Mark WIlson, Nani Darnell, and Rebo the Clown (Bev Bergeron, a highly respected magician in his own right) in a 1960 publicity still for The Magic Land of Allakazam. Mark and Nani were the first to figure out how to do a weekly national magic show effectively on television. They were also extremely kind to a 14 year-old neophyte magician
Nani and Mark. Their son Greg created the Allakazam Archives to preserve his family legacy. Notice that the K looks like the one from Kelloggs. They sponsored the show. Geoff has been a long-time member of the Nani Darnell fan club.
A 14 year-old Geoff got to hang around with Mark’s son Greg at his first magic convention. Greg is still an active performer, and Geoff took this picture of Greg and his Dad there.
Chuck and his wife Jan on the cover of Geoff’s favorite magic magazine with one of the many illusions Chuck created. He was another famous magician who Geoff got to know in his teens and who also was very kind to him. Geoff appeared with him on It’s Magic! as an assistant, but no one knew. The same thing happened to me when I did a television special with Shimada.
A classic pic of Chuck and Jan Jones from our collection.
The flyer for Geoff’s first magic convention. You might notice a mention of the Magigals having their convention. They were the first organization in magic just for women, formed in 1939 out of the Pacific Coast Association of Magicians. They were originally organized by pioneering woman magician Geraldine Larsen, one of the earliest magicians to do weekly television (long before Chuck and Mark), and the mother of Milt and Bill who founded the Magic Castle. By 2001, all magic organizations in the U.S. accepted women members (yes, there was a time when many did not) and the Magigals disbanded.