Houdini

4 Stories

Police: Magician Did Not Survive Houdini Stunt

His peers say mistakes cost 'Mandrake' his life

(Newser) - A Houdini stunt in the Hooghly River was Mandrake the magician's last act, police in India say. The body of the magician, whose real name was Chanchal Lahiri, was pulled from the river Monday, a day after he was lowered into the water bound with a chain and six...

He Attempted a Houdini Trick, and It May Have Killed Him

Chanchal Lahiri didn't emerge from the Hooghly river on Sunday

(Newser) - He tried to do as Houdini once did—and it may have killed him. An Indian magician was lowered into the Hooghly river in West Bengal state on Sunday, his body bound with a chain and six locks in a Houdini-style trick, reports the BBC . Chanchal Lahiri's intention was...

Here's Why 'Buried Alive' Stunts Are a Bad Idea

UK's Antony Britton almost died when he was smothered in soil

(Newser) - Antony Britton's plan: to pull a Harry Houdini and claw his way to the surface after being handcuffed and buried underneath 6 feet of soil. But his charity stunt in West Yorkshire on Saturday took an almost deadly turn when the escape artist was smothered by the dirt and...

Magicians to Fix Up Houdini's Grave, Keep It Clean

After disputes with cemetery management, magic society to take over upkeep

(Newser) - Nestled next to the late Lewins, Blums, and Levys in a spooky old cemetery in New York City lies the final resting place of America's most legendary magician, interred under a granite monument that bears his stage name in bold letters: Houdini. It's an impressive tribute to the...

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