- Houdini's real name:
- Eric Weiss
- The love of Houdini's life:
- Married 17 year old Beatrice Rahner at the age of 19. They stayed together and traveled the world with his escape and magic show until Houdini's untimely death at the age of 52.
- Houdini's most impressive character trait:
- Loyalty to those around him and those who helped him. Houdini had only one agent in the United States and one in Europe his entire career. Houdini allowed his younger brother to do the same act in competition with himself. Houdini took off a year during World War One to promote the war effort and taught soldiers how to get out of handcuffs giving away some of his magic secrets. Houdini took care of many in the family including his mother. She lived in his home until her death, though Houdini was away much of the tiime. Houdini promoted magic all over the world encouraging magicians to join the then small Society of American Magicians everywhere he traveled until his death. Houdini was the organizations President for 10 years until his death. When he died Houdini left a substantial sum in his will for the magic organization, and the crest of the Society of Americans is boldly engraved on Houdini's grave site.
- Houdini's littlest known accomplishments:
- Houdini was a pioneer pilot. Given an award for being the first to fly a plane in Australia. Houdini also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his film career. It is in a prominent spot near the famous Chinese Theater.
- Houdini's education:
- Houdini left home at the age of 12 to seek his fortune. A self taught genius who wrote many best sellers, wrote his publicity and many movie scripts. He also invented many escape and magic effects. Houdini had a huge magic and supernatural library that he gave to the Library of Congress and the University of Texas after his death. He did not keep it for personal gain.
- Houdini's dislikes:
- Houdini had great disdain for those that used his art of trickery, or magic to cheat people. He exposed frauds and cheats everywhere he traveled and because of this had many threats on his life, and may heve helped to cause his death. He exposed phoney spiritualists and gambling cheats many of whom did magic techniques throughout his long career. Houdini loved magicians but disliked those who copied the challenge escape that he felt was his invention.
- Biggest misconceptions by the public about Houdini:
- That he ever believed in any kind of mysticism, that he died in an escape or that one caused his death and that he did not like magicians. He did not, however, like those who copied his challenge escape act, which Houdini felt was his own invention. Another misconception is that he was overly obsessed with his mother, mostly due to the Hollywood biography having him retire when his mother dies, hearing her voice under water after her death, etc. He was independent man who ran away from home at 12, and married at 19, left his mother behind and traveled the world with his wife till he died. He did, however, love his mother deeply and was shaken by her death.
- Houdini's favorite quote:
- We have q book with the following inscription, 'My brain is the key that sets me free.' This has bee copied all over the internet, with not one person asking permission, or giving us credit. Another quote of his was thet "The best escape he ever did wasthe day he left Appleton.
Houdini Museum
This web site includes Harry Houdini's biography, Harry Houdini's tricks, Harry Houdini's death, Harry Houdini quotes, the Harry Houdini movies, our Houdini Inc., Harry Houdini's real last name, Harry Houdini Trivia facts, FAQ and Harry Houdini's magic.
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Website of Scranton Magician Dick Brookz
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Things to do in Scranton
Scranton's Houdini Museum.