Dorothy Young, most long-lived of Houdini's assistants, RIP (and happy birthday Houdini!)

Dorothy Young, the most long-lived of Harry Houdini's assistants, died on Sunday at 103. As a teenager, Young worked with Houdini from 1925 to 1926. Young went on to dance on Broadway, studied painting, and wrote several books, including Diary Without Dates, Dancing on a Dime, and a booklet titled Touring With Houdini. Later in life, Young became a major benefactor of Drew University whose $13 million gift led to the Dorothy Young Center for the Arts. From Drew University (Wikimedia Commons image):

Young, the daughter of a Methodist minister, joined Houdini’s company as a teenager.  While on a trip to New York with her parents, she had read about an open casting call for the illusionist’s act, auditioned and was hired.  During her year with Houdini, she played the role of the “Radio Girl of 1950,” which represented a 1920s vision of what radio would be like several decades later.

Young’s fame didn’t end along with her stage career with Houdini.  She and New York-based businessman Gilbert Kiamie, who would later become her husband, rose to international prominence as a dance team, even inventing and perfecting their own Latin dance, the rumbalero.  As an established dancer, she was featured in many early motion pictures, including the Fred Astaire musical comedy “Flying Down to Rio.”  Later, she published a novel inspired by her career, “Dancing on a Dime,” which in 1940 was turned into a movie by Paramount Studios.

As the last surviving member of Houdini’s act, it seems fitting that one of her final visits to Drew’s campus was in October 2008 for The Official Houdini Séance, which commemorated the 82nd anniversary of Houdini’s death.  The séance was held in the Dorothy Young Center’s black box theater and featured an inner-circle of Houdini enthusiasts and historians, but Young was the only one among them who actually knew and worked with the magician.

Dorothy Young obituary (Drew University)

In related news, today is Houdini's 137th birthday, a fact that Google reminds us of with today's Google Doodle homepage logo.

• [cabrio]

  My husband and I have long loved Houdini, most recently have viewed an exhibit in NYC about his life and work.
  After reading about Dorothy Young, I remembered that my grandmother had a painting with that signature which I now have. It is a seascape and I was wondering how to authenticate it, as well as perhaps loaning it to Drew University.

• [nehpetsE]

  Very striking image

• [SonOfSamSeaborn]

  Gotta continue the pedantry here:

  Later in life, Young became a major benefactor of Drew University whose $13 million gift led to the Dorothy Young Center for the Arts.

  So she was Drew University’s benefactor because she convinced them to donate $13m to an unnamed third party, solely to build an arts centre that could be named after her?

  • [Anonymous]

    The Dorothy Young Center for the Arts is on the Drew University campus and serves as the location for all of the college’s art/music/theater classes, performances, and exhibitions. The $13m paid for its construction.

• [Anonymous]

  David, your phrasing called to mind my most favorite of headlines “World’s Oldest Person Dies.” That article runs about every six months or so.

  It must really be a bummer being the world’s oldest person–you’re always next!

• [BB]

  That’s a fetching photo of her.

  • [Church]

    Indeed. There’s something almost magical about that photo…

• [Anonymous]

  Thank you for remembering my great-grandmother. I feel honored to have spent many years of my young adulthood with her and to carry her name with me for the rest of my life. She was truly a special person who deserves to be remembered for her inspiring life! Much love Grandmother Dorothy <3 We will miss you – Rebecca Young Perkins

• [shadowfirebird]

  I’m sorry to be pedantic — it *is* an interesting post — but she can’t be Houdini’s last living assistant if she’s dead.

  Unless you are saying that some of his assistants were dead *at the time* …

• [David Pescovitz]

  Ha! I wasn’t actually sure how to phrase that! Maybe: “Dorothy Young, formerly Harry Houdini’s last living assistant, died on Sunday at 103″ ?

  • [shadowfirebird]

    “Dorothy Young, the most long-lived of Houdini’s assistants…”

    • [David Pescovitz]

      YES! Thanks! Made the change.