Harry Houdini
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Harry Houdini (born Erik Weisz in Budapest, later Ehrich Weiss or Harry Weiss; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was an American stunt performer, noted for his sensational escape acts. He first attracted notice as "Harry Handcuff Houdini" on a tour of Europe, where he sensationally challenged different police forces to try to keep him locked up. This revealed a talent for gimmickry and for audience involvement that characterized all his work. Soon he extended his repertoire to include chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers, straitjackets under water, and having to hold his breath inside a sealed milk can.
In 1904, thousands watched as he tried to escape from special handcuffs commissioned by London's Daily Mirror, keeping them in suspense for an hour. Another stunt saw him buried alive and only just able to claw himself to the surface, emerging in a state of near-breakdown. While many suspected that these escapes were fabricated, Houdini meanwhile presented himself as the scourge of fake magicians and spiritualists. As President of the Society of American Magicians, he was keen to uphold professional standards and expose fraudulent artists who gave practitioners a bad name. He was also quick to sue anyone who pirated his own escape stunts.
Houdini made a number of movies, but quit acting when it failed to bring in money. He was also a keen aviator, and aimed to become the first man to fly a plane in Australia, but according to the official definition of sustained flight, he was beaten to it by two others. Even the circumstances of his death in 1926 were dramatic and mysterious. According to one version, a student in Montreal asked him if his stomach was hard enough to take any blow, to which he replied that it was, whereupon the student rained a series of blows on it before Houdini had time to tense up. A few days later, he died of a ruptured appendix. This may have been unconnected, as he had already been suffering appendicitis and refusing to seek medical attention.
Filmography
- Films starring Houdini
- Merveilleux Exploits du Célébre Houdini à Paris—Cinema Lux (1909)—playing himself
- The Master Mystery—Octagon Films (1918)—playing Quentin Locke
- The Grim Game—Famous Players-Lasky/Paramount Pictures (1919)—playing Harvey Handford
- Terror Island—Famous Players Lasky/Paramount (1920)—playing Harry Harper
- The Man from Beyond—Houdini Picture Corporation (1922)—playing Howard Hillary
- Haldane of the Secret Service—Houdini Picture Corporation/FBO (1922)—playing Heath Haldane
- Biographical films
- Houdini (1953)—played by Tony Curtis
- The Great Houdini aka The Great Houdinis (1976)—played by Paul Michael Glaser (TV movie)
- Ragtime (1981)—played by Jeffrey DeMunn
- Young Harry Houdini (1987)—played by Wil Wheaton & Jeffrey DeMunn (TV movie)
- A Night at the Magic Castle (1988)—played by Arte Johnson
- FairyTale: A True Story (1997)—played by Harvey Keitel
- Houdini (1998)—played by Johnathon Schaech (TV movie)
- Cremaster 2 (1999)—played by Norman Mailer
- Death Defying Acts (2007)—played by Guy Pearce
See also
- American Museum of Magic
- Escapology
- Illusionist
- List of magic museums
- List of magicians
- Magic (illusion)
- Stunt
- Stunt performer
- Swami Laura Horos