Gone Into History

 Cannons Great Escapes
This year has been tough on those who manufacture magic. First to go was Cannon's Great Escapes, owned and operated by Mark and Sheila Cannon. I was fortunate to spend some time with Mark and though I never met Sheila, I did get a number of emails from her over the years. They were super nice people and always helpful. Their company sold Escape Equipment to the magic industry. This included some rather spectacular escape props as well as handcuffs and keys and other misc devices. I believe they single handedly moved the escape business forward by leaps and bounds through their high quality products. They announced in the Spring 2011 that they would be closing shop. Sheila was involved in another venture and beyond that there was no explanation. I don't know if Mark is going to continue doing his escape act or if he has let all that go as well.

Creative Magic
Next was Brian and Rebecca Daniels from Creative Magic. They were the ones who usually had ads on the back page of many of the magic magazines promoting their illusions that could fold up into a bag. That of course doesn't describe all their products but most of the big illusions they sold could indeed fold up or fold down as the case may be to travel much easier. They also offered some radically brilliant smaller pieces like their Change Cap, and Mesh Change Bag as well as a set of temporary tattoos that looked like Bruises. Everything they did was 'out of the box' and highly creative, hence their companies name. I met them both and like the Cannons they were just super nice people. They sold off ALL their inventory to their customers in an unprecedented move. It was just like them to close the doors by doing something no one had ever done before.

Wolfs Magic

Finally, word just came this past weekend that Chance Wolf from Wolfs Magic is involved in a 'different' project and there is a good chance that Wolfs Magic will be no more soon. I never met Chance, but I have seen his incredibly inventive and colorful props. I own one of them and will tell you that it's a thing of beauty.

The Wolfs Magic line of products were mostly new takes on older props. They were often done in a very cartoonish style which gave them a refreshing modern appeal. Not everything was cartoonish, but everything was extremely well made. I HOPE he sticks around but I can't blame him for trying other things.


WHY?
Each of these companies are run by one or two or a handful of people. They each have their reasons for closing down and I respect all their decisions and wish them all well. Each one will be missed and each one leaves a giant hole in the magic community. The why is something you'd have to ask them individually. But I thought it would be nice to acknowledge the actual people who were brave enough to venture out with these companies. A standing ovation is certainly deserved for each of their efforts!

Mark & Sheila Cannon of Cannons Great Escapes

Brian & Rebecca Daniel of Creative Magic

Chance & Shelly Wolf of Wolfs Magic

WILD ABOUT HARRY: William Kalush discusses Houdini's enduring fame a...

During this years Essential Magic Conference, William Kalush (above) author of the The Secret Life of Houdini and director of the Conjuring Arts Research Center gave a short abbreviated talk on Houdini and what made him so successful. It turned out to be one of the highlights of the conference for me. This past weekend, Mr. Kalush was at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles to give the hour long version of this fine lecture.
John Cox of WILD ABOUT HARRY was there and covered it quite well. Please click the link below to read John's blog about the Kalush talk on Houdini.

WILD ABOUT HARRY: William Kalush discusses Houdini's enduring fame a...: "William Kalush, author of The Secret Life of Houdini and director of the Conjuring Arts Research Center , gave a talk on 'Houdini and His ..."

The Elusive Moth BOOK

I was quite excited when the mailman delivered a package to me yesterday containing a brand new book. The title, Memoirs of an Elusive Moth by Adele Friel Rhindress. I've mentioned Adele before in my blogs, but in case you don't know she worked with Harry Blackstone Sr. for several seasons. This book is about her adventures from that time period.

First thing I want to say, is it ok to give a book a standing ovation? I loved this book!!! For one, though it is about the Blackstone show, you really get the see the show through Adele's eyes. She has a number of her own adventures that she shares as well. I got a kick out of the 20 hour sleeping story. Actually, I enjoyed all the stories! I also had the honor of hearing a number of these stories in person last summer when I was in Pigeon Forge and Adele and I went to lunch one day.

She describes in the book, a letter that Harry Blackstone Sr. sent her about the new season and how he wanted her to come back to play the part of 'The Elusive Moth', a new routine they were creating specifically for Adele.  I actually got to see the letter during our lunch last year. Also, Adele was a featured speaker during my 'Magic Detective' Session at KIDabra and she shared a couple stories about Harry Blackstone JR. that also appear in the book. But there are many things I had not heard before and she captures them so well. She talks about Del Ray and Nick Ruggerio as well as a number of her fellow female assistants in the show. Adele also shares stories about the non performing cast members and helps the reader to see how important each and every person is/was in the production of the stage spectacular known as Blackstone And His Show of 1001 Wonders!

Besides giving the reader a sense of what it was like traveling with the Blackstone show,  she also gives a glimpse into her own life as well, which I was really happy to read. The book is about HER and her experiences and I'm so glad that she included some none magic history in there as well.

If you love history, get this book. If you know Adele, you must get this book. But if you just want to just read a book that will make you smile, then without a doubt get a copy of this wonderful book, The Memoirs of an Elusive Moth!

To order: http://www.squashpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=256&osCsid=d4fac40e497eb5d7bf8baa0a530d8c39

Houdini Wax Recordings

Yesterday during the Essential Magic Conference, David Copperfield took all the viewers of the conference on a virtual tour of his museum. One of the stops along the way was the Edison Wax Cylinder Recording of Houdini's voice. Houdini fans have heard this before no doubt. But something struck me as odd when I first heard Copperfield play it back.

It's slightly different than the version I had heard in the past. My guess is that Houdini recorded this speech several times, but I had never heard anyone ever mention that fact. Proof of the 'different' recording was not easy as I had to replay the Copperfield clip and then find one of the other clips. The speech pattern is almost identical. However, there was one giant give-away when on the Copperfield clip Houdini is heard to say "after it has been filled to the brim with water". But on the clips you can find on youtube and other places, Houdini says "after it has been filled with water". NOT 'filled to the brim', but just 'filled with water'. There are a couple other changes in script as well, so it is a different version.

Though not a major discovery, I'm wondering if anyone else picked up on this. You can listen to Houdini speak below. But you would have had to register for the EMC 2011 Conference to hear the other version. If you did, it's on Session 9.

UPDATE: John Cox over at WildaboutHoudini.com has an article about the original 'first' discovery of the Wax Cylinders. http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2010/11/houdini-speaks-in-1970.html

Essential Magic Conference 2011 is Complete

I'm a big fan of Luis DeMatos's magic. And so his Essential Magic Conference that he puts on along with his partners, Marco Tempest and David Britland is a must see for me. This is the worlds ONLY online magic conference. I mentioned a few days ago that David Copperfield would be conducting a tour of his museum. Indeed he did. And indeed it was FANTASTIC! What did he show? Houdini's Sub Trunk, Milk Can, Water Torture Cell, several posters and he even played the Wax recording of Houdini's voice*.

David Copperfield also showed a set of Nest of Boxes owned by Harry Kellar, Howard Thurston's Disembodied Princess, Dante's Sawing in Half and a dress worn by Moi Miller. He also presented Germain's Blooming Rose Bush which was incredible! Ken Klosterman had a duplicate of the Germain Blooming Rose Bush and gave it to Copperfield as a gift. Below is a photo of the original Germain Blooming Rose Bush in the Klosterman Collection. David finished the tour with a demonstration of two Robert-Houdin automaton.

Germain's Rose Bush in the Klosterman Collection

The talk that William Kalush did on 'Why Houdini is Still Popular 85 years Later' was brilliant!  Mike Caveney's talk on the Walter Jeans Millions Dollar Mystery was great then he followed it with a video of him performing Carter The Great's Million Dollar Mystery.

I've not yet had a chance to watch the entire conference, but I can tell you that every single thing I've seen so far has been great. Watching Rene Levand perform was breathtaking. And I tell you, I really enjoyed both of Paul Daniels' talks and performances. The Buck Twins make you stand back and just say WOW. Jordon Gomez's act with CDs fooled everyone even after he had already explained most of the effects before he did the act. It's so great to have Rudy Coby back in magic and see him do his magic. David Kaye was on hand to talk about kids magic in a very mature manner and both of his talks were superb.

The talent present at this event is awe inspiring and the generosity of the speakers is beyond compare. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of the conference and rewatching my favorite parts. They outdid themselves this year and I can't wait to see what surprises they have in store for 2012.

Carter Beats The Devil, Again

Glen David Gold wrote a fictional book in 2002 about touring illusionist Charles Carter called "Carter Beats The Devil". It was an interesting book in that he took many true stories from the world of magic and weaved them into his book. It made quite the splash in the magic circles and an even bigger splash with the general public. So much so that Tom Cruise purchased the rights to make the book into a movie. This was very exciting for magicians as well, but then nothing happened.

It appears now that the Carter Beats The Devil is back and getting a green light by Hollywood. Let's hope it makes it through this time. The talk in regards to the movie is that Johnny Depp is being looked at as the lead. It's a shame this wasn't made 25-30 years ago, as my vote would go to Charlton Heston, whose real name was John Charles Carter!

As much as I enjoyed the Glen David Gold book, I must be fair and say that the OTHER Carter Book is far better from a historical point of view. That would be the Carter Book by Mike Caveney. When I first read this book I could hardly put it down. Before reading it the only thing I knew about Carter was that he had some really cool posters, like the one above, and the Carter on a Camel poster (see below) and the Vanishing Elephant poster. But his life story is so much more interesting than his posters.

Houdini Coffin For Sale

This appears to be a prop made for a show or maybe a movie or tv program.  It's for sale on Ebay, http://cgi.ebay.com/Custom-Designed-Harry-Houdini-Coffin-/180690281728?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a11fae500

As of right now, there are 6 days left on the auction. There is no denying this thing is cool looking.

Essential Magic Conference 2011

In a few days the second Essential Magic Conference will begin. This is the world's only ONLINE ONLY Magic Convention. It was the brainchild of Luis DeMatos, David Britland and Marco Tempest and frankly last year was incredible!

If you have not registered yet, you should do so soon. Why? Well besides the obvious, there will be some Houdini talk. William Kalush will give a talk on Houdini on July 8th. Then on July 9th, David Copperfield will be taking the registrants of the conference on a virtual tour of his museum, which will no doubt feature quite a few of his rare Houdini items.

Also, Mike Caveney will be on hand talking about magic history as well. If you love magic, you can't go wrong with registering for this incredible conference. OH, and if you register before July 4th, you get a free months membership to The Conjuring Arts Research Library. So, go register at http://www.essentialmagicconference.com

Sidney Radner has passed on & Other News

A few days ago Sidney Radner died at the age of 91 in Holyoke Mass. He was the foremost collector of Houdini props in the world. He received the bulk of his collection from Houdini's brother Dash Hardeen, (Theo Weiss). No doubt Sid is right now sitting with Houdini trying to explain WHY he didn't burn all the props as was specified in his Will. I'm sure Sid is trying to point a finger at Theo, shifting the blame, lol. But in all seriousness, who can blame him? It was a wonderful collection while it lasted. I think it was 2004 when he sold the collection at auction.

We've witnessed the end of an era really. Today, there is a new crop of Houdini collectors. As surprising as it might seem, the interest in Houdini continues to grow and grow each year. I'm constantly amazed at the number of new Houdini photos that show up. I'm still anxiously awaiting the day when a Houdini Vanishing Elephant Poster pops up out of no where. It's going to happen ( I HOPE).

Anyone know the status of The Official Houdini Seance? Is it 'officially' over now that Sid is gone?

On a similar note, Cannon's Great Escapes is closing it's door. Mark and Sheila are very much alive, thankfully. But they've chose to close things down and are selling off EVERYTHING, and I do mean everything! Want a Water Torture Cell? Mark has one for sale! Interesting times we live in. Prior to Cannon's it wasn't always so easy to get escape equipment. Mark made it much easier with his website and conventions. The customer service they provided was just fantastic. In two days that will be gone forever as well. I do wish Mark and Sheila the best of luck in all their future endeavors. They are super nice people!

Any thoughts who might fill the gap left by Cannon's Great Escapes closing?

Speaking of closing their doors, CreativeMagic.net, aka Brian Daniel and his wife have decided to close the doors on their business, but they've done it in a very interesting way. They are selling EVERYTHING, all their products to their customers in 'bundles'. Basically for one price, you get one of everything. The website says it's $10,000 worth of items for $3600.00. That frankly is a steal. I have a number of their products and they are great! In fact, I'm using one of them this summer in every show. Sorry to see them go, but I'm sure it's not the last you'll hear from them! Best of luck to Brian and Rebecca Daniel!

Happy Fathers Day

A few weeks ago, I wrote about why Mom's are Awesome. Well today is Father's Day and I got to thinking about how Dad's bring a whole different set of qualities to the table. I have memories of my Dad working out at the Gym with the then Baltimore Colts Football players, among them Johnny Unitas. My Dad was like a super man, always very strong. Years later when we lived on the farm, I remember wrestling with him and he still was strong as an ox, and I was no weakling, but I couldn't pin him for nothing!

I also remember him dressing up like Santa Claus one Christmas and I knew it was him because of his shoes. I'm sure that burned him up at the time but it's sure funny looking back.

Anyway, there are like a gazillion things I learned from my Dad. And there are a few I didn't learn. I didn't get his mathematical abilities, I think my brother got those. I didn't get his musical abilities, again, I think maybe my brother got those. I didn't learn car repair. But I don't think he was big on car repair either, so can't blame him there. I did pick up the sports bug from my Dad for a while. He took me to my first Orioles game in Baltimore, in the old Memorial Stadium! Wow was that ever cool. We actually went there a number of times over the years. And we've been to a game there at the new stadium as well.

When we lived in N.H. my Dad was a big Boston Bruins fan, so guess what, so was I! I don't think he ever took me to a game, but I remember seeing a program he had with Bobby Or and Phil Esposito. Moving to VA, hockey kinda got lost in the warm weather sadly.

I mentioned a couple things I didn't get from my Dad, but for the couple things I didn't get, I sure learned a lot more. I learned how to build a house! I learned electrical work, painting, lumber work and wood working in general. I learned how to do plumbing and dry wall. I learned what tools were for and how to use them. I learned how to ride a horse and more importantly, how to fall off a horse and not get killed! (I fell off more than my share) I learned how to bail and pick up hay (ok, that one he could have back if he wants. Ever since then I get the worst bouts of hay fever in the spring) I learned how to navigate my way all over the country. I probably got his spirit of exploration and travel. And I sure acquired the same taste in movies. Hard to find two bigger John Wayne fans than me and my father.

My Dad also got me my first paying show. He was always supportive (he and Mom both) of my then hobby and eventual career. He helped me build my first illusion (that we never finished). It was a Zig Zag Illusion. We did take the wood from it and made other props with it though. He built my first show tables, while Mom made table drapes. Years later my Dad helped me build a Tip-Over Trunk, a Sub Trunk and also helped repair and refinish a countless worn out illusions. And Mom was always there to assist as well.

Oh and there were the smaller pieces that he either built or we did together. He built a cool prop to vanish rings and scarves, which I'm once again using THIS Summer. He and I built a tray that I needed for the recreation of a Doug Henning/Orsen Welles routine. Most recently, we built some non magic related items that are just as amazing as all the magic props.

Probably more than anything my Dad taught me how to think on my feet and to think for myself. He's one of a kind and the best father a guy could ask for. As for parents, my brother and I won the lottery.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!! Love you Dad, you're the best!

My Moment w Robert Houdin

About a year or so ago I really became intrigued with Robert Houdin. Understand, I've always been fascinated by him, but for some reason, it took hold extra strong about, well maybe two years now. At any rate, I was reading everything I could get my hands on. I was just devouring the existing literature on Robert Houdin. And then I had this crazy idea of putting together a small act AS Robert Houdin. It was going to be something I did for the local magic club.

Because I have no automaton and couldn't get my hands on any, those would be out. Sadly, automatons were a big part of his act and I needed to do something to mimic an automaton if not really present one.
I also went through the the literature to see if there were any modern effects I could use that dated back to his time and sure enough there were.

I don't speak a word of french, but I did try to incorporate a few french words as well as french music and a french accent and costume. I have to say the finished act, which was about 15 or 20 minutes long was really fun to do.  I presented an unusual version of Cards Across, The Cabalistic Clock, The barehanded Vanishing Scarf, and a rather strange rendition of the Orange Tree Illusion.

The Orange Tree was the automaton but not an automaton. I told the story of how I, as Robert Houdin, came upon the idea of the tree. Kind of like a 'back-story' to the trick, which formed the presentation for the routine. A box that looked like the box that Robert Houdin's Orange Tree sat on was displayed and showed that it was without any mechanical parts. But a key inserted into the side was still able to wind up the invisible clockworks. And it did end with oranges appearing, and with a chosen scarf appearing inside an orange, though without the butterflies which are in the Robert Houdin version.

All in all the short act was very well received. I thought seriously about putting together an entire show AS Robert Houdin. I even found a couple automaton that I could borrow. But in the end, I decided that I'd do better to focus on my own act, and leave the Robert Houdin idea for another time.

My friend Eugene, The Magical Genie

It's with a heavy heart that I write this piece about my friend Eugene Johnson. Eugene and his wife and sister in law were killed by a drunk driver this past Sunday evening. The shock is a bit overwhelming. Eugene was a magician and a very special guy. I never heard Eugene ever say a bad word about anyone and he always had a smile on his face. He was the first one to laugh when someone told a joke.

Back around 1995 I was giving Eugene magic lessons. He had taken lessons from someone else but was not totally happy and I volunteered to help him. We had quite a few laughs during those times. I remember him telling me that he had this idea for a magic character called 'Eugene the Magician, or Eugenie The Magician'. I suggested he call himself 'The Magical Genie' and sure enough he did and that would remain his moniker for the rest of his performing career.

One of my favorite memories of Eugene was during a show we did together called "The Super Show of Magic". Eugene had a dove act and we offered him the opening spot in the show. Sure enough, he came out and thrilled the audience with his fast paced dove productions. When the dove act was over he spoke for the first time and said "Hello I am The Magical Genie" in some kind of foreign like accent. And then a moment later he dropped the accent and said "I think I'm going to stay out here, I like it out here!" This was because he was having such a fun time on stage and he was doing such a great job. You couldn't help but like Eugene, he was such a kind-hearted guy.

I remember my friend Adam would always crack Eugene up whenever they saw each other and he would always say "you're so crazy", referring to Adam's wild sense of humor. The other guy who would just totally crack up Eugene was Denny Haney of Denny and Lees Magic Studio. I know Eugene admired and loved Denny. He considered him his mentor and Denny shared many valuable pieces of show business advice with him. It was nice to see the Washington Post interview Denny about Eugene. In the article, Denny mentions what a great magician Eugene was and points out his unique character. He also brought up the time when Eugene was first working with his 'magic turban' and accidentally burned his eyebrows when a burst of flame shot from the turban!

When Eugene did his dove act, the early version, he would come out with the turban and a burst of flame would come out and a bird would appear. Later though he added a large genie lamp that he would rub and a smoke would billow out and a bird was seen in the middle of the smoke. I have to say, that fooled the crap out of me and I was so proud of Eugene for his accomplishment.

I hadn't seen a lot of Eugene in the last couple years though we would talk on the phone from time to time. I just heard the news of his death a few hours ago and I'm still not even sure how to handle it. I just want to pick up the phone and say "hey Magical Genie, whats up?" but he won't be there. I'll miss him. He was one of the good guys. My thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time. RIP Eugene.

UPDATE: Services for Eugene and his wife and sister in law will take place on Saturday June 11. Services will be held tomorrow (wake at 10, funeral at noon)
Flowers can be sent to the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Manassas, VA: 10313 South Grant Avenue Manassas, VA 20110.





Here is a link to the article in the Washington Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/magician-among-those-killed-in-pr-georges-crash/2011/06/06/AGZgYbKH_story.html

Houdini in Chicago

Houdini (right) in Chicago

Chicago, like Boston and NYC is another city very important in the life of Harry Houdini. His first appearance in Chicago was during the 1893 Columbian Exposition also known as the World's Fair. According to Pat Culliton Houdini was there, along with Jacob Hyman and Dash. Several of the Houdini biographies suggest that the 'Brothers Houdini' presented the Metamorphosis on the mile long midway.

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.

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..."

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.

Le Grand David Family

I hope you enjoyed the four part blog on Cesareo and the Le Grand David show. That was written 11 years ago. Since that time much has happened. With Cesareo's encouragement I had run and was elected as the MidAtlantic Regional Vice President of the Society of American Magicians. The plan was to take it all the way and eventually become President of the organization, as he had years before. While all that was happening, the events of 9-11 took place. A tragic event that has touched people across the globe.  I had just flown out of Boston visiting my friends in Beverly, a few months before 9-11, and the planes that hit the twin towers came from the Boston Airport. After that event I found that I was unable to fly. I just couldn't do it.

The plans to move forward with the S.A.M.  faded away sadly. The fear of flying also kept me from visiting my friends in Beverly for a while which I felt terrible about. Now, I have since gotten back on airplanes and flown, but it took a while believe me.

Meeting The Magi - The Eyes

When last I wrote I mentioned my first encounters with Cesareo. Up until now, he did all the talking and I did all the listening. The time had finally come for dialog. We sat down together after touring the Cabot Street Cinema Theatre's workshops, and he began to speak.  "So Dean…" he said, followed by a long pause.  "How are you?" he asked. My mind was racing to find the appropriate words to answer his question. "Wonderful Cesareo, very very thankful to you for showing me so much" was my reply.  "No, No, How are you?" he repeated. Did I miss something? What was he trying to ask? I told him how overwhelmed and astonished I was. Cesareo smiled and looked at me and softly said "How are you? How is your health, how are you feeling?" He wasn't concerned about magic or the tour he had just given, he was concerned about me as a person. And this is where the real magic began.

After a few moments we went downstairs to the lobby of the Theatre. There were a couple of chairs sitting there that hadn't been there earlier. We walked over and sat down and he began to reveal details about me and my life that he couldn't have known. He was telling me about how so many magicians are so pompous, so selfish and self centered. To illustrate the point he showed me a photo of himself with two very famous performers.  As I looked at the photo he asked me "What do you see?" I knew that whatever my answer was, it would be wrong. Then he said "Look at the picture and tell me who has 'the loving eyes'?"

Meeting The Magi - Cesareo

Did you ever wonder what it must have been like during the golden age of magic? Imagine meeting people like Houdini, Kellar, Herrmann, Malini, and so many others. What would it have been like to sit at the feet of these masters and learn the secrets that made them famous? Well, unfortunately those icons of conjuring have passed on long ago.

I'm about to relate a story of my encounter with an individual who has a rare connection with another time, a time when magic was ruled the entertainment world.  His name is Cesareo Peleaz. He was born in Cuba during the 1930's and as a child had the opportunity to see many of the great travelling magic shows of old.

One of the shows that Cesareo saw was the FuManchu Show.  Fu-Manchu was the stage name of David Bamberg, the son of Okito. David was arguably the best magician of the twentieth century.  North American audiences aren't as familiar with him because Fu-Manchu traveled mostly in South America. The Bamberg family produced magicians for seven generations. David Bamberg being the last in the family.

Meeting The Magi - The Cast

Before I discuss the time I spent with Cesareo Peleaz I would like to mention the cast and crew of the Le Grand David performance. Last time I named everyone, and I believe I left off Ellen, Marian and Martha.  Marian and Martha are two young girls, daughters of one of the cast members, who appear throughout the show. Cesareo believes it is important to include children and starts them off at a young age.

On Saturday morning I was to meet the rest of the cast members at the theatre. All the men arrived at the theatre first.  Their job was to sweep the theatre and clean up.  Following this was the Barbershop Quartet Rehearsal and every male participated in this as well.  Later the women arrived for dance rehearsal.  I believe all of the women were involved in the dance rehearsal even if they were not in the show.

Meeting the Magi 1

Over the next few days I'm going to share with you an event that happened to me. It was 11 years ago now, so in effect it's part of my magic history. It was life changing in many ways. I wrote about it in a magic newsletter but I don't think I've shared it with anyone since that time. I'm not going to edit what I wrote, so keep in mind this was eleven years ago. I hope you enjoy this look back...

Meeting the Magi

How many years have you been involved in magic? Whether you are a beginner new to the art or someone who has many years dedicated to magic you still have your likes, dislikes and opinions.  Over time we get accustomed to certain styles of magic we enjoy over others.  Some may have a better appreciation for close-up magic because that is what they perform.  Others have a preference for stage magic, illusions or whatever.  So it goes for everyone.  Now how many of you with years of magical knowledge behind you would figure on having your magic world reshaped by meeting one person?  Doubtful you say. Personally, I would have hardly expected after 25 years in Magic that I would come across someone who would change my whole concept of magic but I did.

The Man in the Bottle

In 1749 a newspaper advertisement announced that on the night of January 16th, at the Theatre in the Haymarket an unnamed conjurer would appear at the theatre and would perform for the following feats:

1. He takes a common walking-cane from any of the spectators, and thereon plays the music of every instrument now in use, and likewise sings to surprising perfection. 
2. Secondly, he presents you with a common wine bottle, which any of the spectators may first examine; this bottle is placed on a table in the middle of the stage, and he (without any equivocation) goes into it in sight of all the spectators, and sings in it; during his stay in the bottle any person may handle it, and see plainly that it does not exceed a common tavern bottle.

On the evening of Jan 16th the theatre was sold out for the show. People inside waited for a quite a while for the show to start and had begun to get restless.  The theatre management came out and announced that if for some reason the performance did not go through, everyone would get their money back. The management was aware that at this point, the supposed conjurer had not arrived for his performance and they were understandably nervous.

Faux Magic

Today I'm going to use words that weren't yet invented when this man lived. The fellow I'm writing about today was a real superstar. He was an entertainment icon. His name was Isaac Fawkes, sometimes spelled Faux, or even Fawks. He was born sometime in the late 1600s and he lived into the 18th Century. In a time before mass media, before any of the technological advances that we cannot live without today, this man made a huge name for himself.

Why Mom's Are Awesome

Today is Mother's Day. It also happens to be my Mom's Birthday as well. I got to thinking about how incredible mothers are for all of us, especially those of us who are performers. They are the ones who, quietly in the background, sew our costumes and table drapes when we are starting out. (Though, confidentially, my Mom just sewed three new table drapes for me just recently!) Moms are the ones who sit in the back of the audience chewing their nails while we perform, they are both scared for us and proud of us at the same time.

Moms are our cheerleaders and our support team when things don't go quite right. They are the ones who continue to act surprised after the hundredth time you've shown them the same lame trick. Moms are the ones who act all supportive when we tell them we want to hang upside down hundreds of feet in the air in a straight jacket, while in truth they are secretly planning to have us committed, for our own good.

Moms are the ones who help heal the wounds after a really bad show. They are the ones that teach us real world tricks, like how to fold our clothes and how to dress properly to impress people. Moms are the ones who rush in with the unexpected lunch when we are so engrossed with learning how to do the next trick that will make us a star, that we forgot to eat.

Mom's don't usually like the spotlight. But on Mothers Day, it's our turn to hold open the curtain, shine the spotlight on them and let them enjoy their much deserved day of fame. Come to think of it, for as much as they do, maybe Mother's day should be 365 days a year!  

Happy Mothers Day!!!! Love you Mom!

Just Max

As a student of magic, I often think about what it would have been like to meet some of the historical characters in our art. Of course it goes without saying, though I am saying, that I'd want to meet Houdini. He is hardly the only one. I'd love to meet Kellar, Blackstone, Fu-Manchu, Thurston, Robert-Houdin, Dante, Herrmann, Richiardi, and the list goes on.

But there is one guy who kind of stands out, I suppose because he was a little peculiar and yet his magic was incredible. His name was Max Katz Breit and he was born in 1873 in Ostrov, not far from the border of Poland and Austria. His performing name was Max Malini, or just Malini. I first encountered Malini reading stories that Dai Vernon shared in his Genii column 'Vernon Speaks'. If Vernon looked up to Max Malini, then he is surely someone we all need to pay attention to.

The Little Man of Nuremburg

His name was Matthias Buchinger and he was born in 1674 in Anspach Germany. He became known as 'The Little Man of Nuremburg' and was very famous in his day. It's difficult to say what his specialty was as he was proficient in many things. For example, he was an accomplished artist. The self portrait  above was drawn by Buchinger.  He was an excellent marksman and was equally skilled with rifles and pistols. In the performing arts area he not only could play numerous instruments but it is said that he even created a number of unique instruments of his own design. Finally, the reason he is on my blog is that he was an accomplished conjurer.

The Great Dunninger

Today, marks the 119th birthday of the man who is arguably America's Greatest Mentalist, Joseph Dunninger. After having researched and written blogs about Robert Heller, William Fay, The Davenport Brothers, Anna Eva Fay, The Great Alexander and others involved in the world of mentalism and magic, I thought it might be time to do some research on the man who became synonymous with mental feats and mind reading.

Lafayette's Other Fire

The article about Beauty & Lafayette turned out to be very popular. I thought my readers might enjoy a little more information about the man who was once Sigmund Neuberger. If you read the other blog you know that The Great Lafayette died tragically in a theatre fire. But it turns out that was not the first fire that Lafayette was involved in.

Thurston Book Review

I just finished reading "The Last Greatest Magician" by Jim Steinmeyer. This is the recent biography that Jim did on Howard Thurston. It's been sitting on my shelf for a while, wanting to be read but NOT being read. The main reason was that so many others were reading and giving reviews that I wanted to hold off until it all calmed down a bit.

My favorite books are biographies. I have a huge library of biographies of famous magicians. Naturally there are more Houdini titles that anything else, but the second largest group are books on Thurston. Not all are biographies, but there are a few Thurston titles which include: My Life of Magic by Howard Thurston, The Complete Life of Howard Franklin Thurston V 1-2 by Robert Olsen, The Howard Thurston Illusion Show Workbooks V. 1-2, My Magic Husband by Grace Thurston and there are a few other titles I don't have in front of me at the moment.

Beauty and Lafayette

This is a story about a man and his dog. But not just any man and not just any dog. The man was Sigmund Neuberger who was born in Munich Germany on Feb 25, 1871. In 1890 he immigrated to the United States at the age of nineteen.

He began in show business presenting a variety show along with a partner by the name of Mike Whelan. They went out west, following the gold rush that a lot of the nation was going after. I'm not sure how long they lasted but eventually Whelan got tired of the bad conditions in the camps and he ended the partnership. Neuberger went off on his own with his act called "The Crackshot with the Bow" which was basically a sharp shooting exhibition with a bow and arrows. He presented his act in Vaudeville houses in the U.S. and by 1892 was working the theatres in England.

In 1898 his life would would change dramatically upon seeing a brand new act, the Chinese magician Ching Ling Foo. Foo created quite a stir in the magic world and many copy cat acts followed. Foo may have been somewhat to blame however as he offered a challenge to anyone who could duplicate his famous appearing giant bowl of water feat. A number of performers took the challenge and Foo and his management had to explain it was a publicity stunt. The damage was done however and the 'Chinese style magic acts' began to grow.


BEAUTY
By 1899 Neuberger added a few of the chinese magic feats to his act, and also began to add quick change costume routines as well as other original magic. The Great Lafayette was born!  On a tour through Tennessee, Lafayette ran into none other than Harry Houdini. They were both not quite famous and yet it would happen to them  very soon. They were playing the Grand Opera House on Cherry St. in Nashville. During their time in Nashville, Harry gave his friend Lafayette the gift of a dog. Not just any dog, this would become Lafayette's best friend and traveling companion. He named the dog Beauty and even created a fake pedigree for the dog. Where Houdini got the dog is anyone's guess.

On the front door of his home in London Lafayette  hung a plaque that read 'The more I see of man, the more I love my dog'. Beauty had her own room and bathroom in the house. She ate five course meals. And an image of Beauty appeared on Lafayette's checks. She also was a member of the cast of his show.

MAGIC
Lafayette it appears was the first to present the Mid-Air Bird Catching routine. Several magic history books credit Lafayette as the creator, but the actual creator of the Birds in the Net was Cyril Yettmah. It should be pointed out that Yettmah worked for Lafayette so this could be where the confusion comes from.  Lafayette did create many of his own effects and illusions however. Probably his most famous magic illusion was called 'The Lion's Bride'. Apparently, he was the first magician to add a lion to his act, and would be followed by many other magicians after him, including modern day performers like Doug Henning and Siegfried and Roy. Not unlike Roy Horn who was severely injured by a tiger during his act, Lafayette was attacked on more than one occasion by his lion. None of his injuries were ever as bad as Roy's.

The Lion's Bride, as well as most of Lafayette's routines was wrapped within a story or playlet. The Lion's Bride storyline changed over the years but the basic effect remained. A live lion in a cage roared and moved back and forth in it's cage. A woman was placed inside the cage with the ferocious beast. The lion would get up on it's hind legs as if to pounce on the woman and then suddenly, it would be revealed that it was Lafayette in a lion's costume! Frankly, that is an amazing routine. Today you see the production of a lion or tiger but this idea of having a live lion suddenly change into Lafayette wearing a lions costume is just brilliant.

In one of the many routines that Beauty would appear in, Lafayette donned an artists smock and beret, and began to paint on a small canvas. He would break the paper from the frame and his dog Beauty would burst forth!

Another spectacle of the Lafayette show, which was called "A Carnival of Conjuring", were his impressions of band leaders. This was part of his 'Travesty Band' sequence. He would conduct the orchestra and change costumes instantly to reflect whatever bandleader he was portraying.

It's been reported that during his career he was the highest paid entertainer in Vaudeville. It's clear that Lafayette knew he had a fabulous show and he held out for the right money. He was involved in all aspects of the show including costume design, set design and creation of illusions. Looking over one of his programs it's a show unlike any other performer before or since.

TRAGEDY BEGINS
Life seemed to be going pretty well for Lafayette until May of 1911. On May 5, his most beloved friend in the entire world, Beauty, passed away. Lafayette had just opened a two week run at the Empire Theatre in Edinburgh Scotland. He was completely devastated. He made arrangements for Beauty to be buried in the Piershill Cemetery in Edinburgh. At first the cemetery officials would not allow the buried of the dog until Lafayette agreed that upon his death he too would be buried there.

EMPIRE THEATRE

The old showbiz saying is 'The Show Must Go On' and though in a state of deep depression Lafayette continued his run at the Empire Theatre. During his performance on May 9th, 1911, Lafayette was taking his bows after concluding The Lion's Bride routine. An oriental scenic lamp burst into flames on the set. The fire curtain was dropped but did not fall completely to the stage. Lafayette was very guarded with his secrets and he had the exits locked off so as the fire began to get out of control, backstage was a nightmare. Within 18 minutes of the fire starting the stage was ablaze with fire and smoke. The iron safety curtain broke free and fell to the stage. Thankfully everyone in the audience escaped safely and without injury. But on stage they were not so lucky. Ten people lost their lives due to the fire that night.
Among the dead was the body of Lafayette who was discovered near the Lion's Bride Cage. He was identified by the costume and sword he wore during one of his routines. The body was sent to be cremated.

However, Lafayette had one more piece of magic after his death. Several days after the fire another body was discovered. This one had the jeweled rings on it's fingers that Lafayette always wore. Lafayette's burnt body was found again, this time under the stage. Apparently when the Iron Fire Curtain collapsed it covered over the area where Lafayette had died.  The body that had been cremated previously was actually that of his body double, a man named Richards who was also the trumpeter in Lafayette's orchestra and was only 25 years old.

On May 14th, 1911 Lafayette's body was cremated and the urn containing the ashes of the dead illusionist was buried between the paws of his lifelong companion Beauty. They were now together for eternity.

The vaudeville and theatrical communities were devastated by the news. Houdini sent a floral display in the shape of Beauty to the funeral. He was unable to attend but made arrangements to have the funeral filmed. I discovered a site that apparently has film footage of the Lafayette Funeral. Whether or not the footage is that of Houdini's I cannot say. You can't view it at this location, but I'm assuming if you are in the UK you can make arrangements to view it. http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/580880

Near the end of the book "The Life & Times of The Great Lafayette" by Arthur Setterington, he mentions a visit to the gravesite by Bess and Houdini. While there Houdini said about his friend Lafayette , "He fooled them in life and he fooled them in death, I envy him". 


TODAY

The Empire Theatre was rebuilt three months after the tragic fire in 1911. It continued to operate as a theatre until 1963 when it was turned into a Bingo Hall.

In the 1990s the Empire went through another transformation, this one pretty major. The entire outer facade of the building was redone and the theatre changed it's name. Today it's called The Edinburgh Festival Theatre. (see photo below)


Doing the research for this particular blog I was amazed at the number of sites that covered the tragic fire. Clearly the folks in Edinburgh have not forgotten that frightful day in 1911 even after all these years. I discovered some interesting things in the course of the research. One of them is a song called "The Tragic Tale of the Great Lafayette and his Body Double" which can be heard by visiting the link.

The most amazing thing I discovered though is the upcoming celebration taking place in Edinburgh.

On May 9th, 2011, we mark the 100th Anniversary of The Great Lafayette's Death. Just so you know, there will be a real celebration! It's called 'The Great Lafayette Festival' and will take place of May 7th-9th in Edinburgh, Scotland. Among the activities in a special show put on by Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee celebrating the life and magic of Lafayette. There will also be a tour of the back stage area at the Empire Theatre(Festival Theatre now) and you can stand in the place where The Great Lafayette's life tragically ended. To find out more visit their official website at http://www.greatlafayette.co.uk/

Also, check out my other article with MORE information on Lafayette http://deancarnegie.blogspot.com/2011/04/lafayettes-other-fire.html

The Old Empire Theatre is now The Edinburgh Festival Theatre

Chaplin and Houdini

If you’ve ever seen my live stage show then you’ve seen the Chaplin-Houdini Story routine. The story in my routine is fictional, though the two performers did meet in real life. Originally the story was going to be about Harry Kellar and Harry Houdini but I realized quickly that modern audiences would have never heard of Kellar and thus would have little connection. But Chaplin and Houdini are icons and most people are familiar with them regardless of whether or not they have ever seen them.

Upcoming articles

I often take for granted that not everyone is familiar with many of the classic stories from the annals of magic history. I study and read about this stuff all the time but not everyone does. With the a new generation of magicians quickly coming into the fold, I'd like to be able to contribute to the newcomers knowledge as well as those that have been into this for a long while.

So in the coming weeks and months, I'm going to try and share some of the more classic stories in the annals of magic history. So expect to see articles on Sigmund Neuberger, Helmut Schrieber, Max Katz Brietz, Billy Robinson, Matthias Buchinger and more. There will also be some new Houdini articles coming. There is one that I'm currently working on which should be out fairly soon. I'm a little behind, but I'll catch up soon enough. So keep watching for the new articles on our old art!

The Man Who Knows

You've probably seen the posters before. The man with the unusual gaze wearing a turban. Who was he? Did he really know?

His real name was Claude Alexander Conlin (1880-1954) and he was one of the premier mind readers of all time. He was called a crystal gazer by some, a con artist by others and he admitted to killing at least four men in his lifetime.  He began his career in show business around 1902 by doing a magic act. Not just any magic act though. Part of his act was an escape act basically copied from Houdini. There were many performers ripping off Houdini at this time and work for no named escape artists was pretty thin.

WILD ABOUT HARRY: A look back at HOUDINI (1953)

My initial interest in magic happened with this HOUDINI movie by Tony Curtis. I love all the Houdini movies (with the exception of Death Defying Acts). John Cox who has the fantastic WildAboutHoudini.com blog has written several pieces about the various Houdini movies. The first is the 1953 movie starring Houdini and John has got some great information on the making of the movie. At the very bottom of his blog are links to the other articles. He covers: The 1976 The Great Houdinis, The 1987 Young Harry Houdini, The 1998 HOUDINI by TNT, and the 1997 Fairy Tale: A True Story movie. There are two different blogs about the Paul Michael Glaser movie 'The Great Houdinis' so be sure to check them both out.

Houdini's Chosen Birthday

Today is the day in which Houdini actually celebrated as his birthday. It's possible that he never knew his real birthday and if you go over to WildAboutHoudini.com, John Cox has a few more things to add to this.

Let me give you my take, and please know this is my opinion. For the past few months I've been delving into the world of genealogies. Digging up information on where my family originated has been exiting at times and frustrating at others. After having read through hundreds of different Census Records, I've noticed a very common trait. People prior to the 1900s didn't seem to either record or remember their dates of birth. Perhaps it wasn't important to them. It's very common to find a Census record for say 1880 that lists one birth date or birth year and then when you find one from say 1910 for the same person, the dates have changed. Birthdates and years are often recorded as 'about 1880' or 'abt 1900'.