The Magic Detective Podcast

The first part of the life of David Bamberg. This episode explores his early years to teens to just as he is becoming FuManchu. He has such a rich life with so many adventures, we're saving the next part for a later date.   Anyone interested in voting for The Magic Detective Podcast as your favorite in the FISM  Italy contest, here is the link: https://www.fismitaly2025.com/online-magic-special-awards/

This episode we explore the life of magician Paul Valadon, his connections to Egyptian Hall, and Harry Kellar and more. GoFundMe page for John Pyka https://www.gofundme.com/f/stand-by-john-a-magicians-fight

For a short 5 year period many years ago, there was a burst of magic on TV every December. It began with Doug Henning Specials and brought us some incredible magic and inspired many kids to get into magic, many who listen to this podcast. Doug on Crystal Gayle Special https://youtu.be/11dIPX5ko_k?si=E0husdfwDgvFYIsL Doug Henning Balloon https://youtu.be/fnRtaUsjkxM?si=9rRLjOeqqw1PwOJ1&t=516 

Here is my review of the 2024 Yankee Gathering. In addition, I give a list of potential Christmas gifts you might want to stuff your stockings with this holiday season!

Something special, a recording of one of Dunninger's 1944 Radio Shows. Plus a list of all the magic related programming being featured on Amazon Prime right now! And more...

This episode is a conversation between Dean Carnegie and Judge Gary Brown concerning his latest book, The Inventive Magician's Handbook with Props. This book contains a lot of magic history, specifically the history of magic inventions, it also contains a great deal of theory on how to creative/invent and innovate magic . The book also comes with the a package of tricks, all the major tricks that are taught in the book. Listen and learn about about being an inventive magician! the book is available TheoryAndArtofMagic.com  while supplies last.

Once a very popular international traveling illusionist, with a show that had 45 people, horses, an elephant, a camel and more. Then without notice he seemed to have vanished. But he actually went underground...so to speak...listen for more info.

On this episode we explore the life of C.A. George Newmann, the Pioneer Mentalist. He was a performer, hypnotist, mentalist, and magic book collector.

Albert Marchinsky was professionally known as Rameses The Egyptian Mystic, a very popular illusionist/magician in his time. He had an amazing career. Another magic celebrity learns about magic from him! Enjoy this episode of The Magic Detective Podcast.

Dr. Saint is one fascinating character. He gave his first performances at age 9 and continued right up till his death. He was Bess Houdini's Manager and much more. THIS episode is #100. As a bonus, after the closing remarks, the FULL Houdini Seance can be heard. Enjoy!   #houdini #seance

This episode explores the early days of Joseph Dunninger. These are his magic days, prior to him becoming the mentalist of renown. This episode is dedicated to Maxine Dunninger Hohneker. 

This episode is on the life of Frank Ducrot, the man who arguably owned more magic shops than anyone in history! Well it was one shop, but he consolidated 38 others. Listen and learn more about this amazing man. https://www.themagicdetective.com/2023/12/magicians-we-lost-in-2023.html

Here we have something special once again. The episode today comes from a manuscript published by Micky Hades of Canada. I took the manuscript and turned it into an old style Radio Broadcast of sorts. Listen to the podcast to learn more about it! The recording takes place Nov 1st, 1926. Enjoy!!!

This is about the very first Houdini Seance that took place at Bess Houdini's home. Arthur Ford was the medium. Did Bess received the real message? Did Arthur Ford cheat or was it legit? Welcome to Season 6 of The Magic Detective Podcast! Remember to visit MagicHistorian.com to get your official Magic Detective T-shirt!

Today, I offer a hidden gem. A fantastic artist who I knew nothing about, but turns out to be an amazing magician, writer, and creator. He invented effects that are still done today, he wrote countless columns in magazines, and had 70+ of his own publications. He did card magic, coin magic, mentalism, escapes, pick pocketing, and even magic over the radio!  In fact, I finish the podcast today with one of his effects, so for the first time on this podcast, I'll be presenting 'Podcast Magic!'.  In addition, because it's magic month, I'm putting my Magic Detective t-shirt on sale. Just go to MagicHistorian.com to get your t-shirt, and help support and promote the podcast!

This episode deals with the life and exploits of Maurice Fogel, the first man to do a solo mentalism show in Great Britain. He became hugely popular in his day and devised a number of diabolical publicity stunts!  

William Marion Fay was a partner in the famous Davenport Brothers act. He traveled with them overseas, performed in their show, and had many adventures along the way. Some even say he is up to his old tricks today, listen to find out.

Did you know Tony Curtis had another life as a magician? I didn't either, but if you judge him by his talk show appearances, it sure looks that way! See what playing HOUDINI in a movie can do to a person!

The great Jos Bema, aka Tommy Wonder is profiled on this episode of the podcast. The transcript for this episode is available on my blog, along with videos for each of the tricks mentioned in this podcast.  https://www.themagicdetective.com/2023/05/the-wonderful-life-of-tommy-wonder.html

This episode is on the life of Henry 'Hen' Fetsch, author of The Milk Pitcher Book, creator of Mental Epic and many other mysteries. Listen to his fascinating story and if your new to Hen, you'll discover a resource for some incredible magic!  

The Magic Detective is back...well, sorta. Coming back shortly. This is just a quick heads up to let you know what's been going on and to announce a new contest with new prize!  In addition, check out my magic history items for sale on ebay  https://www.ebay.com/usr/carnegiemagic   Send contest entry to :  mailto:info@carnegiemagic.com  

This one features Ralph Emerson Powell, an unusual character from the 1930s. Popular in the Cleveland area but with a questionable background....and he was tied to a frightening event in history. Magic History Items on Ebay https://www.ebay.com/usr/carnegiemagic

It's the final show of 2022. This time I did a quick review of the previous Season, and then I share with you a NEW Radio interview I did a short time ago. I will be doing a lot more radio and tv in the coming year 2023, and I will do my best to share that content with YOU! Also, don't forget the CONTEST from Ep 86. Go back and listen to the question if you need to. I'll be picking a winner sometime before the next podcast mid January. So you have time!!!!

Did you know Charles Dickens of The Christmas Carol fame, of Nickolas Nickelby, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities, and many more stories, was also an amateur magician? Indeed he was. Now hear all about it! OH, and when you finish hearing about his exploits, stay around for a Christmas story written by HOUDINI, and narrated by Dean Carnegie.

The world of magic owes a lot to this man. He created the first TV specials devoted to magic. His efforts preserved on video some amazing acts. He was the first author to try and give an accurate accounting of Houdini's life. He...well, Milbourne Christopher was many things: magician, author, performer, producer, historian, investigator and much more. I think you're really going to enjoy learning about this remarkable man.

Well my Houdini week episodes took longer than expected, lol. This is the last of that bunch. On this episode I discuss a myth surrounding Houdini and also the medium Eva C., and more! Check it out!

Here are details on the friendship of Ira Davenport, half of the act who invented the Spirit Cabinet, and Harry Houdini the great escape artist.  This is the transcript for this episode https://www.themagicdetective.com/2022/11/the-unusual-friendship-between-houdini.html

A look at one of the 'secrets' to Houdini's escapes and then one of his most famous challenges where he uses this device. 

Here is the life story of Ching Ling Foo, the original Chinese magician who created a sensation at the turn of the century! It's an amazing story, filled with occasional tragedy. This is the last episode for Season 4. Season 5 will begin shortly. I mistakenly said it was the end of season 3 on the episode, lol. 

This time, the Magic Detective gets interviewed! This appeared a couple years ago on WSMI-FM Radio in Mid Illinois. It was a fun interview that I had forgotten about. I just found the recording and thought you'd like to hear some stuff about Houdini, myself, and other historical figures. enjoy.

This episode deals with the life of Charlie Miller. Charlie was a close friend to Dai Vernon and Faucett Ross, and one of the few magicians of his time who could present all of the material from the book, Expert AT the Card Table by S.W. Erdnase. He had a very interesting life. Even though he was known for his fantastic sleight of hand, he was equally adept with apparatus magic.  Enjoy! Charlie on The Magic Palace https://youtu.be/WLElkBMl4To Charlie, very old footage   https://youtu.be/vkeJggTnN1Y  

Here are several stories with the theme, Magic Saves the Day. The first is the famous Fire in Decatur Ill, where Blackstone Sr. was performing. I've tried to give the most accurate information available, along with a brief bio of Ted Banks...a member of the Blackstone show. The next stories involved Cruise Ships, and you'll have to hear them to believe them.

Today, I explore the lives of 4 different Jewish magicians who were sent to Concentration Camps during WW2. There are some amazing stories here and also some tragedy.    Werner Reich's TED Talk can be found herehttps://www.ted.com/talks/werner_reich_how_the_magic_of_kindness_helped_me_survive_the_holocaust

Fred Culpitt, Magical Comedian, magic inventor, variety performer. Inventor of the Doll's House Illusion and more.  Link for 2 Culpitt Tricks: https://youtu.be/fLe0dW0c0nM

On this episode we take a deep dive into Houdini's famous East Indian Needle Trick, where it came from, where he first saw it, and more. 

The Magic Detective is BACK, this time with an audio biography of Anna Eva Fay, medium and vaudeville clairvoyant. There are many references to other podcasts episodes and I'll list those here for anyone interested. The Fox Sisters Ep 57 Washington Irving Bishop Ep 15 Samri Baldwin Ep 30 Houdini and Anna Eva Fay Ep 22 For additional information on Anna Eva Fay visit https://www.themagicdetective.com/search/label/Anna%20Eva%20Fay

This is a story from the life of Houdini and Hardeen. I give you a bit of backstory to start with and the actual Thanksgiving part is near the end. A funny story and a short one. Hey, who wants to listen to podcasts on Thanksgiving. This one is short enough to listen to and then get back with the family for dinner! Enjoy.

Well, it's finally here, the Halloween Edition of my podcast and it's one week late, LOL. This is a fictional story turned into an old style radio drama. Most of the story is actually true....with the exception of one thing (the devil). Anyway, it's a very cool story and I know you will enjoy it! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/litsmovie/lost-in-the-shuffle-a-feature-documentary

This week I cover The Houdini Wonder Show, a special show he did in 1922. It involved a cast of characters and I give you a brief bio of each of the various performers. I also mention my review of David Copperfield's History of Magic Book which is over on my blog at: https://www.themagicdetective.com/2021/10/book-david-copperfields-history-of-magic.html  

We begin Season 4 with an exploration into the life and magic of David Devant. You'll hear about his early days, his various creations, his time with Egyptian Hall and St. Georges Hall and beyond. And, you'll find out what he really died from.

This one is a short podcast. Rather than leave you with nothing, I decided to share a few quick stories. They're related to two individuals who both had birthdays this week. I think you'll enjoy the stories. And please go to my blog www.TheMagicDetective.com to read some additional thoughts on 'Books'.   

On this episode you'll learn about a wonderful Chinese Magician and Vaudevillian, Long Tack Sam. This podcast is slightly shorter than most because as it turns out there is a documentary on Sam done by a relative of his. And rather than give you ALL the details of his life, I gave you a quick overview and am going to provide a link to the documentary so you can see that as well. Click here to see The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam Documentary https://www.nfb.ca/film/the_magical_life_of_long_tack_sam/

Here is a man who had a hugely successful career, but is often singled out today as someone who worked with Houdini. He had an amazing career without Houdini! And he had a very interesting career with Houdini. Some of what I discuss during his Houdini years is going to sound controversial, but keep in my it's mostly my opinion, based on some research. Amedeo was very close-lipped when it came to Houdini because he was sworn to secrecy. He likely had a hand in far more things than we realize. But at least we were left with a few bread crumbs. Enjoy! BTW: please visit www.Ronjo.com  Listen to the podcast and then run on over there.

On this episode you'll hear a review of the book Lincoln's Scout by author Mark Cannon. This is the story of Civil War Soldier and future magician Harry (Horatio) Cooke. Also, I share my recollection of visiting the American Museum of Magic for the first time, many years ago. For more on Cooke, listen to podcast Ep 16.

Here is a guy we should all know about but few do. He lived during the Golden Age of magic. He performed during that time. He knew all the greats, he wrote books for many of them. His life story is incredible. Listen and discover the world of William J. Hilliar. 

Here is the wrap-up of the Kassner story. I was able to get some of my questions answered after I had published the previous podcast. Also, I tell the story about discovering my Great Great Grandfather may have helped a very famous magician, back in the day. That and more, check it out!

This episode is about the German magician KASSNER who was extremely popular prior to WW2. He had a show that rivaled Thurston's. But then after the war, what happened to him??? Now you can find out.  

Here is a shorter episode, on the life of Henry Ridgely Evans. This is basically the introduction of Evans to my audience. In the future I'll be pulling from his books and periodicals to share magic history of the last 19th century. I also share my own personal story  of creating a Tedx Talk.

The first new episode for 2021. This time we cover the life of Signor Blitz one of the most famous 19th Century magicians in America, also one of the most copied. He was an amazing performer and this podcast shares a few of his many exploits! Music provided by https://purple-planet.com Denny Haney Book review at https://www.themagicdetective.com/2021/01/denny-haney-collected-wisdom-book-review.html 

This is a slightly shorter (thus the blue image) than normal podcast. I talk about Houdini and his fascination towards Christmas. Plus I include a couple more Al Cohen stories and catch up on some recent magic history news I missed.  Music provided by http://www.purple-planet.com 

I've got a bit of catching up to do, once again. I'm behind in the podcast episodes and this one was to feature a segment called Living and Legend. And I had to pull what I had originally planned and insert the passing of a dear friend. So in all truth, I still got in the segment on the Living and the segment on the Legend, as Al Cohen was most certainly a legend in the magic world.  Please check out my blog to see another feature on Magic Genii, what you'll SEE over there confirms all that you hear over here. https://www.themagicdetective.com/2020/12/magic-genii-celebrates-20-years.html Music provided by http://purple-planet.com