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RickSilmser Special user 869 Posts |
"My husband was always bringing home stray dogs and cats" Mrs. D told me once. "When he was a young man still doing his magic act, he had an entire train car unpacked so he could get to the doves to make sure they were fed and had enough water". "Once he came home in the pouring rain, dropped his suit cases in the front hallway and went right back out, got into the car and came back 15 minutes later with a stray dog he saw when he was on his way home" she said.
Mrs.D told me that at times if the animal was injured, Dunninger would take the money out of his own pocket to pay the Vet bills. The great Mentalist Dunninger was also a humanitarian... that's the kind of guy Joe Dunninger was. (Till the day she died, Billie Dunninger carried on for Joe by feeding all of the stray cats in her neighbourhood, every day, twice a day.) "What kind of movies or TV shows did he like, Mrs. D" ? I once asked..."he really liked the western movies and TV shows" (Paladon, Gun Smoke,etc.) I used to do little "fix it" jobs for mrs.D, just things she couldn't do, due to her age and her small stature (she was only 5 feet 1 or 2 inches tall) Please excuse me if these postings go all over the map...I was there many times and bits and pieces come back to me as I type. This one day I was out painting the cealing of Mrs.D's outside pourch, she opened the door and walked out...I was full of paint, Mrs.D said "Rick....the cealing (as she pointed up) and not the shirt", as she poked me, she was so funny at times. "You know who painted that cealing last time" ? she asked, "No who"? I asked..."Blackstone" she said in a very theatrical voice. "He was really tall, my husband did the walls and Harry did the cealing", then she just shuffled back into the house as if it was nothing. Man, I felt like chipping off some of the paint as a souvenir ! Mrs.D sold me Dunninger's cutting the lady into 8ths. illusion, it was out in the garage in a crate. We both went out this one Saturday morning, geez, I remember this like it was yesterday, it was an exceptionally beautiful day. I had to use a car jack to open the garage door, when we went in, there sat, the illusion, not used since the 1930's, in it's original crate. You could still see the original label which read "Dunninger Theatre" which told the stage hands it had to be taken into the theatre. Mrs.D told me once that Dunninger was fined $20.00 for touching up his own illusion backstage...his own illusion! I guess it went against some union thing and one of the union guys was supposed to do it and not Dunninger himself. I opened the crate to have a look at the illusion, it was a thing of beauty. It was a bit musty, the blades were rusty...but the original paint job was still there, I believe it had Egyptian motif painted on it. I took each peice out and cleaned it by hand, I cleaned that thing so gently, you'd swear I was making love to it. It was absolutely gorgeous. Mrs.D actually showed me how to set it up...I stood back and looked at it, and then my mind pictured it as it probably looked in center stage at the Orpheium(?) Theatre back in the late 20's or early 30's...and my chest filled. It turned out that the next day I spoke with one of Dunninger's daughters and she asked if I would kindly back out of the sale because she wanted it kept in the family. My sence of moral kicked in and I said..."no problem". But you know what folks ? I can proudly say that I owned that piece of magical history for a whole 24 hours and I got to handle every, single piece ! Now, this is where I was going to tell you about one of the Davenport Brothers spirit cabinets that Dunninger purchased and stored in the basement. But I think I'll save that for part 4, ok folks ? ~Rick~ |
Necromancer Inner circle Chicago 3076 Posts |
Keep 'em coming, Rick!
Much thanks, Neil
Creator of The Xpert (20 PAGES of reviews!), Cut & Color, Hands-Off Multiple ESP (HOME) System, Rider-Waite Readers book, Zoom Pendulum ebook ...
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Wolflock Inner circle South Africa 2257 Posts |
I am like a little child listening to my first stories.
Wolflock
Pro Magician & Escapologist Member of JMC (Johannesburg Magic Circle) South Africa |
Alexander Marsh Inner circle England 1191 Posts |
Your storys are truly mezmerizing, keep 'em commin.
My stuff: AlexanderMarshMentalism.co.uk
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Captain Magic New user 16 Posts |
Yes very nice Rick!
Can you tell us what year Dunninger married Mrs. D? And how many times did you visit there? |
RickSilmser Special user 869 Posts |
Gee, I don't know the exact year Mrs.D and Dunninger were married, I would guess in possibly the early 1950's ?? I was at Mrs.D's maybe 6 or 7 times over a span of 2 or 3 years.
~Rick~ |
scotty76 New user 21 Posts |
Great Rick, I'm really enjoying reading these - Thanks.
What is the background to you being invited to his house - did you befriend him or his wife or something ? Cheers |
RickSilmser Special user 869 Posts |
Actually Scotty, I was talking to Mrs. Jay Marshall and she mentioned that Dunninger's widow was still alive, (Dunninger was 25 years older than his wife) and that she would probably like to hear from me. So she gave me Mrs.D's phone number and I called and introduced myself. it was over a long peroid of time that we got to know each other and then she invited me. I was going to stay in a Newark hotel, but Mrs.D told me she had 15 rooms in her house and "probably" had a spare bed.
~Rick~ Wolfie, how was your trip? you were away doing shows, right? anything good happen ? ~Rick~ |
Wolflock Inner circle South Africa 2257 Posts |
The show went off Very Well. I only had one hiccup which (thank heavens) happened at practise where the blad did not work properly in my head chopper and I almost did chop through my assistant's neck. Thank heavens I caught on to everything in time and only recieved a minor little cut on my hand. Injury seems to be in the stars for me atthe moment. I am doing a two month contract with a Nightclub here in Cape Town at the moment and While doing my show last night. Aircons caused a bit of bother with my fickle fire. I know have a nice big blister on the base of my middle finger. LOL. Accident prone at the moment. Hopefully the plaser with protect the hand enough tonight.
Regards Wolflock
Wolflock
Pro Magician & Escapologist Member of JMC (Johannesburg Magic Circle) South Africa |
RickSilmser Special user 869 Posts |
Wolfie...good man and congratulations on the 2 month gig. One of my gigs of 6 months lasted 12 years...lol! So you never know what will happen...
~Rick~ |
Wolflock Inner circle South Africa 2257 Posts |
As long as the owner of the club stops trying to skimp on everything, I don't mind, but he is really full of &^%$. And you know that it would take a lot for me to say something like that about someone.
Wolflock
Pro Magician & Escapologist Member of JMC (Johannesburg Magic Circle) South Africa |
RickSilmser Special user 869 Posts |
I have met so many good people. They are like a "who's who" in escapes.
~Rick~ |
Wolflock Inner circle South Africa 2257 Posts |
Rick. Ian is a wonderful person who will help you in any way he can. I can vouch for that. And he DEFINATELY, knows what he is talking about. Thank you once again for the Vid Ian.
Regards Wolflock
Wolflock
Pro Magician & Escapologist Member of JMC (Johannesburg Magic Circle) South Africa |
Maxine Dunninger New user USA 3 Posts |
[quote]On 2005-01-05 06:42, trunk8 wrote:
Dear Rick, Now I know you are a real professional, you have handled this in the most honourable way. Steve tried very hard to bait you with his silliness and unprofessional behaviour (the moderators should have surely noticed) but you came through. Thanks to Steve, now I know exactly who you are. Like Steve, I too am the proud owner of a pair of handcuffs reportedly owned by Mr Dunninger , I have papers with mine, do you also Steve? You show me your and I'll show you mine. Finally Rick we meet! Ian Hello Ian, You should ask Rick where his bill of sale is and the proof he has for all of the things he has from Dunninger? MAXINE DUNNINGER
"For those who believe....no explaination is necessary.For those who do not believe...No explaination is possible." DUNNINGER
Maxine Dunninger |
RickSilmser Special user 869 Posts |
Maxine...you know and I know that your mom never gave bills of sale...are we going to start this again, 15 years later? I refuse to do this . I speak about your Mom and Dad here with great reverence and respect. If you wish to dig up ghosts from the past then you will be doing it alone because again I'll say, I refuse to do this again.
~Rick~ |
The Donster Inner circle 4817 Posts |
Sits back in a easy chair and watches the fireworks begin.
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RickSilmser Special user 869 Posts |
Trust me Don, there will be none here.
~Rick~ |
Ian McColl Inner circle 1493 Posts |
G'day Maxine Dunninger
I haven't read all your messages to establish who you are (sorry, maybe I should )and in cyberspace one never knows. you wrote: Hello Ian, You should ask Rick where his bill of sale is and the proof he has for all of the things he has from Dunninger? MAXINE DUNNINGER [/quote] You see the probelm here is that I was going off my memory when I posted about the cuffs I have and you are going off your memory of events 15 years ago. I was actually wrong. The letters I have which confirm the sale, state that the cuff was Houdini's and not Mr Dunningers. thank you. Ian
handcuff keys https://www.facebook.com/groups/274871910110997/
old business https://www.facebook.com/Stockade-locksmiths-276492435716704/ |
Decomposed Eternal Order High Desert 12059 Posts |
Wow that's great Ian...hello by the way:)
Wayner
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Rabbitless Hat New user 65 Posts |
Ok....I'm ready for the next story. Can we hear it please?
Please..can we hear it? Huh? Please? I'll be real quiet. Now. ... Yes I will. ... ... Is there a pony in it? Huh? Is there? Is there?? I like ponies... and stories about Dunninger.
"Too much flourish for the magicians. Too much magic for the flourishers."
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