![]() ![]() ![]() Sir Arthur actually became convinced that, not only was spiritualism real, but that Houdini was employing paranormal powers to perform many of his daring feats!Īfter beginning a run of sold out Broadway shows in 1926, Houdini felt he had reached a career peak. ![]() This eventually resulted in the end of his friendship with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes and a firm believer in spiritualism. Houdini devoted himself to exposing Spiritualists as frauds who were nothing more than performers and charlatans. Houdini also maintained his high profile by publically sparring with prominent figures within the emerging Spiritualist movement, whose members claimed to possess powers that allowed them to communicate with the spirit world. He developed several underwater escape tricks that are still renowned for their technical mastery, and became one of the world’s first movie stars when he performed some of his most well-known escapes in a 1918 film serial. He quickly gained a devoted following of fans who were entranced by his theatrical showmanship and increasingly daring performances, which nearly always involved him escaping from handcuffs.Īfter a five-year long tour of Europe that earned him worldwide fame, Houdini continued to perfect his act back in America. After several grueling years of relentless touring, all the while developing the intricate escape acts that would become his trademark, Houdini attracted the attention of a wealthy vaudeville tycoon who booked him in a series of high profile venues across America. He quickly discovered he had a talent for entertaining and learned a few simple magic tricks to impress his friends.Įhrich moved to New York City with his father when he was thirteen and continued to hone his magic skills, eventually devising his famous stage name and pairing up with a friend to develop an act called “The Brothers Houdini.” The two eventually took their act on the road, where Houdini met and married a young performer named Wilhelmina who became his onstage assistant. Though forced to begin working during his childhood to help support his struggling family, Ehrich still found time to begin performing in a neighborhood circus as a trapeze artist. The Weiss family settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where Herman, the family patriarch, became the rabbi of a congregation. Immigration officials changed his first name to Ehrich and the entire family’s last name to Weiss upon entering the country. The first entry in our continuing An American Dream Fulfilled series is iconic magician Harry Houdini.īorn Erik Weisz in Budapest, Hungary in 1874, the man who would become known to world as Harry Houdini immigrated to the United States with his parents and siblings when he was four years old. To highlight the incredible talent and diversity that immigrants have brought to our land over hundreds of years, MurthyDotCom will be periodically highlighting the life of a notable immigrant who has left a lasting mark on history. Their immense contributions are part of the very fabric of this country. From the time of this nation’s birth, immigrants have crossed over to America’s shores in the pursuit of a new life built with hard work, determination, and ingenuity. ![]()
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