What drove Harry Houdini - magician, escapologist, and one of the most famous men in the world?

Whether it was escaping from handcuffs, a straitjacket or from a box filled with water, Houdini wowed audiences with his seemingly death-defying performance... This BBC Radio collection shares the story behind the trickery: in two fascinating full-cast dramas about the life of Harry Houdini, and in particular his public campaign to expose fraudulent spiritual mediums.

In the stunning full-cast dramatisation Houdini, a man is naked against the world, bound in chains, deprived of all help. Performing a death defying escape from a galvanised iron can, filled with water and secured with massive locks. Failure means a drowning death! This is the gripping story of the master magician, escapologist, and at the time of his death in 1926, one of the most famous men in the world. Michael Maloney stars as Houdini, with Graham Crowden as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Lorelei King as Bess.

Houdini, the showman, longed to believe that he might be able to communicate beyond the grave with his beloved mother, but knew far too much about the trickery and faking of the stage to be easily convinced. The Witch of Beacon Hill is the true story of how Harry Houdini tried to debunk psychics and mediums. Attending séances in disguise, accompanied by a reporter and a police officer he debunked the most famous and celebrated Boston medium Mina Crandon, also known as ‘Margery’. This radio drama tells Margery’s story, and the story of how Houdini set out to disprove her claims. Starring Shelly Thompson as Margery and Nigel Anthony as Houdini.

This double edition collection comes with a bonus episode of Harry Houdini: Escape artist and showman with Rajan Datar. Through interviews, Datar charts the life and career of the legendary Houdini, with writer and biographer Adam Begley, Dr Matthew Solomon, and Dr Katharina Rein.

Cast and credits

Houdini

Written by Bob Sinfield

Produced by Graham Pass

Harry Houdini - Michael Maloney

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Graham Crowden

Bess - Lorelei King

Lady Conan Doyle - Gwen Taylor

Dash - Jack Klaff

Whitehead - Dan Strauss

Dr Steves - Dick Vosburgh

First Broadcast BBC Radio 2, Oct 1996

The Witch of Beacon Hill

Written by Paul M Levitt

Directed by Martin Jenkins

Leroi Crandon - John Woodvine

'Margery the Medium’ - Shelly Thompson

Harry Houdini - Nigel Anthony

James Bird - Kerry Shale

Caldwell/Rand - Vincent Brimble

Gray/Munn - Brian Miller

Mrs Corbridge/Mrs Weiss - Helen Horton

Collins/Rubin - Joe Dunlop

George - Ian Targett

Caroline Churchill/Mrs Stinson - Hilda Schroder

Winifred Churchill - Barbara Atkinson

Henry/Interviewer - Paul Downing

Laura - Jane Slavin

First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 Sep 1989

The Forum: Harry Houdini: Escape artist and showman

Presented by Rajan Datar

Produced by Fiona Clampin

First Broadcast BBC World Service, 30 Dec 2021

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