Possible Clues:

• Showman who reportedly died in one
• Escapologist, part of one pair, hard up
• Entertainer bound to make big noise, I found, after 45 minutes
• Entertainer born Erik Weisz
• Escape artist, d. 1926
• Entertainer who'd broadcast at home on one
• Eminent escapologist
• He originally set up popular current double act: breaking free made him famous
• Subject of the 2006 biography 'Escape!'
• Once he started his act there was no holding him