Houdini Challenges

Houdini developed an escape from a coffin buried in sand which he only performed a few times due to the danger involved. In 1926, a young Egyptian fakir Rahman Bey was performing an act in which he demonstrated his mind control over physical matters by sticking pins through his cheek, lying on swords, and being sealed in a coffin for 8 minutes. Houdini learned of the show and went to see it and was apparently quite peeved. Bey seeking publicity in the same manner Houdini had perfected had himself sealed in a metal coffin and dropped into the Hudson River. Bey managed to remain without air for 20 minutes. The master of oneupsmanship, Houdini apparently felt challenged and arranged a similar test for himself. He remained inside a sealed coffin which had been lowered into the Hotel Shelton pool at temperatures up to 99 degrees for an hour and thirty-one minutes. Houdini wrote to friends saying, "there is no invention to it, there is no trick, there is no fake; you simply lie down in a coffin and breathe quietly." The Buried Alive poster was the last one Houdini had printed. (Source: Houdini!!! by Kenneth Silverman)

The Buried Alive poster is available from www.LeeJacobsProductions.com. Their website is accessible from the home page of this site.

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