Michael Skinner Close-Up Magic

This performance was recorded by Larry Thornton at the PCAM conference in Victoria, British Columbia. 

He explains how he got started in magic and performs several pieces of silent close-up magic. 

Read Jamy Ian Swiss' profile of Michael Skinner in Take Two #26 in the Lyons Den. 

playlist 8 videos

Movie Magic

From 1976 to 1981, magic enthusiast Larry Thornton, of Calgary, Canada, had the wherewithal to bring along his heavy recording gear to magic conventions, lectures and general magic gatherings all around the Pacific Northwest. He also had a filmmaker’s inkling to know he should be recording some of the great magicians of the day.

Thanks to Mr. Thornton, we can now enjoy these wonderfully preserved film clips, which capture some of magic’s greatest stars including, Michael Skinner, Daryl, Paul Gertner, Paul Harris, Albert Goshman, Jerry Andrus, Jack McMillen and Johnny Ace Palmer. This playlist is just a small sampling of what Mr. Thornton recorded. We have over sixty of Mr. Thornton’s clips in our MOVIE MAGIC exhibition, which we invite you to enjoy.

You can also check out the Take Two #51 episode about “Movie Magic” where there is yet another curated list by Jamy Ian Swiss drawing from Mr. Thornton’s collection.