Harry Blackstone, Jr.
| Harry Blackstone, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Harry Blackstone, Jr. June 30, 1934 Three Rivers, Michigan, USA |
| Died | May 14, 1997 (aged 62) Loma Linda, California |
| Cause of death | pancreatic cancer |
| Occupation | Magician |
| Predecessor | Harry Blackstone, Sr. |
| Spouse | Gay Blackstone |
Harry Blackstone, Jr. (June 30, 1934 – May 14, 1997) was an American stage magician, author, and television performer.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Blackstone was born Harry Bouton in Three Rivers, Michigan, the son of noted stage magician Harry Blackstone, Sr. (also known as "The Great Blackstone"). As an infant, he was used as a prop in his father's act.[citation needed]
[edit] Career
Rather than utilize the routines his father developed, Blackstone developed his own and modernized his performance, though onstage he would, on occasion, perform a sequence of his father's illusions in a period setting.[citation needed]
Harry Blackstone, Jr. created four magic kits, from beginner to advanced, which were the best selling of all time.[2] In the early 1970s, he promoted a "PF Magic Wedge Kit" on a television commercial for PF Flyers sneakers, and he appeared on several commercials for Jiffy Pop popcorn.
In 1985, on the 100th anniversary of his father's birth, Harry Blackstone, Jr. donated to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. the original floating light bulb — designed and built by Thomas Edison — and the original Casadega Cabinet, used in the "Dancing Handkerchief" illusion. This was the first ever donation accepted by the Smithsonian in the field of magic.[3]
He appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show, Donahue, The Today Show, Reading Rainbow and The Super Mario Bros. Super Show. He also made occasional appearances as the mysterious Dr. Mephisto on the TV soap opera Santa Barbara. He famously performed during the half-time show at the 1987 Orange Bowl, in which many parts of the act went horribly wrong. Four of the five tricks Blackstone performed failed due to missed cues and poorly designed props.[4] It has been written that "[p]erhaps his proudest work on television was his recurring role on PBS's Square One TV, where he used magic tricks to teach mathematics to young people."[5] His recurring segment was known as "Backstage with Blackstone."
He received the Academy of Magical Arts Magician of the Year Award in 1979 and 1985.[citation needed]
[edit] Death and legacy
Blackstone lived in Redlands, California for many years.[citation needed] He died May 14, 1997 in Loma Linda, California at the age of 62 due to complications arising from pancreatic cancer.[citation needed]
After his death, much of his performance equipment was sold off in a highly publicized internet auction. Many of the pieces went to collectors, scattered across the world and numerous of the props have made it into actual shows. Las Vegas performer Scarlett now owns and uses his Topsy Turvy. Touring illusionist Aaron Balcom now uses the Owen-built Clown Jammer. Washington state performer John Walton uses his menacing Buzz Saw. Dutch illusionist Hans Klok and Darren Romeo display the famous "floating light bulb" illusion under license.[6]
The Performing Arts Theater at Redlands East Valley High School is now named in his honor. His widow, Gay Blackstone, is a former president of The Magic Castle in Hollywood.[citation needed]
[edit] Books
- Blackstone, Harry, Jr., and Charles Reynolds and Regina Reynolds. The Blackstone Book of Magic and Illusion (1995) 248 pages. ISBN 1557041776; ISBN 978-1557041777. (New York: Newmarket Press, 2002). ISBN 1557044929
- Blackstone, Harry, Jr. There's One Born Every Minute (Los Angeles, Ca, U. S. A.: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc, 1976. Softcover. ISBN 0874773296, ISBN 0874770564.
- Blackstone, Harry, Jr. My Life As A Magician Paperback (Aladdin: 1992-05-01) ISBN 067164436X ISBN 9780671644369.
- He also re-edited his father's Blackstone's Secrets of Magic. Paperback ISBN 087980260X ISBN 978-0879802608 [3]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Biography
- ^ Houdini.org on Blackstone, Jr.
- ^ a b Harry Blackstone Jr. donates Harry Blackstone Sr. illusions to Smithsonian.
- ^ Blackstone's Failed Performance in the 1987 Orange Bowl
- ^ Find a Grave, Harry Blackstone, Jr.
- ^ Weatherford, Mike. "Award too late to help magician Hans Klok". Las Vegas Review-Journal. http://www.lvrj.com/living/12456091.html.
[edit] External links
- Blackstone Magik, Inc., History of the Blackstones.
- "Harry Blackstone, Jr". Magician, Educator, and Author. Find a Grave. May 24, 2001. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=22505. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- Magic Web Channel, Magicians' Hall of Fame, Harry Blackstone, Jr.
- Youtube, Harry Blackstone Jr. performance.
