
It can be hard to believe that anyone could throw an ordinary playing card like a shuriken hard enough to hurt someone. For instance, in Merritt's first scene, he "senses" a man is having an affair by throwing out calculated guesses and modifying those guesses based on the man's guilty body language. Once the other person believes you know more than you do, they might inadvertently share information that is actually secret while being convinced you knew the secret all along thanks to your "psychic" abilities. The other tactic is "hot reading," where you secretly dig up information regarding the other person beforehand, and impart that information to the person to make them think you know more than you actually do. to arrive at various conclusions about their personal life. The two most famous tactics mentalists use are "cold reading," where you observe a person's dress, body language, emotional state etc. In reality, a mentalist can make use of a variety of observation and conversation techniques to extract information from a person without directly asking them. The open-plan kitchens on the property are fully appointed with stainless-steel appliances, and the mansion also comes with a sun-drenched dining room with access to a terrace.īut more importantly, perhaps, for illusion aficionados, the mansion that Houdini and his wife, Bess, had once called ‘home’ features secret caves, tunnels, and a water tank used for rehearsals by ‘Handcuffs Houdini’ himself until a short time before his death in 1926.īuilt in the Edwardian style in the early 1900s, the palatial home in the 2400 block of Laurel Canyon was the setting of a famous party Houdini's wife once hosted for 500 magicians.īess Houdini continued living at the house for years after Harry's untimely passing from a ruptured appendix.In truth, Merritt's talents are an exaggerated version of real-world mentalists.

All that remained after the inferno was a system of walkways and cavesĮight bathrooms are available for residents and guests. Risen from the ashes: The Hollywood Hills mansion and its expansive gardens were restored after the 1959 Laurel Canyon fire destroyed the original building.
