Before David Blaine and David Copperfield, there was one man whose name was synonymous with being the master of illusion and escape - Harry Houdini. It follows the man behind the magic as he finds fame, engages in espionage, battles spiritualists and encounters the greatest names of the era, from U.S. presidents to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Grigori Rasputin. The drama will chronicle the life of a man who can defy death through his stunts, his visions...

High above the city street, Harry Houdini hangs by his ankles. A madman's straitjacket binds his torso and arms. He'll never get out of this one alive. But somehow he does. The only bonds Harry Houdini never wished to escape were his marriage bonds to his cherished wife and assistant Bess. From his early career struggles to his crusade against spiritual charlatans, from the Water Torture Cell to other signature feats, from the fate he could not escape...

The incredible but tragically short career of magician Harry Houdini whose tricks defied explanation and safety.