Does anyone know if there is a video/movie clip of Dante performing 'The Lazy Magician'? Or Failing Dante - John Calvert?

Thanks in advance

Leslie

If you don't find calvert, I have a live performance show of it.

Are you looking for John Calvert for this?

Dr. Solar

The Calvert Lazy magicians trick
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n_es3RPYsI

Thank you Ian & Dr Solar for your responses.

I was telling a young colleague about Dante's 'Lazy Magician' presentation - he being too young to have seen Dante, I said that I would try to find a video clip, if such existed.

I have also seen John Calvert perform this routine (in my opinion, nothing like as well - too speedy!) and thought there may be some footage of that.

This was the reason for my posting. It seems, sadly, that no such action images are available. Allen Tipton, a friend of many years, has been kind enough to send me some still photographs of himself, performing the full Dante show when he was Head of Drama at his Nottingham school; three of the pictures feature 'The Lazy Magician'.

I have seen it performed by others, but not with the style and panache of Dante - hardly surprising really!

Thanks again - I shall continue my search!

Leslie

Leslie, our posts may have been simultaneous, while you were writing, I had posted the Calvert performance.

Ian - you are a star! Thank you so much!

Whilst I like Calvert's presentation, it is fun, I still don't think that it is as effective as I remember Dante - puffing on his cigar and working at a much more leisurely pace. I seem to recall that Dante also used a cane, which vanished at the end!

But many thanks again. This will certainly amuse my friend - who had no idea what I was talking about!

These young whipper-snappers - they know nothing!

Leslie

Some time ago BILL LARSEN performed this "AS" Dante. Johnny Thomson did the make-up and Bill looked exactly like Dante. It was fantastic. And spooky. Of course Irene Larsen assisting didn't hurt!!!

Here is a video converted from old film by Del o Del, the lazy magicians effect is at 5:06 minutes into the video.
I find it hard to believe that Dante being known for a trick a minute, would have done the effect as laid back as you say. As a matter of fact, the pace in the film seems very similar to Calvert. He does use the cane in his version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afUwkO9FPeQ

Many thanks again Ian for the Dell O'Dell movie - a great archive piece. I have to agree that the short extract that we saw of 'The Lazy Magician' is no slower than the Calvert routine, however, my memory of seeing the show in the UK several times in the late 1940's is of a much slower paced presentation - Dante was of course somewhat older by then!

As for the 'Trick a Minute' reference, this title was applied to a specific sequence early on in the show, where he did a high speed routine of productions, vanishes and transformations at a rapid pace.

I don't think he claimed that his whole show proceeded at a trick a minute - The vanish of a block of ice and the beautiful floating ball routine certainly wouldn't have been included in his trick a minute section of the show.

Fascinating stuff nevertheless. Thanks again for posting this great piece of magical history.

Leslie

Ian: my thanks too for posting this.

Leslie/Others
Do you know how this fit into the whole show? Was this just a change-of-pace interlude? I'm struck by how different (other than the pretty women) this performance is from the professional performances I've seen lately.

Although a cute premise for the cords of fantasia, it didn't seem to have much of a "punch" or wow factor (maybe cause I'm seeing it through a magicians eyes).

Do you think that performance(referring to the cords of fantasia) of Dante/Calvert would be well received today? I'm curious, this clip seems to show how much performances and maybe audience expectations/interests have changed.

John

In my humble opinion, there was a sexist attitude back then, the trick by Calvert
was with cutie pie hip moves and lears by Calvert. The Dante looked like the interlude between illusions. But, again, the female rope handlers.
-----------

Today you would change it... how, I'm not sure as I haven't thought about it.

The Calvert presentation has a lewdness (albeit amusing and inoffensive) that Dante never had.

Dante sat in a lower seated wooden type chair, very relaxed in his evening dress tails and top hat. He continually smoked his cigar as he directed the girls with flicks of his head and hand gestures. Dante played it very much as the laid back 'Lazy Magician' as described in the title.

Like Calvert, the presentation was set to music, but not at the same tempo. The girls did no bumping and grinding and responded much more demurely. Keeping in mind that this was the middle of the last century - they were magician's assistants, dutifully responding to their employer's directions.

He smiled at them and winked at the audience. Moi Yo Miller was the third girl who handed him the silks and actually vanished the cane as she drew it away from the ropes.

I have no doubt that in a similar type of full stage show, this presentation (as performed by Dante) would be every bit as successful.

And yes, it was a change of pace interlude, set in the No. Two's that would enable the backstage crew to set up the next major full stage presentation. We are talking about a two hour show, so there would have to be interlude's like this.

Leslie

The Hull Vanishing Knot

The Lazy Magician is a routine for 'Ropes Through Body', 'Grandmother's Necklace' etc.

Leslie

FYI, Dante's music for this was the old standard, "Indian Summer." A great tune, and appropriate for the scene.

When I reproduced my version of Dante's Show it struck me that the old boy was on his feet such a lot in the early part of the Show, The Lazy Magician was a great opportunity for him to have a sit down AND smoke a cigar at the same time.
Also it was a useful front cloth item for a scene change.
The same with the Beer Barrel. It let him have a drink in the middle of Part One. 'The first tonight'.!!
Much as I admire John Calvert I do not think he came anywhere near to Dante's laid back performance of the trick. He actually rushes it in places, so going against the phrase''The LAZY Magician'.
Dante, cheekily, also blew cigar smnoke at either Moi Yo or the other girl during the routine.
The vanish of the cane in the 1947 UK tour was done by pressing it into Moi Yo's waist and so collapsed it dropped into the hat & silks she held. She turned as the cane disappeared partly to show the audience that it had not emerged the other side and partly to ensure the cane was trapped in and shielded by the silks as she carried them off with the hat.

Allen Tipton
UK

I have posted a small pic of me performing The Lazy Magician, below. Taken during the Show in 1980
Allen Tipton
UK

Click here to view attached image.

And here is Black & White
Allen Tipton

Click here to view attached image.