This shouldn't come as a surprise: I think we could all see this coming.
http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/2015072 ... court-docs
Maurine Christopher Swindled?
- Richard Kaufman
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Maurine Christopher Swindled?
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Re: Maurine Christopher Swindled?
Besides the distributing accusations made by the one side filing the complaint, what I found to be sad is how Maurine is portrayed as an alcoholic drunk. From the time I knew Maurine in the 1990's to the time of her death in 2013, I never witnessed Maurine intoxicated. I also find it odd that it mentions she was forced to sell her husband's magic. Maurine hosted two very successful auctions, one in 1997 and another in 2011. The latter I helped curate, writing the descriptions and personally selected each lot with Maurine. This was an event she spoke about for years and was much anticipated, the results were record setting. What Maurine Christopher personally did with the money she gained from the auctions or the items I purchased was never a thought nor a concern. While I have not read the documents filed by the attorney, the reporter did read me some additional information not published in the article. One statement was that Milbourne Christopher trained under Houdini, this never happened. Christopher never met Houdini and was 12 years old in 1926. The point is the courts will have to determine what is factual in the complaint and what is not. Each side will have an opportunity to answer the charges. What I can say is Maurine was a smart business woman who spent a great deal of her life promoting her late husband's legacy and magic in general.
David Haversat
David Haversat
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Re: Maurine Christopher Swindled?
A sad story.
Just as an aside:
In about 1978, I played the part of Houdini in a musical about his life that ran at Hunter College in NYC. I don't know how Milbourne Christopher heard about it, but somehow he got wind of the show and came to a performance. After the play he spoke to me, and to the best of my recollection, he told me then that he had met Houdini. He stressed that I needed to be tougher, more wise-guy, and more aggressive in my playing of the role in order to be more like the real Houdini. Now maybe he was just trying to impress a young guy; but my recollection is that he said that he had met him.
Just as an aside:
In about 1978, I played the part of Houdini in a musical about his life that ran at Hunter College in NYC. I don't know how Milbourne Christopher heard about it, but somehow he got wind of the show and came to a performance. After the play he spoke to me, and to the best of my recollection, he told me then that he had met Houdini. He stressed that I needed to be tougher, more wise-guy, and more aggressive in my playing of the role in order to be more like the real Houdini. Now maybe he was just trying to impress a young guy; but my recollection is that he said that he had met him.
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Re: Maurine Christopher Swindled?
He didn't meet Houdini.
- Dustin Stinett
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Re: Maurine Christopher Swindled?
Patrick, is it possible it was Hardeen and she was just mistaken?
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Re: Maurine Christopher Swindled?
Milbourne knew Hardeen pretty well. He said to me, "the Kellock book was Bessie's story, my book was Hardeen's story, and Bernard Meyers book is Leopold's story."