As all Genii readers probably know, it is the year of Houdini. It’s not at all unexpected that the 100th anniversary of one of the most storied events in the life of the most famous magician of all time, Harry Houdini (and a mythologized death at that), is a big deal. By the end of this year, there will have been no fewer than 14 new books published about or inspired by Harry’s life and career. I doubt even Harry could have ever imagined that 100 years after his passing, he’d be more famous than ever, a name etched into the history books. Heck, to my great surprise, he even made an appearance in the high school play my little brother was in, Ragtime, last month.
I like Mr. Houdini as much as the next guy, and seeing his likeness depicted in pop culture, though sometimes cringeworthily fictionalized, is always fun. But the thing that impresses and fascinates me most about the man was not his daring escapes, his debunking of spiritualism, writing, breaking into an emerging film industry, aviation, or any of his other famous exploits. What fascinates me most about Houdini is his relationships with other magicians, his correspondence with peers (though some would argue that he had none). And since he is everywhere, it’s worth considering not just how he became famous, but how he stayed untouchable.
Charles and Henry Rigoletto were contemporaries of Harry, a pair of brothers who performed through the vaudeville days with a true variety act. On various circuits, they did it all, a combination of music, strongman feats, juggling, comedy, living statuary, and, of course, magic. Tricks included vanishing fishbowls, pigeon catching, and their vanishing talking machine, which Louis F. Christenser, editor of Thayer’s The Magical Bulletin, called “the most perfect illusion it has been our [sic] pleasure to witness for some time.” To be booked over and over again on the theatrical circuits, you had to have audience appeal. When they decided to add what was known as “The East Indian Needle Trick” to the already diverse act, issues arose.