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Frances Willard (magician)
Frances Louise Willard (born December 12, 1940) is an American magician. The daughter of magician Harry Willard (1896–1970), who performed as "Willard the Wizard", she began her career at age six as an assistant to her father. After her divorce from Texas newspaper editor Glenn Tucker, with whom she had three children (including Margo), she married magician Glenn Falkenstein. Their signature trick was the "spirit cabinet" illusion, a variation of which Willard had performed as a solo act. They received the Dunninger Award, the Milbourne Christopher Award of Excellence, and were inducted into the Society of American Magicians' Hall of Fame. Falkenstein died on July 4, 2010, of Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me .... Willard is the mother- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Magic (illusion)
Magic, which encompasses the subgenres of illusion, stage magic, and close up magic, among others, is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means. It is to be distinguished from paranormal magic which are effects claimed to be created through supernatural means. It is one of the oldest performing arts in the world. Modern entertainment magic, as pioneered by 19th-century magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, has become a popular theatrical art form. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, magicians such as Maskelyne and Devant, Howard Thurston, Harry Kellar, and Harry Houdini achieved widespread commercial success during what has become known as "the Golden Age of Magic." During this period, performance magic became a staple of Broadway theatre, vaudeville, and music halls. Magic retained its popularity in the television age, with magicians such as Paul Daniels, David Copperfield ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Conjuring (book)
''Conjuring'' is an illustrated book by James Randi. Randi gives a detailed history of conjuring, more commonly known as magic, said to be the world's second oldest profession. It includes detailed portraits of conjurors, including the Harry Blackstone, Sr., Harry Blackstone, Jr., Harry Houdini and his entourage, Howard Thurston, Robert Heller, Joe Berg, and others. Randi explains the history of famous magic tricks like the Rabbit from a hat, Bullet catch, and the Indian rope trick. External linksAs Life's Questions Get Harder, Magic Casts a Wider Spell''The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...'', June 13, 1994. 1992 non-fiction books St. Martin's Press books Books by James Randi Magic books Canadian non-fiction books {{magic-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Margo (magician)
Margo is the screen and stage name of Margo Timon (née Tucker), a magic performer and actress who had a starring slot in the NBC network television special ''The World's Most Dangerous Magic II''. She worked with the duo The Pendragons. Life and career Margo is the offspring of an established magic family. Her mother is award-winning magician Frances Willard. Margo's father is Texan newspaper editor Glenn Tucker. Her younger sister Hannah is married to close-up magic specialist and lecturer Michael Ammar. As an assistant with The Pendragons, Margo appeared on ''The Tonight Show'' and the ''World Magic Awards''. In 1999 she was picked by producer Gary Ouellet to be one of the stars of the second of his ''World's Most Dangerous Magic'' specials. Ouellet and his team created for her the predicament escape trick "Rat Attack", in which she was shackled into a coffin-like box which was then filled with rats and she then magically escaped. She studied acting and had small roles in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Glenn Falkenstein
Glenn Jacob Falkenstein (February 3, 1932 – July 4, 2010) was a world-renowned magician and mentalist, and partner to Frances Willard from 1978 to 2010. Career As a mentalist, Falkenstein was at the top of his profession for more than three decades and featured internationally on stage, TV and radio. He was the opening act for many stars, including Ann-Margret at the Las Vegas Hilton and Marty Robbins in Lake Tahoe. He was a guest star on Hilly Rose' talk show in the 1970s, and eventually was given his own talk shows on KMPC and KFI. When Falkenstein performed his mental feats on KGBS Radio Star Theatre, which broadcast from Universal Studios, the switchboard reflected ten thousand incoming calls per day. Many of these radio shows were recorded and will be digitized in 2020. Mr. Falkenstein appeared on ''The Tonight Show'', '' That's Incredible!'', ''The Merv Griffin Show'', ''ABC's Wide World of Entertainment'', ''The Best of Magic'' - Thames TV, '' The Paul Daniels Mag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joseph Dunninger
Joseph Dunninger (April 28, 1892 – March 9, 1975), known as "The Amazing Dunninger", was one of the most famous and proficient mentalists of all time. He was one of the pioneer performers of magic on radio and television. A debunker of fraudulent mediums, Dunninger claimed to replicate through trickery all spiritualist phenomena. Drury, Nevill. (2004). ''The Dictionary of the Esoteric: Over 3000 Entries on the Mystical and Occult''. Watkins Publishing. p. 81. Biography Dunninger was born in New York City. He headlined throughout the Keith-Orpheum Circuit, and was much in demand for private entertainment. At the age of seventeen he was invited to perform at the home of Theodore Roosevelt in Oyster Bay and at the home of the inventor Thomas Edison, both of whom were avid admirers of Dunninger. President Franklin D. Roosevelt invited Dunninger to the White House on a number of occasions to demonstrate his mentalist skills.Samuel, Lawrence R. (2011). ''Supernatural America: A Cul ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Milbourne Christopher
Milbourne Christopher (23 March 1914 – 17 June 1984) was a prominent American illusionist, magic historian, and author. President of the Society of American Magicians, an honorary vice-president to The Magic Circle, and one of the founding members of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, Christopher wrote a number of books, including a biography of Harry Houdini titled ''Houdini: The Untold Story,'' a chronicle of his own craft titled ''The Illustrated History Of Magic,'' and thousands of essays relating to magic and mentalism. Debunking work Christopher regarded those individuals who claimed extrasensory perception or psychic powers to be actually using magic trickery. He wrote three book-length exposés regarding those he said were false seers or psychics: ''ESP, Seers & Psychics;'' ''Mediums, Mystics & The Occult;'' and ''Search For The Soul.'' In the latter book he found no evidence for the existence of the soul. Skeptical investigator Joe Nickell who was influenced by C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Society Of American Magicians
The Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.) is the oldest fraternal magic organization in the world. Its purpose is "to advance, elevate, and preserve magic as a performing art, to promote harmonious fellowship throughout the world of magic, and to maintain and improve ethical standards in the field of magic." To promote these endeavors the S.A.M. presents awards and fellowships in recognition of outstanding achievement in the Art of Magic. Membership in the S.A.M. is open to professional magicians, amateur magicians, youth magicians, magic collectors, magic historians, magic inventors, magic manufacturers and magic dealers. Over 30,000 people worldwide have been members, and currently the S.A.M. has 5,000 members worldwide. Despite the word "American" in the name, S.A.M. includes magicians from around the world. Its current National President, Rod Chow (2022–23), is Canadian. History Founded on May 10, 1902, in the back room of Martinka's magic shop in New York City, the Soci ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term memory, remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include primary progressive aphasia, problems with language, Orientation (mental), disorientation (including easily getting lost), mood swings, loss of motivation, self-neglect, and challenging behaviour, behavioral issues. As a person's condition declines, they often withdraw from family and society. Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death. Although the speed of progression can vary, the typical life expectancy following diagnosis is three to nine years. The cause of Alzheimer's disease is poorly understood. There are many environmental and genetic risk factors associated with its development. The strongest genetic risk factor is from an alle ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Ammar
Michael Ammar (born June 25, 1956) is an American close-up magician. He is recognized worldwide as one of the greatest living magicians. Background Ammar was born in Logan, West Virginia. His father's background was Syrian, Ammar earned a degree from West Virginia University in business administration in 1978. Magician In 1982, Ammar competed with magicians from 30 countries to win the "Gold Medal in Close-up Magic" at Lausanne, Switzerland. During the 1980s he developed a close friendship with his mentor, Dai Vernon ("The Professor"), whose influence is apparent in Ammar's performances. Michael Ammar has many television credits. He was the magic week finale on Late Night with David Letterman in 2010. He has made multiple appearances on The Tonight Show. He moved to Los Angeles - where he became a regular performer at the Playboy Mansion, and made appearances on the Merv Griffin Show, The Tonight Show, CNN, and Travel Channel. Ammar appeared at the Magic Castle in Hollywood ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1940 Births
Year 194 ( CXCIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Septimius and Septimius (or, less frequently, year 947 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 194 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years. Events By place Roman Empire * Emperor Septimius Severus and Decimus Clodius Septimius Albinus Caesar become Roman Consuls. * Battle of Issus: Septimius Severus marches with his army (12 legions) to Cilicia, and defeats Pescennius Niger, Roman governor of Syria. Pescennius retreats to Antioch, and is executed by Severus' troops. * Septimius Severus besieges Byzantium (194–196); the city walls suffer extensive damage. Asia * Battle of Yan Province: Warlords Cao Cao and Lü Bu fight for control over Yan Province; the battle lasts for over 100 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Magicians
American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, people who self-identify their ancestry as "American" ** American English, the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States ** Native Americans in the United States, indigenous peoples of the United States * American, something of, from, or related to the Americas, also known as "America" ** Indigenous peoples of the Americas * American (word), for analysis and history of the meanings in various contexts Organizations * American Airlines, U.S.-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas * American Athletic Conference, an American college athletic conference * American Recordings (record label), a record label previously known as Def American * American University, in Washington, D.C. Sports teams Soccer * B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
