Dorothy Dietrich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dorothy Dietrich
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| Born | April 1, 1948 (age 77) Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Occupation | magician, illusionist, escapologist, stunt performer, actor, historian |
Dorothy Dietrich (born April 1, 1948) is a famous American magician and escape artist. She is best known for two incredible stunts. She was the first woman to perform a straitjacket escape while hanging hundreds of feet in the air from a burning rope. She also famously caught a bullet in her mouth.
Because of her amazing escape skills, she is often called the "female Houdini." She broke barriers for women in the world of magic and escapes. The Columbia Encyclopedia named her one of the "eight most noted magicians of the late 20th century." She has performed many of Houdini's famous escapes and even took on the dangerous Bullet Catch, a stunt that Houdini himself decided not to perform.
Contents
Early Life and First Escape
Dorothy Dietrich grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, with six brothers. When they played games, her brothers would often tie her up, but she always found a way to escape. One day, an aunt saw her untie herself and asked, "Who do you think you are, Houdini?"
Dorothy didn't know who Houdini was, so she went to the library to find out. She was so inspired by his life story that he became her hero. At age 13, she decided to perform her own "escape act." She saved up money from doing odd jobs and left a difficult home life to go to New York City to become a magician.
In New York, she learned magic mostly from books. She got a job performing a whole summer of shows for the Westchester Department of Parks. She also performed in a dime museum in Times Square, which helped her practice her skills. Famous magicians like Russell Swann and Walter B. Gibson, who wrote books about Houdini, saw her perform and were very impressed. Gibson told her she had a special connection with the audience, just like Houdini did. She also learned from other great magicians like Al Flosso and Lou Lancaster.
A Career in Magic
Dorothy created a fast-paced magic show that included doves, a rabbit, a duck, and even two poodles. She became known for performing tricks that few women had ever tried before. Instead of being the one sawed in half, she would saw men in half, which was a fun twist on the classic trick. She also performed difficult escapes, coin tricks, and even made people from the audience float in the air.
Her goal was to show that women could be just as amazing at magic as men. At the time, some magic clubs did not allow women to be full members. By performing these incredible acts, she helped open doors for the female magicians who came after her.
Television Appearances
Dorothy became a popular guest on television. She was known for reversing the "sawing a person in half" illusion by sawing the male hosts of TV shows in half. She appeared on specials with famous stars like Bill Cosby, Loretta Lynn, Henny Youngman, and Jonathan Winters.
She also co-edited and published a magazine for magicians called Hocus Pocus Magazine with her partner, magician Dick Brooks.
Famous Stunts
Dorothy is famous for performing some of the most dangerous stunts in magic history.
The Bullet Catch
In 1988, Dorothy performed the dangerous bullet catch stunt. She caught a marked .22 caliber bullet in a metal cup held in her mouth. The event was televised on a special called Just For The Record, The Best Of Everything.
To prove it was real, the stunt was done under strict conditions. A committee bought the bullets, and an independent marksman was hired to fire the gun. One bullet was fired into a concrete block to prove it was real, and the second was fired at Dorothy. She was so confident in her stunt that she offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who could prove the bullet didn't really leave the gun. No one ever claimed the reward.
Connection to Houdini
Harry Houdini was Dorothy's childhood hero, and she has spent much of her life honoring his memory.
The Houdini Museum
For many years, a display about Dorothy's achievements as "The Female Houdini" was shown at the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame in Canada. Today, a similar display can be seen at the Houdini Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, which she runs with Dick Brooks.
The Houdini Seances
After Houdini died, his wife Bess held a special event called a seance every Halloween to see if he could send a message from beyond the grave. She passed this tradition on to magician Walter B. Gibson. Before Gibson died, he asked Dorothy to continue the tradition.
Every Halloween, Dorothy holds a seance at the Houdini Museum in Scranton. These events are often attended by Houdini's living relatives and have been featured on TV shows like TV Land: Myths and Legends and Biography's Dead Famous.
Caring for Houdini's Grave
For many years, Houdini's grave in Queens, New York, was in poor condition. A statue on the grave had been missing for 36 years. In 2011, Dorothy and a group she formed secretly replaced the statue.
She and her partner Dick Brooks were asked by Houdini's family to take over the care of the gravesite. She also successfully asked The Society of American Magicians, a group Houdini once led, to help pay for the grave's upkeep. For their work, Dorothy and Dick received a special award from the society in 2016.
Finding a Lost Houdini Film
For decades, Houdini's best movie, The Grim Game from 1919, was thought to be lost. Dorothy knew that a collector named Larry Weeks had the only copy. After many years, she and a film producer convinced him to give the film to Turner Classic Movies (TCM).
TCM restored the film and created a new musical score for it. In 2015, Dorothy and Dick introduced the movie at the TCM Film Festival in Hollywood. As part of the event, Dorothy performed a straitjacket escape and received a standing ovation. Thanks to her efforts, people all over the world can now see Houdini's greatest movie.
Fighting Fake Magic
Following in the footsteps of Houdini and other famous magicians, Dorothy works to expose people who use magic tricks to cheat others. She believes that magic should be used for entertainment, not to take advantage of people. She has offered a $10,000 reward to any "medium" who can prove they can truly contact the spirit of Houdini. So far, no one has succeeded.
Podcasts
- Open Sesame, Dick Brookz (a.k.a., Brooks) and Dorothy Dietrich discuss the legacy of Harry Houdini.
- Finding and restoring Houdini's 1919 Silent film, Houdini's The Grim Game-25:30.
- Dorothy Dietrich talks about being the only woman magician to do the Bullet Catch. Bonus podcast for the April 2016 SAM magazine cover story-18:32.
- Scott Wells Discusses Houdini-Opoly with Dick Brookz and Dorothy Dietrich.
