Three Documentaries Featuring Magicians to Watch
As a magician for corporate entertainment and private parties I hear stories from guests about magic they’ve seen on television. Sometimes, and this will make my whole night, they’ll remember something wild they witnessed a legendary magician do. I love to talk it up with them and hear every detail. What can really get a conversation going is if someone has seen a documentary about magicians because they often give a peak backstage at the world I inhabit, filled with characters of great eccentricity. While some great documentaries have come out in the last decade featuring many magicians or a magical event, I’d like to recommend three that put one magician in focus.
Gambler’s Ballad: The Legend of Johnny Thompson
This doc produced by Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller hones in not just on Johnny Thompson, but a particular performance piece of his, “The Gambler’s Ballad”. Johnny was a mentor of mine so I particularly loved watching the vintage performance footage featured in the movie. The documentary in a way is really Penn’s journey to become closer to Johnny, who he so clearly adores, through learning “The Gambler’s Ballad.” I was present for one of the only four performances the duo of Johnny and Penn gave at MAGIC: Live, a magicians conference. (Yes! They’re real!) Johnny in many ways had a profound impact on my life and it’s always a joy to revisit this and see everyone from David Copperfield to Arsenio Hall sing his well deserved praises. The doc was available on Starz for a time but is no longer there. If you see it streaming somewhere, please reach out and let me know.
An Honest Liar
This 2014 documentary features The Amazing Randi who to most students of magic is known for his debunking of pseudo psychics. Since Randi had retired as a performing magician and escape artist, I’d really only known his work in the as a trailblazer in the skeptic world. I particularly loved learning about his career before that transition since I knew so little about it. This movie has a serious twist, and brings up questions of personal ethics and the impact of our choices. The movie’s title sequence, a clip of The Amazing Randi hanging upside down escaping from a straightjacket while a young woman sings “The Magic Touch” in black and white is a beautiful little piece of early television. An Honest Liar is up on Amazon and is a must watch for fans of magic and skepticism.
The Amazing Jonathan Documentary
More “Amazing’s.” Ok, this one neither focusses on a single magician, this movie is really about itself, and the magician in question isn’t really a performing magician but a comedian. But, it absolutely needs to be included because this doc is a ride from start to finish of surprises and twists in the making of this movie. Right up to the final credits my jaw was on the floor and I had to pick up the phone and call a friend to recommend it immediately. We learn about the Amazing Jonathan’s career, but we also get real insight into the filmmaker. Every time you think you know what the movie is about it turns around and takes a new direction. All I can say is if you watch this one, we need to talk because there is a lot to unpack. It’s currently up on Hulu, where it should be watched with some popcorn in hand.
Alexander Boyce is a sleight of hand artist and magician whose performances have been seen in The Magic Castle, The McKittrick Hotel, The Rainbow Room, Lincoln Center and many private corporate events around the world. He’s performed at company holiday parties, meetings, and theatrical shows in New York City, New Jersey, Connecticut, Brooklyn, Long Island, and all over the United States.