Back in the 1960's I fantasized about being on "Magic Ranch" for the junior magician segment. Which begs the question...
How many of the junior magicians who appeared on Magic Ranch went on to become pros, part-time pros, or serious amateurs?

----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez

Jay managed to acquire the kinescopes of all those programs but, I don't know what has happened to them,

The Magic Ranch series on VHS was readily available on the open market back in the VHS time period. I don't know if it transcended to DVD's or beyond.

Julie

I still have the VHS series & somewhere along the line, I picked up a DVD set. The VHS set was put out by Bill McIlhaney, wasn't it? I could be mistaken. Parkinson's is wearing down my memory.

Steve

The Magic Ranch is worth getting also for the adult Guest magicians.....and namely, just to see Richard Himber doing several of his marketed items.

Yes, I guess that my DVD set came from Bill McIlhaney, too.

It looks like there's a three-DVD set of "THe Magic Ranch" on the market now. Penguin lists it for $100. It has all 13 episodes, plus extra features including an interview with Eugene Burger and never-seen Don Alan footage.

I believe Burger was a junior magician guest on Magic Ranch. He mentioned performing the Mutilated Parasol.

Hee hee! THAT would have been a "picture"! Next time I see Burger, I'll tease him about THAT!!!

I never cared for the Mutilated Parasol. Mainly it was the "standard" hokey Victorian era presentation, that did not appeal.

Then, I saw my pal, the late DON LAWTON, do HIS version! WOW! Don died shortly after that. A year of so later, I was repeating a tour in Montana, sooner than normal.

It was necessary to change a few of the more visual props. I bought a parasol, and, to preserve Don's routine, I did it that season. IT WAS A "HIT". THE FIRST DAY!!! I wrote up Don's routine in my book, as a memorial to him.

Great story Dick! I'm glad you preserved Don's routine to keep his memory alive. The Mutilated Parasol really does have that hokey Victorian vibe. The challenge is to transcend that.

Sometimes hokey is delightful.

Don Alan's "Magic Ranch" is currently available as a DVD set from a few different dealers like
Denny and Lee Magic
http://dennymagic.com/store/magic-ranch-......729.html

The blurb on Denny's page says:
-----quote-----
Extras - An interview with Eugene Burger (one of Don's early devotees), Magic Ranch stills and outtakes, long-lost footage for the Alan's Alley show, and an early Don Alan TV performance
-----unquote-----

I don't recall Burger being on the show as a guest adult magician or junior magician.

----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez

Here's Burger talking about doing the mutilated parasol on Don Alan's Magic Ranch.
http://secretartjournal.com/eugene-burge......x-maven/

When I was a kid and visiting my grandparents I was fortunate enough to be able to watch Magic Ranch. It is such a pleasant memory.
Steve

Eugene Burger commented that:
-----quote-----
Just for clarification, there were actually several Magic Ranch series. Several shows from a season that was national from circa 1960 to 1961 have been restored and marketed as videotapes.

I was on the original Don Alan series. Fortunately, no copies exist. Thank you.
-----unquote-----

Too bad. It's always fun to see photos or videos of today's magicians in their early years getting started in magic.

----- Sonny

Guys:

Dick Oslund, quite humbly, typically <and CONVENIENTLY, I might add> somehow managed to forget to tell us all about his appearances on THE BOZO THE CLOWN SHOW on WGN-TV in Chicago.....

(hint, hint)

I cannot recommend buying this set highly enough. Both for its entertainment value and the magical historical value. I love it and have watched it more times than I can remember. May still have my old VHS set if anyone is interested.

Steve

Sonny! I got a kick out of Eugene Burger's, "I was on the original Don Alan series. Fortunately, no copies exist. Thank you." in your February 1, post, just above! Friend Burger has "come a long way" since George Anderson's "Magic Ranch"!heehee

Many of us who were performing as young adolescents, probably are glad that "no records exist" of a few of those shows! I was 16, and booked to do a Mothers' Day Luncheon at an Eagles Lodge. Before the show, a man entered with an impressive "suitcase". He asked if I would like to have my performance recorded on a 78 rpm record. (Tape recorders didn't exist, then!) I said, "Sure!" He did. It was a nice friendly group. The show went quite well. But, when I played the record at home, I could suddenly hear the awkward pauses, and corny "Orben" jokes! --I learned a lot, listening to that record!

I found that record in a box of "ancient" memorabilia, recently! OOOH! I am considering the best way to destroy it, so that "no copies exist"! heehee

You are wrong Dick. There are prehistoric paintings of your act! Love you buddy.
Richard

When I was a teenager Don Alan was performing at a magic convention. The close up performers rotated around 4 different banquet rooms. I followed Don from room to room and saw his act 4 times that night. (By the third time it was like watching a lecture). He was great.

I was hoping that if I waited, your comment would "go away"! (hee hee)

Those "ancient" pictographs were done by the late Irving Desfor. Irv didn't actually see the act! My father did the original pix with his POLAROID CAMERA. Irv just copied them on the cave wall with charcoal. He figured that they would last longer.

Those cave drawings actually prove that I was doing the CUPS & PEBBLES. BEFORE Dedi!!!

Howard Schultz probably still has 8 x 10 glossies of Irv's work, in his talent file!