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The Magic Towne House was a well known magic show spot on three floors at 1026 Third Avenue, north of 60th Street, New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
, in the 1970s and 1980s. It was in the posh area of the Upper East Side
Upper East Side

The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side is within an area surrounded by 59th Street, 96th Street, Central Park, and the East River....
 of Manhattan
Manhattan

Manhattan is one of the five borough of New York City, located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River.With a United States Census of 1,620,867 living in a land area of 22.96 square miles , Manhattan, coextensive with New York County, is the most population density county in the United States, w...
 on Third Avenue and 61st Street next to Bloomingdale's
Bloomingdale's

Bloomingdale's is a chain of upscale United States department stores owned by Macy's, Inc., which is also the parent company of Macy's. Bloomingdale's has 36 stores nationwide, with annual sales of $1.9 billion....
 Department Store. It was a venue for adults in the cabaret as well as having a children's theater for patrons of all ages to see and enjoy magic.

Importance
The Magic Towne House became a popular magic show spot in New York City, which had the longest continuous running magic shows in New York City in history.






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The Magic Towne House was a well known magic show spot on three floors at 1026 Third Avenue, north of 60th Street, New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
, in the 1970s and 1980s. It was in the posh area of the Upper East Side
Upper East Side

The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side is within an area surrounded by 59th Street, 96th Street, Central Park, and the East River....
 of Manhattan
Manhattan

Manhattan is one of the five borough of New York City, located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River.With a United States Census of 1,620,867 living in a land area of 22.96 square miles , Manhattan, coextensive with New York County, is the most population density county in the United States, w...
 on Third Avenue and 61st Street next to Bloomingdale's
Bloomingdale's

Bloomingdale's is a chain of upscale United States department stores owned by Macy's, Inc., which is also the parent company of Macy's. Bloomingdale's has 36 stores nationwide, with annual sales of $1.9 billion....
 Department Store. It was a venue for adults in the cabaret as well as having a children's theater for patrons of all ages to see and enjoy magic.

Importance


The Magic Towne House became a popular magic show spot in New York City, which had the longest continuous running magic shows in New York City in history. For fifteen years it showcased both new and established magicians to the general public.

Operation


It was headed up by world class magicians Dorothy Dietrich
Dorothy Dietrich

Dorothy Dietrich is one of few women in history who have performed the fake bullet catchThe recent book The Hollywood Walk of Fame called her a world class magician and said Dietrich is considered one of the worlds leading female magicians....
 and John Bravo" (AKA Dick Brooks (entertainer)
Dick Brooks (entertainer)

Dick Brooks, considered a "world class magician",, and a magician of renown has been a professional performer since leaving school, was born in New York City, USA....
 and Ray Carter)."

According to William Dorfliinger's book The Magic Catalogue: John Bravo (AKA Dick Brooks (entertainer)
Dick Brooks (entertainer)

Dick Brooks, considered a "world class magician",, and a magician of renown has been a professional performer since leaving school, was born in New York City, USA....
 and Ray Carter) and Dorothy Dietrich
Dorothy Dietrich

Dorothy Dietrich is one of few women in history who have performed the fake bullet catchThe recent book The Hollywood Walk of Fame called her a world class magician and said Dietrich is considered one of the worlds leading female magicians....
 were "involved in the management and direction of all its activities.

Incubator for young magicians


One of the goals of the establishment, after it was taken over from Eddie Davis who opened it for the first year, was to develop future generations of magicians. Taken over by two professional performers, Dick Brooks (entertainer)
Dick Brooks (entertainer)

Dick Brooks, considered a "world class magician",, and a magician of renown has been a professional performer since leaving school, was born in New York City, USA....
 and Dorothy Dietrich
Dorothy Dietrich

Dorothy Dietrich is one of few women in history who have performed the fake bullet catchThe recent book The Hollywood Walk of Fame called her a world class magician and said Dietrich is considered one of the worlds leading female magicians....
 they allowed anyone to perform who wanted to in the clubs lineup after the main performers did their turn. Just a few of the magicians who got much of their early start at The Magic Towne House includes Robert Baxt, Michael Chaut, Devlin, Eric DeCamps, Imam, Jeff Justice, Peter Kougasian, Landis & Company, Levent, Jeff McBride
Jeff McBride

Jeff McBride is an United States magic . He is known for his sleight of hand skills and specializes in the card manipulation, coin manipulation, and other small objects....
, Charlie Mount, Otto and George, Johnny Ace Palmer
Johnny Ace Palmer

Johnny Ace Palmer is an award-winning United States close-up magic . He is famous within the worldwide magical community for his prodigious sleight-of-hand abilities....
, Joeseph Pepitone, Joe Raven, David Regal, Rocco Silano
Rocco Silano

Rocco Silano is an USA magician, author, and lecturer....
, Peter Samelson, Meir Yedid and countless others.

Venue for established magicians


Established performers of the era also performed there such as Bobby Baxter, Harry Blackstone, Jr.
Harry Blackstone, Jr.

Harry Blackstone, Jr. was an United States stage magic , author, and television performer.He received the Magician of the Year Award in 1979 and 1985....
, Milbourne Christopher
Milbourne Christopher

Milbourne Christopher was one of America's foremost Magic , performing in sixty-eight countries.He wrote more than twenty books, was national president of the Society of American Magicians , and was an honorary vice-president to the London The Magic Circle....
, Daryl, Fantasio, Frank Garcia, Walter B. Gibson
Walter B. Gibson

Walter Brown Gibson was an United States author and a professional magic best known for his work on The Shadow. Gibson, under the pen-name Maxwell Grant, wrote Shadow stories at an amazing rate to satisfy public demand during the character's golden age in the 1930s and 1940s....
, Earl Presto Johnson, Lou Lancaster
Lou Lancaster

Lou Lancaster was an American magician and author.His 1984 book Tricks Of The Trade: A Professional Looks at Commercial Closeup Magic OCLC 12995877 [edited by Phyllis Guggenheim ; photos by Lancaster & Guggenheim] explained many techniques of close-up magic, and he appeared in several instructional videos produced by the International...
, Jack London, Bill McQueen, Max Mavin (Phil Goldstein), Ben Robinson, James Randi
James Randi

James Randi is a Magician and Scientific skepticism best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudoscience. Born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge,...
, Richard Robinson, Wesley James, David Roth
David Roth

David Roth, born in 1952 in New York City, is an United States Magician . His specialty is coin magic.Roth has lectured for magic enthusiasts around the world....
, Darwin Ortiz
Darwin Ortiz

Darwin Ortiz is an authority on gambling and card manipulation.Ortiz was born and raised in New York City where he had a keen interest in card tricks since childhood....
 George Schindler, Slydini and countless others. Imam would, after several years, break away and form his own competing club downtown in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village

Greenwich Village , often simply called the Village, is a largely residential area on the lower west side of southern Manhattan in New York City....
.

Legacy


Opening a magic show venue in New York City was a dream of magicians Houdini, Thurston
Thurston

Thurston may refer to:...
 and Doug Henning
Doug Henning

Douglas James Henning was a Canada magic , illusionist and escape artist.He is credited with reviving the magic as a form of mass entertainment in North America, beginning in the 1970s....
, and this was finally accomplished with the efforts of Eddie Davis, Dorothy Dietrich
Dorothy Dietrich

Dorothy Dietrich is one of few women in history who have performed the fake bullet catchThe recent book The Hollywood Walk of Fame called her a world class magician and said Dietrich is considered one of the worlds leading female magicians....
 and Dick Brooks (entertainer)
Dick Brooks (entertainer)

Dick Brooks, considered a "world class magician",, and a magician of renown has been a professional performer since leaving school, was born in New York City, USA....
 and the help of many who worked this venue. Dick Brooks also searched out Brother Theodore
Brother Theodore

Brother Theodore was a Germany-United States monologue and comedian known for rambling, stream-of-consciousness dialogues which he called "stand up tragedy."...
, whose career had waned, to do several seasons of midnight shows, and helped to bring him back to prominence that led to Theodore appearing on The Tom Snyder Tomorrow Show and a long series of TV and movie appearances. Magic Towne House advertisements appeared in local New York newspapers such as the Village Voice and The New York Post.

Upon the closing of the Magic Towne House, Michael Chaut and Peter Samelson would later develop "Monday Night Magic" along with Frank Brents, Todd Robbins
Todd Robbins

Todd Robbins is an American magician, lecturer and author. He has been featured on more than 100 television shows, which include multiple appearances on David Letterman, Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien; Masters of Illusion; and the NBC special Extreme Variety....
, and Jamy Ian Swiss
Jamy Ian Swiss

Jamy Ian Swiss is an United States close-up magic . Working primarily with Playing card, he is a highly praised prestidigitator....
, which still runs successfully in New York City.