A Houdini Whodunit!
Did TV medium Kim Dennis walk out of a Houdini Museum session when asked to answer 3 simple Houdini questions posed by James Randi? That’s the question I had to ask after reading a press release from the Houdini Museum.
The following is a press release from the Houdini Museum. Afterwards I’ll make my notes/comments.:
TV medium Kim Dennis walks out of Houdini Museum session when asked to answer 3 simple Houdini questions posed by James Randi
Kim Dennis starred in her own television series “Antiques Psychic” three years on Canadian Learning Television (CLT) and the Access Network, and is well known throughout Canada.
Scranton, PA, August 29,2008 –”(PressReleasePoint)”– Canadian television, radio and phone clairvoyant Kim Dennis contacted Mr. Jeff Blood, closest living relative of the Houdini family, claiming she was in contact with Houdini and requested a meeting. He decided to have the meeting at Scranton’s famed Houdini Museum
Near the start of the meeting she asked if anyone had questions for Houdini. Mr. Blood had a health question only Houdini would know, which she said she’d answer later, but never did. Dick Brooks brought out three questions sent by James Randi, whose answers were in a sealed envelope. She would not consider the questions, abruptly stopped, and angrily walked out, never to return. Dorothy Dietrich, event organizer, said, “We have it all on tape. If she were truly psychic she’d have known these questions were forthcoming. Many have tried to contact the great Houdini since he died in 1926 but none have succeeded.”
Kim Dennis later did not want to appear for a TV cameraman, from network affiliate WYOU TV, who arrived later to interview her. She ran away up the stairs to the parking lot and got in her car. She claims on her website, “I travelled to heaven where I was sometimes taught by a guide,” but did not appear to have their help on this occasion.
Attending this failed attempt were Jeff Blood, his wife and his daughter Bonnie, along with his brother Forrest and wife, famous magician Dorothy Dietrich http://dorothydietrich.com paranormalist curator Dick Brooks http://mysteryentertainer.com professional videographer Ron Chicken and son, magician and Society of American Magician’s member Eric Lampert and family.
Mr. Brooks is currently starring in a show about the paranormal at the Houdini Museum’s Theater entitled, “Haunted! Mind Mysteries & THE Beyond.”
Ms. Dietrich has starred in a Home Box Office Special with Tony Curtis who played Houdini in the movie about his life. She has done many television appearances including Ripley’s Believe It or Not, a Bill Cosby Special, Exploring The Unknown, and Biography Channel’s Dead Famous, TV Land’s 100 Myths & Legends, Travel Channel’s Magic Road Trip and many others. Houdini’s wife Bess attempted to contact Houdini for ten years after his death, and then passed on the responsibility to Walter B. Gibson, Houdini biographer and writer of the famous Shadow series on radio that became a TV show and movie starring Alec Baldwin. Mr. Gibson then passed the responsibility of doing the seances to Dorothy Dietrich before he died.
James Randi http://randi.org well known author and investigator of those who claim “psychic” or “paranormal powers”, who also coauthored “Houdini: His Life and Art”, sent in questions should Houdini be contacted, along with the answers.
Kim Dennis starred in her own television series “Antiques Psychic” three years on Canadian Learning Television (CLT) and the Access Network, and is well known throughout Canada.
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My Observations, Notes & Comments:
To me, this reads like a good piece of PR for the magicians in question and a kind of backhanded good piece of PR for Psychic Kim Dennis. (If one goes by the adage of any PR/News is good.)
I’ve been searching around the web and at all of the participants websites for further details and this is what I’ve found after 3 hours of searching: Nothing.
I was hoping to have seen the video of this event posted at the Houdini Museum’s massive website. According to this press release they have plenty of video. A Youtube video would have been a perfect addition to this story. Also not surprising to me is that this press release isn’t even posted to their website. I say ‘not surprising’ becuase I’ve found that a great many of people who pump out PR don’t even bother to post their own PR at their own websites. From a marketing point of view I find both ommissions a bit short sighted.
I did make one change to this press release. Since it read like a good piece of PR for everyone, I thought it only fair to include a link to Kim Dennis’ site as well. Oh, and no, the Houdini picture wasn’t included with the release. It’s from a 1925 playbill that I cropped.
In any event, the whole thing is an interesting little bit of controversial PR.
Related Link: Wikipedia: Harry Houdini
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