For all those interested in the coolest fashions, look no further than this 1970s Doug vintage. Currently available on Etsy, this beauty can be yours for the taking at $46.00 But, what a find it is. In fact, I’ve never seen this design before. You could even say “I can’t believe it!” For more information,…
Tag: 1970s
“A Magical Encounter” Essay by Michael Williams, PH.D
I came across this rather touching article on “Medium.com” which profiles a fateful meeting between a lone hitchhiker Michael Williams, a young Doug Henning, and Mars Barrick. It’s very much of its time, and one I’ll think you enjoy. A Magical Encounter: Meeting magicians Doug Henning and Mars Barrick My cousin Mark Wicken is a…
Six Doug Performance Photos on Ebay
The above auction is currently happening on Ebay, and is pretty good if you ask me. It’s not always common that Doug performance photos come up for sale, and these ones in particular are a lot of fun. As the seller says, the dates and location of the photos are unknown. But, at 16 bids…
Early Doug Henning “Chou Chou” Mall Tour Photo
The above photo comes from the collection of Canadian TV personality Mitch Markowitz. It was taken during Doug’s time as the mime character Chou Chou in an early 1970s mall tour. Mitch himself was the MC/Road Manager, and can be seen on the bottom right hand side with microphone in hand. It goes without saying…
“World’s Greatest Magic” Book
While cleaning out my storage space recently, I came across this book in a long forgotten box of miscellaneous magicana. Written by Hyla M. Clark and with photos by Paul Levin, “The World’s Greatest Magic” is a who’s who of magic stars from the late 1970s. Houdini, Doug, Copperfield, Randi, Tomsoni, Shimada…everyone gets their just…
NYPL Photo Archive: The Magic Show Part Two
Let’s do it again shall we folks? I have to say I’m really loving this collection of photos. What strikes me the most about them is that their electricity and energy truly make you feel as if you’re in the Cort Theater’s front row circa 1974. As these pictures prove, the production itself was sparse and…
Grover Dale Remembers “The Magic Show:” Part One
All this week, “The Doug Henning Project” is fortunate to be printing excerpts from “Magic Show” director Grover Dale’s upcoming autobiography. Mr. Dale has been gracious enough to allow the chapter devoted to “The Magic Show” to be previewed here, and what a chapter it is! As you will see all this week, “The Magic…
Magic Show Monday: Before Your Very Eyes!
Lets’s get this week started on a high note with a musical selection from “The Magic Show” soundtrack. “Before Your Very Eyes” is one of the showstoppers of the musical, and still holds up extremely well today! While it’s difficult to find a proper video recording of “The Magic Show” as originally presented (I’m not…
Doug and Dinah Shore Interview
While this clip includes yesterday’s performance at the start, it’s the sit down interview that begins at 5:53 that’s worth your price of admission for today. What I find fascinating about this chat is that it deviates from the usual talk show banter, and allows Doug to be, well, Doug. His views on science versus…
Doug on the “Dinah Shore Show:” Part One
This fantastic performance clip comes from when Doug was a guest on Dinah Shore’s appropriately named talk show “Dinah.” It’s a great sampling of some of Doug’s greatest hits, and well worth the four minutes and fifty seconds of your time. I’ll feature the interview segment itself tomorrow. Enjoy!
Macleans Magazine Interview-Dec. 1974
Enjoy this gem of an interview I recently found taken at the time of “The Magic Show.” You couldn’t ask for a better cover story picture of Doug with Houdini book in hand. Be sure to donate to my Indiegogo campaign for my feature length documentary “Doug Henning’s Magical World.” To view the trailer…
Brian Lumley: Metamorphosis Mishap
Metamorphosis by Brian Lumley Part Two Charlie was the man that convinced the producers that The Magic Show could not make it without Doug’s personal Special Assistants. He had seen how closely we worked with Doug…He also advised IATSE and the production that we should be the only people to touch the magic props. This…
Doug on Andy Williams?
Today’s post comes about from an email I recently received from Doug fan and ex-magic builder Russell Bruce. Here’s an excerpt: “A friend and I are really big fans of Dougs, and have been searching for anyone with a copy of Dougs appearance on the Andy Williams Show. In this appearance, they performed the opening…
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…
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…
Spellbound Pamphlet!
Today is a first for “The Doug Henning Project” as I am featuring an item from my own collection. While I can no way lay claim to some of the amazing Doug-related items I’ve seen in private collections, this simple pamphlet is special in what it would eventually become. “Spellbound” was Doug’s vision for a…
Houdini’s Magic Magazine: Pictures
What a treat these pictures are! Flipping through the magazine, I was taken aback at how rare some of these shots are, especially of “The Magic Show” itself. For those with an eagle-eye, yes that is not Doug in the title role. By that point Doug had left the show for greener television and touring…
Vault Treasures: Part Three
Hoping for a final Part Four tomorrow? Well, you’re in luck. Same Doug time, same Doug website!
Tell Your Stories!
Since starting this website I’ve had many people write me with their personal recollections of meeting Doug. I’ve even been sent many rare and unpublished photos. So, all this has made me think that “The Doug Henning Project” should devote a future week to people’s Doug stories. So, do you have a personal story to…
The Magic of Minolta!
While not a television appearance in the traditional sense, this 1978 Minolta commercial highlights Doug in a different light: A commercial pitchman! Aside from its obvious kitsch value, the commercial shows how much of a name Doug was at that time. Think about it. Have you ever really seen a magician before or since be a…
Why Doug Henning Matters…
What we know as modern magic would never have existed if it wasn’t for this simple and unassuming Canadian who had the vision to bring magic to the masses in a unique and totally different way. Without his influence on modern pop culture, the idea and concept of the “superstar” magician would never have existed…let […]
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