Kalanag

Kalanag (January 23, 1903 - December 24, 1963) was born Helmut Ewald Schreiber in Germany. He was president of the German Magic Circle leading up to World War II and began is career working in films.

His show was said to have elaborate sets, consisting of many costume changes and made use of confederates. He was noted for Levitation illusion.

The "Who's Who in Magic" page in the September 1931 of the Sphinx, he reports his birthday as January 23, 1893.

During the war, Kalanag was closely associated with members of the Nazi party including Goebbels, Göring and Hitler. He developed an illusion show picking the stage name from the East Indian word kala nag (from Kipling's Jungle Tales) meaning "black snake", thinking that outside of Germany people might find Schreiber hard to pronounce.

His performing troupe consisted of his wife, Gloria De Vos and 40 other persons. A portion of his mammoth production was on the Ed Sullivan Show.

He was editor of the German magic magazine, Die Magie.

Books

• Der Magier Erzahlt Sein Leben, (autobiography), published by Bluchert Verlag (1962).

References

• Kalanag - An Autobiography translated by Irene Larsen, from October 1963 to August 1965 in Genii.
• Cover Genii 1956 March
• Cover Genii 1964 January
• Obit Genii 1964 January