(Read: Freaks of Octoberfest.)ĭid Houdini achieve fame after escaping from a 'Johnson County' jail in 1896? Houdini quit the Wild Man when he got hit in the eye with a piece of meat thrown into his cage by Clint Newton, ringmaster of the Welsh Bros. Harry and Bess took on many side jobs during their travels with the circus. circus, it had nothing whatsoever to do with his magic or escape act. While Houdini did briefly appear as 'Projea The Wild Man of Mexico' in the Welsh Bros. Besides, aren't brothels their own entertainment? (Read: Memories of 'Dime Museum Harry'.)ĭid Houdini perform escapes as The Wild Man from Borneo? While Harry and Bess performed in Dime Museums, Beer Halls, Circuses, and traveling Burlesque shows, there is no record of them ever performing in a brothel. Houdini worked to perfect his challenge handcuff act over several years, and may have gotten the idea from an Australian magician named Lewis Paul. (Read: Homeless Houdini.)ĭid Houdini create the challenge handcuff escape act in a brothel? However, it is true that his interest in magic was inspired by the autobiography of Robert-Houdin, and that he took his name from the famous French conjurer. This is a fiction seemingly lifted from a 1987 Disney movie called Young Harry Houdini. While it's true that Ehrich Weiss (the miniseries misspells it as Erich - grrrr) ran away from home when he was 12, he did not work with a traveling magician. (Read: Who was Houdini's father? New insights.)ĭid Houdini run away from home and work with a traveling magician? Some biographers doubt it as being too far fetched, but duels in Hungary were not unusual in the 1870s. The story of him having to flee Budapest after killing a man in a duel was told by all the Weiss children. It is true that Rabbi Weiss lost his job in Appleton for being too 'old world' (he didn't speak English), and this plunged the family into poverty. Any suggestion of 'daddy issues' is purely speculative. Houdini spoke very highly of his father and honored him his entire life.

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