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magicgettogether Special user Michigan 556 Posts |
Abbotts recently got a new Dunninger book in filled with great black and white pics and I thought some people might enjoy a tale by Karrell Fox about Joe Dunninger that was first printed in Tops 1975.
http://topsmag.com/Newest_Tops/?p=7272 |
Rainboguy Inner circle 1915 Posts |
Magicgettogether:
GREAT story!!! Thanks so much for posting this. I really miss Karrell Fox a lot ...he was a special, special guy. |
magicgettogether Special user Michigan 556 Posts |
Here's a three of my favorite vids of Karrell from various Get Togethers
http://youtu.be/EteuJ2O5mbw http://youtu.be/pLBP4tb0fkg http://youtu.be/8WwRVJ1QmhI |
Rainboguy Inner circle 1915 Posts |
Seeing Karrell and Abb Dickson together brings back great memories. I never laughed so hard as when seeing those 2 together onstage at Abbott's Get-Togethers. Together, they were "A Natural"...just like George and Gracie. Those were truly special Magic moments to remember!
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motown Inner circle Atlanta by way of Detroit 6127 Posts |
Great story. Thanks!
"If you ever write anything about me after I'm gone, I will come back and haunt you."
– Karl Germain |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
While working schools in the Detroit area about 25 years ago, I stopped to visit with Karrell. He had a club date that night (banquet for a big company)and invited me to come along. He carried is club act in a case about 15" long x 8" high s 8' wide. (a leather "shoe box"!).
"Backstage", he opened the case and brought out a small tripod about 14" long. It opened up to a neat table base about 27: high. The case fastened to the base. He "set" a Walsh cane, and was ready to go on. The band on stage brought him "on" and he did a "fast, funny, fantastic, thirty minutes! He opened with the cane vanish in newspaper. {Senor Mardo, Jay Marshall, Don Lawton, et al -- including "yr's truly"-- all believe that Russ's cane van. is much stronger when the cane is wrapped in paper first.} The cane was followed by about an 8 to 10 minute comedy monolog. A spectator was invited up and a very funny c/r rope (including the prism eye glasses, a brakawa wand,etc.)got big laughs--and a big mitt. The Invisible Deck followed. Karrell got every laugh possible with that deck! (I don't remember him doing the "little red table" gag) He may have done the Cecil Lyle Torn Tissues to Hat, but I can't remember for sure. The audience loved him, and he got off with a really big mitt. Simple stuff? You betcha! Were they entertained? You betcha. He "sold" them "KARRELL FOX" NOT "PROPS"!!!
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Oh! That table base, I mentioned above. It was NOT a P&L or a Thayer or any other magic shop prop. I asked him where he had found it. He said that he wanted something that would fit in his little case,and happened to be in an office supply store and spotted it. It was the base for a STENOTYPE "Machine" used by court reporters. He had gladly paid $75 for it. He could carry the entire act in that tiny case.
The following year, I was touring California schools for National Assemblies. I always check out the local thrift stores, when I have time, to look for old books. (habit I picked up from Jay Marshall.) In Turlock, CA,I didn't find a single book! --BUT, as I was walking out,I passed a big table heaped with a miscellaneous "mess" of "things". WOW! there lay Karrell's tripod's "brother"!There was even a little zippered case to carry it in!. Over the table,hung a large sign: ANYTHING ON THIS TABLE--$2.00. I thought: "Well, if I skip lunch, I guess I can afford it!!!" So, I grabbed it and walked up to the check out. An older lady said, "Where was this?" I pointed to the table with the sign. She said, "Oh, everything on that table is 50% off today. That will be $1.00." As the old Svengali Pitchmen (I used to be one)always said to turn the tip: "I nearly tore my my underwear, getting out my wallet!" The following summer at the Abbott GTG, we were sitting on Jerry Conklin's porch drinking lemonade, and I said, "Karrell, I have something to show you." I went out to the motor home and brought back the tripe. He looked surprised and asked,"Where in **** did you find it?" I said, "In a thrift shop out west--and I got it for a buck!" Karrell was known to us guys as a "thrifty" person. He nearly had tears in his eyes!
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
OOPS I didn't mean to "review" Karrell's club act. It just sneaked in as the set up for the $1.00 tripod story. I guess it's more of a history than a review. I think it does make a point relative to the "PERFORMER IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE PROPS!"
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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