#bess houdini

[atomic-chronoscaph]

Janet Leigh - Houdini (1953)

[cila-17]

I’ve been seeing this meme pop up everywhere and I thought it summed up their relationship perfectly.

[thathoudinisimp]

Posting it here too.

[boscofuller]

[notanotherbookreview]

Dec 19-22nd 2019, available for showcase-production? What did they actually discover about the Afterlife? Based on their correspondence, chasing seances where they might find genuine mediums. In the Afterlife, they replay the events ad-infintum. Until the wives push through the ETHER for a final resolution. Interested? Props, puppets, Q-lab files of special effects real and imagined.

[usergreenpixel]

(Disclaimer: While I am alluding to a historical setting and using historical characters, this story is a work of fiction EXCLUSIVELY. The baby mentioned here is an original character who did not exist in real life. Also, I dedicate this story to @amypihcs !)

Tw: suicide mention, Orientalism, death

The Grim Game

May, 1910

Harlem, New York City

It was a windy and rainy night, quite atypical for the month of May. Street lamps were illuminating the West 113th Street and its many fancy buildings, their lights bright as ever.

Some of the inhabitants of the many brownstones lining the street were preparing for dinner. Some were merely drinking hot tea or chocolate while discussing the business of that day and the plans for the next one. Others yet were already putting out the lights and preparing to retire to bed after a long day of work or school.

However, one particular household was doing none of the above, for an unexpected occurrence had disrupted their usual lives mere hours earlier. An occurrence after which the lives of that particular family would change forever.

“We should boil the milk first. That’s how it was done back in our country.” an old woman whispered in German while hovering around the stove. “The last thing we need is the baby being sick, my dear Bess.” she added, turning to her daughter-in-law.

Bess, a short woman in her early thirties, responded with a simple nod, her wide full lips curled at the corners into a smile as she was holding the baby.

Wrapped up in a bundle of white cloth with a polka dot pattern, the baby girl was so pink, so quiet and so tiny that she somewhat resembled a life sized doll, but the softness of her pink skin, her heartbeat and her soft gurgles were positive proof that the baby was in fact very much human.

“Sleep, my little princess.” Bess whispered in German, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks as she listened to her new daughter’s soft gurgles. “My little Mattie. Let’s go upstairs and make sure that Papa doesn’t catch his death of cold, alright?”

With that, Bess left the kitchen and headed straight for the master bedroom, where her husband was lying in bed, wrapped up in warm blankets and sipping hot chocolate.

Bess’s husband was a man who, while not very tall, had enough muscle mass to pass for a circus strongman and the unique brand of charisma that only the best of performers possess. And indeed he, Harry Houdini, was a household name in the United States, known for his daring escapes and for exposing fraudulent “psychics”.

As soon as the door opened and his beloved wife tiptoed inside with Mattie in her arms, Houdini smiled, put his cup of hot chocolate onto a nightstand and gently took the baby into his arms, carefully rocking the bundle and cooing in German, the mother tongue of both his and Bess’s families.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the new parents nor to Mattie’s new grandmother, two ghosts gathered near the window of the master bedroom, looking closely at the happy family. These ghosts were none other than the recently deceased Mr. and Mrs. Dorn, the newest additions to the list of frauds exposed by Harry Houdini.

“You know, Otto,” said Mrs. Anna Dorn, a petite woman who was still donning her Turkish inspired dress and her white turban. “I still can’t believe that our foe is the same man who is taking care of Martha now.”

Otto Dorn, a short and stocky man whose head was also adorned by a turban, sighed, placing his transparent hand onto his wife’s shoulder.

“I can’t believe it either, my love, yet I do feel grateful that Houdini dove into the river to attempt to save us. At least he succeeded in saving Martha. It would not do anyone good to take her with us.”

“I know.” Mrs. Dorn sighed as well, guilt consuming her even in death. “I wished to protect our daughter from bearing the scarlet letter of having frauds for parents… However, I now feel that Martha might have a second chance at life and grow up to become an honest young woman.”

Mr. Dorn smiled, pulling his wife into a warm embrace.

“Let us hope that you are correct, my love.”

Mrs. Dorn smiled as well, and the two ghosts vanished into the night while the Houdinis were holding the baby girl and quietly discussing what design they wanted to use for Mattie’s nursery.

The ghosts crowded near the window to see the baby the new caretakers brought into the manor. 

[desertdollranch]

Rebecca can hardly contain her excitement. Tonight, she and her family are going to Times Square to see the famous illusionist Harry Houdini perform an escape act! He'll be hoisted upside down by a crane, hanging over the stage, with his arms and legs tightly bound together in a straitjacket, and he will have only a few minutes to escape his bindings using no tools or assistance. Houdini has amazed audiences all over the world with his daring escapes from chains, handcuffs, water tanks, and coffins. But will tonight be the night that he can't escape?

A man selling pickles from a pickle cart in front of Papa's shoe store told Rebecca that Houdini's real name is Ehrich Weiss, and he's a Jewish immigrant from Hungary. Rebecca is almost just as excited to share this information with her family! But then her older sister Sadie challenges Rebecca to a contest: which one of them can be first to figure out the secret to escaping from tied ropes? If Rebecca wins, Sadie will give Rebecca the pretty crystal she bought from a fortune teller. If Sadie wins, Rebecca has to give her their grandmother's painted brooch. Time for Rebecca to start practicing her own escape act!

In the year Rebecca's mystery story The Crystal Ball takes place, Harry Houdini was already very famous for his escapes, all the while emphasizing that no actual magic or supernatural power was used in his shows, just skill and sleight of hand. In the years to come, he would become equally well known for debunking psychics and spiritualists who claimed to have the power to speak to the dead. He even offered a large cash prize to any medium who could prove their supernatural abilities, but that was still unclaimed by the time Houdini died on October 31st, 1926.

Before his death, Houdini and his wife Bess came up with a secret code phrase to be used in the event that one of them died and communication with the dead was actually possible. Bess held many seances over the following decade after Harry's death, but none of the psychics was ever able to relay that phrase to Bess.

[horsefigureoftheday]

My beloved horse OCs<3

Dammah + Bess (I never actually finished her ref, maybe I should do that...) + Nikolas

Houdini (from 2015 to now)

Mara + Haku (they're soul-bonded, also these drawings are over a decade old, jeez time flies)

Raban - Moussa - Ngeeha

Callais + My ponysona :3

[cila-17]

The best Bessdini fan art to date!

Harry and Bess Houdini

[cila-17]

Ghost Houdini

[thathoudinisimp]

Some characters cards… I mean historical figure cards I made for Elsie!

I really love how the chain borders turned out!

[boscofuller]

[cila-17]

I drew these so Harry wouldn’t be all alone.

Wilhelmina Beatrice Rahner

The Beautiful Bess

Theodore Hardeen

Dash

brain rot is real,, anyway here’s houdini

[dreadbirate]

When spiritism is invented Temeraire will definitely get scammed by a Spirit Medium who claims they can talk to Laurence for him, Bess Houdini style

[paperclipninja]

Ok, so I've seen the very compelling theories floating around that Crowley passes something, possibly a bullet or some other metallic type vessel, to Aziraphale during the kiss. That it could, in fact, be the reason for the kiss.

There is an extensive meta by @indigovigilance here: Bullet Theory that goes into great detail and links to other relevant posts too (read it, it's fab). Yes, we know vessels are used to store memories but also, that a bullet features, of course, in the 1941 Magic Show.

Yes, we get a literal bullet in Aziraphale's mouth, and Crowley firing only when Aziraphale mouths "trust me". And the significance of the trust demonstrated between them here cannot be overstated I don't think (also many excellent metas around about this)

But the other thing we get is a situation where Aziraphale is in trouble. And even though he's in trouble, he knows he can count on Crowley.

And so it got me thinking, there is such an emphasis on sleight of hand throughout the series, and the idea of the audience being distracted while there are background details going unnoticed has been discussed a lot in the many wonderful theory and meta posts.

However, the other aspect of magic is Aziraphale's love of it. And so, if we're going to consider that the kiss was actually a way for Crowley to pass something to Aziraphale, it seems important to at least consider that Aziraphale knows magicians and that he studies magicians. And to therefore consider Harry Houdini, arguably the greatest (or at least the most famous) magician.

It's believed that during his Metamorphosis trick (I think it's called a trick? I'm not a magician but I do love magic so if anyone is a magician and that's wrong, I'm sorry), Houdini worked with his wife in order to successfully perform the routine:

Source here

I want to be really clear here that sources that confirm this are limited and not overly credible, however Kate Bush's song, "Houdini", was also allegedly inspired by this particular version of the story:

Source here

What's most interesting about this version is that Houdini's wife, Bess, comes onstage to kiss him at a moment of struggle or, given the nature of the tricks Houdini was renowned for, danger.

Whether the tale of Houdini's wife passing him the key with a kiss is true or not, it certainly seems like the kind of story that would capture the imagination of Aziraphale (and Neil) and no doubt even Crowley would've known Houdini and his antics.

And so, this is really to say that if there was the passing of an object with the kiss, at that vital moment when Aziraphale is "struggling onstage", could it be that Crowley* draws on one of the things he knows his Angel knows and loves and understands, and does something inspired by arguably the most famous magician of all?

I mean after all, Aziraphale knows he can always count on him.

(istg the thought of this is so romantic too and I am not ok)

*by Crowley I mean Neil but for the sake of the romance I'll say Crowley

[unclefredandjohnnierutter]

#5: The Final Scene

Excuse me?! We’re talking about a girl’s life here.

A Nancy Drew inspired playlist // listen here

↓ tracklist and more below ↓

Featuring:

I Got The News - Steely Dan

Stop! - Against Me!

Emergency - Paramore

Kidnapper - Blondie

St. Louis Blues - Louis Armstrong

Runnin’ Around - The B-52’s

Smoke And Mirrors - Gotye

Fireworks - Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five

Trapped In A Box - No Doubt

Houdini - Foster The People

Sometimes Selling out Is Giving Up - Rise Against

Trapdoor - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

Showtime - Iceage

Salt In The Wound - boygenius

From The Ritz To The Rubble - Arctic Monkeys

Curtain Calls - Old 97’s

Genres include a mix of punk rock and jazz, musty dressing room music, and songs for grieving the loss of ur fav historic building <\3

I <3 sassy nancy she is so assertive and goal oriented, theres such a nice balance of elements here and such a cool atmosphere. I dont think anyone else has been kidnapped besides bess in ran? Are there others? Its a more urgent crime that Nancy doesn’t investigate very often