Sunday, October 3, 2021

FLASHBACK: The Prison Cell & Barrel Mystery

It was 117 years ago today that Houdini introduced his Prison Cell & Barrel Mystery at the Regent Theater in Salford. It was his first original invention since Metamorphosis and he featured it for several years. So why is this escape almost completely forgotten today?

I tackled that question back in 2017. So on this anniversary, why not revisit: The Prison Cell & Barrel Mystery...or misfire?
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1 comment:

  1. Leo HeviaOctober 3, 2021 at 9:03 AM

    The Prison & Barrel mystery broke the challenge rule. It was doomed. The handcuffs had to be supplied by the audience, and the packing case had to be built by the challengers onstage. Escaping from a barrel supplied by a barrel maker was acceptable. The prison cage was rightly suspected of being faked. I'm sure audiences suspected the Milk Can and USD of being faked somehow, but the danger of drowning overrode that.

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