In 1936 Hardeen starred in a Vitaphone short film for Warner Bros. From 1938 to 1941, Hardeen was featured in Olsen and Johnson's Broadway revue, Hellzapoppin, and during World War II he performed for the troops (as his brother had done during World War I). And the general public regard him as a brilliant artiste and a thrilling entertainer.Īfter his brother's death in 1926 Hardeen played the vaudeville circuit, doing many of Houdini's routines. Both the amateurs and the professionals of our number regard him as a friend. Like Houdini, he is willing to expend both time and money freely to further the cause of magic. He is a man of considerable culture and one of the best raconteurs I have ever met.

Hardeen, like his more famous brother Harry Houdini is a great favourite in the magical world. The handcuffs but a simple thing compared with those with which he is used to toy. The huge chains in the cartoon are hardly an exaggeration of those from which he breaks loose. I have seen him perform several times, and have marvelled at his achievements. Even if Houdini had not existed to point the way, it is quite likely that Hardeen would have become an escape artiste. But the natural ability was always there. Hardeen learned his business from Houdini, and he learned it well, as no man could have failed to do with such a master. Will Goldston, English stage magician and editor of the Magician Annual, wrote that: While there, Harry met and married Wilhelmina Beatrice 'Bess' Rahner. In 1893, Hardeen performed with Houdini at Coney Island as 'The Brothers Houdini'.

He was known as 'Deshi' and later 'Dash' by his parents. Hardeen was born as Ferenc Dezső Weisz (also spelled Ferencz Dezso Weisz) in Budapest, Hungary, and went by the name of Theodore Weiss when the family was living in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Theodore hardeen