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Who was Rosabelle? and some Houdini details.

Rosabelle wasn't Harry Houdini's wife or mother...

Mother = Cecilia Weiss
Father  = Mayer Samuel Weiss

(Harry was born Ehrich Weiss)

Harry's wife was Wilhelmina Beatrice Rahner, but everybody
called her Bess.  Harry met her while he and his brother were
doing their magic act at Coney Island.  10 days later, Harry
married her, and she joined the magic act (his brother left)

Houdini was 'hit' in the stomach after an afternoon show at the
Princess Theater in Montreal.  The fellow who hit him was a boxing
star (college) at McGill University.

Two days later (and after his last show) doctors operated on Houdini
and removed a torn appendix...

According to a documentary we have, "Rosabelle Believe" was a song that
the Houdinis loved - a song that Bess had sung at Coney Island when Bess & Harry
started their magic act together...
An excerpt of what I assume is the actual song is playing at the point where
the voice-over is talking about them setting up the code.
"Rosabelle, sweet Rosabelle, I love you more than I could tell."
is a line from that song.


What is 'Rosabelle Believe'?

The phrase 'Rosabelle, believe' was the code phrase that
Houdini worked out with his wife to send to her from the 
afterlife. Though Houdini's wife tried a myriad of mediums,
none had the correct message. Well, apparently one did, but I do
believe it was shown that that medium and Mrs. Houdini had either
planned it out before, or she had accidentally informed him 
of the code phrase. 

Beatrice (Bess) Houdini had taken a fall down a flight of stairs and blacked
out BUT she had mumbled "something" while she was "unconcious" that her nurse
heard. As the story goes it was the nurse who told the psychic the code because
that's what the "something" was that Beatrice mumbled.

About the Song.

The entire song is from the point of view of Houdini's wife.  Rosabelle
was, I believe Houdini's mother.  The name is important, though, because
the 'secret code' that Houdini shared with his wife so she'd know he
was speaking to her from 'beyond' was "Rosabelle believe."  Hence it's
many repetitions within the song.

Of course, the one line in the song not spoken by Mrs. Houdini is
Del's telephoned "Rosabelle belive" in the second verse.

While the entire song is first-person from Mrs. Houdini, it *does* jump
around int time.  The verses are after Houdini's death and the refrain
is during various performances.

God, this song is so romantic, sad, chilling.  It gives me shivvers 
every time I hear it.  <sigh>


Shall I blaspheme a little? Why not, even God can take some ribbing
every now and then. The song itself works just fine, lyrically and
musically, but Kate herself came off looking just a bit silly in
interviews after the album came out, when talking about that song.
In reality, whats-his-name never broke the code through supernatural
means. Mrs. Houdini thought he did, at first (and there's the song)
but later found out that he obtained the code through earthly means.
She eventually stated that there was no way of communicating with the
dearly departed. I don't know where Kate heard the story that turned
into "Houdini" but she didn't do any homework on the real story. I
cringe when listening to some of those interviews, because the way
she talks, she actually *believes* that Mrs H made contact with Mr H.
I hope someone told her, and I hope she doesn't still believe that.

It doesn't matter, I love her anyway.

There are still some lines in this song that are a bit perplexing.
So, here are all the lyrics (for those, like me, who have not
memorized every syllable of every song backwards in sanskrit)
so you can all help me understand.   My notes are in the left
margin.

                    Houdini
                    _______

                     I wait at the table,
                     And hold hands with weeping strangers,
                     Wait for you
                     To join the group.

OK, so Mrs.H. is sitting
at a table with some charlatan
who claims he can contact
her dead hubby.

                     The tambourine jingle-jangles.
                     The medium roams and rambles.
                     Not taken in,
                     I break the circle.

Alas, he cannot pull the
wool over her eyes, so she
cuts the seance short...

                     I want this man
                     To go away now.

...and expresses loathing
for the guy who's in charge.

                          With a kiss
                          I'd pass the key
                          And feel your tongue
                          Teasing and receiving.
                          With your spit
                          Still on my lip--
                          You hit the water.

Here a little reminiscence
re: her husband's exploits...
the way she would slip him
the key before he enterred
the locked trunk about to
be submerged in shark-infested
ice cold water etc. etc.
("Teasing and receiving" --
ain't that brilliant?)

                     Him and I in the room
                     To prove you are with us too.

Now, she's referring
to the guy called Ford, I presume,
who supposedly succeeded in
uncovering the correct code
Houdini and his wife agreed
on before his departure:
"Rosabelle believe."

                     He's using code that only you and I know.
                     This is no trick of his.
                     This is your magic.

But it's really Houdini
who is pulling the strings.

                     I'd catch the cues,
                     Watching you,
                     Hoping you'd do something wrong.

What is she referring to here?
The cues of Houdini as he is
about to perform a trick?
Well, why would she hope something
go wrong?  Or has she started to refer
to the medium in second person, suddenly,
thus hoping that *he*'d do something
wrong? Or has she started to refer
to the medium in second person, suddenly,
thus hoping that *he*'d do something
wrong?

- I think the latter.  She is *afraid* that Houdini really is contacting
  her.  (You might be afraid too if you thought that a ghost was trying
  to contact you) even though it might have been your husband.

- It's "queues."  In British usage, a queue is a line, as in a line of people.
  This is a reference to spectators lined up, secretly hoping something goes
  wrong in the trick.

- This is basically consistent with the ideas I stated above.  Mrs. Houdini
  can't help but be affected by the possibility of a mistake or an accident.
  She knows that PROBABLY everything will be all right, but the small element
  of uncertainty is quite troublesome to her.

                     Everybody thinks you'll never make it,
                     But every time,
                     You escape!

Sure, everyone else is the
skeptic... but Mrs.H. knows he
will succeed... or does she?

                     Rosabelle believe,
                     Not even eternity
                     Can hold Houdini!

At least a double entendre
here: 1) Rosabelle (Mrs.H.)
believe that H is boss, or
2) Ford uttering "Rosabelle
believe", the mantra that
proves he has contacted H,
whom no one can hold back.

                               "Rosabelle, believe!"

                          Through the glass
                          I'd watch you breathe.
                          Bound and drowned,
                          And paler than you've ever been.

                          With your life
                          The only thing in my mind--
                          We pull you from the water!

I guess Mrs.H. is apprehensive when
Houdini does his stunts, even though
she knows the trick.
The description is how Houdini died. He was punched in the stomach when
he wasn't ready for it by some idiot shortly before he was to go on
stage. It ruptured his appendix. He passed out in the tank and drowned.

                     Houdini!

                     You
                     And I
                     And Rosabelle believe.

A conundrumatic ending.  Is 'you'
the person listening to the song?
Ford?  Houdini himself?
Does Rosabelle here refer to Mrs.H.,
making the "I" redundant?  Or
is Kate the "I", speaking now
as narrator about H or
the listener (you) and Mrs. H.?
Possibly "You and I and the code."
or maybe the "I" is Kate.

OK.  All help is hereby solicited and accepted.
Thanks.

ObKate:  Hey, this whole post was about Kate!  Remember her,
she wrote the song!