Kristen, a real escapologist, has carved out a living, performing her daredevil brand of escapes around the world, live and on TV. Those three harrowing failed attempts prove the real dangers that Twice she suffered hypoxic seizures and blacked out, the third she could not pick the lock inside the lid.Johnson has only been denied the escape three times out of over 2,743 public attempts. Kristen's husband, Kevin Ridgeway, has been at her side for every escape, but is still horrified by the two times he witnessed her struggle before crowds of over 15,000 and 18,000 as she had to be removed from the water cell. It’s a nail biter, watching her during the escape, as she is able to hold her breath under for up to 5 minutes and 2 seconds while methodically picking the padlocks, handcuffs, and leg shackles that hold her in what could quickly become a watery grave. In the case of the Water Torture Cell, she decided to not hide the escape as Houdini and everyone since, but to perform it in full view which has drawn some criticism from purists. and I am sure that no one could enjoy that situation more than Houdini himself.Kristen Johnson considered to be the Houdini of the 21st century almost seems fearless, even to the fault of flirting with death, as she has a knack for taking an ordinary magic escape and putting her signature brand on it. As American magician the 'Amazing Randi' put it some years ago, after having his own crack at fathoming the Houdini legend: 'His actual deeds and the stories that have been fabricated about him are almost indistinguishable.

Every time the story is told his life seems even more remarkable.

He's bigger now than ever, as demonstrated by another biography. Unlike almost all his showbiz contemporaries, who tended to fade rapidly into obscurity after their lives ended, Houdini's death - the circumstances of which are still the subject of debate more than 80 years later - proved to be another of his inspired career moves. Erik Weisz (sometimes 'Ehrich Weiss') from Budapest became Harry Houdini, a name known around the world. (This was a man who acted as if all bridges and piers had been constructed largely so he could leap from them while wrapped in chains.) Or any of his handcuff tricks or daredevil publicity stunts. Or his energetic wriggle-out-of-the-straightjacket routine.

HARRY HOUDINI'S greatest creation was not his astounding upside-down 'water-torture-cell' escape.

Harry houdini water torture cell escape