Trick That Fooled Houdini?

Hey, I have been looking through some books and what not and constantly see the title: "The Trick That Fooled Houdini." But, I also so a video with Dai Vernon talking about an ACR that fooled Houdini.

So what really was the trick that fooled houdini???

The ACR???
Dissapearing Watch????
Or The Torn And Restored Newspaper???
 
Aug 31, 2007
467
1
Canada
It was an ACR in a way.

He simplified it by openly placing HH's card second from the top then showing it on top, and repeated.
 

bd

Jun 26, 2008
584
2
San Francisco, California
Harry Houdini was not a "magician" - at least, not in the sense that many people think of magicians today. He (H. Houdini) was an escape artist. Sure, I'm positive that he knew some basic sleight of hand using cards, coins - maybe even sponge balls, who knows. He was famous for his stunts of physical ability, much like some people think of David Blaine today.

The "Trick That Fooled Houdini" was a very basic ACR, performed by Dai Vernon, employing sleights like the Marlo Tilt, Double Lift, and using a double backer. As someone said earlier, he even openly placed it (Houdini's card) second from the top, and then showed that it has risen to the top.

I believe that this was so effective in fooling the great escapist for two reasons:

1) Double backers were not as widely used and known about as they are today. Due to the nature of the gaff card, it couldn't exactly be publicly advertised - it was most likely advertised in magic shops; which Houdini didn't visit too often, because he was not a "simple magician".

2) Even if he had heard about it (the double backer), Houdini did not oft dabble in the art of card magic, therefore he probably had very little knowledge of the use of such a card. Think of the very first time you saw a double backer, way back when you were young (or at least, I was). You, like myself, probably had NO idea what you could POSSIBLY do with a card that had no face. That is, until you began reading the tricks you could perform with it.


Just my thoughts on the Trick That Fooled Houdini.
 
May 31, 2008
1,914
0
ACR with a double-backed card. I actually tell the story about Dai Vernon fooling Houdini as my patter. It works really well.
 
Sep 1, 2007
22
0
Las Vegas
Look on the Garret Thoma's DVD's...I think it's volume 1 or 2...check to make sure...but he performs it and his patter explains the story. He's great anyway, lot's of cool stuff on his DVD's...
 
Jan 1, 2009
2,241
3
Back in Time
The effect itself is taught on a ton of books and DVD's. You don't really need to buy anything besides a double backer, If you have that and know how to do a simple DL and a tilt. Then you already know the routine.
 
Dec 30, 2008
675
1
31
Harry Houdini was not a "magician" - at least, not in the sense that many people think of magicians today. He (H. Houdini) was an escape artist. Sure, I'm positive that he knew some basic sleight of hand using cards, coins - maybe even sponge balls, who knows. He was famous for his stunts of physical ability, much like some people think of David Blaine today.

The "Trick That Fooled Houdini" was a very basic ACR, performed by Dai Vernon, employing sleights like the Marlo Tilt, Double Lift, and using a double backer. As someone said earlier, he even openly placed it (Houdini's card) second from the top, and then showed that it has risen to the top.

I believe that this was so effective in fooling the great escapist for two reasons:

1) Double backers were not as widely used and known about as they are today. Due to the nature of the gaff card, it couldn't exactly be publicly advertised - it was most likely advertised in magic shops; which Houdini didn't visit too often, because he was not a "simple magician".

2) Even if he had heard about it (the double backer), Houdini did not oft dabble in the art of card magic, therefore he probably had very little knowledge of the use of such a card. Think of the very first time you saw a double backer, way back when you were young (or at least, I was). You, like myself, probably had NO idea what you could POSSIBLY do with a card that had no face. That is, until you began reading the tricks you could perform with it.


Just my thoughts on the Trick That Fooled Houdini.

1 a 1 aHoudinicards.jpg

Funny nickname for an escape artist..... ;)
 
May 31, 2008
1,914
0
View attachment 1516

Funny nickname for an escape artist..... ;)

I have that poster!

Houdini started out doing magic and was rather good at it. If I'm not mistaken I think he invented the Metamorphosis illusion. He started having people bring handcuffs to his small shows at carnivals and escaping them. People told him that he was great at escapes and that he should drop the whole magic thing. He still continued to do magic, but his shows were mainly escapes. Even his escapes had magical twists to them.

Also:

http://media.theory11.com/1348-How-Dai-Vernon-Fooled-Houdini

If you guys want to learn more about Houdini, the History Channel airs a documentary about him every-once-in-a-while.
 
Sep 1, 2007
279
1
When Vernon fooled Houdini he didn't use a tilt or any other depth illusion. He simply placed the chosen card second from the top and magically it became the top card. He repeated this seven times in total. After the first three or so times Houdini signed the card because he thought Vernon was using a duplicate. After that Houdini thuoght Vernon was using a thumbwriter to duplicate his signature... And this is the same guy who said that he could figure out any trick if he saw it three times.

This is how the story is told by Vernon himself on the Revelations videos.
 
Sep 16, 2008
100
0
It was the ACR, Houdini claimed that he can tell how the trick is done by seeing it three times, vernon did the trick seven times and still Houdini was not able to catch him, in one of the videos Dai Vernon said it himself that Houdini is not a magician he is an escape artist.
 
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