World of Magic ’75: Water Torture Cell Finale in Full

Folks, as I teased earlier in the week, this is it! I present to you what is probably the most famous moment in Doug’s career, Houdini’s Water Torture Cell. Fifty million people tuned in live to watch the finale to Doug’s first special. To say they got their money’s worth was an understatement! It’s worth…

“World of Magic ’75:” Gene Kelly Intro

 By starting the week with this particular clip, I’m sure  you’ll suspect what I’ll be eventually leading up to.  “World of Magic 1975” originally aired on December 26, 1975. Originally, Orson Welles was meant to greet the viewers standing side by side with Houdini’s Water Torture Cell.  However, for various reasons Welles pulled a vanishing…

The First NBC Special: Part One

The night was December 26, 1975. Fifty-Million plus people were tuning in live for an NBC worldwide satellite broadcast. The star was a twenty-eight year old magician from Canada that had been taking Broadway and fans by storm in “The Magic Show.” His name, of course, was Doug Henning! Offered a TV special of his own by…