Charlie Miller

Charlie Miller (May 23, 1903 - August 13,1989 ) born Charles Earle in Indianapolis. He was an magician, author and renowned expert in pure sleight of hand magic.

During the 1930's Charlie was associated with Faucett Ross, Dai Vernon, Roland Hamblin, Manuel, Tommy Martin, Long Tack Sam and Max Malini. During World War II Charlie performed in USO and in night clubs.

Charlie Miller and Dai Vernon packed their cards and went to Wichita searching for Alan Kennedy who could deal cards out of the middle of the deck, which is documented in the book The Magician and the Cardsharp by Karl Johnson.

He was voted one of the ten living Card Stars in 1955. [by whom ?]*

• All the story is "somewhere" in the New Phoenix. First clue : The new stars were known during a convention at Pittsburgh. Second clue : It was in the middle of the year. Third clue : The number of the page is equal to the three prime numbers.

Some of his immense store of magical knowledge and wisdom has been recorded in the book An Evening With Charlie Miller written by Robert Parrish (1961).

He was editor of the long running series in Genii magazine called "Magicana" (which some day may get made into a book by Richard Kaufman!)

One of his trademarks was always signing his name thrice: Charlie Miller Charlie Miller Charlie Miller.

Quotes

• "A friend of mine picked up a deck of cards and said he was going to show me a faro trick. I took out a gun and shot him." Charlie Miller - The Pallbearers Review, Volume 5 No.1, page 292

Publications

• Black Art Well Tricks (with Robert Parrish) (1969)
• An Evening with Charlie Miller by Robert Parrish (1961)
• Magicana column in Genii for many years. Began Vol. 29, N° 3, nov. 1964.