His actual death was less dramatic, but more mysterious. Houdini successfully performed the “Chinese Water Torture Cell” (its actual name) hundreds of times and it had nothing to do with his death. The dying Harry vows to his weeping wife that he will come back from beyond the grave. Houdini is revived, but it is too little, too late. The tank is smashed open with an axe, flooding the stage with water. However, Houdini struggles and loses consciousness underwater. His feet are locked in stocks and he is plunged head first into the tank. However, during his next show, the rowdy audience demands he perform it, as it had been advertised for the show. His wife, knowing how dangerous the trick is, begs him not to do it and he agrees not to. Houdini builds a spectacular “Pagoda Torture Chamber,” a tank that somewhat resembles a phone booth filled with water. The most riveting scene in the movie is the final one, which depicts how Houdini died. One of the reasons why his fame has endured for over a century is the boost he received from the 1953 movie, Houdini, in which Tony Curtis played the title role.

He died almost 100 years ago, and he is still the most famous magician who ever lived. It’s almost impossible to overstate how famous magician and escape artist Harry Houdini was.

Houdini in water tank