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TheRock New user Anderson, Indiana 95 Posts |
If you had to rate the 10 GREATEST MAGICIANS of all time, and you had to do it according to these categories (not in any specific order), SKILL, PERFORMANCE, PRESENTATION, EFFECTIVENESS, SHOWMANSHIP, ENTERTAINMENT VALUE, and CREATIVITY, who would they be?
Please rate them starting with 10 being the LEAST greastest ghoing all the way to #1 being the GREATEST. But please TRY to rank them according to the catagories above? Who would they be? |
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Skip Way Inner circle 3771 Posts |
How do you narrow the massive list down to just ten? Certainly, it can't be done without offending some of the truely great. Now, if we break them into categories...(Note: As this is off the top of my head, with apologies to the Greats left out.)
Illusionists & Big Stage Acts 10. Jean Robert-Houdin 9. Harry Keller/Howard Thurston 8. Harry Blackstone, Jr. 7. Jasper Maskelyne 6. Harry Blackstone, Sr. 5. Mark Wilson 4. Doug Henning 3. Harry Houdini 2. David Copperfield 1. Siegfried & Roy - Can't have one without the other! Close-Up & Specialists 10. Joseph Dunninger 9. Theodore Annemann 8. Cardini 7. J.B. Bobo 6. Meir Yedid 5. Juan Tamariz 4. Paul Daniels 3. Eugene Burger 2. Tony Slydini 1. Dai Vernon Comedy & Wiseguys 10. Gene Anderson 9. Mac King 8. Ali Bongo 7. Bill Malone 6. Jay Marshall 5. Johnny Carson 4. Penn & Teller 3. The Amazing Jonathan 2. Carl Ballantine 1. Harry Anderson Kid's Stars 10. Bev Bergeron 9. David Ginn 8. Trixie Bond 7. Barry Mitchell 6. Jim Kleefield 5. David Kaye 4. Samuel Patrick Smith 3. A. Robins AKA The Banana Man 2. Frances Ireland Marshall 1. Mark Wilson
How you leave others feeling after an Experience with you becomes your Trademark.
Magic Youth Raleigh - RaleighMagicClub.org |
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Father Photius Grammar Host El Paso, TX (Formerly Amarillo) 17161 Posts |
Tough question, but since you are talking personal choices.
1. Harry Keller 2. Harry Blackstone, Sr. 3. Howard Thurston 4. Dai Vernon 5. Tony Slydini 6. Mark Wilson 7. J B Bobo 8. Daryl Easton 9. Harry Lorrayne 10. Mac King
"Now here's the man with the 25 cent hands, that two bit magician..."
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Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
I think you should have said,"Top 10 You have Seen." How can one compare, say, Kellar and Thurston when you have never seen them.
In no particular order... my top 10 would be: Fred Kaps Slydini Blackstone Sr. Carl Ballantine Jay Marshall Paul Daniels Persi Diaconis Channing Pollock Don Alan/Albert Goshman (tied) Moretti Posted: Jul 26, 2005 5:48pm I have to add a few: Johnny Thompson Johnny Paul Ken Brooke Pat Page Robert Harbin Sara Kabagujina and Sultangali Shukurov (Russian FISM winners) Tom Mullica VERONIN (possibly the funniest artiste I have ever seen) Otto Wessely Mac Ronay Christian Fechner's FISM Illusion Act Norm Nielsen Phoa Yan Tiong Tamariz Daryl
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
I realize you're asking for 10, but I'm gonna say:
#1: SIEGFRIED AND ROY!!!!!!!!! And I'll give runner up to Houdini. |
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Ed Hutchison Regular user Madison, MS (orig. CNY) 118 Posts |
I agree with Pete Biro. It is tough to rank performers that I have not seen.
But, off the top of my head, and in no particular order, here are some acts that I have enjoyed enough to want to see over and over again: (in fact, I have seen most of the following several times) Kohl and Company Slydini Del Ray Andre Cole Blackstone, Jr. Kreskin Moretti Jay Marshall Al Goshman Walter Cummings |
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Lord of Illusion Veteran user Has his enemies stuck on 310 Posts |
Quote:
...SKILL, PERFORMANCE, PRESENTATION, EFFECTIVENESS, SHOWMANSHIP, ENTERTAINMENT VALUE, and CREATIVITY, who would they be? Ok, haven't gotten my list together (still recovering from my emergency move), but how can Houdini not be the # one on anyones list? He's been gone for 80+years and if you ask someone on the street to name a magician, it's usually Houdini, Copperfield, and a mixture for third choice. Ok, his skill was questionable. Performence, the same. Efectiveness, very near if not at the top (as an escape artist, as a magician, less so). Showmanship, well, it doesn't get better (and for the S&R folks glitz does not = showmanship), entertainment value, in his day #1, today less so. Creativity #1 (he practically invented his art) So, that brings up a different spin on the question... Are the # one old artist (houdini, kellar and thruston) better than the # one modern artists (Copperfield, S&R and Blain)? *and I know that last set will create a firestorm* Azrael
Edward Wolfgang Poe,
The Necromancer of the South |
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magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
Gotta say, Azrael, Siegfried and Roy have a lot more going on than glitz. They didn't start with glitz. Look where they came from- and how far they came. People love THEM, not the glitz. I have to give credit where credit is due. Siegfried and Roy: TOP OF MY LIST. Houdini's right up there too, at #2. Some have said they don't want to rate a performer they haven't seen. And it could be that those of us who did rank him, didn't put him at the top of our lists for some of the reasons YOU mentioned above . In which case, we've made a fair call.
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magic mike New user Michael M. 88 Posts |
I'm not trying to throw a monkeywrench into the works but, if you haven't seen a Magician perform then you are really going by what others say. Therefore, how can one really express one's opinion!
My favorite Magicians, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, are: Channing Pollock Cardini Fred Kaps General Grant Kohl & Co. David Oliver Jon Stetson Rico Dick Gufterson Joseph Gabriel Amos Levkovitch Johnny Thompson Harry Blackstone Sr. Vito Lupo Norm Nielsen Slydini (Channing, however, was the first Magician that really impressed me.)
Channing Pollack is my idea of the perfect magician. For those of you that have not seen him perform, I recommend trying to get hold of a video of an old movie called "European Nights" made about 1959.
I was able to buy this video from Stevens Magic |
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Lord of Illusion Veteran user Has his enemies stuck on 310 Posts |
Yes they do/did, but...
"People love THEM, not the glitz. I have to give credit where credit is due." Almost all of the really great magicians started scratching dirt and became over time the people that we respect and love. I'm not knocking them, just their legacy (as magicians) outside of Las Vegas. In 80+ years do you think they'll be at the top of lay peoples list? Please don't think I don't like them...I think they're fantastic. Ok, Magic Mike, that criteria leaves out almost every magician that is "great" before the 40's or so. I think that we can allow for the legends (Herrmann the Great, Milani, Thurston, Kellar, TGL, etc.) because very few, if anyone, alive saw most of them - but most people agree that they were great performers and entertainers.
Edward Wolfgang Poe,
The Necromancer of the South |
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magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
As a matter of fact I do believe Siegfried and Roy will be at the top of lay people's lists in 80+ years. Their legacy extends far beyond Las Vegas. The WORLD LOVES Siegfried and Roy.
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TheRock New user Anderson, Indiana 95 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-07-27 08:48, magicalaurie wrote: Wasn't Houdini more of an escape artist then a magician? I know he did magic, but didn't he focus mostly (and build his career and name) on escapes? |
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bishthemagish Inner circle 6013 Posts |
Billy Bishop
Johnny Thompson Jack Kodell Tony Marx Don Alan Jack Pyle Jay Marshall Terry Vecky John Shirley Bev Bergeron Stan Kramien Marshall Brodine Blackstone Jr. Andre Kole All I have seen do their acts or shows many times live on the stage. They all deliver a great show no matter what the performing conditions are! Quote:
On 2005-07-27 08:48, magicalaurie wrote: Have you seen their show live on stage?
Glenn Bishop Cardician
Producer of the DVD Punch Deal Pro Publisher of Glenn Bishop's Ace Cutting And Block Transfer Triumphs |
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Dr. JK Inner circle Sandusky, OH 1191 Posts |
TheRock,
Yes, Houdini did focus on escapes, but he is known as a magician. Only magicians think to call Harry Houdini an "escape artist." Statistically speaking, if you were to take a random sample of laymen and ask them to name the first magician that comes to their mind, I am sure that Houdini would be on top by a comfortable margin, with several others trailing behind. I have to agree with Azrael that Harry Houdini was one of the greatest magical entertainers ever, and therefore I give him my number one spot. |
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Brent McLeod Inner circle 1792 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-07-25 23:24, TheRock wrote: Tough question!! But I guess fame & Exposure because of all of the above catagories are what the Public, Lay audience percieve as success not what we as Magicians think!! The public know all about Siegfried& Roy but couldn't tell you who won the last 3 FISM stage acts!!!-who really cares? Certainly not me. So here goes- from different generations & as seen by the world!! 1 Harry Houdini 2 Blackstone (senior) 3 Mark Wilson 4 Doug Henning 5 David Copperfield 6 Kreskin 7 Siegfried & Roy 8 Paul Daniels 9 Harry Anderson 10 David Blaine Also missing & must be included from a magicians point of view as well as fame in different parts of the world & very skillfull & entertaining etc who gave us the ideas & techniques for much of what we use today etc Fred Kaps Channing Pollock Cardini Max Malini Richard Ross Johnny Thomson Tommy Cooper Norm Neilson Don Alan Lance Burton Joseph Dunninger Theres many missing& apoligise for that but this could go into many different forms of entertainment so hopefully the top 10 are known worldwide |
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magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
What's your question, Glenn?
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Dr_Stephen_Midnight Inner circle SW Ohio, USA 1555 Posts |
Hmmm...not one person mentioned:
John Henry Anderson Alexander Herrmann Bautier DeKolta David Devant Servais LeRoy Del Ray
Dr. Lao: "Do you know what wisdom is?"
Mike: "No." Dr. Lao: "Wise answer." |
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bishthemagish Inner circle 6013 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-07-28 18:04, magicalaurie wrote: Have you seen the Siegfried and Roy show live on the stage was the question. I never saw their big show but I saw their act at the MGM. It was quite spectacular.
Glenn Bishop Cardician
Producer of the DVD Punch Deal Pro Publisher of Glenn Bishop's Ace Cutting And Block Transfer Triumphs |
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Jonathan Townsend Eternal Order Ossining, NY 27297 Posts |
I've met more than ten great magicians and would not want to insult any of them by leaving them off a list.
...to all the coins I've dropped here
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Ed Hutchison Regular user Madison, MS (orig. CNY) 118 Posts |
I saw Del Ray perform twice, and, if you check above, you'll find that he made my list. He was a great, great, entertainer.
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