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Larry Weeks

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Larry Weeks

Cover of Genii (1958)
BornLester Fulton Weeks
September 24, 1919
Salem, Massachusetts
DiedOctober 13, 2014 (age 95)
New York
Resting placeMachpelah Cemetery, Queens, New York

Larry Weeks (1919-2014) was a vaudeville and nightclub juggler.

Biography

Weeks' family moved to New York, where he grew up. His career started at the age of 10 when his naturally developed juggling talent was first displayed to his classmates.

He later created the fast, bright "Juggling For Fun" and with it toured the big New York, Boston and Montreal night spots. [1]

Inducted into the U.S. Army during World War II, Weeks juggling act was seen by Irving Berlin, who had him transferred to the company performing Berlin’s show, "This Is the Army". His Juggling routine was built around "Kitchen Police", the delicate Army term for potato peelers, dish washers and general cleaners. In the act, instead of peeling potatoes, Cpl. Weeks juggled them.[2]

The show toured military bases worldwide and was later made into a film in which Weeks did a shortened version of his act. [3]

Weeks was a friend of many magicians including Roy Benson and a member of the IBM.[4][5]

Weeks was a collector of vaudeville props, books, juggling and magic props, escape tricks and films specializing in Charlie Chaplin, WC Fields and Houdini. He was a regular attendee at Sid Radner's Houdini Séances.

He died at a VA hospital in New York and his final resting place is a plot at the Machpelah Cemetery a few hundred yards away from the Houdini family graves.[6]

References

  1. Cover, Genii 1958 September
  2. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0917333/bio
  3. http://newyorkdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2009/09/fish-and-ponds.html
  4. Roy Benson by Starlight by Levent and Todd Karr (2006)
  5. http://forums.geniimagazine.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=45458
  6. Magic New Zealand newsletter, #1146,Sunday 26th October 2014, Alan Watson