I'm interested in what magicians have worked traditional sideshows at some point in their career. Marshall Brodein, Dick Johnson, Roy Huston, and Harry Houdini come to mind. Who else?

Al Flosso...and me but I don't count lol

Oh yes "the coney Island Fakir" I have been meaning to get his book

One of the great sideshow showmen Melvin Burkhart (the original human blockhead) performed a variety of physical acts (i.e. the man with wo faces, the human skeleton) but also performed traditional magic effects like the professors nightmare and the die box. Which raises an interesting question about if this sideshow performer could also be called a magician. At any rate he was a consumate entertainer.

Which show did you work Don?

Johnny Thompson's first job in the biz was as a sword swallower, and was fired by the Great Waldo.

I worked on four different shows for John Bradshaw,Bobby Reynolds,Jack Waller and Sam Alexander all in the 70's.

I believe Jay Marshall worked in a 10 in one.I know Marshall Brodine did.Johnny Eck the half boy from Baltimore,my home town,was a very good magician.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Eck

Theres so many sideshow weirdos currently that are big into magic. Im not sure what would define them as magicians though overall. Seeing half them make a living doing shows that combine magic & sideshow. Some that I have never seen do magic on their stage show but seen them do magic tricks many times over the years.

Harry Murphy, who used to be a frequent poster here, performed as the World's Youngest Magician with a sideshow (can't recall which one) when he was a youth.

Tony Slydini worked at Hubert's on 42nd St. Al Baker also got his start working in a sideshow. Ward Hall did a magic act at one time, as did Bobby Reynolds. Bob Sheets worked in the sideshow on the Big John Strong Circus back in the 1970s. Erich Weiss worked in a sideshow. And though not a magician, Bud Abbott of Abbott and Costello was the stick out at the Dreamland Sideshow in Coney Island.

And just for the record Johnny Thompson was fired by showman Dick Best because of an incident with the Great Waldo.

Marshall Brodein @ Riverveiw Park (Chicago)..He also talked the Front...Johnny Carson as the Great Carsoni I believed labored in a Sideshow also...

Thanks for clearing that up... He left out that detail.

Mathias Buchinger (The "Little Man From Nuremberg") wasn't a sideshow performer, but he is often mentioned in sideshow histories, and he was said to be a fantastic magician.

Here's a bit of information that even Ricky Jay doesn't know. If you look in your copy of Learned Pigs & Fire Proof Women you will find a reprint of the Kelty photo of the Dreamland Sideshow featuring Mortado (the guy how had pierced hands and feet) in that photo you will find Wally Krueger. He was the son of Pop Krueger and brother in law of Al Flosso. Wally was a long distance drinker that would often so drunk, he would fall off the stage. Fortunately, the show's stick (this was years after Bud Abbott left) had seen the act so many times, that he could jump up on stage and do the act. That is how Frances Finneran, later known as France Carlyle got into magic. Wally is in the backrow of that photo and Frances is on the far right wearing a Panama Hat.

Me

Walt Stimax and myself had a sideshow for several years in the 60's. We played smaller fairs in the Northeast. Walt and I took turns on the front talking and going inside...I did magic, blade box pitch and the blow-off. Walt did fire , blockhead and nailboard. My wife did electric girl,and contorion, blade box and bally....

Earl "Presto" Johnson.

Jim, I love the new avatar!

The ONE proper 10-in-1 I saw in my lifetime, to date, included a local guy who was booked to do the blockhead, and to perform platform magic while part of the tip went in to see the blow-off.

Thanks and the BEST part was I didn't have to wait for the paint to dry....