The Genii Forum

Diego

Mark Cannon has previously spoken about Harry Cooke, at a L.A. Magic History Conference, and also wrote articles about him for magic publications. Harry H. Cooke worked as a magician/escape artist, and later served as a scout for Lincoln, during The Civil War. He actually used his escape skills to f...

Diego

If you google Angley, his ministry had declined in attendence/support in the last few years, as media reports of accusations/exposes of his sexual encounters with male members, resulted in news stories and lawsuits. Be interesting to see who does what with what's left of the ministry, or not, as mor...

Diego

Interesting to note Angley's passing. When I first saw him on TV, I thought, (and others originally did the same) that I was watching some comic doing a parady/stereotype of a crude preacher/healer. Some I knew among the independent (i.e. unaccountable) media ministries, had nicknamed him, "Dra...

Diego

Rawson and Carr were good friends of another writer/magician, William Lindsay Gresham. The may have been among those who gathered at the magic table at The Dixie Hotel, (now named The Carter Hotel). In his final note that he sent to his wife that she would receive, (after he commited suicide in a ro...

Diego

I was wondering if anyone has read the book, "Performing Q & A" by Gerry McCambridge, and their opinion/thoughts on it?

Thanks.

Diego

Do they use the name Jules Podell? Haven't seen the movie but I presume the manager is being sarcastic as I'm not sure if the Copa ever booked a non-music act...certainly not as the featured/name act/attraction...and Mark may have been regarded as primarly a children's performer at the time. (Even t...

Diego

Looked at his death certificate yesterday, which has all the data noted in previous posts...that his death in 1956, was in Pico Rivera, Calif. Nothing new/addtional noted to help with further research. His home address is now a new apartment building whose residents reflect the changing demographics...

Diego

It was common for mentalists/illusionists to also present a midnight show as an extra attraction to their regular performances. In the 1920's/30's, they were sometimes advertised as Midnight Seances, rather than a Midnight Spook/Ghost show, that became more common as the post war midnight audiences,...

Diego

Maybe because Foster was a publicist, not a documentarian. Very nice person,
I wish he had thought more of his time with Horace Goldin to put it in print.

Diego

Bill, Thanks for sending me the Raboid/Eck article by Charles Foster. There are a number of problems with his article: He writes Raboid's son, "Robert", wrote to the newspaper with information/memories of his father. Raboid had a brother named Robert (Kitchen) who had married Blackstone's ...

Diego

Bill, Charles Foster had called me, asking for information about Rajah Raboid, for an article. (which I haven't seen yet) He was writing about performers who appeared at a theater in his native Canada, and during our conversation about magicians, he casually said he toured with Horace Goldin and amo...

Diego

I can't recall a reference to Elwin C. Peck performing as, "Ali-din." I'm trying
to recall if I read somewhere that Ali-Din was a woman performer.

Diego

Roy,
You have identified THE Elwin Charles Peck who was El-Wyn. In his later years he ran car and trailer dealerships in the Los Angeles area.
As I stated earlier, he is buried in a family plot in Whitter, Calif.

Diego

Bill, your research access and skills continue to impress. But the "El-Wyn" (one n) that I inquired about was known to perform before and after 1936. It is possible that Ed Wynn used the name, (or variation of) "El-Wyn" because he had seen it associated with ghost shows, or perha...

Diego

I am looking for any photos of the late Elwin Charles Peck, aka "El-Wyn". (1902-1956)

He is regarded as a pioneer of the, "Ghost/Spook" show genre.

I have seem posters, but now looking for photos.

Diego

Very sorry to hear. Jack was very interested in magic history and collecting and we exchanged information about different subjects.
A nice, supportive person, he will be missed.

Special acknowledgement and thanks to his wife and caregivers, who provided the 24/7 care he needed in his last years.

Diego

Perhaps Uri Geller's talent and career, by itself, should be considered for a separate topic/thread. Although Uri Geller and James Randi, is a topic relevent here. I'm not disagreeing with Brad, I have watched in person, as Geller took a thousand strangers and made them HIS audience, and took them i...

Diego

Very well written and seems like his son had exceptional support and access to pursue magic as long as he did. Many reading the article will wish they had as much, when they were that age. The age many young boys (and girls) get attracted to magic is around 10-12 for some reason. But for whatever re...

Diego

"I never won an Oscar, but I've loaned money to those who have."

Andy Devine

Diego

I saw tonight a TV show, "What Really Happened", focusing on the 2003 incident on stage with Roy Horn and one of his tigers. Like any show, you don't know what was edited out or left out, but very interesting to hear officials and journalists who were going beyond The Buzz and trying to ge...

Diego

I remember 10/20 years(!) ago, there was someone selling a course, which included some of the techniques by the NLP proponents mentioned in this thread, on how to (to say it politely) attract and compel attractive women to fullfill your desires. Skeptical at first, a mentalist acquaintance, who spec...

Diego

The first thing I though of when I saw the above photo, was the final scene from, "The Red Balloon", and listening to him talk with Jimmy Fallon, David said that's exactly where the inspiration came from.

Diego

Having known and worked with those who performed (circus and others) with animals, I remember the care and devotion they received and how important and valued the animals were in their lives, as well as their careers....when it was a given if you were down to your last dollar, and you could either b...

Diego

I remember seeing the late Tommy Wonder lecture at The Magic Castle. A very insightful experience to listen to his thinking/creative process, similar to when I heard Tina Lenart and Teller speak about how they developed a performance piece over a period of time, thru much thinking and work. One thin...

Diego

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=433b5RJ9BME

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaFSH0K4BdQ

Please click the links above and listen to voices of reason that will give you an intelligent perspective about it.

Diego

Sad loss of a wonderful person and performer. A life so well lived...decorated WW2 Veteran, starring performer across the globe and the U.S. with his partner Carol...and always modest, gracious and generous to so many. Very fortunate to hear his kind words, and never heard anything otherwise about h...

Diego

Dr. Albo's opinion carries a lot of weight, with his knowledge and experience. I wonder if doctors whose practice includes boxers, (or UFC fighters) would feel any different than Dr. Albo? Many feel that it was also Houdini's refusal to STOP what he was doing, to seek medical attention, doing a show...

Diego

RE: "Stories, no matter how far-fetched, are fun to tell." I was talking with a fellow historian about the reality vs. the telling of Robert Houdin quashing an uprising in Alegeria, and noted he was doing the showman's M.O. of "cutting up jackpots", where the entertainment value ...

Diego

This thread that I started awhile back, raised issues/concerns that have become relevant again today. The Covid-19 crisis has affected much of our lives and goals. The universal infection rate of the virus, sometimes causing death within a few days, has caused a phenomena across the country: People ...

Diego

I remember hearing a commentary by Keaton as he described his stunts: "In a way they like magic tricks...some like Chung Ling Foo, others like Horace Goldin...." I only remember it was on a documentary on silient film or silient film comedians.

Diego

Sometimes doing without or differently can show potential not considered before. The last few Sundays, David Sandy's Collectors FB page has been having magic history/collector's meetings via zoom/Facebook. Although I always valued and cherished meeting again those who share this interest in person, ...

Diego

Richard is correct that until (?) a vaccine/cure has been achieved, change (to before?) is doubtful, although right now on the news/online, you will see people in bars, malls, beaches, etc., interacting with each other, who aren't waiting or don't care.(to their peril) But also people (whether they ...

Diego

"Odds" are maybe, maybe not...may not hurt to find out. What works in favor is that he did live in Oakland, California in his later years and the name, "Morcom", isn't the most common. Who knows? There are a couple I know who were around there then that might know.

Diego

Up until the late 1960's/1970's, there was a store in Oakland, California called, "Morcom's House of Novelties." I don't know if it was a hobby store with a magic counter or novelty/joke store with a magic counter, (or both) but magicians in the East Bay often visited/hung out there, espec...

Diego

I was sorry to read in the recent M.U.M., that Fred Wood had passed away. He had been living in Sacramento, Calif. Many will remember him running Wizardz in Universal City, for almost 10 years. He was previously involved with Magic Island and a number of performers followed him to Wizardz after Magi...

Diego

The earliest mention in newspapers.com of the title "Mentalist", is in a December/1908 story in THE BILLBOARD, of "Madame Tangley", managed by her husband who would later be known as, "Dr. Norman Baker."* Does anyone know of earlier references of a performer using the t...

Diego

Roger Ebert noting films he especially liked/remembered from his boyhood, included, "Houdini" with Tony Curtis. He noted part of the attraction of magic for kids, is being able to puzzle/fool adults, showing them a trick. Likewise, Siegfried noted, what impressed/attracted him to magic was...

Diego

The late T.A. Waters, also affirmed the validity/valid use of tarot cards. In discussions regarding readings, he would dismiss learning cold reading lines, and say why do all that? Just read the cards instead and share what they say. Instead of learning cold reading lines, learn the actual meanings ...

Diego

Fascinating that he directed, "Try and Get Me", which was a remake of, "Fury", (with Spencer Tracy), based on an actual crime and lynching that took place in San Jose in 1933. Always liked it...Lloyd Bridges is great as the criminal psycho and the mob scene, leading up to the lyn...

Diego

I seem to recall reading about Penn and Teller were talking with Copperfield, and the question of what attracts, (especially guys) into magic. Teller said when the conversation began discussing nerds seeking attention, they left it alone and talked about something else.

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