Houdini Centenary

August 2009 marks 100 years since Harry Houdini jumped off Stonehouse Bridge. The event took place on August 18th, 1909. Unfortunately, there seems to be no photos of the event or any of his appearance in the town or within the Palace Theatre. The Western Morning News covered the jump and it is probable that photos were taken at the time, however, many photos were lost and destroyed during the Blitz of 1941 and perhaps these were amongst them. If anyone knows of any photos of his visit to Plymouth, I'd love to hear about them. Between 1900 and 1914, Houdini played at over a hundred venues within the UK. Houdini was a very generous man, When he performed his show in Edinburgh, he noticed how many children were without shoes. He performed a special show for the Scottish youngsters and made sure there were three hundred pairs of shoes so none would go away bare foot. There wasn't nearly enough shoes for the children that turned up so Houdini took them all to the nearest cobbler and made sure that everyone was fitted for shoes.

His appearance in Plymouth must have drawn huge crowds also. In a time when television was non-existant, someone like Houdini must have attracted people in their thousands.

It's amazing to think how Plymouth, and the world, have changed over the last 100 years. It's amazing that the Palace Theatre still stands though Stonehouse Bridge has seen many changes apart from being bombed in the Second World War.

Houdini went on to perform many more shows after he left Plymouth and he died on October 31st, 1926, aged 52.

Cora Pearl

Cora Pearl was said to have been born in Caroline Place, Stonehouse on 23rd February, 1842. However, it is believed that she forged her birth certificate and was actually born in London in 1835. Her family moved to Plymouth in 1837. She was born Emma Elizabeth Crouch and would become a famous courtesan of the French demimonde in the 19th century. Pearl had inherited her musical talent from her father, Frederick Nicholas Crouch, a composer and cellist. In 1867, she appeared in the role of Cupid in a production of Jacques Offenbach's, 'Orpheus in the Underworld.' While working in London, she became involved in prostitution and had dalliances with several wealthy men. She became the mistress of Robert Bignell who owned the Argyll Rooms in Regent Street. Together they travelled to Paris where she first adopted the name, Cora Pearl. She so fell in love with Paris that she refused to return to London with Bignell. Pearl began a theatrical career in Paris but was more known for her sexual appeal than her acting talents. Her theatrical reputation grew and she was soon linked with several wealthy men including the Duke of Rivoli. While she was with him, she developed a serious gambling habit and Rivoli, tired of bailing her out, eventually ender their affair. She soon attracted other rich and powerful men who became her benefactors. A skilled craftsman could earn between two or four francs a day, whereas Cora earned 5,000 a night. She was famous for dancing nude on a carpet of orchards and bathing before guests in a silver tub of champagne. The Duke of Grammont-Caderousse said at the time, 'If the Freres Provencaux served an omelette with diamonds in it, Cora would be there every night.' Her lovers included Prince Willem of Orange, Prince Achille Murat and the Duke of Morny. Morny was Napoleon III's half-brother. Being financially sound, she rented Chateau de Beausejour in 1864, which lay on the banks of the Loiret outside Orleans. When Morny died in 1865, Cora became the mistress of Prince Napoleon who was the cousin of Emperor Napoleon III. He purchased two home in Paris for her and also supported her financially until 1874. Although her activities made her very wealthy, her downfall resulted from her compulsive gambling and ultimately, her age. One story though seems to have led more to her downfall than others. She was the mistress of the wealthy Alexandre Duval who lavished her with gifts and money. When she chose to end the affair, Duval was so distraught that he shot himself on her doorstep. Rather than call for assistance or help him, she went back inside and went to bed. Duval survived but stories of the incident spread quickly and brought her theatrical career to a halt. She fled back to London but her popularity had waned and she eventually returned to Paris. With no benefactor to support her, she had to sell her possessions to support herself. In 1886, she became ill with intestinal cancer and had to move to a shabby boarding house where she died in poverty and forgotten by most.

Lillie Langtry

Lillie Langtry appeared at The Palace Theatre in Union Street in a production of, 'The Crossways' on the 9th December, 1902. She played Virginia, Duchess of Keensbury in the production. Lillie Langtry was born Emilie Charlotte Le Breton in Jersey on the 13th October, 1853. She became a highly successful actress and was the mistress of King Edward VII. In 1874, Lillie married an Irish landower called Edward Langtry. One of the attractions was that he owned a yacht and she insisted that he take her away from Jersey in it. They eventually settled in Belgravia in London. She became the subject of sketches and paintings after her appearances in London Society and through this she soon became quite well known. She was nicknamed, 'Jersey Lily' because of her beauty. Her new found fame soon reached the attention of the Prince of Wales and after attending one of his dinner parties, she soon became his mistress. The affair lasted between 1877 and 1880. By 1879, Langtry had commenced an affair with the Earl of Shrewsbury and her husband announced that he would divorce her. Without her Royal connections, the Langtrys soom found themselves short of cash and realised that they had been living a lifestyle beyond their means.In October 1880, many of their possessions were sold off to meet debts. Langtry also had many other publicised affairs. In 1881, she made her acting debut in 'She Stoops to Conquer' at the Haymarket Theatre in London. Oscar Wilde, a close friend, had suggested that she take up acting. She later became the mistress of two millionaires and eventually took up American citizenship.She died in Monaco on the 12th February, 1929, aged 75.