Ever hear of Murray?Murray was an Australian escape artist who claimed to have coined the word, "escapologist." He really did some spectacular escapes (such as being bound in a straightjacket and thrown into a lions cage). Murray's career kicked-in after Houdini's death in the late '20s. In many ways, he was a very worthy successor. In 1974, Val Andrews wrote a nice biography of Murray
, which I devoured as a kid.Yeah, I've always had a minor thing for Murray.
Currently there is a nice signed Murray poster on eBay. Too bad it doesn't feature any escape imagery (but he is drinking a beer, so...). When I saw this this morning, it brought back some memories. Think I'll dig out that Andrews bio and give it another read.
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I took one of these with me to the Cannon's Convention last year, it was signed by Murray to David Deval. I can't remember who bought it from me though!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to find a Murray poster that features some escape imagery. I could maybe even afford one (which is certainly not the case with Houdini posters).
ReplyDeleteHe invented a word ... he has a beer in his hand ... he can only be an Australian. I've never heard of this person before so will need to do some reading.
ReplyDeleteHa! Funny. :)
ReplyDeleteOh yes. I knew the old crook very well. He was a wonderful man. I have written a fair bit about him in my memoirs entitled "The Lives of a Showman"
ReplyDeleteMark Lewis
Ah, cool! Thanks Mark. I'll have to get your book.
ReplyDeleteIn that case I suppose I had better do a plug for it. I am a pitchman after all. The Murray stuff is on pages 114-121
ReplyDeletehttp://www.marklewisentertainment.com/html/magicians.html
http://www.marklewisentertainment.com/html/magicians.html
ReplyDeleteExcellent. Thank you for the link, Mark.
ReplyDeleteI met Murray in the mid-Eighties when he had a magic shop in Blackpool, England. I used to do a bit of magic as a kid and would visit his shop for some tricks. The shop was amazing!
ReplyDeleteThat's sensational, Brian. You met a legend! I never knew he had a magic shop in Blackpool. Interesting. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI met him at Murray's Magic Mart in Blackpool as a kid in 1974 and bought my first set of linking rings there. I ended up doing odd jobs at his house in the school summer holidays as he and his wife (Marion?) were quite frail. He showed me thick scrap books full of cuttings, and I remember him saying that he had performed in 92 countries! I recall that he said that he had coined the term 'escapology', and recently we checked on this on the UK TV word-based gameshow 'Countdown' which I guest on, and the origin seemed to be Australia in the 30's, although I know there is some disagreement about that. Apparently he was known as Murray as he originated from the Murray River district. I'm guessing that as a kid he would be about the right age to have seen and been influenced by Houdini on his 1910 tour down under. I still have a copy of this poster which he signed to me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the memory, Stranger. Great story!
ReplyDelete