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An escape artist pulled off a thrilling stunt high above Hollywood’s famed Magic Castle to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Harry Houdini’s death on Halloween.
Performer Houdini II successfully escaped a straitjacket while suspended upside-down from a crane about 80 feet high next to the castle.
The escape artist took just under 2 minutes free himself, saying the straitjacket was an “exact replica” of the one actor Tony Curtis wore in the 1953 film “Houdini.”
He completed the escape without an airbag or protective landing system beneath him.
Organizers said before the stunt that Houdini II would throw $1,000 from the sky as a “gesture promoting social unity, peace, and global harmony.”
Houdini has performed stunts like jumping from Miami’s MacArthur Bridge into Biscayne Bay, bound with ropes and chains, and then escaping from a submerged coffin-like wooden box, organizers said.
He recently completed a 10-month tour promoting his documentary, “Houdini II: A Beautiful Day to Die.”
The performer appeared overjoyed after his high-flying escape.
“It’s crazy man, it’s beautiful up there,” he said. “But all for Houdini and the Magic Castle that let this go on today. We love it. We made history.”
Harry Houdini famously died on Halloween in 1926 at the age of 52 from peritonitis.
Witnesses speculated his death was caused by a man who punched him repeatedly in the stomach after Houdini said he could endure the punishment.
