Dean Gunnarson Takes James Randi’s Place for Houdini’s Milk Can Escape

 In 1987, a young escape artist named Dean Gunnarson received the kind of opportunity that could either launch a career—or end in disaster.

Gunnarson was appearing on the television special The Search for Houdini, hosted by William Shatner. The program explored the life and legendary escapes of Harry Houdini, with magician and skeptic James “The Amazing” Randi scheduled to recreate Houdini’s famous Milk Can Escape.

However, when Randi was injured shortly before the performance, Gunnarson was unexpectedly asked to take his place.

This was not a routine Gunnarson had spent months rehearsing. According to accounts of the event, he had never performed the Milk Can Escape before and had only seen the apparatus for the first time the previous day. Nevertheless, he accepted the challenge and prepared to attempt one of the most recognizable—and dangerous-looking—escapes in magic history.

Recreating a Houdini Classic

Houdini introduced his original Milk Can Escape in 1908. During the stunt, he was handcuffed and lowered into an oversized metal milk can filled with water. The lid was secured with locks, leaving Houdini trapped inside and unable to breathe.

Advertisements for the escape famously warned audiences that “Failure Means a Drowning Death.”

For Gunnarson’s televised performance, his hands were secured before he climbed into the water-filled container. The lid was placed over the can and locked as the assembled crowd watched.

Once a curtain surrounded the apparatus, the waiting began.

The performance was especially tense because Gunnarson’s head start came only moments before the lid was closed. Without the ability to take another breath, every second inside the can mattered.

After a suspenseful wait, Gunnarson emerged safely, completing the escape and earning an enthusiastic response from the audience.

The Night That Changed Gunnarson’s Career

The special aired on October 31, 1987—the 61st anniversary of Houdini’s death. What began as an unexpected replacement appearance became a major turning point for Gunnarson.

The performance introduced him to an American television audience and helped launch an international career built around increasingly dangerous escapes. He would later escape while suspended 726 feet above Hoover Dam, perform over alligator-filled waters, free himself during a 13,500-foot airplane jump, and survive numerous buried-alive and underwater challenges.

Gunnarson’s story makes this footage particularly fascinating. Viewers are not simply watching another recreation of a Houdini escape. They are seeing a young performer step into a difficult situation at the last moment and deliver the performance that would help define the rest of his life.

More than three decades later, Dean Gunnarson remains closely associated with the dangerous art of escapology. However, it was this water-filled milk can, an injured James Randi, and an unexpected opportunity on The Search for Houdini that introduced him to audiences across the United States.