RIDDLE OF CHUNG LING SOO: CHINESE CONJUROR Paperback Magic Stage Magician Bio

Description

"Riddle of Chung Ling Soo" By Will Dext
er
Arco publishing, paperback edition, 1976.  222 pages.
The exciting story of Chung Ling Soo, billed as the "World's Greatest Conjuror," whose death in 1918 was enshrouded in mystery
Chung Ling Soo (April 2, 1861 - March 24, 1918), born William Ellsworth Robinson, died on the stage of London's Wood Green Empire when his bullet catching routine went wrong. During his early career, William Ellsworth Robinson called himself Robinson, the Man of Mystery. To increase his allure with a touch of exoticism, he changed his name to Chung Ling Soo and took his show to Europe. He took the name as a variation of a real Chinese stage magician -
Ching
Ling
Foo
- and performed many of the tricks that
Foo
had made famous.
Chung Ling Soo maintained his role as a Chinese man scrupulously. He never spoke onstage and always used an interpreter when he spoke to journalists. Only his friends and other stage magicians knew the truth. He then became the idol of the English Music Halls & associated with the likes of Harry Houdini,
Karry
Kellar, Horace Goldin, and other Magicians of the day. His mysterious death during his performance of the Bullet Catching Trick, may have been an accident, suicide, or murder as it is a mystery that has never been fully explained!
Will Dexter was born in 1909, always interested in Magic and one of the officers of The Magic Circle. For this biography Dexter has gathered material from all over the world. He tells of Robinson's early experiences in the United States, of his appearance and calamitous failure at the
Folies
Bergeres
as "Hop Sing Soo" - and his great success the following night as "Chung Ling Soo". He tells of the battle with
Ching
Ling
Foo
, a genuine Chinese magician. The truth behind the greasepaint and the Oriental mask, and yet retains all the glamour and
colour
of a great illusionist and a great personality.
Chapter Listing
Introduction
Acknowledgment
Who Was Chung Ling Soo?
Misadventure
The Man of Mystery
Exit
Loo
Enter
Soo
Foo
versus
Soo
The Conquering Hero
Full House in Australia
A Change of Mind that was Fatal
Close of an Era
Man Who Wrote "Sensational Tales"
Fulton's Fantasy
Trick that Scared Houdini
Front Row
Guardian of the Secrets
Secrets for Sale