Houdini's Final Appearance? - September 24, 2007

 

While the old showbiz saying is that "the show must go on," not many performers would "go on" with appendicitis and a temperature of 104°, allowing themselves to be suspended upside down (from an ankle he'd broken less than two weeks before) into a small tank of water.  Not many performers are Harry Houdini, though. Legend says that Houdini died of appendicitis brought on by a punch to his stomach.  The truth is that, punch or not, his appendix would have burst anyway. On October 24, 1926, the escapologist gave his final performance kn Detroit before the pain became too great for even the stubborn Houdini to ignore -- and even then, he refused surgery until the next day.  It was too late, though; the damage had been done. Most patients would have died within hours, but Houdini's body and will were so strong that he hung on for four days, dying on Halloween.  In the decades since, numerous attempts have been made to contact Houdini beyond the grave, but so far, even he hasn't been able to pull off the greatest escape. Suggested Sites... Houdini Tribute: Houdini's Death - photos of Houdini's grave, video of his funeral, and much more about his life and death. Wild About Harry - John Cox's blog with daily doses of Houdini news. Harry Houdini and His Unusual Will - information about the magician's final bequests. Snopes.com: Punched Out - debunks the rumors surrounding the escapologist's death. Wikipedia: Harry Houdini - good overview of Houdini's life, with links to the Houdini Museum and other sites dedicated to the magician.