David Carradine :: RIP

[Magic Newswire]

As most will have heard, Actor David Carradine was found dead in his Bangkok hotel room after apparently committing suicide. In addition to his roles in Shane, Kung Fu & Kill Bill, Carradine also starred in a 1998 film "The Effects of Magic".

[Scotto]

He was a fan of magic and member of the Magic Castle where he could be found at many Friday lunches. Aloha David

[Kevin Connolly]

He was a good friend of the other Houdini aficionado that contributes here as well. Hopefully he'll chime in with some stories of the two of them when he is up to it.

[mai-ling]

i just heard on the national news.

he hung himself.

odd.

[Nicholas Carifo]

A David Carradine/Magic Castle Anecdote from the Associated Press Obituary:

Full Article Here: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... wD98K5K0G0

-----------------------------

"At the premiere of 'Break' a month ago, Carradine was introduced to an actor and magician who remarked that he had never been to Hollywood's Magic Castle, a famed private club for magic enthusiasts, Krueger said. Carradine took the man there the next day, Krueger said."

"Complete stranger, actor, fellow artist, and he just thought he should," Krueger said. "So he took him himself, and they spent the night, which I think is a fantastic story. Sort of an example of where David was, the kind of person he was."

[Francesca Moffet]

The UK tabloids are reporting that his death was the result of a sex game gone wrong and therefore accidental.

This article is a bit more detailed about his death.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... wD98KCI5G0

[Tom Frame]

Another casualty of autoerotic asphyxiation. Well, at least he died smiling.

[Magic Newswire]

I've been receiving a number of interesting emails regarding David & His connection to magic. I just posted Jonathan Pendragon's email for those that are interested.

[Richard Kaufman]

Tom, your empathy is overwhelming.

[Jonathan Townsend]

Tom, your empathy is overwhelming.

He's probably working on a card warp presentation involving a rubber band now ...

[Mike Carr]

Another casualty of autoerotic asphyxiation. Well, at least he died smiling.

I wonder what knots he used?

[Richard Kaufman]

Please quit the jokes. The poor bastard apparently killed himself accidentally.

[Bill Mullins]

Apparently Carradine was a comics fan, as well. See the PHOTO of him posing with Jack Kirby at a comics convention.

[jason156]

This thread should have never been started, it was an open invitation to a lot of crude attempts at humor.

[AJM]

If you set yourself up for it then you must be 'fair game' -
for example, if you get your jollys by tying yourself up in knots in closets and a) you get caught or b) it all goes horribly wrong.

We've also seen it here over the past couple of weeks (months?) especially with 'those' two long running threads where certain contributors are setting themselves up for a merciless ribbing.

How unfortunate that Mr Carradine's (arguably modest) achievements will be forgotten as he will now simply be remembered as the guy who did a 'Michael Hutchence'.

[Richard Kaufman]

He didn't set himself up for anything: he was doing whatever he was doing in private.

[Pete McCabe]

While I appreciate where Richard is coming from, if he was indeed engaging in autoerotic asphyxiation, in a hotel room, then he was definitely setting himself up for a grisly and very public death.

[Gord]

Ok, I'm going to steer this thread into another direction.
I had no idea that Mr. Carradine was such a magic fan. In fact, there are a lot of celebs out there I had no idea are/were magic fans.
Perhaps, Richard, you could start a series of articles about celebs that are magic fans. Perhaps a short interview if possible.
I know it would be nice to know something like this before someone dies.

Gord

[Joe Pecore]

Great idea Gord! A list of celebrities connected in some way to magic was started on MagicPedia. See Celibrities Category

[Lisa Cousins]

I knew David Carradine best through reading his book Spirit of Shaolin. The first half is autobiographical, describing how he got the gig in the Kung Fu series, his experiences on the show, and how he became intrigued by Eastern philosophy. The second half is his reflections on his various readings and studies within that school of thought. The tone throughout the book is quite humble, and I found it very thought-provoking.

I did get to meet him a few times, due to my friendship with the Houdini buff alluded to above, but those conversations were not nearly as revealing as getting to know him through his book. He did give me one of the best compliments I've ever received, though, and I appreciate that. His Walk of Fame star is about a block from my apartment, and when I heard the news I strolled over and placed a floral tribute on it. In the course of the past few days I've watched that star turn into something of a shrine. It's customary for Walk of Fame honorees to receive an official memorial wreath at the time of their passing, and that's been done - but there are also a variety of votive candles, bouquets and blossoms - and even a very beautiful display of white flowers afloat in a glass bowl.

I couldn't care less about whatever snickers or gossip may come. I grew up in the era when everybody was Kung Fu fighting, and I am honored to have known him.

[Gord]

Great idea Gord! A list of celebrities connected in some way to magic was started on MagicPedia. See Celibrities Category

What a remarkable list. I knew about half of those but the other half was a bit of a shock.
Thanks for the link.

Gord

[Steve Bryant]

To this list, definitely add Orson Bean.

As I recall, Jeff Goldblum recently did a rope trick on Letterman.

And though we think of him primarily as a magician, Ballantine was a sufficient celebrity as an actor to earn the accolade of a "celebrity interested in magic."

[Bill Mullins]

Also add Fred Keating, Harry Anderson, Chester Morris, Dave Madden, Max Terhune, and Adrian Brody.

Rita Hayworth toured as part of Orson Welle's "Mercury Magic" show, as did Joseph Cotten.

Veronica Lake played (and performed as) a magician in "This Gun for Hire".

Comedian Jeff Altman published at least one trick in Harry Lorayne's "Best of Friends" series of books.

Once, maybe 8-10 years ago, I visited the Magic Castle and they had posted on the wall a list of people who had recently joined. I believe Drew Barrymore was on the list.

Steranko may have more fame as an artist/graphic designer/publisher than he does as a magician, so he may be on the list. Martin Gardner, likewise, is more famous as a writer and mathematician than as a magician.

Richard Himber was famous as a big-band leader.

[Francesca Moffet]

Curiouser and curiouser.

http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/08062009/5/c ... ins-0.html

[Richard Kaufman]

That's a load of hooey: the security cameras show no one entering or leaving his room. Unless you think they came in through the window like some spy movie.

[Bill Mullins]

the security cameras show no one entering or leaving his room.

That's how we know that it was NINJAs that did it.. .

[Brad Henderson]

Duh!!!!!

[Richard Kaufman]

I can tell you this: I've never put a little noose around either my neck or Mr. Johnson, and if I did it would be my own damn business, whether it killed me or not. I can only repeate: poor bastard.

[Mark Collier]

I agree. It's not like he lured kids into his room or tied up hookers against their will.

[Kevin Connolly]

The Smoking Gun states differently. They have court papers that mention his deviant behavior and incest.

IMHO, this is the beginning of a story that will become a cottage industry. I heard a book is already halfway down the pipeline already.

[Richard Kaufman]

Who cares what The Smoking Gun says? They're printing divorce papers from an obviously irate and scorned woman. Does that sound like a reliable source to you?

Anyway, this entire conversation, aside from his interest in magic, is just dumb. So this ends it.