HARRY HOUDINI INTERVIEW

By Shruti Murali
Copy #1
LONDON, ENGLAND After several years of performing his famous magic tricks across the nation,
magician Harry Houdini continues to mesmerize his eager audiences through his daring escapes from
straitjackets, coffins, handcuffs, and prisons. Drawing his inspiration from the magicians before him,
Houdini sets the stage for future performers.
SHRUTI MURALI: What was your main source of inspiration that caused you to begin performing magic
tricks?
HOUDINI: Once, my father took me to see a travelling magician, and soon after, I developed an interest
in magic and performing. When I was 15, I read an autobiography by Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, who
was, at the time, the father of modern magic. This was also my inspiration to change my name to
Houdini.
SM: How do the publics opinions and doubts about your escapes influence your confidence and
motivation to perform?
HOUDINI: I am never deterred by people who doubt my tricks. My wife, Bess, encourages and motivates
me to continue performing. At one point, I offered $100 to anyone who could give me a pair of
handcuffs that I could not escape from. I never had to pay that $100 to anyone, and my publicity only
increased from there.
SM: What role does your wife, Beatrice Raymond, play in the success of your magic career, both
physically and spiritually?
HOUDINI: Bess aids in the magic that occurred behind the curtains. Not only does she help in the
execution of every trick, but she is the one person I can always rely on.
SM: That is very sweet of you to say. Even with the help of your wife, how did you gain assurance that
your magic career would be a success? How were you convinced that your tricks would be your pathway
to fame?
HOUDINI: I was never sure that it would be a success. My family is not very wealthy so I began
performing in hopes of making more money than I was at the time so I could support my family. Fame
simply came with it, I suppose.
SM: Supporting a family can be a difficult task sometimes. They are always there for us when we need
them most. I heard that your mother passed away also, not too long ago. I offer my condolences for
your loss. If you dont mind me asking, how did your mothers death affect you?
HOUDINI: I began focusing on disproving spiritualists, but later on, for a short time, I entered into the
world of the supernatural myself and attempted to contact my dead mother. But still I continued to
expose frauds through my acts so I could denounce their supposed spiritual abilities.
SM: Thank you for sharing that with us. Since your initial aim was not fame, but money, what were some
of the initial tricks you performed to begin earning money?
HOUDINI: I began by performing basic coin and card tricks, but they proved to be too easy for me, so I
decided to pursue escape tricks, which were more exciting. Martin Beck, another showman at the time,
was impressed with my escapades and encouraged me to continue pursuing such tricks.

SM: That is very interesting. Im sure not many people perform such escape tricks. How do you feel
about the unique nature of your career?
HOUDINI: Many of the tricks I perform most men cannot. My professional life has been a constant
record of disillusion, and many things that seem wonderful to most men are the every-day
commonplaces of my business. The thrilling nature of my tricks is what draws spectators to my shows.
SM: Can you reveal the secret of any one of your many illusions?
HOUDINI: In the many years that I have been before the public my secret methods have been steadily
shielded by the strict integrity of my assistants, most of whom have been with me for years. However, I
will say this much: To cause the face to appear in a mass of flame make use of the following: mix
together thoroughly petroleum, lard, mutton tallow and quick lime. Distill this over a charcoal fire, and
the liquid which results can be burned on the face without harm.
SM: Which trick was the most difficult to perform?
HOUDINI: The London daily Mirror challenged me to escape a set of handcuffs that it had taken a
blacksmith five years to make. It took me about an hour to escape the cuffs.
SM: That is truly amazing. I cant even begin to imagine how brave you must be. During the time you
were attempting to escape these handcuffs, did you ever fear that you wouldnt be able to do it?
HOUDINI: I was extremely nervous, of course, seeing how about 4000 people and more than 100
journalists showed up to watch. But I believed in myself and with steely resolve, proceeded to escape
successfully, ignoring the panic that was slowly rising in my chest.
SM: What are the thoughts and emotions that run through your head every time you perform an
escape?
HOUDINI: A great deal of nervousness is always present before every trick, but if it is a trick I have
performed many times before, the nervousness becomes confidence, and my lovely wife is always
present to offer motivation.
SM: Do you ever feel fearful of the act you are about to perform?
HOUDINI: My chief task has been to conquer fear. The public sees only the thrill of the accomplished
trick; they have no conception of the tortuous preliminary self-training that was necessary to conquer
fear. No one except myself can appreciate how I have to work at this job every single day, never letting
up for a moment. I always have on my mind the thought that next year I must do something greater,
something more wonderful.
SM: What mantra, if any, do you chant to motivate yourself?
HOUDINI: I often say to myself, No prison can hold me; no hand or leg irons or steel locks can shackle
me. No ropes or chains can keep me from my freedom.
SM: What is your advice to rising magicians and escape artists like yourself?
HOUDINI: Well, to say the least, no performer should attempt to bite off red-hot iron unless he has a
good set of teeth. In other words, future escape artists and magicians should be sure of their abilities
before they perform them in front of a crowd. Practice is the key element to a successful magic career.
Without it, the audience will ridicule you. And ridicule, my friend, will be the death of ones career at
this time and age.

SM: Your advice is both encouraging and inspiring. How do your strong views on magic contradict those
of scientists and other skeptical people?
HOUDINI: A scientists duty is to either prove or disprove, mostly the latter, theories. Magic is the sole
science not accepted by scientists, because they can't understand it.
SM: Are you constantly coming up with new tricks to perform?
HOUDINI: Yes, I am, and the reason for this is that I find that many clones are attempting to copy my
acts, but what they dont understand is that the originality of my tricks is what draws greater spectators
to my shows than theirs. This was the purpose behind The Giant Milk Can Escape.
SM: You mentioned that for your shows you attract a rather large audience. Previously you said that up
to 4000 people attended one of your shows. How do you attract such a large audience for your
escapades?
HOUDINI: The easiest way to attract a crowd is to let it be known that at a given time and a given place
someone is going to attempt something that in the event of failure will mean sudden death.
SM: You mentioned failure and sudden death. Are you planning on retiring anytime soon in order to
prevent either of these occurrences?
HOUDINI: I think that in a year I may retire. I cannot take my money with me when I die and I wish to
enjoy it, with my family, while I live. I should prefer living in Germany to any other country, though I am
an American, and am loyal to my country.
SM: Before we conclude his interview, I have one last question. Based on my research, you travel to
many places to perform. Which places do you enjoy performing in the most?
HOUDINI: I enjoy performing in Russia and Paris because I make the most money, I think, in these
places, for the people of those countries are so willing to be amused, so eager to see something new
and out of the ordinary.
SM: Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything else you would like to add?
HOUDINI: No, I think you have asked me everything there is to know about me.

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REFERENCES

Erich Weisz." 2014. The Biography.com website. Apr 07 2014 http://www.biography.com/people/harryhoudini-40056.

"Escape Secrets: Handcuff Escapes." . PBS, n.d. Web. 7 Apr 2014.
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/houdini/sfeature/escape_handcuffs.html>.
"The Great Harry Houdini." Houdini: His Life and His Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr 2014.
<http://www.thegreatharryhoudini.com/>.

SHC: I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this assignment.
Signed,
Shruti Murali
5-31-2014