The mahogany and metal cell featured a glass front, through which audiences could clearly see Houdini.

In this escape, Houdini's feet would be locked in stocks, and he would be lowered upside down into a tank filled with water. He began to perform it during his fall tour with the Circus Busch in Germany in 1912, calling it simple 'The Upside Down'. ET.Water Torture Cell was an escape developed by Harry Houdini that followed his Giant Milk Can Escape, which was beginning to have a vast number of imitators. The illusionist has been described as David Copperfield-meets-Marilyn Manson, and he does his act, fittingly, at the world underground theater, in the world wrestling complex in New York City's Times Square.ĪBC Family Channel will premiere Criss Angel Mindfreak, part of its 13 Nights of Halloween programming, on Oct. His only source of oxygen was a 3/8-inch air tube, which was pulled out of the tank at the 24th hour.Ĭriss Angel's magic show, 'Mindfreak,' is full of tricks, music and smoke. Angel said he got into the magic business because of the legend.Īngel didn't sleep or eat during his time under water. Houdini first performed his water torture routine in 1913, but he didn't stay in for 24 hours. He escaped Tuesday from the chains and contraption during ABCNEWS' Good Morning America. 'Magician of the Year' Criss Angel has repeated one of the death-defying stunts of the great Harry Houdini.Īngel honored Houdini, his idol, by staying submerged in a tank of water for 24 hours. Illusionist David Blaine has pulled himself out of a water-filled coffin, and then buried himself in a block of ice. 27, 2002 - In the past few years, magic has gone far beyond pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

Harry houdini water tank