Amedeo Vacca - Secret Houdini Assistant and Much More

 

Amedeo Vacca was born in Cantalupo new Sannio Italy on June 30th 1890, this according to Ancestry.com. Many magic periodicals give his birthplace as Campobasso Italy. Apparently, he was enthralled with magic ever since a young boy. He would catch every performance of magic that he could. He absorbed magic. Clearly, this young man was destined to become a magician. Every traveling magician that came to his town was sure to find young Amedeo in the audience. And then when he had witnessed enough magic, he put on his own show for the neighborhood children. You had to have a ticket to attend his shows, even at this early age. But fortunately the cost of a ticket was a mere button. Amedeo would later sell these buttons to his father who worked as a tailor. That is a bit of marketing and business genius. He knew the children had no money, but they surely had buttons. And he knew his father needed buttons. Win win! (1)

His older sister had moved to America and at one point sent for Amedeo to move there too. 

He came to America in 1906. He lived in Bridgeport Connetticut, and quickly began to witness the American brand of magic with such notables as Blackstone, Jarrow, Hardeen, and more. I’m sure this gave young Amedeo a feeling of confidence that he made the right move coming to the US. He was working on various factories around Bridgeport during the week, and saving his money to invest in his future career in magic.

He would purchase props from Martkinas and others to build his show. Eventually, he was loaded with equipment, a rabbit, and more. He tested his material out at the local talent contests. And then he made that difficult decision, he decided it was time to turn pro. What he soon discovered was the amount of props he was traveling with, required an assistant. Between the rabbit, the props and the assistant, Amedeo’s income was decreasing constantly. So the quick solution was to downsize the props and he was able to drop the assistant and eventually the rabbit. (2)

His talents brought him to Chicago  and to the offices of The Western Vaudeville Managers Association. With the boldness and brashness that might even make Harry Houdini jealous, Amedeo went straight to the head booker and proclaimed, “ I’m VACCA the worlds GREATEST magician, and if you can get me my price, I may consider permitting you the honor of booking me.”  And just like that, they booked him. Granted it was a trial booking but he got in. And his performance at the  Allstate theatre was a success, he received good reviews which meant he was on his way.  HIs price by the way was  $75 a week. He continued to work on his act. He even downsized it again. But that didn’t mean he downsized the overall impact of the magic. He introduced all sorts of wonderful effects, they just didn’t require massive props.  And with each successive change, his act improved and so did his weekly income.  Before long he was working the top spots and bringing home $200 a week! (3)

His act was unique at this point: fire eating, paper tearing, 20th Century silks and more. It was small enough to carry very easily but large enough to be seen throughout a theatre. He was the epitome of packs small plays big. His act was so big at one point he followed Eva Tanguay as the headliner of a theatre. And then he began to headline everywhere. He went on the road, and again, top of the bill. Amedeo was riding high.

THEN something happened. A visit to a magic shop would become a life changing event. The thought of this makes me chuckle. How many a young person’s life is changed after their first

visit to a magic shop? At least there was a time for that. And here is a seasoned professional and it happens to him as well. He went to August Roterberg’s shop. It was not his first time here by any stretch. It’s just that this day, there was someone else in the shop. Now, think about this, here is Vacca, playing top of the bill everywhere he went, but he walks into this magic shop and he is dumbstruck. He can’t hardly speak. There a few feet in front of him is

HOUDINI. 

August Roterberg introduced the young man….I say young man, he was at least 30 years old at the time. Houdini greeted Amedeo pleasantly and then showed him a trick. I do not know what trick it was he showed, likely something simple. And then Amedeo, who moments before was as shy as a church mouse, suddenly proclaimed that he could do that trick and do it better than Houdini. This caused much laughter among Houdini and Roterberg, but the young man proceeded to do the trick for them and Houdini was impressed. 

I have to stop there for a moment. We are always bombarded with these tales of Houdini’s huge ego and yet here he is standing in front of a much younger performer and acknowledging his skill. And I know this was the fact, because Houdini then invited him to visit him at his home the next time he was in NYC. 

It would take Amedeo Vacca two years before he would show up at Houdini’s doorstep, but show up he did. The year was 1923. Little did Vacca know, his life was really going to change now.  Houdini and Vacca really hit it off. Houdini recognized the brilliance and intelligence of Vacca and put him to work. Literally, he put him on the payroll and put him to work. But his was to be a secretive work. Houdini didn’t want anyone to know of their relationship. In truth he hid Amedeo in plain site, by setting him up in his own barbershop not far from Houdini’s home. Vacca would be the head barber. Not knowing anything about being a barber, Houdini sent Vacca to night school to learn the trade. The two would meet almost daily for a shave, and to discuss their various plans (4). And in the magic trade magazines, Amadeo is often referred to as ‘The Magic Barber’. And it’s that little tip that makes me believe that he possibly continued to perform in some manner or another. After all, he was a headliner back in Chicago and areas of the US. So he could easily continue his engagements without ever exposing his relationship with Houdini. 

Now before I get too far into this. Vacca was NOT Houdini’s secret barber. That was an alias. Amedeo Vacca did a lot of things for Houdini, but it was all behind the scenes. He worked as an advance man when Houdini was touring with his show. Again, a secret advance man. What’s funny is, he was mostly secret from Houdini’s own staff. Hardeen didn’t know about Vacca, Bess didn’t know about Vacca. But often theatre management would know. And here is why. 

Check out this letter fromBF Keith Vaudeville Exchange-Edward Albee President, to Managers of the Alhambra Theatre and the Regent theaters in NYC.

“Dear Sirs, This will introduce you to Mr. A Vacca, who is connected with Mr. Harry Houdini’s act. We have agreed with Mr. Houdini that Mr. Vacca is to be permitted to make certain experiments on the stage of either  of your theatre at night, after the show is out. These experiments are necessary in order to have new things in Houdini’s act, and they are to be conducted in absolute secrecy. No one should be in the house except the watchman. They will need one small light on the stage. When Mr. Vacca presents this letter to you, will you please arrange so that he can gain access to the stage at night, by applying to the watchman. Very truly yours….”(5)

Houdini apparently said to Amedeo Vacca, “Now I have placed myself, my entire life and salvation, in your hands.” This was in reference to their upcoming war on the mediums that would play out in Houdini’s 3-in-1 Shows. 

One of Amedeo Vacca’s jobs was to set-up the theater with all the needed ‘secret’ things in order for Houdini to do his show. Another one of his jobs was to help Houdini with his magic.

And he was tasked with creating and building items for the show, mostly in the spiritualist category. 

Amedeo went so far as to rewire Houdini’s house for sound. The original work had been done by one of Houdini’s nephews Louis C. Kraus, who worked for the Treasury Department. The idea was to wire the house with a sort of dictaphone system so that people talking in one room could be heard in another and then the information could be translated to Houdini. Vacca had an uncanny inventive ability and he rewired the house making the system even better. Houdini used it, not to spy on friends, but as part of an elaborate ESP/Mind Reading routine. It never failed to astound the attendees. Fast forward to current times. The new owners of Houdini’s house recently had done some drywall work and found that the house was filled with these unusual wires that they had no idea what they were for!!!! (6)

One specific point of interest is that Houdini shared with Vacca his work on the Needle Trick.
And Vacca later showed Houdini a special twist to the ending. Houdini loved this twist and was going to include it in his performances but he died before he was able to do so. (7) After Houdini died and Amedeo Vacca went back on the road performing, he became known for a time as The Needle King. 

Now, I believe this next thing is going to be a major revelation, at least I’ve not seen in print but in one place. Amedeo Vacca created the underwater breath-taking coffin that Houdini used to great affect. Now, let’s back track a bit. The actual coffin came from the Boyertown Casket Company. In the book, Houdini, His Life and Art by Randi and Sugar, they say the casket was made according to Jim Collins design. On the day that Houdini used it at the Shelton Hotel Pool, Jim Collins was there in charge of all proceedings. There is a photograph of the Shelton Pool Stunt with Amedeo Vacca in the background as well (see above), though technically he was undercover. So if I read the paragraph correctly, Vacca created the stunt, but that doesn’t mean he built the prop, only that the idea for the stunt was his idea. (8)

For those unfamiliar, it all started when Hereward Carrington started touring with Rahman Bey, a so called ‘Egyptian Fakir’.  Bey claimed among other things he could survive for long periods of time in an air tight coffin by going into a cataleptic trance. This got under Houdini’s skin. And if the story is accurate, Vacca came to Houdini with the idea of the challenge in the submergible coffin. On August 5th, 1926, after a great deal of testing and rehearsal, and weight loss on Houdini’s part, he prepared to do the stunt at the Shelton Hotel Swimming Pool in NYC. After being checked by a physician, Houdini climbed inside the metal coffin and was the lid was then sealed in place. It took 8 swimmers to stand on top of the casket in order for it to be submerged. 

Houdini remained in the casket longer than Rahman Bey. He stayed submerged for more than 1 hour and a half. He was 52 at the time. When he emerged from the casket he was exhausted and his vital signs were: well one source says they were quite normal, and another said they were all over the place. He probably would have killed himself had he stayed under much longer. But one point should be made, he didn’t need to go into any sort of cataleptic trance in order to complete the test, he just used pure will power, as well as controlled breathing and laying perfectly still. 

It is impossible to say what other ideas, concepts, or props Amedeo Vacca had a hand in. I must be honest, when I began to look at some of Vacca’s magic creations, one of my earliest thoughts was the Vacca probably built the Bell Box that both Margery and Houdini used, even though I’ve seen it attributed to Dr. Comstock, but where he got it no one knows. (11) Also, there was more than one Bell box, so if Amedeo didn't make the first one, he could have made others....just speculating on my part. It might explain why there were two different designs to the bell boxes. And now I’m pretty certain he had a hand in the creation of the Margie Box.  It’s only speculation on my part, but Vacca was working for Houdini during this time period and one of his jobs was the creation of unique items and secretive work. And at that time, the most important work Houdini was doing was the anti-spiritualist work. 

Amedeo Vacca created a lot of magic, but some of it involved either electricity or electronics. That Shelton Pool Casket was not electronic, but it did have a phone-line built in that Houdini used to communicate with Collins. That sounds like Vacca. The bell boxes are run off of batteries, again, sounds like Vacca. 

ONe note I found interesting. Amedeo swore to Houdini to keep the relationship secret, yet by 1930, if not sooner, the cat was out of the bag, so to speak. In Billboard Magazine Nov 1930, there is an article about Vacca being a secret assistant to Houdini. Though I can’t help but wonder if it wasn’t some theatre manager who first revealed this secret to the press. The theatre managers were some of the few that knew of the secret working relationship between Vacca & Houdini. And yet, the magic world seemed silent on the subject, maybe they missed the article in Billboard. Because it wasn’t until 1947 that the truth of Vacca’s relationship with Houdini was revealed, and even then, much was held back. 

After Houdini’s unexpected death in Oct 1926, Amedeo Vacca left the barbershop in pursuit of his magic career. Over the course of his life he would be known by many names. Early on they called him VACCA, later he was Amedeo. But he was also known as the Human Volcano because of a crazy smoke act he created. He would apparently eat cigarettes and matches and produce incredible amounts of smoke from his mouth. Eventually he reproduced the items! Sounds similar in some ways to Tom Mullica’s act.

Here is a write-up from the MUM magazine in 1953. “Amedeo Vacca has been traveling in Europe. He had journeyed to England, France, Germany and Switzerland. Recently, he has been appearing in night clubs in Italy. In September, Compeer Vacca planned to be in Milan to appear on television. After this, Naples was next on his itinerary, then England again for TV and club dates. IN each country he attended as many magic functions as possible and spent much time with the local magicians. He will return to New York in December.”

Another charming creation of Vacca’s was the Acrobatic Matchbox. There is a wonderful story in the MUM that George Schindler shares about going on an early morning TV show with Frank Garcia and Amedeo Vacca. They were there to promote a show for the public and Frank did some amazing card tricks. George gave the details of the show. And 80+ year old Amedeo Vacca presented the Acrobatic Matchbox to a stunned TV crew. Later that morning, according to George, the three of them were going to breakfast in the city when a woman came up to Amedeo saying “didn’t I see you on tv with the matchbox” and she was so excited to meet a ‘real celebrity’, lol. She paid no attention to either Frank or George. 

Amadeo performed in 23 countries and was active in magic for 65 years. He headlined in both the united states and in European countries as well. He even performed on the ill-fated Andrea Doria Cruise Liner. He never seemed to loose his ability to perform even into his 80s. One of his last gigs was a magic lecture at Al’s Magic Shop in Washington D.C.. George Schindler drove him down to DC to do the lecture. Though Al’s was my go to magic shop for years, this lecture was before my time. 

I was fortunate enough to get a first hand account of Amedeo Vacca from someone who was very close to him in his last years, Ron from Ronjo.com. Ron was just a teen ager when he first met Amedeo. It was at a Tannen’s Jubilee and some magician had just carelessly bumped into Amedeo and it caused him to drop his can. Young Ron, then 14 I believe, picked it up and gave it back to the elder gentleman. And that was it. The two bonded during the course of this convention and became fast friends. 

Ron told me that as a person Amedeo was extremely kind, extremely generous and was a wonderful storyteller. He told me Amedeo was in Ripliys Believe it or Not for his Human Volcano routine & also for his Swallowing Needle routine. Amedeo was an avid inventor of tricks, as well as gimmicks. He created a belly switch and foot switch before anyone. He created hand flashers, often with the simplest of supplies. Ron carries a couple of Amedeo’s items today in his shop. He was given permission by Amedeo to continue to build and sell them. Items such as Lucky Lite & Sneaky Snake. The former, is a strange monte sort of effect done with a small black box that has a couple switches on it. Totally diabolical. 

I had asked Ron about what kind of props Amedeo made for Houdini and he said seance and electrical. Again, that makes me think of the Bell Boxes, even though they are attributed to someone else. 

There was one thing Ron said about Amedeo that really made me laugh and also made me admire the man even more. He said, “Amedeo hated card tricks! Wow. Such a creative and inventive man and he avoided card tricks, thats incredible. 

In the 1970s Frank Garcia and George Schindler met with Amedeo on a book on his life and magic to be called Amedeo's Continental Magic. They met numerous times at his apartment, putting the text together. I should mention, that Frank and George had written a number of books, Million Dollar Card Secrets, Super Subtle Card Miracles , and In a Nutshell, and there was one thing that made each of those books unique. Each one had a recipe at the end of the book. Yes, a food recipe: there was a Chicken dish, a Meatloaf Dish, and a Baklava dish. When the manuscript for Amedeo’s book was done, they showed it to him and he hated teh book. Why? “It has no recipe!!!!” lol. So they included a recipe by Amedeo!  (9) and by the way, young Ron was there too.

Ron and Amedeo spent a lot of time together, sharing magic, building props, enjoying each others company. They had a Grandfather / grandson relationship. There is only one regret that Ron has and that is he was supposed to inherit Amedeo’s scrapbook after he passed. But the book was apparently given to Bill White from Queens by Amedeo’s wife. 

Amedeo Vacca, a man who started out in humble beginnings, worked his way up to headliner in Chicago, went to work for the great Houdini in an extremely undercover fashion, then returned to magic and toured the world, performing for Kings and Queens, and playing all the best theaters and hotel venues across the Globe with his own unique brand of magic. He was named Magician of the Year by the SAM in 1972. When you talk to folks who knew him, they light up when talking about him. They were blessed people to have known him. 

There is a video online of Tony Spina discussing Amadeo Vacca. He says that at one time, Amedeo manufactured magic effects for Lou Tannen. And by the way, Amedeo also made stuff for Max Holden's Shop as well.  He mentions that Amedeo worked as Houdini's 'front runner'. He also mentions that Amedeo would hide secret things in the theater like keys and picks. And that he may have had something to do with Houdini's Jail Escapes. I don't think that part is correct, I don't think Amedeo had anything to do with Houdini's Jail escapes and as far as picks and keys, well, that one we just don't know. I tend to lean towards  it's less likely he was hiding keys, because the true emphasis of that show was the spirit stuff in part 3. Houdini's escapes in part 2 were a mixture of his greatest hits, and also routines that were safe. But that's only my opinion. Houdini may have done some handcuff work as well. (10)

Amedeo Vacca passed away on Dec 5th 1974.

Assembly #125 in Suffolk Cty NEW YORK was renamed the Amedeo Vacca Assembly. This was done by Ron, it was a suggestion by his mother. A fitting tribute to his dear friend.

Please go to ronjo.com to check out his site of magic. Ron still sells several of Amedeo's creations. Ron has one of the few brick and mortar buildings left in the US, and it would really be awesome of you could drop by or maybe order something from the shop. 

Also, If anyone has any knowledge as to the wereabouts of Amedeo Vacca’s scrapbook, could you contact me and let me know. I will pass the info on to Ron. We know it was in the possession of a Bill White from Queens. No idea if he is still alive or if he still has the scrapbook. So if you know, get in touch please.

(This last photo is from his lecture at Al's Magic Shop. I borrowed from the Alcohenics Facebook page)

1. From the Linking Ring Magazine Vol 27 #10 pg 24 
2. MUM, March 1971, Vol 60, pg 6

3.   Liking Ring Magazine Vol 27 #10

4.  Houdini’s Final Incredible Secret by Bob Loomis pg 119

5.  MUM, July 1982, pg 20

6. https://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2019/06/houdinis-secret-mind-reading-system.html

7.  The Magic Circular March 2006, pg  76

8.  Likning Ring Magazine Vol 27, #10 pg116

9.    MUM, Vol 98 Jan 2009, pg 92

10.  http://magictimes.com/tony-spina-reveals-amedeo-and-houdini-secrets/

11.  HOUDINI by Ken Silverman, page 326

The Magic Detective Blog is Back ONLINE!!!!

 

Will Wonders Never Cease?!  I was finally able, no thanks to a certain company than rhymes with boogle, finally able to get my blog back up. I can hardly believe it. So many man hours put into trying to get this back online and then today, it worked.

I am hesitant to be too excited. I've grown very skeptical of late. Let's hope that it stays up and I can continue adding content and moving forward with the Magic Detective Brand.

Harry Cooke Biography Is Available

 

I'm very excited to learn that Mark Cannon has finished his book on Horatio Green Cooke. I first learned of Cooke through an article that Cannon wrote for the M-U-M Magazine. I began my own research on the man shortly after. I've written articles for this blog and done a podcast on Cooke. Whenever I write, or speak on Cooke, I ALWAYS mention Mark Cannon because he really brought the story of Cooke back to life.

How Mark came to discover Cooke is amazing in itself. He was doing a show at a Senior Citizens home, and it just turned out that one of Harry Cooke's daughters was in the audience. She spoke to Mark about her father. He had no idea who she was speaking of. But clearly he paid attention when she brought out his diary and scrapbook. Eventually, Cooke's daughter gave these things to Mark, along with a unique lock that Cooke had made for Houdini. 

NOW, Mark has written a biography on Harry Cooke. I do not yet have my copy (it's on the way).  This is not a review of the book, but I will put one out once I read the book. I'm so thrilled that Mark got this book done. For the past few years, I've kept carrying the water for Cooke, but now Mark is going to give the full story of this unique individual. 

If you'd like to read some of my articles on Harry Cooke: https://www.themagicdetective.com/search?q=cooke

To hear my podcast on Cooke:  https://magicdetectivepodcast.com/category/harry-cooke/

To purchase a copy of the book, click this link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094TKTFD6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Updates to the Magic Detective Blog

 After working on my previous podcast and seeing the amount of work and research that went into  it, I've decided that the future podcasts will all be transcribed with notes and references over here on the blog. I had started to do that in the past but got away from it.

By doing that I may also change the podcast narrative a bit, by not giving all the references while I'm talking. But instead, give a cleaner narrative. I'm sure I'll still mention a newspaper here and there but if you want to find the place I found the information, it will be over here on the blog. 

Tonight I have an interview with a fellow for the next podcast. It's all for information because the fellow I'm interviewing was a student and close friend of the podcasts subject. No, I'm not revealing who it is yet, lol. But I am expecting to get some great info. WHEN will it go out? Not saying, because if I say soon, it will take me forever, lol. Dont want to curse myself. 

By the way, if you have magic history news or stuff you'd like to share in regards to your collection or magic history on the Facebook GROUP page, please feel free to do so. IF you are not already a member of the group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/MagicDetectiveGroup  and send me a request. I have only ever turned down one person who appeared to be a BOT and not a real person. 

The Anamorphic World of Judge Gary Brown

 Judge Gary Brown is a friend of mine, I state that up front. But even with that, he is able to create some of the coolest effects. He has a rather large repertoire of original material, some very off beat and yet quite remarkable.

His latest creation was his website JudgeBrownMagic.com. And being the genius that he is, he created this brilliant way to drive traffic to his website. He created a playing card size 'activity card' filled with optical illusions galore.  It's printed front and back with some very unusual artwork. From his own write up, "This priceless marvel contains TWO MIND-BLOWING SCIENTIFIC OPTICAL ILLUSIONS guaranteed to BAFFLE and AMAZE! And, as if that weren't enough, the card also contains more than  a half dozen hidden magical messages using ARCHAIC SYMBOLS and MODERN CODES developed over some 3,000 years, encompassing  everything from ANCIENT WISDOM to SPACE AGE ALGORITHMS."

In other words, it's very cool AND here is the great news, you can get one for FREE. You'll need to send Judge Gary a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope. For you younger readers, you may need to see if there is a Youtube tutorial for that. For everyone else, just go to JudgeBrownMagic.com and click the link for the Free Magic! Enjoy.

Batman the Escape Artist

 

I watched Batman with Adam West growing up. Now everyone refers to it as Batman66, because it came out in 1966. I saw every episode there ever was, but I saw them as a kid. Imagine my surprise to come upon THIS episode called, "Zelda the Great". It starred Anne Baxter as Zelda the Great. She was a criminal, but also an illusionist and escape artist. Hanging in her secret warehouse was this huge poster (see above) which reads at the bottom, "EVEN GREATER THAN HOUDINI". 

Houdini is mentioned in the episode as well. And this interesting line is said, "and you know Batman, he's the greatest escape artist alive!"  Pretty cool stuff. Below is the contraption that is built as Zelda's new show piece. Except there is one problem. Neither Zelda nor the builder know how to open the device. So they set a trap for Batman and Robin.  They trap Batman and Robin and then watch closely on how Batman escapes. That will then reveal to Zelda HOW to escape!!!! Holy Houdini Batman!

Three Icons of Mind Reading Seen In A New Way

 

This animation app is all the rage, and I've done the typical ones that everyone is doing. But I thought I'd try some lesser known performers so here are three icons of mentalism for your enjoyment. First up, Anna Eva Fay. She will have a podcast episode is Season 3 for sure. She has a shorter one, that I did previously. http://magicdetectivepodcast.com/e/houdini-anna-eva-fay/

Next we have Samri Baldwin, known as the White Mahatma. He was another pioneer in mind reading and mentalism. And his podcast episode is here http://magicdetectivepodcast.com/e/samuel-spenser-baldwin-pioneer-clairvoyant/

Finally, the ultra mysterious Washington Irving Bishop. His podcast is here http://magicdetectivepodcast.com/e/three-pioneers-of-mind-reading/

The Great Signor Blitz

 

“Come and Laugh, Come and See the Funny Blitz–The Amusing Blitz–The Remarkable Blitz–The Laughing Blitz–The Popular Blitz–The Blitz who Makes All Happy" 

That headline comes from an actual 1863 playbill. I didn't even catch on to the play on words with his name 'Blitz', when I finished by most recent podcast. But as is often the case with these folks I cover either here on the blog or on the podcast, once an article is finished, more information pours in. 

For example, I recently saw this Signor Blitz Token for sale (it had already sold). First thing I thought upon seeing it, it did not belong to the real Signor Blitz, so it must be a competitor. Just look at the image, that is NOT Signor Blitz. But then I found out that the token is actually a fake. It was created by  Bill Kuethe in modern times and it's fake or what is called 'a fantasy piece'. There is no Signor Blitz coin that we know of. The link above is to another article that describes the entire story behind the creation of the fake coin.

One of Signor Blitz's big talents was his ability to throw his voice or ventriloquism. He was a master and seems to have used it more offstage than on. There are articles filled with funny stories that happened to Blitz. In my latest podcast episode #61 on the master himself, there are numerous stories of when he used his ventriloquism in everyday settings. I just heard another one, Blitz was in a library reading room and had all manner of fun with the folks in the room by  throwing his voice and making it sound as if a bee were buzzing around! lol.

Speaking of ventriloquism, though Signor Blitz was a master of throwing his voice, he was also an early pioneer of the vent dummy or vent figure. His was a country bumpkin character he called 'Bobby'. By today's standards 'Bobby' is pretty freaky looking, but I'm sure back in the day he was cutting edge.

IF you have not already done so, please go over to my podcast and check out the episode on Signor Blitz! You'll be glad you did!

Kassner the Illusionist - The Statue

 

Here is something you don't see every day, a statue of Alois Kassner the famous illusionist. I received this photo from his grandson. Kassner is a fascinating character in the annals of magic. In fact, he will be the subject of an upcoming podcast. YES, lol, the podcast is returning after a short hiatus. 

I own one vintage Kassner poster (see below). But as it turns out, Kassner had a great deal of posters, full color, quite a variety. I'm looking forward to doing the research on this fellow. It won't be next in line, that one is on Signor Blitz, but hopefully soon after.

Denny Haney Collected Wisdom the book : Review

Denny Haney

 Denny Haney was a magician and a magic shop owner.  But to those of us who knew him, he was much more, he was our teacher, our mentor, our professor of magic.  He was never a household name, but he was extremely successful . That man should have been a world famous magician, and frankly to us, he was. To us, he was the King. He had done it all and done it well. He had met the greats in magic and in show business and they respected and revered him. It didn't matter to Denny if you were famous or not, he still treated you the same. If you had a desire to learn magic, he was going to take you under his wing and show you the right way to go about it. This book is about the life of an amazing man. Over a lifetime he encounters some interesting people whose stories are also shared in this huge volume. There is enough biographical background information on various people to make this book a very very important part of magic history, beyond just the Denny story.

Scott Alexander was a student of Dennys. As were so many of us. But Scott was tasked with finishing the Denny Haney book. Titled: Denny Haney Collected Wisdom, it is a large book of some 486 pages. The first part is a biography of Denny's life. There are a total of 5 parts to the book and I'll get into them more in a bit.

I knew Denny Haney. When he had his first shop in Essex MD, I would go to the shop often, hang out until everyone else had gone and then stay until the wee hours of the night talking magic with Denny. Usually, it began with a single question and then Denny would speak and I would shut my mouth and take in all the knowledge he shared. I learned so much from that man. Starting to read this book was difficult for me because, well, Scott Alexander has done a near perfect job. So many of the stories in this book I have heard before because Denny shared them with me at one time. One after another after another. It is as if he is speaking to me as I read this. I can hear his voice!  And then a moment will come and I remember, I remember, I'm reading this book because he is gone. If you knew Denny, you'll experience this as well.

I sat in my chair for a good 30 minutes trying to contain myself enough to read the book. I cannot even imagine how Scott did this. He was extremely close to Denny, far closer than I was, far closer than most. My hat goes off to him for this incredible job. For the record, the book arrived yesterday, I've read half of it already. I'm only writing this first part of the review, because I want to get it out while it's fresh in my mind. I will read till the end before I finish this review. Just realize, there will be a bit of time between these above paragraphs and those below.

The Review

Part 1 The Biography. The stories and content are brought to you by both Scott Alexander and Denny. All of Denny's contributions are in italics. Here you'll learn how Denny got started in magic, who his early influences were. You'll discover who the red-headed demon was. There is so much magic history in this part. You learn about the magic scene in and around Baltimore in the 50s & 60s, right off the bat.

One thing that really astonished me was that Denny loved to play the piano. He was apparently a gifted musician as well as magician. He could play guitar as well. Though in later life as magic took over, music was left behind. 

Denny was drafted into the military to fight in Vietnam. If you knew Denny, you knew about his time in Vietnam to some degree. What I didn't know was Denny actually had an out. He was 4-f. But he didn't like the idea of there being something he couldn't do. So he asked the doctors how he could beat the test and he did. He was chosen because of his linguistic abilities, it was determined he had the aptitude to pick up languages easily. He had to learn North Vietnamese. He learned from Harry Blackstone Sr. who, apparently was in the same program, that if you were in this part of the military you didn't have to see combat. Denny was fine with that, until the day came when he got his papers to go overseas to Vietnam (they lied). And again, he was given an out, a way to stay in the states. And again, he passed on it.

The chapter on his time in Vietnam is remarkable. I knew many of the stories but there were a few that were new to me. But they are a must read. You'll look about Johnny Aladdin, the guy who taught Denny about confidence on stage. And you'll discover where the Lee from Denny and Lee came from.

As each chapter moves forward, you see the voraciousness of Denny to become a great magician. His whole focus is on his love of magic and creating a great act. He had so many mentors along the way. Denny was mainly interested in stage magic and had no interest in close-up. You'll learn what changed his mind on that. You'll read about the Chavez School and his passion for manipulation.

The lessons he learned are just as valuable today to a performer as they were to Denny when he learned them. Doug Henning shows up in a chapter. I remember having many talks with Denny about Henning. None of that is in the book, but what is in there is revealing on a different level.

You're going to learn a lot of things about Denny. He was not perfect, he was a flawed human being, like the rest of us. But he had a passion for magic that was extraordinary. I'm not going to give you a play by play of the bio, you need to read it. It's worth every moment.

PART 2

Stage Magic

Here we get into the magic that Denny performed. These are Denny's touches on many classics, his ways of doing things, his methods, his bits. Read the chapter on The Egg Bag. You'll learn a great deal. I was happy to read that Denny disagreed with both Johnny Thompson and Charlie Miller on one aspect of their Egg Bag routines. They both came out and made note of the fact that they were using a blown egg or an egg with no insides. I too felt this was a mistake when I first heard that, and I was on the same page as Denny.  That's the only issue with Johnny and Charlie everything else, was spot on. And you'll read WHY Denny thought mentioning the blown egg was a mistake. 

There are many classic Denny routines in this mix. They truly did cover everything he presented over the years that had that special Denny mark to it. Denny's clever take on the Newspaper Tear, his Card Manipulation routine, The Multiplying Bottles, The Razorblades, and much more. All routines have Denny's history with them, and his approach to each routine. Please do yourself a favor. At the end of this review is a video of Denny performing. You'll actually get to see several routines that are covered in this part of the book. Listen to the audience. Watch how he connects. 

PART 3

The illusions are featured in this section. The Crystal Casket, The Hindu Basket, The Sword Suspension, The Canvas Covered Box, and finally the Blade Box. I saw Denny perform all of these, except for the Blade Box. But it is the Blade Box that connects Denny and I. One day I will share that story, but not today. 

I couldn't wait to read this section, though I have a feeling many folks will just gloss over it. This part is filled with incredible knowledge. I wish there had been more as I know Denny had many strong opinions when it came to illusion presentation. But this chapter perfectly covered those routines that Denny used in his career.

PART 4

The Specialties. These are routines that in Denny's hands were as close to perfect as one could get. It begins with his Billiard Ball routine. His take on the Lloyd Manipulation Candles, Denny's Dancing Cane Finale, and then some routines not for the faint of heart, which you'll understand my meaning when you get there, lol.

PART 5

Thoughts On Magic

This is pure Gold plated with Gold, with a Gold Veneer. It's Denny's thoughts on a lot of subjects within the world of magic. Like How to Buy Magic and How to LearnMagic, Your Working Library, Standing Ovations, Creating Effective Openers and much more. It's Gold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As I mentioned earlier the book is nearly 500 pages. It's HEAVY and large in size. It's not politically correct, because that is the way Denny wanted it. And I for one would not want a watered down version of Denny. I heard his voice while reading the majority of this book. The only thing I can say is, when I finished the last page...I wanted more. Not because anything was left out, but because, just like it was when hanging out with Denny, you never knew when he was going to hit you with some piece of knowledge that could change the whole direction of your career, or at least, how you approached a routine in your show. 

As is pointed out in the book, Denny didn't open a magic shop to become wealthy. He opened a magic shop in order to leave behind a legacy of performers, who he touched, instructed, advised, and advanced magic forward. He did one hell of a job. Thank you Denny Haney for everything you did for me. Thank you Scott Alexander for this fantastic tribute to this wonderful man.

To get your copy of the book: https://scottalexander.bigcartel.com/product/the-denny-book

WATCH Denny in Action at the Magic Castle

HOUDINI Musical Announced. BREAKING!!!

 

From the periodical BROADWAY WORLD, we get news that a new Houdini Musical is coming. Not only that they list Ramin Karimloo as playing Houdini and Laura Osnes as Bess Houdini. Both of them are Broadway veterans. 

There is a website here https://www.houdinibroadwaymusical.com

The full article is here: https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Breaking-HOUDINI-Musical-Set-Sights-on-Broadway-Ramin-Karimloo-and-Laura-Osnes-Take-Part-in-Virtual-Reading-20201215

Minerva Female Escape Artist Follow-up.

 

Minerva was a female escape artist who performed the same time as Houdini. I covered a bit of her story here on the blog and  also on Episode 26 of my podcast. One of the things I uncovered on the podcast was the face she was married 5 different times. Her fifth marriage only lasted a few weeks as she died. As it turned out, she was then buried with her 4th husband George Backus who died before she did. The unfortunate thing is, the grave marker for George Backus is there, but the blank area for Minerva is blank, never having been carved in. Probably because she went and married someone else. But fore whatever reason, she is buried with husband #4. Above is Minerva's grave along with a small memento, which likely will not be there very long. Both the memento and the photos were provided by Michale Stroud. 

Magic Genii Celebrates 20 Years

Magic Genii

Episode 59 of The Magic Detective Podcast, begins with a feature of The Magic Genii. She is a hidden gem in the Bay area. She is a magician's assistant, a magic shop owner, a dancer, a choreographer, a gymnast, an acrobat, a magician, and many other things. She works with Majinga the Magician. I thought you'd like to see first hand who I was talking about. So enjoy these video images of Magic Genii doing what she does best, entertain! 

Listen to what others in her industry have to say about her....

 “Genii really is the epitome of a magic genie. She took a magic store and made it into a successful business which continues to thrive in today’s world where brick and mortar stores have fallen by the wayside. Not only has she taken a magic shop and turned it into a success but she has also parlayed it into an online business. 

     Her beauty and grace is abundantly clear and she has the ability to float across the stage during her performances. Genii is the consummate magicians assistant always there fitting into whatever prop she needs to squish herself into. Whether it’s costume changes, dance numbers, or magic tricks- she’s got you covered. Genii brings her joy of life to every performance. 

     Not only does she run a San Jose Magic Shop and perform, she also posts a radio show and podcast- Genii does it all. And she does it with a smile and her podcast is a go-to for most magicians as her interviews are a delight, and enlightening. 

     With so many years ahead of her I can’t wait to see what new things she will bring to the world of magic!

-Ariann Black,Las Vegas Magician of the Year  in 2014, and Female Magician of the Decade

Next let's take a look at Genii in her own shop. Here she demonstrates a piece of magical apparatus. I have been in a lot of magic shops. You rarely see someone demonstrate Apparatus magic and do it well!

And here is another quote about Magic Genii.  

"Genii presents magic with such grace and professionalism!  Thank you for being one of the few women in magic that loves and respects the art form!”  -Jade

Finally, watch Magic Genii assisting Majinga with a levitation. Watch how she gets onto the board, pure gracefulness! This is from their venue at the Improv, which they had for 7 consecutive years. 

“Dear Genii, I just wanted to take a moment to congratulate you for your wonderful lifetime in magic.

I am in awe of everything you have done. Your skills onstage as a dancer- both in assisting as well as playing the role of the magician- are impressive. You move well on stage and have extreme grace and charisma.

    You not only own a magic shop, but are a producer, director, guide and teacher to so many. What a great inspiration you must be to those who know you!

     The magic world is in good hands with you and Majinga. I wish you continued success in your career, and wish you the best life can offer.

     With Respect and Admiration,

Lupe Nielsen

Nielsen Magic

One particular thing I found amazing about Genii is that she had her own podcast several years ago. In other words, she had a magic podcast before most of the current top magic podcasters. THAT is pretty impressive. From what I understand from Majinga, they are trying to get the podcasts moved over to a new hosting platform. The previous one has since gone defunct, as it were. But this is great news, because we will soon be getting a great deal of magic content to listen to.

Let me just add, Genii, Majinga, the Magique Bazaar, is a throwback to another time, an older way of performing magic. It is essentially historical in nature, yet theatrical in it's purity. So many people try to define magic as one thing or another, like magic has to fit inside a little box and it can ONLY be that, and nothing more. But magic is enormous. And many of todays artists, as wonderful as they are, have seemingly forgotten that magic is a theatrical art. Many have stripped away the theatrics in order to make it seem more real. That worked for a time. But things are turning again, in my opinion. The 'theatrics' might be a bit different, but it is what magic needs, THEATRE! 

Magic Genii and Majinga keep the art of stage magic alive through their presentations. They are masters of apparatus magic. And again, this is another thing modern performers have left behind. Watch the videos, there are (700+) videos and you'll see they also carry on a tradition of multi-cast performances, something you rarely see today. In other words, there are more than 2 people on the stage. The Le Grand David show is the only other show I can think of that really captured this well. Blackstone Jr. back in the early 80s with his huge show, also had multiple people on stage. Its a different way of doing magic and a form of magic that I really wish there was more of. It's not for the weak of heart. But it sure does showcase magic in a grand manner. In much the way that Cesareo Pelaez's old world approach worked for LeGrand David, so it does with the Magique Bazaar. What is old is new again!!!!

Nathalie Hoop Diva of Magic Has Died

 

For an illusionist, a magician's assistant/dancer is the backbone of the performance. They are just as much part of the act as the magician, and honestly, maybe even a bit more important. A magicians assistant may not be out there doing fancy card manipulations, or sleight of hand routines, but they are none the less, doing magic with the way they utilize their bodies in the execution of large scale illusions. There is a dynamic difference between a good assistant and a great one. A good assistant will present their part of the illusion well, but will not add much to the routine other than being the person involved in the illusion. A great assistant on the other hand will stand out. They will make that routine unique. Their very presence can pull you in and arrest your attention on them. A great assistant can make an illusionist look like a super star!

I just heard the news today that Nathalie Padberg Hoop passed away. I felt like someone punched me when I heard the news. I never knew Nathalie. Never had the good fortune to meet her. But she was one of my favorite assistants in magic, she was a GREAT assistant! Her work with Hans Klok was phenomenal. She made every trick, every illusion look like a million dollars. I often thought when searching for my own assistants, that this young lady is what I'm looking for, she is the example of the perfect female assistant.

I might add, I dislike that term assistant. I think Hans Klok must have also hated it because he referred to his girls as the Divas of Magic. THAT is a more fitting term, especially for his dancers and assistants. They had their own personalities on stage, they were not carbon copies of each other, easily interchanged. I love when a performers personality shines through and it sure did with Nathalie.

Her intro into the world of magic began with Dutch Illusionist Hans Kazan. And then after being with him for a short time, she went to work with Hans Klok in 1999. In 2016 she retired from showbiz to work on her own business and to be a Mom. Though, apparently the larger story was she had been diagnosed with cervical cancer. In 2019 when Hans Klok came to Vegas with this big show, she appeared in the show on one special night, as I recall. 

She passed away this week from cancer at the age of 43. She leaves behind a son and daughter and husband. And she leaves behind many friends and fans from the magic community. RIP Nathalie.

The only thing I can add is, I HATE CANCER. I've lost uncles and aunts and my Mom to cancer. I hate this disease. 

HOUDINI Festival Scheduled for 2021

 A few years ago, I was invited to speak at the First Houdini Festival in Danville Virginia. It was a small event but a lot of fun. I did a lecture on escapes and also another lecture on Houdini. There are some unique things about the organizer of this event. Wayne Alan is a professional magician, but he is also a huge Houdini buff. I believe it was the early 1980s, Wayne duplicated Houdini's Upside Down Straightjacket Escape in front of Keith's Vaudeville Theatre in Washington. But that wasn't all. He also picked up some items from inside the historic theatre before they tore it down. 

Wayne has also been working on a Houdini book for years. He has some information that is very different from things I've heard in the past. I've been privy to a lot of the information and it's eye opening. The amazing thing, much of it comes directly from sources involved in the events of Houdini's life. 

Now fast forward to 2021. Wayne Alan owns the Historic North Theatre in Danville VA. He is planning on holding the next Houdini Festival in Spring of next year. We spoke together at length about the way to do it, and I think Wayne has a clever solution. The Festival will be both Virtual and In-person. Of course, the in person events will be socially distanced (if we still are dealing with Covid at that time).  Below is Wayne's press release. Watch for more updates in the coming weeks.

Houdini Festival Scheduled for 2021

World Champion Illusionist Wayne Alan has announced that “The Houdini Festival" will be held at The Historic North Theatre in Danville, Virginia, on April 8-10, 2021 (April 6 was the date that Houdini celebrated as his birthday.). The Historic North Theatre is a beautifully restored 1947 vaudeville house with 500 seats and a full balcony owned and operated by Wayne Alan. Due to the pandemic the number of in-person attendees are still unknown. Even under the best scenario, there will be a limit of only 313 in-person attendees. Send an email to Wayne@WayneAlanMagic.com to be put on our mailing list for updates (put Houdini Festival in subject line). A new website will be up in November. A refundable $50.00 deposit for in-person attendees will give you priority seating. Reservations can be made by calling 434-793-SHOW (7469) or emailing Wayne@WayneAlanMagic.com

The goal is to bring together Houdini aficionados, magic collectors, escape artists and magicians. The Friday night show will feature Magic Castle award winners and the Saturday night show will showcase FISM winners. Plus, dealer displays, a viewing of a Houdini movie on the big screen, Houdini memorabilia display and other surprises. Close-up shows will be held in the Balcony Mini-Theatre with beautifully raked seating to provide for an amazing viewing experience. The first 113 in-person registrants will watch the close-up live while the others watch on the big screen in the main theatre. Because of its uniqueness we are hoping to receive national publicity, not only in the magic press but also in the mainstream media.

In Wayne Alan’s research for his upcoming Houdini book, he discovered that Houdini had an affinity for the number 13. Based on numerous cost factors and Houdini’s lucky 13, the rates for the convention will be $169.00 (13x13) for online and $213.00 in person. Individual tickets for certain (non-secret revealing) sessions and shows will be available to the general public. Reservations can be made by calling 434-793-SHOW (7469) or emailing Wayne@WayneAlanMagic.com

Ken Klosterman Has Died

 

Ken Klosterman Has Died.

This is a sad day. Ken Klosterman curator/owner of the Salon de Magie has passed on. He was an avid collector even later in life. He has some incredible pieces in his collection. But mostly, I have to say, Ken was a super nice guy. I remember visiting him and spending the day with him at the farm/complex. It was a most enjoyable visit. I think we left the museum some time in the early morning around 8am or 9am. So we'd been down there probably 12 hours, lol. It was awesome. Ken always seemed like a big kid to me. Just as excited for his latest piece no matter how big or small. He loved the history of magic. Sure going to miss him. RIP Ken Klosterman. More on Ken later.

The Amazing Randi has Died

 

James, the Amazing, Randi has passed away. He died on Oct 20, 2020 at the age of 92, complications of old age. I suppose if there is a way to go, THAT is the way you want to go. A life well lived. I've been reading the various stories about folks who knew Randi or met Randi. I'll share with you some stories of my own.

I remember the first time I saw Randi in person.  It was at FairOaks Mall in Fairfax VA. He was walking through the Mall. I spotted him as I was shopping. I was a teenaged kid. I followed the man around the mall and I mean completely around the mall, from one end to the other and back, but never got the nerve to go up to him and introduce myself. Probably a HUGE mistake.

A few years later, I was in Al's Magic Shop on my lunch break from work and there in the shop was The Amazing Randi. He was sort of holding court. Telling jokes, sharing stories. I think, I said hello. I think. It was safer ground and I was a few years older at that point.

Fast forward yet another couple years. Somewhere along the line I began a correspondence with Randi. We shared several letters back and forth. He had included his business card. So one day I picked up the phone to call him. I wanted to inquire about handcuff escapes. He had a rather interesting answer. At the time I thought it was a rather incomplete answer. But he wasn't wrong in the information he gave me. It just wasn't a very extensive answer, the one I suppose I was looking for. Still we had a cordial talk and I believe he left the door open for further inquiry if I had more questions.

I always enjoyed watching Randi on TV. One of my early books on Houdini was the one he wrote with Bert Randolf Sugar. I read that book many times. I knew Randi was a fan of Houdini, but I suppose I didnt quite understand the extent of his connection. He was quite the escape artist for a period of time. He had a very amazing straightjacket escape over the icing waters of Niagara Falls, which can still be seen online. 

Through my friendship with Steve Baker, I learned even MORE about Randi. They were competitors and not really friendly competitors. I think Randi thought Steve was crazy.  Steve thought less of Randi. LOL the old school escape artists and their rivalries, still cracks me up.

I have more stories about Randi, but I'm going to hold onto them and share them on the podcast. Of course, at this point I guess I'll need to do a podcast specifically about Randi. He more than deserves it. He influenced a lot of people: Dean Gunnerson, Penn & Teller, Uri Geller (maybe not in a good way), Banachek, Me, and many others. We will miss you A-R. 

The Grave of Imro Fox - Comic Genius

 

My friend Tom Ewing was kind enough to provide me with this photo of Imro Fox's grave. Isadore IMRO Fox is buried in the Oheb Shalom Cemetery in 1321 North Broad St. Hillside NJ. He is buried in Lot 1001, Block 59, Grave #3. His wife Pauline is also buried there in Grave #2.

I had done a podcast on Imro Fox a few months ago and had mentioned that the grave was in a different cemetery. Turns out, that very cemetery was right next to this one. Tom Ewing went out searching at the first cemetery and couldn't locate it. That's when we realized it was in the second. Somewhere over time, someone in the magic world had listed the cemetery incorrectly, and it had been passed on several times, as did I.  NOW however, we have that corrected and here is proof!

If you'd like to listen to the podcast on Imro Fox, click this link...https://magicdetectivepodcast.com/e/ep-43-imro-fox-the-comic-genuis/

Houdini King of Cards - Flip Book

 

ok, I have to admit, this is pretty cool. An old style flip book with Houdini doing front and back palm. It can be found on the following site, http://amarantoo.com/producto/el-gran-houdini/

I first saw this when Richard Kaufman posted it on his Facebook page. I thought you'd all enjoy it. 

Abbott & Costello, Comedians & Flosso

 

One thing you may not know about me, I'm a HUGE fan of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. This comes from my Dad, who was also a fan and shared with me as a child all the wonderful radio shows of Abbott and Costello, as well as movies and TV shows.

Well, just yesterday, I was interviewing my friend Judge Gary Brown about his book, The Coney Island Fakir: The Magical Life of Al Flosso. Imagine my surprise to find out that Al Flosso had a connection to Bud Abbott.  This I learned AFTER the interview was over, which is why it's appearing here in the blog rather on the podcast. OH, and here is the link to the episode on Al Flosso. 

When I often speak of the 'rich history of magic' it's because some of these tricks and people have stories that are incredibly fascinating and in some cases mind boggling. Such is a small, generally forgotten prop that today we call, "The Hoo Coin".  It's origins are in the seedier street hustling side of things. At one time, according to the book, The Coney Island Fakir, Al Flosso teamed up with a gentleman by the name of Henry Gordien from Minneapolis. Gordien pitched an item where, "Any child can make a coin disappear." In the course of presenting the item to a crowd, Al Flosso would step forward, 'as the shill' and likely be duped by the vanishing coin and then buy one. Thus stoking the crowd into buying as well. The item they received was a very cheap imitation of the Hoo Coins of today. Often, the police would run off the duo for hustling the crowd.

Well, in the 1920s at Coney Island, Al Flosso meets Harry Abbott, the father of young Bud Abbott. Harry is working concessions and he talks to Al about helping his son Bud find some work. Well, Bud Abbott becomes the "shill" for the Hoo Coin routine. For his work, Al paid Abbott a whopping 8 dollars per week!

Now, if you look at the life of Bud Abbott, he is in and around these types of folks his whole life. The carneys, the pitchmen, the burlesque performers. He uses all of this to create his con-man type straighten character that he is famous for. When he and Lou Costello meet, it's gold in the making. They do many of the old burlesque routines, but they do them better than anyone. The reason? Their characters were so well defined, the old jokes and bits became funnier.

Take a look at a routine called, The Lemon Game. This is essentially The Three Shell Game, or Cups and Balls from the magic world. But they've got a clever twist to the game. Add to that some honestly, clever sleight of hand by Lou Costello with dollar bills and clever sleight of tongue by Bud, you've got yourself an incredible routine.

There is another routine they do, which is quite frankly a magic routines, The Passe Bottles. But their routine is played 100% for laughs. I admit, I always cringe when the secret is revealed to this routine, no matter who is doing it. But still, it shows the 'magic skill' that Bud Abbott possesses. 

I often wonder, if the boys ever visited Al Flosso at his shop once they became famous? But one thing is for sure, there is a connection between magic and Abbott and Costello and now we know there is a connection between Al Flosso and Bud Abbott. 

If you listen to the podcast, you'll hear the connection that Flosso has to many old time comedians, Jackie Gleason, Danny Kaye, The Marx Brothers, and Milton Berle. It's truly a small world!

New Magic Detective Group Page on Facebook, Please Join!

I've recently created a GROUP page for The Magic Detective on Facebook. I already had a PAGE, but there were some things I wanted to do that the PAGE wouldn't allow. So I opted to add the GROUP page. I know it's probably a bit confusing but there are methods behind the madness.

The pandemic has not been kind to the blog or podcast, because so much of my research material is in a location far (600+ miles) from where I am. But that will be changing soon. I've got some podcasts in the works, some new blog articles as well. And as far as the group page, I've been trying to add magic history material from other sources. Thankfully there are some in the group who have been contributed cool images to the page. All are welcome as long as they are magic history related. 

One thing I'd love is that when a podcast goes up, if members have material related to that person, maybe they'd be willing to share their photos. I know this happened with Tarbell, Leipzig and a few others. It just enhances the existing articles. 

One new feature coming to the podcast will be INTERVIEWS! I have toyed with this idea forever, but resisted it. Thankfully, I have the tech to do it easily now. Thanks to my work with Zoom Magic Shows, I've got what I need. I've been doing Zoom Shows since June and they've been a blast. I've even had some Magic Detective listeners buy tickets and join in as well. I probably have the only Zoom Magic Show that features a bit of magic history during the show. Most of it however is interactive magic, between the audience and myself. If you're interested in checking out a show, go to ZoomMagicShow.com for more info and ticketing. 

In addition to the Interviews on the podcast, I do plan on doing something special with the Group Page, but I don't yet have all my ducks in a row for that. So I'm still keeping that one under wraps for now.

I do want to say, thank you everyone for the comments regarding the blog and the podcast! Please please join the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/MagicDetectiveGroup/

Fetaque Sanders Posters

The most recent podcast, Ep 54, was on Fetaque Sanders. In the course of the podcast I mentioned the fact that one of the reasons we know about him is because of what he left behind, posters! He spent a lot of money on advertising his show and it paid off in his life time.

In fact, in later years, he even sold a packet of his advertising materials through the Linking Ring Magazine. Valuable for both collectors and for those who wanted to study what a real pro used to advertise his show.

Every once in a while one of his posters comes up on ebay. My favorite of the Fetaque Sanders posters is the one with the two sets of eyes. This was a common marketing trick among the magicians in the 40-50s. They would put up posters with his face looking normal and then a couple days before showtime, replace this posters with an exact copy, except below his eyes on the poster was a second set of eyeballs. It made you stare at the poster and wonder if something wasn't wrong with your own eyes! Genuis.

This poster below is currently available on ebay.  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Fetaque-Sanders-Magician-Poster/372411155808?hash=item56b56f4560:g:aEgAAOSw51xepfcm