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[[File: JNHilliard.png|right|thumb|200px|[[ John Northern Hilliard]]]]


'''Harry Anderson''' (1952-2018) was an Emmy Award-nominated American actor and magician.
'''John Northern Hilliard''' (1872 - 1935) was a Rochester newspaper man and clever amateur magician.


== Biography ==
== Biography ==
[[File: Harry Anderson.jpg |right|thumb|200px|[[Harry Anderson]]]]
Hilliard was dramatic critic with The Chicago Herald and later on the staff of The Rochester (N. Y.) Post Express. After moving to New York, he met [[Howard Thurston]] while a reporter on The New York World and became interested in magic. John was credited with securing the master magician with his first engagement on the stage. Several years later Thurston induced Hilliard to give up his newspaper work and become his personal representative.
Born in Newport, Rhode Island, Anderson was a [[street magician]] before becoming an actor. He is famous for the role of Judge Harry Stone on the 1984-1992 television series ''Night Court''. In addition to eight appearances on ''Saturday Night Live'' between 1981 and 1985, Anderson had a recurring guest role as con man "Harry the Hat" on ''Cheers'', toured extensively as a magician, and did several magic/comedy shows for broadcast, including ''Harry Anderson's Sideshow'' (1987).  Anderson starred in the 1985 ''Tales from the Darkside'' episode 'All a Clone by the Telephone'.


In 1990 he starred in the successful television adaptation of Stephen King's ''IT'' directed by Tommy Lee Wallace.
With the urging of [[Floyd G. Thayer]], John starting writing for [[Thayer's Magical Bulletin]] magazine. In 1925, Hilliard became an advance man for The Thurston show. During this time he accumulated notes on what he was learning about magic. In 1932, Carl Waring Jones urged him to turn his notes into a book, offering to publish it. But Hilliard suddenly died of a heart attack in 1935 while in a hotel room in Indianapolis.
From 1993 to 1997, Anderson starred in the sitcom ''Dave's World'', based loosely on the life and columns of humor columnist Dave Barry. Together with long-time friend Turk Pipkin, Anderson wrote a book called ''Games You Can't Lose: A Guide for Suckers'', a collection of gags, cons, tricks and scams. First published in 1989 (ISBN 1-58080-086-6—2001 reprint), this title also contains a survey of "Games You Can't Win" told from an insider's perspective.


[[Harry Anderson |Read more about Harry Anderson...]]
[[John Northern Hilliard|Read more about John Northern Hilliard…]]

Latest revision as of 09:23, 20 February 2026

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John Northern Hilliard (1872 - 1935) was a Rochester newspaper man and clever amateur magician.

Biography

Hilliard was dramatic critic with The Chicago Herald and later on the staff of The Rochester (N. Y.) Post Express. After moving to New York, he met Howard Thurston while a reporter on The New York World and became interested in magic. John was credited with securing the master magician with his first engagement on the stage. Several years later Thurston induced Hilliard to give up his newspaper work and become his personal representative.

With the urging of Floyd G. Thayer, John starting writing for Thayer's Magical Bulletin magazine. In 1925, Hilliard became an advance man for The Thurston show. During this time he accumulated notes on what he was learning about magic. In 1932, Carl Waring Jones urged him to turn his notes into a book, offering to publish it. But Hilliard suddenly died of a heart attack in 1935 while in a hotel room in Indianapolis.

Read more about John Northern Hilliard…