Houdini was born in Budapest, Hungary on March 24th, 1874 but grew up as Erich Weiss in a small town in Wisconsin called Appleton. Later, his father, Rabbi Meyer Samuel Weiss, moved the family to Milwaukee and he took over a Jewish congregation. At about the same time, Erich became interested in magic and stage performing.
He became determined to become a professional magician and later began appearing in New York beer halls and theaters, taking the name of Houdini, which was based on the name of Robert Houdin, a famous French magician. It was not long before the enigmatic showman became an American and world-wide sensation, performing to sold-out crowds. He became an expert in the field of magic and even today, magicians and scholars have no idea as to the extent of his secrets of magic or how many of his stunts were performed.
Houdini’s Hollywood investments had him spending a lot of time in southern California and he soon purchased a house here. He bought a looming castle from the estate of a local furniture magnate and soon moved in. The house certainly fit his theatrical personality with its parapets, battlements and spooky towers. The foundation of the mansion was honeycombed with tunnels, secret passages and chambers. One tunnel even ran beneath what is now Laurel Canyon Road. Today, the Houdini Estate is a luxury house that can be rented. Like the owner himself, the castle is filled with an unbelievable magic and mystery.
