The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon.
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Remembering The Amazing Kreskin
by the Magic Demon
Exclusive to Canada's Magic
The legendary American mentalist The Amazing Kreskin has died, age 89.
To multiple generations of fans he WAS mentalism.
He had a strong Canadian connection.
Many of us will recall his late 1970s TV series taped first in Ottawa at CJOH TV and later in Toronto at CFTO TV.
It was at the latter where I sat enthralled by his performance during a taping. It was also the first time I began to understand how he did what he did, which fostered both a lifetime admiration for his talent and gifts but also a personal interest in performing mentalism (as an amateur) as a theatrical device with which to explore limits of imagination and the element of wonder in all of human life.
I was lucky enough to see him again in person during the late summer of 2014 where he performed outdoors at the Toronto annual CNE.
The photos below were taken during one of his "hypnosis" shows (although he always firmly insisted such a phenomenon did not exist and preferred to call it "powers of suggestion.")
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Kreskin at the CNE originally published as part of '[Guest post] Kreskin at the CNE' photo: ©The Magic Demon, 2014, All rights reserved |
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Kreskin with a stage full of volunteers originally published as part of '[Guest post] Kreskin at the CNE' photo: ©The Magic Demon, 2014, All rights reserved |
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Kreskin's powers of suggestion originally published as part of '[Guest post] Kreskin at the CNE' photo: ©The Magic Demon, 2014, All rights reserved |
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Kreskin messing with minds originally published as part of '[Guest post] Kreskin at the CNE' photo: ©The Magic Demon, 2014, All rights reserved |
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Kreskin's influence on anatomy originally published as part of '[Guest post] Kreskin at the CNE' photo: ©The Magic Demon, 2014, All rights reserved |
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Kreskin at the CNE originally published as part of '[Guest post] Kreskin at the CNE' photo: ©The Magic Demon, 2014, All rights reserved |
So RIP Amazing Kreskin.
You provided joy and mystery for generations of fans; inspiration and excellence to which to aspire for generations of mentalists.
- The Magic Demon
Thank you The Magic Demon for guest posting at Canada's Magic!
A sampling of thoughts from the magic community:
From the December 10th Facebook post by Bernard Cormier:
From the December 10th Facebook post by Brian Robert:
From the December 10th Facebook post by Patrick Francis Drake:
From the December 10th Facebook post by Chris Doyle Mysterion:
From the December 11th Facebook post by Tim Ottaway:
From the December 10th Facebook post by Bill Abbott:
From the December 11th Facebook post at The Historical Society of Ottawa:
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