Kreskin
Encyclopedia
The Amazing Kreskin born George Joseph Kresge, is a mentalist who became popular on North America
n television
in the 1970s. He was inspired to become a mentalist by Lee Falk
's famous comic strip
Mandrake the Magician
, which features a crime
-fighting stage magician.
to Polish and Italian parents.
on CTV
and distributed in syndication in the United States. The series was produced in Ottawa
, Ontario
at the CJOH-TV
studios. An additional set of episodes was produced in 1975, billed as The New Kreskin Show. He appeared on The Tonight Show 61 times from 1970–1980. In the 1980s and 1990s he came to prominence again through several appearances on Late Night with David Letterman
. In 2009, he became the first guest to make three appearances on the new Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
.
He is still active as a live performer, appears regularly on WPIX
in New York City
, and appears annually on the Fox News Channel
and CNN
to give his New Year's Day
predictions for the coming year. One of his best known tricks is finding his check for a performance, which he instructs the audience to hide while he is escorted off stage and into seclusion by other members of the audience. While finding the check on most occasions, he has failed to find the check nine times.
Though Kreskin makes "predictions," he does not claim to have paranormal
or clairvoyant powers, and does not like to be considered a "psychic
". He teaches classes for law enforcement groups, which "focuses on psychological methods such as jogging lost memories through relaxation techniques or detecting lies through body language and voice inflections."
The 2008 movie The Great Buck Howard
is based on the experiences of writer-director Sean McGinly
who worked briefly as the road manager for Kreskin.
on June 6 between the hours of 9:45PM and midnight that would be witnessed by thousands of people. He also stated that if there was no sighting, he would donate $50,000 to a charity. Hundreds of people camped out that evening yet no sighting occurred. On June 8, Kreskin appeared in the opening segment of the Coast-to-Coast AM radio show, hosted by Art Bell
, to explain what had happened. Bell read Kreskin's press release over the air to the effect that: "the sighting prediction was a total fabrication in order to prove people's susceptibility to suggestion post-9/11." Kreskin claimed he was concerned that a terrorist, with the skills of a mentalist such as himself, could pull a similar stunt involving something much worse. He stated that the predicted sighting was only an "experiment." When asked about the $50,000 donation he previously promoted, Kreskin claimed there was indeed a sighting that night since he said glowing green orbs were supposedly spotted in the sky just before midnight and reported by witnesses after news camera crews had already left the scene. Because of this one reported sighting, Kreskin said his prediction came true anyway and therefore he didn't have to pay the money he previously announced. This statement offended Art Bell, who opined that this was a merely publicity stunt on Kreskin's part, and officially banned Kreskin from his show.
As far back as January 1973, a magazine carried an interview with Kreskin in which he alluded to the possibility of this stunt - and to the dangers of the madness of crowds in general:
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
in the 1970s. He was inspired to become a mentalist by Lee Falk
Lee Falk
Lee Falk, born Leon Harrison Gross , was an American writer, theater director, and producer, best known as the creator of the popular comic strip superheroes The Phantom and Mandrake the Magician, who at the height of their popularity attracted over a hundred million readers every day...
's famous comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
Mandrake the Magician
Mandrake the Magician
Mandrake the Magician is a syndicated newspaper comic strip, created by Lee Falk , which began June 11, 1934. Phil Davis soon took over as the strip's illustrator, while Falk continued to script. The strip was distributed by King Features Syndicate.Davis worked on the strip until his death in 1964,...
, which features a crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
-fighting stage magician.
Early life
George Joseph Kresge was born in Montclair, New JerseyMontclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
to Polish and Italian parents.
Career
From 1971 to 1975, Kreskin's television series The Amazing World of Kreskin was broadcast throughout CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
and distributed in syndication in the United States. The series was produced in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
at the CJOH-TV
CJOH-TV
CJOH-DT is a television station serving Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and the surrounding region. Owned by Bell Media, it is part of the CTV Television Network....
studios. An additional set of episodes was produced in 1975, billed as The New Kreskin Show. He appeared on The Tonight Show 61 times from 1970–1980. In the 1980s and 1990s he came to prominence again through several appearances on Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
. In 2009, he became the first guest to make three appearances on the new Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
.
He is still active as a live performer, appears regularly on WPIX
WPIX
WPIX, channel 11, is a television station in New York City built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WPIX also serves as the flagship station of The CW Television Network...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and appears annually on the Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
and CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
to give his New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
predictions for the coming year. One of his best known tricks is finding his check for a performance, which he instructs the audience to hide while he is escorted off stage and into seclusion by other members of the audience. While finding the check on most occasions, he has failed to find the check nine times.
Though Kreskin makes "predictions," he does not claim to have paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
or clairvoyant powers, and does not like to be considered a "psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
". He teaches classes for law enforcement groups, which "focuses on psychological methods such as jogging lost memories through relaxation techniques or detecting lies through body language and voice inflections."
The 2008 movie The Great Buck Howard
The Great Buck Howard
The Great Buck Howard is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by Sean McGinly that stars Colin Hanks and John Malkovich. Tom Hanks also appears as the father of his real-life son's character. The character Buck Howard is inspired by the mentalist The Amazing Kreskin, whose popularity was at...
is based on the experiences of writer-director Sean McGinly
Sean McGinly
Sean McGinly is an American film director and screenwriter. His film Two Days, starring Paul Rudd and Donal Logue piqued the interest of Tom Hanks, who then agreed to produce McGinly's latest project, The Great Buck Howard through his Playtone production company...
who worked briefly as the road manager for Kreskin.
Criticism
In 2002, Kreskin made a prediction that there would be a mass-UFO sighting over Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
on June 6 between the hours of 9:45PM and midnight that would be witnessed by thousands of people. He also stated that if there was no sighting, he would donate $50,000 to a charity. Hundreds of people camped out that evening yet no sighting occurred. On June 8, Kreskin appeared in the opening segment of the Coast-to-Coast AM radio show, hosted by Art Bell
Art Bell
Arthur W. "Art" Bell, III is an American broadcaster and author, known primarily as one of the founders and the original host of the paranormal-themed radio program Coast to Coast AM. He also created and formerly hosted its companion show, Dreamland...
, to explain what had happened. Bell read Kreskin's press release over the air to the effect that: "the sighting prediction was a total fabrication in order to prove people's susceptibility to suggestion post-9/11." Kreskin claimed he was concerned that a terrorist, with the skills of a mentalist such as himself, could pull a similar stunt involving something much worse. He stated that the predicted sighting was only an "experiment." When asked about the $50,000 donation he previously promoted, Kreskin claimed there was indeed a sighting that night since he said glowing green orbs were supposedly spotted in the sky just before midnight and reported by witnesses after news camera crews had already left the scene. Because of this one reported sighting, Kreskin said his prediction came true anyway and therefore he didn't have to pay the money he previously announced. This statement offended Art Bell, who opined that this was a merely publicity stunt on Kreskin's part, and officially banned Kreskin from his show.
As far back as January 1973, a magazine carried an interview with Kreskin in which he alluded to the possibility of this stunt - and to the dangers of the madness of crowds in general:
Kreskin is aware of both the benefits and dangers of hypnotism and claims that given an audience of 200 people, "I'll have them seeing flying saucers. Take the same crowd to Time Square on a hot evening and you can have them screaming "fire"."
Hitler, says Kreskin, used hypnotic techniques in his speeches - the torchlight parades and the sombre drum beating being evidence of this.
"Using suggestion, I could never make someone do something he didn't want to do. But it's different in a crowd," says Kreskin. "Psychologists don't know why, but somehow the level of morality is lowered and responsibility is lost."
"If my name is forgotten in years to come, I can only hope that I have taught people to wonder."