"Harry He-done-y", Way to Die #14, is the third death to be featured in "The End is Weird", which aired on October 19, 2010.
Plot[]
A magician named Harry Houdini proved that he can cheat death by doing a barrage of magic tricks. Houdini first claimed to free himself from a straitjacket. He also claimed to free himself from a chair. When Houdini was at his house, a fan of him walked by. He wanted to find out if the great Houdini was ever discovered. The fan tried to claim Houdini if he was invincible to pain. Houdini accepted it. Then the fan gave Houdini some punches, but the great magician stood strong, seemingly proving the fan right. The fan walked away proud. However, Houdini collapsed nine days later due to septic shock of his ruptured appendix, sending him to Heaven.
"A couple of sharp punches to the mid-section, and the fan walked away satisfied. But those seemingly harmless punches had just set in motion Houdini's death clock."
Transcript[]
([] is playing, footage of 1920s town)
Narrator: In the 1920s, the highest paid entertainer in all of show business was an escape artist named Harry Houdini.
(Due to sound film wasn't popular until the mid-to-late 1920s (Specifically 1927), they use title card to understand what they say; Harry says "Good evening.", Harry demonstrates how to escape death from being tied with chair)
Narrator: A Hungarian immigrant, Houdini wowed audiences around the world by freeing himself from all kinds of death-defying scenarios.
Micah Cover: Harry Houdini was arguably the greatest showman of all time.
(Harry successfully released himself, the audience applauses)
Micah Cover: And probably one of the best marketing geniuses...
(Next, Harry releases himself from tied belt)
Micah Cover: Everything he did was an illusion that was crafted specifically to give him as much success in respectability as possible.
([] is playing, the audience really loves it)
Narrator: Stardom can go to one's head. And Houdini was no exception.
(Harry says "I am the greatest!")
Narrator: He thrived on the worship of his fans.
(Harry in the making room, Period Death is playing)
Narrator: And came to believe his own invincibility.
(A fan meets Harry)
Narrator: And then one day, a fan dropped by to see if the great Houdini was everything he'd heard.
(A fan asked "Is it true that you are invincible to pain?", Harry nods and says "Yes." To prove it, a fan punches Harry's abdomen if he's really invincible to pain)
Narrator: A couple of sharp punches to the mid-section,
(Sneaking Suspicion is playing)
Narrator: and the fan walked away satisfied.
(A fan appreciates and says "It is true! Thank you Mr. Houdini!" But as the fan leaves the room, Harry actually felt the pain...)
Narrator: But those seemingly harmless punches had just set in motion Houdini's death clock.
([] is playing, even Harry felt the pain, he still doing his trick)
Narrator: A few days later, after finishing up his rope trick, Houdini collapsed onto the stage.
(Harry's wife and the guard check on his situation and his wife asks the audience "Is there a doctor in the house?")
Narrator: He died 2 days later, in a hospital bed.
(African Machine Death is playing, flashback of Houdini sits on the couch, checks on his appendix)
Narrator: Houdini had been suffering from appendicitis. He thought it was nothing more than a stomachache.
Dr. George Fallieras: Harry died from...overwhelming septic shock. His appendix...
(Vintage CGI human punches Harry's appendix, causes the appendix to inflate and pop up)
Dr. George Fallieras: was like an oblong balloon, filled with a bunch of pus and bacteria. Then the punch right at that area he received, was enough to burst all the contents throughout his peritoneal cavity. Eventually all these organs would fail. The kidneys, the lungs, the heart and then... it's lights out.
(Recap, Innocent Death is playing)
Narrator: Houdini should have known, you can escape from just about anything, except...your own fate.
(Fin)
Cast & Interviewees[]
- Jim Bentley (Edgar Ross from RDR) - Harry Houdini (lead: intended victim)
- Amy Highfill - Mrs. Houdini (Lead)
- Jason Endicott - Fan (Lead)
- Micah Cover - Magician
- Dr. George Fallieras - Emergency Room Physician
Trivia[]
- This is the first segment to be based on an actual infamous death. Instead of being apocryphal like most 1000 Ways To Die segments. (Based mostly on either urban legends, Darwin award anecdotes or real deaths' names, dates and victims changed.) Harry Houdini actually was a real-life magician who died exactly in the same way and on the date the segment stated. What is odd however, is that in this segment, he died in Detroit, Michigan.
- Unlike Vike-O-Done, which is another historical death, Sigurd dies one more day later than Houdini.
- Jason Endicott, the person who played Harry's fan, passed away on June 2, 2013, in Punchbowl Falls, Oregon, due to a hiking accident.
- This is the second lowest death (by number) the third is She-Manned and the first is Ichiboned.
Foreign Names[]
- O truque de desaparecimento (The Disappearing Act) - Brazilian Portuguese dub
- Teruwan as istorikal akto (Trapping is an Historical Act) - Lazoran dub
- El Gran Escape Fallido (The Big Escape Failed) - Latin American Spanish dub
Segment Nicknames[]
- Harry Hou-Dunnit (Spike TV)
- The Harry Houdini Story
Gallery[]
