Creepy and Weird Facts About Harry Houdini

As we prepare for next year's theatre season at Blinn College-Brenham, I am currently researching our first show, Houdini by Muriel Rukeyser. In doing so, I found a few creepy and weird facts about the famous magician I thought I'd share on my creepy and weird blog!

*HOUDININ TRIED TO REACH HIS MOTHER THROUGH SPIRITUALISM: Obsessed with the death of his mother, Houdini sought out spiritualists to help him make contact with her. After being scammed by a number of self-proclaimed psychics, Houdini, in his later years, vowed to expose them for the "human leeches" they were.

*HOUDINI WAS BURIED WITH LETTERS FROM HIS MOTHER: Upon his death, Houdini's will stipulated his head by laid upon a pillow made of letters from his mother. Only one letter from his wife was included in the stack that was buried with the illusionist.

*HOUDINI WAS BUIRED IN A COFFIN MADE FOR ONE OF HIS MAGIC TRICKS: Houdini was buried in an airtight coffin made for a trick in which he tried to prove that anyone could live without air for an hour if they did not let fear overtake them.

*AFTER HIS DEATH, HOUDINI'S WIFE TRIED TO CONTACT HIM DURING A SEANCE: Bess Houdini attempted to channel her husband for 10 years after the magician's death. The seances always took place on the anniversary of his death, October 31, 1926.

*HOUDINI MADE AN ELEPHANT DISAPPEAR: In 1918, Houdini made a 10,000-pound elephant named Jenny disappear in New York City's Hippodrome. After coaxing the pachyderm into a large box, Houdini sealed the box and made a sensation when he reopened it to reveal that Jenny was nowhere to be found.

*HOUDINI STAGED AN ESCAPE FROM INSIDE A SEA MONSTER: In 1911, a group of Boston businessmen challenged Houdini to escape from the belly of a 1,500-pound "sea monster." The "monster" was actually a whale that had washed up in the city's harbor, but Houdini was handcuffed and wedged into the animal's carcass. After 15 minutes, Houdini emerged from the carcass triumphant.

*HOUDINI MAY HAVE BEEN MURDERED: Houdini's cause of death was formally dubbed as peritonitis caused by a ruptured appendix. However, many believe that the magician was poisoned by the spiritualists who had issued death threats in response to Houdini exposing them as frauds.

Sources

Internet Source, www.grunge.com, "The Weird Request Houdini Made for the Pillow in His Coffin."

Internet Source, www.history.com, "10 Things You May Not Know About Harry Houdini."

Internet Source, www.sheknows.com, "Interesting and Creepy Facts About Harry Houdini and His Wife, Bess."

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