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Harry Houdini Born 24 March 1874 © 2014 The Weekly Plan. All rights reserved. HARRY HOUDINI BORN 24 MARCH 1874 Long before the success of today’s magicians such as clairvoyant. They were very successful because they Dynamo and David Blaine, there was Harry Houdini. always did their research. As soon as they arrived in a Houdini is one of the most famous magicians in history. new town, they would read recent obituaries and visit While he could perform card tricks and traditional magic graveyards to find the names of the newly dead. They acts, he was most famous for his ability to escape from would also listen to town gossip which helped them to what seemed like impossible situations. piece together enough information to convince crowds that they were the real deal. However, feelings of guilt Houdini was born Ehrich Weisz on March 24, 1874, in about lying to grief-stricken people eventually got to Hungary. One of seven children, Ehrich moved with his them so they quit and returned to their magic tricks. family to the United States when he was young. During his early years, Ehrich sold newspapers, shined shoes and ran In 1899, Houdini's magic caught the attention of an errands to help support his family. In his spare time, he entertainment manager who advised him to read books about magic tricks. Ehrich quit school when he concentrate on his escapes. In 1899, Houdini was was 12 and moved with his father to New York City to help billed as the "King of Handcuffs," and in 1900, Houdini support the family. Harry and his father took jobs in a became the biggest draw on the European circuit. necktie factory and lived in a boarding house before the Houdini's act involved the local police, who would rest of the family joined them. place him in shackles, and lock him in jail. Houdini would then escape. The show became a huge At age 15, he discovered the magician’s book, Memoirs of success and Houdini was soon the highest-paid Robert-Houdin. Ehrich was mesmerized by this book, performer in American vaudeville. staying up all night to read it, and later claiming it was what truly sparked his enthusiasm for magic. When he was 17, Houdini kept pushing the limits with his acts. In 1907 Ehrich formed the magic team ‘Brothers Houdini’ with his he unveiled a dangerous stunt where, with his hands friend, Jack Hayman. Ehrich renamed himself ‘Harry handcuffed behind his back, he jumped from a bridge Houdini’, the first name coming from his childhood into a river. Then in 1908, Houdini introduced the Milk nickname, "Ehrie," and the last in honour of Robert-Houdin. Can Escape, where he was locked inside a sealed milk can filled with water. The performances were In 1892, the Brothers Houdini went out on the road. They huge hits. In 1912, Houdini created the Underwater performed card tricks, coin swaps, and disappearing acts. Box Escape where he was chained up, placed inside Though their magic met with little success, they soon drew a box, locked in, and thrown into the river. He attention for their feats of escape using handcuffs. By escaped moments later…It seemed there was nothing 1894, Jack Hayman tired of the constant travel and was Houdini could not escape from. briefly replaced by Houdini's younger brother, Theo. He was soon replaced by 18 year old Wilhemina Beatrice In 1912, his act reached its pinnacle with the Chinese "Bess" Rahner. Houdini married Bess in 1894 and she Water Torture Cell. This was a watertight wooden became his onstage partner and lifelong stage assistant. cabinet, lined with metal, with a glass front. Houdini's feet were locked into stocks on the top of the cabinet It wasn’t long before work began to dry up, so Houdini and and he was lowered into it head first. The cabinet was his wife transformed themselves into spirit mediums. filled with water requiring him to hold his breath for Houdini was familiar with many of the spirit medium’s tricks more than three minutes to escape. Houdini's so he began leading séances while Bess performed as a assistant stood by with an axe, just in case. © 2014 The Weekly Plan. All rights reserved. HARRY HOUDINI BORN 24 MARCH 1874 The performance was so daring and such a crowd- pleaser that it remained in his act until his death in 1926. Houdini's success led to wealth which allowed him to indulge in his dreams. He was fascinated with the possibilities of flight and dreamed of making a midair escape after parachuting from a plane. Unfortunately he wasn’t able to make this happen, however he bought a biplane and made the first successful airplane flight in Australia. His other passion lay in film so he launched a movie career, releasing his first film in 1901, which documented his escapes. At the end of World War I, the lives of millions of young men had been lost. A huge number of grieving families wanted to contact their loved ones from “beyond the Discussion Questions grave.” Psychics and spirit mediums emerged and Houdini knew many of the fake medium’s tricks. Factual However, he still wanted to believe that some people could really contact the dead, so he visited a large number of mediums hoping to find a real psychic. 1. Why did he call himself Harry Houdini? Unfortunately, he found them all to be a fake. Houdini 2. What did Harry and his wife do when began to expose the tricks used by mediums and work began to dry up in the mid 1890s? because of this he received a number of death threats. 3. Name 3 death-defying acts that Houdini performed. On October 22, 1926, Houdini was in his dressing room 4. What were 2 of Houdini’s passions preparing for a show when one of the three students he other than magic? had invited backstage asked if Houdini really could 5. How did Harry Houdini die? withstand a strong punch to his upper torso. Houdini answered that he could. The student then asked Houdini Challenge if he could punch him. Houdini agreed and started to get up off a couch when he was punched three times in the stomach before having a chance to tense his muscles. Just for fun, practice this mind-reading trick! Tape a tiny piece of broken pencil lead to your Despite being in a lot of pain, Houdini went on with the thumb using clear tape so that your audience show and then went on to do two more the following day. cannot see it. The sticky side of the tape should The following evening Houdini grew weak and suffered face outwards so that the lead can stick to it. stomach pain and fever. Instead of going to the hospital, he once again went on with the show, and collapsed Explain to your audience that you are able to offstage. He was taken to a hospital and was diagnosed predict and write down on your pad any number with a burst appendix which was showing signs of they think of between 1-100. Ask someone to think gangrene. The surgeons removed his appendix but his of a number between 1-100. Do not actually write condition worsened and Houdini died on October 31, anything on the pad. Just pretend. Now, when you 1926. He was 52-years old. hide the front of the pad from the spectator, and your spectator says their number, simply use your Following his death, the obituaries, and huge crowd at thumb to write what they are saying. his public funeral were signs that the world knew it had lost one of the most talented and original entertainers of This trick relies on good acting on your part…act the time. Houdini's props were used by his brother then as if you are really concentrating on mind-reading eventually sold to another magician who displayed them and the audience will believe it! at the Houdini Museum. The items were auctioned off in 2004 to magician, David Copperfield. .
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