From the March 4th Tweet by Dean Gunnarson:
Watch March 6, 2023 9:00 P.M. CST on The History Channel. G.O.A.T. The Greatest Daredevils of all time. Hosted by Peyton Manning.
Watch March 6, 2023 9:00 P.M. CST on The History Channel. G.O.A.T. The Greatest Daredevils of all time. Hosted by Peyton Manning. pic.twitter.com/wKEYlRBS6q
— Dean Gunnarson (@DeanGunnarson) March 4, 2023
From the February 19th article "Guelph's connection to Canada's first moving picture shows" by Ed Butts in Guelph Today:
Not much is known about John C. Green’s early years. An article about him that appeared in the Guelph Mercury in 1946 says he was a native of nearby Galt (now part of Cambridge). However, another biographical account says he was born in Boston on March 26, 1866.
...
Green worked for circuses, freak shows and touring theatrical troupes. He was especially interested in magic. He learned the tricks of the trade from professional magicians and eventually developed his own act. Green initially billed himself as The Merry Wizard, but finally settled on the name Belzac.
[Editor's note: While Green's stage name is often thought to be "Belsaz" it was "variously spelled Belzac, Belsac, and Belsaz in Ottawa newspapers" according to Hilary Russell in the article "All that Glitters: A Memorial to Ottawa's Capitol Theatre and its Predecessors" last updated on October 24, 2006 at ParksCanadaHistory.com ]...
For a long time, Canadian film histories pointed to that Ottawa event as the first showing of a motion picture in Canada. However, there actually had been an exhibit of motion pictures in Montreal a few weeks earlier.
Still, Green had been part of an historic event....
In 1913, Green opened the Temple Theatre in Galt. Then about 1918 he took over management of the Regent Theatre on Macdonell St. in Guelph. According to the 1946 Mercury article, Green would appear on stage to lecture on the movie and introduce the songs. This wasn’t unusual in an age in which movie reviews in the newspapers actually told readers almost the entire story, with no spoiler alerts.
Green would add a few magic tricks to his lectures to be sure the audience got their money’s worth.
Could this be the same John Green?
From the article "Green the Magician" at Elk Point History:
One entertainer I remember well, and one who was in a class all by himself, was a man who went by the title of "Green - the Magician." John Green was small in stature and in his late seventies when he first visited Elk Point during the middle 1940s. He always performed before sellout crowds and always put on an outstanding show. As a rule, if you didn't arrive at the hall early, you stood a chance of not being seated.
Green always traveled by train and usually brought about ten large trunks with him. They contained his costumes as well as other paraphernalia needed for his show. His magical performance always lasted a full two hours and was made up of a variety of acts which kept the large audience fascinated and spellbound throughout the entire evening.
From the February 16th Instagram post by Jason McKinstry:
Canada’s Silver Playing Card Coins - Royal Canadian Mint - This fantastic set was released in 2008/09 and commemorated Canada's historical use of playing cards as currency. In New France, during the 17th and 18th centuries, legitimate coinage was in short supply periodically. Much to the dismay of the King of France, colonists began using playing cards as promissory notes to pay local merchants and sailors. These playing card notes were cashed out each time a new shipment of coins arrived from France. This simple solution made out of desperation would go on to become an important landmark in Canadian history.
From the February 23rd article "World-renowned hypnotist Ty Reveen set to dazzle Langley with his show -- The show has a history that spans about six decades" by Anmay Ahluwalia in the Langley Advance Times:
Learning and performing since the age of five, Reveen said he had the “world’s greatest teacher,” who taught him the principles of “superconscious psychology.”
“My father taught me how to be a great performer and how to apply the principles of psychology in my shows.”
Reveen’s show also holds a special place in Canadian entertainment history.
“From the time our family first arrived to Canada from Australia in 1961, to 2001, our show has been seen by more people coast to coast throughout Canada’s top theatre circuit than any other show starring a theatrical entertainer,” he commented.
From the February 27th Facebook post by Reveen The Legend Continues:
From the February 27th Facebook post by Reveen The Legend Continues:
From the February 27th Facebook post by Reveen The Legend Continues:
From the February 27th Facebook post by Reveen The Legend Continues:
or
From the February 28th article "Houdini's daring Vancouver escape was 100 years ago this week" by Michelle Gomez and Andrew Kurjata, on the CBC website:
He "furiously struggled" for three minutes and 29 seconds, according to the paper's report, and when he showed he was free, "a cheer arose and swelled into a roar."
And while it may have been showmanship, Houdini had praise for the audience, as well, calling it "the greatest outdoor crowd I have ever seen."
Houdini's final years
The visit was a part of an East-to-West tour through several Canadian cities, according to Pellatt. A few days earlier, the magician had made similar headlines in Winnipeg.
At the time of his Vancouver show, Houdini was 49 years old. He died from a ruptured appendix just three years later.
...
"He was trying to tell us that you can escape the boundaries of your own daily limitations in different ways ... I think, in many ways, it was a metaphor for people's own humdrum lives."
"And I think people then and now still need that kind of hero to look at and to maybe aspire to."
From CBC Radio One Vancouver (On The Coast):
Rod Chow and The Magic Demon speak with Kathryn Marlow about the famous magician's stop 100 years ago.
Sleightly Sketchy presents Tricky Sticky
Here we go!
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Clue 3 (final)
Spoiler alert!
Answer:
Were you right? Leave a comment with the number of clues you needed!
Thank you to our