Leon Mandrake: Difference between revisions
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Spring 1943 Leon and Lola were headliners in Oakland (California) with their new stagenames '''Mandrake the Magician''' and '''Princess Narda'''. Leon legally changed<ref>Watson, Patrick, "The Canadians: Biographies of a Nation", Volumer 1-3. McArthur, 2003, 439.</ref> his surname to '''Mandrake''' in 1944, when he prepared a melodrama vaudeville with the road show edition of "The Drunkard"<ref group="footnotes">a famous play which had been running 12 tears in Los Angeles, four years in New York and two years in San Francisco</ref>. | Spring 1943 Leon and Lola were headliners in Oakland (California) with their new stagenames '''Mandrake the Magician''' and '''Princess Narda'''. Leon legally changed<ref>Watson, Patrick, "The Canadians: Biographies of a Nation", Volumer 1-3. McArthur, 2003, 439.</ref> his surname to '''Mandrake''' in 1944, when he prepared a melodrama vaudeville with the road show edition of "The Drunkard"<ref group="footnotes">a famous play which had been running 12 tears in Los Angeles, four years in New York and two years in San Francisco</ref>. | ||
In "The Drunkard" Lola | In "The Drunkard" Lola played the role figure Agnes Dowton ''(Mad Agnes)'', she was one of Leon's assisting magis and she had her own act, "Princess Narda and her Doves". The featured act was described<ref>Smith, George Porter, "Magic in Big-Time Style Presented by Mandrake & Company", Freeport Journal-Standard ''(Freeport, Illinois)'', 10 Oct 1946, Page 6.</ref> as: | ||
"The tiny white birds, nestling on her head and chest, are fluttering on the backs of her hands, do her bidding as she performs several tupes og Egyptian and oriental dances, and they fly out over the audiece and return on cue. Back drops, costly and filled with color, and a system of neon lighting which made the doves dots of brilliant hue, .." | "The tiny white birds, nestling on her head and chest, are fluttering on the backs of her hands, do her bidding as she performs several tupes og Egyptian and oriental dances, and they fly out over the audiece and return on cue. Back drops, costly and filled with color, and a system of neon lighting which made the doves dots of brilliant hue, .." | ||
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Although Leon and Lora got their divorce decree<ref>Nevada State Journal (''Reno, Nevada)'' 23 Apr 1946, Page 3.</ref><ref>Reno Gazette-Journal ''(Reno, Nevada)'' 24 Apr 1946, Page 8.</ref> in April both Mandrake and Narda were headlined in their "Gremlin Gambols of 1946" tour, billed in larger cities in states such as Utha, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota and Iowa. | Although Leon and Lora got their divorce decree<ref>Nevada State Journal (''Reno, Nevada)'' 23 Apr 1946, Page 3.</ref><ref>Reno Gazette-Journal ''(Reno, Nevada)'' 24 Apr 1946, Page 8.</ref> in April both Mandrake and Narda were headlined in their "Gremlin Gambols of 1946" tour, billed in larger cities in states such as Utha, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota and Iowa. | ||
Lola continued to perform with her dove dance as "Princess Narda" in the following years | Lola continued to perform with her dove dance as "Princess Narda" in the following years up to 1955. In December 1948 she married the magician Roy Benson (born Edward Emerson Ford McQuaid). The marriage was short-lived and they were divorced 1952. | ||
====Gallery==== | ====Gallery==== | ||
Revision as of 17:36, 17 March 2018
| Leon Mandrake | |
| |
| Biographical information | |
| Born: | April 11, 1911 |
|---|---|
| Died: | January 27, 1993 |
| Nationality: |  American
|
| Occupation: | Stage Magician |
| Website: | The Leon Mandrake Memorial Web Page |
Leon Mandrake the Magician was an Italian-American magician, mentalist, illusionist, escapologist, ventriloquist and stunt performer.
Life and career
Early life
John Arthur Leon Giglio was born[1] in San Juan (Washington) on April 11, 1911. He was the only child of Antonio A Giglio and Harriet F Wagner. When Leon was about one years old his parents were divorced[2] and his mother brought him to New Westminster, British Columbia on the West Coast of Canada to live with his aunt Mildred[3][4].
Leon began[3] his magic career in 1922, giving vaudeville performances in New Westminster (British Columbia), only 11 years old.
The vaudeville was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill. The various olio acts were normally introduced by a MC (master of ceremonies) and could include musical performances by popular and classical musicians, singers, dancers, comedians, trained animals, magicians, strongmen, female and male impersonators, acrobats, illustrated songs, jugglers, one-act plays or scenes from plays, athletes, lecturing celebrities, ventriloquist and on.
At age 16 he travelled across North America with the Ralph Richards touring magic show[3]. According to Magicpedia[5] Leon used the stagename "Leon Wagner" in his early career.
When the tour ended in 1927 he settled[2] in Oak Harbor (Island County, Washington) and continued to give vaudeville performances on the west coast of the US. According to "The History of Metropolitian Vancouver" [6] Leon was billed as "Leon", and later as "Leon the Ventriloquist".
In 1941 Leon married[7] the 21 years old Ruby Olive Burleson in Maricopa (Arizona) on August 13. After a short marriage they were divorced and he then married[8] the 20 years old Lola R Douglas in King (Washington) on 20 October, 1942.
Mandrake the Magician and Princess Narda
Spring 1943 Leon and Lola were headliners in Oakland (California) with their new stagenames Mandrake the Magician and Princess Narda. Leon legally changed[9] his surname to Mandrake in 1944, when he prepared a melodrama vaudeville with the road show edition of "The Drunkard"[footnotes 1].
In "The Drunkard" Lola played the role figure Agnes Dowton (Mad Agnes), she was one of Leon's assisting magis and she had her own act, "Princess Narda and her Doves". The featured act was described[10] as:
"The tiny white birds, nestling on her head and chest, are fluttering on the backs of her hands, do her bidding as she performs several tupes og Egyptian and oriental dances, and they fly out over the audiece and return on cue. Back drops, costly and filled with color, and a system of neon lighting which made the doves dots of brilliant hue, .."
When Baldy, a white sacred Javanese dove, died on stage in Tucson Leon said[11] the dove was the last of seven trained about six years ago when the act was new. He said that the doves seldom breed in captivity so his extra supply of understudies came from the Far East some time ago.
Leon headlined his own West Coast tour in 1945 billed as "Mandrake the Magician and his entire Company" and "Mandrake the Magician and his Magic Revue".
Although Leon and Lora got their divorce decree[12][13] in April both Mandrake and Narda were headlined in their "Gremlin Gambols of 1946" tour, billed in larger cities in states such as Utha, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota and Iowa.
Lola continued to perform with her dove dance as "Princess Narda" in the following years up to 1955. In December 1948 she married the magician Roy Benson (born Edward Emerson Ford McQuaid). The marriage was short-lived and they were divorced 1952.
Gallery
1938: CM & ventriloquist
ad 1943
ad 1944
ad 1944
ad 1945
ad 1945
ad 1946
ad 1946
{stub}
Note
- ↑ a famous play which had been running 12 tears in Los Angeles, four years in New York and two years in San Francisco
References
- ↑ Washington, Birth Records, 1870-1935
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Border Crossings from Canada to U.S., 1895-1960 (May 25, 1939)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Wikipedia: Leon Mandrake
- ↑ 1921 Census of Canada
- ↑ MagicPedia: Richards the Wizard
- ↑ Vancouver History
- ↑ Arizona, County Marriage Records, 1865-1972
- ↑ Washington, Marriage Records, 1854-2013
- ↑ Watson, Patrick, "The Canadians: Biographies of a Nation", Volumer 1-3. McArthur, 2003, 439.
- ↑ Smith, George Porter, "Magic in Big-Time Style Presented by Mandrake & Company", Freeport Journal-Standard (Freeport, Illinois), 10 Oct 1946, Page 6.
- ↑ "Magician's Dove Act Ended After Bird Actor Dies", Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, Arizona), 31 Oct 1944, p 6.
- ↑ Nevada State Journal (Reno, Nevada) 23 Apr 1946, Page 3.
- ↑ Reno Gazette-Journal (Reno, Nevada) 24 Apr 1946, Page 8.