2007-07 Dennis' Deliberations

Sadly, we lost my friend Lee Barnard earlier this month. Lee was a year younger than me. I have known him since I moved to Orlando in 1975. His 8 by 10 headshot use to hang in Clarence Godwin's old "Funway" magic shop on East Colonial located across from Fashion Square Mall. When Clarence found out that I had just come from working in Radio and TV in Charlotte, he made sure I knew about Lee Barnard, also a radio announcer. Lee, at the time had stylish fluffy 70s hair and wore paisley tux coats in his gig. He was the announcer at The Club Juana in Casselberry, Mike Pinter's stripper bar. It has now been razed to make way for a massive highway interchange at 17-92 and 436. Though the Club Juana featured totally nudity in the late show, a novelty in Conservative Orlando in the sex-crazed Disco late 70s, it was probably the closet thing to classic Burlesque here in town.

Wally Boag and Don Novis brought a touch of Burlesque to Disneyland in California in 1955 when they helped in putting together Slue Foot Sue's Golden Horseshoe Review. Slue Foot Sue's bit with her hand-held mirror reflecting the spot light on selected men in the audience and kissing the bald man's head was an old Burlesque bit. When Disney opening The Magic Kingdom here in Orlando, this presentation was brought to our doorstep and , of course, featured Bev Bergeron.

Old time Burlesque was "Strip Tease" with an emphasis on the "Tease" and strippers rarely went down to less than a G-string and pasties. The Club Juana had a nice small stage and featured some variety acts. A number of female magicians ,including Paula Paul (Panda), played there with their magic acts. A few times my wife,Cindy and I went to the club to see the magic act. I seem to remember Barclay Shaw playing there. Unlike any of the other topless places in Orlando, they never badgered you to buy drinks and hand over your wallet. Much like the old Empire Room at the Langford Hotel, you could simply walk in and tell them you just wanted to see the show.

My costume shop, Allied Costumes, did provide a few items for Lee Barnard. At that time he was always after me to make a Broom Suspension for him, in my "spare time". It became kind of a running joke between us through the years in that I never seemed to have the "spare time" ( the truth!). One other joke between us was based on the fact that Lee had worked as a radio announcer here in Orlando. I also had a radio background from up north. I always was after Lee to let me know if there were any jobs openings in radio here in town and his answer was always "No, and you don't want to know because you don't want to work radio in this town!".That became a kind of running joke between us for all these years.When Lee started coming regularly to the ring meetings his first words to me were, 'No I don;t have a line on any radio jobs and where is my broom?"

Orlando lost a real magic enthusiast. Thank you Dan Stapleton for spotlighting Lee at the Tribute a month ago. Rest in peace, Lee.

Clarence Godwin's Funway Store was the local magician's Mecca back in the mid 70s. Clarence was chemist by trade and ran a state lab up in Sanford. One of his managers was James Sherrill. Godwin was tall and thin and I assumed he would live to a ripe old age but he died of a heart attack in the late 80s while in his early 60s. James Sherrill and I were pallbearers at his funeral. Funway had a decent magic counter and Clarence had a few people building props for him. Art Week's, a plumber in Lakeland and excellent metal and woodworker, built a few illusions for him. Several ended up in Brett Glascock's cruise ship show. Art can be seen in Paul Osborne's second illusion book.Clarence also developed a line of theatrical makeup. During they Hollywood East mania here in town when Orlando was promoted as the next movie capital of the world and Disney and Universal were building their studios, Clarence changed the name from Funway to "Paramount Theatricals". When Clarence died he had just married Pat and she was a Jehovah's Witness. That religious group's beliefs did not approve of her owning a "magic store' so she eventually sold it to Madge Simpson, who also had managed Funway and changed the name to Madge Elaine's World of Entertainment. Today it is Pizzazz and owned by Kay Gonzales and still is a source for magic.

Frequent magic faces you would see in the store was Michael Ramm (Chambers) and his wife Nadine. Mike toured a shopping center magic show with his own stage and backdrops. I saw his act a few times at the old Colonial Plaza Mall and he also performed at the 1979 Florida Magic Convention. He had a Metamorphosis truck that looked like an open fronted circus wagon. Nadine also curled up in a Mirror Sword Box. Wayne Scott ("Scotty") built many of his props. Wayne and his family, now in Howey-in-the-Hills , still build most of the clown shoes for the Ringling show. The first time I met Harry Wise, he was just off a Ghost Show tour for Phil Morris. One evening I was directing a TV program for WBTV television in Charlotte and in the control room in front of the video switcher with a stop watch in my hand. The door to the control room opens and in walks Harry Wise who told me he was a friend of Phil Morris. Apparently Phil and his wife Amy needed to go somewhere for the evening so Phil suggested that Harry come see me at the studio! Phil was well known by everyone at the station so his phone call to the station got Harry through the front door. In the meantime, Harry is trying to tell me and the control room crew , the Audio man, Technical director, video control operator , his life story. He even tried a few tricks! We were in the middle of doing a live show! Harry is a character.

A couple of years later and I was living here in Orlando and I got to know Harry a lot better. I still have the Abbots Frame of Life and Death Illusion I bought from him 20 years ago. J.L. Harding and Stardust, his wife, had a homebuilt illusion show. J.L.'s main job was for Goodyear Tire Company. He lived in Apopka. He had done a fairly good job building his props on a limited budget. His big yearly event was his Benefit show for the Crippled Children's home in Umatilla. I played it a few years with Wallace Berry and Gary Kornfield. J.L. got transferred to Atlanta and did not take his props with him. He all but gave me most of his illusions.

Joe Conrad was a Chavez School of Magic graduate who aspired to having a large illusion show. He , like many others, decided to use Orlando as a home base.You know the drill: "I will take a few gigs out of town and then work their attractions here." I am sure like most he realized that steady employment as an illusionist is a rare thing in Orlando. Joe made deals,lost deals and tried. He played a college show at Valencia and I was in the audience. I remembered his doing an upside down Strait Jacket over the stage. Since I am a professor at Valencia in the Theater department I know the stage and rigging in that theater very well. I don't know how he talked them into doing it! If you ever want to do it there, "don't"! Like I say, I know the rigging....

Carlton Beck, of Las Vegas, was in town with his big cat illusions trying to set up a Dinner Attraction with magic. The former Fortune Feast building on 192 was mentioned. He called me a few times and explained some of his business dealings. Later, when Paul Osborne printed my "Million Dollar Platform" system in his Genii Illusion column, Carlton called and wanted my permission to use the principle for an illusion he was building. So many have tried to start a Dinner Illusion show in Orlando and discovered that this is not the town for it. Joe Eddie Fairchild spent a lot of money and effort and never could make the numbers work. Orlando was Vince Carmen's first choice but he was more successful in Sarasota.

Illusionist Mark O'Brien came here from New Jersey because in the late 80s and early 90s he was doing a considerable portion of his work at Nickelodeon /Universal and Disney. Mark also had a nice Convention Show venue here. He managed to swing a deal for two years doing a magic show in the Stanleyville Theater in Busch Gardens.Following a very successful engagement in Germany at a theme park, he returned to Orlando with his leopard, stage crew, wife ( assistant producer and co-performer) and tons of equipment. He had everything that was needed for a Dinner Illusion Show but a building. He even had the business plan. Sadly, his plan was seen by many others and Mark believes it was copied. In the summer of 1999 there were two big fires in his warehouses that destroyed the bulk of his props. The cause of the fires was never determined. Mark believes it could have been arson by business rivals. O'Brien did rebuild most of his show but his Orlando experience at doing an illusion show attraction was not a pleasant one.

Finally we get to the guy that once took the shirt off my back! But he did give it back and then took it again...and I finally got it back. Its a long story!It was a Halloween Night show at the old Lake Eola Band shell. Dan Stapleton was put in charge of producing the show and he got me to be the closing illusion act.That was probably one of the last times, a regular stage would have a full flaming CREMATION done on it. It was Halloween Night 1976 and on the play bill was James Sherrill, Rory Johnston, Dan and and others I have forgotten. My illusion act was the finale. At the time I was in the middle of a tour of fund-raising shows for local schools, so I got my assistants to help. It was a five person act. Ashley Dane -Michael, who went on to a big career as a soap-opera actress in New York, was my main female helper. Debbie Abraham was also a "ta-dah" girl and Tony Todaro was my chief male helper. Larry Norwood rounded out the cast of helpers. I believe I opened with Dove Catching with a net, vanishing cage with doves. The Temple of Benares and a Chair Suspension were performed and then the Cremation or Burning a Girl Alive. I recall that when Larry and Tony pulled the lid off the flaming Cremation and lowered the sides and the charred flaming skeleton could be seen, a loud gasp went through the crowd. Dan , in his rush to get his show together and get to the band shell had forgotten to pack his white tux shirt!So, I unbuttoned my shirt and let Dan wear it and shortly before my act he gave it back to me backstage. I seem to remember that he took it back for the final bows and I wrapped myself up in my long black and red cape. Probably the lightning shirt change was the most backstage excitement I have ever had!

Just a little story from Halloween Night thirty-one years ago!

Dennis Phillips