Stage magician Houdini prized himself on being able to escape from even the most dire of circumstances and seemingly impossible traps, his routine often featuring things like the Chinese Water Torture Cell (pretty much what it sounds like) and wrestling his way out of a straight jacket bound with padlocks, all whilst suspended upside down. It's this level of ingenuity and, frankly, lack of regard for his own safety that reportedly grabbed the attention of both Scotland Yard and the American Secret Service during the early 20th Century. Again, Houdini's schedule perfectly fit into the spy game - he was always travelling all around Europe, so nobody would be suspicious of his appearance. According to William Kalush and Larry Sloman's book The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero, he managed to fit in a fair amount of espionage in between public appearances. An abrupt cancellation of a load of shows in 1900, followed by a trip to Europe, suggests that he may have been spying in Germany on behalf of Scotland Yard, feeding information back to superintendent William Melville. His first trip out to the west coast in 1899 may also have been funded by the United States Secret Service, who needed someone to keep tabs on the burgeoning problem of counterfeit of silver dollars. We've certainly heard weirder stuff about old Harry...
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
