BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

AL BAKER
Al Baker is a white haired, dignified and rather ministerial looking gentleman, who, in the simplest manner possible, performs the most amazing feats, all the while, in a completely inimitable way, amusing the audience by the wit of his patter. The very agility of Al Baker's mind, which permits him to twist the old minstrel gag or a current newspaper headline into the most amusing of jokes, has also made him one of the most inventive of magicians. His forte is simplifying method in magic, and making it magic by the naturalness and subtlety of the presentation.


ROY BENSON
Roy Benson is attractive in appearance, meticulous in attire, careful in presentation, and beautifully clean in manipulation. Nevertheless be depends upon his patter to a major extent. His jokes may kid the world in general, his tricks, himself, or his audience but be is very careful that his humour is in good taste and without sting. He has acted both on the legitimate stage and in moving pictures and his presentation of magic is materially enhanced because of his acting experience.


AL FLOSSO
Al Flosso grew up in magic. He presents his magic at a breathless pace. Something always is happening while he is before an audience--a trick, a piece of business, a joke--and with each item the laughter builds. It is not possible adequately to describe his rapid-fire manner; nor is it possible to describe just what makes him so good a comedian. Through years of experience he has developed his style of performance and his comedy and both are excellent. He has specialized in coin work and his production of coins from everywhere invariably is liked.


ROBERT HARBIN
Robert Harbin is a gentleman of impeccable attire and pleasing appearance who presents his mysteries in a straightforward and dignified manner. His performance is always markedly different because of his great cleverness as a creator of new magic. His own creations are always outstanding because of the fact that he invariably devises the simplest possible manner for producing his effects. Harbin is a prominent English magician and has been featured at Maskelyne's.


LEO HARTZ
Leo Hartz (S. Leo Horowitz) has been a real student of magic for many years. Innumerable magicians are indebeted to his clever inventive ability for manipulative tricks which they featured in their performances. His own sleight-of-hand is unbelievably clean and smooth--so much so that he never seems to be doing any manipulations at all and yet the tricks happen. All his magic is outstanding for its naturalness. Long as he has been in magic, it is but comparatively recently that be has become a full time magician.


"THINK-A-DRINK" HOFFMAN
"Think-a-Drink" Hoffman's success is due in part to his own pleasing personality, in part to his superb showmanship. and in part to the cleverness and novelty of his act. For several seasons, Hoffman has received star billing wherever be played and the reviews of his act have been universally excellent. He has been praised by reviewers with every complimentary superlative to be found in Webster's Dictionary. His act consists in the production of an endless variety of drinks--you think of what you would like and be has it instantly. It is not a press agent's fancy, but fact, that Hoffman is "The Highest Paid Bartender in the World."


EUGENE LAURANT
Eugene Laurant, as was Howard Thurston, is loved by his audiences the moment he steps foot upon the stage. He has that rarest of abilities--of making each person at his performance feel that he has always known him and always liked him. As a magician he is exceedingly deft and vastly entertaining. As a showman he is superb. Whatever he does he embellishes until it becomes unique. For example, no one, layman or magician, ever speaks of the Chinese Rings, or the Linking Rings, after one of Laurant's performances but of "Laurant's Rings". The combination of genial gentleman and master magician has made Laurant today, and for many years past, one of America's outstanding magicians.


MAGINI
Magini, judging from his youthful manner and appearance, no one would imagine has had thirty years of professional experience as a magician. He presents his magic with a dash which does not show the careful planning nor the skillful technique. As he runs easily from one miraculous feat to another, the magic seems to work itself, and he is but a good humored and kindly gentleman to whom miracles are an every day occurrence. This ease of manner and certainty of presentation is, of course, the result not only of the years of experience behind the footlights but also the careful planning of an artist.


MIACO
Miaco is a superb showman. From the moment he steps in the spotlight, he compels genial and interested attention from the audience. By his personality and deportment and dress he is so obviously a gentleman--so obviously belongs--that his audiences automatically like him. Miaco's manipulations are deft and clean cut, his magic both entertaining and mystifying. He comes before the audience to amuse them, and though to watch one of his audiences it is obvious that they are having a good time, it is quite as obvious that Miaco is happy to be with them.


RUSSELL SWANN
Russell Swann presents his magic so that his audiences have an hilariously good time. He does his tricks so that those who witness them do not know how they are done, but he does not stress the mystery element. He comes before his audiences as a handsome gentleman who knows a number of feats of magic, and he is so entertaining in showing this magic that he is quite the sort of a chap everyone would like to know personally. Through his agreeable manner, his wit and his skill as an actor he amuses his audiences to the nth degree. Swann is magic's real humorist.