Houdini: The Great Escape

Houdini: The Great Escape traces the life and career of the early twentieth century performer who thrilled audiences around the world with his daring stunts. It tracks Houdini's life from his youth as a circus performer to the development of some of his famous acts, setting his rising celebrity within the context of cultural changes in the United States.

• Scotland Yard
• apprentice
• charisma
• charlatan
• citadel
• disconsolate
• elusive
• illusionist
• metamorphosis
• obsession
• rabbi
• symbol
• vaudeville

1. Why did Houdini change and manipulate the story of his past? Where did he get his name?

2. What was Houdini's angle when he presented himself as the handcuff king? How did he manipulate the media?

3. What was Houdini's appeal to his fans? How was Houdini's appeal different from the appeal of celebrities of today?

4. What made Houdini such a remarkable showman? How was he able to win over an audience? Do you think his skills as a showman would work on today's audiences?

5. What impact did Houdini's mother's death have on his life? Why was she outraged by spiritualists?

6. Houdini believed that he could separate the theatrical from the fraudulent. What did he mean? How did he do this?

7. Why is Houdini still widely remembered? If you were asked to name a famous magician, would Houdini be the first to come to your mind?

1. The documentary calls Houdini a symbol or a representation of the American Dream. Write an essay in which you analyze Houdini's life and link it to the American Dream. What did he symbolize for the era in which he lived? What can historians learn about the early twentieth century by looking at Houdini's life?

2. The only trick historians have not been able to explain is Houdini's escape from the water torture cell. Develop your own theory about how the trick worked and how Houdini escaped from the cell.

3. Make an advertisement for one of Houdini's acts. Be sure to use the language and images that would have been used at the time.

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