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Instead of simply relaxing and enjoying his
new higher income, Houdini invested in advertising his legend.
He embarked on one of the largest personal promotional campaigns
in the history of vaudeville. He bought space in the theatrical
weeklies on the sound theory that bookers must be sold before
the public. He advertised in Mahatma, the magic magazine of the
day. If he as to succeed then the profession must be informed
about his progress. He became a master letter writer. He mailed
hundreds of copies of his newspaper stories to friends, business
associates, and fellow magician, conjurers, and illusionists
across the country.
When his Orpheum tour ended, Beck sold the
Houdini show to the Keith Theater tour. Houdini was now a
headliner. With each new town, he would pull a challenge
publicity stunt which would pack the houses and lead to extended
engagements. On April 211th in 1900, Houdini did his first jail
escape as a publicity stunt in Kansas City. To add credibility
to his now bulging press package, he would include printed
copies of letters from the Chief of police, John Hayes,
declaring that Houdini did indeed escape after being stripped
nude, searched, handcuffed and manacled, from an absolutely
burglar proofed cell. By May of that same year the competitors
began to appear. Houdini had done the ground breaking for the
escape act. Now, escape kings were appearing like rabbits out of
a hat.
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"The Houdini imitators began to magically appear
like rabbits out of a hat."
Instead of competing with them where he had
already done his magic show and escape act and was now well
known, Houdini decided to take a gamble and move to a new
market. In 1900 he booked passage to Europe. Without a single
booking, without an agent, he had faith enough in his
promotional wizardry, that he knew that he could sell his magic
and ecape act in Europe.
Houdini's next challenge was to take on
Scotland Yard. He invited a reporter to accompany him to the
Police station, where he proceeded to brag until the police
finally cuffed him to shut him up. Houdini knew well in advance
how to effect his release. In Europe this promotional technique
and his escapes also prevailed. He soon became the toast of
London, breaking all theater ticket sales records in England,
France, Spain and Germany. |
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With his new found success in Europe, came
the European magician competitors. They would send letters to
theatre owners suggesting that Houdini did not live up to his
advertising "hype." When he traveled to Germany, he
found himself confronted during one of his performances by one
of his ever increasing competitors, E. Hilmar, a German
magician. the man called Houdini a fraud complaining that he was
not a true escape artist and not even a real American. This
accusation originated due to Harry's pronunciation of the German
Language which he had spoken as a boy in his own house, not
because of the true knowledge of his birthplace.
Houdini's credibility during the performance
was saved when a man in the audience announced that he had in
fact seen Houdini perform a magic show in America. Instead of
simply barring the likes of the would-be competitor from his
show, Houdini went a step further. He snapped a pair of
handcuffs on the German's wrists and challenged him to escape,
which he could not. The incident gave him the idea to attack his
competitors head on.
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