The sack was then placed inside a box, locked, and strapped closed. Houdini’s hands were tied behind him, and he was placed in a sack that was knotted closed. Houdini’s version became a sensation, catching the attention of the Welsh Brothers Circus, and they took the Houdinis on tour in 1895. Houdini didn’t invent this illusion, but earlier versions of the act had featured two men changing places. Houdini performed the “Radio of 1950” illusion at the end of his career and life, but he performed the “Metamorphosis” illusion at the start, when he and his wife (Bessie) took their act on the road in 1894. While the master magician was dialing the radio station, she simply climbed back into the radio. She would then open the trap and slide into the bellowed area between the two table tops and wait there while Houdini showed his audience the empty interior. Young would be inside the radio when it was put on the table. Young’s weight without going below the skirt of the tablecloth. The upper top had a trap door that opened upward while the lower top hung from the upper by springs that dropped under Ms. The key to this illusion was the table – known as a bellows table, it consisted of two table tops. The radio announcer would say, “And now, Dorothy Young, doing the Charleston.” The top of the radio would fly off, and out would pop his young assistant, who would jump down and dance the Charleston. Houdini would then adjust one of the dials until a radio station started playing. Houdini would open the doors to show that there was nothing inside except transformers, coils, and vacuum tubes. The front of the radio had huge dials and double doors. Then his assistants would place a giant radio on the table. Houdini would walk around the table, lifting the cloth to show that there were no mirrors or anything else under the table. The radio was a novelty at the time, and the act featured what Houdini said the radio would look like in 1950.Īccording to Dorothy Young, Houdini’s assistant, the magician would begin by introducing a large table with a tablecloth that fell halfway down the table’s legs. In fact, he would often offer $10,000 (an enormous amount of money back then) to anyone who could come up with a psychic phenomenon that he couldn't duplicate by natural means.Houdini created the “Radio of 1950” illusion for his evening shows from 1925 until his death the next year. As for the handcuffs, he revealed that many times he could open them with force, although occasionally he used shoestrings and hidden lock picks and keys.Īlthough he was a magician at heart, Houdini never believed in the supernatural. He also trained his left hand to work as well as his right hand, and he practiced many “tricks," such as learning how to tie and untie ropes with his feet. To hold his breath for more than three minutes, he practiced at home regularly in an extra-large bathtub he had installed just for this purpose. He always stayed in top physical and mental health. How did Houdini perform all of these feats? Did he have supernatural powers? Not quite! While he never revealed many of his secrets, he did offer some insight in a 1909 book called Handcuff Secrets. He would have to hold his breath for more than three minutes while he tried to escape, which he did successfully every time. In this spectacle, Houdini would be hung by his feet and lowered upside down into a locked glass container filled with water. In 1912, Houdini introduced the Water Torture Cell, which would come to define his already spectacular career. No one ever collected on that offer, though - Houdini could escape every time. He even offered $100 (a lot of money at that time!) to anyone who could come up with a set of handcuffs from which he couldn't escape. When he arrived in a new town, Houdini would challenge local police, claiming he could escape from any handcuffs they could provide. Houdini's handcuffs act impressed audiences around the country. He soon became well-known for his uncanny ability to escape from handcuffs. When he became a professional magician at the age of 17, he named himself “ Harry Houdini."Īlthough he first specialized in card tricks, it wasn't long before he began experimenting with escape acts. Erik Weisz was born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary, on March 24, 1874.
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