Houdini(26)

The great day of the Fire-eater—or, should I say, the day of the great Fire-eater—has passed. No longer does fashion flock to his doors, nor science study his wonders, and he must now seek a following in the gaping loiterers of the circus side-show, the pumpkin-and-prize-pig country fair, or the tawdry booth at Coney Island. The credulous, wonder-loving scientist, however, still abides with us and, while his serious-minded brothers are wringing from Nature her jealously guarded secrets, the knowledge of which benefits all mankind, he gravely follows that perennial Will-of-the-wisp, spiritism, and lays the flattering unction to his soul that he is investigating "psychic phenomena," when in reality he is merely gazing with unseeing eyes on the flimsy juggling of pseudo-mediums.





XII. Houdini, the Developer and the Patriot





Read It and Know It




After reading this chapter, you will know more about



Houdini and London: He was founder and president of the London’s Magician’s club



Houdini and SAM: He had a difficult on/off relationship with the Society of American Magicians.



Houdini and the draft: Despite his age, the magician tried to enlist.



Patriotic efforts: Not to be discouraged by his ineligibility to fight, Houdini tried to help by teaching his tricks to the armed forces.





Houdini and the Clubs




Although Houdini’s self-obsession was well known and widely evident, Houdini also made undeniable contributions to the development of magic. In his own career, he demonstrated a huge range of skill and ability to innovate, successfully mastering acts encompassing card tricks, needle swallowing, torturous escapes, and breathtaking illusions. He also worked to organize magicians into a respectable and united force and used his abilities to contribute to charity, safety initiatives, and patriotic works.



While touring in England, Houdini worked to establish an institution for magicians. Always at home in England, he forged a society that dedicated itself to promoting the art of magic and to supporting developing magicians. In 1913 he started the London Magician’s Club, which he led as the president.



Back in the U.S., the Society of American Magicians (the SAM) had already been created. Houdini had had a rocky relationship with the SAM due to the competition between his magazine Conjurers’ Monthly and another SAM members’ magazine The Sphinx. Houdini had in fact resigned in 1908 from the SAM over this conflict, but in 1912 he was made an honorary member in recognition for his contributions to magic. Although the SAM had been founded in 1902, it had failed to thrive as an organization.



Around 1916 Houdini turned his energies to revitalizing the SAM. He collaborated with Oscar Teale, a retired magician and Columbia University professor, to reach out to local magicians’ clubs around the country. Houdini organized, hosted, and paid for dinners for members of these clubs in various cities around the United States, using this platform to speak to the clubs about the importance of joining a larger union  . Many clubs did join, the first being the Buffalo Magician’s Club from Buffalo, New York. Houdini’s contribution to uniting these groups was profound and long lasting; the SAM survives today, with more than 250 member clubs. In 1917 Houdini was elected the SAM’s president, which he took on with typical energy. He facilitated meetings of the group, oversaw publication of its monthly magazine, and threw huge banquets for members. He also tried to unite the re-energized SAM with the London Magicians’ Club.



Houdini also went out of his way to interview legendary magicians and learn from them. In 1910 Houdini met with the surviving member of the famous magician-spiritualist duo the Davenport Brothers, who showed Houdini some of the Brothers’ long-held secrets for doing rope tricks. Houdini also sought out famous German magician Wiljalba Frikell and the family of Robert-Houdin, although he later worked to expose Robert-Houdin as a fraud. Houdini also joined another organization influential to the reputation of magic; in 1923, he became a member of Grand Lodge of the Free and Accepted Masons, and was initiated at St. Cecile’s Lodge in New York City. He remained active in the Masons until his death in 1926.





Houdini the Patriot




With the entry of the United States into World War I in 1917, Houdini downplayed his connections with Germany and signed up for the draft. Already forty-three years old, he was not drafted. Houdini instead plunged into efforts to support American troops and their families. He led an initiative for SAM members to perform at army camps. Houdini himself staged performances at large military bases such as Fort Dix and Slocum, and also performed for benefits held by the Red Cross. When the American ship the Antilles was sunk, Houdini organized an elaborate benefit for the families of the troops killed on the ship. He recruited SAM magicians to come to the benefit, creating a huge “Carnival of Magic.” His crowning achievement, however, was convincing retired magician Heinrich Keller (also known as Harry Kellar) to return to the stage after having been in retirement for ten years. Keller was perhaps the first American-born magician and the only magician that Houdini ever came close to acknowledging as his superior. Keller’s re-appearance brought down the house, surpassing even Houdini’s performance of the Water Torture Cell.