Happy Birthday to Milt Larsen, founder, The Magic Castle in Hollywood! 2012 VIDEO INTERVIEW by Bob Andelman

MILT LARSEN podcast excerpt: "All the magicians knew my dad in the 1930s. I got to meet all the greatest magicians in the world. But as a kid, I didn't appreciate it then!” 

Happy Birthday to Milt Larsen, founder, The Magic Castle in Hollywood! 2012 VIDEO INTERVIEW

MILT LARSEN audio excerpt: "All the magicians knew my dad in the 1930s. I got to meet all the greatest magicians in the world. But as a kid, I didn't appreciate it then!”

Milt Larsen Plans a New Magic Castle

They say that magicians should never repeat a trick but it looks like Milt Larsen is going to attempt to do that very thing. Sometime in the near future Milt plans to transform the Montecito Events Center into an offshoot of Hollywood’s famed nightclub The Magic Castle. Milt Larsen founded The Magic Castle with his brother Bill back in 1963 and he has recently purchased the Montecito Events…

February 4, 2016 and I’m dictating this on my lovely Mac computer from our home in Santa Barbara. The reason I’m not on a train writing my blog is because on January 25th I checked into the Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara to have a little plumbing job. It was a heart valve replacement that had been recommended for a long time.  Many years ago I had a heart murmer that later required a Pacemaker.  It’s kept on ticking and, at my last regular check-up the technician said the battery was good for another 12 years.   Unfortunately my cardiologist said my artery got more and more blocked as time went by. At some not too distant point my poor little Pacemaker would have die to die ... and, by the way, so would I! That did not seem like a great idea. I have far too many accomplishments to enjoy before I cash in my chips.

Arlene and I agreed to have the procedures done ASAP and that was January 25th.  Due to a couple of unexpected complications it was a little more serious than we thought it might be but thanks to Dr. Don Thompson and a great staff at Cottage Hospital I was in expert hands.

I am now under the careful supervision of Arlene who is trying to keep me doing myriad of exercises that come under the heading of rehabilitations as taught by the U.S. Marine Drill Instructors.  Please feel free to pass my blog along.  Just let them know I’m still tickin’ and kicken’!

By the way our mother Gerrie Larsen, the Magic Lady, had a heart attack in the early fifties.  Happiness she lived to be 91 years old!

Many thanks to Dale Hindman and Kris Garcia for keeping our office going and to Carol Marie for her efforts on my radio shows.

This week we again enter the Magic Castle and whisper "Open Sesame" into the ear of the owl on the bookcase, the sliding panel opens to where we greet and we talk with friends both old and new.

This week we sit down at the bar with one of the Magic Word listeners (and a "Friend of The Magic Word) and his wife to talk about magic in his life; a quick chat with Chris Philpott (creator of "The 100th Monkey"; a few reminisces with Milt Larsen, widely known as the "builder" of The Magic Castle; a stroll to breakfast with Paul Vigil; then another magician/mentalist named Paul from Salt Lake City, Paul Draper, talks about mentalism and showmanship; and, Christian Cagigal talks about his one man show and a new film project that is getting some traction around the U.S. You can view a "teaser trailer" of the film below.

NOW AND AT THE HOUR (Teaser Trailer) from Ersatz Film on Vimeo.

00:02:28 - Daniel WIll and his wife, Judy, are my first guests as we join them in the main bar, with "Irma the Invisible Piano Player" is playing in the background. He talks about his involvement in magic with the Boy Scouts organization.

00:07:09 -  Chris Philpott, creator of the 100th Monkey effect, happened to walk by just as I completed my chat with Daniel and Judy Will. We talked about his product and its popularity. I was able to catch him with Steve Valentine for a quick "elevator conversation" before they had to rush to be seated for the show in the Palace.

00:09:04 - Milt Larsen talks about his radio broadcast on CRN "Hear Them Again" plus the building of the clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts plus the recent changes in the name and usage of "The Magic Castle"

00:30:29 - Paul Vigil, talks about his most recent effect he is working on for his show, the "Q&A Act" and his thoughts on disclaimers.

00:39:38 - Paul Draper, talks about how to practice new routines and break them into your act.

01:04:30 - Christian Cagigal talks about his new documentary entitled "Now And At The Hour" chronicling his one-man magic show and how it was developed based on his life with his father who was a Viet Nam veteran with PTSD.

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