Topic: Additional Charlie Miller info...

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Posted by: R2 (Jun 19, 2004 12:35am)

There is a thread topic on Charlie here. Please forgive me for, I have a specific reason to start a new one.

Charlie Miller use to live in El Paso.
I have gathered some photos and material of the time he spent here. I wish to share it with the magic and the local community.

I belong to the El Paso Community Foundation which will restore the Plaza Theatre with 36 million dollars. It was once used for vaudeville variety acts.

Our show will be the first magic related performance there once the restoration is complete next year.

I plan to introduce a segment during the performance in tribute and memory of Charlie Miller's time here.

If any person were to write an autobiography of the man it should be Johnny Thompson? He can fill in all of the gaps. It is sad to admit that I don't believe it shall happen? (are ya'listenin' Johnny?)

Can any of you share some anectodes of your personal experiences with the big jolly gent? I would like to add your thoughts or photos to my presentation.

I thank each of you for your time!~r2

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Posted by: Dorian Rhodell (Jun 19, 2004 2:15am)

Also remember that Steve Freeman, Ricky Jay, and Jonathan Neal Brown spent tons of time with Charlie. Jonathan lived with Charlie for some time. As did Thompson. To add to the completeness of the biography, you should get in touch with Jay Marshall as well.

Best,

Dorian Rhodell

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Posted by: Bill Palmer (Jun 19, 2004 4:53am)

I think Jay Marshall would be the place to start, then Johnny Thompson. They can give you almost anything you need to know about him.

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Posted by: Pete Biro (Jun 20, 2004 6:10pm)

Charlie loved to Whistle while he worked, he also did so with his rice bowl routine.

He was one of the best all time card sleight guys, better than most realized, but didn't know because he seldom worked for magicians and literally never tipped.

He was a fantastic dancer and loved working cruise ships so he could do a lot of dancing with the ladies on board.

His misers dream was simplicity in itself, yet as convincing as any more complicated versions.

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Posted by: ursusminor (Jun 20, 2004 6:40pm)

I remember seeing him doing the rice bowls, while whistling, on one of the Stevens' tapes. Too bad he never made any books on his cardmagic, I admit I haven't read "An evening with Charlie Miller".

Bjørn

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Posted by: Dorian Rhodell (Jun 21, 2004 2:29am)

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On 2004-06-20 18:10, Pete Biro wrote:
Charlie loved to Whistle while he worked, he also did so with his rice bowl routine.

He was one of the best all time card sleight guys, better than most realized, but didn't know because he seldom worked for magicians and literally never tipped.

He was a fantastic dancer and loved working cruise ships so he could do a lot of dancing with the ladies on board.

His misers dream was simplicity in itself, yet as convincing as any more complicated versions.

And if I am correct becuase of his love of dancing, he acquired the nickname, "Twinkle Toes". Apparently, he was pretty good too.

Best,

Dorian Rhodell

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Posted by: Pete Biro (Jun 21, 2004 1:56pm)

Charlie Miller Charlie Miller did indeed have that nickname.

He also used to say "IF you want to find out something go to the steps of the public library and ask everyone there."

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Posted by: R2 (Jun 23, 2004 1:19am)

Thanks to each of you so far. I have learned much in the last few days from your suggestions and your sources? I will post my findings in a compilation very soon.

Please keep them coming if you dig up any new items?
Gratefully yours,~r2

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Posted by: Paul Chosse (Jun 23, 2004 8:08pm)

One of Charlie's closest friends was Jack McMillen. I was a friend of Jack's for the last 30 years of his life, and because of that relationship, came to know Charlie quite well. I have some letters and notes from Charlie to Jack, and to Jack's wife Marge, that reveal a side of Charlie few people got to see. Also a lot of magic material that is unpublished. Let me know how to contact you and I'll be happy to help out on a project in Charlie's memory. By the way Pete, it was Charlie Miller X3!

Best, PSC

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Posted by: Pete Biro (Jun 23, 2004 10:03pm)

Juat tried to conserve bandwidth... :kermit:

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Posted by: R2 (Jun 24, 2004 1:08am)

I very sincerely appreciate the offer Mr. Chosse!
I can be reached via email at (magicofreyrey@yahoo.com)

Danco Media Events is going to produce and tape the show. I plan to send out Charlie's Segment in a dvd format to my close friends in the magic community and to those whom supported the project such as yourselves here in this particular thread.

The segment will be both appropriate and fitting for the man who blazed a path for a few of us still left here in his Old West Texas Town of El Paso.

I am not the director, however I retain full rights to the material selected. It will be something of which we will all be proud of? I can assure all of his old chums and lifelong Brothers of that?

One piece of interest is the time he spent here with actor Anthony Quinn who once had a topfloor room permanently rented out at The Camino Real Hotel. The hotel is adjacent to the Plaza Theatre in downtown El Paso. He was still sending the checks up until the moment of his death!

During the time that Charlie used to live here, The Plaza Theatre was still hosting travelling events.

Anthony spent much of his youth here and acquired many lifelong relationships which lasted far into his older years. Having a permanent room here allowed for him to drop in for visits which also included Charlie I am told?

It would be a coup if I could find some photos of both men in pose for the piece as Anthony is highly revered here as well? I am trying to track some more pictures down from area historian Leon Metz.

I will keep this area with fresh updates of my findings. My search is intensifying as the restoration efforts continue to completion.

I happily look forward to your "Bits & Pieces"
Respectfully submitted, r2

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Posted by: rickmagic1 (Jun 24, 2004 1:31am)

You mentioned Johnny living with Charlie, but I think it was the other way around. Charlie moved in with Johnny and Pam Thompson toward the end of his life and stayed with them (kinda like Jerry Stiller on "King of Queens", though Charlie was probably wanted there).

Rick

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Posted by: Pete Biro (Jun 24, 2004 1:49am)

Charlie also lived with Harry Riser in Indianapolis (that's where THEY developed the Malini Egg Bag), and there is the famed Charlie Miller Suite at Magic Inc.

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Posted by: Pete Biro (Jun 24, 2004 1:50am)

Owen Magic still has an unfinished "holdout" table that was being made for CM.

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Posted by: Danny Diamond (Jun 25, 2004 3:06pm)

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On 2004-06-21 13:56, Pete Biro wrote:
He also used to say "IF you want to find out something go to the steps of the public library and ask everyone there."

That's funny, Bob White was saying the same thing about Charlie Miller at the seminar I attended last weekend. Bob said, "I would ask Charlie, 'which DL looks better, this one....or this one?', and Charlie would say to me 'if you really want to know, go to the steps of the public library, and show everyone there the DL both ways, and you know what you'll find out?...No one cares.' ”

Forgive me for paraphrasing a bit, but I thought it was a funny story.

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Posted by: bishthemagish (Jun 25, 2004 10:05pm)

Didn't letters from Charlie Miller to Faucett Ross asking Faucett Ross about performing material make up some of the book Magic With Faucett Ross?

And doesn't some of Charlie Millers Card work live on in Expert Card Tech?

And I feel that the reason Charllie Miller didn't tip ideas later on in life was because of the book Expert Card Tech...

Anyway - that is my feeling why Charlie Miller didn't tip card ideas very often - and I am sticken to it!

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Posted by: hugmagic (Jun 26, 2004 12:03am)

Johnathan Neal Brown and I had a brief but delightful conversation at Kansas City last year. He said Charlie and he would read descriptions of act and work backwards to figure the act out. Why this would work and this wouldn't.

I am sure Johnathan could fill in some blanks.

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Posted by: Clay Shevlin (Jun 26, 2004 12:38am)

Bish: There's some decent Miller/Ross material in Phantoms of the Card Table. Clay

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Posted by: bishthemagish (Jun 26, 2004 3:48pm)

Thanks Clay Shevlin what other books and video did Charlie Miller Do that is in today's magic market.

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Posted by: R2 (Aug 22, 2004 7:28pm)

Check the card section for more information regarding the "Jolly Gent"! Thanks for the stories folks...keep them cards and letters coming in!
Gracias~ere-dos~

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Posted by: Jaz (Aug 29, 2004 9:40am)

Hi Rey,

In my opinion Charlie Miller is one of the true genius' of the magic community.

I don't have any single reference of his work but everything I've read in other books about him, sleights and routines, always seems so logical in comparison to so many other workers.

Best of luck in your endeavors. Keep us informed.