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Steve Short Lecture - The Magic of Johnny Hart
York Society of Magicians
October 2018
Reviewed by Rex Stott
When
I see that we have a Steve Short Lecture on our Syllabus, I eagerly look forward
to the event as I know for certain, I am in for a magical treat. Our last
meeting was no exception when Steve gave his Johnny Hart presentation. The
contents of the evening were meticulously researched, superbly presented and
showed a genuine affection for the subject. A rare combination in my experience
of attending dozens of magic lectures. Steve is a master of the Power Point type
of presentation and on this occasion this was enhanced when we were shown rare
footage of Johnny Hart appearances.
The only time I had seen Johnny Hart perform live on stage was some years ago at
Blackpool. But thanks to Steve I was able to see him doing the act as known and
in full colour. What a performer! No wonder he was in great demand across the
world. In addition to this presentation Steve performed some good magic himself
and his 007 spy pen was quite stunning.
It goes without saying that I bought the Johnny Hart biography that Steve has
recently published and what a treasure I now possess. It is more than the story
of a fantastic performer. It is also an illustrated history of British magic of
the past 50 years. Every page tells a story. To see photos of Murray, Ron
MacMillan, Harry Stanley, Jack Hughes, Bayard Grimshaw, Geoff Ray, Duncan
Fletcher was a joy.
A great lecture, a great book and a great evening.
See
www.johnnyhartbook.com
© Rex Stott, York Society of Magicians, October 2018