Harry Houdini walked briskly to the footlights of Detroit’s Garrick Theater on October 24, 1926, as “Pomp and Circumstance” played in the background. Smiling, he ripped off his sleeves to show there was nothing hidden and began his performance.
Beginning with a variety of vanishing acts, the famed magician made several silver coins and alarm clocks disappear. Then, he made an attractive woman vanish on stage and a flower bush appear in her place. Moments later, she shouted, “Here I am,” from the back of the theater and came running down the aisle. As Houdini attempted his next trick, pain from his midsection made him turn aside. With the help of his assistants, he struggled through the rest of the first act. As the curtain fell, he collapsed and was taken to the dressing room. Despite a 104-degree temperature, he returned to the stage and completed his two-and-a-half hour show. Then, he collapsed again.
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Source: Houdini in Detroit – Michiganology
