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THE EVOLUTION OF GRANVILLE TAYLOR FROM MAGICIAN TO ILLUSIONIST.. |
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| "THE INEXHAUSTIBLE BEER BARREL" GRANVILLE TAYLOR & VALERIE were playing the Empire Theatre, Sheffield. Walking back to their 'digs' they passed a coppersmiths workshop. Granville placed an order for a special barrel to be made, and he collected it a few weeks later. Other parts still had to be made, but eventually Granville was able to assemble everything. With the help of local breweries wherever they were playing, "The Inexhaustible Beer Barrel" was added to the enlarged act, with the 'tag' line "In case you're wondering where the beer came from......it came from "Watneys"!" Or wherever! |
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"GIRL WITHOUT A MIDDLE" SWORD CABINET. The original equipment as used by Cingalee, "The Silent Man of Mystery" in his fast-moving, visual, and highly successful variety act. In later years, when touring Japan, Faust replaced all the swords with Samurai swords - at considerable expense! |
| FAUST WITH £5,000 ON HIS HANDS ! Here are two of the most expensive 'props' which Granville Taylor has ever bought, but worth it ! The round Appearing Cage, and the Vanishing Birdcage for the De Biere 'Challenge' vanish. This can be performed surrounded, with members of the audience close-up, yet the performer can pick up the cage from a table, vanish it, and immediately remove his tail-coat for examination. A magical masterpiece. |
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FAUST and his assistant Alison. Photographed on the "Achille Lauro" en route for South Africa. 1981. Both were lucky to survive a fire on board off Tenerife. Sadly, two passengers died. Alison became a "Penthouse" magazine model whilst working for Faust! |
| ARNOLD DE BIERE'S ORIGINAL VANISHING BIRDCAGE Lucille Lyle said that De Biere was the most artistic magician ever she had seen, and this is De Biere's own Vanishing birdcage. Lyle bought it from De Biere but never used it, because, indirectly it was responsible for De Biere's death. One of the piano-wire bars broke, scratched his leg, and septicemia set in. Lyle sold the cage to Les Levante, and it changed hands several times before Faust had the opportunity to buy it, together with the rest of the equipment which had been made by 'Martin'. |
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FAUST with THE SENSATIONAL UNDERWATER TRIPLE ESCAPE HOUDINI performed his Water Churn Escape for many years, but MURRAY, the Australian illusionist and escapologist, improved it by having the Water Churn inside an iron-bound metal-lined box, inside a steel cage, with a total of 15 padlocks securing the equipment, which is examined before and after the escape. Murray had to leave his show behind in Berlin at the outbreak of World War II, but this equipment was returned to him in 1945. |
| JAPANESE BOOK OF MAGIC TRICKS FOR CHILDREN. The book contains seven pages of colour photographs showing Faust the Magician on tour in Japan in 1971, presenting The Witch on the Scimitars, The Human Pincushion, The Black and White Barrels Mystery, Okito's Duck Production Box, The Inexhaustible Beer Barrel, The Living Cremation, and the Underwater Triple Escape. Published in Japan. |
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THE FAMOUS KOKUSAI THEATRE, TOKYO. The world's largest stage, the oldest theatre in Japan, and the biggest theatre in the Orient. FAUST staged his show here in 1975, and included "FIND THE LADY" for the first and only time in Japan, but cut out the final "explanation" where the lady is seen in silhouette holding a red sheet up in front of herself, yet the sheet and the lady disappear in full view. Years earlier, Lyle had done the same when he saw the German illusionist, Kalanag, in his audience! The stage area was wide and deep, with the same area at either side and at the back, enabling huge built-up scenery trucks to be wheeled into position, for some of the dramatic special effects scenes which were a feature of this theatre in the long-running resident revues. The dancers had living quarters above the theatre. Sadly, this massive theatre no longer exists, having been demolished. |
| P.T.SELBIT'S ORIGINAL "HUMAN PINCUSHION" - The 'Stick' Rack. Forty walking sticks are pushed through this cabinet, which is barely large enough to allow the girl to stand upright, yet her face can be seen looking out through a small opening in the front panel. A trapeze is lowered from the 'flies', the girl grabs it, and she is hauled up in the air and lowered gently on to the stage. The original Selbit equipment as used by Murray. |
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FAUST'S GREAT MAGIC SHOW ARRIVES IN YOKOHAMA, JAPAN. 1975. Watching the loading of the equipment is Faust's Japanese promoter, Mr.HIROSHI OHKAWA, President of The Central Broadcasting Agency, Tokyo. On one of the equipment trucks is Faust's Japanese stage manager, MARU-san. |
| FAUST'S STAGE LIGHTING TECHNICIAN. This was the temporary set-up which the lighting technician had to do when, on rare occasions, Faust's Great Magic Show was booked to play a stadium in Japan, rather than one of the many huge theatres, where audiences of 6,000 people were not unusual. |
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FAUST'S SOUND TECHNICIAN - Tamura-san. All the music for THE FAUST SHOW is on tape, with two Sony tape-decks being employed. Most of the music is classical, for dramatic effect. Special music was written for Faust when he played the Kokusai Theatre in Tokyo. Other music which Faust wanted to use from his own band-parts was played by an orchestra in a studio in Tokyo, recorded, and the tapes used for the subsequent theatre tour. |
| FAUST PRESENTING CINGALEE'S "BROKEN & RESTORED PLATE TRICK". FAUST removes a dinner plate from a frame back centre stage. He juggles with it, throws it up in the air, catches it, and instructs his assistant to do the same, but she drops it, and it breaks. An assistant picks up the pieces, putting them on a silver dish. Faust tips the broken pieces into a paper bag, which is held by another assistant. Faust fires a pistol at the bag, and the blast blows out the bottom of the bag. The plate appears back in the frame, but a small piece is seen to be missing. The missing piece is found on the stage. It is balanced on the edge of a small, circular tray. Faust, from a distance, fires a rifle at the piece, which disappears, and the plate is fully restored. Fast-moving, highly visual magic. |
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