It is our sad duty to report on another broken wand: Harry “The Hat” Anderson is gone.
Several media outlets, including the New York Daily News, are reporting that Harry Anderson has been found dead at his North Carolina home at the age of 65.
Tomorrow we will be running a “normal day” because the Tuesday posts are already set, but later this week we’ll have more tributes to Anderson, who made a career as both a wise-cracking con man magician who managed to play comedy clubs and an actor on sitcoms and even Disney movies.
Can I be honest with y’all for a minute? Harry Anderson is probably my biggest hero in magic. I was born in the early ’70s, so I caught the magic bug from big, elaborate specials starring Harry Blackstone Jr, Mark Wilson, Copperfield and Doug Henning but it was Harry Anderson who showed me that big time pro magic didn’t have to be showgirls, tigers and box tricks. Magic, damn good magic, could be tricks you pulled out of your pocket. The stuff I was reading in Bobo and Hugard was just as big time as the Zig Zag Girl. Harry Anderson showed me that a character was more than “tuxedo clad magician” or “Liberace knock-off clad magician” or “magician in a leotard.”
We are honoring Harry’s life and career with a clip from the role that introduced him to millions: conman Harry the Hat on Cheers.
Although, to our knowledge, he was not a magician we’d like to take a second to acknowledge the passing of Frank Avruch, the man who portrayed Bozo the Clown for the Boston version of the program. He played America’s favorite clown from the late ’50s until 1970 and his version was also syndicated to other markets. Mr. Avruch was 89 years old.
Cardone the Magician tells a few stories about magician and sword swallower Johnny Fox (with just a tiny bit of adult language) and an upcoming tribute to this modern side show legend.
If you are in the New York area you can get more information about the February 1 memorial/tribute show here.
Video from Hawaii News Now over the weekend reporting the passing of magician Fred Ball, known to a generation of Hawaiian TV viewers as Professor Fun.
It is our sad duty to pass along the news Johnny Fox, best known to many as a sword swallower on Coney Island, has passed away at the age of 64. He was battling cancer. You can read more about Johnny over on the Associated Press site and the New York Daily News. In addition to swallowing swords, Johnny was a magician who performed for years at the Maryland Renaissance Festival. We think that is where this video, posted on YouTube back in 2011 by user G. Scott Taulbee, was shot. It features Johnny performing the grand old man of magic, the cups and balls, and really showcases his performance style.
We end the day with yet another tribute to Philip Morris, again from the Morris Costume YouTube page. This clip is a local news interview with Philip concentrating on his Dr. Evil days.
