talkmagic.co.uk

...an act seen on British TV (more than once) during the 70s/80s consisting of a scientist's laboratory, very much in the style of Rudy Coby. It was portrayed more like a drama than a normal magician's act.

From what I remember a scientist appears and creates a robot/Frankenstein monster. He uses a remote control box to make the robot walk/move etc but he loses control of the robot. In the end the robot strangles the scientist and the act culminates in the robot removing the scientist's head (!!).

It's at this point that you realise that the roles were in fact reversed, that the scientist was actually a robot and the robot was a man.

Anyone recollect an act like this?

It was called Kohl and Co and was brilliant! The act was always the same and also involved sawing a lady in half but the apparatus collapsed and dumped the poor girl on the floor! I'm sure this was on one of the compilations TV shows earlier this year. Check out the Events section in case there's news on there.

On second thoughts, it might have been someone else!

Actually I may have mislead you.

It wasnt a zany comedy act, it was a fairly serious act as I recall.

Still, looking at a poto of Kohl & Co. they could easily dress up as a mad scientist and assistant.

No, I'm now more than sure it wasn't Kohl & Co but the act you described was a classic. Hang around a while and somebody will sort it out for us!

yes i think i remember seeing this on paul daniels

Paul Daniels has been kind enough to provide further information on this.

"...The act probably stayed in your head because of its name: Al Carthy.

I saw the act as a very young boy, working the halls around the UK, although I believe it was French.

The owner/inventor of the act did not have a son to hand the act down to so he taught it to his son in law. The daughter and her husband were who you saw do the act, and all copyright on it belongs to them, unless they have sold it on or handed it down..."

A quick Google search threw up a suggestion that it was still being performed in 2001.

Fantastic - thanks Special K (and Paul D!).

Google searches make several mentions of the name - especially the French sites - but no info as to whether the act is currently being performed. Now I really want to see it again!!

I Fail To Remember Is It This Man? http://www.bobself.com/rudycoby/home.html

No - Rudy is in a completely different category. Still excellent though!

I was talking to my Father at the weekend about magic, and he remembered seeing a Jasper Maskelyne magic show in London just after the war.

He went on to describe one of the tricks as being the Robot/Scientist effect outlined in the first post.

I obviously can't say for sure that Maskelyne was the first to do this act, but at least we know it was done in the late 40's (actually it may have been just pre-war - so could be the late 30's).

My Father also couldn't say for sure that it was actually Maskelyne doing the act, it may have been a "guest" magician - ala Paul Daniels show, but I find that unlikely for a stage performance.