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I've heard great things about Chan Canasta, but nothing specific apart from admiration for risk and the fact that his book test is excellent.

Does someone have a good reference point for where he lies in magic history from a magician's perspective?

Once again, I find myself with my hands near an expensive book which is going out of print. I want it, but I can't justify it. But I do want it!

There is a dvd that shows clips from his numerous TV apprearances in the 50's and 60's. Well worth watching.

He was not a magician though he was very much a credible mind reader. Having spoken to people who remember seeing him on TV the concensus was that this guy could do what he was saying he could do.

Yes he was a big risk taker. He definitely realised that things not working 100% of the time actually was part of what made everything he did so believable, and consequently he often went with calculated odds, which when they worked made for some extremely powerful effects and when they didn't just went on toprove that he really wasn't using trickery in anyway.

Anyone serious about perfoming mentalism would learn as much from watching his performances as they would from the book/cd.

Although I don't own the Britland book (I assume that is the one you refer to) It is definitely one I would like to read.

Though I'm a big fan of books, the CD is significantly cheaper. I can't really find out aboutthe contents/defference of them though. Seems as closely guarded a secret as the methods.

In http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic1245.php

Mandrake wrote:as a very young person (!) I was watching the TV the night Chan ‘turned off’ all the sets in the UK – that little white diminishing dot which used to follow turning the set off was very realistic and led to thousands of protesting phone calls (from the rich who could afford a phone) an immediate need for trouser changing (from the poor who couldn’t afford a phone) in many parts of the country!

and

Mandrake also wrote:It’s quite a while back because, if I remember correctly, ITV had only just started in selected areas (which is why my folks had bought the TV) and BBC was the main channel. In which case it puts it around the middle 1950’s (oh, hell – I’m old, old, old!!!). To see this brand new, idolised, and very expensive piece of kit apparently being broken by a guy just blowing into a cardboard ‘horn’ was an unbelievably shocking effect and was only moderated by being able to switch over to ITV and see that they were still broadcasting

Ah memories…….

you might wanna drop Mr. Martin Breese a line Marvell, he's a lovely fella, and very helpful... www.martinbreese.com he has the dvd performance and quite possibly the books...

...and he stocks jerry sadowitz and al koran books...lovely old fashioned service you get from him...

I have, in fact, been chatting to him for a couple of days now.

Canasta (real name Chananel Mifelew) was an amazing character. He came to the UK with the Polish air force during WWII and stayed on. After the war, he gained fame in the music halls performing feats of memory and performed his first TV mentalism set in 1951 on the BBC. He made over 350 TV appearances over here and in the USA, the final one being on Parkinson in 1971 at the age of just 51. He said that not having outs for when things go wrong makes the overall effect seem more real and that's something that's as true today as it's ever been. A lot of people remain convinced that he's the real deal, which is a testament to the man's ability to hold an audience in his hand. If you get a chance to get any of his material (book, DVD, audio or video), here's some advice: GRAB IT!

but...but...but....

i didnt think mentalists used cards in their act? well, well and if i may add, well...

now his name's been mentioned, im sorely tempted myself...the breese stuff has been on my list for a good couple of years now...hmmm...any excuse...

Threads like this just highlight the huge loss to magic when such people die. You could add the names of David Nixon, Doug Henning, Slydini, Harry Blackstone Sr and Jr and all the hundreds of others who are no longer with us and where the only legacy we have are a few items of grainy film or videotape and perhaps some publications.

Bottom line, go and see as many of today's top line performers while they're still with us and performing live and while we can appreciate first hand all that they do. Unless you're into the real deal, there's no point in trying to talk to them via a séance in years to come .

The crazy thing is, we've only just missed Canasta. He died in 1999, aged 79.

...just ordered the dvd....

martin breese has some nice cd recordings of people if you look - richard webster's one on cold reading, howitz on mentalism...there's a canasta one too...

Found on another forum: http://video.google.co.uk/videosearch?q=chan+canasta

The 1973 Parkinson interview in 3 parts.

nice find...

i can whole heartedly recommend the book...well worth the money...you'll go back to it time and again as long as you dont splutter at how he achieved what he did...

Volums 1 and 2 are both now shown as out of print and not available - existing copies just doubled in value!

That link is great. I have to admit ignorance when it came to Chan and had never heard of him.
I really enjoyed the Parkinson performance. Thanks!