World's Greatest Con

The Greatest Magic Show of all Time was a Lie

World's Greatest Con

Show Notes

The true story of how Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin is called out of retirement to help quell an uprising in French Colonial Algeria. What happens next is the most famous, high stakes magic performance in history.

What the unbelievable story of Houdin tells us about or desire to believe and the distractions that lead con artists to take advantage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More from World's Greatest Con

Aug 24, 2026

Princess Caraboo becomes Mary Baker once again.

Jul 3, 2026

We return to the Mac Lab one final time as Brian is joined by Mike Edwards and Banachek live on stage to discuss Project Alpha at CSICon 2026 in Buffalo, NY.

Apr 24, 2026

A mysterious woman walks into a small English village speaking a language nobody understands.

Feb 9, 2026

In 1915, San Diego is on the brink of becoming a major American city, if it doesn’t die of thirst first.

Nov 27, 2025

Charles Ponzi conducted a financial fraud so audacious he became the biggest brand name in crime. Yet most people don’t know what he actually did and those who do are often hard-pressed to explain why it was special.

See all episodes →