Harry "The Hat" Anderson joins us on this edition of the Magic Newswire prior to an upcoming appearance at the SEAM conventionin Atlanta. He is best known by many  for playing the role of Judge Harry Stone on the television series Night Court. In addition to eight appearances on Saturday Night Live between 1981 and 1985, Anderson had a recurring guest role as con man "Harry the Hat" on Cheers. Harry has toured extensively as a magician and continues to present his evening show "Wise Guy" which was originally developed for his theater in New Orleans. 

Harry "The Hat" Anderson joins us on this edition of the Magic Newswire prior to an upcoming appearance at the SEAM conventionin Atlanta. He is best known by many  for playing the role of Judge Harry Stone on the television series Night Court. In addition to eight appearances on Saturday Night Live between 1981 and 1985, Anderson had a recurring guest role as con man "Harry the Hat" on Cheers. Harry has toured extensively as a magician and continues to present his evening show "Wise Guy" which was originally developed for his theater in New Orleans. 

Eric Eswin first discovered magic at the knee of an uncle showing him a coin trick. Today he is the International President of Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques (International Federation of Magic Societies or FISM) which now consists of 82 clubs, both national and international, as well as national Federations which represent over 50,000 Magicians from 44 countries. Having just returned from the most recent World Championship of Magic in Beijing, Eric joins us on the "Spirit of Magic" podcast to talk about his vision for the future of the organization and some of the controversies related to the next convention in 2012.

Paul Diamond may not be a household name in the world of magic today, but everyone that I speak to from Johnny Thompson, to Mac King & Lance Burton, etc... all know Mr. Humble. I was lucky enough to get my first exposure to magic through Paul's shop when I was ten years old. As it turns out, Paul was also a favorite performer of Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack. Over the years, he's been a featured entertainer for celebrity events hosted by Celine Dion, Elton John, Milton Burle and others. In addition, Paul had such legends as Slydini and Charlie Miller live with him in his Florida home. Rediscover "Mr. Humble," Mr. Paul Diamond on this episode of the Magic Newswire's "Spirit of Magic Podcast."

I recently received an amazing email from Bill Smith offering to share a previously unheard interview with Harry Blackstone Jr. Obviously, I was flattered and thrilled that I could share this with our listeners. According to the information shared by Bill, this interview was recorded by a local radio station in Texas, but was never broadcast. Fortunately, Bill was able to obtain the master and we now have the digital copy that we are sharing here today. Thanks again to Bill who has said that he will welcome any emails inquiring about this chat.

What you are about to hear is a previously unheard interview with Harry Blackstone Jr. and is brought to you through the efforts of Bill Smith.  Here is what Bill had to say about the recording when he sent it my way:

I had the fortune, in 1983, to see Harry Blackstone Jr. perform for a department store grand opening. I wanted to meet him afterwards, but someone told me he'd be doing a radio interview right after the show, but would be happy to meet me after that. So i waited {of course!}, & out he came, & we had a nice long chat. But i also noticed the call letters of the local radio station on the shoulder strap cassette recorder the radio person had, & later, i called the station to ask when the interview would be aired. The gentleman said they decided it wouldn't be aired after all, as it didn't fit into the current schedule or something, but then asked if i'd like a copy. Well, he didn't have to twist MY arm! LOL! I called later to thank him, after receiving it in the mail, & asked about the possibility of buying the original. He told me that the original had already been re-recorded over, so basically, now i had the "master"! Unfortunately, my tape machine ate my copy he sent, but not before i had put it onto cd {THANK GOD!!}

It is a WONDERFUL interview, with Harry doing 99% of the talking. It runs about 15 minutes if i remember right, & starts off with him talking about how his dad got started, became famous, & leads silk smooth into how his dad helped him get going, & him becoming famous. 

I know i could SELL copies of this, but i also know that as soon as i did, it would be all over the net for free anyway, so i'd rather use it to give back to this great art, & also to thank you for the great job you are doing preserving the knowledge of all those greats of magic through your podcasts.

Tony Curtis is our guest on this episode of the Magic Newswire "Spirit of Magic" podcast. Tony studied with George L Boston before starring in the 1953 film Houdini. Tony's enthusiasm for magic continued far beyond his role in the film. He was a frequent  participant  at  the  AMA's annual award banquets. In fact, he presented Cardini with the Masters Fellowship, the Academy of Magical Arts highest honor.  In spite of the fact that the film portrayed  a highly fictionalized account of Houdini's career, many still consider it to be one of the best "Houdini Films" yet to be made

Was he Milton Franklin Andrews, Wilbur Edgerton Sanders, E.S. Andrews, L'Homme Masque, or S.W. Erdnase? The search for the author of one of the most seminal works on the card manipulation is among the most hotly debated topics in the world of conjuring research. On this episode of the "Spirit of Magic" podcast, I am joined by guest co-host Jason England and special guest Richard Hatch. Richard is widely recognized for his research on the topic of Erdnase and the book "Expert at the Card Table." If you regularly perform close-up magic with cards, then you are certain to have been influenced by this book whether or not you are aware of it. We may just scratch the surface of this fascinating topic in this episode, but it is a fascinating and educational conversation that you need to hear.

Magic Castle librarian Bill Goodwin joins me on this edition of this podcast to tell us a bit about what has been happening at the Magic Castle since the fire and to talk about his friend Larry Jennings. Larry is widely recognized as one of Dai Vernon's greatest students and is known for developing some of the most difficult, yet rewarding effects with a deck of cards. On January 28th, Potter & Potter Auctions will be curating the sale of Jennings collection which contains Erdnasia, Vernon Memorbilia, books and much, much more.

Well, it is finally here. The 2011 wrap-up show for the Spirit of Magic & The Magic Newswire. Because of various and sundry technical issues, I wasn't sure that this show would ever see the light of day. It may be 30 days late, but I am still happy to present this chat with Johnny Thompson, John Calvert, Marco Tempest Paul Gertner, David Kaye, Richard Hatch, Jim Steinmeyer, Chase Goforth, Scott Wells, Cameron Ramsay and many others all gathering to ring in the Year of the Dragon. From everyone involved in the Magic Newswire and these podcasts, I wish you a prosperous and happy new year!