Henry Gordien passed away at seventy-seven on February 9, 1967 in
Maple Grove, Minneapolis. He was active in magic for well over fifty years. He
specialized in presenting assorted effects including producing bowls of water
filled with gold fish, a production of a live rabbit, a
torn and restore newspaper effect, the
ever popular borrowed bill in lemon effect, and a featured effect that seemed
almost common place in his time and that was threading over a dozen needles
after swallowing them which he called the “Hindu
Needle-Eating and Threading Trick”. Another
magician made this trick popular and his name was Harry Houdini. When the
opportunity appropriate, Houdini would mention that he purchased the
original needle trick from Gordien.
