1926 marks the year of the death of what many people consider to be the greatest magician ever. Today’s date is 31st October 2016 and the current time is 19:26 here in Malta. Take note that in Detroit the current time is 13:26. It is also, exactly on this day and time, 90 years ago in 1926 (which year happens to be the current time in Malta now 19:26), that Harry Houdini died aged 52 in Room 401 at Detroit’s Grace Hospital at 13:26 (Detroit time).
However, it is not surprising that after all these years, people of all ages recognise the name, ‘Harry Houdini’. It is exactly for this, that the man is a legend and the name is a legacy. A legacy that leaves behind a lot of riches for any magician of our days.
Life Of A Legend
Houdini was born in Hungary on March the 24th, 1874, and lived a mysterious life. After joining his family during their immigration to America, in later years he would find fame and fortune there. starting off as a magician in Vaudeville. His sensational escape acts from straitjackets whilst hung from skyscrapers, escapes from boxes under water, or sealed in milk cans filled to the brim with water made him world famous. He is better known for his water tank escape, the illusion many wrongly believe was the illusion to kill Houdini.
Houdini also had a passion for film and tried his hand at several movies. However, this failed to bring in money. He was also a keen aviator, whose aim had become the first man to fly a plane in Australia.
In Coney Island, he met Bess, who he married very shortly after. He was performing there as a magician together with his brother Dash. She was a dancer in the dance troupe. Bess eventually replaced Dash in the act, and from then on, Bess worked as his stage assistant.
A Worldwide Phenomenon – A Video
Houdini became famous for performing modern illusions for the times he lived in and of course outrageous dangerous stunts. He became a worldwide phenomenon performing the world over. More than just a magician, he was an expert at reaching out to people across the seas. He was a sensation even then, at a time when social media did not exist and the only means of news were newspapers.
The story behind the illusions and stunts that Houdini performed is much more amazing than the actual illusions themselves. Although he did not create many of the illusions he performed, he did however create various methods to perform them.
In June 1917, Harry Houdini was elected National President of the Society of American Magicians. (Brian Role is also a member of the Society of American Magicians). This is a position he held until his untimely death on October 31, 1926.
How Did Houdini Die?
The Truth Behind Houdini’s Death
Houdini died on the eve of Halloween October 31, 1926, of peritonitis. It is believed to have been aggravated by an incident in Houdini’s dressing room. It is speculated that Houdini’s death was caused by a University student, who repeatedly struck his abdomen. Houdini would often have this performed on him as a stunt. However, Houdini had broken his ankle while performing several days earlier and at the time was reclining on a couch and not in the correct position for this kind of stunt.
Although in great pain Houdini went on to perform that evening. However, he remained in pain for the next two days not seeking any medical assistance. When a doctor finally examined Houdini, the advice was to immediately seek surgery. However, Houdini ignored this advice since he had a show that evening. That show was Houdini’s last performance, passing out during the show. After the show, Houdini was admitted to a hospital, where he died two days after.
Communication With The Dead
Houdini’s death sparked something else, to prove or debunk being able to communicate with the dead. He discovered that many mediums of the time, claiming to be able to make contact with the dead, were actually fake and fraudulent, using tricks to fake the materialism of spirits and communication with spirits. He went on exposing their devious methods after trying to make contact with his deceased mother through them. But proved to be able to do this, and those that apparently did use tricks and illusions of the time.
Houdini carried on with this obsession until his last days, debunking and exposing mediums and spiritualists around the world, hoping to find a genuine case where he could make contact with his mother. Before dying, Houdini and Bess devised a secret code, meant to be a sign between them that life after death exists. For 10 years after Houdini’s death, Bess held a séance on the eve of Halloween, hoping that Houdini would make contact with the secret code. It is believed that this never occurred, but only Bess knew the truth.
Harry Houdini and the legacy we can’t touch
I do not know if Houdini did get in touch with Bess after his death. Apart from that, I do not know if he really possessed supernatural powers as some think. However, I believe he had the ability to pass on a legacy of unique methodology across wide spectrums of magic. Magicians and illusionists use these same methods, in a modern manner, to this very day. Whether it is escaping from a box underwater, performing a card trick, inducing thoughts into a person’s mind, or simply reading a spectator’s mind, it is he who created the modern magician.
The Metamorphosis Illusion
Brian and Lola perform one of Houdini’s most famous illusions. The ‘Metamorphosis Illusion’, although not a Houdini creation, is an illusion synonymous with Houdini. It is one of those rare illusions that audiences love watching time and time again. The reason for this is the speed at which the illusion occurs. However, what appears to be an easy illusion, is in fact one of the most difficult illusions to perform. Agility, timing, and synchronisation make the illusion what it appears to be. Brian and Lola perform this illusion during their show at the Chamber of Mysteries in Malta.
Watch Brian Role` and Lola Palmer perform the Metamorphosis Illusion in the video above. This footage was taken during one of their stage shows at the Manoel Theatre in Malta.
They perform the illusion in the style of Houdini for the show. What makes their version special, is the proximity of the audience during their performance. However, they also perform different versions of the same illusion. One of them is a transparent box where audiences can see through until the very last moments. The version they perform at the Chamber of Mysteries is that of a packing crate. While both versions look different, they both require the professionalism we mention above.