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The Magic Word The Magic Word

  • The Magic Word
  • Become a Friend of The Magic Word
  • Subscribe to The Magic Word
  • At The Table Lectures
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400: David Berglas - International Man of Mystery, Part One

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David Berglas has an affect on me.

Okay, that is corny. But it is true that he has influenced and inspired more magicians and mentalists in the world than can be counted. Not only has he changed how we look at magic, David Berglas has significantly changed magic on television.

The BBC called him the “Godfather of TV Magic”.  Born in 1926, Berglas escaped to Britain from Nazi Germany at age 11. He first became interested in Magic in his 20’s and studied psychotherapy at university before becoming a professional magician in 1952. His groundbreaking TV show in 1986, “The Mind of David Berglas” paved the way for all others to follow up to this very day. He is the author of several books including, "The Berglas Effects" and "The Mind & Magic of David Berglas", among others. And he is an multiple award winner of several prestigious organizations and is the Past President of The Magic Circle.

Subscribe To My Channel and Get More "How Magic Changed TV" Videos. If you can not find some of our episodes, please switch to another country. Some videos blocked by the country. The most are the US.
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I was part of a momentous meeting organized by Spyros Melaris in 2002 when he arranged a dinner meeting with David Berglas and his wife, Ruth, with Banachek and his wife, Heidi, and me and my wife, Kathy. It was a wonderful, memorable dinner with Banachek sharing his spoon bending to David and magic talk late into the evening. Unfortunately, to my knowledge, no photos of that evening exist except those in our minds.

It was at that first meeting that we all became good friends and I am glad that we could get together again for this podcast where David talks about his beginnings in magic, work both in front of and behind the cameras on television and film, plus lots of stories about celebrated names of magicians, most of whom are long since passed.

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Stitcher by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Magicians' Valhalla

Although the list below is not exhaustive nor in any particular order, it does reflect the names of many well-known (and some lesser known) magicians, spouses and assistants who passed on in 2017. Some may not be as well-known to you, but they were my personal friends (hey, it is my blog!). If you are unfamiliar with any of these names, then it would behoove you to do a little online search of what these people have contributed to our craft. If you have someone you think was overlooked, then please post the name in the comments below on this blog.

Those whose names are highlighted were featured or interviewed here on The Magic Word Podcast. You can click on their name to revisit and listen to their voices again. David Oliver put together a video of some names and dates of passing of these (and others) in a YouTube video. Click Here to see that video.

Phil Messina

Daryl Easton (Martinez)

Bob Cassidy

Jim Zachary

Ed Thomas

Jessica “Shedini” Moore

George Kovari, Jr.

"Chuck" Kirchner

John Moehring

Eugene Burger

Tom Jones

Eddie Gibson

"Fast" Eddie Silverman

Kenneth Silverman

Paul Diamond

Peter Diamond

Steve Baker

Kevin King

Celeste Evans

Tim Glancey

Ian Ogilvy

Trevor Dawson

James Hamilton

Mike O’Dowd

Bill McIlhany

Michael Giles

Harold Greenbaum

Philip Morris

Ray Goulet

Lee Delano

Fantasio (Ricardo Roucau).

Deanna Shimada

Heidi Larsen

Johnny Fox

Happy New Year! I've got mine. Have you ordered yours yet? Click on the graphic above to visit Amazon.com and purchase your 2018 calendar while helping supprt The Magic Word Podcast. Or you can Click Here.to visit the Amazon.com site for more inform…

Happy New Year! I've got mine. Have you ordered yours yet? Click on the graphic above to visit Amazon.com and purchase your 2018 calendar while helping supprt The Magic Word Podcast. Or you can Click Here.to visit the Amazon.com site for more information. Thank you and Happy Holidays!

Tagged with College of Magic, Ali Bongo, Chan Canasta, Paul Daniels, magic in the movies, Jasper Maskelyne, muscle reading, David Nixon, David Berglas, Peter Sellers, International Man of Mystery, Casino Royale, Cy Enfield, John Racherbaumer, Maurice Fogel.

January 4, 2018 by Scott Wells.
  • January 4, 2018
  • Scott Wells
  • College of Magic
  • Ali Bongo
  • Chan Canasta
  • Paul Daniels
  • magic in the movies
  • Jasper Maskelyne
  • muscle reading
  • David Nixon
  • David Berglas
  • Peter Sellers
  • International Man of Mystery
  • Casino Royale
  • Cy Enfield
  • John Racherbaumer
  • Maurice Fogel
  • Post a comment
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385: Saratoga Ballantine - My Father

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While I was performing at the Magic Castle in 2017, I had the opportunity to sit down for a visit with Saratoga "Sara" Ballantine, the daughter of one of our "magical legends", Carl Ballantine. Carl was a treasure who was known not only throughout the magic community but also to the general populace in many television roles. His most notable role was as "Lester Gruber" on the popular TV show, "McHale's Navy". He appeared in many television shows and movies in the 1960's and 1970's. Billed as "Ballantine - The World's Greatest Magician", Carl had a comedy magic act that landed him in MAGIC Magazine's Top 10 Funniest Acts in Magic.

Carl Ballantine in his prime and at his best. "Come out flying."
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Time stamps for this podcast:

00:04:12 - Great stories about Carl Ballantine whose three top loves were horse racing, cigars, and magic (but he also loved his family, of course). Sara was named after the horse track, Saratoga, and his other daughter was named after another racetrack, Molly Caliente (who was born on a hot day) Sara also talks about many of her father's friends who used to come by the house like Ernest Borgnine and Estelle Getty., This conversation was recorded in the offices of The Magic Castle in Hollywood. In the background and you can hear the occasional laughter and contributions by Trish Alaskey, who was present during our conversation.

Sara also talks about  documentary she was involved with and is available to view online for free. It is called "Troupers" and can be viewed on SnagFilms.com by following this link: http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/troupers

01:00:45 - Product Review: The Full Monty by Liam Montier from Big Blind Media is a DVD with the "necessary cards" to perform this effect. Recommended.

01:05:55 - Product Review: Tac-Tic-Al by WorldMagic.co.uk is a gimmick that allows you to change a "Tic Tac box" or a "deck of miniature Bicycle cards" into a full size deck of cards. Very visual but I reserve a hearty recommendation.

Click the graphic above to view the film "Troupers" for free.

Click the graphic above to view the film "Troupers" for free.

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Stitcher by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Special Flash Sale with up to 50% off thousands of selected items for Friends of The Magic Word. Please visit the website of our sponsor, The Great American Magic Company. Click the banner above for fantastic deals on your magic!

Special Flash Sale with up to 50% off thousands of selected items for Friends of The Magic Word. Please visit the website of our sponsor, The Great American Magic Company. Click the banner above for fantastic deals on your magic!

Tagged with Saratoga Ballantine, Carl Ballentine, Ernest Borgnine, McHale's Navy, Dan Tana's, Musso and Frank, Hollywood Fringe Festivel, Aye Jaye, Carl Reiner, Billy Crystal, Elvis Presley, Christian Scientist, The Magic Castle, Academy of Magical Arts, comedy magic, Bill Cosby, Don Lawton.

September 21, 2017 by Scott Wells.
  • September 21, 2017
  • Scott Wells
  • Saratoga Ballantine
  • Carl Ballentine
  • Ernest Borgnine
  • McHale's Navy
  • Dan Tana's
  • Musso and Frank
  • Hollywood Fringe Festivel
  • Aye Jaye
  • Carl Reiner
  • Billy Crystal
  • Elvis Presley
  • Christian Scientist
  • The Magic Castle
  • Academy of Magical Arts
  • comedy magic
  • Bill Cosby
  • Don Lawton
  • Post a comment
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364: My Week At The Magic Castle - 2017: Part Three

This podcast runs a little shorter than normal but provides a little local "color" surrounding the Castle. We first travel to Santa Monica to visit with Steve Spill and his "Magicopolis" (video tour below) then back to downtown Hollywood to Musso & Frank Grill which is known for their famous martinis. While there, we uncovered a lot of interesting stories about old (and new) Hollywood celebrities who frequent the bar/restaurant.

Since the conversations are shorter than normal, we have time to review John Bannon's "Move Zero" three DVD set which is for beginners and highly recommended.

Steve Spill, owner and performer at Magicopolis in Santa Monica, CA takes us on a guided tour of the building. For more information on his book, "I Lie for Money", be sure to listen to The Magic Word Podcast episode 218 at https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagic/steve-spill To hear the latest chat with Steve, live from Magicopolis, then visit: https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagic/364-my-week-at-the-magic-castle-2017-part-three available after 9:00 a.m. July 6, 2017

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Time stamps for this podcast:

00:03:36 - Steve Spill drives us to lunch so we chat with him while he is driving from his theater, Magicopolis, in Santa Monica.

00:13:46 - Ruben Rueda has been a bartender at Musso & Frank Grill for 50 years and has quite a reputation.

00:23:10 - Sonny Bones, one of the servers at Musso and Frank Grill tells us some stories about the iconic restaurant.

00:28:33 - Bobby Caravella, AGM of Musso and Frank Grill expounds on several classic stories about Old Hollywood and those celebrities who have frequented and are frequenting the restaurant.

00:42:27 - Move Zero Vol. One DVD by John Bannon. Click Here for details.

00:50:34 - Move Zero Vol. Two DVD by John Bannon. Click Here for details.

00: 54:05 - Move Zeto Vol. Three DVD by John Bannon - Click Here for details

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Stitcher by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Tagged with The Magic Castle, Steve Spill, Musso and Frank, Ruben Rueda, Sonny Bones, Bobby Caravella, Magicopolis, Santa Monica, Storage Wars, First Look, Walt Turner.

July 6, 2017 by Scott Wells.
  • July 6, 2017
  • Scott Wells
  • The Magic Castle
  • Steve Spill
  • Musso and Frank
  • Ruben Rueda
  • Sonny Bones
  • Bobby Caravella
  • Magicopolis
  • Santa Monica
  • Storage Wars
  • First Look
  • Walt Turner
  • Post a comment
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The Magic Word The Magic Word

A Podcast for Magicians, About Magicians, Hosted by a Full Time Professional Magician, Scott Wells

This podcast is totally free for everyone to enjoy. This is provided to you out of love and respect for our art of magic. If you enjoy the podcasts and other material on The Magic Word, then your financial support will be greatly appreciated and help offset the monthly hosting service fee as well as the hardware and software to produce this podcast. Just click on the "Donate " button at the top of this page to make a one time donation through PayPal.

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  • The Magic Word
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In May 2024, Scott Wells had the distinguished honor of receiving a “Special Fellowship” from the Academy of Magical Arts (The Magic Castle) for the Magic Word Podcast which promotes “not only personal stories of fascinating individuals, but also fellowship amongst our extended family of artists and entertainers everywhere.”

Do you have a comment or suggestion for The Magic Word Podcast? Click on the SpeakPipe logo and leave a short audio message for Scott. It’s fast, easy and fun. Send a “shout out” today and who knows? Your message may be heard on an upcoming podcast!

Travel Breather in the Eye of the Storm - We are between two (actually three) major events: FISM, Abbott's Get Together and MAGIC Live! Last week was a full week of FISM reports. Next week we travel to Colon, Michigan for Abbott's Get Together then i
Rome may not have been built in a day, but we tried to see as much of it as we could in an afternoon.
Another beautiful day in Umbria visiting #Assissi and #Perugia #Italy
More time near the Tuscan sun. But this time we traveled south to Umbria where we visited #Bevagna #Montefalco and #Spello
More time under the beautiful Tuscan sun with a visit to Montalcino and Montepulciano for wine tasting and exploring. Now staying in a monestary. #italy
Travel Breather in the Eye of the Storm - We are between two (actually three) major events: FISM, Abbott's Get Together and MAGIC Live! Last week was a full week of FISM reports. Next week we travel to Colon, Michigan for Abbott's Get Together then i
Another delightful day under the Tuscan sun in Siena and other cities I can't spell, but enjoying the sun, the food, the wine, and the culture. And the Gelato is amazing. #gelato #siena #italy
A tour of the Chianti Classico region. Two wineries and a sunset Tuscan dinner followed by, of course, gellato. #chianti
From Turin to Parma where we tried the music,  cheese, prosciutto,  wine, and Gelato. #parma

The Magic Word Has been recognized by FeedSpot as the # 1 magician podcast in the world. Thank you all for your support and for listening throughout the years.

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