Harry Houdini was one of the most famous people on the planet in the early 1900s. The Hungarian-born American illusionist and escape artist wowed crowds across the world with death-defying stunts and also appeared in a number of motion pictures.
Houdini got his start in the 1890s as a dime museum magician. However, he garnered little attention doing simple card and sleight of hand tricks. His big break came in 1899 when he exhibited a handcuff escape trick to Martin Beck in St. Paul, Minnesota. Beck, a vaudeville theatre owner, was so taken by the escape that he told Houdini to make that his entire act.