The 1st 2 I'll leave for another time. But the Chuck Jones magic show was a big deal. We had to wait the entire day for the show that came once a year and was set up on a stage in the field behind the kindergarten and 1st grade wing of the school. To begin with, Chuck had a cool name. He shared it with the Warner Bros. director who brought to life Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd and Porky Pig. I was certain, at the time, that they were one and the same. Magic was just his day gig!
Chuck even had an assistant which enhanced his mystique and furthered his legitimacy. During one part of the show he caused her to levitate and passed the metal "hula hoop" around her to verify that no strings were attached. Beyond that, I don't remember any of the specific illusions he created except for the fact that this 1st or 2nd grader was blown away!
The other night I was google-ing a few icons from my past, particularly the children's shows I watched as a kid; Sheriff John, Hobo Kelly and Wonderama. Chuck Jones came to mind and I searched him out. Well, there he was! He's still at it having spent the last 17 years traveling Australia and New Zealand as well as performing shows throughout North America. So, I sent a message to the e-mail address on his website inquiring as to whether or not he was the magician who visited my school in the late 60s and early 70s. A couple of days later, I received this reply:
I had a children's television show in Los Angeles in the early sixties and did many personal appearances at schools and shopping centers.
We moved on to build a much bigger magic act that has appeared in casinos, toured Australia and New Zealand.
I am still performing--this week in fact, at the Magic Castle, Hollywood.
Chuck Jones
Wow! Still going strong! Somehow knowing that he has been at it for 5 decades and counting encourages me to continue in my pursuits. As a young impressionable kid sitting in the grass watching this showman perform his feats of skill, I'm sure that experience contributed to my decision to audition for the annual talent show, play in garage bands, head out on the road for a few years, record, and continue to play in and around Birmingham, Alabama today. No tours of Australia, New Zealand or the Magic Castle to be sure. But, perhaps there might be a kid out there someday who sees a show and himself is encouraged to pursue his own dreams of magic or music. Ah, the circle of life. . .
I remember watching him on TV as a kid. One time I saw him at a public magic show, in a shopping center parking lot in 1965, in Granada Hills, California. The place had quite a crowd! He picked me out of the crowd of kids, to come up on stage. Using my arm, he did a trick with a girl he had called out of the audience as well. She would pump my arm, and it appeared that water was coming out of it. I had a great time, and was given a toy plane as a gift. I was almost 8 years old, and still remembered the checked shirt that I was wearing, as it got his attention, and he said, words to the effect of,"the boy with the checked shirt, come on up on stage", as he picked me out amongst the crowd of other kids there. Made me feel real special!!! Nice to know that he is still performing, I remember him well, and it's a very pleasant memorable event, as a kid!!
ReplyDeleteI loved you as a kid. Never missed your show. My grandma loved you too. When you came on the T.V. she would say, "there's my boyfriend." I got to see at a Vons shopping center by my house. I was very excited. I was just as excited when I saw you years later-grown up, married with a child of my own-at a mall. One of the malls near my home in Woodland Hills, CA; it might have been Topanga Plaza. Anyway, I was so excited to see you again. Thanks for all the great memories. You were my favorite show as a kid.
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