While the 2014 show takes creative liberties, Houdini’s actual life was even more dramatic:
The first part of this History Channel miniseries focuses on Houdini’s meteoric rise from an impoverished immigrant to a global superstar.
: A fictionalized twist in the movie suggests Houdini was recruited by MI5 and the American government to work as a spy while on tour, using his fame as a cover. The Real Life "Magic"
: Born Ehrich Weiss, he began his career performing small card tricks in circus sideshows.
: Later in life, he became a "ghostbuster," using his knowledge of illusions to debunk fraudulent psychics and mediums who preyed on the grieving.
: His big break came when he stopped doing basic magic and started challenging police forces across Europe to lock him in their most secure jail cells—from which he escaped every time.
: Many believe Houdini died during a trick, but the reality was more tragic. After a student punched him in the stomach to "test" his strength, Houdini’s appendix ruptured. He insisted on performing one final sold-out show in Detroit with a 104-degree fever before collapsing and dying on Halloween night, 1926.
