Haji Ali

Haji Ali demonstrates his regurgitation skills.

Haji Ali (circa 1887 ^[1] - 1892 - November 5, 1937) - a circus and vaudeville performer, supposedly of Egyptian origin, performing in Great Britain and a number of other countries in the first half of the 20th century, who was known for his acts with controlled regurgitation ( excretions of swallowed substances). His most famous tricks included the emission from the mouth of one or several controlled streams of water, swallowing lit cigarettes, and swallowing various objects, most often nuts or handkerchiefs, followed by their release from the throat in the order chosen by the audience. Ali's most famous trick, which was a key part of his speeches, consisted in absorbing at first a copious amount of water and then kerosene, after which he acted in turn as a “ flamethrower man” and “ fire extinguisher man” when he pulled both liquids on theater props . In the process of performing these tricks, a group of people from the audience was always asked to watch the show at a very close distance to make sure that Ali does not deceive the public.

Although he was never widely known, Ali gained loyal fans in vaudevilles and circus fans in the United States. He even spoke to heads of state, including the Russian Emperor Nicholas II . Judy Garland called him his favorite vodivnogo artist, and David Blaine called Ali his favorite illusionist. Episodes of his performances were filmed in the form of short films : Strange as It Seems (1930) and Politiquerias (1931), a Spanish-language version of the film Laurel and Hardy Chickens Come Home . Two documentaries contain footage from Ali taken from Politiquerias : 1977 Gizmo and 1999 Vaudeville . Ali's unusual abilities led to rumors that Rockefeller University had offered a large amount of money to get his stomach to die after his death. After he died in England, his body was offered to study at Johns Hopkins University , but the offer was rejected.