Houdini’s 1922 film The Man From Beyond wasn’t released in the UK until January 1927. That’s right, The Man From Beyond didn’t appear in British cinemas until after Houdini’s death, meaning the flickering image on those screens really was a man from beyond! Of course, this presented a marketing challenge.
Below is one of the only ads that references Houdini’s death, referring to him as “the late Houdini.” I found another ad that calls the film as “His Last Great Creation.” Apart from these, ads largely ignored the fact that the film’s famous star was now deceased.
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| Evening Advertiser, April 1, 1927. |
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| Evening Post, Feb 17, 1927. |
Houdini had planned to tour the UK in 1927, presumably with his “3 Shows in One.” It’s possible he negotiated the release of The Man From Beyond for 1927 in anticipation of his return to the country after a six-year absence. When he last played the UK in 1920, The Grim Game was just coming out in cinemas.
I’ve often thought about how audiences perceived this last appearance of Houdini in the UK, where he was so well-known and popular. Seeing The Man From Beyond must have been a somewhat melancholic experience. And, considering the story is of a man returning from the dead, a little spooky!
But very Houdini.
