Recently, I asked my patrons to vote on which regular Houdini publicity stunt was their favorite. By this, I mean a stunt that Houdini did off-stage, typically outdoors, that was strictly about getting newspaper coverage. Here are the scientific results.
#1 Suspended straitjacket (42%) Can't say I'm surprised to see this one reach #1, as it would be my choice as well. Houdini first started doing the suspended straitjacket in 1915 and continued it until the end of his career. Not only could the escape be viewed by a maximum number of spectators, but it always drew headlines along with photos of the incredible crowds. It was also an escape that looked much more dangerous than it actually was. It was a winner in Houdini's day and still a winner today!
#2 Bridge jumps (24%)
Houdini began bridge jumping in 1906, and it quickly replaced jailbreaks as his go-to publicity stunt. Unlike jailbreaks, a bridge jump could be witnessed by the public, and provided dramatic images that always made the papers. However, it was dangerous. Houdini could hit the water wrong or collide with underwater objects, both of which happened. One can understand how Houdini would turn to the lower-risk suspended straitjacket. But bridge jumping remains a classic, and it's the stunt that introduced Houdini as a death defier.
#3 Jailbreaking (15%)
A nice ranking for Houdini's earliest publicity stunt of breaking out of jails after being stripped and searched. He became so associated with the stunt that he was sometimes billed as just "The
Jail Breaker." But jailbreaking had its drawbacks. It could not be witnessed by the public; Houdini had to rely on newspapers to tell the story. And while not dangerous, it was high risk as far as exposure or failure was concerned. There was no stopping reporters from sharing any embarrassing moments, which did happen. But these escapes, especially when he swapped prisoners around the cells, were spectacular.
#5 Seance busting (9%)
Contrary to popular belief, Houdini only did a few exposures of mediums during seances themselves. But when he did, it drew headlines as large as any escape. Houdini would attend a seance in disguise, typically with an undercover reporter and policeman. At the right moment, he would dramatically reveal himself and the methods of the medium. Apart from a potential lawsuit, there was little risk, and the reward in publicity was well worth it. However, news of such encounters made mediums reluctant to give him sittings, so there was a cost.
#4 Overboard Box (6%)
I'm surprised to see the Overboard Box, in which Houdini would be nailed into a packing case and lowered into a river, rank this low. It's one of his most iconic escapes. However, it does overlap with bridge jumps, so maybe that skews the results. Like a bridge jump, the Overboard Box could be witnessed by the public, it would draw huge crowds and had little risk of exposure. But it was also dangerous and logistically difficult to perform, requiring a crane or a tugboat or both. This might be why, of all of Houdini's outdoor escape stunts, the Overboard Box was the one he did the least.
#5 Feats of strength and endurance (3%)
Houdini occasionally did publicity stunts that had nothing to do with escapes or exposure. I'm calling these "feats of strength and endurance." The most famous of these was his remaining in an air-tight casket submerged in the pool of the Hotel Shelton for over an hour. Had Houdini lived longer, I believe we would have seen these feats become his standard outdoor stunts, replacing the suspended straitjacket escape. Being frozen in block of ice was definitely something he was planning.
#6 Other (0%)
No patrons opted for this, so it looks like we pretty much covered it!
These are the results as of today. However, the poll is still active, so if you want to have your say and maybe move your favorite up a notch, you can still vote as a member of my
Patreon. I'm currently offering a special Black Friday sale of 10% off all new memberships by using the promo code BESS.
Happy Thanksgiving
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