I am looking to pick up a few performance DVDs. I am not looking for the easy stuff to find (no Angel, Blaine or Copperfield suggestions), but some of the hidden gems of performance out there. The rules are performance only... I want to recapture the fun of watching, legal copies, DVDs not downloads (and Region 1 DVDs at that) and as long as it is a good performance I don't care what the rest is (so if there is a Best of the Ed Sullivan Show out there with one Jay Marshall routine and 52 minutes of non-magic, that is fine with me). I am particularly looking for older stuff... I'm 34 so I missed the golden age of black and white TV, but I remember (and miss) the big 70's network specials.




his topic is here for lack of a better place. If the powers that be feel it belongs somewhere else then by all means, wave your wands and make it vanish!

Hi,

If you are interested on old magicians you must watch Richard Ross. He had great acts with Linking Rings. You can find the tapes or Dvds from stevensmagic eaisly.

magicially yours,

Nedim Guzel

"Denny & Lee Live At The Wells Theatre" is a performance-only DVD of the signature show that Denny Haney performed around the globe for 30 years. His handling of the Malini egg bag is considered to be one of the best in the business and he also does the multiplying bottles, Anderson newspaper trick and others. It's a master class in showmanship and runns around 55 minutes. You can order it from his magic shop, which you can find a link to on the Magic Café forum index.

Thanks, guys. I never even considered that Denny might have a performance video out.

Jeff McBride has Abracadazzle! which was a performance taped in Atlantic City and McBride Mask, Myth & Magic 1993 World Tour videos.

Meir Yedid also has videos of 1990 and 91 NYCAN and Abbott's Highlight Videos from 1992, 1993 and 1994.

Does anyone know where to find even older footage? Anything from the early 20th century, maybe? A friend of mine recently acquired one of Houdini's films on DVD, although it looks like an early B-movie rather than anything performance-related. There must be films of some of the greats out there. I'd love to see some of the performers I've been reading about who performed in the earliest days of film.

I would love to get releases like that as well. I tried to obtain the rights to release one of Houdini's serials a couple of years ago but the only holder of a complete set of footage refuses to sell one of the reels! I am beginning to think that he doesn't actually have it... As far as I know, there are no complete copies of the serials (only movies edited from them and a few rare re-issue versions of the serials that were shortened by over an hour) available on video. I'd like to know what your friend has, though, if you can find out where he scored it...