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Hi everyone!

I'm doing some research of magic during the 1930s and the depression in the United States. And what I have understood is that many stage magicians changed up their shows from a typical theater show to a night club show. How did these to show differ? What kind of trick did they perform in a theater vs night club? Who was a typical night club magician in the US during that time?

If you have any answers or any good sources for me to look into I would be very grateful!

Thanks a lot!

Not too sure about night clubs, certainly the music hall/Vaudeville theatre program was where most magicians performed from the late 19th right into the 1930s, where a constantly running program of performers (jugglers, singers, acrobats, comedians etc.) presented fifteen to twenty minute acts in a rotating order. Audiences walked in, watched a few acts and left rather than watch a single performer for a whole performance.

The big names with a big enough pull would either headline the Vaudeville or in rare cases do a whole show in the older style, but we're talking big names (Thurston, Kellar, Alexander, Chung Ling Soo etc.).

Worth reading anything by Jim Steinmeyer or Mike Caveney (though the latter's books are rarer than rocking horse poo) or perhaps buying the Taschen book Magic, 1400s to 1950s written by these two (absolutely beautiful book but I don't have this myself the price made my wallet cramp).

Other than that might be worth emailing the Magic Circle at enquiries@TheMagicCircle.co.uk with your query.

Check out "The magic of Alan Wakeling" by Jim Steinmeyer - Alan was an excellent magician whose act was adapted to night clubs.

any of the Houdini biographies would be good, and Carter Beats the Devil for a good scene setting treatment of the era...

You may want to write to Will Houston who is researching a similar topic.

Cheers

Dr Todd

while all the recomendations above are good, if you really want to know what magicians did during this period, you need to invest in a copy of Max Holdens programes of famous magicians,as this lists the contents of all the greats during the period you are looking into.

http://www.lybrary.com/programmes-famou ... p-229.html

Very cool Dale!

You could contact Allen Tipton about Dante.

jim

Thank you all for the great help!

I just bought "Programmes of famous magicians", great stuff and also cheap! Love it Thanks for that!

Does anyone know any specific tricks that changed with the transition theater to night club? How about escapes? I mean after Houdini died I guess every magician wanted to take his place? Someone has like youtube videos of night club performances? would be great!

Thanks once again!!

to an extent, the shift from large stage tonight club, marked the first great surge in Mentalism. It was during this time that Annemann, and Dunninger came to power. Also,Manipulation became popular.For example Vernon had his Harlequin act, edward victor, and Cardini became hugly popular.