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Fred Beckman

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Fred Beckman

Cover of Genii (1966)
BornJoseph O. Wilfrid Belanger
November 20 1904
Montreal, Canada
DiedJuly 4, 1971 (age 66)
NationalityCanadian

Fred Beckman (1904-1971), once known as "The Canadian Houdini", was a successful Canadian magician.[1]

Biography

Beckman became interested in magic at the age of 10 after seeing Frederick Eugene Powell. He gave up plans to be an architect to become a magician in 1925. [2]

He operated a magic theater in Montreal named the House of Illusions from 1930 until 1934.[3]

Beckman spent a couple of years doing USO Camp Shows.[4]

He was a charter member of the Magicians Guild and was a close friend the Theo Hardeen.[5]

In 1950, he had plans to do a movie about Houdini in Canada and he was the editor of Le Monde Magique in 1965.

His publicity photo can be seen at the Conjuring Arts' exhibit "The Many Faces of Magic."[6]

Honors and Awards

  • Robert Houdin Medallion for his untiring efforts to his profession of magic at the World Festival of Magic.[7]

Books

  • "Secrets in Magic" (five pamphlets in French)



References

  1. Genii July 1971
  2. Obit, Linking Ring, September, 1971
  3. Obit, New Tops, October, 1971
  4. Cover, Genii 1966 January
  5. New Conjurers' Magazine, January 1949
  6. http://conjuringarts.org/exhibitions/the-many-faces-of-magic/fred-beckman/
  7. Cover, Tops, September, 1948