Bibliograph

Houdini, the elusive American, Adam Begley

Type

Label

Houdini, the elusive American, Adam Begley

Language

eng

resource.biographical

individual biography

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

no index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Houdini

Responsibility statement

Adam Begley

Series statement

Jewish lives

Sub title

the elusive American

Summary

"In 1916, the war in Europe having prevented a tour abroad, Harry Houdini wrote a film treatment for a rollicking motion picture. Through the movie was never made, its title, 'The Marvelous Adventures of Houdini: The Justly Celebrated Elusive American,' provides a succinct summary of the Master Mystifier's life. Born Erik Weisz in Budapest in 1874, Houdini grew up an impoverished Jewish immigrant in the Midwest and became world-famous thanks to talent, industry, and ferocious determination. He concealed as a matter of temperament and professional ethics the secrets of his sensational success. Nobody knows how Houdini performed some of his dazzling, death-defying tricks, and nobody knows, finally, why he felt compelled to punish and imprison himself over and over again."-- jacket

Table Of Contents

Prologue: The Chinese water torture cell -- A father's legacy -- From dime museums to vaudeville -- The handcuff king conquers Europe -- Return of the hero -- Aloft down under -- The great dissolution -- Making movies -- Among the spirits -- Sucker punch -- Ever after

Classification