Dr. Walford Bodie

Dr. Walford Bodie
Born	Samuel Murphy Bodie June 11, 1869 Aberdeen, Scotland
Died	October 19, 1939 (age 70) Blackpool
Resting place	Doune Churchyard near Macduff
Categories	Books by Dr. Walford Bodie

Dr. Walford Bodie (not a real doctor), was a hypnotist, magician, ventriloquist, and "electrician".

Bodie developed an early interest in conjuring and ventriloquism. One of his first performances was at Stonehaven Town Hall in 1884 at the age of 15 years

Bodie first appeared in London in 1903 at the Britannia Theatre where he act was billed as 'Electric Wizardry' and included so called 'bloodless surgery'. Ricky Jay describes the Bodie's act in his book "Learned Pigs & Fireproof Women" in a chapter entitled 'Genius or Charlatan? Walford Bodie, M.D.'

Shortly before his death, Bodie appeared on the BBC radio program "Abracadabra! or Magic Over Scotland" on March 30, 1939.

The article in MUM January 2008 article "HOUDINI & BODIE: TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS" by Richard Hatch shows Bodie's likely Houdini inspired poster using his court experience for publicity. Even though he lost the court case, you would not know it from the poster.

Books

• The Bodie Book (1905)