The Bed of Horrors: Part Two©2020 Brian H. Lumley The “Bed of Horrors” was a bad dream come true — it just would not work with any guarantee. The canopy slid down the four posts guided by four sleeves of square tubing about a foot long welded to the corners of the canopy frame. This…
Month: October 2020
“Bed of Horrors” Article by Brian Lumley-Part One
Over the next few posts, I’m going to be publishing an exclusive article from Brian Lumley. I’m sure many of you know, but Brian, along with Glenn Priest, was Doug’s right hand man and technician during the early days of Doug’s career. This article encompasses the treacherous set-up of the “Bed of Horrors” illusion from…
“Motorcycle Illusion” from Magic on Broadway
The motorcycle illusion featured today made its first TV appearance with Doug all the way back in 1977’s “World of Magic III.” Without a doubt, it became one of Doug most memorable and famous illusions. So much so in fact, that he recreated it for his penultimate special “Magic on Broadway” in 1982. Now, in…
“Rubber Girl” Illusion from “Magic on Broadway”
The “Rubber Girl” illusion above was featured on Doug’s 1982 “Magic on Broadway” special. A lot of the special had sort of a greatest hits feel about it, and was a perfect venue for Doug to show off some old favorites sprinkled with new illusions. In retrospect, all this is appropriate as this was the…
Doug and Debby Orlando T.M. Center Poster Autographs
The above poster comes from a recent purchase I made. While Doug and Debby signed a lot of autographs, this one was dedicated to the Orlando T.M. center that was open at the time. When it closed, everything in the center was eventually disposed of over time. However, this unique poster survived through a keen…
Would You Like to Help a Teacher Teach through Magic?
I received this very nice email today from teacher, Lee Hollman. Lee teaches at P.S.132 in Brooklyn NY, and has a request that maybe some of the many magicians out there can help him with. He’s also a huge Doug fan, as we all are. I personally can’t think of a better way than this…
James Randi (1928-2020)
Word is beginning to spread throughout the magic world that “The Amazing Randi,” aka James Randi, has just passed away. In his 92 years, James Randi brought a lot, not only to the world of magic and escapism, but to the art of skepticism and debunking of fraud. In that respect, he certainly picked up…
“Houdini’s Magic Magazine” Mystery
For all intents and purposes there shouldn’t be a mystery surrounding this January, 1978 issue of “Houdini’s Mystery Magazine.” I recently purchased this issue off of EBay for many reasons. The number one reason, of course, is for the cover and article previewing Doug’s upcoming “World of Magic” special. However, as I began to flip…
“Mismade Girl” from The Magic Show Movie!
To close off your Friday, why don’t we take a look at the “Mismade Girl” illusion from the “Magic Show” movie? Designed by magician Chuck Jones in 1968, the illusion has taken on a life of its own over the years, and was a frequent part of Doug’s act and stage shows! Enjoy! Have a…
Argus Leader Interview-5/1/1987
I was drawn to this article because of it being at a late stage of Doug’s magic career. It even begins with the interviewer asking about his opinion of Penn and Teller, and Doug’s view of them. Clearly they were the new kids on the magic block in the late 1980s. Times were clearly changing …
“Fergus’ Dilemma” from Merlin
The above song, of course, comes from “Merlin” and features one of Nathan Lane’s musical numbers from the show. While the sound quality is lacking, it does give you a “representation” of what the music was like. Over the years, Nathan Lane hasn’t talked about “Merlin” all that much. When he has, it always hasn’t…
Doug Henning on Broadway-Annie Slide Illusion
It’s two Annie actresses for the price of one in this clip from 1982’s “Doug Henning: Magic on Broadway!” Taped during the Merlin era, the special’s slide illusion features the original Annie Andrea McArdle transforming into the then current Annie Allison Smith. Did the Sun really come out tomorrow with this illusion? Well, that’s for…
“Bump in the Night” Box Interview with Greg Gleason
As many of you may have seen, magician Greg Gleason recently and accidentally came to own Doug’s original “Things that go Bump in the Night” box. How that came to be is a fascinating story. It’s a story so fascinating that I’m going to let Greg tell it himself. How did you obtain the box?…
Gary Brown on his Genii Article: Expanded
In 1997, I had reached out to Erica Larsen who was, at that time, editing Genii, about doing an issue devoted to Doug Henning. Erica kindly agreed, arranging for a few other writers to contribute pieces, and I volunteered to do a biographical sketch. Because Doug was still involved in trying to launch the Veda Land project,…
1997 Doug Bio Sent for “Genii” Article
The following biography was faxed to writer Gary Brown for an article he was doing on Doug for “Genii” in 1997. While Doug himself did not participate in the article directly, he did give his blessing to it. Tomorrow I’ll be posting Gary’s more detailed account of what occurred with the article and its reception….
Tonight’s Magic Collector’s Corner!
Sorry for the short notice folks, but I have it on good authority that tonight’s “Magic Collector’s Corner” will have a very special Doug segment. What it is, well, I can’t tell you. But, rest assured I’m looking forward to watching! The information to attend is listed above! See you there!
Famous Faced Cards by Paul Romhany (feat. Doug)
Sitting comfortably with Houdini, David Copperfield, and Cardini, Doug’s visage is one of the greats featured in this version of the “Famous Faced Cards” illusion. The illusion itself is reimagined by Paul Romhany, and based on a routine by Ken Brooke. The cards themselves are very striking, eye catching, and truly one of a kind!…
Doug and John Ritter
Most people are probably familiar with the traditional picture of Doug and John Ritter that I used for today’s splash page. However, I recently came across this alternative shot that was taken on the same night. The event in question occurred on Halloween 1978, and was taken at what I assume is the Magic Castle…
THE DOUG HENNING PROJECT 