Debunking their parlor-trick acts became a sort of second career for him, one that put him at odds with, among others, Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Once he became famous, he took to attacking spiritualists, who were thriving in the early part of the last century with claims that they could communicate with the dead. Houdini (1874-1926) became an international star with his daring escapes and illusions, rising from sideshow-style schlock to performances in theaters and opera houses by combining showmanship and a knack for publicity. The script, though, is less than he deserved. A fine, Oscar-winning actor, Adrien Brody, was recruited for the title role, and he’s a treat to watch. The History channel is the latest to try telling his story, with “Houdini,” a two-parter being broadcast Monday and Tuesday nights.
Harry Houdini spent his later years debunking mystics and their séances, but he inadvertently proved that there is life after death in at least one sense: Make your time on earth grand and eventful, as he did, and people will be fascinated by you long after you’re gone.
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