Rare interesting photographs and biography of Harry Houdini. How did the great illusionist Harry Houdini die? Magic and hard training

In 2009, German director Uli Edel won the right to be nominated for an Oscar with the film “The Baader-Meinhof Complex” in the category “ Best movie on foreign language", but it must be said that this is not the first time that attention has been paid to him in the USA he was noted as a guest director for one of the episodes of the cult series Twin Peaks, he was filmed from 1990 to 1991 . And in 2014, the Histoy TV channel hired Edel to direct a 152-minute mini-series about the story of the same mysterious figure as his tricks and illusions, the great Harry Houdini. For this, the script was written by Bernard S. Meyer (who made his debut in cinema) and Nicholas Meyer (who also has an Oscar nomination and was at one time involved in the creation of a couple of episodes of feature-length fiction “ Star Trek"). On main role they approved Adrien Brody (I think he needs no introduction), his on-screen wife was played by Kristen Connolly (more of a television actress who appeared in several cameo roles in some famous films), and Houdini’s assistant was played by Evan Jones (the same thing that applied to Connolly can also be attributed to Jones).

So, Brodie, Connolly and Jones these are the most important characters. The rest of the characters, the minor ones, will replace each other as the series begins to gain momentum. But during this time, the viewer will have time to get acquainted with the life story of Harry Houdini and with the people with whom the great illusionist had the opportunity to meet. Among them are the Kaiser of Germany and his family, and the Russian royal family with controversial grandfather Grigori Rasputin among them, as well as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself and his wife. But the scriptwriters also developed the version that the former Hungarian Jew, who later received an American passport, worked for the intelligence of the Allied forces of the Entente. This is how the viewer gets to know how Harry Houdini started performing with his brother, then came up with and improved many tricks, and became one of the most greatest people of his era, after he began to compete with the miracle of technology the newly invented cinema, lost his mother and subsequently turned into the most notorious destroyer of legends associated with various types charlatans who called themselves spiritualists, that is, those who can call and talk with spirits.

If you wanted to tell full story life of Harry Houdini, then no 152 minutes would have been enough the biography of the greatest illusionist in the world was so vivid and varied (may David Copperfield fans forgive me), so the Meiers cut out the most interesting fragments from Houdini’s life story, adding several rather controversial moments of his biography and provided a mini-series for viewer opinion. And the opinion turned out to be extremely positive. And this really has a basis, because the series is interesting, intriguing, sometimes dramatic, and sometimes adventurous. Of course, the fact would cause a lot of controversy if the main emphasis was on reconnaissance mission Harry Houdini, on the one hand, it’s interesting, but on the other hand, where is the confirmation? And so, with the series from Uli Edel, we can find out what kind of Harry Houdini was - a frantic genius or a man who found himself with his talent? Although, most likely, both of these statements will be correct. We also learn about his wife and about the one who was always ready to help the greatest illusionist, even though he always fired him in fits of frenzy.

In many ways like this great luck series and positive reviews viewers and critics were made possible thanks to the expressive performance of Adrien Brody, who played the main character Harry Houdini. I myself have repeatedly caught myself thinking that I sincerely believe that in front of me is not an actor playing a character, but the very the real Harry Houdini, the casting masters got it so right with the choice of Adrien Brody, and the actor himself approached this difficult but very interesting role with all responsibility. In general, there was such a suspicion that Brody took the role so seriously that he experienced all the tricks with which Harry Houdini immortalized his name. Adrien Brody on the highest level did his job like a true professional. Kristen Connolly and Evan Jones also tried very hard to be remembered for their good acting, although it was noticeable that after Harry Houdini himself and his tricks they came in second place, but, nevertheless, the role of the characters themselves and the role of the actors themselves in the series “Houdini” are absolutely important and in many ways add to the overall picture of the life of such amazing person like Harry Houdini.

The series is not only entertainment, but it also conveys in general terms the meaning of the life of Harry Houdini, who was played superbly by Adrien Brody. Several facts and several controversial points in the biography of the greatest illusionist will force many, perhaps you, dear potential viewer, to learn more about this man, and the mini-series will become the driving force for this, and good music and decoration will help in this.

(real name - Erich Weiss)

(1874-1926) American magician

Today the name of this outstanding person became a household word, it turned into a legend and became a symbol of a person who can easily get out of any, even the most difficult situation. But very little time has passed since this man lived, performed and was unusually popular among the people, although of all the awards he was awarded only the right to be called the president of the American Association of Magicians.

The fate of Harry Houdini is quite unusual. He was the eldest son in large family Meyer Samuel Weiss and Cecilia Steiner, natives of Hungary who settled in the town of Appleton, Wisconsin. At the age of twelve, Erich ran away from home.

He began his circus career as a trapeze gymnast and then began performing as a magician. At first his partner was younger brother Theodore, and then his wife. It is curious that their children married couple there was none, although they wrote letters to each other where they talked about their son.

Having decided on his choice, Weiss decided to come up with a pseudonym. That's when he turned into Harry Houdini, calling himself that in memory of the magician he worshiped. The new Houdini began to invent tricks, which basically boiled down to the fact that he fell into various traps from ropes, chains, shackles, handcuffs and very deftly untangled them. He became an escapist artist (from the English escape - to run away), i.e. demonstrated tricks, the essence of which was to use any ingenious method to free himself from all kinds of constipation and get out of closed spaces - prison cells, water tanks, chests, etc.

His most famous stunt was the “Chinese torture chamber,” in which the artist was in a hanging position with his ankles clamped in wooden blocks. There is a photograph of Harry Houdini standing shackled in a boat before being placed in a chest, which was then secured with steel tape and lowered into the waters of Battery Bay in New York.

In anticipation of the amazing spectacle, the audience could get acquainted in advance with all the devices in which Harry Houdini would be shackled and tied during the performance. For this purpose, before the artist’s performances, a special poster was issued with the inscription: “Houdini. World champion in freeing from handcuffs and prison cells.” And the audience flocked to his performances, especially since the most talked about him incredible stories: for example, about how, having made a bet, he somehow managed to escape from several prisons, and once in Great Britain, he managed to escape even from the famous Scotland Yard.

Among other tricks, Harry Houdini had tricks that cannot be explained in any other way except as mysticism. Eyewitnesses described how he made an elephant disappear into a brick wall without destroying it.

It is known that even the most ingenious tricks can be explained quite simply. Each magician has a set of techniques with which he demonstrates various miracles. However, Harry Houdini's tricks went beyond the usual ideas of sleight of hand and artistry, although he did not possess any supernatural abilities.

The secret of the outstanding artist was that he knew well not only the capabilities of the human body, but also the characteristics of the human psyche. Houdini made no secret of his work. He wrote several books in which he talked about how he performed miracles. His first book, “The Exposition of Robert Houdini,” was published in 1908; in 1920, the book “Merchants of Miracles and Their Methods” appeared, then the next one, “The Magician Among the Spirits.” But nevertheless, both for his contemporaries and for subsequent generations, the artist’s work seemed mysterious. So, even almost three decades after his death, there was A new book entitled Houdini on Magic, which revealed the secrets of his best magic tricks.

It turns out that Harry Houdini was interested in magic all his life and collected books about this phenomenon. His library of magic is still unparalleled. According to the master's will, it was transferred along with his collection theater posters to the Library of Congress.

The title of the book, “The Magician Among the Spirits,” was not chosen by chance. Harry Houdini was also interested in spiritualism. He believed so much in the existence of the other world that he once even developed a special code and said that if circumstances allowed, he would convey the message to his descendants ten years after his death. Then many tried to contact the spirit of Houdini during seances, but nothing came of it.

And yet people's faith in magical abilities the magician's magic seemed limitless. Even great French actress Sarah Bernhardt, after amputating her leg, hoped that Houdini would somehow be able to return it to her. In turn, Arthur Conan Doyle believed that Houdini was endowed with the ability to dematerialize in space. The famous writer even came to America to evoke the spirit of Harry Houdini. However, there is no information that during his spiritualistic sessions the writer managed to communicate with the spirit of the great magician.

There are different stories about the death of Harry Houdini. Some believe he died at the bottom of Hudson Bay. However, another version has become more widespread. It is said that one day a man approached Houdini and punched him in the stomach. It was so unexpected that Houdini was unable to tense his abdominal muscles and died on the spot.

He was buried in the coffin he used during his "live funeral" stunt. During the funeral of Harry Houdini, Charles Dillingman and Florence Siegfried were ready to bet that the magician had already managed to jump out of the coffin they were carrying and once again fool those present.

After the death of Harry Houdini, his name became a household name, and as such it turned out to be no less popular than before. President Franklin Roosevelt was called “Houdini in the White House” for his ability to get out of the most delicate situations. A similar nickname - “The Houdini of American politics” - was awarded to another president, R. Nixon, who was so called for the political dexterity and adventurism that manifested itself in the president’s activities even before the notorious Watergate scandal.

It is curious that outwardly Harry Houdini was nothing special. He had crooked legs (probably due to rickets suffered in childhood), and his height was only 167 cm. Now his appearance can be imagined not only from the descriptions of people who knew the artist. The appearance of Harry Houdini is captured in photographs, and three films were also released with the artist’s participation. So Houdini’s contemporaries do not sin at all against the truth when they describe the unsightly appearance of the outstanding magician. And the character of Harry Houdini left much to be desired: he combined aggressiveness and sentimentality. In addition, he was somewhat stingy and did not like to pay bills.

And yet, for the many fans that Houdini had all over the world, he remained a great magician, a sorcerer, whose techniques more than one generation of artists tried to adopt. Currently, many books and memoirs have been written about this man, in which his relatives and friends cite various funny incidents from the life of the master and their communication with him. So, for example, it turns out that famous actor Buster Keaton also owes his stage name “Buster,” meaning “strong back,” to Houdini. One day he witnessed a small incident when a six-year-old boy named Joseph Francis fell from a high ladder and did not receive a single scratch. After this, Harry Houdini gave him the nickname, which Francis, having become an artist, made his pseudonym. A lot of the memories of Harry Houdini are also connected with his studies in magic and spiritualism.

Perhaps he had in mind just such a living memory of himself when he promised to return to his descendants from the other world.

For more than 80 years, American mediums have been summoning the spirit of this greatest illusionist of all time to learn his secrets, but so far without success. The wizard Harry Houdini, who became a legend during his lifetime, does not communicate and fools his fans, who sincerely believe that the king of magicians had supernatural powers.

The fame of the magician was so loud that the Americans even coined the word “houdinise”, which means a person’s ability to get out of the most difficult situations. difficult situations. The illusionist shone on stage for several decades, captivating the imagination of admiring spectators, and many thought that he could do anything. And the death of the famous genius, who became part American history, shocked the world.

Young talent

In 1874, Erich Weiss was born in Budapest - this is the real name of Harry Houdini, who began to amaze the public with early childhood. A devout Jewish family emigrated to America four years later, where the boy’s father received the post of rabbi.

A traveling circus often comes to the provincial town of Appleton, which becomes important event for all its inhabitants. Little Erich, truly delighted with the tricks he saw, tries to repeat them at home. When something begins to work out for him, he shows his talent to an authoritative circus performer, who encouraged the child and expressed a desire to further develop his remarkable abilities. Words of support determined the future path of Weiss, who moved to New York.

Obsessed with magic tricks

The metropolis opened up many prospects for him, but the young man, keen on magic tricks, chose to do what he loves most in life. For hours he repeats various tricks with tapes and cards and comes up with new ones. In addition to natural intelligence, he is distinguished by patience and perseverance. A young magician, obsessed with the desire to become famous, understands that fame can only be achieved through perseverance, and improves his skills, working every day until exhaustion.

At Sunday fairs, the future magician Harry Houdini, whose biography is the subject of people's gossip, performs in front of surprised visitors, and his tricks cause a storm of applause. To understand the principle of operation of complex locks, Weiss even gets a job as an apprentice in a locksmith's workshop, where he makes a universal master key that unlocks all devices. The young man pays attention to good physical fitness, develops joint flexibility, holds your breath for a long time.

Dreams of fame and fame

At the age of 16, Erich came across a book about Robert Houdin, a magician and writer, and the novel about the life of an illusionist captivated him so much that the young man decided to take a pseudonym in honor of the French magician. A talented young man, upset by his small earnings, is looking for various ways tell the public about yourself. For advertising purposes, he participates in spectacular stunts that are watched by hundreds of onlookers: he walks through a brick wall, frees himself from shackles in a barrel filled with water, and opens powerful safes. He understands that audiences want sensation, not revelations of amazing tricks.

Goal achieved!

One fine morning, the headlines of local newspapers explode with reports that a certain Harry Houdini, handcuffed and locked in a prison cell, demonstrated a unique trick - in a few minutes he freed himself and walked out of the punishment cell under the flashbulbs of correspondents. The goal was achieved, and viewers of large cities will learn about the illusionist, for whom there were no barriers.

At this time, the young man, already married, goes on tour so that his name will thunder in seedy provincial towns. It must be said that Europeans were not at all spoiled by the attention of magicians, and Houdini instantly became popular. The star's illusions always cause a stir among the public, and his act, when an elephant covered with velvet disappears as soon as the fabric is torn off, breaks all records of visits to the circus.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the illusionist visited Russia twice, and in the famous Butyrka prison he demonstrated his favorite trick of getting free from a closed cell.

People's love

Having achieved worldwide popularity, Harry Houdini does not stop there, but improves his performances. In the presence of hundreds of onlookers, he is shackled, a cast-iron ball is tied to his feet and thrown into the icy waters of the Thames, and just a few minutes later, the magician, freed from his bonds, floats up, to the delight of the delighted inhabitants. The illusionist constantly complicates this trick: he is handcuffed, placed in a heavy box and the lid is nailed down. However, the clever Houdini successfully gets out of all situations, and people's love only growing.

There is a known case that could have ended tragically, and only thanks to the fact that the illusionist knew how to hold his breath for a long time, everything worked out. Harry, wrapped in chains and carried away from the ice hole by the current, spent eight minutes under the ice until help arrived. This terrible incident convinces admiring spectators that the illusionist has truly inhuman abilities. And rumors begin to circulate in society about the devilish origin of Harry Houdini.

Man or Devil?

Many believe in the supernatural powers of the wizard, who performed real miracles on stage. Some consider his unique numbers a clever hoax, while others are confident that this is how a person demonstrates his inexhaustible capabilities. Of course, the guesses were endless, and the king of illusions himself denied the connection of his tricks with magic. The magician even went to spiritualistic seances, at which he exposed charlatans profiting from people’s grief.

In the last decades of his life, he published books in which he revealed the secrets of his craft. The author of works that have become bestsellers is concerned that many of his colleagues cover up tricks with mysticism and claim to communicate with otherworldly forces. At this time, Houdini had a conflict with his old friend A. Conan Doyle, who believed in afterworld and revered his friend as a powerful medium.

Secrets of tragic death

With age, dangerous tricks become more and more difficult for an illusionist. His health fails him, and even after successful experiments on his body, he often ends up in the hospital. How Harry Houdini died is still debated by his fans to this day. While on tour in Montreal, a student approached the magician backstage, who turned out to be a boxing master. He wanted to make sure that the magician was not experiencing physical pain, and unexpectedly struck the illusionist in the stomach, who did not have time to tense his abdominal muscles.

For several days, the master of magic was bothered by severe pain, but he did not pay attention to it. special attention. The artist got up heat, and during the performance he fainted. After doctors examined him, it was determined that Houdini had developed peritonitis, and Harry died on October 31, 1926.

There is another version that says that the illusionist was poisoned. These rumors appeared after his death, and since the body was not opened, they were not refuted or confirmed.

His devoted fans do not believe the official reason for the death of their idol and say that the magician learned too much, and he paid for it. The evil spirit that celebrates the victory of evil over good on the last day of October has taken away the one who has been playing with death all his life.

The Great Deceiver

His death has the effect of a bomb exploding. The illusionist’s colleagues, who were members of the society of American magicians, are crying from injustice, and newspapers, full of mournful headlines, vying with each other to print the artist’s will, where he allegedly promises to reveal all the secrets on the day of his centenary. The public is looking forward to sensational revelations, the excitement is growing, and when this moment comes, the notary office opens the envelope left by Houdini, which turns out to be empty. The great illusionist deceived everyone, even after death he continued to fool the audience.

Magic and hard training

Experienced experts in the field of magic tricks have been trying for many years to figure out what the main secret of the wizard is, who took his secrets to the grave. The illusionist Harry Houdini knew perfectly all the existing lock designs, and he also invented a miniature master key, which he hid from prying eyes. He had excellent control of his body, knew how to compress or increase the volume of muscles, and shifted bones in the joints. And behind the seemingly easy-to-perform tricks there was skill and tedious training. For uninitiated viewers, the magician's unique performances truly bordered on magic.

Victory over fear

Harry Houdini himself, whose tricks confused the public, admitted that the main thing in his profession was to overcome fear. The illusionist must remain calm and self-controlled, and giving in to panic means certain death. The author of deadly dangerous tricks himself was repeatedly on the verge of death, and was saved only because he retained a sober mind and did not lose his presence of mind.

Secrets revealed

Twelve years ago, in Appleton, an exhibition was held where visitors were able to learn the secrets of the tricks of the famous Harry Houdini, whose photos were posted everywhere. Illusionists around the world, who protested against revealing secrets to spectators, called it a violation of “magical protocol.” The event caused a huge resonance, but it has long been known that only a year after the death of the king of illusions, his team began to sell the secrets of their master. For example, release from a straitjacket occurred due to the fact that Harry folded his hands in a special way without allowing the sleeves to be pulled tight.

The secret of getting the magician through a brick wall erected by workers in front of admiring spectators turned out to be simple. There was a small hole under the carpet on which the builders were working, and when the assistants covered Houdini with a screen for a few seconds, he jumped down and found himself on the other side of the wall.

And the mystery of the elephant’s disappearance lay in the unusual box in which the animal was located. Hidden in the front of the cage was a roll of the same fabric as the stage curtain. The magician instantly lowered the cloth that disguised the elephant, and the audience thought that it had disappeared literally before their eyes.

Film adaptation of a magician's life

The life of the popular illusionist inspired the creators of the mini-series in which Oscar winner E. Brody played the great magician Harry Houdini. The film, released in 2014, was liked by the public, who noted the excellent cast and excellent direction. The exciting story tells about the long path to glory of one of the most mystical characters of past eras. The series, in which Brody perfectly conveyed the image of a man obsessed with illusions, revealed the secrets of the magician himself, who was trying to cheat death.

It must be said that this is not the first time that filmmakers have turned to a global legend. In 1998, the work of director P. Densham “Houdini” appeared, the plot of which is based on the biography of the famous Harry Houdini. The film, with an unusual ending where the magician seems to be resurrected from the dead, was the second work of Pena, who 20 years ago made a documentary about his favorite illusionist. This beautiful dramatic film, worthy of the viewer’s attention, examines well-known and not so famous events in the artist’s life, and also tells the story of the relationship between Harry and his wife.

Harry Houdini Award

In 2015, a prize was established in Russia with a prize fund of one million rubles, which no one has received yet. The award, named after the greatest magician, will go to those who demonstrate their paranormal abilities, amenable to experimental testing.

The first person to successfully pass the test will not only prove to the whole world that psychics exist, but will also receive a good monetary reward. Unfortunately, within the framework of a correctly conducted experiment, the ability of magicians and sorcerers to show real miracles suddenly disappears, and while the Russian Prize, which is the prototype of the American D. Randi Foundation, is waiting for its heroes.

Harry Houdini is a great mystifier who left behind many unsolved secrets. He repeatedly challenged death and became the winner. And to this day, his fans believe that the spirit of the legendary illusionist will one day materialize.

The life and death of Harry Houdini are still shrouded in mystery. There are many versions and reasons for the death of the great magician, clever trickster and master of liberation. Envious people claim that Houdini drowned while performing a trick to free himself from imprisonment under water. But that's not true. The death of the illusionist occurred due to an absurd accident.

Background

Harry Houdini, whose real name was Eric Weiss, immigrated to the United States from Hungary when he was 4 years old. He took the pseudonym in honor of two of his idols: American magician Harry Kellar and a French illusionist named Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin.

Houdini became famous for his complex escape and escape stunts. The most famous was the "Chinese water torture chamber." During the trick, his legs were handcuffed, and the illusionist himself was upside down in a glass container filled with water. Each time, Houdini managed to get out of this trap with success and applause.

Previous Events

While on tour in Montreal on the afternoon of October 22, 1926, two students from McGill University walked into Houdini's locker room. At this moment, the illusionist was looking through his mail. One of the young men, J. Gordon Whitehead, was an aspiring boxer. He asked Harry if he could take a punch to the stomach as he had previously stated. Houdini answered yes, but he needed time to prepare. At this point, Whitehead delivered four punches to the stomach, catching the magician by surprise.

Throughout the evening Houdini felt severe pain, but performed despite the discomfort. He could not sleep and endured it for the next two days without seeking medical help. When the illusionist finally visited a doctor, he was diagnosed with acute appendicitis. Houdini needed urgent surgery. However, the magician decided to end his show as planned that night.

Last performance

During the performance, the magician's temperature rose to 40 degrees. He was very tired and exhausted from constant pain. Towards the middle of the third act, Houdini asked his assistant to lower the curtain because he could not continue the performance. When the curtain closed, Harry collapsed where he stood. But he continued to refuse medical care until the next morning. At that moment, his wife Bess insisted that Houdini go to the hospital. But it was too late: the appendix burst and peritonitis began. Doctors performed an operation, but there was no hope of survival. At that time, antibiotics did not yet exist, so the necessary drug therapy It didn't seem possible. On October 31, 1926, on Halloween, surrounded by close relatives, his wife and brother, Harry Houdini died.

The funeral of the great master took place on November 4, 1926, where more than 2,000 people were present. He was buried in Queens, New York, in Machpelah Cemetery. The coat of arms of the Society of American Magicians was painted on the tombstone. Every year in November, Houdini's followers and members of the magic society hold a "Broken Wand" ceremony at his grave.

The illusionist's wife, Bess Houdini, died in 1943. Despite her requests, the couple was buried in different cemeteries due to Jewish origin spouses.

After death

Currently, the Harry Houdini Theater no longer exists. Grace Hospital in Detroit, where the illusionist died, was also destroyed in 1979.

What happened to J. Gordon Whitehead, who, by an absurd accident, caused the death of the great magician? After the incident, Whitehead dropped out of college and became a recluse. He died of starvation in 1954. Whitehead is buried in an unmarked grave in a Montreal cemetery. There is a theory that the young man was specifically hired to kill Harry Houdini. But there is no evidence for this version.

During for long years After the illusionist's death, his wife conducted many seances in an attempt to contact her husband. Not surprisingly, she didn't succeed. Especially considering the fact that during his lifetime Houdini considered spiritualism to be a fraud. Until now, fans of paranormal phenomena are trying to evoke the spirit of the illusionist. But all their attempts are in vain.

There is an unspoken rule among magicians: never reveal the secrets of your tricks. Therefore, when some of Houdini’s tricks were revealed, the illusionists were outraged by such a violation of professional ethics. Many of them claimed that they themselves still use the techniques of the famous magician. But Harry has been dead for almost 90 years, and modern illusionists are unlikely to use his outdated methods.

1. Radio 1950

Houdini developed this trick in 1925, a year before his death. On the table there was a huge radio measuring 2x1 m with knobs and double doors. Having demonstrated to the audience that there was no one inside, Houdini tuned the radio station he needed, and his assistant appeared from the radio box. “Tune the radio to the right wavelength and get the girl of your dreams,” Houdini announced and added. “No, gentlemen, the radio is not for sale!”

The secret to the trick was the table, which had a double top. There was a hatch in the top tabletop. The assistant was inside the radio, which was installed on the table, then she hid at the top of the table and waited while Houdini showed the audience the empty insides of the radio, and when the magician tuned the radio station, she quickly climbed back into the radio.

2. Metamorphosis
"Metamorphosis" was one of his first magic tricks in 1894. Houdini was not its author, but improved earlier versions, performing his version together with his wife. The trick was quite difficult. Houdini's hands were tied behind his back, and he himself was sitting in a tied bag. The bag was placed in a box, the box was closed, tied with a rope and placed in a closet with a curtain. Houdini's wife went into the closet, closed the curtain and clapped her hands three times. After the third clap, the curtain was already opened by Houdini, and his wife found herself in his place with her hands tied in a bag.

The secret is surprisingly simple: practice. Houdini was an expert on ropes and knots. When the bag was tied, his hands were already free. When the bag was placed in the box, it loosened the ropes from the inside. When his wife drew the curtain, Houdini climbed out of the box through the back wall. He clapped his hands three times, not his wife. After the first clap, she climbed into the box without breaking the locks or ropes. After the third clap, Houdini opened the curtain. While he was untying and unlocking the box, his wife was “packing” herself into the bag and putting her hands into the knots of rope. Harry and Bessie practiced this trick so well that they managed to change places in just three seconds.

3. Freeing a Suspended Man in a Straitjacket

Houdini's younger brother Hardin was also a magician, and both brothers performed the same trick of getting out of a straitjacket. Houdini decided to outdo his brother and made the trick more difficult. He usually performed it on the street in front of a large crowd. He was put in a straitjacket and his ankles were tied, and then a crane lifted him to a certain height.

The secret of the trick was revealed by Houdini himself in his book “Freedom from Handcuffs” (1910). It consisted of slightly loosening the shirt tied on him. The arms were crossed on the chest, and right hand above. When the shirt was tightened, he took a deep breath so that when exhaling the fabric was loosened, then with the help of this gap Houdini freed his hands - and then it was a matter of technique. It is said that in rare cases the magician even had to dislocate his shoulder. Houdini perfected this trick so much that he managed to reduce the release time from half an hour to 3 minutes.

4. Passing through a brick wall

Houdini performed this trick only a few times in New York in July 1914, but the performance became a sensation. Workers built a wall 3 meters high and 3.5 meters long on the stage, perpendicular to the audience so that they could see both sides of the wall. The wall itself was built on a carpet. Then Houdini invited the audience to knock on it with a hammer to make sure it was hard and strong. Houdini would then take a position on one side of the wall, both sides would be covered for a couple of seconds with a movable curtain on wheels, then the curtain would be removed and Houdini would be on the other side of the wall.

The secret to the trick was the carpet. Below it was an oblong, narrow hole that ran under the wall. In addition, Houdini used different variations of the trick, for example, placing strong glass under the wall to eliminate the audience’s doubts about the hole under the wall, and at the moment of the trick, when the workers closed the curtain on both sides of the wall, he quickly changed places with them, moving to the second side.

5. Handcuff release trick

One of Houdini's first tricks was getting out of handcuffs. The trick was a huge success, and thanks to it the magician received his first contract to perform with the vaudeville theater.

Houdini had several secrets for this trick. The illusionist had studied locks all his life and had an encyclopedic knowledge of handcuffs. At one glance, he immediately understood what key was needed. Houdini later invented a special belt made of flexible steel that could be rotated with the movement of the elbow; the belt had several compartments with different keys to choose from. Some handcuffs did not require a key; it was enough to deftly tap them on a hard surface. Another type of handcuffs could be gotten rid of using a wire loop that unlocked the lock.

7. Release from the box underwater

All sorts of tricks with liberation from closed boxes or other containers became Houdini’s “trick.” When he got tired of tricks with handcuffs, he retrained in “prison escapes”, starting to actively practice them. His first release from a box underwater was demonstrated in New York City, in the East River. Houdini was handcuffed and he was in a wooden box. The box was stuffed and wrapped in chains and then lowered into the river. Houdini surfaced after 150 seconds.

The secret, of course, lay in the design of the box. Firstly, there were small holes in it so that Houdini could breathe while the box was hammered, wrapped in chains and lowered into water, while he was freed from handcuffs. Secondly, on one of the sides of the box the two bottom boards were not nailed down, and they could be moved away, and as quickly as possible, until the box fell to the bottom, when there was a risk that it would fall exactly on the side where these were two loose boards.

8. The disappearance of the elephant

The trick was performed only once, on January 7, 1918, at the Hippodrome Theater in New York. This trick was the most spectacular, comparable only to a trick called “Chinese water torture chamber.” Houdini led an elephant into a large box, and then the elephant disappeared. The secret of this trick has also disappeared. The box was lost, and since the trick was performed only once, there were practically no people dedicated to it. It was believed that the solution was lost to history.

Nevertheless, she was found. Let's start with the Hippodrome Theatre. It had 5697 seats, which were located in three semicircular tiers. The audience did not have a clear view of the elephant in the box because it was far from the edge of the stage. Moreover, there are suggestions that the box was an ordinary, well-camouflaged cage, and the disappearance of the elephant was simply a visual illusion created with the help of limited lighting and a curtain that was identical in color to the back curtains on the stage. IN right moment Houdini fired a pistol, the audience instinctively blinked, and at that time a camouflage curtain rose in front of the elephant with lightning speed. There was even a description of the box: it was oblong, on wheels, with double doors on one side and a huge curtain on the other.

9. Chinese water torture chamber
Unlike the elephant box, the Chinese water torture chamber still exists and we know how it works. The great magician ordered this device for 10 thousand dollars and patented it. The camera resembles an oblong aquarium, made of mahogany and nickel-plated steel frame, and copper parts. Dimensions: 67 cm wide and 150 cm high; weight 3000 kg; volume 950 liters of water. The front panel was made of 1.5 cm wide tempered glass. Houdini's hands were handcuffed, his ankles were chained, and then he was very slowly lowered into this tank upside down. The camera was covered with a curtain, and after a couple of minutes Houdini appeared from behind it. There were several versions of this trick; the magician liked to complicate and improve it.

Two things were important to the focus. Firstly, the ingenious details of the camera and the banal displacement of water by the body left small stock air (air pocket) in the tank. Secondly, Houdini was excellent at freeing himself from handcuffs and chains, masterfully controlling his body, and then getting out.

Evil tongues claimed that Houdini was once unlucky and drowned during this trick. This is wrong. He died in a hospital bed from inflammation of the appendix, which was complicated by peritonitis. The great magician, alas, failed to escape this danger.