Mary Milam Chaudet Brigance – A Life of Music, Song, and Magic

From the Gary Brown Collection

      Mary Ruth Milam was born on October 7, 1920 in Hartford, Arkansas and from an early age she had the gift of song. Her parents, Walter and Margarette hired a coach throughout her early school years that paid off when she won the Arkansas statewide vocal competition. When Mary was just entering high school, her family moved to Chicago, Illinois just a few years before the Great Depression in 1929. Finding jobs was tight and the whole Milam family pitched in to put money home. Mary and her brother Bob, and sister Patti did what they could to help out by selling wooden produce crates. In 1935, Mary and Bob put together a song and dance act and tried out at one of the local talent shows in town. They won the top prize and that opened the door more bookings at the local theaters and small time vaudeville shows. Mary and her brother were booked for a three-month tour with Sid Page’s “Stars of Tomorrow” revue. Included in the troupe was a young magician billed as “Tung Pin Soo”. His offstage name was Al Wheatley (1901 – 1964). 

      Mary and Bob completed their tour and Bob went back home. Mary continued to sing with popular group singers of the day and then had a big break when the trio she was working with performed on NBC network’s featured radio program. Mary’s singing career continued to flourish in the 1940’s and then she decided it was time to hone her talents as a single act. About the same time Mary’s family moved to Hollywood, California. Not long after, Mary’s brother Bob enlisted in the Army. Mary was still finding venues to sing and when she wasn’t performing, she would participate at the U.S.O.’s Hollywood Canteen. More opportunities continued for Mary as she found herself singing with Benny Goodman’s band in 1943. After leaving the Goodman booking, Mary eventually went back to working with the U.S.O. full time. If you were in almost anyone of Mary’s audiences at the time, you would have seen her ‘multitasking’. One performance she was a singer, dancer, or an emcee and then another show would have being a straight man for a comedy team. While Mary was in New York with the U.S.O. tour, she auditioned and was hired to perform with Broadway’s comedy team’s John Olsen and Harold Johnson’s musical revue “Sons o’ Fun”. The show had a good run on “The Great White Way”, but war effort needed them to support the troops in Europe. An added part to Mary’s employment was that she was going to Europe to sing and be bestowed the uniform and rank of captain in the Woman’s Army Corps (WAC). The show’s cast left New York and toured France, Belgium, and safe areas of Germany. The tour ended in Southern France where the military troops were being transported to be cared for and to be shipped out back to America. The show continued to perform for the troops, but this time they were working in one of the remaining viable theaters instead of under gunfire and one night stands. 

      As luck would have it, Mary was offered to go back to New York to work in a new Broadway musical. Just a few months before, Mary’s interest in her career took a detour in Milan, Italy with a young man who was working in Special Services as a magician and producer of the shows. His name was Louis William Chaudet II or “Bill”. As odds would have, both Mary and Bill were almost neighbors from Hollywood, California. Mary and Bill returned home to California. Mary was a featured performer on the "Hedda Hopper Show Case" in Hollywood over CBS. And when the time was right, Mary and Bill were married on June 29, 1946. Bill’s best man was none other than magician Harry Blackstone. Bill was Blackstone’s protégé and they were good friends. Before the year was up Bill and Mary became a part of Blackstone’s traveling show.

     As one of the Blackstone Show’s assistants, Mary was taught a number of illusions and tricks that involved working with everything from canaries to swords. During a hiatus of Blackstone’s full evening show, Bill and Mary took out their own two-person show. 

 

      “The Chaudets” presented a variety show of magic and song. Bill’s knowledge of magic worked well along the singing talents of Mary. Together, they were able to work in local nightclubs throughout the Los Angeles area presenting illusions, magic, and feature Mary’s beautiful singing. They continued to perform together and developed a persona that agents were scrambling to book for their clients. Upon their return to the Blackstone Show, the thrills never ended. One particular performance nearly ended in disaster. While Mary was “floating” it broke! Thank goodness for fast thinking of Blackstone. He caught Mary before she dropped to the stage floor. What kind of man was Harry Blackstone? While he was performing the levitation with his assistant Mary, he would tell her a funny joke knowing she couldn’t laugh, because she was in a trance. Being a part of The Great Blackstone show had its thrills and opportunities too (just ask Adele Friel Rhindress!). 

      Being able to work for someone who dedicated his life for the love of magic was the greatest privilege. The Chaudets continued to perform at magic conventions, Las Vegas, Honolulu, Hawaii, and finished off their touring by continuing to perform at upscale nightclubs and dinner clubs. The act wasn’t limited to small venues. They did perform at fairs and some trade shows too. Mary performed small magic effects like the Linking Rings, silk effects, along with being Bill’s assistant. In 1964, while performing at the S.A.M. National Convention in New York, The Chaudets closed the show with a version of the broom levitation that brought the audience to their feet. Bill enhanced the original idea of two brooms and made them microphones. As Mary was singing the Wright and Forrest song, “Stranger in Paradise”, Bill lifted Mary to the effect’s apex as she sang the words, “…I hang suspended…” 

      They appeared at the opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, California in 1955 and just a few months later, they could be seen on television show the Mickey Mouse Club. They would return for the next three years to entertain the Mouseketeers and the television audience with their wonderful presentation of magic and illusion. 

      Bill and Mary also appeared on the Art Linkletter show and Lawrence Welk television shows. In 1965, co-wrote a song entitled, “Big Nobody” that was sung by Pearl Bailey. The song was included in Ms. Bailey’s record album, “For Women Only”. In August of 1967, Bill and Mary divorced. Mary concentrated on her singing career and continued with her interest in magic. She was bestowed a lifetime membership in the magic club in Honolulu, a member of the famed Magic Castle in Hollywood, California, and Mary was a past president of the Hollywood Assembly of the Magigals. Along with pianist friend, Joyce Wellington Bramberg (1924 - 2014), Mary composed, published, and wrote songs for commercials and professional acts. In 1975, Leon Leon, the son of The Great Leon presented an illusion at the P.C.A.M. convention in Santa Rosa, California that stopped the show. The show was set outdoors. Leon had two members from the audience assist him. Mary was one of the two who volunteered. Leon told the audience he was going hypnotize them at one time. The two onstage volunteers were there to act as witness to Leon’s claim. Leon instructed Mary to lie down on a secured long board on the stage and hold onto it. Leon stepped off the stage and walked where the audience seated. He told the audience that since they were hypnotized, they would think they see Mary levitating. With a wave of Leon’s hands, the magic began. Instead of Mary floating, the entire stage began to rise. After it rose to a few feet in the air, it finally slowly dropped back to the ground. The audience loved the entertainment, Mary and her fellow volunteer had a good time, and the fellow behind the scenes with “secret method” went on to make other deliveries. 

 

S.A.M. National President 1954 - 1955

      Mary served as Vice President of Assembly 22 and became the first lady to be on the S.A.M. National Council. She won a number of performance trophies from her local S.A.M. Assembly 22, including the 1979 Best Comedy award. Mary became the first lady to be on the S.A.M. National Council. She married real estate broker Clyde Richard Brigance Jr. (1921 – 2011) in May 28,1970. Mary was the first to volunteer for the S.A.M. Hall of Fame Board. Mary passed away August 27, 1980. She was elected posthumously into the S.A.M. Hall of Fame in 1996. The little girl named Mary from Hartford, Arkansas made her mark collectively with her fellow performers as well as singularly. Mary’s bright personality, willingness to accept all sorts of challenges, and her devotion to her multiple professions was proof she was a remarkable person.

Harry Baker

Harry Baker was born in Chicago and raised in the entertainment field. His father was a professional acrobat. Baker was once known as the “White House Magician” in the late 1930’s as well as performing for President Harry Truman. Baker received the rank of army captain and earned a Commendation for his knowledge in the U.S. Army Film Laboratory. He was the past president of the Washington Assembly No. 23, an active member of the Magicians Guild (He is the first member of the Guild to win an "Oscar" in magic), and a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the past president of the Magicians Alliance of the Eastern States. Baker was also the President of the Magic Dealers Association, Atlantic Regional Vice President of S.A.M., and a chairman of the S.A.M.’s 1946 conference in Washington DC.

He won the "Caryl Fleming Trophy" with his original "Mind Reading Rabbit" effect in which, a live rabbit in an Indian basket produces a previously chosen card instead of the snake. His style of comedy and magic was original entertaining. Performed in various states on the east coast as far south as Florida and Georgia. He was always pitching the International Brotherhood of Magicians club.

Baker owned a magic shop in Washington, D.C. at 924 17^th Street N.W. that he opened in 1947. The magic shop was a popular place for fellow performers and friends to drop in see Baker and his able assistant (and “Miss Magic of 1948”) Dolly Snow. The shop was a favorite spot for master magician Harry Blackstone. During one of Blackstone’s performance in D.C., magicians were always at a loss when they attempted to visit him at the theater. They would call on him and the stage manager would have to let them know, he wasn’t there. Baker finally had to tell his disappointed friends where the elusive master performer disappeared to once the show was reset for the next performance. While performing in D.C. Blackstone would drop by Baker’s shop to not only talk magic, but also was Baker’s best magic demonstrator.

Baker was known throughout the magic community for his performances, his articles (check out the article in The Conjuror’s Magazine in the 1940’s like “Eggs – Act ­– Ly), and his involvement in magic as a whole continued to fulfill his life. In 1950, Baker had a weekly fifteen-minute kid’s show sponsored by the local dairy television show on WMAL-TV, Washington. Harry Baker passed away in 1961. Baker’s assistant and “Girl Friday” Dolly Snow kept the shop open for business after his passing.

Elmer Eckam

Elmer G. Eckam was born in May of 1892 in Rochester, New York. Eckam’s first stage work was working as the assistant as a teenager with fellow Rochester magician Ray Hogan (1886 – 1945). Eckam performed for over forty years. He gained experience after leaving the auspices of Hogan by working the Chautauqua and Lyceum circuits as well as many of the theatres and clubs. By the Twenties, Eckam had his own unique act that included escapes. The full evening show was performed at national and state conventions in the East and Midwest. He was well liked by magicians and was a friend to fellow performers like Harry Houdini and Harry Blackstone. At the 1927 I.B.M. Convention in Kenton, Ohio, Eckam thrilled the over one thousand participants by escaping from a straight jacket while being suspended fifty feet in the air. Eckam published a magic newspaper titled, Eckam’s Echo from 1937 to 1940. He also had a mail order magic business from his home in Rochester that he called “Art in Magic”.

Grdina

John J. Grdina came to America at age of five with his family and settled in Cleveland, Ohio. Checking through the internet, in 1940, census indicates he stated he was born in Yugoslavia in 1886 and not in Austria in 1885 as it has been indicated online and in past articles. Grdina became a naturalized citizen in May 1898. Years later he was in a theater audience in Cleveland and saw Harry Kellar perform. That show changed his life.

George Boston

George Boston (1905 – 1975) began performing magic in his youth after watching Howard Thurston perform at the National Theatre in Chicago in 1915. In the 1920’s, he and a neighborhood friend, Louis Korman, created the act “Korman and Merlin” where they presented a small parlor act for the local theaters in Chicago. He performed on his own in the Chautauqua and Vaudeville circuits. During the 1930's he worked for a number of touring performers including Mel Roy, Charles Carter, Harry Blackstone, and he was also the chief stage manager for Howard Thurston’s brother Harry. Will Rock hired Boston after Rock purchased "The Mysteries of India" show from Harry in 1938.

                                                                   

Here's George as Merlin.

                                                                                 

Albeit staged, here is a rare photo of Merlin and Korman