The night was December 26, 1975. Fifty-Million plus people were tuning in live for an NBC worldwide satellite broadcast. The star was a twenty-eight year old magician from Canada that had been taking Broadway and fans by storm in “The Magic Show.” His name, of course, was Doug Henning! Offered a TV special of his own by…
Month: July 2017
Doug Henning Meet Captain Kangaroo!
“The Doug Henning Project” will be taking a much needed vacation for the remainder of the week and will return rested and wonder-filled this Monday, July 31st. I have something special planned for all of next week, so be sure not to miss it. Until then, enjoy these great clips of Doug on the Captain…
“Magic Show,” Marie Osmond, and More!
As promised here are today’s group of pictures that again range from the making of the “The Magic Show” movie to more of Doug’s NBC specials. Included in the first picture is actress Didi Conn who played Cal, Doug’s love interest in the televised “Magic Show.” Those with eagle-eyes will also probably know her better…
More Never Before Seen Pictures!
Boy do I have a treat for you! Over the next couple days I will be presenting extremely rare and candid shots of Doug and his crew preparing for “The Magic Show” television movie along with various NBC specials. These photos not only show us the meticulous planning that went into every project, but also…
Alternate “Magic Show” Poster
This phenomenal and eye catching poster for the “Magic Show” television adaptation is truly, pardon the pun, a “wonder.” Rarely seen, it shows a totally different concept than the traditional poster that was used for the Broadway and television versions. If anyone has more information on this, where it was used, and the artist please…
“Magic Show” Movie Props!
Today’s images again come from Steve Zigmont’s impressive collection. What you see below are the bottles that the evil magician Van Zyskin uses in his act for “The Magic Show” movie. Filmed for Canadian television, this version of “The Magic Show” differs from the famed Broadway production. However, it is the only version of the play…
“Electric Company” Cover!
This famous picture taken at New York’s World Trade Center was for the June, 1976 issue of “The Electric Company Magazine.” At the time, this feat was billed as the highest levitation attempt in history and was submitted to the “Guinness Book of World Records.” Whether it won or not is anyone’s guess. However, most…
Martin Short is Doug Henning!!!
Although a website is based on words, sometimes they’re just not necessary. Enjoy this hilarious clip of Martin Short as Doug from 1985’s appropriately named “Martin Short Comedy Special!” Special Thanks to Willy Cheyenne.
Doug and The Washington Post: Part Three
“The Spellbound World of Doug Henning” By Richard Harrington June 9, 1982 The Heir to Houdini Henning is spending this week at Merriweather Post Pavilion with one of the last road shows he’ll be doing for a while. All his time and energy are going into “Merlin,” which he describes as a 6-year-old project about…
Doug and The Washington Post: Part Two
“The Spellbound World of Doug Henning” by Richard Harrington June 9, 1982 After graduation from college with a degree in physiological psychology, Henning traveled all over Canada and the United States searching out masters who could teach a young Doug old tricks; post-graduate work included opening for Canadian rock groups. He soon found backers for…
Doug and The Washington Post
I just came across this treat of a “Washington Post” interview I think everyone will enjoy. It was published on June 9, 1982 and takes place right before Doug was winding down touring to concentrate on the creation of “Merlin.” Compared to other interviews I’ve read it really delves deeply into Doug’s thoughts on the…
Doug, Mars, and the North Pole
This rare newspaper article is notable for a number of reasons. Mainly, it profiles Doug and his then partner, Mars Barrick, embarking on their fabled 1971 journey to perform for Canadian Armed Forces 200 miles from the North Pole. The “Snowball Safari,” as it was called, featured 25 entertainers and it was here that Doug’s…
“Merlin” at the Tonys!
It’s a Merlin kind of Monday here at “The Doug Henning Project!” In my You Tube travels, I came across this excellent musical clip from the 1983 Tony Awards featuring the “It’s About Magic” number from Merlin. As with all things “Merlin,” whenever you find any scenes from the show it’s a rarity. So, please…
Backstage Pass!
This item was sent to me recently by Steve Zigmont. It was taken from the backstage wall at the Fox Theater in St. Louis. Normally with touring shows it is common for every production to leave a drawing or stencil as a permanent reminder that they were there. However, the year of this drawing and…
Lifestyles of the Rich and Doug!
Today I thought I’d feature a four minute vintage clip of Doug and Debby on the classic 1980s program “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” What’s cool about it is that it gives us a glimpse not only into Doug’s home, but his famed workshop where many of his illusions were developed. Also, what I…
Vanish Magic Magazine
I just wanted to let everyone know that the new July 2017 issue of “Vanish Magic Magazine” features a long form article written by yours truly about, you guessed it, Doug Henning. The article has tons of great pictures and delves into the history of Doug along with my reasons for starting “The Doug Henning…
A Wonder-Filled Fourth of July!
Have a very happy, safe, and magical Fourth of July from your friends at “The Doug Henning Project!”
Houdini: His Legend and His Magic Part Four
For our last round of pictures I wanted to focus on the excellent chapter “Houdini in Color.” What we have here are wonderful and bold color plates that really spring to life from the page. It’s my favorite chapter, and I suspect I may not be the only one! I thought it was more than appropriate to end with…
THE DOUG HENNING PROJECT 