This Halloween marks the 100th anniversary of the death of legendary magician Harry Houdini, who earned his reputation by freeing himself from seemingly impossible traps. Houdini's trajectory took him from being a bottom-of-the-bill act to one of the most famous entertainers in the world. He performed in Detroit 19 times between 1894 and 1926, with his final show taking place on October 31, 1926.
Houdini's death-defying feats included dangling upside down from office buildings wearing a straitjacket and escaping from a coffin-sized box filled with water, known as the Water Torture Cell. In 1906, he jumped 24 feet from Detroit's Belle Isle Bridge into the river below, bound with two sets of police handcuffs. Although reports from the time showed the river was not frozen, movies later portrayed it that way, adding to the legend.
As Houdini's fame grew, so did the stakes of his performances. He unveiled his signature stunt, the Water Torture Cell, in 1914, where he would be lowered headfirst into a locked box filled with water. Dorothy Young, a stage assistant who toured with Houdini, recalled having goosebumps watching the act, despite seeing it many times. She noted that Houdini's wife would often stand in the wings, and the two had a secret code in case Houdini couldn't escape.
Houdini's final show was in Detroit, where he performed despite being in severe pain from a ruptured appendix. The injury likely occurred when a college wrestler punched him in the stomach during a challenge in Montreal. Houdini refused to cancel his shows, citing financial pressure to fulfill his contract. He only made it through one performance, collapsing during intermissions and needing to be carried back to his hotel.
Houdini was taken to Grace Hospital, where doctors performed two surgeries, but he died on Halloween. The Detroit funeral home that embalmed him became a girls' art school, which eventually shut its doors. However, the school's former head, Juanita Hammond, would take visitors to a locked storage area with an indented floor, where Houdini's body was once laid out.
Houdini's wife, Bess, spent years trying to contact him through séances, but eventually concluded that it was impossible for the dead to return. Despite this, others have continued to try to reach Houdini's spirit, incorporating old pieces of his stage act into their attempts. At the American Museum of Magic in Marshall, Michigan, séances have been held using an empty milk can from Houdini's workshop.
The milk can, which was part of Houdini's stage act, has been used in séances, with participants trying to coax Houdini's spirit back to the land of the living by offering a lox and bagel sandwich. While there is no evidence that Houdini has returned, his legacy continues to captivate audiences, and his death remains a haunting reminder of the risks he took to entertain and amaze.
Key points
- Houdini performed 19 times in Detroit between 1894 and 1926.
- Houdini's final show was on October 31, 1926, at the Garrick Theater in Detroit.
- Houdini's death was likely caused by a ruptured appendix, which he sustained after being punched in the stomach by a college wrestler.
