E.J. Moore

E.J. Moore (October 12, 1881 - April 25, 1957), the "The Gabby Trickster" was a successful comedy magician and ventriloquist.

Moore was born Ernest Joseph Limberger in New York City and as a young boy moved with his family to Ohio.

He gave his first magic performance at the Idlewild Amusement Park in Newark, Ohio and by 18 he began his professional career. He began with an escapes and later developed a comedy magic act.

One well known feature of his act was his unique "bean trick" in which a bean that he swallows appears out of his eye. While Moore was playing in St. Louis in November 1921, James "Fat" Thompson suggested a title for the trick, which Moore would use thereafter - "The Tears of Buddah."

During the 1930s Moore toured with a full-evening, two hour show entitled "A Night of Wonderment". It featured magic, illusions and spirit manifestations. In the summers he often worked amusement parks and featured two acts: "Buried Alive" and "Buried in Flames."

E. J. Moore retired from actively performing in the 1940s to become a magic dealer in Columbus, Ohio, where marketed several original rope tricks.

Books

• Super Prediction Tricks (with Robert Nelson) (1947)

References

• Magicol No.96 (August 1990)