Once Rebel saw he was going into all the smells and noise he was into it. He dragged Doug through the door then followed him onto the ring and in front of the audience, which he loved. He knew what applause was. The next thing I remember was Muhammad standing on the other side…
Tag: magic
Doug at Ali’s Training Camp by Brian Lumley: Part Two
On stage in front of the Broadway audience Ali invited Doug to come to Africa as part of his entourage. Doug did a massive sputter not knowing what to say; there was so much going on that others did not know about. Then Muhammad saved the day when he invited him up to his training…
Doug and Muhammad Ali by Brian Lumley: Part One
Today’s multi-part story comes to us from Doug collaborator and website friend Brian Lumley. Brian has been kind enough to share a first hand account of when Doug met another legend in his field, the great Muhammad Ali. As you would expect, it’s a riveting story, and I’m very excited Brian has decided to make…
Micky Hades “Spellbound” Letter
This letter comes from Michael Whitecar’s collection. It is remarkable in the sense that it features correspondence from Doug to (now magic publisher/book collector) Micky Hades conducting business. All this occurs just as “Spellbound” was due to head to Broadway that Spring. While the talk may sound mundane, the impact of what is being said…
Doug Henning CSPAN Talk on “The Natural Law Party”
I though I’d start this Monday on more of a tranquil note with Doug discussing the “Natural Law Party” and the benefits of Transcendental Meditation. This short video, as you can imagine, is old and rare. So, if you’ll pardon its technical glitches, you’ll get a glimpse of Doug Henning at the time of “Veda…
White House Easter Egg Roll Photos
These incredible photos show Doug performing for the “White House Easter Egg Roll” on March 30th, 1986. They give a great candid view of Doug and Debby behind the scenes before and during the performance. As pictures go, these are certainly a find and one that illustrate how much demand Doug was in well into…
“World of Magic VII” Newspaper Ad
Craig Schwarz was kind enough to send me some vintage Doug TV special newspaper pieces. This one is from the final “World of Magic” special in 1983, and as you can see is a, well, very unique design. While Doug did indeed conjure up the Rams Cheerleaders on this particular special, I’m not quite sure it…
Pictures, Pictures, I Need Pictures!
Hello All, “The Doug Henning Project” is on the hunt for new and possibly unseen pictures of Doug for the website. These don’t have to be totally rare, but it would be great to show people images other than the standard ones we always see online such as this one: Or this one: We all…
1982 Cheerleader Cabinet Illusion
This illusion hails from the final “World of Magic” special, and features a variation on Guy Jarret’s original 21 person cabinet illusion. However, it wouldn’t be Doug Henning without some tweaks and flourishes courtesy of cheerleaders and a then Bruce Jenner. So, before the weekend starts, enjoy this very Doug Henning magical moment from 1982….
Steve Cohen Remembers
Steve Cohen of “Chamber Magic” at “The Lotte New York Palace” reached out to me recently with his fond remembrance of the profound impact Doug had on him at a young age. Take it away Steve! “Hi Neil, I was going through some old files and found an autographed Doug Henning photo from the early…
Current New York Magazine “Magic Show” Article
You can’t say it’s very often these days that there is a new article on “The Magic Show.” Let alone one featured in “The Cut” from New Magazine. So, you can imagine my surprise when friend of the website Brian Lumley passed this onto me. It’s all about writer Christopher Bonanos’s first trip to see…
Another Random Doug Sighting!
This photo hails from Doug fan Jeff Horton and was taken at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, CT in the mid-1980s. I’ll let Jeff elaborate on the events that led up to this: “Doug was unable to say hello to a group of magicians outside of the Bushnell theater in Hartford, CT earlier…
Doug and Transcendental Meditation
This following article is reprinted from the website “India Today,” and was originally posted in 2013. While I don’t know when it was initially released prior to 2013, it’s a fascinating snapshot into Doug at the age of forty and his activities within Transcendental Meditation. (UPDATE: This article was published most likely in Fall of…
A Doug Henning Prayer Candle???
You can toss this bit of recent merchandising into the “Never Before Seen” bin. Hailing from the “Astounding Magic Co.” of Washington DC,” this tongue and cheek prayer candle is part of a series that pays tribute to some of the greats of magic. Along with Houdini and Eusapia Palladino (a medium not a magician),…
Statue of the Pharaohs Illusion
To commemorate new “King Tut” exhibition that has opened in Los Angeles, I feel it’s more than appropriate to showcase this clip from Doug’s “Magic on Broadway” special. While I certainly can’t vouch for its historical authenticity it sure is fun to watch. Have a great weekend and I’ll see you next week!
Potter & Potter Auction Results
On April 28, 2018 the Chicago auction house “Potter and Potter” held a massive sale of various magic ephemera, apparatus, books, and advertising from the late-1800s to now. While the sale itself wasn’t very Doug-centric this lot managed to squeak by. The official summary went as follows: “460. Henning, Doug. Large Binder of Doug Henning…
Mystery Item!
This last item of the week from Michael Whitecar’s collection is a bit of a conundrum. While Michael believes it may be an early item from Doug’s career that he may have built himself, there is no provenance to prove it. So, lets get on our detective hats on this one. Does anyone here have…
Neil McNally on The Magic Word Podcast
Hello All, I wanted to let you know about a recent interview I did for Scott Wells’s excellent podcast “The Magic Word.” In it, we speak about the website itself, all kinds of Doug history, and the feature length documentary I am currently filming regarding his life and work. Yes that’s right. You heard me….
Rare Items from the Collection of Michael Whitecar
Some months ago, Doug fan and collector Michael Whitecar was generous enough to scan many, many items from his Doug collection for the website. I’ve been parceling them out over the last month or so, however I figured it was high time I devote some more time to them What you will be seeing here…
Happy Birthday Doug!
If you don’t already know, but you probably already do, today would have been Doug’s 71st birthday. While it’s hard to really know what a 21st-century Doug Henning would be up to, it’s not hard to guess that it would be innovative, boundary pushing, and fantastic! So, from “The Doug Henning Project,” Happy Birthday Doug…
Rare Photo Wednesday!
For all those looking to get past the Wednesday doldrums, enjoy these vintage pictures from Doug’s always busy life!
“The Doug Henning Project’s” First Anniversary!
One year ago today I began “The Doug Henning Project” with a post called “Why Doug Henning Matters!”I obviously believe that’s still the case, and the last year has proven that even more to me! It’s because of readers and fans like you that keep this website going. Your words of encouragement, collection pictures, memories,…
The Electric Company Magazine in Full
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…
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 DOUG HENNING PROJECT 