DE BIERE, THE MYSTERIOUS
Magician Arnold de Biere (1876-1934), born on this day. Originally from Poland (it is believed) he made his first major success at Tony Pastor’s in 1901. He went on to conquer London two years later. Billed as “De Biere, the Mysterious”, he would come out in full court dress, flourishing a cape. Illusions he was associated with included the Egg Bag trick, Multiplying Billiard Balls, the Thumb Tie, and the Vanishing Bird Cage. Europe was his base of operations until the First World War, when he came back to the U.S. to work the Loew’s circuit for several months. He continued to be a major international player in the magic field until his death in 1934.
To find out more about the variety arts past and present, consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and wherever nutty books are sold. And don’t miss my new book Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies from Nickelodeons to Youtube, just released by Bear Manor Media, also available from amazon.com etc etc etc
(Travalanche) 