The telecast launching Dean Gunnarson's world wide recognition: "The Search for
Houdini," aired October 31st, 1987, hosted by William Shatner. This live television
special, direct from Los Angeles, would feature such greats as magicians David
Copperfield, Penn and Teller, Harry Blackstone and the then World's Greatest Escape Artist, The Amazing
Randi (Houdini's successor.) To honour Houdini, Dean's challenges would include:
escaping from Houdini's toughest handcuffs sight unseen, and escaping from a
straitjacket while suspended from the Garfield building (Houdini similarly made an
escape from this structure in 1915.) This was what was scheduled, while in reality, fate
had other plans for Dean.
During rehearsals on Saturday afternoon, Randi injured his back (a double compound
fracture of the vertebrae), thusly unable to perform his escape from Houdini's renowned
Milk Can. As one of Houdini's signature escapes, The Milk Can could not be
abandoned. Dean, who had only seen the milk can the previous day, was Randi's
choice to perform the dangerous escape from water and steel. With last minute
consultation from Randi (while in hospital), and support from William Shatner, Dean
rose to the challenge and succeeded with as much flair as his predecessors. It was
now obvious to the world that fate had designs on crowning Dean the successor to the
Escape Throne.
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