![]() ![]() He became widely known as "The Handcuff King." His show was an immediate hit and his salary rose to $300 a week. He succeeded in baffling the police so effectively that he was booked at the Alhambra for six months. He was introduced to William Melville and gave a demonstration of escape from handcuffs at Scotland Yard. Dundas Slater, then manager of the Alhambra Theatre. After some days of unsuccessful interviews in London, Houdini's British agent Harry Day helped him to get an interview with C. In 1900, Beck arranged for Houdini to tour Europe. Within months, he was performing at the top vaudeville houses in the country. Impressed by Houdini's handcuffs act, Beck advised him to concentrate on escape acts and booked him on the Orpheum vaudeville circuit. Houdini's big break came in 1899 when he met manager Martin Beck in St. Bess was initially courted by Dash, but she and Houdini married in 1894, with Bess replacing Dash in the act, which became known as "The Houdinis." For the rest of Houdini's performing career, Bess worked as his stage assistant. In 1893, while performing with his brother "Dash" (Theodore) at Coney Island as "The Brothers Houdini," Houdini met a fellow performer, Wilhelmina Beatrice "Bess" Rahner. He soon began experimenting with escape acts. At one point, he billed himself as the "King of Cards". Houdini focused initially on traditional card tricks. He performed in dime museums and sideshows, and even doubled as "The Wild Man" at a circus. He began his career in 1891, appearing in a tent act with strongman Emil Jarrow. Born as Erik Weisz, later Ehrich Weiss or Harry Weiss, Harry Houdini was born in Budapest (Hungary) on 24 March 1874. ![]()
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