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Jonathan Levit

Jonathan Levit
99 S. Raymond Ave # 204
Pasadena CA 91105

Day: 818-730-4741

Evening: 818-730-4741

http://www.jonathanlevit.com

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"Jonathan's performances are notable for the screams of laughter he produces and the murderously high impact of the magic he presents." - David Regal (Writer: Everyone Loves Raymond, According to Jim, Whoopi, Living with Fran)

"Funny, Elegant and disturbingly smart.  Like something cuddly with really sharp teeth." -Teller (Penn & Teller)

The Wizardry of Harry Houdini

By Russell Shortt

Harry Houdini never escapes the public's consciousness, he remains the ultimate wizard, surviving even the modernists with their camera tricks, suave technologies and massive exposures. Old Harry is still viewed by most as the main man. He was born, Ehrich Weiss in Budapest, Hungary in 1874, migrating with his parents at the age of four. He derived his name from the mispronunciation of his first name Ehrich as Harry and in honour of the father of modern conjuring Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin. As a child he was a great athlete, he derived a love of acrobatics and at the early age of twelve began walking the trapeze to earn cash. Mystery would also enshroud him from an early age, he hopped on a freight train bound for Kansas City when he was only twelve, re-appearing a year later at his home in New York City, never revealing where he had been. On his return, he and his brother, Theo, began performing magic shows in dime museums and sideshows, billing themselves as 'The Houdini Brothers'.

While performing at the Coney Island Amusement Park, he met another performer, Wilhelmia Beatrice Rahner whom he fell in love with and married. Bess, as she was known replaced Theo in the act, which was now called 'The Houdinis'. In 1895, they went on the road with the Welsh Brothers Circus, Houdini began gaining celebrity by escaping from handcuffs and jails in each town that the Circus arrived in. In 1900, they departed for Europe, throughout the continent he was handcuffed and put locked in jail by the local police, but he always managed to escape. He also began to elaborate, jumping into rivers and lakes, while manacled, staying under for as long as possible, before re-emerging triumphant. He soon became a household name, returning to the United States in 1904 an international celebrity and wealthy man.

To remain popular and stay ahead of imitators, Houdini began to diversify his act. He began escaping from water-filled contraptions that he requested the public to devise and build. The apparatuses became more and more convoluted, ranging from nailed packing crates to riveted boliers and including mailbags and ludicrously the belly of a whale! In 1912, he developed his most famous act, the Chinese Water Torture Cell. Firstly, his feet were locked in stocks, he was then suspended in mid-air from his ankles and lowered into a tank full to the brim with water.

The cell was glass fronted, so the audience could observe Houdini escaping. In 1918, Hollywood, came a calling and Houdini began starring in a serial, The Master Mystery. Following the success of the series, he made two feature films, The Grim Game (1919) and Terror Island (1920). On returning to New York, he created his own production company and made two further features, The Man From Beyond (1921) and Haldane of the Secret Service (1923).

In 1926, he went back on the road with a state of the art, high octane show. Whilst the show was in Montreal, Houdini met a number of students back stage who were eager to learn of the truth behind Houdini's premise that he could withstand any blow to the body. It was a trick which Houdini at one time did practice, but before he had time to tighten his abdomen muscles to prepare for impact, the student struck him powerfully. Although in evident pain, he refused to see a doctor until many days later, upon which it was discovered that his appendix had burst causing peritonitis and he died on 31 October, 1926.

Russell Shortt is a travel consultant with Exploring Ireland, the leading specialists in customised, private escorted tours, escorted coach tours and independent self drive tours of Ireland. Article source Russell Shortt, http://www.exploringireland.net/self-drive-page.html 
http://www.visitscotlandtours.com/tours/self-drive-tours.html

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