For Release: January 10th, 2000
In 1912, Harry Houdini was lowered into New York's East River in a crate thoroughly wrapped in chains. The crowd of spectators gasped, and reporters pulled out their stopwatches. Escape from the submerged box seemed nearly impossible, but Houdini was out in less than a minute. The resulting media blitz was just one of the spectacles that forever established Houdini as "The World's Greatest Escape Artist."
The American Experience "Houdini," airing on KET Monday, Jan. 24 at 9/8 p.m. CT, examines the life of the man whose daring feats made him a legend in his own time and an inspiration for generations of magicians to come.
The thrill of Houdini's greatest escapes is brought to life through archival footage and dramatic re-creations performed by professional escape artist Bob Fellows. Interviews with illusionist David Copperfield, investigator of psychic claims James Randi, escape artist David De-Val and writers E.L. Doctorow and Ken Silverman offer insights into Houdini's genius as both escape artist and showman. Mandy Patinkin narrates the one-hour program.
Throughout his rise from Hungarian immigrant to international star, Houdini confronted humankind's greatest fears--entrapment, pain, death--and emerged victorious. He was among the premier entertainers of the 20th century, yet he was a man haunted by doubts, obsessions and his own mortality.
The American Experience "Houdini," produced by Nancy Porter Productions, Inc., is closed-captioned for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. Viewers can find out more about programming on KET by visiting the KET Web site at http://www.ket.org, a Kentucky.com affiliate.
Contact: Todd Piccirilli
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