Ken Silverman
This is a 45 minute radio broadcast with Brooke Rapaport and Ken Silverman. Please click on the link and take a listen. I think you’ll enjoy it.
houdini-magic&title=The+Magic+of+Harry+Houdini&pubdate=2010-10-28&segment=2 -
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Very enjoyable. The reporter did his research and could call up details at will.
Silverman and Copperfield did say one thing that bugs me a bit: they say magic and escapes are two different forms of entertainment.
I’d say that some escapes are non-magical stunts of strength and technique (straitjacket, rope ties), but others are indeed presented as mysteries (packing case, boilers, milk can, water cell, etc.) and therefore are magic tricks. As I’ve said on other forums, I’m not sure where handcuffs fall in this argument.
Newspaper reviewers referred to him as a magician throughout his career and, at least at first, they perceived the handcuff escapes as big mysteries.
So I’d say that, even regarding the escapes alone, Houdini was both a magician and an escape artist. Then add to that Metamorphosis, the needles, walking through a wall, the elephant, and you certainly are talking about a magician.
I agree with Eric. I think Houdini’s escapes can be classified as magical solid through solid–with the exception of the straitjacket and rope escapes. The handcuffs look like solid through solid as well.
I have to go along with what Houdini did were magic effects. All of Houdini’s effects needed some sort of modus operandi to achieve the desired result. Is that not a magic trick?