, he felt Carter raise his hips to meet his mouth. With a burst of speed, Brandon moved faster, taking more of Carter into his mouth. His tongue swirling patterns against him, sucking gently. With one hand focused on the task at hand, Brandon fumbled with his own belt, unable to take the constrains of his own clothing against him.
Carter was on fire, with the loss of his sight, every sense was intensified a hundred times. When he felt his cock enter the warm, wet heat of Brandon's mouth, his control slipped. His hips bucked to meet him, Brandon's tongue gliding over him with expertise. He was desperate to touch him, to feel the heat of his skin on his hands. To feel the softness of Brandon's skin against his, to stroke what he was sure was a fantastic cock. To taste him again. He could hear the distant rustle as Brandon freed himself from his own clothing.
Want more? Try this teaser of next week's Friday Fun, from my own new erotic short, Otavia In October!
Otavia licked her lips, breathless. He wanted her. Wanted to share her with his pack. A sudden image assaulted her, of herself on her knees with Luka behind her, Ares in her mouth and more men around her. She rubbed her thighs together and shivered. That was—god. But she couldn't say yes, how could she say yes?
"I can't, I can't."
"What if I gave you an excuse, Otavia? What if I said it was the price for your freedom?"
"Ohh." It was almost a moan, and it escaped her before she could help herself. He chuckled, and before she could even think of moving Luka had her pinned between himself and Ares.
Find Provocateur here!
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For this week's Friday Fun, it's back to my own recent releases! As promised, have a taste of First Nights, which will be out as soon as Amazon approves!
From The Back Cover: A single day spent in the throes of passion is enough to convince Stelios that his brother's omega, Niketas, is more than worth keeping around. Stelios may only be Niketas' other Alpha, but he's still the only man Niketas has ever had for a lover., and there's something more than pleasing about teaching him the limits of his own body.
Niketas isn't concerned with limits – he just wants Stelios. After so long pointlessly lusting after Luka, he's more than willing to try everything Stelios has to offer him.
Their first nights together will be an exploration of pleasure…and perhaps of something more. They come from different worlds, and it might not be a good idea, but it seems like neither one can keep from getting attached.
Stelios was so hot. So hot, and the head of his cock was smooth as satin on Niketas' tongue. Niketas had thought there would be some flavor, like the scent of his skin, but everything had been washed away by the water. Stelios leaned back against the edge of the tub and let Niketas take more of his cock into his mouth, and more – god there was no way he was going to be able to take it all, but he wanted to and he didn't even know why. He tried to remember what women had done to him, what felt good, or what he'd wanted, then pulled up and curled his tongue around the head of Stelios' cock.
Stelios sucked in a breath, and Niketas was surprised at the instant pulse of heat that flickered to life in his belly. He did it again, wanted to make Stelios moan for him, then sucked him down harder, licked the length of his cock and tried to take more than before. He choked a little, then lifted his head to take a breath and tried again – god so much cock, there was no way, no way, but he wanted it, wanted to-
Stelios reached out and pulled his hair, tugged his head back until Niketas only had the head of his cock in his mouth, could look up and meet his eyes. "If you want to take it all, I'll help you. But you don't have to. I know it's your first time."
His cock twitched a little on Niketas' tongue as he said that, got even harder, and Niketas felt himself flushing. He rolled his tongue around the tip and oh that was it. There was the taste of him, salt and Stelios.
So good. He tastes so –
Niketas tried more tongue, sucked harder, took Stelios deeper into his mouth with every stroke, then pulled up again. Oh yeah. He lifted his mouth off and licked wetness from the tip of Stelios' cock, then did it all over again.
"Fuck, look at you. You like the taste of me, Niketas?"
Niketas flushed darker, scowled and looked up at Stelios anyway. "So what if I do, I-"
"Gorgeous. No idea what you look like, do you? On your knees for me, licking my cock like that. Just for the taste of me." He tugged at Niketas' hair, then leaned back again, shifted his hips so more of his cock stood out from the water. "Well? Go on. You looked like you were having fun."
"Yeah. I mean – yes, Sir."
"Better. Now, get your mouth back on my cock."
Niketas wrapped his lips around the tip, licked all over then took him deeper and moaned softly as Stelios pulled his hair. Despite the fact that he'd come what – three times? Four? – while Stelios was fucking him, while he'd been tied up, Niketas felt his cock twitching against his thigh, getting harder while he sucked. God, what was wrong with him?
Submissive.
The word echoed in the voices of both his Alphas, Luka's amusement and Stelios' desire.
Was this what it meant, too? Not just liking the way Stelios tied him up, kept him from coming – liking to be on his knees for him? Wanting the taste of him…wanting his moans, his heavy breaths. Fuck.
Niketas shifted and almost reached for his own cock, but he knew without even asking that Stelios wouldn't allow that. Instead he sucked harder, licked under the head where he knew he liked to be teased himself and tightened his grip on Stelios' thighs when Stelios groaned and thrust up into his mouth.
"Knew you'd be – good with that mouth. More tongue, yes, like that. Just like that. Can you take more?"
Niketas moaned, sucked harder and took another inch, then another, choked and had to pull back. Then Stelios' hands were in his hair, guiding him as he gave soft instructions. "Relax. Relax your throat or you won't be able to take it. Better. Now swallow. Swallow. Yes. Enough now , back up – oh that's good. So good with your tongue. Take it again for me, just like that."
He moved his hands lightly through Niketas' hair, barely pulling, almost a caress. Niketas moaned and obeyed, and this time took Stelios' cock deeper, more than half, before he had to pull back again and take a breath. He kept doing that, again, and again, until Stelios tightened a fist in his hair and swore.
"Fuck. So good. Gonna come in your mouth – is that what you want, Niketas?"
"Mmm – mmmm." He wanted to taste it, wanted to feel Stelios come and know he'd done it, wanted to hear him moaning – wanted to taste it. He sucked harder, pointed the tip of his tongue and traced over and over that sensitive spot just under the head of Stelios' cock, and got just what he'd wanted.
He groaned loud and his fingers went tight in Niketas' hair, held him still while Stelios bucked his hips up again and again, fucking into his mouth as he came. Sweet. Salt. Bitter. Stelios. Niketas shuddered, licked all around the tip of Stelios' cock and swallowed him down again, wanting more – more.
He sucked and a last few drops spilled hot onto his tongue, but he didn't lift his mouth away until Stelios pulled him back by his hair.
"Stop that, before I make you do it all again."
"I'll do it again -"
His breathing was unsteady and heavy, his voice more eager than his words, but he didn't care. Stelios chuckled, reached down and wiped under Niketas' bottom lip with his thumb.
"Yes, you will."
Niketas licked at his thumb, sucked a drop of come off it and was surprised at Stelios' sudden growl, the heat of his mouth pressed against Niketas'. Stelios kissed him harder, deeper, fucked his mouth with his tongue and never mind that Niketas had to taste like nothing but him. It was almost like he –
"Taste so good, Niketas. Even better with me on your tongue."
"You – you like that?" He panted against Stelios' mouth as he kissed him again.
"Yes. But that's enough of that for now, I brought you in here to clean you up and look you over, not make more of a mess out of you. Not tonight, anyway."
"O-Oh."
Stelios laughed at him again. "Too eager for your own good, aren't you? Get over here." He made room on the ledge beside him, and Niketas sat and endured Stelios' examination without complaint. His wrists, his back, the line of bites along his throat, still radiating heat – then Stelios slid a hand down, cupped his ass and squeezed.
"Stand up for me now. Hands against the wall, and bend over so I can look at that tight little hole of yours."
Niketas swallowed once, stood slowly and turned his back to Stelios, then leaned over as he'd been told. Stelios' hands were on his ass almost immediately, squeezing him, then holding him open. "Ropes didn't chafe at all. Good." Then one hand let go and Niketas moaned as Stelios traced a finger over his hole, circled it and pressed barely inside him.
"A little red, but that's not bad. Are you hurting any?"
"No, god I – it doesn't…hurt."
Stelios let go of him and smacked him once, just sharp enough to sting. "Good. Wash up now." Niketas sucked in a breath and stayed where he was for another moment, but Stelios was already sloshing to his feet. "Didn't hear me? Wash up, I said. I want you scrubbed up good for me."
"Alright, alright, I -"
"I – I mean, yes, Sir."
Despite what he'd said, by the time Niketas was cleaned up and Stelios was ready to get out of the water, the long soak had reduced his desire to a low ebb. He was tired, exhausted, wanted to curl up in a warm corner of furs somewhere and…
"What do you want for dinner?"
"Dinner -"
"You've gotta be hungry by now."
Niketas rubbed his eyes, shook his head and yawned as he stood, sloshing, and climbed out of the tub. "Um…food's…yeah." He accepted a towel from Stelios and was surprised at how warm it was – fancy stuff all over. "Guess I'm hungry but it's not like I'm used to having a whole lotta choices. Just whatever we hunted, so-"
"I know what life's like with a pack, Niketas, you don't have to tell me. Knowing is why I live here." The corners of his lips twitched up for just a moment. "Alright, I don't feel like going out – I'll call in steaks, you just want the meat or something else too?"
Niketas lifted an eyebrow. "Place like this and you do your own cooking?"
"As if. Kitchen's downstairs – Andrei cooks. So what do you want?"
The faintest flush colored Niketas' cheeks, and he shrugged in embarrassment. "I don't really – just – whatever you're having's fine."
Stelios looked at him, then grinned and shook his head. "You…are…I don't even know what you are. What are you blushing for now?"
"I'm not—"
"You are." Stelios wrapped his towel around his waist, then reached out and stroked his thumbs over Niketas' cheeks. "You are. Thinking dirty thoughts again?"
"No, I – Look, I just don't really know what I'm doing here, alright? I don't fit this kinda place, I don't…I'm scared to touch anything in case I break it, probably cost more'n my life's worth – damn towel probably did, fuck." He cinched it as he spoke, and glared up as Stelios chuckled at him.
"Cute. But why do you think any of that matters to me? You think I don't know that? I just told you, I know what it's like living with a pack." He grabbed hold of Niketas' towel and jerked him close, mouthed at his throat, nuzzled his cheek then kissed him. "You're here…mm." Another kiss, deeper, and then he pulled back again.
"You're here because Luka thought you needed to be punished. Because he thought I'd be good for you. You're staying because I think he was right…a little. And because I think you'll be good for me."
He bit Niketas' lip, licked up his moan and kissed him again. "Because I like the way you moan for me, the way you open up for me – the way you try to defy me and then beg for me. And it's all just for me, only for me – nobody else has ever had you."
"Wasn't your lover, and he's never going to be."
Niketas dropped his gaze. That stung, no matter how true it was, but Stelios tilted his head back up again and forced him to meet his eyes.
"Am I not good enough, is that it? You want to go back to your pack, your Alpha?" He looked…almost resigned, as if he actually thought that was what Niketas was thinking, but the blue of his eyes was burning cerulean bright. Niketas sucked in a breath and shook his head.
"No, no. You're – good enough, more than good enough, I'm the one that's – don't you get it, that's why I – no, you're – my Alpha too. My Alpha." There was hardly any space between them anyway, but Niketas pressed himself tight against Stelios chest, wrapped an arm around the back of his neck and kissed him.
It was only once he'd done it that he realized he hadn't kissed Stelios before on his own initiative – he'd never kissed any man like this before. Another first for Stelios, then.
He snickered a little, and Stelios pulled back to give him a questioning look. "'S my first kiss – well, first one I ever gave to a man, anyway. You-mmph!" Stelios slammed him back against the wall, but it was the cold damp of the tile that shocked the breath out of him, and the heated intensity of Stelios' mouth as he kissed him quiet.
"Do you know what that does? Do you know what that does to me? All your firsts."
Stelios kissed him again, then again, deep and hot. When he stopped Niketas caught himself on the edge of a whimper, because he didn't want him to stop, but Stelios smirked at him even though he'd managed to keep back the sound.
"Cute. Get dressed, I'll call down for dinner.
Niketas stared at him as he strode out of the bathroom and turned the corner into his bedroom, then scowled and stalked back to the playroom where he'd left his clothes.
He muttered to himself as he pulled his shirt on and scowled as the silk stuck to his skin. "Cute, he says. The fuck, I'm not – seriously? Fuckin' -"
"I can still hear you, Niketas."
The words floated down the hall toward him, and Niketas jerked his head up, flushing even though there was no one there.
Want more? Pick up First Nights tomorrow!
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It's #1lineWed again! Today's "Context is Key" entry in the Secret Files comes from First Nights, the sequel to The Other Alpha. It's a steamy start to a steamy story, and picks up RIGHT where The Other Alpha left off.
Keep an eye out, because First Nights is released this coming Friday!
Stelios was so hot. So hot, and the head of his cock was smooth as satin on Niketas' tongue. Niketas had thought there would be some flavor, like the scent of his skin, but everything had been washed away by the water.
Stelios leaned back against the edge of the tub and let Niketas take more of his cock into his mouth, and more – god there was no way he was going to be able to take it all, but he wanted to and he didn't even know why. He tried to remember what women had done to him, what felt good, or what he'd wanted, then pulled up and curled his tongue around the head of Stelios' cock.
Was this what it meant, too? Not just liking the way Stelios tied him up, kept him from coming – liking to be on his knees for him? Wanting the taste of him…wanting his moans, his heavy breaths. Fuck. Niketas shifted and almost reached for his own cock, but he knew without even asking that Stelios wouldn't allow that. Instead he sucked harder, licked under the head where he knew he liked to be teased himself and tightened his grip on Stelios' thighs when Stelios groaned and thrust up into his mouth.
Niketas moaned, sucked harder and took another inch, then another, choked and had to pull back. Then Stelios' hands were in his hair, guiding him as he gave soft instructions. "Relax. Relax your throat or you won't be able to take it. Better. Now swallow. Swallow. Yes. Enough now – oh that's good. So good with your tongue. Take it again for me, just like that."
His breathing was unsteady and heavy, his voice more eager than his words, but he didn't care. Stelios chuckled, reached down and wiped under Niketas' bottom lip with his thumb. "Yes, you will." Niketas licked at his thumb, sucked a drop of come off it and was surprised at Stelios' sudden growl, the heat of his mouth pressed against Niketas'.
Stelios kissed him harder, deeper, fucked his mouth with his tongue and never mind that Niketas had to taste like nothing but him. It was almost like he –
Stelios laughed at him again. "Too eager for your own good, aren't you? Get over here."
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October 9, 2015 Belinda Burke	2 Comments
For this week's Friday Fun, it's back to my own recent releases! As promised, have a taste of The Other Alpha,
From The Back Cover: Luka's been having difficulty with one of his pack – the one who should be the least likely member to cause trouble. His omega, Niketas, has grown suddenly defiant. A little observation is enough to convince him that the problem is a feeling, or at least a desire. Niketas wants Luka for a lover…but Luka has no interest in men. Enter Stelios, Luka's solution to his pack problem.
Stelios is Luka's twin, but the two are almost opposites. Stelios is rich, a business man with his own company. He lives in the city, away from the mountains Luka and his pack prefers…and Stelios does like men. When Luka's omega turns out to be a stunning, dark haired submissive with no idea what submissive really means, Stelios is caught.
There can be pleasure in punishment, but Stelios will only take as much as Niketas is willing to give. Can Niketas get over his fixation with Luka enough to give in to what he really wants? Or will pride keep him from submitting to this other Alpha?
Luka's brother turned and glanced at him, a glance that became a slow, smoldering stare. He looked Niketas up and down, and Niketas felt every place his eyes lingered—the hard bulge of his cock in his jeans, his fists clenched by his thighs, the lip he was biting…
Then he looked into Niketas' eyes, and despite himself Niketas couldn't defy him directly any more than he could defy Luka.
He whined softly, tilted back his throat and cast his gaze off to the side—and then, much to his surprise, felt a wet, hot lick of tongue go up his throat. Then teeth, pressed gently into his skin, holding him still and arousing him beyond belief.
Luka had never done that to him while he was still in a man's shape, no one had. Niketas moaned before he could stop himself, pressed his hips up and then froze as he felt an erection even thicker than his own pressing right back against his cock.
He sucked in a breath, heard Luka laughing in the background while a warm hand took hold of his chin and forced him to look into blue, burning eyes. "Well, aren't you something. Niketas, are you? I'm Stelios."
"I know that—"
He bent over Niketas' mouth and kissed him. Niketas gasped in surprise. He'd never kissed a man before, and Stelios had Luka's blue eyes, yes, but with a fire in them that promised much more than just a kiss even as he deepened it. Niketas opened his mouth when Stelios licked his lips, accepted Stelios' tongue and moaned at the hot touch of it on his tongue, against the roof of his mouth. His eyes drifted closed, and he started to reach up, wrap his arms around broad, hot shoulders.
Stelios pulled back, and left Niketas standing alone in the middle of the room, flushed and harder than he'd ever been in his life.
"You see what I mean?" It was Luka's voice, and Niketas couldn't help looking over at him. "He's perfect for you, Stelios. He wants me too much, and I can't keep—"
"Tell me you haven't been trying to punish him the pack way." Stelios' amusement was obvious, and Niketas stared straight at the floor. Luka cleared his throat, and Stelios started laughing. "Well done, little brother. Well done. I'm sure that made him want you so much less. All right, I'll take him off your hands. For a while, anyway. Until I decide if I really like him or not."
Niketas scowled and looked up, but Luka was just nodding, zipping up his jacket, turning for the—door? "Luka, don't just—you can't just leave me here with him!"
"Yes, I can. I'm Alpha, remember? And I already told you, as far as you're concerned, so is Stelios."
Want more? Pick up The Other Alpha here!
October 2, 2015 Belinda Burke	Leave a comment
This week's Friday Fun once again comes…from a guest! Welcome author Briana Lawrence, who you might recognize from last week's teaser! This week, she's sharing a bit from her new erotic short, Lemon Wedges!
From The Back Cover: There's some fetishes that we're allowed to wear out in the open. Others, we have to keep tucked away in our closets. Unbeknownst to the people around him, Kaeden is walking that fine line in stylish heels. But with the release of a new brand, "Lemon Wedges," Kaeden is finding it hard to keep his desires behind closed doors, especially when his sexy roommate, Stephen, gets a taste of his fashionable little secret.
Warning: This book is explicit, gay erotica, and contains graphic descriptions of sex. Please be aware of this when you purchase and enjoy a slice of devious pie without feeling guilty.
"Stephen?"
The apartment is blessfully quiet with no signs of his roommate anywhere. He knocks on Stephen's bedroom door to make sure. "You in there?" Nothing. With the coast clear Kaeden goes to his bedroom and kicks off his work shoes. His feet are thankful for it, but the best is yet to come.
The sound is the first thing that gets to him, the soft noise of him lifting the top of the shoebox. Next comes the smell, the fragrance of his brand new shoes. There's something about that aroma, something akin to a new perfume that demands attention. It's the kind of thing that makes you stop what you're doing just to get a taste. Kaeden sits down and carefully slides his left foot into the shoe. He doesn't buckle the strap, not yet.
Despite his earlier eagerness he needs to draw this out, needs to take it slow and enjoy the seductive build up. His foot arches up with the wedge and creates a sensual, almost powerful image that's balanced out with the yellow. He buckles the strap above his ankle and quickly does the same with the other shoe. He's impatient now. The slow dance becomes a desperate grind as he stands up and takes the first steps in his wedges.
The wedges don't caress the floor as loudly as the red heels had done before. It's more of a subtle whisper for attention in comparison. He's never tried a color this bright before, but when he looks in the full length mirror he can't help but smile. He's used to the striking colors, the deep blacks, blues and purples.
He finally settled on red, a color he's been loyal to for quite sometime, especially when it came to high heels. But now he's discovering the beauty of the brighter edge of the color spectrum. These lemon wedges aren't as direct as the heels that sit in the back of his closet. They're playful and flirty. They sneak a peek at the object of their affections and giggling cutely before they walk away.
Kaeden kneels down and rolls up his pant legs to his knees. There. There it is. His legs are so long in the wedges and the yellow serves as a way to enhance the illusion. He puts his hands on his hips and winks, actually winks, at his reflection. It's a side of himself he's not used to. With the tattoos and piercings he's expected to be the bad influence. He's the seducer who will pull you into a grimy bathroom without a care in the world. The red heels had enhanced that image — which he wasn't entirely against.
He definitely has those lip licking moments where he can curl his finger at a love interest to get them to follow him to hell and back. But, sometimes, he enjoys something lighter. Sometimes, he enjoys something more subtle and relaxed with the hint of play.
Want more? Try this teaser of next week's Friday Fun, from my own new erotic short, out tomrrow – The Other Alpha!
"Stelios?" The name slipped past Niketas' lips before he could think about it. He avoided Luka's stare and studied a spot on the wall beside him. "I've never met him, and you don't talk about him much. Why him? Why's he not in your pack? If he's not a wolf then—"
He shut his mouth, and Luka squinted at him, then shrugged. "I don't talk about him because I don't understand him, even if Stelios is my twin." His smirk returned, but faintly. "You should like that."
Find Blushing Apples here, and catch up with Destiny Dawn at www.sewntogetherreflections.com! On Facebook? Follow her at www.facebook.com/brichibicosplays!
authorBriana Lawrencecontemporarydevious pieerotic excerpterotic fictioneroticaerotica excerptExcerptfriday fungaygay eroticaguest excerptguest postheatstroke presslemon wedgeslickm/mm/m eroticaNSFWRomanceshoe fetishshoessmutsmut excerptwriting


text:
  #define EIGEN_MATRIXBASE_PLUGIN <hector_pose_estimation/Eigen/MatrixBaseAddons.h>
#endif

#else  // HECTOR_POSE_ESTIMATION_EIGEN_MATRIXBASE_PLUGIN

Derived& setSymmetric() {
  EIGEN_STATIC_ASSERT((RowsAtCompileTime == ColsAtCompileTime) ||
                      (RowsAtCompileTime == Dynamic) ||
                      (ColsAtCompileTime == Dynamic),
                      THIS_METHOD_IS_ONLY_FOR_MATRICES_OF_A_SPECIFIC_SIZE);
  *this = (*this + this->transpose()) / Scalar(2);
  return derived();
}

Derived& assertSymmetric() {
  EIGEN_STATIC_ASSERT((RowsAtCompileTime == ColsAtCompileTime) ||
                      (RowsAtCompileTime == Dynamic) ||
                      (ColsAtCompileTime == Dynamic),
                      THIS_METHOD_IS_ONLY_FOR_MATRICES_OF_A_SPECIFIC_SIZE);
#if defined(ASSERT_SYMMETRIC_MATRIX_TO_BE_SYMMETRIC)
  eigen_assert(this->isApprox(this->transpose(), ASSERT_SYMMETRIC_MATRIX_TO_BE_SYMMETRIC_PRECISION));
#endif
#if defined(FORCE_SYMMETRIC_MATRIX_TO_BE_SYMMETRIC)
  return setSymmetric();
#else
  return derived();
#endif
}

Derived symmetric() const {
  EIGEN_STATIC_ASSERT((RowsAtCompileTime == ColsAtCompileTime) ||
                      (RowsAtCompileTime == Dynamic) ||
                      (ColsAtCompileTime == Dynamic),
                      THIS_METHOD_IS_ONLY_FOR_MATRICES_OF_A_SPECIFIC_SIZE);
  return (*this + this->transpose()) / Scalar(2);
}

#endif // HECTOR_POSE_ESTIMATION_EIGEN_MATRIXBASE_PLUGIN

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Reassessing Haldane of the Secret Service at 95
Today marks the 95th anniversary of the release of Houdini's final feature film, Haldane of the Secret Service. Even though Houdini had shot the movie immediately after The Man From Beyond in 1921 (and location footage in 1920), he held it back as the planned second release for his Houdini Picture Corporation. But instead of self distributing via States Rights, as he had done for Beyond, Houdini turned to FBO (Film Booking Office) to release the movie. They did so on September 30, 1923.
By the time Haldane was released, Houdini was deep into his new role as a debunker of fraudulent spirit mediums, and was touring the country with his spirit lecture. Therefore, his support of the movie was not what it had been for his previous films. He did find time to make a personal appearance at the Crescent Theater in Austin during the movie's run there in November. But by in large, it's clear that Houdini had moved on from movies and was now among the spirits.
For many years, Haldane of the Secret Service was dismissed as Houdini's worst movie; a clumsy mis-mash of plot baked with random footage from his 1920 European tour. But I actually find it on par with The Man From Beyond, and maybe even the superior film. Of course, I don't dislike any of Houdini's movies, but I do find his two HPC productions the weakest of his filmography. The Man From Beyond remains fascinating as it's Houdini's most personal film and offers a glimpse into his mindset at the time, such as his fascination with reincarnation and early endorsement of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. But it's a pretty turgid slog until the climax on Niagara Falls, which largely redeems the film.
Haldane, in contrast, is a sprightly detective thriller (once we get past the overlong bag-swapping opening). And far from being a liability, the 1920 location footage is fantastic, capturing those famous city streets at the time, and it's fun to see Houdini set against historic landmarks like Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, and the Statue of Liberty. Houdini being dragged by an ocean liner is wild stuff (the publicity claimed this was all real, and it certainly appears so). It's also cool to see Houdini dressed in a cape and top hat during the London club sequence; the classic image of a magician which he never assumed during his magic career. The lively Gladys Leslie is an experienced silent movie actress and a big improvement over the casting of novice Jane Connolly in Beyond. And the water wheel stunt at the end is as spectacular as any escape in any Houdini movie. One might even argue that Haldane showed Houdini's HPC movies were improving, although maybe too slowly to salvage his movie career.
Sure, the plot is a bit overwrought (with some offensive stereotypes), but not any more so than The Master Mystery, which Haldane reminds me of a great deal. It's almost as if we are seeing the continuing adventures of Quentin Locke. But, come on, we're not watching these movies for the plots. We're watching them to see Houdini in action, and Haldane gives us some great and varied Harry with lots of nice closeups and moments to savor.
Being a James Bond fan, I'm always struck by how Haldane anticipates the basic structure of the spy film genre. After setting up the action in New York, the hero globe trots to various thrilling cities, evading death traps by henchmen who work under the command of a mysterious supervillain (Dr. Yu = Dr. No). And it all ends with a set-piece finale in a monastery that the villain uses as a lair (as does the 1981 Bond film For You Eyes Only). In his pitchbook biography, Houdini His Life and Work in Prose and Picture (left), Hardeen makes a similar claim the Haldane anticipated the popular "G-man" movies of the '30s.
The reason I think Haldane of the Secret Service was so maligned for so long was because so few people had actually seen it. Haldane was as lost to the world as The Grim Game. (My understanding was a collector held what was thought to be the only copy on VHS, and would rent it at an exorbitant fee.) So most biographers simply accepted the verdict of the Variety review at the time (which was not kind) and equated Haldane's box-office failure with creative failure and moved on. But in 2007, a print screened at The Silent Movie Theater in Los Angeles, which often ran The Man From Beyond. That print found its way onto DVD and eventually to streaming, so these days a fresh assessment can be made of the movie along with Houdini's filmography as a whole.
As for today's anniversary, I've never been able to find a premiere, or a clear first showing of Haldane. The release date of September 30 comes from the excellent film notes by Bret Wood on the Kino DVD set. IMDb also uses this date. I have found an opening day ad for September 29 at the Unique Theater in El Paso, so it might have slipped out a little early in some territories. But I think it's safe to use September 30, 1923 as the day Haldane was officially released to the world.
So on this 95th anniversary, here's a shoutout to Houdini's last and most under-appreciated movie. "The name's Haldane. Heath Haldane."
UPDATE: Since doing this post I have found sources that put Haldane's release date as September 23, 1923, instead of the September 30th. However, I've yet to find evidence or the movie playing in any theater before the 30th, so I'm not yet sure which date to come down on the side of.
Houdini found at Beaver Falls
Houdini's 'Haldane' screened in LA
LINK: Haldane of the Secret Service, or, "Harry Houdini's Howling Whodunit"
Tags: [History], 1923, Haldane of the Secret Service (1923), James Bond, Movies
'After Houdini' launch party at the Houdini Museum of New York, October 4
The Houdini Museum of New York will host a launch party for Jeremy Holt's new graphic novel After Houdini on Thursday, October 4, 2018 from 6-9PM.
Insight Comics is proud to present the debut of AFTER HOUDINI, hosted by The Houdini Museum of NYC!
Written by Jeremy Holt, art by John Lucas, and colors by Adrian Crossa, Holt will be available for a meet-and-greet to sign copies.
The event is from 6-9PM, food and drinks provided! RSVP on Facebook.
The Houdini Museum of New York is located at 213 West 35th Street, Room 401, New York, New York 10001.
After Houdini will be officially released on October 9th and is available to pre-order at Amazon.com (U.S.) and Amazon.co.uk (UK). Next year will see a follow-up volume, Before Houdini.
After Houdini
Guest blog: The Houdini Museum of New York, Part I
Houdini Museum of New York moves to new location
Tags: Comics, Events, Fictional adventures, Graphic novels, New York
6 MILLION PAGEVIEWS
WILD ABOUT HARRY has now crossed over 6 million pageviews. Houdini lives indeed!
Houdini goes overboard in San Fransisco
Here's a terrific new photo of Houdini doing his overboard box escape in San Fransisco Bay on November 6, 1915. Houdini performed the escape as part of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition and to promote his appearance at the Orpheum Theater on O'Farrell St. starting the week of November 8.
There are surprisingly few images of this high profile stunt. The only image I had ever seen belongs to Dr. Bruce Averbook and shows the box being lowered into the water (it appears on page 276 of The Secret Life of Houdini and can be seen here). But now we have this stunner!
It's interesting to read that the stunt was filmed. Unfortunately, that footage has not survived to my knowledge. In fact, the only surviving film of Houdini doing a public overboard box escape is this footage at an unidentified location.
By the way, the top of this box is a very nice match for the one that now sits in the American Museum of Magic in Marshall, Michigan.
100 years ago: Houdini in the drink and at the clink
Christine U'Ren captures Houdini in San Francisco
Tags: [History], 1915, Outdoor stunts, Overboard Box, Photographs, San Francisco
The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini takes the stage
An Immersive Theater Experience based on Cynthia von Buhler's graphic novel The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini begins TODAY at Theatre 80 in New York City. It's presented by Speakeasy Dollhouse and runs through November 10, 2018.
Written and directed by Cynthia von Buhler, the play stars Pearls Daily as Minky Woodcock, Vincent Cinque as Houdini, and Robyn Adele Anderson as Bess. Below is a description of what sounds like quite an experience!
Audience members will witness Harry Houdini's final days through an immersive theater experience in which they are assigned a character to follow and then view events through that character's point of view. They might find themselves attending a séance, helping the magician rehearse backstage, sipping absinthe in a speakeasy, spying on an affair in a hotel room, witnessing an attempted murder, visiting Houdini in his hospital room, or viewing his body in the morgue. All attendees "travel via train" to watch Houdini's final month of performances, including his iconic Water Torture Chamber act, in Rhode Island, Montreal and Detroit. VIP guests follow Harry Houdini or Minky Woodcock, receive the best seats in the house for the stage portions of the show, and are invited onstage to inspect the Water Torture Chamber. Audience members are encouraged to come back again to follow other key players and see alternate facets of what actually led to Houdini's fateful death. Evidence is revealed, but the truth is left up to the theatergoer to decide.
All full price tickets include a signed copy of the collected hardcover edition of The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini. For more information and showtimes visit the official website.
It's also announced today that Minky will return in a second graphic novel series, Minky Woodcock: They Die Fast on Broadway, in which she will investigate the real-life death of Olive Thomas, whose murder was one of the earliest Hollywood scandals.
The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini collected hardcover and play
Cynthia von Buhler bonds with Houdini
Houdini Plays
Tags: Burlesque, Comics, Death, Fictional adventures, New York, Plays, Risqué, The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini
Mystifier, First Quarter 1995
Continuing my issue by issue look back at the Mystifier, the newsletter of the Houdini Historical Center that ran from 1991-2003.
The First Quarter 1995 Mystifier begins with an excerpt from the transcript of Houdini's 1926 Congressional testimony. HHC curator Benjamin Filene credits the transcript having been uncovered by HHC member Paul Rosen at the Library of Congress. It's interesting to see that Houdini cites Sarah Winchester of Winchester Mystery House fame in his list of people he believes were ruined by their devotion to Spiritualism. Houdini states:
In my 35 years I have never seen one genuine medium. Millions of dollars are stolen every year in America, and the Government have never paid any attention to it, because they look upon it as a religion. Sara Winchester spent $5,000,000; the celebrated judge of New York, Edmonds, spent all his fortune; Professor Hare, of Yale College, heard voices and saw forms, and stated a lead pencil stood upright on the table and wrote messages, and answered questions.
Wisconsin researcher and writer Larry Widen contributes a very well researched article called "Houdini in Milwaukee: The Forgotten Years." I was impressed that Widen mentions Harry and Bessie's 1897 tour as part of "Rogers Orpheum Stars", which is rarely mentioned in biographies. But most intriguing is his paragraph about the magic show young Ehrich Weiss witnessed in Milwaukee:
One evening in 1895, an elegantly garbed gentleman was working on stage at a Milwaukee dime museum. Billed as "The Bloodless Vivisectionist" he produced a series of gleaming, wicked-looking knives and proceeded to dismember a living human being before the audience's eyes. With a flourish, the man then replaced his victims limbs and head, apparently none the worse for wear. Eleven-year-old Ehrich Weiss sat spellbound through this performance. He had never seen magic combined with this caliber of showmanship. Houdini later cited the vivisectionist's performance in Milwaukee as a primary inspiration for becoming a magician.
Notice he does not identify the performer, and that he locates it in a Dime Museum. This is very different from the accepted story of Houdini's father taking him to see the celebrated Dr. Lynn at the local Opera House. In his notes, Widen lists a clipping for "Litt's Mammoth Dime Museum" in the Milwaukee Sentinel for February 22, 1885, which is presumably his source for this performer. This appears to corroborate the recent thinking that it was not Dr. Lynn that young Ehrich Weiss saw that day in Milwaukee.
The newsletter includes a museum shop update, announcing the availability of Benjilini on Houdini. It also notes that HHC Executive Director Donald Hoke has accepted a new position in Dallas.
Sid Radner devotes his "Backstage" column to his recent trip to Las Vegas, where he reports that he saw Dixie Dooley and the Harry Blackstone Jr. show (Siegfried & Roy and Lance Burton's were dark during the Christmas season). He also makes a pitch for artifact donations to the HHC.
Sid finishes with "Houdini in the News" in which he reports that Wisconsin Public Television will feature the HHC and the Harry Houdini Assembly of the Society of Young Magicians on the children's program Get Real. He says that a reproduction Houdini bust and Water Torture Cell poster will appear as props in upcoming episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful set inside Houdini's house.
Sid also has a clever new sign-off: "Until next time, keep opening those locks."
Mystifier
First Quarter, 1995
Houdini Testifies Before Congress
Limited Edition at Museum Shop
Houdini's Years in Milwaukee
HHC Executive Director Moves to Dallas
Houdini in the News
Backstage with Sid Radner
PREVIOUS ISSUE | INDEX | NEXT ISSUE
Guest blog: Mr. Houdini Goes to Washington
LINK: Dr. Lynn fools Houdini
Houdini found at the Winchester Mystery House
Tags: Childhood, Congressional testimony, Dr. Lynn, Library of Congress, Newsletters, Paligenesia, Series: Mystifier File, Spiritualism, Winchester Mystery House
Jaguar Houdini commercial
Here's commercial for Jaguar featuring Houdini posted to the rights clearing company website Greenlight. (Just don't tell them Houdini wasn't a car guy.)
Below are more adventures in Houdini advertising.
Huggies Houdini commercial from 1992
Houdini the Budget Gourmet
Capital One "Houdini" ad
Tags: Advertising, Automobile, Pop culture, Video
A Master Mystery UCLA update
Today I can offer an update on The Master Mystery print held at UCLA Film & Television Archive. If you recall, Joe Notaro and I recently visited UCLA's Powell Library and viewed the movie in their Media Lab. While the (almost) complete movie is a revelation, the old VHS viewing copies were in bad shape, with the machine eating one tape and the second not playing at all. There was also a question regarding UCLAs ability to license the print for any potential restoration, and the mystery of where the print came from in the first place. Happily, I now have answers
Last week Joe and I returned to UCLA and viewed brand new DVDs made from the old VHS tapes. Yes, that means these precious images are now preserved as digital files. I was now able to view Episode 11 (missing from Kino), and it proved to be another fantastic installment. Joe and I agreed that this episode had the best fight scenes of the entire movie, with Houdini squaring off in an extended battle with the lead thug who menaces him throughout the movie. I especially like that Houdini is dressed in tuxedo tails during the fisticuffs.
As to the origin of the print and the question of licensing, an old friend and rare magic book dealer John Cannon of Aladdin Books gave Joe and I the scoop over lunch following the Magic Castle swap meet in Hollywood a few weeks back. (He also sold me Edward Saint's own copy of Houdini's Paper Magic, so it was a good lunch!)
Turns out the 16mm print was part of the collection of John Hampton, who ran The Silent Movie Theater in West Hollywood for many years. It was here that Patrick Culliton saw the entire serial twice in the late 1950s and early '60s, an experience he never forgot. But Hampton contracted lung cancer from his hours working with the chemicals involved in film restoration, and mounting debt forced him to sell off 3/4 of his collection, including The Master Mystery, to David Packard of the Hewlett-Packard empire. John Hampton died in early 1990 at the age of 83.
But the movie had landed at an excellent home. David Packard is a passionate champion of film preservation via his Packard Humanities Institute. The Institute works with the UCLA Film & Television Archive, who hold hundreds of films on their behalf. A full list of those films on the Packard website shows The Master Mystery as one of their "works in progress." The film had also arrived not a moment too soon. The original 16mm print was showing signs of vinegar syndrome, so a preservation negative was created, saving the film.
So there doesn't appear to be any contractual impediment to using this print for the purposes of a full restoration, but one would need to approach the Packard Institute, not UCLA. I've also learned that the library of the Douris Corporation, who own the print used for the McIlhany/Kino restoration (which has two chapters missing from UCLA/Packard), was sold to Cohen Media Group in 2011, so there's a new player in the game.
However, the overall quality of the UCLA/Packard print is a reality that hit me on this second viewing. While it's true the print is free of significant film damage, it is from a 16mm source, so it is not nearly as sharp as what one sees on Kino, which I suspect came from 35mm. In fact, it could be that Bill McIlhany, who certainly must have known about the UCLA print, decided to use the less complete Douris print precisely because the image quality was so much better. So any combined restoration would require some serious work to improve the image quality of the UCLA print, and that might be a big job. So there would need to be the money, the will, and the expertise to take on this task.
But the good news is the negative is safe, the movie is available for anyone to watch at UCLA on DVD, and Houdini's complete Master Mystery survives as we approach its 100th anniversary. A happy ending.
Thanks to Maya Smukler of UCLA, John Cannon of Aladdin Books, Joe Notaro of HHCE, and Joe Fox. Also thanks to the helpful student staff at the UCLA Media Lab.
A Master Mystery revelation at UCLA
Puzzling together The Master Mystery
Save the Houdini films before it's too late!
Tags: Movies, Patrick Culliton, Preservation, The Master Mystery (1918), UCLA
Daniel Stashower on his Harry Houdini Mysteries
Today is author Daniel Stashower's birthday. To mark the occasion, Mr. Media has re-tweeted this excellent 2012 interview in which the author discusses his Harry Houdini Mysteries as well as Sherlock Holmes. Enjoy. And Happy Birthday, Daniel!
As mentioned in the interview, Mr. Media has also interviewed Paul Michael Glaser. You can also search and find interviews with Milt Larsen and Larry "Ratso" Sloman.
The Harry Houdini Mysteries
Rare Houdini meets Holmes novel reprinted
New Stashower Houdini Mystery in Sherlock Holmes collection
Written by John Cox at 10:21 AM No comments:
Tags: 1990s, Books: Fiction, Fictional adventures, Hardeen, Interviews, Marie Blood, Sherlock Holmes, The Great Houdinis (1976), Video
Let's nominate The Grim Game to the National Film Registry
Every year the National Film Preservation Board at the Library of Congress selects 25 films to showcase the range and diversity of American film heritage and increase awareness for its preservation. The public can suggest which films they think are worthy by nominating up to 50 films.
So let's get a Houdini movie in the mix! Heck, with 50 choices, we can nominate all of Houdini's movies. But let's at least be uniform in nominating what most consider his best film, The Grim Game (1919).
Here's how to do it:
Click to visit the 2018 National Film Registry Nomination Form.
You will be asked for your email address and how you heard about the site (feel free to say you heard about them from Wild About Harry).
You'll then have the opportunity to nominate up to 50 films, listing each by title and year.
Please enter The Grim Game as the title and 1919 as the year.
If you'd like to list his other films, they are: The Master Mystery (1918); Terror Island (1920); The Man From Beyond (1922); Haldane of the Secret Service (1923). I also entered the Tony Curtis biopic Houdini (1953), because there's a lot to recommend that film as choice example of American cinema.
Thanks for your support and feel free to spread the word! It would be terrifc to see The Grim Game or any Houdini movie make the 2018 list.
Speaking of The Grim Game, I will be showing the film along with giving a talk about Houdini in cinema at the Jewish Museum of Maryland in Baltimore on November 4. Click for details.
Houdini conquers Hollywood (at last) in The Grim Game
Tags: Library of Congress, Movies, Preservation, The Grim Game (1919)
This is an encore post from November 16, 2010 (one of my very first posts here on WILD ABOUT HARRY). I thought this was worth a revisit as today marks the 113th anniversary of the Houdini-Boudini challenge.
Houdini and Boudini.
From Houdini The Key by Patrick Culliton.
One of the more curious and obscure episodes in Houdini's early career was his encounter with rival escape artist, Jacques Boudini. Many cast skepticism on this "challenge," suspecting the entire thing was staged, and it very well could have been. Houdini was not above staging such encounters for publicity, and the fact that the newspaper men on the scene didn't entirely buy it could explain why Houdini never retold this story or featured it in pitchbooks, the way he boasted of besting other rivals like Cirnoc and Kleppini.
It was Milbourne Christopher who brought this episode back to life in his 1969 biography, Houdini The Untold Story . In 2006's The Secret Life of Houdini , authors Kalush and Sloman also relate the event, adding that Boudini was a "pupil" of Houdini's gone rogue. (They also note this is the earliest record of Houdini releasing himself from shackles while underwater.) Patrick Culliton tells me he "nursed a theory for years" that Jacques Boudini was actually Jacob Hyman, Houdini's first partner in the Brothers Houdini. But Pat surrendered this theory when he finally uncovered a photograph of Houdini and Boudini, which is reproduced in his book, Houdini The Key. [Update: He now believes Boudini may have been Leonard Hicks.]
One of my first forays into independent research (when I was 16) was to use the clues in Christopher to search the microfilm archives at Cal State University Northridge for an account of this event. What I found was this terrific article from the New York Times dated September 21, 1905 (which mistakenly calls him Bondini). I've transcribed it below so we can all relive this forgotten challenge exactly as it happened back in the day. It's Houdini vs. Boudini (or Bondini). Enjoy!
A SHACKLE BREAKING MATCH UNDER WATER
Contestants Dived 30 Feet with Wrists and Ankles Bound
ONE WAS NEARLY DROWNED
A Case of Professional Jealousy Between Houdini and Bondini, the Press Agent Says – Houdini Won.
Landlubbers with fertile brains encroached upon the field of the marine yarn spinners yesterday with a performance that transcended anything they had ever thought of. The performance was real enough while it lasted, two minutes and forty seconds. In those two minutes and forty seconds it looked as though Jacques Bondini, who had gone down to the bottom of the harbor, (the bottom was thirty feet down,) was likely not only to break the literal shackles which bound him, but the shackles of life as well.
The performance needs further explanation. Those who witnessed it were still explaining at midnight, with no satisfactory solution in sight. The facts are these:
Harry Houdini, the "sensational perplexer and mysteriarch," professional shackle and handcuff breaker, had made a wager with Jacques Bondini that he could break manacles from his hands and ankles quicker than he. Houdini has been abroad startling Kings with his performances of handcuff breaking and making them wonder what to do next with their criminals. When recently Houdini returned to this country he found that Bondini, his erstwhile pupil, was usurping his field here. That's the story as the press agent tells it. At all events Houdini challenged Bondini to a shackle-breaking match under water. The victor was to get $500.
A group of newspaper men and artists went to Atlantic Basin on the tug Fred B. Dalzell to see the performance. The Captain of the tug is John Gannon, and the contestants made him referee.
In the Basin Capt. Gannon tied fast to a float.
The two shackle-breaking artists stripped for the contest. Houdini wore tights under his clothing. Bondini did not.
Both men were shackled in five minutes. Hand and ankle cuffs were fastened about the arms and ankles of both. Then ropes were fastened about their waists and they were lowered into the water.
There was a silence as thick as a fog aboard the Dalzell. It lasted one minute and thirty seconds, but that seemed an eternity to the watchers. Then a head appeared above the waves. It was that of Houdini. He spat out brine for a second and shouted:
"Is Bondini up yet?"
"No!" chorused the crowd on deck.
Houdini stuck his hands above water to show that he had freed them of the shackles and disappeared again.
A minute later the head of Bondini appeared above the water. He looked gloomy, and it was obvious that he was not having any luck. He was down again in a minute.
In another minute and ten seconds the head of Houdini appeared.
"Is Bondini up yet?" he asked.
The answer was discouraging, so far as Bondini was concerned, but encouraging for Houdini. Houdini went down a third time, but not until he had stuck one foot above water to show that he had unfastened his ankle bracelets, too.
Houdini came to the surface again in a minute and motioned to be pulled up on deck. Then the men holding the rope to which Bondini was tied got busy.
More dead than alive, he was hauled on board. He had to be rolled and rubbed before he came to. He had failed to unfasten either the handcuffs or the ankle bracelets.
"I swallowed some water," was only explanation.
The Dalzell then steamed back to the Battery. The principals went to 40 Greenwich Street, where it was said the money would be turned over to Houdini. Nobody saw it, but the press agent said he would surely get the $500.
The question which the skeptical were asking last night was:
"Was Bondini merely a dummy intended to show off the skill of Houdini?"
Nobody answered except the press agent.
"The real thing," said he.
UPDATE: Boudini is Back!
Tags: [History], 1905, Boudini, Bridge jumps, Challenges, Deep Dives, Handcuffs, Imitators, Jacob Hyman, Leonard Hicks, Milbourne Christopher, New York, Other magicians, Patrick Culliton
Houdini takes on the truant officer
Here's an interesting item from the October 21, 1911 Buffalo Courier. It appears Houdini took offense to the idea of truant children being manacled, and this is an effective way to use his fame to call out that cruel policy. Go Harry.
One wonders if part of Houdini's feelings here are rooted in any experience he had with truant officers during his own runaway years.
Homeless Houdini
Houdini's free show for Buffalo's newsies
Tags: [History], 1911, Correspondence, Handcuffs, Politics
Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco
Escaping from Houdini, the latest YA history mystery thriller by Kerri Maniscalco is released today.
The #1 New York Times bestselling series that started with Stalking Jack the Ripper and Hunting Prince Dracula continues in this third bloody installment! A luxurious ocean liner becomes a floating prison of madness and horror when passengers are murdered one by one...with nowhere to run from the killer.
Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, they're delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly.
But then, privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow ever more freakish, with nowhere to escape except the unforgiving sea. It's up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation as even more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer's horrifying finale?.
Escaping from Houdini can be purchased on Amazon.com (U.S.) and Amazon.co.uk (UK). Below are a few more fictional shipboard adventures of Houdini.
Second Houdini & Nate novel released
Sherlock Holmes and The Escape Artist ships
Tags: Books: Fiction, Fictional adventures
Diggers Rest historians hold fundraiser to buy Houdini rarity
Australia's Star Weekly reports that Diggers Rest historians are holding a fundraiser to secure a local autograph book containing a rare signed photo of Houdini.
The autograph book is from 1910 and has been in the family of Toolern Vale resident Wayne Johnson for more than a century. Mr. Johnson says the autograph book had been passed down to his wife, Kay, from her great-grandmother.
"Kay's great-grandmother used to live in a hotel and she used to collect the signatures of people who came into the hotel," Johnson told the Star. "A lot of the other entries in there are signed, 'a member of the Houdini company', which also helps to verify the authenticity of Houdini himself's signature."
Houdini spent four months touring Australia in early 1910. During this time he made the first successful airplane flight on the continent on March 18 at Diggers Rest.
Diggers Rest History Project members put out a call for donations to help buy the autograph book from Mr. Johnson. They've raised about $1500 towards the $2000 goal. Johnson said he was keen to ensure that the book stayed "close to home".
"You can't put a value on this," he said. "It's been in the family for generations and I'd like it to stay in Diggers Rest."
The Diggers Rest History Project, which began in 2014, shares its collection of artifacts and historic documents with the community through Houdini's Cafe and the Diggers Rest Medical Centre.
To donate and for more information CLICK HERE.
Photo of Wayne Johnson and David O'Conner by Marco De Luca.
Houdini model plane lands in Diggers Rest cafe
Diggers Rest gears up for Houdini celebrations
100 years ago Houdini showed Australia that a man can fly
Tags: Australia, Aviation, Diggers Rest, Private collections
New Italian Houdini biography by Massimo Polidoro
Codice in Italy has released Houdini, Mago dell'impossibile by Massimo Polidoro. This is an updated version of the biography originally published in 2001. This new edition runs 468 pages with dozens of photos and a 16-page insert of color photos as well.
Says Massimo, "I have tried to strictly adhere to Ken Silverman's scientific historian's approach… even though, here and there, I have also told some of the best "almost true" stories, but always clarifying that they were unproven or downright fabrications. I am very satisfied with the final result and I hope that Houdini buffs will like it and, above all, that it will help reach a new generation of readers that may have never heard of Houdini."
The book is in Italian, but Massimo says he and his publisher are considering some options for translations.
Purchase Houdini, Mago dell'impossibile at Amazon.it and Amazon.co.uk.
New Italian Margery book by Massimo Polidoro
MAGIA 18 celebrates Houdini's 90th
Major new Houdini biography released in Spanish and Portuguese
Tags: Books: Biography, Books: Foreign
Another Houdini "instant biography" on Amazon
Amazon is listing yet another print-on-demand "instant biography" (is that a good name for these?) titled Harry Houdini: A Harry Houdini Biography by Phil Coleman. This one runs 107 pages with no photos.
I really don't know if I should be buying or even blogging about these books. They are not freshly researched biographies, nor do they appear to be written by people with any real interest in Houdini or even a point of view (I'm convinced the last one was written by a bot). These are whipped up with info found on the net, both good and bad, and seem created just to list on Amazon. This particular author is a self-publishing empire all his own, with many similar books on current events and conspiracies.
But maybe that's what makes these books worth getting? Are these unique products of this time? Will these become collectible like chapbooks are now, or will they be considered junk of the early days of print-on-demand publishing? I really don't know. But I do know they shouldn't be purchased for the purpose of learning about Houdini. There are many other better books for that.
Having said all that, you can buy Harry Houdini: A Harry Houdini Biography by Phil Coleman at Amazon.com (U.S.) and Amzon.co.uk (UK).
Houdini mini biography from The History Hour
Amazon lists six "books" by JC Cannell
What is the best Houdini biography?
Tags: Books, Books: Biography
Europe's Eclipsing Sensation: 1900 to 1905
Today I'm sharing a new block of preview years from The New Houdini Chronology: 1900 to 1905. These are the years that saw Houdini's breakout fame as the "King of Handcuffs and World Champion Jail Breaker" across England, Germany, France, Holland, and Russia.
As a bonus, I've also included the massive "A.D." page that tracks the amazing afterlife of Houdini from 1927 to the present.
I'm no longer offering the entire chronology online as I'm working toward publishing it as a book. But if you ever need any specific information related to a date not currently previewed, feel free to get in touch.
I hope you enjoy this latest peek inside The New Houdini Chronology.
The New Houdini Chronology dedicated webpage
The New Houdini Chronology is complete
Tags: Chronology, Wild About Harry
The Rise of Houdini: Haunted Burlesque & Seance
This Halloween marks the 92nd anniversary of Houdini's death, and the October events are starting to roll in! Here's an event that sounds like fun on October 26 & 27 with the Experience Theatre Project in Beaverton, Oregon. I know this is an early alert, but according to their Facebook page, it is already 50% sold out.
The RISE of Houdini
Un Burlesque Effrayant & Seance
to Raise The Great Houdini
led by Necromancer Extraordinare
Professor DR Schreiber
LADIES will perform frightening yet tantilizing burlesque!
WITNESS the Mesmeric Seance that Calls to Houdini!
GHOSTS WILL RISE from nowhere!
Uncanny! Unearthly! Unbelievable! Extraordinary!
TWO NIGHTS ONLY!
Friday and Saturday, October 26-27, 2018
The Haunted Lodge at 4690 SW Watson Avenue, Beaverton, OR
6PM Cocktail Party with Gourmet Hors D'eouvres prepared by Italian Chef Renato Solpietro from Napoli, Italy
7PM Haunted Burlesque feat. Lacy Knickers and Nina Nightshade. Dessert served.
8PM SEANCE to raise the dead and The Great Houdini
Special appearances by James Luster and Janice Moss, last seen in ETP's immersive production of The Mousetrap as Det. Sgt. Trotter and Mrs. Boyle.
A DARK, HAUNTED EVENING NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART
Dressing in the Fashion of 1928 Recommended But Not Required
An over 21 event. This is a theatrical performance, not an actual demonstration of dark arts.
You can buy tickets to The RISE of Houdini via Eventbright. For more information visit the official website.
Official Houdini Séance 2018 to be held in Baltimore
The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini immersive play
Houdini's return to burlesque in 1912
Tags: Burlesque, Events, Seances
Final days to see 'Summer of Magic' at New-York Historical Society
The New-York Historical Society's exhibition Summer of Magic: Treasures from the David Copperfield Collection is coming to a close this Sunday, September 16. The exhibition features rare artifacts from the Golden Age of Magic, including Houdini's Milk Can, Metamorphosis trunk, straitjacket, Bess's stage coat, and the Mirror Handcuffs (first time the cuffs have been displayed publicly in 20 years). If you haven't seen it, now's your last chance!
This final weekened will also feature a reappearance of Houdini himself a.k.a. Duffy Hudson. Below are details.
Meet Summer of Magic's Closing Act: Harry Houdini!
FEATURING: Duffy Hudson
Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018 | 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018 | 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Free with Museum Admission
Don't miss the final weekend of our Summer of Magic, and your last chance to shake hands with Harry Houdini—that is, if his arms aren't stuck in a straitjacket or handcuffs! Marvel as Houdini, portrayed by Duffy Hudson, shares his incredible life story, performs illusions with playing cards, and manages to swallow—gulp—sharp needles! Click for more info.
Visit The New-York Historical Society's website for location and hours.
Wild in Houdini's New York (2018)
Catching Duffy Hudson's Houdini in Burbank
New-York Historical Society's Summer of Magic begins TODAY
Tags: Duffy Hudson, Exhibitions, New York
The culmination of Houdini's European adventures and his reign as "The Handcuff King" came in 1904. The year would see him perform the greatest challenge handcuff escape of his career. It was also a unique year in that he only performed in a single country; the United Kingdom.
This post is now retired.
But you will still be able to enjoy the story of Houdini in 1904 with the publication of my upcoming book.
Guest blog: Houdini Reflected, Part I | Part II
Under the hood of Houdini's Humber
The owners and occupants of Houdini's 278
The Prison Cell & Barrel Mystery...or misfire?
Tags: [History], 1904, Series: Year in the Life
Simon says it wrong
On the last episode of America's Got Talent, judge Simon Cowell helped spread an age-old Houdini myth. It was after magician Shin Lim's performance when it was announced he would be moving on to the Finals. The audience was reminded that judge Heidi Klum had compared Lim to Houdini and David Copperfield...
Cowell then quipped, "Don't do what Houdini did. He died on stage."
Of course, Cowell is thinking of Houdini's death in the Water Torture Cell as first depicted in the classic Tony Curtis biopic Houdini (1953). But this is a pure Hollywood fabrication. Houdini died in Grace Hospital on October 31, 1926 after several days of battling the infection from a ruptured appendix. His death had nothing to do with any of his stage illusions. Although he did do his final show at the Garrick Theater in Detroit with a 104 degree temperature.
There's been a weird resurgence of this old myth. Recently magician David Blaine also spread the idea in a newspaper interview. Certainly both Simon and Blaine know better. But maybe this is now considered an "alternative fact"?
Shin Lim, wisely, did not correct him.
Thanks to Joe Fox for the alert.
The biggest myth
Is David Blaine reviving a Houdini myth?
Brad Meltzer is out peddling the myth that Houdini was a spy
Tags: Fact check, Myths, Other magicians, Pop culture, Television
Terror Island shown on Catalina Island 98 years ago
It was 98 years ago today that Houdini's Terror Island opened at the Strand Theatre on Catalina Island. What makes this particular engagement notable is that the movie was largely shot on Catalina, a fact that was used in the local advertising (below). This rare ad and more Houdini-Catalina history can be seen in the exhibition Houdini Terror on the Magic Isle which is currently running at the Catalina Island Museum through October 7.
The building that housed the Strand Theatre still stands today at 122-124 Sumner Ave., although it is no longer a movie theater. It became "The Strand" in May of 1919 when the theater was upgraded with new projectors.
The Strand Theatre now and yesterday (1920).
Thanks to the good folks at the Catalina Island Museum for the use of the above images, and to Joe Notaro and Jessica Zumberge for finding the location of the Strand. The clock is ticking on Houdini Terror on the Magic Isle, so if you want to see the first exhibition ever devoted to the movie, get yourself to the island!
Discovering Terror Island
Houdini is back on 'Terror Island' starting TODAY
Catalina 'Terror Island' screening a magical event
Tags: [History], 1920, Catalina Island, Exhibitions, Movies, Museums, Terror Island (1920), Theaters, Then and Now
Secret Santa: The Secret of the Magic Watch
Houdini plays a role in this latest time travel adventure by David Tank, Secret Santa: The Secret of the Magic Watch. Here's a description.
Sam, Abby and Nick return in this time-traveling adventure to the Roaring Twenties. When Abby gets separated and finds herself lost in New York City, Sam and Nick follow her trail, determined to rescue her. In their race to bring her back to the present, they foil a bank robbery, catch a burglar and learn the secret of magician Harry Houdini's greatest trick. The sequel to Secret Santa: The Mystery of the Stereoscope.
Secret Santa: The Secret of the Magic Watch can be purchased on Amazon.com (U.S.) and Amazon.co.uk (UK).
Below are some more adventures of Houdini and Time Travel.
Houdini joins the Time Spies
Hurry Up, Houdini! in paperback
Watch the Houdini Voyagers! episode
Tags: Books, Books: Fiction, Books: Kids, Science Fiction
Mystifier, Fourth Quarter 1994
New HHC curator Benjamin Filene kicks off the Fourth Quarter 1994 Mystifier with a review of The Life and Many Deaths of Harry Houdini by Ruth Brandon. It's a well-researched and considered assessment of what would prove a controversial biography. Filene does give the author credit for "considering the psychology behind his stunts," but says her "analysis becomes more erratic" when she shifts to "the psychology of the man himself." In the end, Filene concludes:
The Life and Many Deaths of Harry Houdini does offer a creative and, for the most part, well-argued look at a figure in need of a fresh interpretation. In the tradition of Houdini himself, Brandon should be commended for not being afraid to take a chance and for executing her maneuvers with style. She could, though, stand to learn more from the master about which challenges to accept and which to graciously let pass.
The newsletter only runs four pages this time. Filling out page 2 is is an update on the Gravesite Repair Funds, noting that $7000 has been raised. But it also says "repairs to the family grave are on hold for the immediate future, according to George Schindler, a trustee of the S.A.M. Parent Assembly #1." This, we now know, was the start of friction between the cemetery and the S.A.M. which, thankfully, is now in the past.
A report on a live Halloween radio broadcast from the HHC by Rick McNeal and Len Nelson of WAPL in Appleton follows. It says the DJs received their own "message from beyond" about the Green Bay Packers. The museum shop reports that it has in stock the graphic novel Batman/Houdini: The Devils Workshop and Harry Houdini: Legend and Legacy by Roger Wood and Brian Lead. Familiar names listed among the "New Members" are Lee Jacobs and Geno Munari.
Sid Radner devotes his "Backstage" column to that year's Official Houdini Seance, held at the Soldiers', Sailors', Marines', Coast Guard and Airmen's Club in New York City. Attendees included Stanley Palm, Maureen Christopher and Kenneth Silverman. Co-organizer Tom Boldt could not attend that year, but his wife Renee and her mother, Suzanne Goral, attended in his place. Houdini, as usual, was a no show.
Sid then reproduces in full an article about the seance by Barbara C. Bernard from the November 28, 1994 issue of the Union-News in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Fourth Quarter, 1994
Book Review: The Life and Many Deaths of Harry Houdini
Gravesite Repair Fund Grows
Houdini's Spirit Comes Alive
The Brandon book
When Houdini met Batman
1996: Houdini's grave plot thickens
Tags: Batman, Books: Biography, Graves, Machpelah, Newsletters, Official Houdini Seance, Radio, Reviews, Series: Mystifier File, Sid Radner
When The Man From Beyond came home
What was the first Houdini movie released on VHS? One might think it would have been Paramount's Houdini (1953). But that famous biopic did not make it onto Home Video until 1991.
The first Houdini movie to appear on VHS was Houdini's own 1922 silent thriller The Man From Beyond. It was released in 1983 by a company that cinephiles of a certain age will remember very well; Video Yesteryear.
Video Yesteryear was located in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, and was the largest catalog retailer of public domain films on VHS, Beta, and 8mm film beginning in 1978. (It started as Radio Yesteryear in 1967.) The company released their silent films at corrected frame rates speeds -- a process they called Video Accu-Speed -- and included original organ scores composed and performed by Rosa Rio, who had been a theatre organist during the silent era. The company was purchased by Audio Book Club in 1998.
The Man From Beyond was the only available Houdini silent movie until 1996 when Bill McIlhany released Terror Island and later The Master Mystery on VHS. The print used for the Video Yesteryear version appears to be the one that's still used today.
Happily, I have one of the original Video Yesteryear VHS tapes. I vividly recall not believing my eyes when I saw this on the shelf of Vidéothèque on Sunset Blvd in the 1980s. The catalog price was $52.95. As with all Video Yesteryear releases, it included program notes written by J. David Goldin.
While this remains the only commercial VHS release of The Man From Beyond, it has been released by several companies on DVD and even on Blu-ray. Today it can be found streaming on Amazon Prime.
Houdini film print sells on eBay
A restoration that's a revelation
The Man From Beyond DVD released today
Tags: 1980s, Movies, The Man From Beyond (1922), VHS
Sady and the Graf Zeppelin
I guess we are wild about Sady this week! Houdini's sister-in-law has always been a somewhat shadowy figure in Houdini history. She's even been referred to as "Dark Sadie." But thanks to Jack Sander's groundbreaking guest blog, turns out Sady was a pretty interesting Weiss!
The below clippings from October 26, 1928 report that Sady, who was a well-known New York fashion designer, is one of several women who have applied for passage aboard the Graf Zeppelin. The giant airship was the talk of New York at this time as it had just crossed the Atlantic on its maiden voyage. The return to Germany was a hot ticket. But check out the absolutely bonkers article in which a Zeppelin representative weighs the value of a female passenger against...a bag of mail.
Turns out Sady did not made the cut. Only two women made the crossing back to Berlin; Mrs. Clara Adams of Tannersville, PA, and Miss Lotta Eckener, daughter of Zeppelin's director, Dr. Hugo Eckener. But one wonders if Sady was even serious about making this trip. Maybe she just saw an opportunity for publicity. A little trick she leaned from her brother-in-law?
Of course, Hugo Eckener's follow-up to the Graf Zeppelin, the Hindenburg, exploded in Lakehurst New Jersey on May 6, 1937, bringing an end to the era of great airships.
Guest blog: Leopold and Sady Weiss: Why Houdini Wasn't Happy
Sady's mourning dress for Bess
Houdini and the Transatlantic Flight
Tags: [History], 1928, Aviation, Family, Sadie Weiss
Following up on Jack Sander's groundbreaking guest blog yesterday about Leopold and Sadie (a.k.a. Sady) Weiss, here's an interesting item from the Shamokin News Dispatch for August 3, 1927.
As Jack discovered, the Hungarian born Sady was a successful Manhattan fashion designer and executive who ran Bruck-Weiss Millinery off Fifth Avenue. She received a fair amount of press in her day for her fashion philosophy, but the fact that she was Houdini's sister-in-law was rarely mentioned (as it isn't above).
Tags: [History], 1927, Bess, Clothing, Family, New York, Sadie Weiss
Today I have a fantastic guest blog by historian and author Jack Sanders about the marriage and divorce of Houdini's brother, Dr. Leopold Weiss, and his wife Sadie (or Sady, as she became). This is groundbreaking research--which Jack has also posted to his blog Old Ridgefield--that adds much fuel to the speculative fires about the Weiss family drama and Houdini's dislike of his sister-in-law. Jack also finally settles the question of who actually owned the famous estate in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Enjoy.
Leopold and Sady Weiss:
Why Houdini Wasn't Happy
by Jack Sanders
For decades stories have circulated about Houdini's visits to his brother in Ridgefield. Some reports have gone so far as to maintain the world-famous magician practiced his underwater escape tricks in a pool at the grand Sunset Hall estate on Old West Mountain Road. However, there is evidence Houdini wouldn't have set foot in that house, which belonged not to his brother, but to his hated sister-in-law.
"Sady" Weiss in 1927.
The brother was Dr. Leopold Weiss, a pioneer in the field of medical radiology. The sister-in-law was Leopold's wife, Sadie — later Sady, a Manhattan fashion executive who owned Sunset Hall for six years. Born in 1877 in Appleton, Wisc., Leopold David Weiss was the youngest of six children of Rabbi Mayer Weisz and his wife, Cecilia, natives of Budapest. One of the five Weisz brothers, Ehrich, went by the name of Harry Houdini.
Dr. Weiss, who was called Leo, became what some reports say was the first radiologist in New York City. He started his practice from Houdini's brownstone in Harlem shortly after the turn of the 20th Century.
The Weiss family members were close and often gathered together. But in 1917, the family was in turmoil.
Sadie Glanz Weiss had divorced her husband, Nathan Weiss — brother of Leopold and brother of Houdini — and 10 days later, she married Leopold.
Houdini was heartbroken as well as furious over what he considered scandalous mistreatment of Nathan.
"The precise details of the family drama are not entirely known, but Houdini's displeasure took many forms, including cutting Leo's head out of family portraits and forbidding his burial in the Weiss family plot," said John Cox, a longtime student of Houdini.
Accounts do not specifically mention Leo's being disinherited, but do say that Houdini's will specified that none of his estate should "ever directly or indirectly go to Sadie Glantz Weiss, the divorced wife of my brother Joseph Nathan Weiss, and the present wife of my brother, Dr. Leopold Nathan Weiss."
Sadie Weiss, who by 1928 was spelling her name Sady, was a New York City fashion designer and executive. The daughter of Hungarian parents, she was born in New York and married Nathan Weiss in 1899 when she was about 22 years old.
In 1912, she and her sister, Anna Bruck, established the Bruck-Weiss Millinery, which by 1918 was "the largest exclusive millinery shop to be found on either side of the Atlantic," according to a contemporary trade publication. The firm owned a 10-story building just off Fifth Avenue, and occupied most of the floors, selling not only hats, but other articles of clothing for wealthy women.
"The interiors are finished in old ivory, after the period of Louis XVI, with reproductions of needlework tapestry, and festooned crystal chandeliers of the same period," the "Illustrated Milliner" reported. "Rich Chinese rugs ornament the beautiful parquet floors, while the curtains are of extraordinarily fine Belgium laces…"
Sady, who was referred to in the press as "Madame Weiss," believed women should have a clothing philosophy. "Until a woman has a well-established idea in her mind of just what clothes she can wear, she is unsettled, drifting," she said in a 1928 interview published in newspapers across the country. "A clothes philosophy is almost as important in a woman's life as a career."
In November 1924, Sady Weiss bought the Ridgefield mansion of James Stokes, a place today called Sunset Hall. A Manhattan banker who was a pillar of the YMCA movement, Stokes had built the huge, 10-bedroom house on Old West Mountain Road in 1912 and died six years later. Sady Weiss purchased the place from a niece who had inherited it. Houdini's brother Leopold was not mentioned in the deed or in any deeds involving the property.
Sady Weiss held on to the house until 1931, when she sold it to Ruth Cutten.
Meanwhile, the same year Sady bought Sunset Hall, Houdini wrote his will, excluding her from any inheritance.
On Oct. 31, 1926, Houdini died of peritonitis from a burst appendix.
Thus, there were less than two years when Houdini could have visited Sunset Hall — between December 1924 and his death on Halloween, 1926.
For all this period, he is known to have hated Sady Weiss and was reported to be estranged from his brother as well.
Why then would he have visited Sunset Hall — Sady's house?
Houdini scholar Cox has also found evidence that Leopold may not have thought much of his brother Houdini. An interview with a woman who knew Leopold's office nurse revealed that Dr. Weiss did not speak well of his brother. She reported Leopold had said Houdini "was an embarrassment to the family because he was a magician."
Cox wondered about this. "Possibly Leo felt entertainment was a lowly profession compared to his own," he wrote. "Or maybe the hard feelings between the brothers went both ways. But it's fascinating to hear what Leo had to say because, until now, we've only heard Houdini's side of the feud."
Compounding the mystery of whether or why Houdini would visit Ridgefield is the account of Richard E. Venus, former Ridgefield town historian. In a Dick's Dispatch column in The Ridgefield Press in 1987, Venus wrote that Houdini and his wife, Bess, "spent many weekends at his brother's Ridgefield home. I recall seeing him as he stopped in the local stores on a Saturday morning. On one occasion, I sold Houdini a Ridgefield Press."
Adding still more to the mystery is the fact that Sady and Leopold themselves were not on the best of terms during the 1920s, according to testimony during their 1932 divorce proceedings.
The divorce battle was ugly. Leopold, who brought the suit against Sady, charged that she would spend weekends at Sunset Hall and another country home she had in Ossining with either of two boyfriends 20 years younger than her. Sady's butler told Leopold he often served Sady and her lover breakfast in bed. One boyfriend was named "Locke Lorraine," according to the suit.
Leopold also:
Maintained that he gave Sady the money to establish Bruck-Weiss, and that in return she agreed to pay him $8,000 a year for life, but did so for only three years.
Claimed he was broke now and wanted not only the promised payments, but also half of the $115,000 she got from selling Sunset Hall. (That selling price equals about $2.1 million in today's dollars).
Sady in response charged that:
Leopold "persuaded her to get a divorce" from Nathan Weiss, and then turned around and refused to marry her unless she gave him $100,000 and half her interest in Bruck-Weiss.
Soon after they were married, he started abusing her and threatened to ruin her clothing business. "To keep the peace she agreed to give him $8,000 a year for life and did pay him that for three years," said a newspaper report of the divorce proceedings.
Leopold finally walked out on her in 1930, despite the fact that throughout their marriage, she had supported him with her money.
After their divorce — whose settlement is unknown — Sady lived on West 59th Street in Manhattan until her death in 1935 at the age of 54.
Leopold continued his radiology practice until 1949 when he retired because of increasing blindness — due, it's been suggested, to his exposure to x-rays. He eventually began running low on money and on Oct. 5, 1962, Dr. Weiss jumped off the roof of his apartment building, killing himself.
"Leo left all his worldly goods to his long-time, former nurse, Marguerite Elliott," John Cox reported. "But Marguerite's husband forbad her from accepting, so all that was left of the last living Weiss sibling was thrown out."
Even though Houdini had supposedly banned him from the family plot in Machpelah Cemetery in Queens 38 years earlier, Leopold was buried there.
The whereabouts of Sady's remains are unknown.
If you have any more information on Sady, Leopold, or Ridgefield history in general, contact Jack via his blog Old Ridgefield or website Ridgefield History. You can also find him on Twitter @jacksanders and on Facebook at Old Ridgefield.
Thank you Jack!
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This mill is economical but excellent quality for the price. Well machined, the rollers are tempered steel, polished to a mirror shine. Features two flat rollers, two wire rollers (with 16 grooves), and a pattern roller.
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Resources for Rolling Mills I have dug up a few reasonably priced rolling mills: Otto Frei's Economy rolling mill only comes with two flat rollers BUT, you can buy a bunch of different rollers for this mill.
This rolling mill combo is a great value - supplied with hardened steel rolls for both flat and wire. Rolls are 76mm wide and have a diameter of 43mm.
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Most rolls can be regrooved 4 to 5 times, prolonging the life of the rolls and contributing to the economy of the mill. Electric Power Means Economy . The Econo model lives up to its name, with the availability of a 110 volt electric motor to provide power. It is also available with a 220 volt electric motor, or a direct PTO drive.