7/2/2023 0 Comments Harry houdini buffHoudini owned the Mohawk Indian Medicine Company, a touring show, with Keaton’s father. 1907 Houdini is said to have given Buster Keaton his nickname.Īnother famous name with whom Houdini associated was Buster Keaton, a legendary actor and comic performer who made his name with hilarious stunts in silent films.īoth men went on to become huge stars, but they share quite a humble link. Nevertheless, Scranton, Pennsylvania’s Houdini Museum continues to hold an annual séance hoping to hear from him (and others). Bess, who lived for another 17 years after Houdini’s death in 1926, would later assert that nothing came of this. He and his wife, Bess Houdini, made a promise to each other that they would try to contact each other from beyond the grave following their deaths. Nevertheless, it seemed that the famed magician still held out some hope for making contact with the dead. The former was a staunch believer in the abilities of Mina “Margery” Crandon, one of the best-known mediums of the day, while Houdini made his doubts about her very clear. In fact, this was one main reason for the rift that formed between Sir. In magic and in spiritualism, he was very skeptical, never hesitating to debunk or deride the work of those he considered fraudulent. Houdini was a great illusionist, but he had no patience for tricksters. However, the concept of communicating with the dead remained with Houdini for the rest of his life…and beyond! Houdini and his wife made a pact to try to contact each other after their respective deaths. Houdini soon grew doubtful of the practice and his literary friend’s commitment to it, which caused the pair to split apart. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle shared this interest, having tragically lost his son in the First World War. Houdini developed a keen fascination with spiritualism after the death of his beloved mother, Cecília Steiner, in 1913. One notable person he associated with was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the famed creator of fictional sleuth Sherlock Holmes. Houdini practiced spiritualism with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.īeing a titan in his field, Houdini made several very famous acquaintances over the course of his colorful life. Harry Houdini (in white trench coat) preparing his Voisin biplane for flight at Diggers Rest, Victoria, NSW on 18 March, 1910. Captain Colin Defries is believed to have done so just before Houdini, in December 1909. Unfortunately for him, though, it seems he was the second person to achieve this. Being ambitious and determined as ever, he wanted to become the first person to perform a controlled flight over Australia. He purchased an airplane in 1909-his first. Houdini almost became the first man to perform a controlled flight over Australia.Īnother of the great passions of Houdini’s life was aviation, and as fame and fortune came his way, he was sure not to forget it. Houdini bequeathed his magical paraphernalia to his brother on his death, which Hardeen continued to use. As Hardeen once stated, “We made no secret of the fact that we were brothers… but we did keep secret not only the fact that we were good friends but that Harry had set me up in business!” As the “King of Handcuffs” gained fame, he and his brother, then known as Hardeen, continued to work on illusions, maintaining the belief that the pair were vicious rivals to keep the interest in both of their acts. However, there was actually another accomplished and respected magician in Houdini’s very own familyįerenc Dezső Weisz, Houdini’s younger brother, had performed with his superstar sibling earlier in his career. Many today consider Houdini to be the very last word in magic and illusions. Houdini’s brother was also an accomplished magician. Word spread, crowds grew, and he came to be known as “The King of Handcuffs!” While in Europe, he practiced refining his skills as an escape artist. It was then that he was sent on a European and United States tour by Martin Beck, a big industry name. At the close of the 19 th century, he was struggling to support himself as a performer and almost decided to open a school of magic instead. Harry Houdini was first known as “The King Of Handcuffs.”īorn Erik Weisz, Harry Houdini went by a different stage name in the early stages of his remarkable career. From his feats in the field of aviation to his work in the field of spiritualism, here are some of the most fascinating and unbelievable facts about Harry Houdini’s extraordinary life. Even more astonishingly, this is just scratching the surface of his story.
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