Long Tack Sam
Encyclopedia
Long Tack Sam, was a world renowned Chinese-born American magician, acrobat
, and vaudeville
performer.
, an area of Shandong Province in Northeast China that is internationally understood to be the birthplace of Chinese acrobatics. On most official documents over his life in America, he used Sam Tack Long as his legal name.
His origins in China are a bit murky, what is known is that he joined a group acrobats around the turn of the century called the Tian-Kwai and went on world tour. Several years later with unrest in his homeland, Long Tack Sam brought his own troupe of entertainers to America. where he soon found success. His magnificently dressed troupe played went on to play major cities across the globe in the first decades of the twentieth century. Although largely forgotten as a performer today, he was considered one of the "greatest vaudeville acts of the early 20th century". Long Tack Sam was also remembered as a 32 degree Freemason.
His career brought him to the opening act for the Marx Brothers
and he even became a mentor to Orson Welles
. In 1922 he became a member of Houdini's Magicians Club.
Bennett Cerf
once wrote of an incident of theater lore that occurred at the Palace Theatre in New York when entertainer Bert Fitzgibbon became enraged upon learning Long Tuck Sam was billed above him in the night’s card and that he was scheduled to follow the magician on stage. Later that night as Sam was ending his show, Fitzgibbon walked on stage and handed him a bundle of dirty shirts and snarled, “I want these back by Saturday night and go easy on the starch!”
As a result of an uppercut, Fitzgibbon had to be carried off stage while the audience roared their approval. It’s unclear on whether or not Fitzgibbon was able to make his appointed curtain call.
After a great deal of performing and traveling the world, he and his wife Leopoldi (known as Poldi), a native of Ybbs, Austria
retired to New York City. His last performance was at the Roxy Theater
in New York in 1958 at the age of 73. He did his famous water bowl trick, in which he does a somersault and ends standing with a goldfish bowl in his left hand.
After a bad car accident he and Poldi went to Linz, Austria, not far from her hometown. Long Tack Sam died in 1961 at the age of 76. Poldi died two years later at Vienna .
, the story is an in-depth research of the man's life. Through six years of research and traveling the world to interview relatives, professional acrobats, and magic historians, Fleming uncovers many missing holes in the historical record of her great grandfather's life.
.
Acrobatics
Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...
, and vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
performer.
Biography
Long Tack Sam, also known as Tack Sam Long and Sam Tack Long, was the stage name of performance artist Lung Te Shan. He was born in Wuqiao CountyWuqiao County
Wuqiao County is a county of Hebei, China. It is under the administration of the Cangzhou city. Wuqiao covers an area of 583 square kilometers with a population of 280,000 and 444 natural villages under its jurisdiction. Over a period of more than 1500 years, Wuqiao is an old county with a vivid...
, an area of Shandong Province in Northeast China that is internationally understood to be the birthplace of Chinese acrobatics. On most official documents over his life in America, he used Sam Tack Long as his legal name.
His origins in China are a bit murky, what is known is that he joined a group acrobats around the turn of the century called the Tian-Kwai and went on world tour. Several years later with unrest in his homeland, Long Tack Sam brought his own troupe of entertainers to America. where he soon found success. His magnificently dressed troupe played went on to play major cities across the globe in the first decades of the twentieth century. Although largely forgotten as a performer today, he was considered one of the "greatest vaudeville acts of the early 20th century". Long Tack Sam was also remembered as a 32 degree Freemason.
His career brought him to the opening act for the Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
and he even became a mentor to Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
. In 1922 he became a member of Houdini's Magicians Club.
Bennett Cerf
Bennett Cerf
Bennett Alfred Cerf was a publisher and co-founder of Random House. Cerf was also known for his own compilations of jokes and puns, for regular personal appearances lecturing across the United States, and for his television appearances in the panel game show What's My Line?.-Biography:Bennett Cerf...
once wrote of an incident of theater lore that occurred at the Palace Theatre in New York when entertainer Bert Fitzgibbon became enraged upon learning Long Tuck Sam was billed above him in the night’s card and that he was scheduled to follow the magician on stage. Later that night as Sam was ending his show, Fitzgibbon walked on stage and handed him a bundle of dirty shirts and snarled, “I want these back by Saturday night and go easy on the starch!”
As a result of an uppercut, Fitzgibbon had to be carried off stage while the audience roared their approval. It’s unclear on whether or not Fitzgibbon was able to make his appointed curtain call.
After a great deal of performing and traveling the world, he and his wife Leopoldi (known as Poldi), a native of Ybbs, Austria
Waidhofen an der Ybbs
Waidhofen an der Ybbs is an independent city in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. The city had a population of 11,662 as of the 2001 census...
retired to New York City. His last performance was at the Roxy Theater
Roxy Theater
The Roxy Theatre was a 5,920 seat movie theater located at 153 West 50th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, just off Times Square in New York City. It opened on March 11, 1927 with the silent film The Love of Sunya, produced by and starring Gloria Swanson. The huge movie palace was a leading...
in New York in 1958 at the age of 73. He did his famous water bowl trick, in which he does a somersault and ends standing with a goldfish bowl in his left hand.
After a bad car accident he and Poldi went to Linz, Austria, not far from her hometown. Long Tack Sam died in 1961 at the age of 76. Poldi died two years later at Vienna .
Documentary film
The greatest source of historical information we have of the performer's life comes from a Canadian documentary The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam. Written, directed, researched and animated by Long Tack Sam's great-granddaughter Ann Marie FlemingAnn Marie Fleming
Ann Marie Fleming is an independent Canadian filmmaker, writer, and visual artist who was born in Okinawa, in 1962, of Chinese and Australian parentage. She has a B.A. in English from the University of British Columbia, a B.F.A. from the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design and the Open...
, the story is an in-depth research of the man's life. Through six years of research and traveling the world to interview relatives, professional acrobats, and magic historians, Fleming uncovers many missing holes in the historical record of her great grandfather's life.
Illustrated Memoir
In September 2007, The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam - an Illustrated Memoir by Ann Marie Fleming was published by Riverhead Books, a division of Penguin Publishing. The book expands on the information in the biographical film, and puts Long Tack Sam's life in a more historical context. In 2008, the book won The Doug Wright Award for best book. The book features artwork by Julian LawrenceJulian Lawrence
Julian Lawrence is a Canadian cartoonist. He was born in England and raised in Quebec. He is an instructor at Emily Carr University of Art and Design and part of the musical group July Fourth Toilet. Lawrence was awarded a Xeric Grant in 2000....
.
External links
- LongTackSam.com – Bio-documentary produced by Ann Marie Fleming
- Asiasociety.org – Press release of biography
- MetroActive.com – Biography Review