Today’s post was supposed to be the 39th anniversary of “Merlin” which occurred yesterday. While I’d still like to make note of that, late last night came word that film director Ivan Reitman passed away in his sleep Saturday at age 75. Which, as you can imagine, is much more important. You can’t talk about…
Tag: Spellbound
Canadian Magazine Interview- January 1973
This early interview of Doug’s from 1973 is a real time capsule of an era in Doug’s career when things were about to explode, and the future looked eternally bright. His assistant in the piece is even Mars Barrick. So, that should give you a good indication on how far back this goes. The article…
Original Spellbound Newspaper Ad
Special Thanks to Magicpedia
“Toronto Sun” 1973- Doug and Maya Zig-Zag Photo Spread
The above newspaper article comes from December of 1973. For anyone else that date may not mean much, but for all the Doug fans out there this is the month and year that “Spellbound” premiered. Doug, assisted by Maya, displays the well known “Zig-Zag” to bemused reporter George Anthony. Now I’ve gone into “Spellbound” in greater…
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…
Ivan Reitman Spellbound Variety Ad
The above photo comes courtesy of Brian Lumley, but was given to him by Montreal based magician Blair Marshall. A big thank you to both. Some of you may know the fabled story of how Doug and director Ivan Reitman developed what would become “Spellbound” over a long rehearsal and fundraising period. However, when the…
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…
Richard Sherry Remembers: Part Two
Growing Up with a Legend: Part Two By Richard Sherry Doug Henning was friends with a young director named Ivan Reitman who would go on to produce such blockbusters such as “Animal House,” “Ghostbusters,” and “Kindergarten Cop.” It was said that Ivan fronted him the money to purchase the props to create his stage show…
Richard Sherry Remembers: Part One
In this two part article, magician Richard Sherry has graciously agreed to recount for “The Doug Henning Project” the times he spent with Doug as a teen growing up in Canada. It’s a fascinating window into the life of a young Doug Henning and the positive effect he had on the people around him… Growing…
Christmas in February Photo!
It’s Christmas in February in today’s entry! I personally remember this picture from John Harrison’s excellent 2009 biography “Spellbound,” however I’ve never actually seen it in color. No one could argue that Doug utilized the color palette in a way like no magician before him, and this photo is no exception. So, Merry Christmas and Happy…
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…
THE DOUG HENNING PROJECT 