A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of speaking on the phone with esteemed Doug Henning collector Chip Romero. During our extensive phone call, Chip covered many topics and elements of his fascinating collection of Doug’s life and work. However, what really stopped the presses for me was what came next. You see, Chip…
Tag: Doug Henning
“World of Magic VII” Newspaper Ad
Hey Guys! Sorry for the delay in posts. I’ve been up to my neck in our current Indiegogo campaign. Hey, so what better way to take a break with this vintage newspaper advertisement from “World of Magic VII?” The special, as you may remember, starred Doug and his guests Ann Jillian, Kaitlyn Jenner, Billy Crystal,…
Doug Henning “Magic Team” Baseball Caps
Finding clothing from Doug’s touring productions can be rare indeed. Aside from t-shirts that infrequently show up on Ebay, there isn’t really much readily to be found for purchase. These hats from the collection of Michael Whitecar, were I suspect worn by the people that worked for Doug in his touring productions. If anyone out…
World of Magic IV Animal Illusion
What better way to liven up your Sunday afternoon than with this vintage clip where Doug conjures up some adorable baby animals and, well, enough said? Original Air Date: February 15, 1981 ————————————————————————————– While you’re here, be sure to donate to my Indiegogo campaign for my feature length documentary “Doug Henning’s Magical World.” To view…
Potter & Potter Auction Items
The following items were passed onto me by Potter & Potter Auctions in Chicago. All three will feature in their October 20th “Houdiniana” auction. for more info please click: Here Let the bidding begin! Be sure to donate to my Indiegogo campaign for my feature length documentary “Doug Henning’s Magical World.” To view the trailer and…
“Merlin” Cast and Crew Opening Night Statue
This item is something I have never seen before and is probably one of the more rare items in conjunction with “Merlin.” It was apparently given to cast and crew opening night as a gift for their hard work and dedication. Past that I don’t know much about it. Neither does its owner. Without a…
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…
Doug, Chita Rivera, and Mary Martin!
Special Thanks to Ken McCreedy for this rare “meeting of the minds”picture that not many people have probably seen from the time of “Merlin!” Be sure to donate to my Indiegogo campaign for my feature length documentary “Doug Henning’s Magical World.” To view the trailer and contribute please visit: https://bit.ly/2zqM9eY
World of Magic VII TV Listing
While I’m promoting the Indiegogo campaign for my documentary, I still wanted to still posts on the regular blog. Unfortunately, my written descriptions may not be as long for now. But, enjoy this newspaper TV listing from 1980! Special Thanks to Ken McCreedy Be sure to donate to my Indiegogo campaign for my feature length…
Brian Lumley: Final Musings on The Magic Show
Metamorphosis by Brian Lumley Part Five These are the kind of things that would serendipitously happen. They are part of the magic that made The Magic Show and kept it going. Needless to say, Doug never trusted the bag set again. He and his assistant double checked it every time. What those particular stagehands thought…
Brian Lumley: Metamorphosis Comeuppance
Metamorphosis by Brian Lumley Part Four Fingers were pointed at everybody like a Three Stooges routine. But it came down to who touched it last. I was blamed by the stagehands. But it was pointed out by the stage managers that the stagehands had demanded they take over that props pre-set. This had been done…
Brian Lumley: Metamorphosis Mixup
Metamorphosis by Brian Lumley Part Three Doug lifted the banner to his waist on one. Then raised it over his head. He then lowered it to his waist again and looked down at the trunk. He was supposed to say two when he raised it over his head, but instead he was talking to Dale…
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…
Brian Lumley: Magic Show Metamorphosis
Over this week, early Doug collaborator Brian Lumley is going to be sharing more memories of Doug and, specifically, his time with The Magic Show. Enjoy! Metamorphosis by Brian Lumley Part One The average person would not believe the level or intensity of the screw ups we had running The Magic Show. Especially in the…
Pantages Newspaper Ad
This newspaper ad comes from Hollywood’s famed Pantages theater and highlights Doug’s public performing debut on the West Coast. Doug performed several times at the Pantages over his career, and this ad is unique in the sense in that it highlights the more mysterious aspects of his stage persona. I’m sure we’ve all seen the…
Peter DePaula NYC Speaking Event
The following was sent to me by Joe Fox as featured in the “Genii Forum.” Peter DePaula, Doug’s touring replacement on “The Magic Show,” will be hosting a S.A.M evening of memories from his time with the show, and even teach some close-up magic that was used to promote the original touring production. As noted,…
The Magic Show-Celestial Elevator
There’s nothing like a brief snippet from the TV version of “The Magic Show” to start the day off right! If all elevator rides were this fun…
Circus Magazine Interview
Original Release: December, 1976 Special Thanks to Ken McCreedy
“Doug Henning’s Magical World” IndieGoGo Campaign
Hello Everyone! As we ease into the week, I wanted to let you know that on Monday, September 24th we will officially be launching our online fundraising campaign for the feature length documentary “Doug Henning’s Magical World.” The campaign itself will be one month long, and will be on Indiegogo. The film itself has been…
Unseen Photo
In my never ending search for anything Doug related, I came across this photo of Doug with actress Jane Marla Robbins. At first glance, I wasn’t sure where this picture was taken. However, when you look at the shirts both of them are wearing it’s very clear that this was taken during Doug’s mis-adventure to Muhammad…
Lion Tamer from “The Magic Show”
One of my favorite songs from The Magic Show is “Lion Tamer.” The song itself was composed by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell), and originally performed by actress Dale Soules. However, this version is recreated by Didi Cohen (Grease) for the filmed version of the musical from the early 1980s. It’s a simple, but heart warming…
Doug and Nancy Henning Photo (Clear Quality)
The above picture is famous in Doug Henning lore for being one of his earliest publicity photos. It also is one that also features his sister and friend of the website, Nancy Henning. Now, while we’ve all probably seen this at one time or another, it is usually pretty grainy and not as clear as this…
I.B.M. 1986 Plaque Dedication
Well, here we are again. Thanks for your patience while the website was on a two week hiatus. Every now and then, less magical and less interesting “real life” duties sometimes take precedence. Without further ado, let us travel back to June 6, 1986 when Doug unveiled a bronze plaque marking the original location of…
Veda Land Files: Written Breakdown of Park
In this final installment, the files go into much more written detail on how the park was envisioned and what it would have contained for visitors. Doug’s thoughts are sprinkled throughout, and the descriptions themselves paint a good picture as to what they were thinking of in terms of spectacle. Do I think Doug would…
Veda Land Files: Correspondence with Doug and Designers
Building a theme park isn’t all fun and games. No further proof of that is the correspondence featured below. In these letters, a budget has been delivered to Doug from the chairman of RS, Eduard Feuer, to commence work on “Veda Land.” However, if you read between the lines, the quoted prices may have been…
Veda Land Files: Rides, Rides, Rides!
Well here are again. Sorry for the day’s delay in posts, but as you can see the wait was certainly worth it. If there was any doubt that the scope of Veda Land was expansive than look no further than below. Featured today are the ride schematics/concepts behind what would have entertained guests if the…
Veda Land Files: Part One
Recently I was very fortunate to gain access to files that I never even thought existed in such detail: Veda Land. Now all of us know that the last part of Doug’s life was spent trying to find various locations and fundraising for this theme park that never was. However, as you will see over…
Vintage 1985 Variety Ad
This ad was featured in Variety on October 16, 1985 and, as you can read, thanks Doug for 8 successful shows at the O’Keefe Centre in Toronto. Doug was always a powerhouse touring machine, and this ad proves that well into the 1980s he was still highly in demand. Anyone out there want to tackle how…
Doug Henning Statue
If you’re looking for a good chuckle on this Saturday, then look no further than this statue. I found it recently hiding on a nearby shelf while I was conducting research for next week’s articles. Somewhere I think is Doug is laughing… Special Thanks to Lisa Cousins
“Doug Henning’s Magical World” Documentary Facebook Page
Hello All, I wanted to let you know about a special project I have been working on for almost a year: a feature length documentary on the life and work of, you guessed it, Doug Henning. “Doug Henning’s Magical World” is the definitive documentary on our favorite magician. Interviews have already been conducted in Los…
THE DOUG HENNING PROJECT 