HARRY HOUDINI

HARRYHOUDINI

Harry Houdini was born as Erik Weisz in Budapest, Austria-Hungary, on March 24, 1874.] His parents were Rabbi Mayer Smuel Weisz (18291892), and Ceclia Weisz (ne Steiner; 18411913). Houdini was one of seven children: Herman M. (18631885) who was Houdini's half-brother, by Rabbi Weisz's first marriage; Nathan J. (18701927); Gottfried William (18721925); Theodore "Theo" (18761945); Leopold D. (18791962); and Carrie Gladys (born 18821959) who was left almost blind after an accident that occurred during her childhood.Weisz arrived in the United States on July 3, 1878, on the SS Fresia with his mother (who was pregnant) and his four brothers. The family changed the Hungarian spelling of their German surname to Weiss (the German spelling) and Erik's name was changed to Ehrich. Friends called him "Ehrie" or "Harry".They first lived in Appleton, Wisconsin, where his father served as Rabbi of the Zion Reform Jewish Congregation.

Childhood

Most notably is his magic career which began in 1891, starting off with little success. He performed at dime museums and sideshows, and doubled as "The Wild Man" at a circus. In the beginning Houdini focused on traditional card tricks. At one time, he billed himself as the "King of Cards". He soon began experimenting with escape acts.In 1893, while performing with his brother "Dash" (Theodore) at Coney Island as "The Brothers Houdini," Harry met a fellow performer, Wilhelmina Beatrice "Bess Rahner. Bess was initially courted by Dash, but she and Houdini married in 1894, with Bess replacing Dash in the act, which became known as "The Houdinis." For the rest of Houdini's performing career, Bess worked as his stage assistant.Houdini's big break came in 1899 when he met manager Martin Beck in St. Paul, Minnesota. Impressed by Houdini's handcuffs act, Beck advised him to concentrate on escape acts and booked him on the Orpheum vaudeville circuit. Within months, he was performing at the top vaudeville houses in the country.

Achievements

1. Houdini employed several methods of escape from handcuffs, leg irons and jail cells. He'd hide a key or a lock pick under his foot or in his bushy hair with adhesive, in a hollowed-out compartment of a shoe, or rely on an accomplice who would palm the key in his hand, to be retrieved by Houdini when they shook hands.2. If he could inspect a jail cell in advance, Houdini might plant his escape tool in a bar of soap or under a bench. Houdini similarly smuggled keys and picks into the boxes, milk cans, water tanks and other containers that confined him in his act, manipulating them with his teeth or specially designed extension rods.3. Sometimes he would have the opportunity to use rigged handcuffs. The manacles would lock securely when held upright, but snap open when they were turned upside-down.

Interesting Information

In his adult life he had huge success with his magic career, as well as in the movie industry. In 1906 Houdini started showing films of his outside escapes as part of his vaudeville act. In Boston he presented a short film called Houdini Defeats Hackenschmidt. Georg Hackenschmidt was a famous wrestler of the day, but the nature of their contest is unknown as the film is lost. In 1909 Houdini made a film in Paris for Cinema Lux titled Merveilleux Exploits du Clbre Houdini Paris (Marvellous Exploits of the Famous Houdini in Paris). It featured a loose narrative designed to showcase several of Houdini's famous escapes, including his straitjacket and underwater handcuff escapes.He died of peritonitis, secondary to a ruptured appendix at 1:26p.m. on October 31, 1926 in Room 401 at Detroit's Grace Hospital, aged 52. In his final days, he optimistically held to a strong belief that he would recover, but his last words before dying were reportedly, "I'm tired of fighting."ADULT LIFE

Harry Houdini impacted 1920s society by popularizing the professional performing of magic. Because of him today many people have chosen to make a professional magician their career. He also made 1920s society more skeptical about magic, and often he exposed fraudulent magicians. He paved the way for magicians in the 1920s, making it more popular and profitable.Impact

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