On 31st October 1926, it was announced that the great Harry Houdini died.
As this year marks the centenary of his death, there are a host of tribute events taking place around the world: from seances being held at his former home in New York to special events and shows in London, all celebrating his life, legacy and the defining moment he became a celebrity and achieving phenomenal status.
His real name was Erich Weiss: he was the son of a travelling rabbi and was born in Budapest in 1874 before emigrating to America with his family when he was 3 years old. He grew up studying magic and was inspired by the ‘father of modern stage magic’ Jean Eugene Robert Houdin, a French magician who had taken magic at that time to a more respected level, presenting his evening show on an elaborate stage and wearing smart clothing.
Erich added an ‘i’ to his hero’s name resulting in Houdini.
Throughout his illustrious career, he invented many dangerous stunts and escapes, such as the water torture cell, being buried alive, escaping from a straight jacket whilst being hung upside down and he was even the first person to fly an aeroplane in Australia.
His death, however, was not linked to any of his death defying escapes, but from a mis-timed punch to his abdomen in his dressing room at the Princess theatre in Montreal on 22nd October 1926. He would accept any punch given to him to demonstrate his strength, however, on this occasion he was unknowingly suffering from appendicitis which led to peritonitis, and he died in hospital a week and a half later.
It’s incredible to know that his name still lives on 100 years later and highlights the skills he held as a showman, publicist and self-promoter, leaving a long lasting legacy. I was honoured to have been part of a week of celebrations to honour his life, with shows in Brighton and at the Hippodrome in Leicester Square, where he escaped from a pair of handcuffs especially made for him by the London Daily Mirror newspaper as a challenge in 1904. This escape generated a huge amount of publicity and kick-started his career.
The shows celebrated his life and after-life, with a varied cast embodying various moments of his life. I performed a tribute act to the King of Cards stage in his career, plus a more Halloween themed piece: making a ghost come to life and a wooden table float, connecting to the latter part of his career exposing fake mediums and spiritualism.
My huge thanks to Paul Zenon for having me involved and it was an honour to be part of such a varied and talented cast of performers.
Good night Harry.
