Monday, May 23, 2011

The Holocaust Conjurer


The 20th Century was a time of great extremes. In the early part of the century we saw the introduction of radio and movies. Advances in the automobile and the airplane changed the way we traveled. By the end of the 20th Century we had ventured into space and even landed men on the moon and returned them safely to earth.

However, the century was not without it’s darker moments. The globe suffered through two world wars as well as numerous other conflicts. Diseases would continue to wipe out millions of people despite our best efforts. And probably the worst, man against man event was the Holocaust during World War II. This was what the Nazis called “The Final Solution” to solve the Jewish problem. They would wipe out the Jewish race from the face of the earth. What could be more wicked and evil than that? What kind of people can consider this kind of thing let alone actually do it? And yet, today in the 21st Century, there are still wicked people in the world with this mindset.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

WILD ABOUT HARRY: The untold story of Hardeen Jr.

John Cox has done it again. This article on his blog is a great piece of historical detective work. It's a MUST READ! And when you're finished reading about Douglas Geoffrey the successor to Hardeen, come back and read about Houdini's Forgetten Protege, Leonard Hicks.

WILD ABOUT HARRY: The untold story of Hardeen Jr.: "Recently I had the pleasure of speaking with the nephew of Douglas Geoffrey aka 'Hardeen Jr.' Despite the fact that Geoffrey was the offici..."

Sunday, May 15, 2011

103rd Anniversary of the Mantle of Magic

Today marks the 103rd Anniversary of the Passing of the Mantle of Magic from Harry Kellar to Howard Thurston at the Fords Theatre in Baltimore MD. The reality of the situation was that there was no real Mantle, nor was there a wand or anything else passed over. It was basically a business transaction in which Thurston agreed to purchase the Kellar show and it's properties for a certain sum and then continue to pay Kellar a fee for the show. Not quite as romantic as the idea of passing on this theatrical legacy from one king to his successor.