This June, 1976 “Electric Company Magazine” cover story is memorable for many reasons. Not least of which is Doug’s levitation illusion at the very top of the World Trade Center. A record feat in magic and risk taking no doubt! Now I know I have published the front cover in a previous post. However, Doug…
Month: April 2018
Doug as Chou Chou the Mime
This rare Canadian article from the early 1970s touches on a relatively unknown time in Doug’s career when he wasn’t known as Doug Henning at all. No, this was the time of Chou Chou, the shoe selling mime. As the article explains, Doug’s purpose in this 15 minute consumer presentation was to perform his various…
Jim Steinmeyer Interview: Part Four (Revisited)
The closing part of our interview with Jim covers an interesting, overlooked, and ultimately bittersweet time in the life of Doug. After retreating from the spotlight for many years, Doug had returned to Los Angeles with a seemingly renewed sense of vigor and love of magic. What this may or may not have lead to…
Jim Steinmeyer Interview: Part Three (Revisited)
What was your reaction the news that he was retiring from magic? It was a really difficult situation…We had wind of it. Doug was spending a lot of time with TM stuff…and we had no idea what would happen to the company…Doug would go “No, no, no I’m really working.” He was kind of sending…
Jim Steinmeyer Interview: Part 2 (Revisited)
What were your impressions of Doug’s as a person? The thing about it was that that was 100% him. He didn’t come offstage and put on a three-piece suit, put his feet up, smoke cigars, and say “Hey, what do you think of this hippy look? What do you think I should be doing?” There…
Jim Steinmeyer Interview: Part One (Revisited)
(To commemorate the website’s upcoming first anniversary, I thought it would be appropriate to dip into the vault and reprint some of the initial interviews that launched everything. So, in that spirit enjoy this interview with Jim Steinmeyer from our second week) For many in the world of magic the name Jim Steinmeyer conjures up fantastical…
The $1,000,000 Illusion
As we close out the week, I wanted to showcase the “1,000,000” illusion from Doug’s penultimate special “Magic on Broadway.” The special itself, shot at the time of “Merlin,” serves as a kind of greatest hits special sprinkled with new takes on old illusions and a myriad of special guests. Reuniting with Doug on stage…
A Moment for Harry Anderson
For the last few days the passing of Harry Anderson has been on my mind, as I’m sure it has with all of you. I had wanted to pay tribute in some way to Anderson’s tremendous influence on magic and comedy. But, I wasn’t sure if a Doug Henning website was the proper venue for that….
Doug Henning Canadian “Beginnings” Article
This article comes by way of reader Karen Kampen. It’s very unique in the sense that it’s more oral history than a straight article. In it, Doug reflects on his childhood growing up in Canada, his sisters, and his father. It’s a great read, and while it’s a mystery to myself and Karen which paper it…
1981 TWA Airline Newspaper Ad and Commercial
This vintage newspaper ad from 1981 was produced in conjunction with a tongue in cheek TV commercial that Doug participated in for TWA. As far as a I can tell, it’s only one of a handful of ads that Doug was featured in during his career. While we’re on that subject, here’s the actual TV…
Never Before Seen 1970s Performance Photos
Today’s incredible and previously unseen pictures come from photographer Frank Zak, and feature a mid-1970s performance in Pittsburgh. What’s stunning for me is their clarity and detail. You really do feel like you’re in the front row, or perhaps even on the stage itself. While I never had the opportunity to see Doug perform live myself,…
Original Magic Show TV Commercial from the Michael Grandinetti Collection
This commercial featured above was originally broadcast on October 10, 1978, and features Doug’s replacement Joe Ablado in the lead role. While Doug may not appear in the ad itself, his presence can be felt in the poster, the songs, and of course the illusions themselves. So, enjoy this rare bit of Broadway TV magicana,…
Original 1976 Magic Show Marquee and Billboard Photos
These fabulous photos were given to me by early Doug collaborator Brian Lumley, and feature “The Magic Show” marquee and billboard during Christmas, 1976. On my recent trip to New York I had tried to visualize what the theater and its surrounding areas looked like during that period, and these certainly give me a great…
Doug Henning/Billy Crystal Lake Tahoe Ad
To while away your Wednesday afternoon I thought I’d share a unique item from the collection of Michael Whitecar. While these sorts of casino show ads were common at the time, I’ve always been drawn to their very 1970s vibe and artwork. Think about it, who would do a hand drawn portrait of a performer…
“The Magic Show” on Amazon Prime Streaming
John Cox of Wild About Harry was kind enough to let me know that the 1981 filmed version of “The Magic Show” is now available for streaming on Amazon Prime. While this production has been available on DVD for a while, this is the first time anything by Doug has been available on a streaming platform. Notably,…
Cort Theater Photos
And I’m back! After a busy three weeks off, “The Doug Henning Project” is up and running for service. During this time, I had the pleasure of spending a week in New York City. NYC is memorable for many reasons, not least of which is that Broadway is the home of the Cort Theater. The…
THE DOUG HENNING PROJECT 