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Paul Le Paul

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Paul Le Paul (August 2, 1900 - June 8, 1958) was born Paul Shields Braden in Olney, Illinois. He performed in Vaudeville and later appeared in the top night clubs and hotels.

Biography

Le Paul grew up in St. Louis where he was a boyhood pal of Bill Baird. He started his professional career around 1920, doing a manipulative act entirely with playing cards. He adopted the name Le Paul around 1927 and made his first New York vaudeville appearance in July of 1928 at the Fifth Avenue Theatre.

After vaudeville, he appeared in the top night clubs and hotels. He also played on Broadway in Earl Carrolls' Varities.

He was a technical adviser for movies, including "Eternally Yours" starring David Niven. He also held a small role as the Butler. In that same year, Paul LePaul was also credited for being part of the miscellaneous crew on the film Miracles for Sale.

During World War II, he performed tours with the USO.

Contributions

Le Paul was one of the first to use to the split-fan production in a professional act. At one time he also used the glass vanish under the newspaper, and may have been the first man to use this as a stage trick.

He also may have started the Card to Wallet fad among magicians which was based on the routine he published as "Cards in Sealed Envelope" in the late 1940s. (Wallets did not become a common item until after the 1950s).

Endorsements

  • "LePaul is one of the greatest manipulative magicians ever to practice the art of pleasant deception." - John Mulholland in The Card Magic of Le Paul

Bibliography

References