House of Houdini Commemorates Famous Hungarian in 2026
zita kisgergely
October 2026 will mark 100 years since the death of the escape artist Harry Houdini, one of Hungary’s famous sons from the beginning of the 20th century.
Harry Houdini in 1899. Picture via Wikipedia.
Who was Harry Houdini?
Harry Houdini, born Erik Weiz in 1874 in Budapest, moved to New York with his family at the age of fourteen where he worked several odd jobs. But his true love lay in magic and performance. The stage name he chose, Harry Houdini, was an homage to French magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin and American magician Harry Kellar.
Finding little success in magic, Houdini instead began experimenting as an escape artist. This was how he first caught public attention. His repertoire included escaping from hand-cuffs, which had never been seen before. The act generated newspaper headlines thanks in large part to Houdini’s PR nous. He would often perform these escapes in police stations, thus generating much publicity.
Soon Houdini found himself performing at the leading vaudeville venues in the US and touring Europe. As his popularity grew, so did his repertoire. Houdini’s act began to include escape scenarios from chains, straightjackets while underwater or hanging from ropes slung from skyscrapers, or from sealed milk-cans filled with water.
Houdini performing an escape from the water torture cell. Picture via Wikipedia.
By 1912 he was performing a feat that would go on to be his signature “escape” for the rest of his life. It involved him being suspended upside down in a locked glass cabinet filled with water, which required him to hold his breath for more than three minutes. Houdini would go on to became one of the highest paid acts in vaudeville. One of his most noteworthy non-escape performances was when he managed to “disappear” an elephant live on stage at the New York Hippodrome.
Houdini and Films
Houdini saw the potential in film as a supplement to his live acts and began showing footage of his outdoor escapes as part of his act in 1906. This soon expanded to short films that Houdini starred in which showcased his routines as part of the narratives.
The Master Mystery 15-part series poster from 1918.
Houdini went on to star in The Master Mystery, a 15-part series which was released in 1918. This led to him making two films for Paramount Pictures, The Grim Game (1919) and Terror Island (1920). Only The Grim Game film has managed to survive, restored by Turner Classic Movies and shown on TCM in 2015.
Houdini went on to start his own film production company in New York, producing and starring in two films in the early 1920s, The Man from Beyond and Haldane of the Secret Service.
The Grim Game film poster from 1919.
House of Houdini in Budapest
Located in the castle district, the House of Houdini is a celebration of everything Houdini. Featuring the biggest permanent collection of original Houdini personal artefacts in Europe, the museum also includes memorabilia from films depicting his life (starring Adrian Brody as Houdini). It offers an evocative introduction to Houdini’s life and his feats.
The House of Houdini was founded by David Merlini, a celebrated Hungarian-Italian escapologist himself who cites Houdini as being a major source of inspiration. The admission ticket includes a tour as well as a magic show.
House of Houdini in Budapest’s Castle District.
Houdini 100 Festivities Kick off for 2026
As reported in Hungary Today, Houdini 100 is a series of happenings the House of Houdini is organizing for 2026 in collaboration with the Hungarian Hollywood Council, Origo Film Studio, the Budapest Hungarian Circus and Eötvös 10. The planned events – including a film festival, a circus act, the unveiling of a statue as well as a quiz show – are being organized to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Houdini’s death in October 1926.
The festivities will kick off on October 30th at Eötvös 10 on October 30 with screenings and a performance at Budapest Grand Circus. A film competition aimed at young people under 25 has also been launched together with a film festival to be held October 30-31 entitled “Houdini 100 – Magic” organized with the Hungarian Hollywood Council. Young film lovers are encouraged to submit a short of up to 15 minutes in length – filmed on a smart phone or device – on the subject of magic.
This seems a fitting celebration to Harry Houdini, surely one of Hungary’s favourite sons, and his love of delivering thrilling performances to his audience.
Sources & further information
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