Harry Houdini: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox Individual | {{Infobox Individual | ||
|aka = | |aka = Erik Weisz | ||
|image = Harry Hoidini DWM 496.jpg | |image = Harry Hoidini DWM 496.jpg | ||
|species = Human | |species = Human | ||
|affiliation = | |affiliation = | ||
|origin = [[ | |job = Magician | ||
|job2 = escapologist | |||
|origin = [[Hungary]], [[Earth]] | |||
|death date = A week after [[24 October]] [[1926]] | |||
|first mention = The Highlanders (TV story) | |||
|first = Houdini and The Space Cuckoos (short story) | |first = Houdini and The Space Cuckoos (short story) | ||
|appearances = | |appearances = [[Harry Houdini - list of appearances|'''''see list''''']] | ||
|voice actor = Tim Beckmann | |voice actor = Tim Beckmann | ||
|other voice actor = [[John Schwab]] | |other voice actor = [[John Schwab]] | ||
}} | }}{{you may|Cyborg Houdini|n1=the cyborg clones}} | ||
'''Harry Houdini''' was a famous [[United States of America|American]] [[magician]] and [[escapologist]] on [[Earth]] during the [[20th century]]. | '''Harry Houdini''' (born '''Erik Weisz''') ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Doctor Who: The Encyclopedia (reference book)}}, [[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Harry Houdini's War (audio story)}}) was a famous [[United States of America|American]] [[magician]] and [[escapologist]] on [[Earth]] during the [[20th century]]. | ||
== Biography == | == Biography == | ||
=== Early life === | |||
Before moving to [[America]], Houdini was born in [[Hungary]]. He was later ashamed of his origins during [[World War I]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Harry Houdini's War (audio story)|Harry Houdini's War]]'') | Before moving to [[America]], Houdini was born in [[Hungary]]. He was later ashamed of his origins during [[World War I]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Harry Houdini's War (audio story)|Harry Houdini's War]]'') | ||
Houdini first met the Doctor in [[1890]], when the Doctor was in his [[first incarnation]] | === Friendship with the Doctor === | ||
Houdini first met the Doctor in [[1890]], when the Doctor was in his [[first incarnation]] and accompanied by [[Ben Jackson]] and [[Polly Wright]]. Together, the four of them defeated the [[Ovid (species)|Ovid]]s. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Smoke and Mirrors (audio story)|Smoke and Mirrors]]'') He later met the First Doctor and [[Susan Foreman]] in the United States, where Houdini taught the Doctor how to perform sleight-of-hand tricks. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Sorcerer's Apprentice (novel)|The Sorcerer's Apprentice]]'') | |||
At one point before [[1917]], Houdini and [[the Doctor]] | At some point after this, Houdini met the [[Third Doctor]], and travelled to the future with him and [[Jo Grant]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Smoke and Mirrors (audio story)|Smoke and Mirrors]]'') They did not use [[the TARDIS]]. On his return, Houdini felt the need to update his [[birthday]] to account for the difference in his [[age]] from [[time travel]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Harry Houdini's War (audio story)|Harry Houdini's War]]'') | ||
At one point before [[1917]], Houdini and [[the Doctor]] faced the [[Klepton]]s. At one point, he also saved the Doctor from a [[Selachian]] mine bomb. In 1917, the [[Sixth Doctor]] asked for his help, but he didn't trust him after apparently being betrayed to the Germans. He escaped a German base with [[Peri (Harry Houdini's War)|Peri]] and wanted to go back to the West. The Doctor told him the truth and helped his plans. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Harry Houdini's War (audio story)|Harry Houdini's War]]'') | |||
Between 1917 and [[1920]], Houdini, along with Sir [[Arthur Conan Doyle]], publicly announced the existence of [[fairy|fairies]] following the release of the [[Cottingley fairy photos]]. [[Gwen Cooper]] believed this was all an act of self-publicity. ([[TV]]: ''[[Small Worlds (TV story)|Small Worlds]]'') | Between 1917 and [[1920]], Houdini, along with Sir [[Arthur Conan Doyle]], publicly announced the existence of [[fairy|fairies]] following the release of the [[Cottingley fairy photos]]. [[Gwen Cooper]] believed this was all an act of self-publicity. ([[TV]]: ''[[Small Worlds (TV story)|Small Worlds]]'') | ||
[[File:Houdini.jpg|thumb|left| | [[File:Houdini.jpg|thumb|left|Houdini, as the [[Eleventh Doctor]] met him. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Houdini and The Space Cuckoos (short story)|Houdini and The Space Cuckoos]]'')]] | ||
In [[1920]], the [[Eleventh Doctor]] needed help defeating the [[Cuculus]] and decided to recruit Houdini during his act. When they were captured by the Cuculus, Houdini was easily able to break the locks holding him and the Doctor. After the Doctor defeated the Cuculus, they returned them to Earth and the Doctor returned him to his act. When people started getting sick, the Doctor realised that the Cuculus had infected them with a disease to wipe out humanity. Using a crystal from the Cuculus ship that Houdini had stolen, the Doctor was able to cure the disease. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Houdini and The Space Cuckoos (short story)|Houdini and The Space Cuckoos]]'') | In [[1920]], the [[Eleventh Doctor]] needed help defeating the [[Cuculus]] and decided to recruit Houdini during his act. When they were captured by the Cuculus, Houdini was easily able to break the locks holding him and the Doctor. After the Doctor defeated the Cuculus, they returned them to Earth and the Doctor returned him to his act. When people started getting sick, the Doctor realised that the Cuculus had infected them with a disease to wipe out humanity. Using a crystal from the Cuculus ship that Houdini had stolen, the Doctor was able to cure the disease. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Houdini and The Space Cuckoos (short story)|Houdini and The Space Cuckoos]]'') | ||
In [[1925]], Houdini was trapped in a [[computer program]] inside a [[crystal ball]] which simulated the theatres he had visited and begun feeding on his despair. He called the [[Twelfth Doctor]] for help, but the Doctor and [[Clara Oswald]]'s minds were also trapped inside. The program set up theatrical death traps with no way out so their minds could be ripened for it, but the Doctor, Clara and Houdini escaped. The Doctor revealed the virtual environment with his [[the Doctor's sonic screwdriver|sonic screwdriver]], and the three of them thought of the things that made them feel the most free to break their minds out of the crystal, destroying it. Houdini lost hope in ever communing with the dead, but the Doctor and Clara assured him that his reputation would outlive him. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Theatre of the Mind (comic story)|Theatre of the Mind]]'') | In [[1925]], Houdini was trapped in a [[computer program]] inside a [[crystal ball]] which simulated the theatres he had visited and begun feeding on his despair. He called the [[Twelfth Doctor]] for help, but the Doctor and [[Clara Oswald]]'s minds were also trapped inside. The program set up theatrical death traps with no way out so their minds could be ripened for it, but the Doctor, Clara and Houdini escaped. The Doctor revealed the virtual environment with his [[the Doctor's sonic screwdriver|sonic screwdriver]], and the three of them thought of the things that made them feel the most free to break their minds out of the crystal, destroying it. Houdini lost hope in ever communing with the dead, but the Doctor and Clara assured him that his reputation would outlive him. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Theatre of the Mind (comic story)|Theatre of the Mind]]'') | ||
The [[Fifth Doctor]], [[Adric]], [[Nyssa]] and [[Tegan Jovanka]] later met Houdini when the Doctor answered a psionic distress call being sent from [[England]] in the [[1920s]]. Unbeknownst to the Doctor and his companions, Houdini had been convinced by | The [[Fifth Doctor]], [[Adric]], [[Nyssa]] and [[Tegan Jovanka]] later met Houdini when the Doctor answered a psionic distress call being sent from [[England]] in the [[1920s]]. Unbeknownst to the Doctor and his companions, Houdini had been convinced by the [[Tremas Master]] that the Doctor was evil. Houdini's relationship with the Doctor, already tense due to the Time Lord's refusal to offer the performer any clues as to his personal future (in particular whether he would ever be able to communicate with his deceased mother in the spirit world), became strained as a result of the incident. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Smoke and Mirrors (audio story)|Smoke and Mirrors]]'') | ||
The [[Fifteenth Doctor]] claimed to have once spent a "long, hot summer" with Houdini where he learnt how to escape from [[Handcuff|handcuffs]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Church on Ruby Road (TV story)}}) | |||
=== Death === | |||
The date and circumstances of Houdini's death are disputed. The First Doctor related to [[Steven Taylor]] and [[Dodo Chaplet]] that Houdini eventually tried to escape from a locked chamber while chained up and submerged in water, but could not in time and drowned. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Ark (novelisation)|The Ark]]'') However, another account suggests that Harry Houdini collapsed on stage on [[24 October]] [[1926]], and [[died]] a [[week]] later ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Time Traveller's Diary (novel)|Time Traveller's Diary]]'') in [[Detroit]] ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Who-Dini? (short story)|Who-Dini?]]'') from unknown causes, which were possibly [[alien]] [[interference]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Time Traveller's Diary (novel)|Time Traveller's Diary]]'') | |||
=== Undated events === | |||
The [[Eighth Doctor]] also met Houdini when he was travelling with [[Lucie Miller]]. Houdini taught Lucie how to escape from [[handcuffs]] during this time. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Great Escapes (short story)|The Great Escapes]]'') | The [[Eighth Doctor]] also met Houdini when he was travelling with [[Lucie Miller]]. Houdini taught Lucie how to escape from [[handcuffs]] during this time. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Great Escapes (short story)|The Great Escapes]]'') | ||
At some point before his time on [[Destination]], | At some point before his time on [[Destination]], {{Dreyfus}} met Houdini and was taught [[escapology]], aware that the Doctor had met him as well. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Destination Wars (audio story)|The Destination Wars]]'') | ||
== Copies and imitations == | == Copies and imitations == | ||
In [[1904]], the [[Thirteenth Doctor]] escaped 200 [[cyborg | In [[1904]], the [[Thirteenth Doctor]] escaped from 200 [[Cyborg Houdini|cyborg clone]]s of Houdini in the subways of [[New York City]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Secret in Vault 13 (novel)}}) | ||
== References == | == References == | ||
Houdini's name became synonymous with cheap tricks. In [[2011]], [[Rex Matheson]] | Houdini's name became synonymous with cheap tricks. In [[2011]], [[Rex Matheson]] invoked Houdini's name when saying [[Jack Harkness]]' [[immortality]] could be a [[miracle]] or that Jack could instead be Houdini. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Gathering (TV story)|The Gathering]]'') | ||
On [[Avalon (planet)|Avalon]], the [[First Doctor]] used a trick he learned from Houdini to make an [[egg]] appear from [[Gramling]]'s [[beard]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Sorcerer's Apprentice (novel)|The Sorcerer's Apprentice]]'') | On [[Avalon (planet)|Avalon]], the [[First Doctor]] used a trick he learned from Houdini to make an [[egg]] appear from [[Gramling]]'s [[beard]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Sorcerer's Apprentice (novel)|The Sorcerer's Apprentice]]'') | ||
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The [[Fifth Doctor]] used a trick he learned from Houdini to convince a [[jailer (Summer)|jailer]] that he could turn a [[lead]] coin into [[gold]], although Sir [[Isaac Newton]] saw through the trick. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Summer (audio story)|Summer]]'') He later credited Houdini for how he was able to free the [[Miaxa]] from his imprisonment. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[1001 Nights (audio anthology)|1001 Nights]]'') In [[1626]] [[France]], he wished he had listened to Houdini about lock-picking so he could escape his captors. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Church and the Crown (audio story)|The Church and the Crown]]'') In [[Erimem]]'s [[Kyropite]]-induced [[dream]] on [[YT45]], he mentioned that he had learned lock-picking tricks from Houdini. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Mind's Eye (audio story)|The Mind's Eye]]'') | The [[Fifth Doctor]] used a trick he learned from Houdini to convince a [[jailer (Summer)|jailer]] that he could turn a [[lead]] coin into [[gold]], although Sir [[Isaac Newton]] saw through the trick. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Summer (audio story)|Summer]]'') He later credited Houdini for how he was able to free the [[Miaxa]] from his imprisonment. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[1001 Nights (audio anthology)|1001 Nights]]'') In [[1626]] [[France]], he wished he had listened to Houdini about lock-picking so he could escape his captors. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Church and the Crown (audio story)|The Church and the Crown]]'') In [[Erimem]]'s [[Kyropite]]-induced [[dream]] on [[YT45]], he mentioned that he had learned lock-picking tricks from Houdini. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Mind's Eye (audio story)|The Mind's Eye]]'') | ||
The [[Sixth Doctor]] tried, and failed, to use a trick he learned from Houdini to escape from a [[Pararachnid]] [[cocoon]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Moon Graffiti (short story)|Moon Graffiti]]'') He later used a trick he learned from Houdini to escape when he was tied up by [[Astrolabus]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Voyager (comic story)|Voyager]]'') In [[7214]], in [[Antarctopolis]], he used Harry's teachings in order to escape a straightjacket in an asylum [[the Master]] had recluded him. He mentally recalled the exact words of the escapist. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Façades (comic story)|Façades]]'') He later wished that he had listened to Houdini when he was imprisoned by [[Reggie Mead]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Project Twilight (audio story)|Project: Twilight]]'') | The [[Sixth Doctor]] said that it would be more accurate to say that Houdini studied from him than vice versa. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Ultimate Adventure (audio story)|The Ultimate Adventure]]'') He tried, and failed, to use a trick he learned from Houdini to escape from a [[Pararachnid]] [[cocoon]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Moon Graffiti (short story)|Moon Graffiti]]'') He later used a trick he learned from Houdini to escape when he was tied up by [[Astrolabus]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Voyager (comic story)|Voyager]]'') In [[7214]], in [[Antarctopolis]], he used Harry's teachings in order to escape a straightjacket in an asylum [[the Master]] had recluded him. He mentally recalled the exact words of the escapist. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Façades (comic story)|Façades]]'') He later wished that he had listened to Houdini when he was imprisoned by [[Reggie Mead]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Project Twilight (audio story)|Project: Twilight]]'') | ||
The [[Seventh Doctor]], who had been placed in [[stocks]], tried to remember what Houdini had taught him about compressing his [[foot]] to get it through a narrow gap. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Timewyrm: Genesys (novel)|Timewyrm: Genesys]]'') He attempted to use Houdini's trick of contracting the muscles to escape from the [[Process]]'s cocoon, but it was too tight. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible (novel)|Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible]]'') On [[Mendeb Three]], he told [[Bep-Wor]] that Houdini had taught him every trick he knew, but didn't have to use any of them to escape from his chains as they were not securely fastened. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Independence Day (novel)|Independence Day]]'') On [[Parking (planet)|Parking]], he used the escapology that he learned from Houdini to free himself from the ropes that had been used to bind him. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The High Price of Parking (audio story)|The High Price of Parking]]'') | The [[Seventh Doctor]], who had been placed in [[stocks]], tried to remember what Houdini had taught him about compressing his [[foot]] to get it through a narrow gap. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Timewyrm: Genesys (novel)|Timewyrm: Genesys]]'') He attempted to use Houdini's trick of contracting the muscles to escape from the [[Process]]'s cocoon, but it was too tight. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible (novel)|Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible]]'') On [[Mendeb Three]], he told [[Bep-Wor]] that Houdini had taught him every trick he knew, but didn't have to use any of them to escape from his chains as they were not securely fastened. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Independence Day (novel)|Independence Day]]'') On [[Parking (planet)|Parking]], he used the escapology that he learned from Houdini to free himself from the ropes that had been used to bind him. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The High Price of Parking (audio story)|The High Price of Parking]]'') | ||
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The [[Thirteenth Doctor]] made use of a technique she had learned from Houdini to escape the chains which bound her to a [[ducking stool]], when she was put on [[witch trial|trial]] as a [[witch]] in the [[17th century]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Witchfinders (TV story)|The Witchfinders]]'') | The [[Thirteenth Doctor]] made use of a technique she had learned from Houdini to escape the chains which bound her to a [[ducking stool]], when she was put on [[witch trial|trial]] as a [[witch]] in the [[17th century]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Witchfinders (TV story)|The Witchfinders]]'') | ||
The [[Fifteenth Doctor]] mentioned "a long, hot summer" he spent with Houdini while escaping from ropes that [[Goblin]]s had used to bind him and [[Ruby Sunday]] in [[Goblin ship|their ship]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Church on Ruby Road (TV story)}}) | |||
== Behind the scenes == | == Behind the scenes == | ||
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{{NameSort}} | {{NameSort}} | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:19th century individuals]] | ||
[[Category:20th century individuals]] | |||
[[Category:Actors from the real world]] | |||
[[Category:Human entertainers]] | [[Category:Human entertainers]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Human time travellers]] | ||
[[Category:Humans who have been inside the Doctor's TARDIS]] | |||
[[Category:Magicians]] | |||
[[Category:Cloned humans]] | |||
[[Category:People from the real world encountered by the First Doctor]] | [[Category:People from the real world encountered by the First Doctor]] | ||
[[Category:People from the real world encountered by the Third Doctor]] | [[Category:People from the real world encountered by the Third Doctor]] | ||
[[Category:People from the real world encountered by the Fifth Doctor]] | [[Category:People from the real world encountered by the Fifth Doctor]] | ||
[[Category:People from the real world encountered by the Sixth Doctor]] | |||
[[Category:People from the real world encountered by the Eighth Doctor]] | [[Category:People from the real world encountered by the Eighth Doctor]] | ||
[[Category:People from the real world encountered by the Eleventh Doctor]] | [[Category:People from the real world encountered by the Eleventh Doctor]] | ||
[[Category:People from the real world encountered by the Twelfth Doctor]] | [[Category:People from the real world encountered by the Twelfth Doctor]] | ||
[[Category:People from the real world encountered by the Thirteenth Doctor]] | |||
[[Category:People from the real world encountered by the | |||
Latest revision as of 20:54, 26 November 2024
- You may be looking for the cyborg clones.
Harry Houdini (born Erik Weisz) (PROSE: Doctor Who: The Encyclopedia [+]Loading...["Doctor Who: The Encyclopedia (reference book)"], AUDIO: Harry Houdini's War [+]Loading...["Harry Houdini's War (audio story)"]) was a famous American magician and escapologist on Earth during the 20th century.
Biography[[edit] | [edit source]]
Early life[[edit] | [edit source]]
Before moving to America, Houdini was born in Hungary. He was later ashamed of his origins during World War I. (AUDIO: Harry Houdini's War)
Friendship with the Doctor[[edit] | [edit source]]
Houdini first met the Doctor in 1890, when the Doctor was in his first incarnation and accompanied by Ben Jackson and Polly Wright. Together, the four of them defeated the Ovids. (AUDIO: Smoke and Mirrors) He later met the First Doctor and Susan Foreman in the United States, where Houdini taught the Doctor how to perform sleight-of-hand tricks. (PROSE: The Sorcerer's Apprentice)
At some point after this, Houdini met the Third Doctor, and travelled to the future with him and Jo Grant. (AUDIO: Smoke and Mirrors) They did not use the TARDIS. On his return, Houdini felt the need to update his birthday to account for the difference in his age from time travel. (AUDIO: Harry Houdini's War)
At one point before 1917, Houdini and the Doctor faced the Kleptons. At one point, he also saved the Doctor from a Selachian mine bomb. In 1917, the Sixth Doctor asked for his help, but he didn't trust him after apparently being betrayed to the Germans. He escaped a German base with Peri and wanted to go back to the West. The Doctor told him the truth and helped his plans. (AUDIO: Harry Houdini's War)
Between 1917 and 1920, Houdini, along with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, publicly announced the existence of fairies following the release of the Cottingley fairy photos. Gwen Cooper believed this was all an act of self-publicity. (TV: Small Worlds)
In 1920, the Eleventh Doctor needed help defeating the Cuculus and decided to recruit Houdini during his act. When they were captured by the Cuculus, Houdini was easily able to break the locks holding him and the Doctor. After the Doctor defeated the Cuculus, they returned them to Earth and the Doctor returned him to his act. When people started getting sick, the Doctor realised that the Cuculus had infected them with a disease to wipe out humanity. Using a crystal from the Cuculus ship that Houdini had stolen, the Doctor was able to cure the disease. (PROSE: Houdini and The Space Cuckoos)
In 1925, Houdini was trapped in a computer program inside a crystal ball which simulated the theatres he had visited and begun feeding on his despair. He called the Twelfth Doctor for help, but the Doctor and Clara Oswald's minds were also trapped inside. The program set up theatrical death traps with no way out so their minds could be ripened for it, but the Doctor, Clara and Houdini escaped. The Doctor revealed the virtual environment with his sonic screwdriver, and the three of them thought of the things that made them feel the most free to break their minds out of the crystal, destroying it. Houdini lost hope in ever communing with the dead, but the Doctor and Clara assured him that his reputation would outlive him. (COMIC: Theatre of the Mind)
The Fifth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa and Tegan Jovanka later met Houdini when the Doctor answered a psionic distress call being sent from England in the 1920s. Unbeknownst to the Doctor and his companions, Houdini had been convinced by the Tremas Master that the Doctor was evil. Houdini's relationship with the Doctor, already tense due to the Time Lord's refusal to offer the performer any clues as to his personal future (in particular whether he would ever be able to communicate with his deceased mother in the spirit world), became strained as a result of the incident. (AUDIO: Smoke and Mirrors)
The Fifteenth Doctor claimed to have once spent a "long, hot summer" with Houdini where he learnt how to escape from handcuffs. (TV: The Church on Ruby Road [+]Loading...["The Church on Ruby Road (TV story)"])
Death[[edit] | [edit source]]
The date and circumstances of Houdini's death are disputed. The First Doctor related to Steven Taylor and Dodo Chaplet that Houdini eventually tried to escape from a locked chamber while chained up and submerged in water, but could not in time and drowned. (PROSE: The Ark) However, another account suggests that Harry Houdini collapsed on stage on 24 October 1926, and died a week later (PROSE: Time Traveller's Diary) in Detroit (PROSE: Who-Dini?) from unknown causes, which were possibly alien interference. (PROSE: Time Traveller's Diary)
Undated events[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Eighth Doctor also met Houdini when he was travelling with Lucie Miller. Houdini taught Lucie how to escape from handcuffs during this time. (PROSE: The Great Escapes)
At some point before his time on Destination, the Master met Houdini and was taught escapology, aware that the Doctor had met him as well. (AUDIO: The Destination Wars)
Copies and imitations[[edit] | [edit source]]
In 1904, the Thirteenth Doctor escaped from 200 cyborg clones of Houdini in the subways of New York City. (PROSE: The Secret in Vault 13 [+]Loading...["The Secret in Vault 13 (novel)"])
References[[edit] | [edit source]]
Houdini's name became synonymous with cheap tricks. In 2011, Rex Matheson invoked Houdini's name when saying Jack Harkness' immortality could be a miracle or that Jack could instead be Houdini. (TV: The Gathering)
On Avalon, the First Doctor used a trick he learned from Houdini to make an egg appear from Gramling's beard. (PROSE: The Sorcerer's Apprentice)
According to one account, the First Doctor used some of Houdini's tricks to escape when he was tied up by Bret Vyon on Kembel in 4000. (PROSE: Mission to the Unknown)
While in Scotland in April 1746 with the Second Doctor, Ben Jackson credited Houdini for himself being able to loose the ties in which he was bound by some slave dealers. (TV: The Highlanders)
The Third Doctor used Houdini's trick of contracting the muscles to escape from the Eight Legs on Metebelis III, though he had trouble remembering the magician's last name. (TV: Planet of the Spiders)
While tied up on Nerva Beacon, the Fourth Doctor used a trick to he learned from Houdini to escape from a Turk's head knot. (TV: Revenge of the Cybermen) He later claimed that Houdini kept several lock picks on his person. (AUDIO: The Wrath of the Iceni)
The Fifth Doctor used a trick he learned from Houdini to convince a jailer that he could turn a lead coin into gold, although Sir Isaac Newton saw through the trick. (AUDIO: Summer) He later credited Houdini for how he was able to free the Miaxa from his imprisonment. (AUDIO: 1001 Nights) In 1626 France, he wished he had listened to Houdini about lock-picking so he could escape his captors. (AUDIO: The Church and the Crown) In Erimem's Kyropite-induced dream on YT45, he mentioned that he had learned lock-picking tricks from Houdini. (AUDIO: The Mind's Eye)
The Sixth Doctor said that it would be more accurate to say that Houdini studied from him than vice versa. (AUDIO: The Ultimate Adventure) He tried, and failed, to use a trick he learned from Houdini to escape from a Pararachnid cocoon. (PROSE: Moon Graffiti) He later used a trick he learned from Houdini to escape when he was tied up by Astrolabus. (COMIC: Voyager) In 7214, in Antarctopolis, he used Harry's teachings in order to escape a straightjacket in an asylum the Master had recluded him. He mentally recalled the exact words of the escapist. (COMIC: Façades) He later wished that he had listened to Houdini when he was imprisoned by Reggie Mead. (AUDIO: Project: Twilight)
The Seventh Doctor, who had been placed in stocks, tried to remember what Houdini had taught him about compressing his foot to get it through a narrow gap. (PROSE: Timewyrm: Genesys) He attempted to use Houdini's trick of contracting the muscles to escape from the Process's cocoon, but it was too tight. (PROSE: Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible) On Mendeb Three, he told Bep-Wor that Houdini had taught him every trick he knew, but didn't have to use any of them to escape from his chains as they were not securely fastened. (PROSE: Independence Day) On Parking, he used the escapology that he learned from Houdini to free himself from the ropes that had been used to bind him. (AUDIO: The High Price of Parking)
The Eighth Doctor mentioned that he had taken lessons in escapology from Houdini. (PROSE: Frontier Worlds) The Doctor later referred to Houdini as "Handcuff Harry" and said he was Houdini's protégé. (AUDIO: Nevermore)
Whilst handcuffed, Donna questioned the Tenth Doctor as to whether he had ever met Houdini. The Doctor didn't answer this, instead, saying the handcuffs were very "good", implying that the escape trick could not be performed on that century's handcuffs. (TV: Planet of the Ood) In Area 51, when the Tenth Doctor, Cassie, and Jimmy were trapped on a 'table', the Doctor used a trick taught to him by Houdini to break out of the handcuffs and turn off the amnesia gas. (TV: Dreamland)
In Venice in 1580, the Eleventh Doctor entered an underground cellar and met five female "vampires". When he saw that they could not be seen in the mirror, he compared it to a trick by Houdini. (TV: The Vampires of Venice) On Poseidon 8, the Eleventh Doctor escaped from being bound by ropes to a railing, saying he learned the trick from a "long story" with Houdini. (GAME: Shadows of the Vashta Nerada)
The Twelfth Doctor claimed he taught Harry Houdini everything he knew. (COMIC: The Swords of Kali)
The Thirteenth Doctor made use of a technique she had learned from Houdini to escape the chains which bound her to a ducking stool, when she was put on trial as a witch in the 17th century. (TV: The Witchfinders)
The Fifteenth Doctor mentioned "a long, hot summer" he spent with Houdini while escaping from ropes that Goblins had used to bind him and Ruby Sunday in their ship. (TV: The Church on Ruby Road [+]Loading...["The Church on Ruby Road (TV story)"])
Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]
Houdini actually never investigated the Cottingley photos, despite some correspondence from Doyle that suggested he visit. Houdini was shown to be involved in the events in the 1997 film FairyTale: A True Story starring Paul McGann.
