Lou Lancaster
Encyclopedia
Lou Lancaster was an American magician and author
.
His 1984 book Tricks Of The Trade: A Professional Looks at Commercial Closeup Magic OCLC 12995877 [edited by Phyllis Guggenheim; photos by Lancaster & Guggenheim] explained many techniques of close-up magic, and he appeared in several instructional videos produced by the International Magicians Society
. The August 2005 issue of The Linking Ring
featured a cover story on Lancaster and his innovations.
Lancaster performed at the Magic Castle eighteen times, and had multiple engagements throughout Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, Sacramento, and the Catskills. When in New York he worked at the famous Magic Towne House headed up by Dorothy Dietrich
and Dick Brooks
. He helped assemble Dietrich's straitjacket escape for the HBO
Special The World's Greatest Escapes, in which she appeared as special guest star. She holds the record for the highest stationary escape by a woman from a straitjacket while hanging from a burning rope. She has been quoted as saying, "I trusted my life to Lou Lancaster!" She also says he invented the famous Twister illusion for Mark Wilson
when he worked on his TV show. He was the resident magician at Magic Island in Newport for two years.
After Lancaster's death, Jeff McBride
- who credits Lancaster with giving him his first professional engagement - participated in Lancaster's memorial Broken Wand Ceremony
.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
.
His 1984 book Tricks Of The Trade: A Professional Looks at Commercial Closeup Magic OCLC 12995877 [edited by Phyllis Guggenheim; photos by Lancaster & Guggenheim] explained many techniques of close-up magic, and he appeared in several instructional videos produced by the International Magicians Society
International Magicians Society
The International Magicians Society is the world's largest magic society as recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. The IMS began in 1968 and now has over 37,000 members worldwide...
. The August 2005 issue of The Linking Ring
The Linking Ring
The Linking Ring is a monthly print magazine, published by the International Brotherhood of Magicians. It is also available in electronic form to members of the IBM. All members of the IBM are entitled to receive this periodical. It was first published in 1923...
featured a cover story on Lancaster and his innovations.
Lancaster performed at the Magic Castle eighteen times, and had multiple engagements throughout Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, Sacramento, and the Catskills. When in New York he worked at the famous Magic Towne House headed up by Dorothy Dietrich
Dorothy Dietrich
Dorothy Dietrich is an American stage magician and escapologist, and the first and only woman to have performed the bullet catch in mouth. She was also the first woman to perform a straitjacket escape while suspended hundreds of feet in the air from a burning rope Dorothy Dietrich is an American...
and Dick Brooks
Dick Brooks (entertainer)
Dick Brooks, considered a magician of renown has been a professional performer since leaving school, was born in New York City. As a teenager he joined a Department of Parks magic club headed up by the official magician of New York City, Abe Hurwitz , who was also the father of the soon to be...
. He helped assemble Dietrich's straitjacket escape for the HBO
Home Box Office
HBO, short for Home Box Office, is an American premium cable television network, owned by Time Warner. , HBO's programming reaches 28.2 million subscribers in the United States, making it the second largest premium network in America . In addition to its U.S...
Special The World's Greatest Escapes, in which she appeared as special guest star. She holds the record for the highest stationary escape by a woman from a straitjacket while hanging from a burning rope. She has been quoted as saying, "I trusted my life to Lou Lancaster!" She also says he invented the famous Twister illusion for Mark Wilson
Mark Wilson (magician)
James "Mark" Wilson is an American magician and author. He is widely credited as becoming the first major "television magician" and in the process establishing the viability of illusion shows as a television format.-Early years:...
when he worked on his TV show. He was the resident magician at Magic Island in Newport for two years.
After Lancaster's death, Jeff McBride
Jeff McBride
Jeff McBride is an American magician from Monticello New York. He is known for his sleight of hand skills and specializes in the manipulation of playing cards, coins, and other small objects. His stage performances blend elements of kabuki, a Japanese theater form, with traditional conjuring...
- who credits Lancaster with giving him his first professional engagement - participated in Lancaster's memorial Broken Wand Ceremony
Broken wand ceremony
A broken wand ceremony is a ritual performed at the funeral of a magician, in which a wand—either the wand which the magician used in performances, or a ceremonial one—is broken, indicating that with the magician's death, the wand has lost its magic....
.