Mac King, Kentucky and the World

Our Friend Bill Mullins has submitted this fine guest post:

When I first got interested in magic, Gary Oullet’s “World’s Greatest Magic” specials were still in production, and Mac King would teach a simple trick on them. So I’ve known of him, and been a fan, for as long as I’ve enjoyed magic. In the intervening years, I’ve gotten to see him perform live a

few times, and even have dinner with him occasionally. In addition to being one of the best comedy

magicians, he’s a great guy to hang out with.

Recently, the Frazier History Museum in Louisville hosted Mac and fellow Kentuckian/magician Lance Burton for a panel discussion about growing up in Louisville as magicians, working at the Tombstone Junction amusement park during summers, and their careers since. And of course, afterward they each did some magic. My son has been asking to accompany me to a magic show recently, and it was a great opportunity for him to see two pros at the top of their craft.

Afterwards, we stopped in the gift shop of the museum. There on the display tables they had for sale a deck of playing cards titled “Kentucky to the World,” featuring drawings of prominent people

from the Bluegrass State. One of the Kentuckians pictured was Mac King. I’m not sure it’s the best

likeness, but it is a magician on a playing card (and he’s the only one it the set – somehow, Lance

Burton wasn’t chosen).

The deck is available for sale, if you are so inclined:

https://www.kentuckytotheworld.org/shop/illustrated-playing-cards

https://www.kentuckytotheworld.org/illustrated-playing-cards-profiles/mac-king

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Thanks for that, Bill!  

Collectors might also be interested in tracking down some of Mac King's effects.  Though sold in pharmacies and toy stores, they are well made effects with novel twists on conventional magic apparatus.  The one pictured (which I owned at one time, and was a favorite), the "Mesmerizing Monkey Brain" is a ball and vase-type effect with a monkey brain substituted for the ball, and it includes a bonus card prediction!  

Melinda, The First Lady Of Magic

Our tribute to women in magic would not be complete without a mention of Melinda Saxe, frequently billed as "The First Lady of Magic."   Make no mistake: her showgirl stage persona and synthesis of dance and magic was not to everyone's taste, but there is no arguing with success:  Melinda was the first female magician to headline in Las Vegas,  she became a regular on the now-classic World's Greatest Magicians specials (a holiday tradition for several years produced by Gary Ouellette), and starred in her own network special Disney's Melinda: First Lady of Magic.    

Most of the magic periodical coverage available about Melinda focused on her high-profile if short-lived marriage to magic superstar Lance Burton.

You can see Melinda at the peak of her career, as a featured guest on Oprah.

My job here has been facilitated by the bounty of articles and sites describing Melinda's career.  But nothing, in my estimation, matches this lovely tribute to her posted on The Little Egypt Gazette, one of the pioneer venues for online magic reporting. 

I had occasion to see Melinda perform live just one time - in 1995, at the ill-fated "World's Greatest Magicians Live OnStage" tour.  A press release photo associated with that tour appears here on the left.  I refer to the tour as "ill-fated" because, though billed as a national tour, the show, beset with difficulties,  played only a few performances before closing down.  (A bootleg video of that performance can be found on YouTube with some effort).  The gremlins that besieged that tour were certainly evident at the performance I witnessed: Melinda's motorcycle vanish had a significant performance problem, and her signature piece, the Drill of Death, malfunctioned badly that evening.  On the other hand, she did a quite charming firefly production, similar to one offered by my friend Peter Maloney.

Melinda's card, seen above, features a striking full-color image of the performer.  It is part of a promotional playing card deck -- all the backs of which are as seen here -- which is still widely available.