Talk:Harry Houdini/Archive 2

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Archive 1 Archive 2

Theo doing Milk can escape up until 1940s?

I reverted the change of 1940s to 1920s for Theo continuing this act, as it doesn't quite make sense if Harry didn't die til 1926. I don't actually know, maybe someone who has access to the cited sources can check. --Tony Wills (talk) 10:33, 26 February 2012 (UTC)

A photo on this page suggests you're correct. Amazing that he did it in his late 60s. Materialscientist (talk) 10:41, 26 February 2012 (UTC)
That's correct. Hardeen performed the Milk Can until at least 1943, and might have even done it right up to his retirement in 1945.--Zencato (talk) 01:13, 17 March 2012 (UTC)

Editing a semi-protected article

You have requested that the lead-section ought to be redrafted. I have written an extended redraft of this section, drawn entirely from the material in the main article. What is my drill for inserting this? 86.144.116.230 (talk) 01:13, 25 March 2012 (UTC)

Clicking on the silver lock at the top of the article goes to a page explaining the situation. It mentions that {{Edit semi-protected}} can be used to request that a wanted change is made. However, it sounds like you have a significant change (rewriting the lead is significant), and it should be discussed first. So, please just post your text below (if you put a colon (":") before each physical line of text (displayed as a paragraph here), the text will be indented (use two colons for two indents, etc.). Or, make an account and do ten small edits to articles, then change the lead yourself (although discussion first for a significant rewrite would be good). Johnuniq (talk) 01:45, 25 March 2012 (UTC)

☒N Edits do not require prior discussion.

☒N The size of the edit is irrelevant.

You've asked to make a change to the article, and your request is not considered vandalism. The article is semi-protected to help protect against vandalism, not protect against editing. Any requested edit that is not vandalism is incorporated as soon as a competent editor sees it, provided that particular editor wouldn't change it themselves on the next edit of course ! :)
The 'process' is just typing it out on the talkpage, to make it easy for someone to assist you, so it can be cut and pasted into the article.
You can make it easier still by adding the references you may like within your edit to the talkpage. In this case, you've opted for a top quality lead that simply summarizes the article, and may not need refs. There was a ref from the old lead, I left it there, so you can check and say what if anything should be done with it. (I'm lazy) Penyulap ☏

":"Harry Houdini (born Erik Weisz, later Ehrich Weiss or Harry Weiss; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-born American stunt performer, noted for his sensational escape acts. He first attracted notice as Handcuff Harry, on a tour of Europe, where he would sensationally challenge different police-forces to try to keep him locked up. This revealed a talent for gimmickry and for audience involvement that would characterise all his work. Soon he was extending his repertoire to include chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers, straitjackets under water, and having to hold his breath inside a sealed milk-can.

":"In 1904, thousands watched as he tried to escape from a special handcuff commissioned by London's Daily Mirror, keeping them in suspense for a hour. Another stunt saw him buried alive and only just able to claw himself to the surface, emerging in a state of near-breakdown. While many suspected that these escapes were fabricated, it is ironical that Houdini was meanwhile presenting himself as the scourge of fake magicians and spiritualists. As President of the Society of American Magicians, he was keen to uphold professional standards and expose fraudulent artists who gave practitioners a bad name. He was also quick to sue anyone who pirated his own escape-stunts.

":"Houdini made a number of movies, but quit acting when it failed to bring in money. He was also a keen aviator, and aimed to become the first man to fly a plane in Australia, but according to the official definition of sustained flight, he was beaten to it by two others. Even the circumstances of his death were dramatic and mysterious. According to one version, a student in Montreal asked him if his stomach was hard enough to take any blow, to which he replied that it was, whereupon the student rained a series of blows on it before Houdini had had time to tense up. A few days later, he died of a ruptured appendix. But this may have been unconnected, as he had already been suffering appendicitis and refusing to seek medical attention. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.144.116.230 (talk) 10:41, 25 March 2012 (UTC)

 Done and may I say, BRILLIANT work. (although, to be honest, I didn't read it) Penyulap ☏ 13:43, 25 March 2012 (UTC)

Well, I read it, and it is not too bad. It is a lot better than what was there before, and I support it. If you like to improve your style at all, you might like to read some articles from here, there are thousands. You'll easily fast-track the learning process and see how the articles are meant to look and sound. If you have any questions or want any help just click the phone and ask Penyulap ☏ 13:53, 25 March 2012 (UTC)

Jacques Price quote

"The following is Price's description of events" is just sourced to http://www.thegreatharryhoudini.com/death.html, which makes no claim to the source of the text. It seems unlikely that this is Price's own description, since it refers to "two McGill university students", when one of them was Price himself. The article previously attributed a quote beginning "Houdini was reclining on his couch after his performance..." to Price, but only gave the above URL (which does not include that quote) as its source.

Does a genuine statement from Price exist? --McGeddon (talk) 11:57, 10 November 2012 (UTC)

I have been wondering about exactly the same thing this morning. Thanks! Sincerely, -- Gareth Griffith-Jones/The Welsh Buzzard 12:20, 10 November 2012 (UTC)

Apparently it comes from a book by conan doyle. It is also apparently not the only account and they differ. http://www.snopes.com/horrors/freakish/houdini.asp — Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.174.89.122 (talk) 11:26, 27 January 2013 (UTC)

Thanks - I've edited the article to use this quote and the original Conan Doyle source. --McGeddon (talk) 10:59, 21 May 2013 (UTC)

Career dates

What year did Harry Houdini actually start his magic career. This article (reference #9) states he started his career in 1891 but yet this article and even the reference state him performing as Harry Houdini in the 1880s. 68.96.68.58 (talk) 04:41, 28 May 2013 (UTC) Kevin Christensen

He is so cool i love him so much — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.253.113.21 (talk) 22:27, 23 August 2013 (UTC)

The amazing Houdini

Houdini is i believe one of the greatest entertainers of all time. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.253.113.21 (talk) 22:29, 23 August 2013 (UTC)

Glad that you feel that way... Why did you change every instance of Harry to Herry on the article? Please do not do it again.@67.253.113.21: Moshekaye (talk) 01:08, 24 August 2013 (UTC)

Gregorian calendar in Hungary

The article says: "They first lived in Appleton, Wisconsin, where his father served as Rabbi of the Zion Reform Jewish Congregation. From 1907 on, Houdini would claim in interviews to have been born in Appleton which was not true and on April 6, 1874, on the Gregorian calendar or 13 days difference from the Julian calendar (March 24, 1874) in Hungary at that time." Actually, Hungary was one of the first state to adopt Gregorian calendar in 1587, 150 years before e.g. UK. I don't know it's source, but this must be a mistake and need to be corrected. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.44.86.18 (talk) 19:44, 13 April 2012 (UTC)

It's easier for editors to help if you put the request in terms of please replace "this text" with "this text". You've got the first bit done, what do you want put in it's place ? Penyulap ☏ 03:25, 27 April 2012 (UTC)
Now there's no need to be a stuck-up sourpuss about this, Penyulap. If there was nothing more to Talk Pages than "Replace [this text] with [this text]", the poster could just paste it in themselves, couldn't they? I myself have been in exactly the same position as the Hungarian chappie. You see a very badly worded par in a science-oriented piece, but you cannot rewrite it coz you would need to be more expert with the source info. What is left to do? Why, you can write in here and discuss the elements you do know about, and suggest in a round about way that someone more au fait with the subject matter take on the necessary revisions with your criticisms in mind. Perhaps even the original editor. That's how Wikipedia works. Myles325a (talk) 06:37, 29 August 2013 (UTC)
Sorry, I'm not a Houdini-expert, only a hungarian. There's no way that the usage of Julian calendar caused any discussion of Houdini's date of birth, because - among other catholic states - Hungary used Gregorian calendar since 1587. Maybe you only have to delete the end of the sentence: "From 1907 on, Houdini would claim in interviews to have been born in Appleton and on April 6, 1874, which was not true." — Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.43.236.19 (talk) 14:51, 28 April 2012 (UTC)
I'm no expert either, so I expect we would need one. Also, if it is something he said, we don't need to work out why he said it. Penyulap ☏ 23:28, 28 April 2012 (UTC)
 Done removed "and on April 6, 1874, on the Gregorian calendar or 13 days difference from the Julian calendar (March 24, 1874) in Hungary at that time." Penyulap ☏ 23:35, 28 April 2012 (UTC)
If you can find a link or two for the appleton claims that would be cool, and I can pop it in for you, because the sentence looks controversial, so references are a good idea. Penyulap ☏ 23:39, 28 April 2012 (UTC)


I am happy to see a Hungarian here. Let's see if we can fix this. The difference in the two dates, shifting for the earlier time in Wisconsin, accounts for a Julian to Gregorian shift. While it is academically true that Hungary did shift to Gregorian far before Houdini's birth, the question is if the Gregorian was used to record births. I am an astrologer. Getting this resolved is the difference between a chart that describes the individual, vs: one that clearly does not.
Unable to read Nicola Tesla's chart, I remembered the fuss with Weiss's chart and on hunch presumed Tesla's birth date to have been Julian and changed it to Gregorian. I did the same with Mother Teresa's. Both of these are Serbs. And I got charts I could read.
Which puzzled me for many, many years. Was the Austro-Hungarian Empire running two calendars? That would be a bureaucratic nightmare. The answer came one afternoon in 2002, riding Amtrak from Baltimore to New York. I made the acquaintance of a recent Russian immigrant. I asked him this specific question. His answer was a revelation.
He said that in the Soviet Union, only Party members gave their birth dates in Gregorian. Everyone else gave them in Julian. Which the Party had never been able to stamp out. So far as Russia is concerned, this is still presumably true. By extension, those areas of the Balkans where Russia, or its Church, hold sway, have presumably been doing the same, and for a very long time. So one of my questions to our Hungarian friend is the connection he had to the Hungarian Communist Party.
The interesting factor about Weiss is that he was Jewish. The only way this gets definitively resolved is if we can find an Hungarian rabbi who knows his history. If we know the question to ask, this should not be impossible. Is this "research" ? Sure is. That's what happens when Wiki edits out Weiss's inconvenient Wisconsin claims. Dave of Maryland (talk) 22:56, 16 May 2012 (UTC)
...or we could stick to logic and try using real sources. This source seems to explain the discrepancies in dates.
⋙–Berean–Hunter—► 23:23, 16 May 2012 (UTC)
When Pope Gregory changed the calendar, he changed it for the Church, and for kings and monarchs who were subordinate to him and his Church. Houdini was a Jew. The Church had no power over Jews, not then and not now. Jews have their own calendar. They keep their own time. They convert from their system, to the Christian system (Anno Domini is certainly Christian) as necessary. Did the Jews change their method of converting dates upon the Pope's express order, yes or no? But at the time Jews were not a single coherent group. Different groups, in different cities, would have different opinions. Russia did not convert until the Bolshevik revolution of 1917. Since there were a lot more Jews in Russia than there were in Hungary, since we may presume there was trade and social contacts between Hungarian Jews and Russian Jews, we would be entirely within reason to suspect Hungarian Jews, Balkan Jews, Polish Jews, to have used the Russian calendar - not the Pope's calendar - since they would have stronger ties among themselves and with Russia, than they would have with the Christian society in which they lived. A society which, in fact, despised them.
All your logic does is repeat old stories and add guesswork, with copyright in the front of the book as the seal of approval. Without motive the shift in dates is illogical. Robert Louis Stevenson changed his birthday, for reason. What was Harry's reason, and why, of all the dates he could have chosen, did he happen to pick the Julian? Is there evidence he was a student of the calendar, as I am? Did he have an older brother, or a favorite uncle, who was born, or died, on that date? Since one reason offered was to please his mother (Jewishness transmits through the female, not the male), what connection did she have to that date? A sister, her mother, an aunt, grandparent, old boyfriend, etc.? If this is logic, it needs a motive. Who or what were the Weiss's memorializing?
The definitive answer is to ask two or three people who might actually know: old Hungarian rabbis. You ask two or three because minorities can be touchy about revealing secrets, and this might be one. If all three throw up their hands and say they never heard of anything so foolish as messing about with dates, then you have it. Dave of Maryland (talk) 14:22, 17 May 2012 (UTC)
For Wikipedia purposes, we do not engage in original research or in synthesis. We only use reliable sources and rarely primary sources without any interpretation. Asking old Hungarian rabbis isn't going to work here. Sorry.
⋙–Berean–Hunter—► 15:38, 17 May 2012 (UTC)


Then restore the original: That the man himself was ambiguous as to the day of his birth. Wiki may not want to research, but it has no right to censor. Dave of Maryland (talk) 21:34, 18 May 2012 (UTC)

Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin

Maybe adding a link to Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin? Harry Houdini chose his pseudonym as an hommage to this then famous French magician, even if he later wrote a despising book about him. For example: " in which he called his former idol Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin a liar and a fraud " in the section Early life 194.174.73.33 (talk) 18:20, 15 January 2014 (UTC) Marco Pagliero Berlin

Semi-protected edit request on 15 January 2014

Maybe adding a link to Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin? Harry Houdini chose his pseudonym as an hommage to this then famous French magician, even if he later wrote a despising book about him. I propose to change this: "in which he called his former idol a liar and a fraud" to this: " in which he called his former idol Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin a liar and a fraud " in the section Early life 194.174.73.33 (talk) 18:35, 15 January 2014 (UTC) Marco Pagliero Berlin

194.174.73.33 (talk) 18:35, 15 January 2014 (UTC)

Done. --Anon126 (talk - contribs) 00:52, 16 January 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 27 August 2014

Changes have been made by "The Society of American Magicians" concerning the care and maintenance of the Harry Houdini Gravesite at Machpelah Cemetery in Queens, Long Island, New York. On November 9, 2013, at the National Council Meeting held in Boca Raton, FL, "The Society of American Magicians" voted to take over financing the care and maintenance of the Houdini Gravesite. The National Council is now in the process of assessing what needs to be done to restore the Gravesite to its original 1926 condition. The Society hopes to begin work by the spring of 2015, with an estimated completion date of the fall of 2017. Houdini served as The National President of "The Society of American Magicians" from 1917 until his death in 1926 and was responsible for creating a large number of local Assemblies across the United States.

submitted by David W. Bowers National President Elect The Society of American Magicians

— Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.54.86.92 (talk)

Can you supply a source for this please? Change the "answered" back to "no" when you reply. Stickee (talk) 03:05, 5 September 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 19 August 2014

Mirror challenge

Please make the specified alteration to the accusations of cheating within the Mirror challenge. The referenced text states that witnesses confirmed that Bess did not enter the stage, not even to provide a glass of water (This was provided by the venue's manager). This was one of the deciding escapes of Houdini's career, and claims of deceit have since been dispelled. Many thanks, great article otherwise!

P.S. I do apologize if I have not fulfilled the required formatting standards of an edit request. I hope it is sufficient.


It is believed that in her mouth was the key to unlock the special handcuffs. However, it has since been suggested that Bess did not in fact enter the stage at all, and that this theory is unlikely due to the size of the 6-inch key [1] . Houdini then went back behind the curtain. After an hour and ten minutes, Houdini emerged free. As he was paraded on the shoulders of the cheering crowd, he broke down and wept. Houdini later said it was the most difficult escape of his career. — Preceding unsigned comment added by RichardHarrison13 (talk • contribs)

  1. ^ The Secret Life of Houdini, Kaulush & Sloman, 2006
Done (note that I don't agree nor disagree with this edit; I'm just implementing it due to no comments) Stickee (talk) 03:03, 5 September 2014 (UTC)
Page # customary to validate citation. Cheers. Grahamboat (talk) 04:26, 5 September 2014 (UTC)

Band Reference

Does an article of a person with a level of cultural significance really warrant a link under the headline to a page about a very minor music release using his name? Surely you could pack other wiki entries with that kind of thing. A reference like that surely belongs in disambiguations? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.85.200.115 (talk) 00:46, 14 September 2014 (UTC)

 Done
 — Berean Hunter (talk) 00:51, 14 September 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 24 September 2014

In the section "Death", the fourth paragraph, final sentence reads "This theory poses that Houdini may of thus not realized that his stomach pains were coming from appendicitis and did not realize the medical seriousness of the situation." This is ungrammatical and clumsy, and contains the superfluous modifier "thus". Suggest rewriting to "This theory states that Houdini may not have realized that his stomach pains were symptomatic of appendicitis, and could not appreciate the potentially critical effect of the blows to his abdomen." 12.233.147.42 (talk) 01:43, 25 September 2014 (UTC) [EDIT] The preceding sentence to the above, "One possible theory poses that Houdini was already suffering from appendicitis however wasn't aware of it," also requires an edit. "Possible" is completely unnecessary here, as is the oft-confusing "however". Suggest rewriting to "One theory suggests that Houdini was unaware that he was suffering from appendicitis." 12.233.147.42 (talk) 01:51, 25 September 2014 (UTC)

I've reworded it slightly to avoid repetition of "theory", but taken your suggestions. --Escape Orbit (Talk) 16:52, 25 September 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 4 October 2014

In the "Houdini grave site" section there is a typo. In the third paragraph it says "now card for". It should say "now cared for". Sjps999 (talk) 07:24, 4 October 2014 (UTC)

Done Cannolis (talk) 08:50, 4 October 2014 (UTC)


Houdini gravesite

original:

For a time, the Society of American Magicians took responsibility for the upkeep of the site, as Houdini had willed a large sum of money to the organization he had grown from one club to its present-day 5,000-6,000 dues-paying membership worldwide. This upkeep was abandoned by the society's dean George Schindler, who said "the operator of the cemetery, David Jacobson, sends us a bill for upkeep every year but we never pay it."[68]

Machpelah Cemetery operator Jacobson said, "The Society of American Magicians never paid the cemetery for any restoration of the Houdini family plot in my tenure since 1988," claiming that the money came from the cemetery's dwindling funds. The granite monuments of Houdini's sister, Gladys, and brother, Leopold, are missing.[69]

The Houdini grave site is now cared for by the Houdini Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania.[67]

update:

For a time, The Society of American Magicians took responsibility for the upkeep of the site. Houdini had willed a large sum of money to the organization that he helped grow from one club to its present-day 5,000-6,000 dues-paying membership worldwide.

The Houdini gravesite was then cared for by the Houdini Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania.[67]

In November 2013, The Society of American Magicians formed a committee for the restoration of the Houdini gravesite with National President-Elect David Bowers as its chairman. The organization will pay the cemetery annually to maintain the site. Restoration of the glass mosaic, exedra, and other pieces will begin in spring 2015 with completion by 2017.

Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page). The Society of American Magicians, National Council Meeting Minutes November 9, 2013

David W Bowers (talk) 18:52, 6 October 2014 (UTC) David Bowers This will also be verified by forthcoming articles in the NY Daily News and the Queens Chronicle. — Preceding unsigned comment added by David W Bowers (talk • contribs) 18:56, 6 October 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 15 October 2014

In the "Debunking spiritualists" section, it refers to Houdini's book 'A Magician Among the Spirits'. This contains a link to an album with the same name, rather than anything connected with the book, so it seems like the link should be removed. 90.195.152.221 (talk) 22:26, 15 October 2014 (UTC)

Done Stickee (talk) 02:22, 16 October 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 16 November 2014

Harry Houdini (born Erik Weisz in Budapest, later Ehrich Weiss or Harry Weiss; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American illusionist and stunt performer, noted for his sensational escape acts. He first attracted notice as "Harry Handcuff Houdini" on a tour of Europe, where he challenged police forces to keep him locked up. Soon he extended his repertoire to include chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers, straitjackets under water, and having to hold his breath inside a sealed milk can.

In 1904 , thousands watched as he tried to escape from special handcuffs commissioned by London's Daily Mirror, keeping them in suspense for an hour.

HE CAME BACK FROM THE DEATH??' 173.33.187.99 (talk) 01:05, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

 Not done It is unclear what change you are requesting. --- Barek (talk • contribs) - 01:09, 16 November 2014 (UTC)
  • Perhaps the reader got their dates confused? The year 1904 falls twenty-two years before 1926, so Houdini would have been 100% alive during his handcuff-related escapades. ŞůṜīΣĻ¹98¹Speak 01:38, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 8 January 2015

"HOUDINI GRAVE SITE" SECTION

Wiki Article Reference Link 73 http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/31/houdinis-final-trick-a-tidy-grave/?_r=0

WIKI READS

This upkeep was abandoned by the society's dean George Schindler, who said "the operator of the cemetery, David Jacobson, sends us a bill for upkeep every year but we never pay it." (73)

THIS GIVES FALSE IMPRESSION OF ABANDONMENT BY SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MAGICIANS AND SHOULD BE CHANGED TO THE FOLLOWING

The payment of upkeep was abandoned by the society's dean George Schindler, who said “Houdini paid for perpetual care, but there’s nobody at the cemetery to provide it,” adding that the operator of the cemetery, David Jacobson, “sends us a bill for upkeep every year but we never pay it because he never provides any care.” The Society tidies the grave themselves.

FionnTheas (talk) 22:16, 8 January 2015 (UTC)

Done  B E C K Y S A Y L E S  00:07, 9 January 2015 (UTC)

Houdini and Martin Beck Met in St. Paul, not in Woodstock.

Regarding the third paragraph of the "Magic career" section of this article, Houdini did not meet Martin Beck in Woodstock, Illinois. Where did this erroneous information come from? To my knowledge, not one credible Houdini author or other researcher denies that Houdini met Beck in St. Paul, MN, where Houdini was performing at Palm Garden. How could Wikipedia editors overlook this? The person who wrote this part of the article didn't even cite where he or she got the information. Why? Because, unless the editor has access to information that every major Houdini biographer, past and present, somehow missed, it's not true. If I edit the article to correct the misinformation, and use sources, will I be shut down by any of the editors overseeing this page?

Here are a couple of credible quotes/sources right off the bat (from the two most recent major biographies), but there are many more:

"An escaped con with a hankering to shed his bracelets wasn't the only big fish that Houdini reeled in during that engagement in St. Paul. One night a party of theater managers came to see his show. One of them was Martin Beck, the powerful impresario who ran the Orpheum vaudeville circuit, ... Beck, who was based in Chicago, had probably read about Houdini's escape from Rohan's cuffs. Now he wanted to see the magician do it firsthand. He returned the next night with three sets of cuffs that he'd purchased. Houdini defeated them all." [1]

"The reversal began at a St. Paul, Minnesota, beer hall, the Palm garden—one of the earlier contracts Harry meant to fulfill as he considered retiring. A party of sightseeing theater managers dropped in. One of them, Martin Beck, challenged him to escape some handcuffs ..." [2]

Houdinimuseum (talk) 21:46, 26 January 2015 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 16 April 2015

Please correct the date of S.A.M. Assembly 3 of Chicago from 1917 to the correct date, 1919. Source: I'm the current president of the Assembly, and we have the original charter document, dated 1919, in our possession. Jazzman990 (talk) 16:56, 16 April 2015 (UTC)

 Not done - although it may seem counter intuitive - that is not acceptable at Wikipedia as it is not readily verifiable - is this information published anywhere in a reliable source that readers can check? - Arjayay (talk) 17:04, 16 April 2015 (UTC)

why did harry Houdini do magic

can you plz tell me why did harry Houdini do magic — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.76.24.16 (talk) 14:42, 5 May 2015 (UTC)

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Semi-protected edit request on 24 January 2016

I wanted to add a something to the "Legacy" section. I want to add: In the Japanese tokusatsu, Kamen Rider Ghost, the spirit of Harry Houdini, helps the character Kamen Rider Specter/Makoto Fukami to access his flying/escape artist Houdini Damashii form. It is ironic that Houdini's spirit is one of the 15 legendary spirits since he is known for debunking spiritualists. Krghost2016 (talk) 20:46, 24 January 2016 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Bazj (talk) 20:09, 2 February 2016 (UTC)

Hungarian/Jewish American?

Take a look at WP:OPENPARA note #3.2. Then look at the bios in categories like American people of Jewish descent. Unless there is a compelling reason to specify Houdini's ethnicity and religion in the lead sentence, we should leave it out. - LuckyLouie (talk) 16:00, 31 March 2016 (UTC)

i

Houdini didn't believe that i at the end of a word meant "like" in French, he associated an i at the end of a word with prestige. I read this in a biography of Houdini. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:197:301:3E3D:21B:63FF:FECA:8BB4 (talk) 00:43, 23 April 2016 (UTC)

Houdini in Popular culture

  • An episode of Quincy ME has a murder case involving a underwater escape artist who learned the challenge secret from Houdini {"The Death Challenge"}
  • An episode of Simon & Simon has the Simon brothers investigating a magician death-possibly connected with a missing book of Houdini's secrets? {"Grand Illusion"}
  • An episode of The Real Ghostbusters cartoon series has the Ghostbusters trying to trap the ghost of Houdini who escapes from every trap they put him in-and which also involves a crooked magician who stole notes of Houdini secrets! {"The Cabinet of Calamari"} — Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.5.80.190 (talk) 11:53, 9 June 2016 (UTC)

Birth Date

I am very surprised no mention is made of his puzzling assertion all his life that he was born on 6th April (1874 in Appleton Wisconsin). OK, he lied about Appleton, but his Budapest birth certificate http://www.buveszmusor.hu/am/AM_2001-2_20.pdf certainly gives 24th March 1874. It seems as though he tried to make some conversion from Julian to Gregorian (which would give 5th April either 1874 or 1875 depending on when the Julian year number changed (in England on March 25th); but Budapest had actually been using the Gregorian calendar since 1587. Could the Budapest Jews have still used the Julian? And it is still one day wrong, which implies he was also trying to harmonise the day of the week.

All very odd

217.38.80.109 (talk) 20:32, 2 September 2016 (UTC)

I forget the explanation but the issue has been exhaustively discussed. See the two archive links in the box above the first comment on this page. Johnuniq (talk) 23:46, 2 September 2016 (UTC)

Father not a rabbi, but a Jewish soap maker

According to this article [1] and others, Houdini's father was a soap maker, not a rabbi. --Ghettobuoy (talk) 05:08, 9 July 2016 (UTC)

Perhaps you can be both?

217.38.80.229 (talk) 22:36, 4 September 2016 (UTC)

Summary / Overview section needs citations / refs

What is meant by: "As President of the Society of American Magicians, he was keen to uphold professional standards and expose fraudulent artists." - What is a "fraudulent artist"? How would one "expose" a fraud, if one could even prove what that meant? Since magic, so-called, is deception by definition, ALL magic tricks can be viewed as a scam or fraud. Therefore, it is impossible to "expose" a fraud, which is already a fraud by definition. How did he accomplish this? Was it a matter of degrees? This statement needs to be backed up with evidence, or removed. It makes it sound like Houdini had a monopoly on "real" tricks and / or magic, and was the authority over was or was not "fraud". (by 98.194.39.86 on Nov 2, 2016).

Search for the other appearances of the word "fraud" in the article, and you will see that this is a reference to magicians who would claim to have paranormal abilities, which he spent much time debunking late in his career. Also some cases where he exposed magicians who claimed to have invented tricks that originated with others. The Wikipedia manual of style says that citations are not required in the lede paragraph (see WP:CITELEAD) unless the material is likely to be challenged. The lede is generally supposed to summarize the rest of the article, so the presumption is a reader can easily find the summarized material elsewhere in the article and see the citations there. (In this case, by invoking the search function in the browser and looking for "fraud"). --Krelnik (talk) 18:23, 2 November 2016 (UTC)

Proposed merge with The House of Houdini

Does not seem to be a notable subject and the article is unlikely to be expanded much. - MrX 18:38, 22 January 2017 (UTC)

  • Support – This makes sense. Thank you for your proposal. Patrick. ツ Pdebee.(talk)(guestbook) 20:06, 22 January 2017 (UTC)
  • Oppose and Keep No compliance with WP:Before. Article is now vastly improved and should be free standing. 7&6=thirteen (☎) 22:13, 22 January 2017 (UTC)
User:MrX so much for your prediction that "the article is unlikely to be expanded much." 7&6=thirteen (☎) 16:46, 23 January 2017 (UTC)
Well 7&6=thirteen, aren't you just the little magician mathematician in your big top hat!- MrX 17:18, 23 January 2017 (UTC)
Does this affect your vote/motion? 7&6=thirteen (☎) 17:26, 23 January 2017 (UTC)
Yes, I withdraw the merge proposal.- MrX 17:30, 23 January 2017 (UTC)
Speedy keep should apply. 7&6=thirteen (☎) 17:55, 24 January 2017 (UTC)

Fixing

On death section, there is this "gesturing that he had had enough, and adding that he had had no opportunity to prepare himself against the blows", please fix. . .36.84.70.62 (talk) 05:34, 17 April 2016 (UTC)

 Fixed 7&6=thirteen (☎) 14:51, 9 June 2016 (UTC)

This sentence was actually correct before (with "had had" in each place). It's the past perfect tense. It's incorrect now. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.187.118.150 (talk) 17:21, 13 August 2017 (UTC)


Also, this sentence in the "Mirror" section is troubling. "This set of cuffs is believed to be one of only six in the world, some of which are not on display." Clearly, there are not only six sets of cuffs in the world, so some indication is needed of what rare feature these cuffs share with only five other sets. Is it that they are Brahman? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.187.118.150 (talk) 17:23, 13 August 2017 (UTC)

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Semi-protected edit request on 10 February 2018

The "In Popular Culture" section could use a mention of the "Hard Case" 2017/2018 comic series "Minky Woodcock: The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini".

Not sure whether a site link, or something more neutral like a review is appropriate.

Official Site: https://www.minkywoodcock.com/

Review: https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/11/17/minky-woodcock-girl-houdini-review/ 108.202.33.17 (talk) 23:10, 10 February 2018 (UTC)

 Not done: Entries in the "In popular culture" sections should already have their own articles before being included. If you want to start a Minky Woodcock: The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini article, I encourage you to do so. I would just suggest reading Your First Article beforehand and use the Article Wizard. Good luck. Eggishorn (talk) (contrib) 05:35, 13 February 2018 (UTC)

"Escape artist" and his studio

Several scholarly works indicate that the so-called "escape attempts" were pre-planned with colleagues in his troupe, successfully deceiving the spectators. Similarly, police or prison guards may induce or contribute to an incident which they can claim to have been an "escape". After having reviewed the photographs, it cannot be said that Houdini`s restraints were tightened to the point of loss-of-circulation, discolouration, abrasions, of his arms and legs, thus his motivation to remove such bonds must be scrutinised, especially in such a strictly-controlled-environment.126.3.27.25 (talk) 07:52, 6 October 2018 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 27 November 2018

Bithplace is untrue 207.38.173.82 (talk) 15:58, 27 November 2018 (UTC)

 Not done. It's not clear what change(s) you want to make. Please make a precise request and provide reliable source(s) to back up any claims. –Deacon Vorbis (carbon • videos) 16:17, 27 November 2018 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 16 April 2019

Most biographers give his height as 5 ft 5 in, but descriptions vary. — Please use metric. 178.122.83.52 (talk) 13:45, 16 April 2019 (UTC)

 Done, thanks! ‑‑ElHef (Meep?) 13:59, 16 April 2019 (UTC)

Category

@John from Idegon:,

sure, but read also here carefully, after I'll wait a few days, but the case is evident (for more thorough details anyone may check the articles of Austria-Hungary, Kingdom of Hungary (1526–1867), etc.):

The claim that because Budapest was in Austria-Hungary does not have any connection to the "verifiablity" of Austrian-Jewish descent ->

- Austria-Hungary was a joint monarchy of two separate states, with a totally distinct internal affairs

- There was no "Austro-Hungarian" citizenship, a subject was Austrian or Hungarian, never both (dual citizenship was banned), any Hungarian subject was alien to the Austrian Empire as vica versa.

- Budapest has been the capital of Hungary (Transleithania) with no connection to Austria, which capital has been Vienna (Cisleithania)

- the fact the page earlier contained this category was the mistake of someone who did not know generally the status and affairs of Austria-Hungary entirely with the common misbeliefs as referred earlier, since a long time these are repaired in WP.

Consequently:

- the category of "American people of Austrian-Jewish descent" is meant for people of Jewish descent that were (or the subjects ancestors) citizen of anytime Austria

- if you check the list of people in this category the people are not Hungarian but Austrian subjects, because the fact the two states made a monarchy did not change anything of the status quo of legal affairs and authorities in their respective territories, including citizenship. (there are only two Hungarians there from the Gabor family, and just and only because part of they ancestors originated from Galicia, that was part of the Austrian Empire then, thus for them both categories hold - despite they were only Hungarian citizens, but anyland-Jewish descent lineage is meant fo all ancestors and their respective citizenships)

- thus, Harry Houdini, born in Hungary, Budapest, a Hungarian native and citizen (thus cannot be a citizen of Austria), cannot be put into this category, unless there is verified he gained once Austrian citizenship and lost the Hungarian one, or it is verified that any of his ancestors of Jewish heritage had ever been the citizen of anytime Austria.(KIENGIR (talk) 21:00, 11 May 2019 (UTC))

Your arguments are not convincing. If you replace it (again), you'll clearly be edit warring. Content is dictated by consensus which you lack. I might suggest WP:DR. John from Idegon (talk) 22:33, 11 May 2019 (UTC)
@John from Idegon:, this is your opinion (amazed why it would be "not convincing"), but my arguments are flawless and professional, as similar cases we already successfully conducted regarding Nikola Tesla, Albert Einstein, Hermann Oberth or Philipp Lenard and many others in the past years, etc. and especially I care such cases from a long while with an expertise knowlegde in the area. Excuse me, we are far from edit warring, and I am sure that 7&6=thirteen understood the case (he did not maker any futher objection). In such cases if I opened the talk (= started consensus building), argued and it is not objected after waiting a considerable amount of time (a few days) and I make a bold edit again and there is no objection, that means it gained consensus. WP:DR is too early and unnecessary in this phase, and due to the weight, that is a very easy everyday case of repair of mistaken categorization. You can be sure I know the corresponding WP rules.(KIENGIR (talk) 22:44, 11 May 2019 (UTC))

Spiritualism

Why remove Category:Spiritualism? --Hob Gadling (talk) 16:35, 17 June 2019 (UTC)

Wrong Grace Hospital linked

Hi everyone.

While correct that Houdini died in Grace Hospital, it was not the current DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital as linked. The Grace Hospital where HH died was torn down in 1979 and replaced with the Harper Professional Building at 4160 John R St. This is part of the larger Harper-Wayne University Hospital complex.

https://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2015/08/houdinis-detroit-today.html --Zencato (talk) 01:15, 13 September 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 26 March 2020

Please let people edit this page. Laundrydish (talk) 18:15, 26 March 2020 (UTC)

Magic man

I dispute the inclusion of "magic man" in the first sentence. Is that description commonly used in reliable sources? Readers will be unsure what exactly that means and won't find help on Wikipedia; Magic Man (disambiguation) doesn't link to anything supporting this usage. This was most recently added by three IPs (at least two of which are almost certainly the same user), and I will notify them of this discussion at their talk pages. Firefangledfeathers (talk) 21:19, 30 April 2021 (UTC)

The IP has been making similar edits in a variety of articles, getting reverted by different editors and accumulating a selection of warning templates on his/her talk page. Chiswick Chap (talk) 18:56, 1 May 2021 (UTC)

"buried alive" link

The "buried alive" link is not to an article about the trick which I assume was the intention, but to the phenomenon of premature burial in general, which seems barely relevant. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.243.33.235 (talk) 03:36, 27 August 2021 (UTC)

Duplicate text

"In 1919, Houdini moved to Los Angeles to film. He resided in 2435 Laurel Canyon Boulevard" appears twice in different sections, followed by more duplicate text. Originally, a longer line of sentences were identical, but they have evolved away from each other. I would delete or shorten one of them, but I think there are other users more familiar with the article structure who would do it better than me. --Hob Gadling (talk) 15:53, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

Photo date

The main photo of Houdini in chains is from 1903, not 1899. --Zencato (talk) 20:55, 5 June 2022 (UTC)

The Weird Tales stories

Is there any information as to who wrote the other stories in Weird Tales ? -- Beardo (talk) 16:53, 29 July 2022 (UTC)

Unreliable autobiographical information

As I understand it, one of the difficulties of writing about Houdini is that he wasn't a reliable source of information about himself. He (as I understand it) made up stories about himself for publicity. For example, [story] says that his story about being stuck under ice was an invention by himself, and that it never actually happened. It would make an interesting section for this page. SnappingTurtle (talk) 18:44, 19 August 2022 (UTC)

Houdini foster the people pop culture

Houdini foster the people pop culture 162.142.48.254 (talk) 08:01, 6 March 2023 (UTC)

  1. ^ The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero, by William Kalush and Larry Sloman, p. 80
  2. ^ Houdini!!!: The Career of Ehrich Weiss, by Kenneth Silverman, p. 22
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