Famous magicians

Discuss the historical aspects of magic, including memories, or favorite stories.
Guest

Famous magicians

Postby Guest » February 10th, 2005, 8:38 am

Can people add to the list of famous names interested in magic...

Woody Allen
Steve Martin
Orson Wells
Charles Dickens

More please?

Brian Marks
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Re: Famous magicians

Postby Brian Marks » February 10th, 2005, 8:59 am

Johnny Carson

Guest

Re: Famous magicians

Postby Guest » February 10th, 2005, 9:52 am

David Mamet
Dick Cavett
Cassius Clay
Chester Morris
Cary Grant
Tony Curtis
Edmund Wilson
Sol Stien
Clayton Rawson
Prince Charles
Raymond Smullyan
William Murray
Edgar Bergen
W.C. Fields
Shadoe Stevens
Ben Kingsley
Orson Welles
Harry Anderson
Carl Ballantyne
"The Hulk"

That's all I can think of right now...
Best, PSC

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Pete Biro
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Re: Famous magicians

Postby Pete Biro » February 10th, 2005, 10:42 am

Carl Ballantine, Paul... :p

Dom Delouise
Ben Blue
Harold Lloyd
Mel Brooks (pal of Harry Lorayne)
Also the Basketball Player that did book with Lorayne?
One of the Oakland Raider linemen (I forget his name but he bought a set of cups from me).
Gearge H. W. Bush (used to go to Al Cohen's in D.C.)
Sammy Davis Jr.
Milton Berle
Kid from "Home Alone"
Gen Norman Schwarzkof (sp?)
Also the guy that's Dep. Dir. of CIA
Steve Martin
Stay tooned.

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Steve Bryant
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Re: Famous magicians

Postby Steve Bryant » February 10th, 2005, 10:49 am

You're thinking of Jerry Lucas, Pete. Former NBA player Bobby Weiss was also way into magic. And let's not forget the All-American college player, who played against Bill Russell among others, Mr. Joe Stevens.

Guest

Re: Famous magicians

Postby Guest » February 10th, 2005, 11:12 am

Who can forget that downright spooky picture from the early eighties when Michael Ammar and a few contemporaries were summoned to Neverland because Michael Jackson decided he wanted to learn close-up magic? God, the jokes just write themselves on this one (rod thru choirboy, swallowing a balloon, Ass assembly...)

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AMCabral
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Re: Famous magicians

Postby AMCabral » February 10th, 2005, 11:27 am

Originally posted by Pete Biro:
Carl Ballantine, Paul... :p

Gearge H. W. Bush (used to go to Al Cohen's in D.C.)
George Bush, Mr. Biro... :p

Mel Brooks is pals with Harry Lorayne? Holy crap... must've met at a Manic Little Men's convention. If I were king, I'd throw Harry, Mel, and Regis Philbin in a pit and let them have a conversation... TO THE DEATH!!!!

-Tony

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magicam
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Re: Famous magicians

Postby magicam » February 10th, 2005, 9:41 pm

Justice Kozinski of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, "famous' at least to appellate attorneys...

Craig Matsuoka
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Re: Famous magicians

Postby Craig Matsuoka » February 11th, 2005, 1:51 am

A few more:

Arsenio Hall
Barbara Stanwyck
Carroll Baker
Coach Lou Holtz
Jackie Gleason
Jason Alexander
Jimmy Stewart
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Joseph Cotton
Lewis Carroll
Neil Patrick Harris
Ray Bradbury
Richard Himber
Robert Lansing
Tallulah Bankhead

This list is getting depressing. Where are all the young, hot, popular stars hiding? Is being an amateur magician the new "closet" for celebrities now?

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Joe Pecore
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Re: Famous magicians

Postby Joe Pecore » February 11th, 2005, 3:48 am

John McLaughlin (former acting CIA Director last year)

How about Bill Bixby?
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Guest

Re: Famous magicians

Postby Guest » February 11th, 2005, 7:09 am

did any one mention mel gibson?

and i supose Leo di caprio could be in there...he was blaines mate.

Thanks, this is an interesting list...I'm thinking about a theme for a show.

Any more?

Cheers

Guest

Re: Famous magicians

Postby Guest » February 11th, 2005, 7:15 am

what is jason alexanders interest?

both seinfeld and larry david have done stand-up and magic related storylines in their shows.

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Joe Pecore
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Re: Famous magicians

Postby Joe Pecore » February 11th, 2005, 7:37 am

Charlie Sheen http://www.allstarz.org/~charliesheen/i ... o5-01.html

Liam Aiken (actor in Lemony Snicket's: A Series of Unfortunate Events)
http://www.allstarz.org/~liamaiken/bio.html
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Guest

Re: Famous magicians

Postby Guest » February 11th, 2005, 7:45 am

Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam.
Writer/Producer Stephen J. Cannell.
Ben Stiller took lessons from Slydini.

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Joe Pecore
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Re: Famous magicians

Postby Joe Pecore » February 11th, 2005, 7:45 am

Roberto Benigni once worked as a magician's apprentice

http://www.biography.com/find/article.jsp?aid=9207145&
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Don
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Re: Famous magicians

Postby Don » February 11th, 2005, 8:58 am

i saw mahommad ali at Hollywood Magic during the holidays. he was looking to buy a few tricks. the magicians working there were having a great time showing him some tricks. i left before he did so i dont know what he bought but, from what i hear he has been into magic for quite some time now. :genii:

Brian Marks
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Re: Famous magicians

Postby Brian Marks » February 11th, 2005, 9:41 am

Bill Tarr- his beginners book is good but he was well know as a sculpturer

Persi Diacosis _ Did i speel it right? But he famous for being a statitician

Judy Carter and Jay Sankey
They have written the Comedy Bible and Zen of Stand Comedy respectively. I don't know if Judy Carter still does magic.

George Olson
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Re: Famous magicians

Postby George Olson » February 11th, 2005, 11:32 am

How about Ken Keasy (sp) I ran into him at Chuck Leach's old shop in Eugene OR a number of years ago. I had them demonstrate "Twisted Sister" and he bought it on the spot. He was on his way to a party for the "Best Little Whorehouse...."

Neat guy!

GO

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Steve Bryant
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Re: Famous magicians

Postby Steve Bryant » December 29th, 2005, 8:10 pm

Tallulah Bankhead? I'd love to hear more.

Guest

Re: Famous magicians

Postby Guest » December 30th, 2005, 7:27 am

Originally posted by sdick:
what is jason alexanders interest?

Jason LOVES close up. You can see his hands are a magicians hands in the Seinfeld episode where George pretends to be a marine biologist. At the end when he's in the diner and he's telling the story of how he removed Kramers golf ball from a whales blow hole, the way he shows them the golf ball at the end of the story can only be a magicians hands. It rolls out so smoothly from palm to finger tips.

He also wrote the introduction for the book Magic for Idiots.

Jason is a well rounded entertainer who realizes the value our art has regarding all aspects of acting and the theater.

Guest

Re: Famous magicians

Postby Guest » December 30th, 2005, 7:42 am

Originally posted by George Olson:
How about Ken Keasy
YES!!! Ken Kesey was a great guy! I used to do card tricks for Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh backstage at Dead shows and Ken watched once. We then had a long conversation about magic and the way it makes others feel. He borrowed my cards and showed me his routine for ambitious card and he did it well. He always carried a thumbtip too.

Interesting trivia about him, he never saw the movie One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. In his book the main character was the Indian and he felt Hollywood missed the point of the book.

Nicholas Carifo
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Re: Famous magicians

Postby Nicholas Carifo » December 30th, 2005, 9:13 am

Adrien Brody - Academy Award winning Actor
Peter Scolari - Actor
Dick Van Dyke - Actor Comedian
Dick Cavett - TV Host
Tom Poston - Actor Comedian
Dave Madden - Actor (Reuben Kencade, Partridge Family and Earl on Alice)
Arsenio Hall - (competed w/his dove act at the Columbus MagiFest 70's/80's)
Tom Savini - Movie FX Wizard, Actor, Director
George Romero - Director, Writer, and Producer

Also: OJ Simpson and Tony Randall performed dove act style magic on Circus of the Stars in teh 1980's. Not sure if their interst pre-dated or continued after these appearances.

And I believe David Ogden Stiers (from MASH) played the elder magician in Doug Henning's "The Magic Show" on Broadway.

------
TRIVIA - Did you know George Romero directed and produced a network television magic special in the late 1970's live from Pittsburgh, PA called "Magic From The Roxy" hosted by Peter Graves which included one of the first network tv appearances of a very young, very unknown, David Copperfield - prior to any of his tv specials. Also included Carl Ballentine, Shimada, Amazing Randi and others.)

Frank Dudgeon
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Re: Famous magicians

Postby Frank Dudgeon » December 30th, 2005, 10:46 am

I believe Joan Rivers was once an assistant to Kuda Bux. I recall seeing Penn and Teller on one of her shows and she got a double take from Teller when she mentioned it.

David Oliver
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Re: Famous magicians

Postby David Oliver » December 30th, 2005, 1:29 pm

Here are a few more names for your lists that I had in my notes and files that I thought might be of interest. (I searched through this thread and didn't notice these names - with the exception of one.)

Nathan East - bass player for Eric Clapton (and studio/live performance bass artist for many others)
Lou Taylor Pucci - actor "Personal Velocity," "Chumscrubber," "Empire Falls" Tannen's Camp alumni
Adrien Brody - (already mentioned) "the Pianist," "King Kong" was another Tannen's Camp alumni
Ben Curtis - actor, the former "dude, you're gettin a Dell" spokesperson, Tannen's Camp alumni
Robin Leach - best known for "Lifestyles of Rich and Famous" show
Norman Schwarzkopf - Retired general, former US Gulf War commander
Lee Majors - actor, best known from 1970's "Six Million Dollar Man" TV series
Wil Wheaton - actor, from "Star Trek The Next Generation," "Stand By Me," etc
Derek Hughes - actor, mainly known for vast TV commercial work, Tannen's Camp counselor
Vinny Testerverde - the New York Jets
Walter "Killer" Kowalski - former pro-wrestler, and trainer
Bob Fitch - known by magicians for his directorial skills, "topit" work, "hold-out" work, and private workshops, well-known Broadway performer.

Nicholas mentioned O.J. Simpson and Tony Randall on Circus of the Stars. Other episodes (as I remember) featured actress Delta Burke doing the multiplying bottles with Merv Griffin as her foil, actor Glen Ford doing a "dove" and duck act with Pamela Fyre as his assistant (I believe she worked with Tim Kole at Knott's Berry Farm as "Fyre & Kole" in late 80's in "Spellbound"), actor Pat Morita doing the Anderson tear, and a sub-trunk with a combination "safe." Wow, the memories. I don't believe anyone from these "circus" acts persued an interest in magic.

Happy New Year, all!

- David Oliver
- DO

Jim Maloney_dup1
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Re: Famous magicians

Postby Jim Maloney_dup1 » December 30th, 2005, 2:26 pm

I believe it's been mentioned here before that J.J. Abrams, creator of Felicity and Alias, co-creator of Lost, and writer/director of the upcoming Mission Impossible III, is a fan of magic. There's been a few references to magic on Alias, the biggest probably being the character "Eric Weiss", played by Greg Grunberg.

-Jim

Nicholas Carifo
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Re: Famous magicians

Postby Nicholas Carifo » December 30th, 2005, 5:43 pm

Steve Valentine... on TV's Crossing Jordan


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