“Harry. Harry Houdini.
Soon everyone will know my name.”
Harry Houdini
MURDOCH MYSTERIES
I guess it’s time to induct the October 2024 candidate into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame….
It may seem as though I am holding this induction ceremony incredibly late for the month; to the last minute, you might say (and well you might!) But that’s so I could honor this historical multidimensional televersion on the day he left this world….
HARRY HOUDINI
From Wikipedia:
Erik Weisz (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926), known as Harry Houdini, was a Hungarian-American escape artist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts.
Houdini first attracted notice in vaudeville in the United States and then as Harry 'Handcuff' Houdini on a tour of Europe, where he challenged police forces to keep him locked up. Soon he extended his repertoire to include chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers, straitjackets under water, and having to escape from and hold his breath inside a sealed milk can with water in it.
In 1904, thousands watched as Houdini tried to escape from special handcuffs commissioned by London's Daily Mirror, keeping them in suspense for an hour. Another stunt saw him buried alive and only just able to claw himself to the surface, emerging in a state of near-breakdown. While many suspected that these escapes were faked, Houdini presented himself as the scourge of fake spiritualists, pursuing a personal crusade to expose their fraudulent methods. As president of the Society of American Magicians, he was keen to uphold professional standards and expose fraudulent artists. He was also quick to sue anyone who imitated his escape stunts.
Houdini made several movies but quit acting when it failed to bring in money. He was also a keen aviator and became the first man to fly a powered aircraft in Australia, on March 18, 1910 at Diggers Rest, a field roughly 20 miles (32 km) from Melbourne.
Houdini began his magic career in 1891, but had little success. He appeared in a tent act with strongman Emil Jarrow. He performed in dime museums and sideshows, and even doubled as "The Wild Man" at a circus. Houdini focused initially on traditional card tricks. At one point, he billed himself as the "King of Cards". Some – but not all – professional magicians would come to regard Houdini as a competent but not particularly skilled sleight-of-hand artist, lacking the grace and finesse required to achieve excellence in that craft. He soon began experimenting with escape acts.
In the early 1890s, Houdini was performing with his brother "Dash" (Theodore) as "The Brothers Houdini". The brothers performed at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 before returning to New York City and working at Huber's Dime Museum for "near-starvation wages". In 1894, Houdini met a fellow performer, Wilhelmina Beatrice "Bess" Rahner. Bess was initially courted by Dash, but she and Houdini married, with Bess replacing Dash in the act, which became known as "The Houdinis". For the rest of Houdini's performing career, Bess worked as his stage assistant.
Houdini's big break came in 1899 when he met manager Martin Beck in St. Paul, Minnesota. Impressed by Houdini's handcuffs act, Beck advised him to concentrate on escape acts and booked him on the Orpheum vaudeville circuit. Within months, he was performing at the top vaudeville houses in the country.
In 1900, Beck arranged for Houdini to tour Europe. After some days of unsuccessful interviews in London, Houdini's British agent Harry Day helped him to get an interview with C. Dundas Slater, then manager of the Alhambra Theatre. He was introduced to William Melville and gave a demonstration of escape from handcuffs at Scotland Yard. He succeeded in baffling the police so effectively that he was booked at the Alhambra for six months. His show was an immediate hit and his salary rose to $300 a week (equivalent to $10,987 in 2023).
Between 1900 and 1920 he appeared in theatres all over Great Britain performing escape acts, illusions, card tricks and outdoor stunts, becoming one of the world's highest paid entertainers. He also toured the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Russia and became widely known as "The Handcuff King". In each city, Houdini challenged local police to restrain him with shackles and lock him in their jails. In many of these challenge escapes, he was first stripped nude and searched. In Moscow, he escaped from a Siberian prison transport van, claiming that, had he been unable to free himself, he would have had to travel to Siberia, where the only key was kept.
For more on Houdini's life... and death, click here.
Houdini was a multidimensional, with a few confirmed presences in other TV dimensions....
THE TOONIVERSE
THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS
FAMILY GUY
PRICK UP YOUR EARS (2006)
SKITLANDIA
With all of the other portrayals, there are enough to satisfy some of the demands of TV’s many dimensions. We can start with the three TV movies which covered Houdini’s life, sending each of them to a different TV dimension:
played by Paul Michael Glaser
A highly fictionalized portrayal of Houdini during his childhood. portrayed by Wil Wheaton
played by Jonathon Schaech
O'Bservation:
There is the possibility that each of them could have been considered a crossover with some other historical production if one of their actors reprised their role as a member of the Trueniverse. I didn’t think it likely, but I tried it out with the most likely candidate – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Unfortunately, Peter Cushing, Roy Dotrice, and David Warner assayed the literary agent for John Watson, M.D. once each.
I also checked the various actors who played Melville of the Yard, but apparently he wasn’t considered significant enough to the history & legend to be included in some of these movies.
Along with this trio of TV Movies, I’ll add this two-part movie, which gets called a “mini-series,” to another TV dimension:
2 episodes (2014)
played by Adrien Brody
And again, the actor playing Conan Doyle – David Calder – only did so once.
As far as I can find, there are only a few series which can establish Houdini as being a resident of Earth Prime-Time, the main Toobworld. Four of those are just references but at least two of them provide evidence of his existence.
THE DEATH CHALLENGE (1979)
Harry Whitehead references being given a milk can by Houdini, which he used for an escape when on tour in London.
Early in the episode, it is stated several times that Whitehead and Houdini had both successfully performed the water tank escape. Late in the episode, however, it is stated that only Whitehead had ever done the trick successfully.
THE GRAND ILLUSION (1983)
The Simon Brothers investigate an illusionist's death and the recovery of Houdini's stolen book of magic secrets.
PILOT
HOUDINI WHODUNIT (2009)
played by Joe DiNicol
When a young Harry Houdini visits Toronto with his stage act, he soon finds himself under police scrutiny when the bank next door to the theater in which he is performing is robbed. A bank guard, Joe Decker, was killed during the robbery. Dr. Ogden and several police officers, including Murdoch and Insp. Brackenreid, were in the audience at the time.
For Dr. Ogden the biggest surprise of the evening is that her younger sister Ruby, a reporter and writer, appears on stage as Houdini's assistant. When the autopsy reveals that the dead man's blood has turned black, it would seem that he was poisoned.
Brackenreid is convinced that Houdini, who was locked in a safe for over 11 minutes during one of his escape routines, is the culprit but Murdoch is far from convinced. Working with Houdini, Murdoch is able to show how the robbery itself was based on illusion.
O'Bservation:
That is Houdini, seen from William Murdoch's perspective, at the top of the page.
played by Michael Weston
O’Bservation:
I suppose I should chuck this into a parallel Toobworld because of the disparity in the ages between the characters and their actors. But it didn’t bother me while watching it and I think I’m more forgiving in my dotage. So I’ll let it stay.
TIEMPO DE MAGIA (2016)
played by Gary Piquer
Maybe he spoke Spanish in the episode? So what? The televersion of Dennis Rodman is an Alien!
DARK
WARHEITEN (2017)
Houdini doesn't appear. He's mentioned by name.
ANGEL OF DARKNESS: MEMENTO MORI (2020)
Actor was not identified.
And then there are the shows in which Houdini was in an alternate Toobworld dimension….
AGENTS OF SATAN! (1982)
played by Michael Durrell
Houdini began life in an alternate dimension caused by the changes he caused in the established timeline. But all was right with the world… eventually.
THE WORLD’S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION (2017)
played by Michael Drayer
The series - as a whole - allegedly started in the official main Toobworld. But with each episode as the agents dabbled in the past, their prime world was no longer aligned with Earth Prime-Time.
SKITLANDIA
THE BENNY HILL SHOW
SEASON 12 EPISODE 2 - SHOW 40 (1981)
Benny Hill visited Harry Houdini's grave where he was buried... at least a dozen times.
O'Bservation:
None of those dates listed were in the year he actually died. And seven of them happened after he officially died.
SEASON 12 EPISODE 2 - SHOW 40 (1981)
Benny Hill visited Harry Houdini's grave where he was buried... at least a dozen times.
O'Bservation:
None of those dates listed were in the year he actually died. And seven of them happened after he officially died.
"Seven.... It would be a mythic number."
Melissa Steadman
THIRTYsomething
With all of the other portrayals, there are enough to satisfy some of the demands of TV’s many dimensions. We can start with the three TV movies which covered Houdini’s life, sending each of them to a different TV dimension:
THE GREAT HOUDINI AKA THE GREAT HOUDINIS (TV Movie 1976)
YOUNG HARRY HOUDINI (TV Movie 1987)
HOUDINI (TV Movie 1998)
O'Bservation:
There is the possibility that each of them could have been considered a crossover with some other historical production if one of their actors reprised their role as a member of the Trueniverse. I didn’t think it likely, but I tried it out with the most likely candidate – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Unfortunately, Peter Cushing, Roy Dotrice, and David Warner assayed the literary agent for John Watson, M.D. once each.
I also checked the various actors who played Melville of the Yard, but apparently he wasn’t considered significant enough to the history & legend to be included in some of these movies.
Along with this trio of TV Movies, I’ll add this two-part movie, which gets called a “mini-series,” to another TV dimension:
HOUDINI
played by Adrien Brody
And again, the actor playing Conan Doyle – David Calder – only did so once.
As far as I can find, there are only a few series which can establish Houdini as being a resident of Earth Prime-Time, the main Toobworld. Four of those are just references but at least two of them provide evidence of his existence.
QUINCY, M.E.
Harry Whitehead references being given a milk can by Houdini, which he used for an escape when on tour in London.
Early in the episode, it is stated several times that Whitehead and Houdini had both successfully performed the water tank escape. Late in the episode, however, it is stated that only Whitehead had ever done the trick successfully.
SIMON AND SIMON
The Simon Brothers investigate an illusionist's death and the recovery of Houdini's stolen book of magic secrets.
WAREHOUSE 13
A wallet belonging to Harry Houdini is kept at Warehouse 13.
The wallet causes "ghosts" to haunt a person.
The Wallet was acquired on 3 November 1926 by Agent Pocklinton, and possesses the properties of "charonic transfer." The Wallet has a habit of trying to escape storage and temporarily succeeded in 2009 .
O'Bservation:
In the Trueniverse, Houdini's will specified that all of his props and effects be burned upon the death of his brother. His brother, however, sold the majority of the effects to an enthusiast, Sidney Hollis Radner, who in turn put them up for auction in 2004. The wallet was clearly obtained far prior to that time. Houdini died on 31 October 1926 in Detroit, Michigan. According to the label on the warehouse shelf, the wallet was acquired a mere three days after Houdini's passing.
The wallet causes "ghosts" to haunt a person.
The Wallet was acquired on 3 November 1926 by Agent Pocklinton, and possesses the properties of "charonic transfer." The Wallet has a habit of trying to escape storage and temporarily succeeded in 2009 .
O'Bservation:
In the Trueniverse, Houdini's will specified that all of his props and effects be burned upon the death of his brother. His brother, however, sold the majority of the effects to an enthusiast, Sidney Hollis Radner, who in turn put them up for auction in 2004. The wallet was clearly obtained far prior to that time. Houdini died on 31 October 1926 in Detroit, Michigan. According to the label on the warehouse shelf, the wallet was acquired a mere three days after Houdini's passing.
MURDOCH MYSTERIES
played by Joe DiNicol
When a young Harry Houdini visits Toronto with his stage act, he soon finds himself under police scrutiny when the bank next door to the theater in which he is performing is robbed. A bank guard, Joe Decker, was killed during the robbery. Dr. Ogden and several police officers, including Murdoch and Insp. Brackenreid, were in the audience at the time.
For Dr. Ogden the biggest surprise of the evening is that her younger sister Ruby, a reporter and writer, appears on stage as Houdini's assistant. When the autopsy reveals that the dead man's blood has turned black, it would seem that he was poisoned.
Brackenreid is convinced that Houdini, who was locked in a safe for over 11 minutes during one of his escape routines, is the culprit but Murdoch is far from convinced. Working with Houdini, Murdoch is able to show how the robbery itself was based on illusion.
O'Bservation:
That is Houdini, seen from William Murdoch's perspective, at the top of the page.
HOUDINI & DOYLE (2016)
O’Bservation:
I suppose I should chuck this into a parallel Toobworld because of the disparity in the ages between the characters and their actors. But it didn’t bother me while watching it and I think I’m more forgiving in my dotage. So I’ll let it stay.
THE MINISTRY OF TIME
played by Gary Piquer
Maybe he spoke Spanish in the episode? So what? The televersion of Dennis Rodman is an Alien!
DARK
WARHEITEN (2017)
Houdini doesn't appear. He's mentioned by name.
THE ALIENIST
Actor was not identified.
And then there are the shows in which Houdini was in an alternate Toobworld dimension….
VOYAGERS!
played by Michael Durrell
Houdini began life in an alternate dimension caused by the changes he caused in the established timeline. But all was right with the world… eventually.
TIMELESS
played by Michael Drayer
The series - as a whole - allegedly started in the official main Toobworld. But with each episode as the agents dabbled in the past, their prime world was no longer aligned with Earth Prime-Time.
Here’s to you, Erik Weisz… Handcuff Houdini. They will long remember your name.
Welcome to the Hall!
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