Houdini(29)
Houdini’s zeal for crushing imitators is also indicative of the size and importance of his ego. While Houdini allowed that other magicians were technically permitted to also do escape tricks, he publically and privately reacted poorly when his imitators used his title, The King of Handcuffs, or the name Houdini. Houdini put ads in newspapers and magic magazines in England and the United States, warning that performers who used these titles would be prosecuted. Houdini tried to control his challengers by installing his younger brother Dash as his main rival. Knowing that Dash worshipped him and was content to remain in second place, Houdini gave Dash the name Hardeen and arranged for him to tour Europe and the States.
Houdini’s ego also made itself known in other ways. A notable incident occurred at the Houdina Company in New York, where Houdini burst in to confront the owners for using his name. A rowdy scene ensued wherein Houdini reportedly smashed office furniture. Houdini was summoned to court the next day by Francis Houdina, the owner of the company, although Houdina later dropped the charges.
Houdini was also notoriously litigious himself. He had a reputation of “raising hell” in theaters that broke contracts with him or that sued him for breaking contracts with them. At a show in Los Angeles, Houdini saw that the world heavyweight champion Jess Willard was in the crowd, and invited him to be part of the committee that sat on every stage to evaluate the authenticity of his methods. Willard refused, likely out of shyness, but when Houdini persisted, called Houdini a fake. Houdini quickly told Willard off and Willard was booed out of the theater. Houdini chastised Willard as he went, saying, “Don’t forget … I will be Harry Houdini when you are not the heavyweight champion of the world.” The public supported him and he took great delight in having faced this challenge, still the great Harry Houdini.
Another challenge to the Houdini brand arrived in the form of Jacob Hyman, the young man with whom Ehrich Weiss had worked with at the clothing factory and with whom he had originally formed “the Brothers Houdini.” Hyman, still practicing magic, toured New England under the name “Houdini, King of Handcuffs.” He claimed that he had just as much right to the Houdini name as Harry Houdini did, as Hyman had been a part of the original duo. Houdini went after Hyman with his characteristic vigor. He sent his brother Leo to a performance of Hyman’s and had him challenge Hyman to open cuffs that had been altered. Hyman could not get them open and was humiliated in front of his audience.
Houdini also battled those who threatened his fame by publicizing and selling their versions of Houdini’s escape secrets. One British writer published an article announcing that escape artists concealed small keys in specially made containers that they placed in their anuses. Houdini denounced the vulgarity of this article but did not deny the claims that it contained.
Houdini also sometimes demonstrated his scorn and contempt onstage for any who copied him or who threatened to expose his secrets. When a rival magician who called himself Mysto branded himself as “the King of Handcuffs” and performed a version of Metamorphosis that involved escaping from a coffin, Houdini not only performed the same trick at his own show but then exposed how Mysto did it. Such a disclosure of another magicians’ secrets is considered taboo among magicians, whose cultural norms require them to not share magic secrets with the public.
In still another battle, Houdini refused to allow Moss Empires, a large theater circuit in England and Scotland, to renew his contract, even though the original contract gave them the option to do so. After taking Houdini to court in both Scotland and England and losing, the Moss Empire sent out another performer named Hilbert, who performed escape tricks and then explained to the audience how they were done. Houdini went in disguise to one of Hilbert’s shows, together with Bess and Dash. During the performance, he took off his disguise and challenged Hilbert, telling him that he had a pair of handcuffs that Hilbert couldn’t open. Houdini was roughly thrown out of the theater, but had succeeded in showing the public that he wasn’t afraid of Hilbert’s supposed exposés.
XIV. Houdini’s Last Days and Death
Read It and Know It
After reading this chapter, you will know more about
A bad beginning to the last tour: Bess fell ill very early.
Samuel Smilovitz: This McGill student’s sketch of Houdini led him to be present during a famous moment of violence against the magician.
Houdini’s last words: According to Dash, the magician said, “I can’t fight anymore.”
Houdini’s death: The escape artist passed on Halloween in 1926.