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Suggest pagesJohn Calvert (magician)
| John Calvert | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 5, 1911 New Trenton, Indiana, United States |
| Occupation | Magician |
Madren Elbern "John" Calvert (born August 5, 1911) is an American magician who has performed on stage (including Broadway) for eight decades both in the United States and worldwide. He is also a film actor who appeared in numerous movies. He was the subject of a biographical documentary entitled John Calvert – His Magic and Adventures.[1]
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[edit] Early years
Calvert was born in New Trenton, Indiana and became fascinated with magic at age eight when his father took him to see the magician Howard Thurston perform in Cincinnati, Ohio. Shortly afterward, he performed his first trick for his Sunday school class - he made an egg appear from under another boy’s coat.
He made his initial magic tour when he was eighteen, performing in town halls in Kentucky backroad towns. His small troupe consisted of one assistant and “Gyp the Wonder Dog”. He returned home with a $2.65 profit.
[edit] Depression era to the mid 40’s
Through the depression years and into the 1940s, he continually increased the size of his magic show, adding illusions and personnel, and he gained notoriety by performing daredevil stunts for publicity.
[edit] Acting career
From the mid-1940s through the late 1950s, he performed in approximately forty films, including starring roles in three Film Classic releases, in which he portrayed a debonair detective known as “The Falcon”.[2][3]
[edit] Fifties-present
Calvert continued performing magic during his Hollywood days. In the mid-1940s, he transported his show’s equipment and personnel worldwide in a Douglas DC-3 airliner, and in later years on yachts.
His biographer, William V. Rauscher,[4] has called Calvert a “real-life Indiana Jones” because of his reputation for surviving dangerous circumstances in his travels.
Calvert was invited to perform his magic act both on Broadway in New York City and at the London Palladium Theatre on his 100th birthday.
[edit] Personal life
Calvert has been married to his wife Tammy since 1982. He turned 100 in August 2011.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.magician.org/portal/en/node/930
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040287/
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041854/
- ^ http://www.mysticlightpress.com/
- ^ "Happy 100th Birthday John Calvert". iTricks.com. 2011-08-06. http://itricks.com/news/2011/08/happy-100th-birthday-john-calvert/. Retrieved 2011-08-09.
[edit] External links
- John Calvert (magician) at the Internet Movie Database
- Photographs of Calvert, plus one poster [1]
- www.johncalvertmagic.com [2]
