Godfrey Roy – One Funny Guy

For thirty years from 1933 to 1963 the subject of this post worked for a watch company in Woodside, Massachusetts. Prior to that, however, he led a rather interesting magical life and so, it’s “time” to look into Godfrey Roy, who by all accounts, was a very funny magician.

 Roy was born in Maine two years before the turn of the last century on May 31, 1898. How he came to be interested in magic can only be speculated at, but eventually living in the greater Boston area he surely must have come into contact with magicians at places like Holden’s Magic Shop. 

Or, perhaps he received the customary magic set as a child. Regardless, by the 1920’s he was performing magic on the vaudeville circuit out of Waltham, a suburb of Boston and appearing throughout New England. The 1930 Census shows he was also working at the Bulova Watch Company as an inspector. He continued performing magic until 1933 when he left vaudeville to make his job at the Bulova plant.  That same Census shows 31-year-old Roy living with his wife Eva (29), brother Ray (27) and mother Lena (51).

Here is his scaling card which shows a snake charmer cartoon on the front with his name, a simple “Magician” descriptor, and his address at 24a Myrtle Street, Waltham. It informs the holder that Roy is available for clubs, banquets, lodges and church socials. The reverse is the Deland back copyrighted in 1912.

He was also a member of both the International Brotherhood of Magicians and the Society of American Magicians. He joined the I.B.M. in 1929 holding membership number 3310. He joined the S.A.M. ten years later.

References to him performing appear in Ring reports for Boston Ring 35, Quincy Boston Ring 43, and Boston Assembly 9. Most often he performed card tricks but done with a funny French accent. In fact, at one meeting he performed an effect entirely in French and although the “boys” couldn’t understand him, they still found his presentation hilarious. I wondered, why would he perform in French, or even faux French, but again, the 1930 Census held the answer. While Roy and his dad were born in Maine, his mother Lena was a French-speaking Canadian who immigrated to the U.S. in 1881.

By March of 1932, Roy had worked his way up through the ranks of Boston Ring 43 to become president. The scribe for the Ring was comedy writer and magician Frank Lane. His reports were filled with wisecracks and asides and inside jokes. One October 1929 report said, “Godfrey Roy got them all laughing with a trick with the blocks and the Queen of Hearts, nobody knew what it was all about because the patter was in French, although they liked the trick immensely.” Godfrey was even identified in a November 1930 Linking Ring as being one of the "live" members of Quincy Boston Ring 43. 

References in magic publications ceased in the late 1930s and nothing appears about him until his obituary in February 1978 Linking Ring. At the time, 79-year-old Roy was living at 3762 64th Street, Woodside, L.I. Survivors included his widow Eva, two sons; five grandchildren; and a brother. It noted his I.B.M. membership since 1929 and that he was a member of the Order of Merlin. 

Here is another example of a local Ring and Assembly member who tasted a bit of fame, enjoyed the company of his fellow magicians and promoted both organizations, but eventually devoted himself to earning a living for his family outside of magic.