6. Make influential friends
Was Houdini a secret agent? Derren Brown explores his high-profile connections to Scotland Yard, suspicious passports, and the thrilling world of early espionage.
Documentary evidence shows that when Harry Houdini first arrived in the UK, he struck up a friendship, of sorts, with a man who would go on to pioneer British espionage. A man who would go on to be the inspiration for the character “M” in Ian Fleming’s James Bond.
It begs the question: Beyond the handcuffs and the stage, did the world's most famous mystifier, Houdini, lead a double life as an international informant?
Derren Brown investigates the shadowy network of high-profile connections that shaped Houdini’s global career.
From suspicious passport alterations to intelligence reports signed "HH" ahead of tours through volatile Russia and Germany, the pieces of a tantalising puzzle begin to fall into place.
There is, after all, a striking overlap between the misdirection of a master magician and the tradecraft of espionage. Whatever the answer, Houdini’s fame clearly benefitted from his high-profile connections.
Presenter: Derren Brown
Writer/Producer: Calum McCrae
Additional research: Alice Homewood
Sound designer: David Crackles
Executive producer: Sophie Ellis
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioning Editor: Daniel Clarke
A Strawberry Blond production for BBC Sounds and Radio 4
Podcast
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The History Podcast
One of history's biggest forgery scandals - an astonishing tale of greed and obsession.
