Magic and the CIA

[Virium]

There is an article on Wired about a manual the CIA paid magician John Mulholland to write. All known copies of the manual were supposed to be destroyed in 1973 but it survived and is being reprinted and sold. The article also mentions historical use of other magicians by the government. Some of the links in the article are worth checking out as well.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009...al-resurfaces/

[nenn]

*sigh* Something ELSE to add to the wishlist.

Thanks!

[Caspar]

Anyone ever hear of a French fellow by the name of Robert Houdin?

[Virium]

Did you know Houdin was not his name? It is his wife's name.

[Premetheus37]

Another article:

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/id...campaign=yahoo

Premetheus

[Sorcerer1089]

Anyone ever hear of a French fellow by the name of Robert Houdin?

He is the namesake of Harry Houdini. Houdini used an Americanized version of his mother's nickname for him ('Erry) and, after getting some mistaken advice about French pronunciation and that adding an I to the end would indicate an homage to Houdin he chose Harry Houdini as his stage name. Incidentally Houdin is pronounced more like OOdan.

[Sir FansAlot]

Did you know Houdin was not his name? It is his wife's name.

Did you know my Wife's name is not Drew? That is my name.

[Virium]

I did not know that. Nor did I know Drew was your name. Now I know who drew first?

Speaking of Drew.... That reminds me of Drew Carey which brings to mind the show Whose line is it anyway.

There was another with Ryan doing sound effects for Collin who was playing a magician but I can't find it. Always fun to watch a layman's impression of a magician and avoid being that magician.

[Medifro]

There is an article on Wired about a manual the CIA paid magician John Mulholland to write. All known copies of the manual were supposed to be destroyed in 1973 but it survived and is being reprinted and sold. The article also mentions historical use of other magicians by the government. Some of the links in the article are worth checking out as well.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009...al-resurfaces/

I recommend his biography published at lybrary. I read it long time ago and its really a good read.

~ Feras