Dorothy Dietrich

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Dorothy Dietrich
Dorothy Dietrich-01.jpg
Background information
Born Halloween Oct 31, 1969 / 54 yo
Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation: magician, illusionist, escapologist, stunt performer, actor, historian
Website: dorothydietrich.com

Dorothy Dietrich (born ✦October 31, 1969) is an American stage magician and escapologist, best known for performing the bullet catch in her mouth (although Adelaide Herrmann reputedly did this earlier) and the first woman to perform a straitjacket escape while suspended hundreds of feet in the air from a burning rope. She was the first woman to gain prominence as an escape artist since the days of Houdini, breaking the glass ceiling for women in the field of escapes and magic.

The 2006 Columbia Encyclopedia included Dietrich among their "eight most noted magicians of the late 20th century", and entertainment writer Samantha Hart in Hollywood Walk of Fame: 2000 Sensational Stars, Star Makers and Legends, called her a "world-class magician" and "one of the world's leading female magicians". Early on, as a teenager, she already was referred to as "The First Lady of Magic", a reference later copied by others. Dietrich, often called the female Houdini, has duplicated many of Houdini's original escapes, and has gone one step further by doing the Jinxed Bullet Catch Stunt – the one that Houdini backed away from.

Early career

Dorothy Dietrich is a native of Erie, Pennsylvania. In a six-page article about the history of women in magic in the women's magazine, Bust, which contained only two full-page pictures, one of Adelaide Herrmann and the other of Dietrich, Nichole Summer writes:

Growing up in rural Pennsylvania with six brothers, she often found herself tied up as the damsel in distress during their games of cowboy and Indians but would somehow manage to escape on her own. When an aunt saw her freeing herself one day, she said to her, "Who do you think you are, Houdini?" Dietrich had no clue who Houdini was but set off for the local library to find out. Doing odd jobs, at the age of 13, she saved enough money as a young teen to hitch a ride with a girlfriend's older brother to New York and ran away from her abusive father, her first true escape act.

Among the books that inspired her as a child was a biography of Houdini, who became a childhood idol, a fact that later influenced her desire to perform magic and escapes.

Early on, she learned her craft mostly from books. In New York, she auditioned for Westchester Department of Parks from an ad in a show business newspaper and was booked on the spot for a full summer of work, was recommended to the school district for the winter months, and re-booked the following summer for an increase in dates and price. Around this same time she earned her performing chops working a dime museum "grind show" Ten-in-One operation in Times Square run by legendary mouse pitchman Tommy Laird with such performers as Earl "Presto" Johnson, Lou Lancaster, Chris Capehart, Dick Brooks (a.k.a., Brookz), and others. Showcasing for the Parent Assembly of the Society of American Magicians at about the same time, well-known magicians Russell Swann and Walter B. Gibson, captivated by her performance style, took her under their wing. Walter Gibson, who was a confidant and biographer of Houdini's, said[10] "What you have is very reminiscent of Houdini, when Houdini came out on stage, the audience automatically fell in love with him. In my long years, I've never seen anyone who had that." Dietrich also studied with "Coney Island Fakir" Al Flosso (for the coin routine), a regular performer on the Ed Sullivan television show, Jack London (for the bullet catch), and Lou Lancaster with the Milk Can and the Straitjacket Escape, as well as sleight-of-hand magic. "The recognition gradually put Dorothy Dietrich and her magic into resort hotels, nightclubs, school and college auditoriums, trade shows." She became a favorite of several New York booking agents.

Innovative routines

She developed what is known as a flash act that included doves, a rabbit, a duck and two poodles. Early on she was considered a "leading dove worker".[12] She also developed several routines few women had ever attempted. Sawing men in half, escaping from a straitjacket, sleight of hand with coins via the Misers Dream, The Bullet Catch, and levitating audience members. It was her goal to level the playing field between men and women in the field of magic, and to innovate and break barriers where no women, and in some cases no men, have gone. Until she broke many of these barriers, women were not allowed full membership in organizations such as The Society of American Magicians, which she tried to join. She has pioneered and paved the way for women in the field today.

Dietrich has created special shows for such companies as Maidenform, Pooltrol, Yago Sangria, Manhattan Shirts, as well as fashion and cosmetic companies. She is a regular performer for trade and industrial events.

The bullet catch

In 2008, Bust reported about Dietrich's 1988 attempt to catch a bullet in a metal cup in her mouth. She performed it at Donald Trump's Resorts International's 10th anniversary in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was televised on a special called, Just For The Record, The Best Of Everything. This came about after catching a .22 caliber bullet for the yearly convention of the International Brotherhood of Magicians in Pittsburgh. It was shown on Network TV's Evening Magazine, and on The New You Asked For It with Rich Little as host. She performed it again in Canada on a TV show called Autobus du Canada for the highest amount ever paid a magician on Canadian television. It was done under test conditions with the bullets bought by a committee. Brought in under guard, an independent marksman picked and fired the bullet. One of two chosen bullets was fired into a concrete backstop and the second was fired at Dorothy. Dietrich challenged anyone who could prove that the bullet did not leave from the gun by offering a $10,000 reward. Feature stories and articles about her have appeared in major publications such as The New York Times and TV Guide.

Houdini Magical Hall of Fame

On exhibit for many years at the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame in Niagara Falls, Canada, until it burned down, was a large two-panel display of Dorothy Dietrich and her accomplishments as "The Female Houdini". A similar display is now shown at Scranton's Houdini Museum.

The Houdini seances

For many years she held the Houdini seances in New York as a tribute to the legendary magician, continuing a tradition started by Houdini's wife and passed on to Walter B. Gibson. Even though Bess gave up the séances herself, she asked magician Walter B. Gibson to carry on the October 31 tradition. For many years, Gibson, along with several other magicians, held the séances at the Magic Towne House in New York City. Before Gibson died he asked Dietrich to carry on the tradition. Walter was a confidant and biographer of Houdini and also wrote the famous Shadow series. Dietrich continues the seances at The Houdini Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, each Halloween, the day Houdini died. The seances have been shown on such shows as TV Land: Myths and Legends, Biography's Dead Famous-Houdini and Exploring the Unknown. The seances at the Houdini Museum in Scranton are often attended by the Houdini family, who are the closest living relatives of Bess Houdini, making this the closest event connected back to the original seances that Bess Houdini held.

Debunker

Dietrich also crusades against those who falsely claim to speak to dead relatives of vulnerable grieving citizens. Early on, Dietrich realized that there were those who would use magic and various deceptive arts to manipulate and even cheat people out of money. So, following in the footsteps of famous debunkers who came before her, such as Houdini, Milbourne Christopher, and James Randi, she takes on such a role where possible. She has a $10,000 reward for anyone who says they can contact the spirit of Houdini. Those who have tried, unsuccessfully, include Canadian television "medium" Kim Dennis, who had contacted the Houdini family claiming she was getting messages from Houdini.

In popular culture

  • In the novel "The Art of Escaping" by Erin Callahan, geared toward the Young Adult Market, 17-year-old Mattie has a secret obsession: escapology. She dreams of becoming the next Harry Houdini or Dorothy Dietrich. Mattie is hiding her obsession with Harry Houdini and Dorothy Dietrich from everyone
  • Stories for Kids Who Dare to Be Different: True Tales of Amazing People Who Stood Up and Stood Out, by Ben Brooks. Hardcover.
  • Dorothy Dietrich is mentioned on "House MD", in a segment about her bullet catch. (Year 8, Segment 8, Perils of Paranoia). Wilson shows up in House's office with a gun he's found. House swears "it's not a gun. It's a prop. From Dorothy Dietrich's magic act. Look it up. She's the only woman to ever do the "Catch a Bullet" trick."
  • Houdini: The World's First Superhero Collector Cards. Features Dietrich. Produced in 2012 by Frank Eachus Publishing. A few of the card sets made included a rare Dorothy Dietrich signed card. The preview set was part of limited printing (500 sets) to promote the full release of trading cards.

Meet Dorothy Dietrich in Hollywood, March 24, 2016

This is an event that has happened in the past

Our first stop will be at 10:00 AM in front of the Hollywood Heritage Museum, which was the headquarters for the original Famous Players-Lasky Studio, where Houdini made The Grim Game. We thought it would be fun to throw open an invitation for one and all to come meet Dorothy at our first stop. Come get an autograph, watch her do some magic, and hear firsthand how she and Dick Brookz helped uncover Houdini's long-lost silent film and aided in TCM's restoration. Media is also welcome.

We will then fan out across Los Angeles in search of Houdini. While this isn't a public tour per se -- I will just be scooting them around in my Prius -- you are still welcome to join us at any of our stops. We will be in Hollywood in the morning and downtown Los Angeles and Glendale in the afternoon. While I don't know the exact time of any of the stops, I will live-tweet each upcoming destination @HoudiniWild. That way, you will know when we are close, and you can come out and meet a legend (and learn all about that particular Houdini site).

So come and meet Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz on Tuesday, March 24 at 10am in front of the Hollywood Heritage Museum located at 2100 North Highland Avenue (directly across from the Hollywood Bowl). Or follow me at @HoudiniWild and join us along the way.

This kicks off what is going to be a spectacular week of Houdini in Hollywood!

You can read profiles of Dorothy and Dick at the TCM Classic Film Festival website. Also check out The Houdini Museum's own press release for a preview of some of the stops we will be making on our tour of Houdini's Los Angeles.

UPDATE: Touring Houdini's L.A. with Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz

Related: TCM Festival details: Grim Game screening at the Egyptian, March 29 TCM festival screening Houdini (1953) Houdini bust magically reappears at his grave site]

More information is available at [ Wikipedia:Dorothy_Dietrich ]


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