On page 467 he describes “A Needle King’s Accident”. For a typical example of how it can all go wrong see David Price’s classic 1985 book, Magic: A Pictorial History of Conjurers in the Theater. For the needle swallowing you just need a pocket to carry around the needles.Īlthough the swallowing has the benefit of being an impromptu, one person effect there is a down side – the danger. From the stagecraft point of view, a male/female partnership is thought to be the best for the metamorphosis. They were his friend Jake Hyman, Jake’s brother Joe, Harry’s brother Dash, and finally Houdini’s wife Bess. Over the years Houdini had four different partners. The main difference between them is that for Metamorphosis you need to carry around a big box and it takes two people to present it. I sat down with Bob in socially-distanced cyberspace and asked him to answer some popular questions about Houdini.īob: I’ve had the great pleasure of seeing you perform them both. Houdini emigrated to America and made a name for himself surrounded by myths that are alive and well today. Harry Houdini was born in Hungary in 1874 (although Bob’s book explains why there are alternative theories!). But it was certainly one of his most fascinating.įor the uninitiated, Houdini was one of the most famous stage magicians in history. It wasn’t even Houdini’s most dangerous trick. It wasn’t Houdini’s most famous trick by any means. Thanks to Bob, one of Houdini’s greatest tricks has been revealed. The book represents twenty years of passionate research and is a witty and thorough exploration to untangle the mystery of Houdini’s great secret. Bob explains how he uncovered Houdini’s secret in his book Houdini’s Final Incredible Secret (available on Amazon). Bob’s ardent detective work would make even Sherlock Holmes himself sit up and take note. But lucky for us, the story lived on and caught the attention of magic historian Bob Loomis. Houdini never revealed the secret even to his closest confidants.

Houdini famous tricks