Frank Van Hoven

Frank Van Hoven (1886 - December ?, 1929) was an English performer who made it big in the United States vaudeville circuit after developing a comedy routine, consisting mostly of gags. Early in his career he was an assistant to Roland Travers.

Van Hoven first set out to become a juggler. On seeing him practice, Harry Jansen (later becoming Dante) advised him to take up magic instead. Not faring well at being a traditional serious performer, he transformed his magic act into a comedy routine where nothing went right.

Van Hoven was billed as the "Mad Magician" and "The Man Who Made Ice Famous", with a routine that would have a "volunteer" from the audience holding a large block of ice during his act while he kept trying to make a silk appear inside it.

After he retired, he sold his act to Dell O'Dell.