Joseph McBee “Merry Mystifier and Komedy Kardist”

Columbus, Ohio originated a lot of magic history. It was the birthplace of Howard Thurston, the famous magician, and his brother Harry Thurston, the infamous magician. McDonald Birch was  born there, before moving to southern Ohio. It was also the home of two well-known magic dealers, U. F. Grant/MAK Magic, and Nelson Enterprises. An annual magicians’ convention, the Columbus Magi-Fest has been going strong for over eighty years.

Magicians' convention held in Columbus, Ohio in 1931.

The following throw-out card is for another Columbus magician a little less known, by the name of Joseph McBee. He called himself “The Merry Mystifier and Komedy Kardist in Vaudeville”. The front of the card has McBee’s image in an oval portrait, and the reverse of the card is a Bicycle Red Lotus back.

In the magic magazine The Sphinx for May of 1913, the Columbus magic club “The Mystic Ring” mentions that “Joseph McBee ‘Assisted by a Pack of Cards,’ mystified the audience with his clever manipulation and a number of his original card tricks.”

In October of 1913 McBee was elected president of “The Mystic Ring” in Columbus. The Sphinx for November, 1913 stated that “Mme. Herrmann appeared at the Broadway (a theatre in Columbus) week of September 29, presenting her beautiful act of illusions”. “The following week came our own Joseph (McBee). His act consisted of his splendid manipulation with cards and balls. When it comes to handling the cards, Mack is there”.

Broadway Theatre in Columbus, Ohio

When I began researching McBee, I assumed that maybe his claim to being in Vaudeville was a little inflated, as I had never heard of him. It seems I was wrong however, as I was able to find several references to him playing Vaudeville houses in several cities in the U. S. The Lumberg Theatre in Utica, New York ran this ad in the Herald Dispatch for February 8, 1916.

Newspaper ad with Joseph McBee billing.

Ladson Butler writing from Buffalo, New York in The Sphinx for March, 1916 said that “Joseph McBee, card manipulator played the Olympic Theatre the week of  March 7. His work was very smooth and absolutely clean, though a little fast. We had several pleasant meetings with him”.

Joseph McBee was a charter member when Columbus Ring No. 9, of the International Brotherhood of Magicians was formed in January of 1929. On February 5, of the same year the newly formed Ring held a banquet honoring Howard Thurston. At this banquet, according to The Linking Ring, Syl Reilly the vice-president announced “that the local organization had been named the Howard Thurston assembly (or Ring) No. 9 of the brotherhood”. Mention was made that McBee “did his clever card tricks” for the gathering. A pin back button was created for the banquet, and I have been fortunate in finding one of these with the name of a charter member of the Ring, Stanley W. Coulter.

From information I found, Joseph D. McBee was born on January 24, 1883, and died on May 29, 1967 at the age of 84. It appears that with the exception of when he was on the road performing, he lived most, if not all of his life in Columbus, Ohio.

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

Harry Thurston

While Harry Thurston (1867 – 1941) was gazing into the lens of camera for his throw out card image, he had more than magic on his mind. Yes, his brother, Howard Thurston was known throughout the world as the magician extraordinaire while Harry, kept far away from the spotlight and fame. When Howard needed money, Harry was always there with the financial assistance (although neither of the brothers were able to keep money in their pockets for too long), Harry seemed to have any amount for his brother…for a price. As additional consideration for security for the loan, Harry ended up having a storage area filled with several of Howard’s large magic illusions.

Harry figured the props weren’t making money just packed away gathering dust, so he came up with the idea of creating a touring illusion show under a tent (much to Howard’s consternation). Harry called the show “Thurston’s Mysteries of India”. With the assistance of his wife Rae (as Princess Ranee), he attempted to make his mark in the world of magic. Harry had very little idea how the majority of the illusions worked, so he enlisted the help of two visiting Australian magicians first, Les Levante and eventually, Percy Abbott. Both performers found in a very short time, Harry’s method of performing wasn’t up to performance levels to brother Howard’s. It didn’t take long before both of the performers left the show. Then George Boston was hired to assist the ill-fated show. Boston left the tour too after being put through the ringer. In a short time, the show was packed away in storage until 1938. That’s when a young professional magician approached Harry and purchased the entire show. His name was Will Rock (William George Rakauskas).

Rock On!

Tom's marvelous post on Will Rock (what a beautiful card) has inspired me to add another card from this performer and a few other tidbits of information.    I'm advised that in 1938, Rock bought a few of Howard Thurston's major illusions (including the Million Dollar Mystery) from Jane Thurston.  A few months later, Rock purchased the entire  Harry Thurston show for $1,000.   After the war, Rock did not return to the stage, instead working as a Detroit dry-cleaning plant's salesman until he retired in 1983. In 1954, Rock sold his Thurston props to illusionist Kirk Kirkham.  He died in Mt. Clemens, Michigan.

This card, featuring a wackier portrait of the illusionist (I love the way his beard hands over the frame), is printed on heavy throwing card stock.  The back lists biographical information about several famous magicians.

We "Will Rock" You!

Will Rock (William George Rakauskas) - Rock was born April 25, 1907 in Auburn, Massachsetts. He first became interested in magic after witnessing Eugene Laurant. Rock played mostly small towns and Chautauqua at first but eventually joined The Great Raymond show. In 1938, he learned that some of the late Howard Thurston's illusions were for sale. He eventually purchased them and was trained by Thurston's assistant George White. He then learned that some of Harry Thurston's illusions were for sale and he purchased those as well. The "Rock Presents Thurston's Mysteries" show opened in Ottowa, Illinois September 25, 1938. World War II put an end to the Rock show when he was inducted into the Army, After the war people expected him to carry on with the show but this never materialized. Here is his scaling card with his photo on the front and another of Howard Thurston on the back.

And here are some additional unusual scaling cards issued by Rock from the Gary Frank collection. Gary notes that the two cards shown below - front (left) and back (right) were among the very first cards Rock used when he obtained the Thurston illusions.