Chung Ling Soo

Chung Ling Soo (April 2, 1861 - March 24, 1918) was born William Ellsworth Robinson. He died on the stage of London's Wood Green Empire when his bullet catch routine went wrong.

Chung Ling Soo
Born	William Ellsworth Robinson April 02, 1861
Died	March 24, 1918 (age 56)
Resting place	London, East Sheen Cemetery, Section B, grave number 219/220/221
Categories	Books by Chung Ling Soo

During his early career, William Ellsworth Robinson called himself Robinson, the Man of Mystery. To increase his allure with a touch of exoticism, he changed his name to Chung Ling Soo and took his show to Europe. He took the name as a variation of a real Chinese stage magician - Ching Ling Foo - and performed many of the tricks that Foo had made famous.

Chung Ling Soo maintained his role as a Chinese man scrupulously. He never spoke onstage and always used an interpreter when he spoke to journalists. Only his friends and other stage magicians knew the truth

Biographies

• Spirit Slate Writing and Kindred Phenomena by William Robinson (1898)
• The Riddle of Chung Ling Soo by Will Dexter (1955)
• A Gift from Gods: the Story of Chung Ling Soo by Val Andrews (1981)
• Chung Ling Soo: The Man behind the Legend by Gary R. Frank (1987)
• Chung Ling Soo: The Man of Mystery by Gary R. Frank & Phil Temple (1989)
• The Silence of Chung Ling Soo by Todd Karr (2001) ISBN 0-9710405-1-6
• The Glorious Deception: The Double Life of William Robinson, aka Chung Ling Soo, the "Marvelous Chinese Conjurer" by Jim Steinmeyer (2005) ISBN 0-7867-1512-X.

References

• Cover Genii 2005 June

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• http://www.hat-archive.com/chunglingsoo.htm
• Brief Biography at The Magic Nook