The Magic of Channing Pollock #102

They're guys. They do magic. They are the Magic Guys.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Magic Guys podcast episode 102. This is the podcast where we talk about our lives as magicians, we interview amazing performers And sometimes we get amazing history lessons by my fellow magician next to me. We got Nick K. Hello, friends. I'm Nick K. On the mic. Hell yeah. I got it. I've since getting this new Rodecaster Pro, I've switched around the sounds and I keep going to hit this one and it's in a bloody different spot. God damn it.

Well, it's the thing about rehearsals and we've spoken about this quite a lot, friends. And just so you guys know who are listening right now or watching here on the YouTube is that we do this live, uncut, uncircumcised. It is live and happening right now. We are Hooded Warriors. Unlike myself. Now, the good thing is as well, because it's live, we do it all live. And when we leave this live, there's nothing else to do. It goes up into the stratosphere.

But also as nick was about to say it's good do we have we have some friends here that join us in this live shenanery exactly that's the joys i've been able to do it live it gives you guys an opportunity to chat to us ask questions when we are interviewing folks and we love when you guys join us every single week we have hudson in the house in the chat right now we got tim asking good to see you bud thomas conger he's pumped to

be here and a good friend the magic buzz good to see you pal yeah from from canada we'll see you in february buddy i'll be up there doing some snowboarding so maybe we'll cross paths that'll be super exciting but thank you all for being here for what is going to be a very interesting history lesson do you go to canada just side note do you go to canada every year or do you switch countries that you go to snowing because i feel like oh no you were in new zealand

last year i think around this time like i bounce around i bounce around a lot it depends it depends wherever we're having good good snow but i i seldom ever take a. Vacation in which I don't perform or work or go for a magic convention or something of those notions like this is the only time I'll do that and it's remarkable because, people ask me why don't you go somewhere warm get a tan because I'm for those listening I'm I'm not the most tan guy I'm very pale for what is effectively

a tall Greek man when I should have like beautiful olive skin but instead I'm the type of guy that gets sunburned by firecrackers like I got sunburned on New Year's Eve so let's talk about that for a quick sec and then we're Going into this amazing history lesson. Now that I think about it, most magicians aren't tanned. Like, I remember seeing Joshua Jay go on Fool Us, and he had obviously gotten a tan for this TV appearance because he looked oddly...

Darker and healthier and like tan because you know you ought to automatically look fresher and healthier and stuff when people see ever tan they think you're doing well in life and i just remember looking at it going whoa what the hell is going on here because i'm i'm you know as pale as they come and i think is it because we're always gigging at night and in the day we're tinkering away not in the sun i imagine so man i imagine that

like you know we work a nine to five but not like everyone else does you know it's the type of thing where i don't know really people would get out on the weekends but we have administration to do whilst we're working we have quotes to do we have things to work on scripts to polish marketing to be done and then when the weekends come where people would ordinarily have the luxury of going out there and walking along the river or kite surfing or whatever you folks get up to when you're out there

on your weekends we gotta go to work so we don't have that luxury of sort of like getting a tan i have a semi t-shirt turn at the moment because i've been doing some mountain biking and and a lot of exercise outdoors in preparation for my trip just to make sure I'm strong enough and don't have any sort of back pain and so forth because I am old. Yeah. So I don't imagine that's going to get much better. Yeah. Yeah. In the scheme of things, you're a spring chicken, mate. Try on, mate.

But I am so keen to hear about this history lesson today. Nick, take it away. Let's begin. Channing Pollock was born. Dun, dun. Sorry. No, it's not. No, he's actually a brilliant man. So, Shannon Pollock was born on August 16th, 2026 in Sacramento, California. Now, details of his early family life remain kind of scarce, but he grew up in the Great Depression. It was a time that required resilience and shaped his character as it did many individuals in that era.

Now, Pollock didn't exhibit any early inclination towards performing magic or the arts at all. He was known as a pretty reserved but observant young man, qualities that later became instrumental in his ability to captivate audiences with his understated elegance. In his early 20s, Pollock's life took a transformative turn when he discovered Professor Hoffman's Modern Magic. This book, first published in 1876, is considered in the history of magic like one of the most important books of magic.

And it offers detailed instructions of sleight of hand, stage illusions, and the foundational principles for performing magic. Pollock became deeply inspired by the knowledge and the artistry laid out in the book. And it sparked a desire to pursue magic, not just the pastime, but as a very serious craft. Now, determined to master the art, Pollock enrolled at the Chavez School of Magic in Los Angeles.

And I was very curious about this. So if you guys have questions about this School of Magic, it's kind of the first time I've stumbled upon it in my history lessons. If you would like a lesson on that or a history lesson for me to dive into that, let me know because I'm very curious to see what this Chavez School of Magic is about. And for those of you that don't know what it is, it's one of the most prestigious

institutions for aspiring magicians. The school emphasizes precision, elegance, and theatrical elements for performance. Now, under the guidance of the school's founder, Ben Chavez. Pollock honed his technical skills and developed the graceful stage presence that would then become his signature. So Chavez's rigorous training program taught Pollock not just how to perform tricks, but how to transform magic into a compelling performance art.

His dedication and disciplined approach stood out amongst his peers, earning him the respect as a magician with exceptional focus and potential. Imagine we had a school for magic in every state. There was one in Melbourne called the Magic School of Confidence ran by Anthony DeMazzi. We should probably get him on the show at some time. And it's really good for the youth pressing on.

But I think it's equally as important for all of us. And I think that anyone who has an ego that you can't sit in a room amongst your peers and learn something, man, that is, that's not a healthy way to be. Don't you think, Josh?

Yeah, I think that we, I don't know why we haven't had him on yet.

Demasi, he's just a busy guy, I guess. He, he ran, I ran into him last in Townsville when I was performing at Showman in the theater and he happened to be running the, school holiday shows and we linked up and he just seemed like a great guy and i am always seeing him post stuff about this it's a hard gig like to teach people about the art of magic because a lot of people just flake off and go do other stuff like they're just there because

it's something fun to do or like they just want to learn the next trick these are all things that i've kind of encountered when trying to go down that like teaching route and it's it's an honorable thing that he's doing. I think it would be so great if, he approached every pro in town, like every full-time guy, and was like, will you take on one student, for a month, two months, three months, and just let them reach out to you if they need it, and to show you stuff, and you give them drills.

So at least that way, we've got this next generation of people who can say, I was mentored by Tim Ellis, Nick K, hey Liam Jumpert and all the other greats that are in town you know indigenous to the location I think that would be so cool for everyone to be able to learn something from each of us that could be a good idea I think I stumbled upon something it's a bloody great idea like imagine if you had a understudy come to all your gigs and maybe he's not necessarily doing the

gigging but he's there like maybe he's helping you set up or something and then he's like observing the stuff that you do or maybe he is doing one or two things right at the end when it's you know and starting to get the the vibe of it especially for stage shows because then you you know i've done that with we would have a stage hand and they would get to see how it's all orchestrated and what the audience is really like in real life not just

on a dvd when you learn a trick and they say it would be awesome. I actually do that. I do that for charity events. So the charity events, typically they, you know, they might freak out about budget a little bit, but they'll say like, we've got this much. You might ask for whatever you ask for, but whatever you get, I'll say to them, thank you. I'll accept that amount. In fact, I'll bring a second magician who's one of my proteges.

I'll pay them out of my fee. Don't worry about it, but I want them to have some experience. And they go, that's amazing. I can't believe we get two people for the one price and we get to get you.

So it's the kind of thing where, you know, they don't have to worry about the customer experience because they have a pro there that's going to ensure everyone has a good time but that's something for us to talk about another time but i think it's a really important thing that's a yeah that's a great idea too yeah and if you guys agree put it in the chat or you know we'll chat about it on discord but moving along so before stepping onto the stage shannon pollock served in the united states navy

during world war ii this period of his life installed a discipline and work ethic that would later become the hallmarks of his magic career so the experience also gave him a broader of perspective of life, which would channel into his performances, emphasizing on precision and elegance over spectacle, which a lot of magicians should be focusing on. After serving in the US Navy during World War II, Channing married his childhood sweetheart, Naomi Phelps, who was a daughter of a preacher.

Naomi soon became his partner on stage until the divorce in 1959.

That marriage produced one son, which I didn't really find too much on. And what I did find wasn't overly exciting. So moving on to his second marriage. His second marriage was to Josephine Bolton, who he called Josie. She was from England and they got married on January 13th, 1960. Jay-Z, of course, became his onstage partner, but unfortunately they divorced later in 1968. And then he married a third time in January of 1969 and he married Corrine Shung.

Guy gets around. Yeah, three marriages. like at what point do you go maybe it's me maybe i should work on myself well maybe my career is too demanding for me to have a life partner well it's kind of cool that he's like come along babe jump on board we're doing this together so that's kind of nice you know what i mean as she was, yeah so unless like i don't know maybe they were holding him back from his own dreams and progress and to which he was like you're either on board or you're

not and she's like i'm out and he's like great number two and three and four and away he goes who who's next.

But fair enough let's talk about let's talk about the beginning all right and and his road to stardom so chad and pollock's journey of stardom began in the early 1950s a decade that saw him transitioning from a promising magician into an international sensation his impeccable sense of style, coupled with his innovative approach to magic, made him one of the most celebrated performers of his era.

Now, central to his success was the development of his iconic Dove Act, a performance that redefined magic and theatrical art form. Now, it's probably what he's most known for, this Dove Act. Now, the foundation of Pollock's Dove Act was late during his time at the Chevelle School of Magic, where he first learned the techniques for producing live animals as part of his performance. However, Pollock didn't merely replicate what he was taught.

He elevated it through painstaking practice he refined the techniques ensuring that every move was seamless and natural his goal was to create an illusion so flawless that it would appear as though doves were materializing out of thin air and if anyone's ever seen some of his performances on youtube by all means scope it out it's a good seven minute act with a mixture of other techniques but it's to me one of the most perfect looking dove acts

i've ever seen now the dove became Pollock's signature. With his tailored tuxedo, slick black hair, and elegant movements, he would produce doves from scarves and even thin air. Unlike the boisterous and theatrical performances of many magicians of that time, Pollock's act was understated and refined. The beauty of the act lay in its simplicity. No flashy props, no elaborate backdrops, just skill and artistry.

And if you haven't seen it it is you just you don't see him take like i've seen many dove acts i've studied a lot of this and you can see when the guys are loaded up and their hands kind of stuck to their chest because they've they've loaded into the pool to produce the dove and it's just like yep he's stuck he's stuck it just doesn't happen with pollock it's stunning absolutely stunning now pollock's rise to fame was propelled by appearances on television in 1954.

He performed his dub act on The Ed Sullivan Show, one of the most popular programs of its time. The performance was a revelation. Audiences were captivated by Pollock's charisma, grace, and sheer elegance of magic. The show introduced him to millions of viewers, instantly catapulting him into national fame. Pollock's television appearances weren't just showcases of his talent,

they were masterclasses in presentation. His ability to perform flawlessly under the scrutiny of live cameras demonstrated the depth and precision of his skill. And just in a moment ago, for those watching on YouTube, he showed some of his performance there. And it's just exceptional.

Let's see if it will focus. Come on. Now, that clip you're actually seeing right now is actually in color, and that's actually from a movie that he was starring in, which I'll mention now as part of his international stardom. Because as his fame grew, Pollock began performing internationally. His dove act resonated with audiences worldwide, earning him standing ovations across theaters all over Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

In the 1950s, he became one of the first magicians to be invited at the London Palladium, a venue synonymous with world-class entertainment. His performances then solidified his stature as an international star. Pollock's performances also attracted the attention of Hollywood. So directors and producers were drawn to his movie star looks and magnetic stage presence. Leading to roles in movies like Mardi Gras. That was in 1958.

While those roles expanded his fame, they also started to highlight his primary passion for magic. So we'll get into his movie career a little bit later on. There's a little bit more that I want to talk about because when I was doing this, it was just constantly being celebrated that he was just doing Dove Act stuff. And I knew that his depth of character and skillset was sort of beyond that.

So I kind want to touch upon the most prominent skill sets that he had so while the dove act was undoubtedly his most iconic contribution to magic it was only the it wasn't the only routine in his repertoire pollock was a consummate performer who applied his skill and elegance and precision to various acts each marked by the distinctive style now let's explore some of those now so pollock's mastery of card manipulation was legendary his routines involved

efforts like productions and disappearance of playing playing cards executed with the fluidity that mark the slides and they just look they look second nature like when you see it in the videos his split fans are stunning i was genuinely fooled by the ditches and and and him getting extra stacks of cards when i saw in his performance in one particular famous sequence he would actually produce an endless stream of cards from thin air, tossing them gracefully into a top hat or onto a table.

The beauty of his car manipulation routine lay in their simplicity. Unlike other magicians who use complex props or distractions. Pollock performed with this minimalistic elegance. His routines were silent, relying solely on his skill and stage presence to captivate the audiences. This act, or these acts rather often served as the perfect compliment to his Dove Act productions, creating a seamless bend.

Let me say that again, creating a seamless blend of magic that showcased his technical brilliance. When you watch him back palm. And show the front and back of a stock of cards it's so perfect and he flashes nothing there's no white gloves it's just the most perfect technique man and for someone who dabbles in most every facet of magic should i ever need it it's it's beautiful and.

His hands are gorgeous you know when you see a magician with hands you're like damn those hands are gorgeous like for magic you know i mean like i had beautiful hands as well for magic you know his whole body looked gorgeous like when you look at the dude like in that clip i was trying to play that wouldn't let me his like full head of hair slicked back like looks tan looks like he's in shape in a fitted suit looks like looks a bit like a greek god kind of vibe and

you're just like magicians don't look like that anymore no we're totally we're totally we're totally getting gay forgot about pollock this is great like it's yeah it's like what man i can i can see why he did so well is what i'm saying that on top of like amazing skills is.

Just crazy like if he was a magician today he would still i believe get so much attention with the current acts he does obviously people might have a certain opinion these days on dove work but still just like his vibe he carries himself with as a magician and his amazing skill set like he would still freaking slay today that's absolutely yeah now as well as the carbonip pollock also performed routines involving silk handkerchiefs

a classic staple of stage magic for sure but his handling of the silks was refined was as refined as his other acts. Emphasizing on smooth transitions and flawless execution, whether making silks appear from the ampy hand or transforming them into other objects or vanishing them entirely. Pollock's approach to these effects were the same level of artistry as his amazing dove act.

And one thing that I really liked that he does, you'll see in a video that when he needs a silk, he has his assistant come over and she's got these little flowers that are kind of on her dress. And every time she comes over, he just grabs one of the flowers and it just unravels as a silk. And I'm like, I've only ever seen one other magician do that and that was Lee Cohen and she had it in her hair. It looked like a flower and then she would produce a silk from it. And it's so gorgeous.

It's such a pretty silk thing. And yeah, we should probably look into where that comes from. But it's always hard to find stuff on silks, man. I don't know why it is. There's no kind of definitive... Work that i know or we're gonna have to ask dad for this one daddy doug 100 yeah i remember.

Ages ago i saw you could buy and you probably still can a like wired rose and so that you can put your silk around it and it looked like a rose and then you could pull it out to become the silk i remember seeing that like maybe 10 years ago didn't think anything of it and for years i would take my silk to do my bottle production just out of like my back pocket or my inner jacket and then it wasn't until i had a consulting session with adamata who creates a

lot of magic in australia for theater productions and stuff like harry potter and i think he's just completed the siegfried and roid production if you don't know who adamata is and i was having to to tailor this presentation for a company and he's like all right let's look at your routine and he started with the bottle production. I'm like, ah, you know, I've done this for like eight years.

It's all good. He's like, okay, we're just running through it. And I'm like, all right. So I take the silk out. He's like, where is the silk coming from? I'm like, oh, my back pocket. He's like, put it, make it your pocket hang. Like, why would, why would you have to take a silk from somewhere else? Like it would make sense for it to be there. And oh, I'm going to use my pocket hang for this effect. Like it should already be there. And I'm like, okay, wow, that's crazy.

I'm like, all right, how do you light the flash paper? I'm like, I just grab a lighter out of my pocket. He's like. No, you should have your lighter on a pull so that all you have to do is just relax your hand and you're basically coming in contact with the lighter. So now you don't have to do that extra hand in pocket, come back out thing. And after you've lit it, you can just let go of the lighter and it pulls back to your side pocket.

I'm like, this is genius. So I would love to take it further and I should really look at that, that flower thing because it's, it's kind of like the flower you would see a groomsman with on their wedding day, like how they would have a set of flowers, I guess, on top of, on top of their jacket, like a little bit higher than their, their pocket. There is a word for that.

I want to say cravat, but I don't think that's the word because the cravat is like the fabric thing, but there is a kind of, yeah. Someone in this chat will know that, and thank you chat. We'll bring it up. And last thing, the lighter pull that I'm referring to, it's a common thing you can actually buy from smoke shops because people will put them on their belt and stuff like that. And I hook it into the inner ticket pocket. I think it's called of your suit

jacket, like the little pocket at the bottom. I just clip it onto there. Scotty P saying corsage. I feel like corsage might be. That is the right word? I think so. Yeah. Now, I had a friend of mine who had a wedding recently. I had the pleasure of being a groomsman. He's actually really well versed in origami. And so you can see here on the screen that he made these beautiful little flowers that he actually did these all by hand.

He did every bouquet, every bouquet was like made of napkins, you know, and like all of the decorations on each table, like he 3d printed them himself. Like he really, like he just spent like a year just putting all this stuff together. And it's great because like people get to keep these now. And I love this. Like I keep this here in my home. Like I think I might put it in the fridge, but it's just great. The level of creativity people can go from.

So yeah. Yeah. But yeah. So back to it friends. Yeah. Oh, and nothing. Sorry. Sorry, Tim Askin also mentioned lapel rose, which also does come up as a viable name.

And then I just Googled it. Someone else has called it a rose boutonniere. Boutonniere? Bougie. Boutonniere. Anyway. Boutonniere. Talking about stuff why I know nothing about. That's why we have history like this to learn. Now, another notable routine in Pollock's repertoire was his cigarette manipulation act, a popular form of magic in the mid-20th century. So, he would produce, vanish, multiply cigarettes with astonishing precision.

This routine required exceptional dexterity and control, which Pollock possessed in abundance. It was also reinforced, his image, as a polished, sophisticated performer. I guess smoking was very elegant in those days, or tailored cigarettes would have been anyway, so... Yeah, now, what set Pollock apart wasn't just the effects he performed, but how he performed them. His routines were often accompanied by dramatic lighting, music, and impeccable tailored appearance.

Pollock understood that the magic was as much about creating the mood as it was about executing the tricks. His acts weren't just performances, they were experiences. Designed to leave the audience in awe, not only with the illusions, but also with the performer himself. I agree with that. Now, one of the defining features of Pollock's routine was his use of silence.

Unlike many magicians of his time who relied on the patter or comic sort of commentary, Pollock allowed the magic to speak for itself. This choice added to his mystique of his performances, giving him an almost cinematic quality. And his ability to command attention without saying a single word was a testament to his charisma and skill. You know who else has that amazing skill?

My friend teller yes that's a good point in fact somebody asked if you had to compare, channing pollock to someone today who would it be lance burton oh perfect you nailed it yeah yeah yeah so if you're familiar with like and you'll you'll see the sort of remnants of that in the influences which i'll touch upon a little later in the um in the report, so back to it.

While the Dove actor remains his most celebrated routine, Channing Pollock's performances were a tapestry of effect that highlighted his versatility. His car manipulation, silk work, and cigarette routines were all combined into his reputation, making him this amazing magician who elevated the art through precision, elegance, and restraint.

But by the mid-1950s, Pollock did actually firmly establish himself as one of the most celebrated magicians and.

Ended up doing movies so pollock's move to hollywood was wasn't entirely surprising at the time many entertainers were kind of sought after into this this realm but his natural charisma made him a prime candidate and producers were particularly drawn to his ability to command attention without words an attribute that had been perfected through his many years of performing the silent magic acts now pollock made his first debut in 1958 in a musical comedy called are Mardi Gras.

It starred alongside Pat Boone and Christine, I'm going to do my best to pronounce this, Garriera. Damn it. I hope I nailed that one. In the film, Pollock played a suave nightclub magician, a role that mirrored his real life persona. His performance was well received, and the critics noted his screenplay presence as very sophisticated.

Through this role in Mardi Gras, it didn't involve complex acting or challenges, but it showcased his ability to transitioned from stage to film the experience also gave him a taste of hollywood life further fueling other interest in acting so i made a short list of sort of all the appearances that he'd been on right so in 1963 there was a movie called udex i'm oh it might be pronounced in a french word it's g j-u-d-e-x i don't know if it's judeau but it was directed by george's franiel So it's

a very French film And he portrayed the title character of this It was basically a vigilante. Very, very funky film I did see some of it And if you do a little Google on some of these things It was hilarious It was like leaving a calling card, For robbing people and so forth In these movies that you see. There was Musketeers of the Sea. That was in 1962, which was an Italian adventure film. There was The Red Sheik in 1962, where Pollock portrayed this character called Riz.

There was Bonanza, which was a TV show that was in 1971. And in that, it was kind of funny. He was basically like a sheik. And he was trying to convince he had real magical powers to the Native Americans of the time. And they were like, hey, there's a string on this thing. Here's crap. And the same thing with Daniel Boone. That was in 1966, where Pollux appeared in the adventure series of Daniel Boone, which I believe was a kind of spaghetti western type show.

But what I love about this, right, is the only other person I could think, well, you know, at that time when people were going from their original skill set, or let's just say their like native skill set, like being magic to the screen.

Then the other person i could think at that time that was kind of doing that was big elvis because elvis was like so good at singing they let him act and he was in a bunch of movies in which he wasn't entirely awesome but he did star in them i wonder if pollock do you think he made more money from being an actor or from being a magician that's a good question i don't i don't think he did.

Because I was trying to look that up, but I couldn't, you know, obviously with the times being what they were, it wasn't really documented, but I did find this excerpt in my research and it said, during his Hollywood years, Pollock didn't abandon magic entirely. He continued to perform occasionally, often incorporating elements of his magic persona into his film roles. However, the demands of acting and the competitive nature of the film industry.

Eventually led him to focus more on his new career path.

So Pollock's transition from acting right and then he basically was like nah nah as in he went back to magic well he never really became a major film star his time in Hollywood added another dimension to his legacy which is nice but yeah he he proved that a magician could successfully cross over into other forms of entertainment paving the way for future performances to do the same but Pollock often reflected on his time in Hollywood years as a time of growth and experimentation so

I don't think he considers it a success and in interviews he emphasized that his goal was never to be was never to leave magic behind but to explore how his skill sets can then translate into other mediums and it's got to be weird too because you're going from performing like going to a theater setting up going run through basically you're doing a lot of it yourself as well but then going to a film set where you just got to sit and wait for 10 hours and then do your

bit for an hour then reset and it's so slow and then you got to wait a year for it to come out and it's probably such a weird structure compared to how we go about performing and stuff man i really struggle to understand how people can like film for two months and then it takes like a year and a half for the movie to come out like it's i mean nowadays it's probably that's that would be more of the timeline but i think back then, things were pretty, I imagine popped out pretty quickly.

You reckon it was faster? I don't think they had to polish every single frame like they need to. I know that even now, special effects are constantly applied to get rid of a wrinkle and eyelash. Even just to be able to distribute the movie to everywhere in America, to copy it onto whatever, 200, I don't know how many cinemas there were back then.

But let's say you know hundreds of you gotta copy hundreds of the film tape get it to all the cinemas get it orchestrate the release date they're gonna probably do a press tour on horseback.

To like make it popular for people to want to see it it'll be interesting to see how they used to promote films back then but you know it still take a while but yeah it's not like they're making avatar where it's going to take three years to edit every frame film and make and yeah and that's the thing when you're when you're doing things with the level of cgi that we do things now i guess it is going to take time but it's sort of going to be crazy what ai

is doing right now i'm getting so inundated with the amount of stupid ai based there's aliens there's aliens it's like don't don't do that show the real stuff because you're muddying the waters a friend a friend sent me a clip of an america's got talent clip and the woman is producing snakes out of nowhere and then she turns into one at the end and he's like how the hell is this being done and i'm like well there's a big ai sticker at the bottom of that video like it is

fake and it's like oh right got you yeah anything happened with me a client did that a client sent it to me it was like i think it was like a bear and a chick and they transformed and it was like this girl's gorgeous how did she do that and i was like pretty because what they do is they splice it with images from.

America's got talent and the judges reacting yeah and it's like wow look at this gorgeous act turning into a bear you know or turning into an owl it's like it's so funny like it's so funny like because jack rhodes our friend friend of the podcast he. His channel, his YouTube channel event originally blew up because he would edit himself into Australia's Got Talent clips, but he would do it as a parody where he would go on and just do like this and then the judges would freak out.

And I love that. But someone could, you could 100%, if you're good at editing, edit yourself into Australia's Got Talent, America's Got Talent, whatever.

And if you do it well enough and bounce back to what the judges are saying and stuff, no one's going to question it because like there's so many clips out there i've got talent clips you can't actually look up like who was or wasn't on you know or what season like a client isn't gonna know like i'm not saying you should do this because you shouldn't but if you have the skills like you could probably edit yourself in to show that you've freaking won belgium's got talent and clients

wouldn't know isn't that so bizarre that the world we live in you could say is yeah i was in fast and furious nine you're just standing on the sidewalk you just superimpose yourself as the car drives by yeah man the world is bizarre so okay beyond the spotlight by the mid 1960s chan pollock began to step away from a limelight after achieving global fame as both a magician and an actor, he decided to leave the stage and screen to focus on a quieter, more introspective life.

His decision reflected a shift in priorities as he transitioned from high-profile world of entertainment to pursuits that were more deeply personal and more meaningful to him. Pollock officially retired from professional magic in the early 1960s, having set a new standard for elegance and sophistication in magic, he felt he had accomplished everything he set out to do.

Similarly, his acting career, while successful, was never his primary passion, and he gradually distanced himself from the film industry as well. Pollock's retirement wasn't prompted by disillusionment, but rather by a desire to have a simpler life. He had always valued the art of magic more than the fame it brought, and stepping away from it allowed him to reconnect with the aspects of his life that he held dear. That'd be a nice feeling. I can't imagine not doing it, dude. Doing magic.

I don't think we ever stop. Like, how can we? It's just... Also, I think on a side note, when you get older, like, it's probably important to keep doing magic because it keeps your brain firing and thinking and staying sharp, you know? You think?

I think. Because, you know, things like losing your memory and getting old and and and slower is only because your brain isn't like you know people retire and then they just some people are just at home and they're just you know zoning out and they just lose that sort of sharpness because they're not challenging their brain anymore and so like that's why i feel so many magicians you see so many old magicians and they're still doing magic and stuff and i think it's because your

brain's still like continuously like learning new stuff having to think and and and yeah do you think that's young do you think there's like a stigma about that in which it's like oh look at this poor old fella he has to work doing this like you know what do you mean if you're doing gigs and you're yeah do you think do you think that there's a sort of level of judgment or there's a perception that the that the public have or your spectators would be looking at this being like,

you should be doing this, do you think? I don't think anyone looks at Michael Amar and just goes, stop, man, stop, enough. Like, I don't think anyone would do that. I don't think anyone looks at Penn and Teller and goes, you guys are too old for this. You know, you should stop. Yeah. And look, they might be the enigma of this, but, you know, they've sold out their Australian tour. Like, Sandy bought me tickets to see them at the end of this month, I think it is.

And she could only buy me a ticket because they only had little individual tickets spread out through the theater you know they're in their 70s so that's not a thing copperfield still pumping out how however many shows i guess in the sense i was referring to was like you might not be. Performing professionally like you're probably not doing holy moly residencies at that age but But you're still socially performing and stuff and doing magic is what I meant.

I don't know if every 70-year-old should still be working gigs because, yeah, seeing a 75-year-old roving at your wedding, you may have thoughts about that. You would just gracefully change your environment for that situation, obviously. You know what? I'm going to agree with what you're saying because there is a particular magician in our town who was kind of the Lance Burden of his time.

And my old business partner used to do his tours back when he was like in his early 20s and so forth and he he was telling me all these all these crazy things he had set up on stage is like oh there's a length of thread every few feet and this and this and this and he would do this thing and then i sat up as at this magician and i said like hey, He was telling me stories of touring with you. What's this trick that uses this setup? And he goes, I'm really sorry. I wish I could remember.

He goes, but they're just getting the best of me. And I was like, that's kind of upsetting. You know what I mean? How many beautiful secrets are going to leave with him?

Well, let's make a pact. If you think you're going to slip into this realm of dementia and so forth, like do you do you promise to like just post all your thoughts and and ideas and creations like on youtube yeah 100 well i think like doing mnemonica work every show i do it keeps my brain like just running over time so much so that i think like i'm hoping that's what will prevent me from losing my mind but absolutely yeah we're just maybe we make a video vault of

like all yeah our magic secrets and it gets released if yeah if we can't remember it ourselves anymore you know what's fun it's so funny like even now i'm worried about me not being able to remember everything all the time so for example rubik's cubes right if you take a few weeks off solving a cube it's very possible you'll forget one little algorithm because for the most part you learn it and then it becomes muscle memory. You're not really thinking about the permutations.

And every now and then... Can I tell you a point? This happened to me. I was exhausted. I was working a nine to five and doing magic at the same time. And I was doing like six, seven days a week. And I was robbed of sleep a couple of times just due to some circumstances and I guess shitty girlfriends. And I remember getting to this gig and I had to reset a cube and I'm looking at the top layer and I could not...

Could not remember how to do it. I just couldn't remember. I had to call a student and be like, what's the algorithm for the top one? And then I was like, thank you. And then I went and did the act. The act was engraved, but just like, you know what I mean? I know exactly what you mean. And it happened to me as well. The very last set of permutations to finish it, I just, yeah. So it happened to me.

I was, I don't know where I was, but I was like, I was just looking at it going, went, oh my God, I don't know how to solve this last bit. And, and I was like, the hell's going on here? And I just couldn't remember. And I was kind of stuck. So what I've done since then is I made a Rubik's cube solving tutorial, which I've posted on YouTube, which anyone can go and learn from. I think it's at a thousand views or something, but it's mainly for myself.

So when I forget the last permutation, cause it's also, it's also chapter marked, like for each stage that you're up to it's actually very useful as a resource but i would say two or three times i've just had a brain fart like pre before the show i've gone oh my god i just for some reason forgotten that algorithm again and i just watch myself and i teach myself how to do it again i'm like oh yeah of course so it's not a bad idea to have

a video vault of your secrets for when you do forget or you've gone such on a tangent on other magic that you've forgotten about this little thing. There's probably stuff we already have forgotten that we used to do ages ago or something. But yeah, cube magic is a fickle thing. And so having a cheat sheet on you or a video where you teach yourself. Yeah, has already become super helpful to me. Yeah, I have a list of...

My effects in a spreadsheet and they're sort of you know set up by the time it takes to perform them whether they're stage close-up blah appropriate if they could be done in the surround and so forth so if ever i'm sort of like okay i gotta do an act for a corporate coming up and this is the staging setup like i got a reference point and i hadn't updated it in a very long time and i went back and i saw all these effects that i had been creating over time and i

was like oh my god i can't remember how to do my card at any color i have a card at any color gimmick thing that I made yeah it's really really rad and I was just like I grabbed the gaff out and I was like how the do I do this because it's a it's memory based it's so difficult so difficult and I've shared it with people and then I was like okay done and then I moved on with my life and it's like I'm gonna have to archive things

better but speaking archiving let's get back to our history lesson shall we after leaving the entertainment world Pollock moved to I'm gonna do my best to pronounce this, San Luis Obispo, that's O-B-I-S-P-O, Obispo, in California, where he embarked on a quieter lifestyle. He purchased a ranch and dedicated himself to working the land.

Pollock's love for nature became a defining feature for his later years, and he reportedly found immense joy in tending to his animals and living in harmony with the natural world.

This phase of his life was a stark contrast to the glamour of his years in magic and in hollywood but it brought us it brought him a sense of peace and fulfillment pollock rarely gave interviews during this time choosing to instead just enjoy his downtime and let his past work speak for itself what a thug move pollock's personal life also also went significant changes during this period his first marriage which ended in divorce and then in 59 when

he married joan broadshaw actress and producer their relationship so yeah he actually remarried again after kareem so four oh yeah yeah yeah his first marriage ended in divorce but to her then he married someone called joan bradshaw it was she was a hollywood actress and producer i looked her up she's gorgeous their relationship reflected pollock's evolving priorities. And as the two shared a love for a quieter existence, they tend to be a much better match.

And Pollock and Shaw spent the later years together in the ranch, creating a life that was far removed from the spotlight as possible. Their marriage was marked as a mutual support and a shared appreciation for the simpler joys in life. Now, though Pollock retired from performing, he remained a deeply respected figure in the magic community. He occasionally attended magic conventions and events where he was celebrated trailblazer who elevated magic to this art form.

Pollock never sought to capitalize on his legacy, instead offering quiet mentorship and inspiration to those who admire him. Pollock often spoke of magic as more than entertainment. It was, to him, an expression of beauty and artistry. He believed the greatest magic wasn't in the tricks themselves, but in the feelings they invoked in the audience. This philosophy shaped not only his career, but also his life after the spotlight.

Channing Pollock, renowned for his elegance and innovation in magic, inspired many in the magic community. While he didn't formally mentor specific individuals, his influence is evident in the works of many prominent magicians. Notably, Lance Burton, as I mentioned earlier, a celebrated magician known for his Dove Act. And his acknowledgement to Pollock is immense. He says it quite a lot, and he thanks him a lot for the stuff in his career.

And Burton's performance reflects that sophistication and that style that was, I guess, sort of started, projected by Pollock. So that makes sense why you brought him up, because he actually was influenced by him. So that makes sense that he's like the guy you would say he's most like in today's day and age. Yeah. Now, similarly, similarly, similarly, I'm going to have a drink of water. God damn it. similarly.

Red leather yellow leather similarly David Copperfield one of them you might be heard of him hmm, We call him Uncle Dave. No. DC. One of the most famous illusionists globally has cited Pollock as an inspiration. Copperfield's emphasis on the theatrical and seamless execution of his illusions mirrors the standards that Pollock set during his career.

Now, for those interested in learning more about Pollock's life and contribution, there is a biography called Chenin Pollock, Master of Magic by Michael Pascoe and offers a more in-depth exploration into this sort of thing.

I just wanted to touch upon it for the sake of the pod. But the book dives into his early inspiration, his rigorous training, and the legacy he left behind, providing readers with a more detailed understanding of the man than what we sort of covered in this. So if you want to find out more, by all means, scope out Channing Pollock, Master of Magic by Michael Pascoe.

In later years, Pollock enjoyed the peaceful life in the ranch in California near Moss Beach, surrounded by nature and his loved ones. While he no longer performed, his contributions to magic and his influence on the future of generations of magicians was ensured to carry his legacy. And Channing Pollock, on March 8th, 2006, at the ripe old age of 76, passed away. His death marked the end of an era, but his impact on magic and entertainment continues to be felt.

He's remembered as a true artist who brought elegance sophistication and a unique sense of wonder to everything he did chenna pollock was more than just a magician or an actor, He was an artist who performed and transformed everybody. Let me say that again. He was an artist who transformed every performance into an experience of elegance and wonder. From his groundbreaking dove act and captivating people on screen, Pollock redefined the standards of sophistication in entertainment.

He showed the world that magic wasn't just about the tricks. It was about the artistry, the presence, and the ability to leave his audience mesmerized. Pollock's legacy lives on not only through his performances but also through the countless magicians he inspired, his influence can be seen in the elegance and the perfectivity that's a shit word and the perfect through his elegance and excellent execution of sleight of hand that's a much better way of writing that.

The silence of a breakthrough illusion and the confidence of the performer who dared to blend magic with artistry. As we reflect on his life, we thank Channing Pollack for his immeasurable contributions to magic. He elevated the craft through the beauty on stage and left a legacy that continues to inspire generations of magicians and entertainers. His life reminds us of the power of dedication, discipline, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.

Thank you, Channing Pollack, for the magic you shared with the world.

Your elegance, artistry will never be forgotten. Music.

So the moral of that story is be really good yeah be so good that people can't ignore you yeah you know i i really got to agree with like when you give people that experience and it's so many times where you create an environment especially when you do it in the realms that i perform in my environment's obviously very noisy in these roving setups or anything like that or.

And you want to give them that perfect moment and then it just takes the waiter to come by and put a drink on the table to ruin everything you know what i mean like it's it's it's one of those things that isn't really talked about but the thing is the dichotomy i find is that if you try to control the environment and can't it just it gets so difficult and more importantly if you like rely on it and without the perfect environment you don't have the effect it's so

difficult because it's those people who are like no the environment has to be perfect the stage has to be higher the room has to be darker i need more lights here it's like well i don't know man like i i have thoughts on it too it does matter like yeah the environment the framing everything that happens their experience before they've sat down to watch the show it all matters like when you go to the cinema like there's a very different vibe even though

it's a big screen like you're buying your popcorn you've bought your ticket you've dressed up probably you've walked in it gets dark you know it's a whole experience before you see a movie right and in the same way it i guess i'm talking in terms of like if you're putting on your own show where you're able to control yeah more stuff it primes the audience way more for the show perfect example we talked about this off air.

I did three shows at the Theater of Magic last week and one of the shows was just off the chain from the audience. So much so that when The Amazing Nigel intro'd me to come on the stage, the audience gave me a standing ovation applause as I was coming onto the stage. When I hadn't done any magic yet. Do you know what that does to your psyche? You're like, what are you guys on that's making you get this hyped for magic when I have not done anything yet? It was the wildest thing.

And then amazingly, and I'm so grateful, you know, they enjoyed the show, but then they gave me another standing ovation to end. And it was like, that doesn't happen at corporate gigs, you know, when you fit, like they've gone through a whole cycle of stuff that we planned out so that they're primed and ready to enjoy magic.

And when i go to a corporate gig i definitely do have a stage writer which says like you know don't have a dance floor in front of the stage have the audience as close as possible don't make me perform don't have me perform during food service all that stuff of course we'll do our best, regardless of you know what environment we're given but all these things are just like as a strong suggestion like i always say to the client like.

All these things are not demands these are things that i've found will give your audience the best experience possible if you can accommodate for them i'll do my job no matter what but like this would give them the best show and so it definitely matters but then yeah if you had a roving gig and the waiter comes and puts the oh does anyone want this and you're just about to reveal like a massive part of their routine obviously yeah like that sucks for

the audience's experience of the magic but which is so funny because i'm just a video is just being edited of mine to come out soon of like that.

Moment when the caterers interrupt you and i had one it could be the drunk it could be like the drunk friend of the girl oh yeah really heartfelt piece for she comes up it's gonna i'm a god love this song like there's nothing i'd say yeah i'll tell you what you could be mid-routine and then if they play taylor swift and everyone starts singing just take your shit and leave honestly like it's just yeah i also think it's like i don't i don't have any

proof of this but i i'll but i mean i've seen the audiences at the magic castle and that that's not real life the way that people react and are amazed at magic at the magic castle is so inflated because of how magical the place is yeah that i think some magicians might get stuck that a regular performance there see all these amazing audiences reacting at every single.

Three-fly routine they do and then they go and do a corporate gig and they get a totally different response because they're not at the magic castle i reckon it would mess with some people's heads like the fact that they can do and any card at any number at the castle and just people lose their minds and then they do it in the real world and people are like why is this trick taking so long like you know framing is everything yeah well that's

the thing man when you can when you can create that sort of environment that really can encompass everything and bring it all into one realm and bring that focus like it's such a cool moment you know yeah but it's also a talent yeah 100 you know great example i've seen the clip of you doing coins across at gigs right on your instagram magic looks great people react but then i've seen you and obviously we put a clip out of it but i've watched you do it at the theater

of magic and the whole audience like lost their mind for like quite a while you know you doing the same effect the only difference is in the theater of magic, everyone has all the attention on you because there's nothing else happening around them. Yeah. And that's the thing, right? That's one of the things, like if you are cutting your teeth in an environment where you've got to demand attention and hold attention...

Versus when you step into a realm like the theater of magic and the attention's already there, man it really slays but i think that if you were used to having attention like handed to you so to speak and then you were pushed into an environment where you have to demand it almost and what i'm what i mean demanded it's like demanded over the dj the hors d'oeuvres every other person walking around you you know as you as you approach a circle of friends you

know like it is skill set almost you know totally different approach it's like stand-up comics you know once they built up their audience and they tour and do their own shows eventually they have to still go and do open mics just to keep the their quickness for an audience that isn't already won over by them yep yeah and the light just went off which tells me we're almost at the end of uh almost at the end of an episode i think i just didn't turn

the power onto it that's no that that's that's our one minute call before we have to wrap up. But friends, thank you for joining us on this cool little history lesson. I'm not really taking direction on these, but if you guys do want to learn from a little someone, give us a heads up. Don't be shy. I'm just looking up things that I'm interested in. And if you guys are cool with that, then awesome. Keep listening. Thank you so much for listening to today.

Next week, we have a really awesome guest lined up. Should all the stars aligned it's been a rescheduled thing i don't know if we want it to be a surprise or not mr nabito i don't know we'll be a surprise you don't want to miss it okay you don't want to miss it like the amount of the amount of chatter after the next week's episode believe a ring in your ears that that does that work we'll see you then thanks for listening It's time for us to disappear now.

But we'll see you again on the next episode of The Magic Guys.