Elegant tuxedos, droll patter and effortless prestidigitation abound in a series of dvds from the Miracle Factory, celebrating magic in the early days of television.
Miracle Factory, 2009
Early TV Magic
Among others, this volume features one of the legendary magicians of the 20th century, Harry Blackstone Sr. He performs some of his signature illusions, including the simple and delightful, dancing handkerchief, and the grand and grisly, buzz saw illusion. Although it seems a relic from a more naive period in entertainment and the equipment has that DIY vibe, I still found this trick strangely unnerving. Honestly, who’d be a magician’s assistant? Later in the same volume, Geraldine Larsen turns the tables in a little known childrens show called, The Magic Lady, which aired in the early 1950’s. However her diminutive assistant, Boko the elf, is not subjected to quite the same level of peril as most female assistants. Some may recognise Boko (played by Jerry Maren) from his more celebrated performance as one of the leading munchkins in Wizard of Oz (1939).
Other titles in the series include:
- Suzy Wandas: the lady with the fairy fingers
- Milbourne Christopher: the historic magic specials
- Mystic Craig’s Camera
- Vintage magic films : silent films of early magic stars : featuring films of Houdini, Cardini, Annemann, Vernon, Thurston, Blackstone and more
Miracle Factory, 2009
There are hours of entertainment to be had here. You can request these and other Magic dvd’s through the online catalogue and view them in the AV centre in the Arts Courtyard.
