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sethb Inner circle The Jersey Shore 2719 Posts |
I just happened to spot a new book, "Pleasant Nightmares," by William Rauscher; this is a biography of magician Bill Neff and his "spook show." Click HERE to view.
Bill had a full-evening illusion show at a time when such shows were becoming financially unfeasible. So he turned to the "spook show" circuit, presenting midnight shows in movie theaters, often in conjunction with some well-known horror flick. Such shows could be very profitable, but also required tremendous stage presence and control, because the audience could easily get out of hand. Although I haven't seen this book, it should be a good addition to the very small amount of information available on "spook shows." For those who may be interested in this niche, take a look at Mark Walker's "Ghostmasters," an excellent pictorial history of the spook show. It's out of print, but a few copies are available from the Advanced Book Exchange, click HERE for more info. SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC |
cardone Special user 860 Posts |
I have Ghostmasters ...and love it ! I can't wait to get the Neff book .....
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omk Regular user Florida's Space Coast 108 Posts |
I just recently bought the book. Haven't read it through yet but in skimming over it I was very impressed. Lots of great photos and some of the twists to the story of Neff's life I feel are going to be very interesting. Just on the little I've seen and read so far I would have to highly recommend it.
Dave |
sethb Inner circle The Jersey Shore 2719 Posts |
Actually, in thinking about it, I guess "spook shows" weren't such a new thing in the 1930's after all -- it was just the new twist of using an otherwise empty movie theater at midnight to generate some extra revenue.
Before that, there were the "spirit mediums" in the 1920's that Houdini took on, the "Phantasmagoria" shows at the turn of the century (using a magic lantern to project slides of images against smoke), and before that, the Davenports with their "spook cabinet". And let's not forget the "Pepper's Ghost" illusion, which lives on today in the Haunted Mansions at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. I'm sure there are plenty of other examples, but these are the ones that came quickly to mind. So Mr. Neff was really carrying forward a great tradition! SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC |
sethb Inner circle The Jersey Shore 2719 Posts |
Even though I've now only read the first 75 pages of this book, I have two words for everyone:
BUY IT! This is an amazing book, and not just a biography of Bill Neff, who was as talented and tragic as they come. It also shows you the inner workings of a full evening show during the "Golden Age," and what it took to keep a show like that touring for weeks on end -- lots of elbow grease and hard work, and not just in the magic department. The book has a full chapter about publicizing the Neff show, with plenty of ideas that would still work well today. It's a fascinating read and reminds you that "show business" is really two words, and that you need to pay attention to the "business" just as much as the "show." The book doesn't skimp in the magic department, either, with an amazing unpublished Neff manuscript that details exactly how to create and perform "The BlackOut" sequence that traditionally closed a spook show. The amount of thought that went into this is amazing, and it goes to show that attention to detail does pay off. [There is no way anyone could duplicate this kind of show today; I can just imagine a theater manager's or the fire department's reaction to a request that ALL house lights, including the exit lights and emergency lights, be turned off]. The book itself is beautiful, with a durable library binding (no book jacket, but a full decorated cover), endpapers illustrated with various Neff flyers, glossy paper stock and hundreds of great photos and reproductions of posters, ads, artwork and so on. The writing is first-rate, and it is obvious that a great deal of detective work went into unearthing much of the information and material presented here. If you have any interest in stage magic, show business, spook shows or how a true professional handles himself and his show, you need to get this book. SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC |
Doug Higley 1942 - 2022 7152 Posts |
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......forum=14
Another topic with Reviews! As sethB says...BUY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Higley's Giant Flea Pocket Zibit
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cardone Special user 860 Posts |
Ordered one today ...... I can't wait .......
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cardone Special user 860 Posts |
Got It ! Amazing production value .... well done .....more later ....
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Magiguy Inner circle Seattle, WA 5467 Posts |
I just noticed that William Rauscher has been added to the Friday night show at Kramien's Magic Jamboree. One more thing to look forward to...
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cardone Special user 860 Posts |
The interview with Neff's son at the end is amazing .....very touching..... get it now before they are gone ...
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