The Adventurous Life of a Versatile Artist: HoudiniUnknown
History
The Adventurous Life of a Versatile Artist: Houdini
Unknown
Houdini, Harry, 1874-1926; Magicians -- United States -- Biography
Houdini has made, to date, three pictures. The first of these, "The
Master Mystery," a serial, is now enjoying enormous popularity all over
the country. The remaining two, "The Grim Game," and "Terror Island,"
are feature pictures, and are still unreleased by Paramount Artcraft
though this year will see the first-named on our screens. In the making
of "The Master Mystery," Houdini sustained seven black eyes and a
broken wrist. He also broke his wrist whilst making "The Grim Game."
A TENSE MOMENT
"During the screening of this picture I thought at one time in the
course of the action, that my end had come," he told me. "I was 3,000
feet up in an aeroplane, circling over another machine. The plan
was for me to drop from my 'plane into the cockpit of the other by
means of a rope. I was dangling from the rope-end ready for the leap.
Suddenly a strong wind turned the lower plane upwards, the two machines
crashed together--nearly amputating my limbs--the propellers locked
in a deadly embrace, and we were spun round and round and round."
Houdini pronounced the latter words with a peculiarly apt "whirring"
intonation, graphically illustrating them by the circular action of the
arms. "But," he continued, "by a miracle, the 'planes were righted into
a half-glide, and, though they were smashed into splinters by their
terrific impact, I managed to escape unhurt. As usual, Houdini became
undone!" concluded the narrator with a laugh.
HIS GREATEST STUNT
"What do you consider the greatest stunt you have done for the screen?"
I asked, when I had recovered my breath.
"Another incident in the same picture," answered Houdini. "I stood in
the archway of a prison, thus----" Here he took up a crouching position
in the corner of the room, and enacted the whole thing for my benefit.
"A heavily loaded lorry, going at twenty-two or four miles an hour
rolled by me. I threw myself on the ground, completely rolling over
between the fast revolving fore and hind wheels, over and over, till I
caught the transmission bar, and hung there for very dear life! Thus
was I carried to the aid of the heroine. Though my words may not convey
very much, this was my greatest stunt. It allowed for no rehearsals--I
said to the camera-man, 'Get this now or never!' And had I made the
slightest false move I should have been crippled for life, if not
killed."
In spite of the risks he has taken before the camera, Houdini has a
profound love and admiration for the "movies."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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