Harry Houdini was a Hungarian magician and escapologist who gained international fame in the early 20th century. He performed high-profile stunts, including prison van escapes and the Chinese water torture cell. Houdini also had a fascination with early aviation and exposing psychics. He died at the age of 52 from acute inflammation caused by a ruptured appendix. His legacy lives on, inspiring many modern-day magicians.
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian magician and escapologist who was popular in the early 20th century. His extraordinary abilities have led to an enduring reputation as one of the greatest wizards of all time. Houdini died at the age of 20, suffering from acute inflammation caused by a ruptured appendix. His life and talent have been the subject of many books and films since his death.
Houdini was born Erik Weisz in Budapest, Hungary in 1874. His father was a rabbi who moved their large family to America in 1878. Young Harry began his magical career performing in circuses and shows, first with his brother and later with his wife, Bess. In 1899, Houdini met manager Martin Beck, who arranged for him to tour the vaudeville circuits and Europe.
The young magician enjoyed unprecedented success in Europe, gaining an international reputation as an escape artist. He has performed many high-profile public stunts, including prison van escapes. At one point, he successfully sued a French policeman who claimed he used bribery to get him to escape him. By 1904, Houdini was an international celebrity and returned to America a wealthy man.
Upon returning to the American performance scene, Harry created ever more elaborate acts. He has escaped from prisons and straitjackets into public view. The magician did not keep his secrets as closely as the profession usually dictates, revealing some of his escape techniques in a 1909 book, Handcuff Secrets. He is also credited with some of the earliest uses of product placement marketing, as his getaways were often sponsored by local businesses and merchants.
In the mid-1910s, Houdini was the highest paid vaudeville actor in America. He became president of Marinka & Co, a magical supply company that still exists today. He also directed Marinka’s associated Society of American Magicians for several years, which still pays tribute to him each year on the anniversary of his death.
His most famous escape is often considered to be the escape from Chinese water torture. In this stunt, he would be lowered, upside down and with his feet in stocks, into a full water tank. Several movies have used this stunt as a means of his death, but in truth, the water torture cell was not involved in any way.
The wizard had many other passions throughout his career, including a fascination with early aviation and publicly exposing psychics. He appeared frequently in films and at one point ran his own production company, which quickly went bankrupt. His cinematic contributions, while not popular during his lifetime, were later honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
After Houdini’s sudden death in 1926, his grieving wife held a séance to contact him every year for ten years. Not having success, she eventually gave up the practice. Modern séances are still held every year by some magicians, in hopes of lifting his spirits. Since his death, several films, TV movies, and books have explored his life and character. Today, Houdini’s legacy lives on, with many of today’s great magicians citing his life as an inspiration for their careers.
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