pookies playland

President—Doug Kovacich
OCTOBER 2013 Vol 27 No 10
SPECIAL MEETING THEME
PRESIDENT'S
COLUMN
by
Doug Kovacich
Sell, Sell, Sell!
ELLO , everyone, and an early
Happy Halloween. I hope everyone is doing well. I think we had another
good turnout for our annual Flea Market.
We had a good number of sellers and
what seemed to be a good number of buyers although I hardly sold anything at all.
I still think it was a good night overall.
It's always nice to get together and mingle
and shop for new used magic to add to
our shows.
I can't believe it is
October already.
This means that
the retail
world is
once again
abuzz as everyone starts
to scramble
getting everything ready for
Halloween with costumes, pumpkins—
and Santa Claus? Yes, I have already
seen Christmas decorations going up in
stores. I can't believe it, but I guess that is
the new way of the retail world. It seems
as though it gets earlier and earlier every
year. I remember that when I worked in
retail, the Christmas stuff didn't come
out until after Halloween. Oh, well! I
hope business will pick up for the world
of magic, too.
CONTENTS
PAGE
President's Column
1
Meeting Notes
1
History Quiz
2
Cagigal Show
2
Hirata Show
3
Center Stage
4
Trick of the Month
4
Thought for the Week
6
Balloon Lecture & Workshop 7
John Calvert, Legend of Magic 8
Jeff Bornstein & Kimberly Show 9
Peterson Show
9
Dick Newton, Dickens Admirer 10
Morfin Show
10
An Evening with Peter Morrison 10
Fantasma Magician of the Year 11
The Curved Clown Corner
12
Scheduled 2013 Meetings
13
Bart Whaley, Magic Author
and Researcher
13
Meeting Format
13
Scheduled 2013 Mini Lectures 13
The Conjurer Deadline
13
The Conjurer Staff
13
October SYM Meeting
13
Your Board
13
Next Board Meeting
13
Editor—Don Heynen
See Page 7
MEETING
NOTES
by
Bill Marquardt
would you go to buy anything from a silk hankie to a
straight jacket? A flea market for magicians, of course. September was time for
the annual Assembly #112 Flea Market,
and it was a good one. The VFW Hall was
filled to near capacity with tables displaying a large variety of magical items and
books, some of them brand new along
with many from years gone by.
HERE
Bill Marquardt examines one of
Doug Kovacich's items.
That's one of the things that makes a flea
market special. While examining the assortment of objects on display, it's easy to
run across a bit of nostalgia. For instance,
while taking a look at the items our own
president, Doug Kovacich, had on sale,
I noticed a piece of magic that I had not
seen since my very early days as a novice
magician. It was a Tommy Windsor's Dye
Box. If you have a few years on you, you
PRESIDENT: Page 3 , Col. 1
MEETING: Page 5, Col. 1
1
The Conjurer OCTOBER '13
man behind the counter? Tom Lidholm,
who now resides in Rohnert Park, and
who wrote the patter for one of the effects
in John Mendoza's Book of John. And no,
he didn't really wear a mask—although I
often suggested to him that he should.
CAGIGAL SHOW
by Don Heynen
NE of the best historical magic
reference works is Bart Whaley's
Who's Who in Magic (see Bart's brokenwand story elsewhere in this edition of
The Conjurer). This biographical guide
lists 4,301 men and women associated
with the art of conjuring from earliest
recorded times to 1988 (the year of the
book's publication). It included performers, inventors, writers, teachers, dealers,
manufacturers, publishers, collectors,
historians, and showmen of magic. To
be included, the subject had to be fairly
famous.
How many past or present members
of Assembly #112 are featured in this
encyclopedic work? Although it's a
small number, it is more than one. At
this point, I would usually say that for
extra credit, give the names of those
members who appear in Who's Who in
Magic. But for this question, it is not
just for extra credit; it is for a prize.
The first person to email me the correct answer, including the names, will
receive a prize.
Christian Cagigal
Gerry Griffin has owned the California
Magic and Novelty Co (now the California Magic Dinner Theatre) for many
years. Exactly when—and from whom—
did he assume the ownership of that haunt
for local magicians? For extra credit, who
was the main person working behind the
counter before Gerry became proprietor
of that establishment?
If you are a real old timer in the assembly,
you may remember that Gerry assumed
membership from none other than Jimmie
Monsoor. The transfer of ownership took
place officially on January 1, 1980. And,
of course, that establishment was just a
magic and novelty store at that time and
was located in a small shopping center in
Pleasant Hill not too far from the main
library.
And who was that mysterious masked
Jeffrey
Korst
Gerry
Griffin
would one describe the Christian Cagigal show? The San
Francisco Examiner reviewer wrote, "I
will say that [Christian Cagigal's] magic
is fascinating, puzzling, dramatic, sometimes comic, and often downright spooky.
The entire evening's entertainment is
quite unlike any magic show you have
ever seen and more like a spooky play
with astonishing special effects that you
will not forget." Christian brings his show
to Gerry Griffin's California Magic Dinner Theatre at 514 Main Street in Martinez on Friday, October 11, and Saturday,
October 12. Opening for Christian will be
Jeffrey Korst, a veteran of show business
having performed all over the United
States. Jeffrey makes playing cards,
glasses of wine, and even bottles of wine
appear at his fingertips. Of course, magician and impresario Gerry Griffin will
serve as magical host for the evening.
OW
On each night the dinner show will begin
at 7:30 P.M. For tickets, go to http://www.
calmagic.com/october-11th-2013/. Saturday's show is already sold out.
Tom Lidholm
Jimmie Monsoor
2
Tickets may be purchased online at http://
www.calmagic.com/show-schedule-tickets/
or by calling 925-374-0056, and confirmation for tickets purchased online will be
emailed to you. No tickets are available at
the door on the night of the show.
PRESIDENT
From Page 1
Now that October is here, we are gearing up for the Share the Magic show at
the Winslow Center in Pleasant Hill on
Friday, October 11, at 7:00 P.M. It's going to be another great show as always
produced by Roy Porfido. He always
does a wonderful job and is a pleasure
to work with. I am looking forward to
working with him again. I hope to see
many of you there supporting those of us
who are working hard for the show and to
support the City of Pleasant Hills Parks
and Recreation Department and our own
assembly. It's only $10 per person, well
worth the price of admission.
Also this month we will have a special
theme for the general meeting. Sir Lantz
will present his class on how to make
balloon animals. I hope Sir Lantz gets
a big turnout. See the special announcement elsewhere in this edition of The
Conjurer.
This month is nomination month for
next year's board of directors. It looks as
though we have almost a full slate of willing members going into the meeting. We
are currently looking for someone willing
to fill the secretary position. Other than
that, the nominations will be finalized at
the meeting. It looks like this so far:
Larry Wright as President
Roy Porfido as 1st Vice President
Ric Ewing as 2nd Vice President
Jerry Barrilleaux as Sergeant at Arms
Fred Nelson as Treasurer
Bob Holdridge as Member at Large
The Member at Large is actually a Board
appointed position, and I would like to
thank Bob Holdridge for all of his hard
work and dedication to our assembly
these past few years. I would also like
to congratulate him and wish him well,
as the current board has appointed him to
fill this position again for next year.
I would also like to take a moment to
thank Rod McFadden for his time on the
board the past few years. Rod resigned
as 1st Vice President this past month for
personal reasons. I would like to thank
and congratulate Larry Wright, who was
appointed by the board to fill this vacancy
for the remainder of the year. Thank you,
Larry, for stepping in and taking over on
short notice.
The Conjurer OCTOBER '13
And don't forget that the last week of
October is National Magic Week. What
are your plans for National Magic Week?
I will be a little busy that week, as I will
be performing a few shows that week. It
will be nice to be busy again for a change.
Look for me in Center Stage to find out
where I'll be and come out and say hi.
In closing, I would just like to mention
that Ric Ewing and I are looking at the
possibility of working with Stan Adair
and re-establishing a club that was
formed many years ago and faded away
due to people moving away and moving
on. The club is called the Fellowship of
Christian Magicians. We are trying to
see if there would be an interest in the
San Francisco Bay Area for this club to
re-form. If you are interested, please
contact either Ric or me and let us know.
Once we know if there is enough interest,
we will contact everyone and go from
there. You can contact Ric Ewing at ric@
rickaramagic.com. You can contact me at
[email protected].
I hope you all have a wonderful, busy,
and safe holiday season.
Douglass the MagicMan
[email protected]
HIRATA SHOW
LEGANT style mixed with mindblowing mysteries is the magic of
award-winning performer David Hirata,
who will bring his classic magic with a
sophisticated style to Gerry Griffin's California Magic Dinner Theatre in Martinez
on Friday, October 18, and Saturday,
October 19. David's performance is filled
with the classic impossibilities from the
fine art of magic. With a twinkle in his
eyes and a smile in his voice, a true artist
weaves his magic; this is the presentation
of David Hirata. Opening the show will be
Joseph Bartholomew, who is the new style
of younger magicians in the world today.
Humor and great magic are his trademarks.
Magician and impresario Gerry Griffin will
serve as magical host for the evening.
And, as always, there is even more magic
throughout the evening of fun—close-up
3
David
Hirata
Joseph
Bartholomew
Gerry
Griffin
magic and other great magicians on stage
as well.
On each night the dinner show will begin
at 7:30 P.M. and will cost $69.00 per person
(the price includes three-course dinner,
soft drink (or coffee or tea), show, tax, and
tip) for the Premiere Tickets. And after the
show you will have a chance to meet the
performers for an autograph or photo.
There is also a Discount Six Ticket package, which is almost the same as a Premiere
Ticket, but with a small difference. It also
includes three-course dinner, soft drink (or
coffee or tea), show, tax, and tip for $345.00
for six guests (you save $69.00).
Another special deal is the Discount Four
Ticket package (same individual deal as
the above two), which costs $236.00 and
saves $40.00.
Go to http://www.calmagic.com/october18th-2013/ or http://www.calmagic.com/
october-19th-2013/ for details.
California Magic also has a selection of
beers, wines, and cocktails for purchase.
Also, souvenirs may be purchased at the
gift shop on the night of the show.
Tickets may be purchased online at http://
www.calmagic.com/show-scheduletickets/ or by calling 925-374-0056, and
confirmation for tickets purchased online
will be emailed to you.
The Conjurer OCTOBER '13
Center Stage
OME of our members offer public
performances.
to www.wilywestproductions.com/
season-2013.html
n Rudy Adamek (AKA Buttons ze
Clown) will be entertaining at the Grand
Opening of DD's Discounts in Richmond, California, from 9:00 A.M. till 3:00
P.M. on Saturday, September 28.
n Fred Nelson performed walkaround
magic at a wedding (more or less a public
performance) on Saturday, September
21.
He also appears most Sundays at the
Walnut Creek Farmers' Market between
9:30 A.M. and 1:00 P.M. with balloons and
magic.
And he will also be at the San Ramon
Farmers' Market most Saturdays twisting
balloon creations.
n
Violet The Clown tries to stay
busy with public and private gigs every
month—definitely more private than
public—and often not so busy.
n Rod McFadden has his play, Hope's
Last Chance, being performed from
Thursday, October 3, through Saturday,
October 26 by Wily West Productions
at The Exit Theatre in San Francisco.
For information about the shows, go
n Doug Kovacich (Douglass the
MagicMan) will be at the City of Pittsburg Harvest Fair on Sunday, October 27,
at Small World Park (2551 Harbor Street)
in Pittsburg; he will be performing a few
shows between noon and 5:00 P.M. He
will also be at New Hope International
Church (2120 Olivera Ct) in Concord for
its Harvest Fest later that day.
n Jerry Barrilleaux (as Professor B)
continues to exhibit his Flea Circus at
Playland-not-at-the-Beach (10979 San
Pablo Ave) in El Cerrito. His next dates
are Saturday, November 23, and Sunday,
November 24. Most months you can
phone 510-592-3002 to find out when
the fleas will be there. Jerry says, "I'm
not sure why, but people really love the
fleas."
n (Bill) The Great Sparacino will
be performing his Fun Magic Show—
Illusion, Comedy, Sleight of Hand—at
the Sierra City Community Hall in Sierra
City, California, on Saturday, October
12, at 2:00 P.M. Bill says, "It's fun for the
whole family."
n Zappo has a new website just for
Christmas season magical performances.
The site's address is http://www.avisitfromsanta.net/
n Sir Lantz will teach his balloon class
at the October assembly meeting.
n Rick Allen has a busy schedule of
private parties, corporate shows, and
retirement centers every month.
n If any of the rest of you have public
performances, please phone (775-3541977), write (4267 Desert Highlands
Dr, Sparks NV 89436-8623), or email
([email protected]) Don Heynen to
get those performances mentioned in
The Conjurer.
Trick
of the
Month
Zappo's new Christmas season website.
4
ECAUSE of October's special theme
(Sir Lantz teaches the making of
balloon animals), there will be no Trick
of the Month presentation at the October
meeting. However, the popular feature
will return in November, when Ric Ewing will be showing us something.
MEETING
The Conjurer OCTOBER '13
From Page 1
may remember this prop. It is a popcorn
box just like the ones you would find at
a movie theatre but with a very special
feature. This popcorn box can magically
change the color of a silk handkerchief
placed inside, at the magician's command.
The SYM table.
Elaine Lorzo and others at the Loomis estate table.
Tom Allen at the Loomis estate table.
And we were honored
to have some special
guests at the sale, members of the S.A.M. Assembly #72, including
President Dale Lorzo
and wife, Elaine, who
were here for the benefit
of the Dennis Loomis Loren Lind and Doug Kovacich want your business.
family, offering for sale
a great number of items from Dennis' estate. Rod McFadden. This was the Silent AucAs would be expected, there was a great bit tion table where each item had a bid sheet
attached. Prospective buyers wrote down
of buzz around this table.
their bids, with the item naturally going to
Not far away was the table being manned by the highest bidder at the end of the bidding
hour. The way the auction operates is that
each item has a set minimum bid. As long
as there is a bid matching the minimum, that
amount goes to the seller; anything over that
amount goes to the assembly treasury. This
is a good way to generate a little income for
the assembly.
Rod McFadden mans Silent Auction table.
5
Past National President Loren Lind was
on hand to sell his grab bags of magical
goodies for the benefit of the Society of
Young Magicians assembly sponsored
by our SAM assembly and named in his
honor. Along with Loren and the others
already mentioned, there were several
other sellers, each anxious to sell a few
no-longer-needed items; these sellers
included Ric and Kara Ewing, Larry
"Zappo" Wright, Timothy James, Roy
Porfido, and Ray Andrews.
The Conjurer OCTOBER '13
Thought
for
the
Week
Charlie
The Juggling
Clown
by Bruce "Charlie" Johnson
Thought For The Week
September 23, 2013
"None of us is as
smart as all of us."
— John C. Maxwell, The Five Levels of Leadership
"Ideas are like ba- John C Maxwell
bies—none is as
beautiful as our own."
— Fortune Cookie
AST WEEK I led my first monthly
leadership development meeting
for Cub Scout volunteers (the meeting
is called Roundtable). We started with a
reflection time. Each person introduced
himself, described one thing his pack
did this past summer, and related his
favorite Scouting memory from
this summer. It was amazing
hearing all the different
things packs had done. It
was exciting watching the
participants begin building
upon each others ideas.
They discovered that every person there was a resource
they can draw upon to imKenny
prove their own program.
It is a major commitment
to add one more meeting to their already
busy schedule. One first time attendee
told me, "I wasn't sure that I had time
to attend this meeting. But now I know
what I am going to do for my next pack
meeting. It takes me a lot longer to figure
it out on my own. I actually saved lots of
time by coming."
They all left energized with a lot of new
things they are going to try with their
own packs. I discovered that one of the
participants knows more about
in love with his or her own
Native American stories than
ideas. This can cause a blind
I do, and I have asked him
spot, especially if it is the
to teach a story that all the
only idea you have. In
scouts can use in their pack
Creativity For Entermeetings.
tainers Volume Two, I
By the way, each Thought
tell about working on
for the Week is written
a Holy Humor Sunday
within a day of its being
Service. I was able to
sent. It is hard to proofread
come up with just one idea
your own material in that
that fit the theme our pastor
short a time because you see
wanted for the service. Carole
what you expect to
didn't understand my idea
see instead of what
and kept pointing out
is actually there. For
flaws. I insisted on
Carole "Pookie" Johnson
that reason, I have my
defending my idea.
wife, Carole, proofFinally, I decided that
read each column. Not only do I want I could not defend it any longer. Only
her to look for typographical errors, but when I gave up on it was I free to consider
I also want her opinion on what I have other ideas. Eventually I discovered a
written. Once in a while she will say she different idea that was much better than
doesn't understand something, or she'll my first idea. Sometimes giving up on an
recommend that I edit something out. idea is a struggle.
Her input has improved this column.
She is my trusted advisor in terms of this When something has to be done around
column and many other things.
the house, Carole and I often have different ideas on how it should be done. I
I have a select few people I consider to naturally prefer my solution. However, I
be my trusted advisors. Over the years I have learned to consider her idea. Somehave learned to listen to their criticism times my idea turns out to be better.
and ideas. I trust their knowledge and Sometimes her idea turns out to be better.
wisdom. When they make a suggestion Usually the best solution is a combination
to me, I consider it very carefully.
of our ideas.
Here is one example: For years I performed using a footlocker on the floor of
the stage to hold my props. One day Kenny Ahern suggested that I put the
footlocker up on something
so I
didn't
have to
b e n d
over all
the time to
get my
props.
I tried putAhern
ting it on two
chairs. That worked well. After
that performance, Kenny commented that
he liked the image it created much better.
Since then I have discovered many more
advantages to an elevated trunk. I prefer
to use a folding luggage rack to hold the
trunk. However, if I am traveling and a
rack isn't available, I will use two chairs.
I wouldn't have thought of it without
Kenny's suggestion.
Anyone who tries to be creative falls
6
Where can you get together with others to
share ideas and inspiration? How can you
take advantage of the knowledge and wisdom
of others? Who
are your
trusted
advisors?
Who is
able to
tell you
w h a t
you need to
hear? Who can reveal your blind spots? When
do you need to stop defending your
own ideas? How can you combine the
ideas of others with those of your own?
©2013 by Bruce "Charlie" Johnson.
All rights reserved. Bruce posts a new
Thought for the Week every week on his
website, www.CharlieTheJugglingClown.
com. To find it (and many other interesting
articles that apply to magicians as well as
to clowns), go to the About Clowns section. From there, go to the For Clowns
section.
The Conjurer OCTOBER '13
7
The Conjurer OCTOBER '13
JOHN CALVERT, LEGEND OF MAGIC
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Much of this story is
taken from the account in the September
27 edition of The Hollywood Reporter.]
C ALVERT, a favorite magician
in Hollywood circles and an actor
who appeared on stage for
more than eight decades and
played the fictional sleuth
The Falcon in three 1940s
films, died at the age of one
hundred and two in the morning of Friday, September 27,
in Lancaster, California. His
wife Tammy was at his bedside
when he passed away.
OHN
the rest of us for much of the evening.
For those of us who attended his show
and lecture, it is an experience I believe
we will always remember.
was also added to the name.
And one member of our assembly,
Rick Allen, was particularly
close to John. They visited and
communicated off and on for
years. And only in recent years,
Rick arranged for two separate
evenings with John Calvert at
Bjornson Hall in Oakland.
Rick said, "It was a pleasure to
walk into any restaurant with
John Calvert—who always
introduced himself as John
Calvert, never just as John.
Every time he was in public,
he looked as though he had
just stepped out of a big MGM
musical extravaganza that they
used to make sixty years ago. He
looked the part of a star.
Born Madren Elbet Calvert
in New Trenton, Indiana, on
August 5, 1911, John did his
first magic show as an eightyear-old and toured for the
first time at eighteen. At age
one hundred, he appeared onstage at the London Palladium,
fulfilling a lifetime dream, and
was still performing weeks before his death, accompanied by
his assistant and wife of more
than fifty years, Tammy. She
survives him.
"Total strangers would walk
up to him in restaurants and
ask if he had been in the movies or on TV. After standing to
acknowledge the strangers, John
would just answer that he was a
magician."
John performed as a magician
John Calvert (August 5, 1911-September 27, 2013)
on stage (including Broadway)
for eight decades both in the United
"Out in Hollywood many years ago, DanStates and worldwide. He was also the In the mid-1940s, he transported his ny Kaye was in my show and came out
subject of a biographical documentary show's equipment and personnel world- and impersonated Hitler," Calvert said
entitled John Calvert—His Magic and wide in a Douglas DC-3 airliner, and in in a 1998 interview. "Then the Marines
Adventures. SYM Assembly #29 of the later years on yachts. His biographer, would come out and grab him and put him
Boston area was solely named after John William V. Rauscher, has called Calvert in the buzz saw and we'd cut his head off,
Calvert until 2012 when David Oliver a "real-life Indiana Jones" because of put his head in a sausage grinder, and out
his reputation for surviving dangerous came German wieners!"
circumstances in his travels.
Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, and Edgar
John's stage show often included firing Bergen often participated in his act when
a woman from a cannon into a box sus- the performed in Hollywood, and he appended overhead on the stage. He had peared on The Red Skelton Show in 1954
his wife play an organ as they floated and on Broadway and in Las Vegas.
above the stage and over the heads of the
audience. And he originated the trick of A man with masterful manual dexterity,
sawing off the head of a spectator using John Calvert did some fast shuffling and
a giant buzz saw.
card tricks as a hand-double for Clark
Gable's con-man character in Honky
Always willing to share his magic with Tonk (1941). He played the suave Michael
other magicians, John put on a show and Watling (AKA The Falcon) in three piclecture for Assembly #112 in the Winslow tures — Devil's Cargo (1948), AppointCenter in June 2001. After flirting with ment With Murder (1948), and Search for
Addie Van Winkle, he introduced his
John Calvert as The Falcon.
wife Tammy and proceded to entertain CALVERT: Page 9, Col. 3
8
The Conjurer OCTOBER '13
JEFF BORNSTEIN & PETERSON SHOW
KIMBERLY SHOW
Jeff Bornstein
& Kimberly
CALVERT
From Page 8
Michael
Peterson
Jack
Alexander
HE is a small town girl from rural
Oklahoma with a special gift. He is
a big city boy from LA with a NYC kind
of vibe. Together they are The Bornsteins,
an amazing mind-reading duo, who will
appear at Gerry Griffin's California Magic Dinner Theatre in Martinez on Friday,
October 25, and Saturday, October 26.
Kimberly first realized she had a talent to
read people when she was ten years old
after falling off of a tractor and hitting
her head. Later she was able to finish
someone's sentence in her mind. Some
ask if she can really read minds; she lets
you decide. Jeff is a retired Army veteran who served both local and abroad.
He is also a Hollywood stuntman and
member of the Screen Actors Guild, who
has appeared in numerous films such as
Lethal Weapon III, Star Trek VI, and The
Specialist. When the two are not performing for corporate or on cruise ships, the
Bornsteins produce Operation: Magic, a
comedy and variety show that is geared
toward the military.
On each night the dinner show will begin
at 7:30 P.M. and will cost $69.00 per person
(the price includes three-course dinner,
soft drink (or coffee or tea), show, tax, and
tip) for the Premiere Tickets. And after the
show you will have a chance to meet the
performers for an autograph or photo.
Go to http://www.calmagic.com/october25th-2013/ or http://www.calmagic.com/
october-26th-2013/ for details.
Tickets may be purchased online at http://
www.calmagic.com/show-scheduletickets/ or by calling 925-374-0056.
John Calvert assists with his own
blindfolding before he
demonstrates his X-ray vision
at Winslow Center in June 2001.
Danger (1949) — after brothers George
Sanders and Tom Conway played the
role in the sixteen-film series. From the
mid-1940s through the late 1950s, he
performed in approximately forty films.
He also played as himself in a Malaysian
movie in 1960, Mat Magic.
Gerry
Griffin
AVING once performed in Turkey
at the Izmir Illusion Festival as a
guest of the Turkish government, former
street performer Michael Peterson is
happy to perform closer to home at Gerry
Griffin's California Magic Dinner Theatre
in Martinez on Friday, November 8, and
Saturday, November 9. If he could give
one piece of advice to any beginning
magician, it would be this: Always check
your zipper before performing. Opening
the show is the young talented magician
Jack Alexander. And, of course, impresario and emcee Gerry Griffin will serve
as host.
And, as always, there is even more magic
throughout the evening of fun—close-up
magic and other great magicians on stage
as well.
On each night the dinner show will begin at 7:30 P.M. and will cost $69.00 per
person (the price includes three-course
dinner, soft drink (or coffee or tea), show,
tax, and tip) for the Premiere Tickets. And
9
John produced, wrote, directed and
starred in the adventure movie Dark
Venture (1956) after acting in such other
films as Are These Our Parents? (1944),
The Return of the Durango Kid (1945),
Ten Cents a Dance (1945) and Gold
Fever (1952).
Asked to divulge his secret to living so
long, Calvert told the Oakland Tribune,
"Every morning when I wake up, I say,
'The world is my stage, I'm an actor, and
I'm going to play the part of a young man
all day long.'" He also said, "Don't be a
pessimist. Expect to live a hundred years
or more. It can be done. It's not magic."
after the show you will have a chance to
meet the performers for an autograph
or photo.
Go to http://www.calmagic.com/november-8th-2013/ or http://www.calmagic.
com/november-9th-2013/ for details.
Tickets may be purchased online at http://
www.calmagic.com/show-scheduletickets/ or by calling 925-374-0056, and
confirmation for tickets purchased online
will be emailed to you.
The Conjurer OCTOBER '13
DICK NEWTON, DICKENS ADMIRER
Hank
Morfin
sion, Dick returned as himself that evening and performed a very funny, skillful,
and entertaining act of his own.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: I did not find out
about Dick Newton's passing till I read
about it in the October edition of the
OMC newsletter. Most of this story is
taken directly from Byron Walker's story
in that publication.]
MC MEMBER Dick Newton, who
moved to Novato a few years
ago, died on Saturday, August 24, 2013.
Dick was born in Everett, Washington
on December 29, 1927. He had a varied
career as magician, spook show operator
in partnership with Card Mondor, radio
announcer, TV executive, booking agent,
etc.
Dick performed for the Oakland Magic
Circle several times. One of his acts
was to perform as Charles Dickens.
Dick would patter along as he donned
the make-up and Victorian clothing
that Dickens would have worn and then
present a few of the effects Dickens was
known to perform.
Dick also performed his Dickens act for
Assembly #112 at our December 1998
Awards Banquet. By the way, the table
Dick used in the act was a replica of the
one Dickens used in his public speaking
tours. After an amazingly brief intermis-
Gerry
Griffin
Dick Newton performs magic
as Charles Dickens.
Another OMC act he performed was what
he called his “Nightclub Act”. Although
Byron Walker couldn't recall the specific
tricks, he did remember laughing heartily
during the entire act. Byron says, "Dick's
big smile and jovial manner will be
missed by all that knew Dick."
His memorial was held at the Lucas Valley Community Center in San Raphael
on Sunday, September 29.
MORFIN SHOW
NE of the very best entertainers in
the Bay Area is Hank Morfin. Not
only is he entertaining, but he is
one of the most amazing magicians
in show business today. The impossible is mere child's play for this
master. The future will be foretold,
he will escape from manacles, and
this will all be done with a healthy
dose of laughter. And all this
will take place at Gerry Griffin's
California Magic Dinner Theatre
in Martinez on Friday, November
15, and Saturday, November 16.
As usual, the smooth but off-kilter
host, Gerry Griffin, will unsuccessfully attempt to calm things
down.
And, as always, there is even more
magic throughout the evening of
fun—close-up magic and other
great magicians on stage as well.
Dick Newton (Dec. 29, 1927-Aug. 24, 2013)
On each night the dinner show will
10
begin at 7:30 P.M. and will cost $69.00 per
person (the price includes three-course
dinner, soft drink (or coffee or tea), show,
tax, and tip) for the Premiere Tickets.
Go to http://www.calmagic.com/november-15th-2013/ or http://www.calmagic.
com/november-16th-2013/ for details.
Tickets may be purchased online at http://
www.calmagic.com/show-schedule-tickets/
or by calling 925-374-0056, and confirmation for tickets purchased online will be
emailed to you. No tickets are available at
the door on the night of the show.
The Conjurer OCTOBER '13
11
The Conjurer OCTOBER '13
If you are Thurston, there
is the always closed beverage bar! Lemon First
Aide, Scotch and So
Duh, Fast Gin Fizz,
Lime Ricky Jay, and
bottles of Ballantine.
Canned applause is
also available upon
request.
The Curved
Clown Corner
by Violet The Clown
Where Young Magicians Go to Live
T'S a retirement home for toddlers.
The official name is Prestodigitators'
Place, but most folks fondly call it The
Land of PP.
The last thing one notices is that there is
no front door. That's because all residents
know how to magically make one by saying, "Closed Sesame!"
This is indeed a beautiful place, which
looks a lot like the Magic Castle, except
it is. Walking up the black stone garden
path, one begins to realize how special
this isn't.
not the right place
Each magician, upon moving out for
the first time, receives a pair of bunny
slippers. That's the way they wanda
around. One perk is that one magi
a month has free
rent, as
that performer's
bill
disappears. The
caretakers will never pan your act (but the
cooks might).
Since they are all so
young, most have
patter amnesia—so
the performance of
Fish'n'Tricks, Dove over glass,
Dante Deviled eggs, Miser dollar pancakes, magic
flakes (available for breakfast only), Professor's Nightmare spaghetti, and the Ballantine Rubber Chicken
Fricassee.
HYDRATION CHAMBER
each trick is totally old and unfresh.
Free entertainment: Instead of
bringing performers in, they bring
audiences in. Naturally, there is the
most incredible magic mantel (if
it's magic, it has to be incredible)
over the fireplace (no thanks to
Harry, Howard, Harry (Dante),
Lee, and Lance).
The Dance Burton Ballroom
speaks for itself. There one
can find the famous Lee
Grabel Elevator Dance. A
fanfare is heard after every
toilet flush; even those that
are royal. By the way, what
makes a royal flush? The
need to get rid of that smell.
But wait. There's less. There
is a gym for those who wish
to get out of shape. You can
hydrate your young moist skin
in the Houdini
Water
Torture
Chamber.
And there's a set
of linking rings
hanging from the
ceiling.
The Dining Room
has built-in applause. Wait until you hear some
of the menu items:
12
Each magician has
his or her own
bedroom with
one mirrored
wall. The alarm
clocks say,
" Yo u ' r e
on in five
minutes!"
It's truly a pleasant experience
living there, but I do wish that
on you soon. However, put in
your application today.
No thanks to Herman Soon,
my sister-out-law, who is
truly the master architect of
The Land of PP.
Happy spring to all!
Violet The Clown
Napa, California's Official
Hugger!
Clowns of America Int'l
State Ambassador
Violet-The-Clown.com/
© 2013 Violet The Clown—
all rights reserved.
The Conjurer OCTOBER '13
Scheduled Meetings
Through December, 2013
(Meeting Theme and Meeting Location
May Be Subject to Change)
January 16:
February 20:
Awards Banquet
Mentalism/Psychic Magic
to honor Bob Steiner
March 20:
Classics of Magic
April 17:
Game Show Night
May 15:
Anything Goes
June 19:
Magic from my books/
library
July 17:
Stage Magic Contest;
Stage Magic
August 21:
Coin and Money Magic
September 18:
Flea Market
October 16:
Balloon Lecture and
Workshop
November 20:
My Favorite Trick;
One-shot Contest
December 18:
Kids' Show Holiday Magic
*Contest—Advanced Notification Required
B A R T W H A L E Y,
MAGIC AUTHOR
AND RESEARCHER
[EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is taken from
Stan Allen's excellent Magic Magazine and
was written by Geno Munari. That is how
Rick Allen found out about it before he
forwarded the information to me.]
ART W HALEY , magic author and
researcher, died in Pacific Grove,
California on Saturday, August 3, at the
age of eighty-five.
Meeting Format
\ 7:00
Magic Performance (either members performing according to the theme of the month or a special guest performance)
Scheduled Mini Lectures
Through December, 2013
(Mini Lectures Take Place
after guests have left)
To Be Announced
\ 7:30 (or when On Theme
performers are done)
Off Theme Magic
\ 8:00
Trick of the Month
(performance)
BREAK (during which guests leave)
\ 8:10
Trick of the Month
(explanation)
8:20
Attendance Reward Drawing
\8:25
Workshop
8:45
Business Meeting
9:00
Meeting adjourned
Barton Stewart Whaley was born in San
Francisco on May 26, 1928. After earning a BA in Chinese Studies in 1951, he
served with the intelligence section of
the US Army Psychological Warfare,
headquartered in Tokyo during the Korean War. He attended London University
School of Oriental and African Studies
on the GI Bill for four years, and in 1969
received his Doctorate in Political Science from MIT.
Bart wrote several books on military subjects dealing with forms of deception, and
co-authored Cheating under the name J
Barton Bowyer. His curiosity about
deception and counter-deception
led him to study conjuring, and he
became a lifetime member of the
IBM and the Magic Castle. He wrote
several books detailing the history
of magic and magicians, most notably The Encyclopedic Dictionary
of Magic, Who's Who in Magic, and
The Man Who Was Erdnase.
Bart Whaley (May 26, 1928-Aug. 3 2013)
In 2004, he hosted a workshop on
magic and the military of the Naval
Postgraduate School in Monterey,
California, where he was affiliated
with the Department of Defense
Analysis. Bart also worked for the
Foreign Denial and Deception Committee (FDDC) for the Director of
National Intelligence, and wrote
Deception: A Bibliography of Counterdeception across Time, Cultures,
and Disciplines.
13
DEADLINE
The deadline for articles in The
Conjurer is no later than two
Wednesdays before our monthly
general assembly meeting.
The Conjurer Staff
Editor: Don Heynen
Photographers:
Roy Porfido * Bill Marquardt
Publisher:Kara Ewing
October SYM meeting:
7:00 P.M., Monday, Oct. 28, at
Denny's on Willow Pass and
Diamond in Concord
Pres:
BOARD MEMBERS
Douglass Kovacich 925-435-4824
1st Vice Pres: CaroleYvonne Kula
925-408-9852
2nd Vice Pres: Larry Wright
925-685-5129
Secretary: Bill Marquardt
707-592-1285
Treasurer: Fred Nelson
925-451-1292
Sergeantat-Arms: Jerry Barrilleaux
925-685-4577
Memberat-Large: Bob Holdridge
707-751-3772
Next Board Meeting:
7:00 P.M. at the Denny's on Willow
Pass and Diamond in Concord (925798-4040). Members are encouraged to attend; however, it is best
to ask a board member for the date,
since meeting dates can change from
month to month.
Visit our web site at http://sam112.com/
DIRECTIONS TO VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS:
From Highway 680, turn west on Oak Park Boulevard;
when you get to Wendell Lane, turn right; Veterans of
Foreign Wars is the second building on the left side of
the street.
ADDRESS:
1919 Wendell Lane
Pleasant Hill
PHONE:
(925) 945-1544
Don Heynen
4267 Desert Highlands Dr
Sparks NV 89436-8623
SAM #112
[email protected]
(775) 354-1977
FIRST CLASS MAIL
OCTOBER
THEME:
Balloon Lecture
and Workshop
7:00 P.M.
—Wed.,
October 16
2