1) Harry Houdini was born in 1874 in Budapest, Austria-Hungary and immigrated to the United States in 1878 with his family. 2) He began performing magic and escape acts in 1891, struggling at first but gaining success after developing acts of escaping handcuffs and jail cells. 3) By 1899, Houdini had become hugely popular for his escape acts and was performing successfully on vaudeville stages across the country.

1. HARRY
HOUDINI

2. Harry Houdini was born as Erik Weisz in Budapest, Austria-Hungary, on March 24,
1874.] His parents were Rabbi Mayer Sámuel Weisz (1829–1892), and Cecília Weisz
(née Steiner; 1841–1913). Houdini was one of seven children: Herman M. (1863–1885)
who was Houdini's half-brother, by Rabbi Weisz's first marriage; Nathan J. (1870–
1927); Gottfried William (1872–1925); Theodore "Theo" (1876–1945); Leopold D.
(1879–1962); and Carrie Gladys (born 1882–1959) 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

3. 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 Houdini’s." 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

4. 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

5. 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 Célébre Houdini à 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 1:26 p.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

6. Harry Houdini impacted 1920’s 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 1920’s society more skeptical about “magic”, and
often he exposed fraudulent magicians. He paved the way for
“magicians” in the 1920’s, making it more popular and profitable.
IMPACT

7. MEDIA CLIP