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The Great Maurice

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The Great Maurice
BornC. S. Maurice
circa 1887
Algeria
DiedApril 17, 1958 (age 70)
Hollywood, California
The Great Maurice (c.1887-1958), a son of Rabbi Joseph Cohn, was well-known card manipulator before the first world war. He spoke with a French accent and was very successful in England before coming to the United States.[1][2]

Biography

Billed as a "French Card Magician", The Great Maurice used a heavy French accented broken English for full comedic style ("Take zee card." "Eet ese zee ass of diamonds, yes?") he was sometimes called the "Fun-Making-Magician."

In 1913, Maurice played coast to coast from New York to San Francisco both in vaudeville and at society dates.

In 1920, the Great Maurice made a tour of London, then ended up in South Africa where he played for two years before making his way back to the United States. [3] When he arrived in New York in 1922. A member of The Magicians' Club of London, England, he performed at the NCA Twelfth Annual Convention in 1922.[4]

His publicity stories indicated that his hands were insured for $100,000.

His act from 1936 in New York was described in Holden's Programmes of Famous Magicians. The last noted appearance in the United States was on Broadway's nightlife circuit appearing at the Hotel Warwick in 1940.

There is a routine called "Card Finesse" attributed to the Great Maurice in Annemann's Miracles of Card Magic (1948) reprinted from The Jinx no. 109, September 7, 1940, page 649.

Other magicians that performed as "The Great Maurice":

References

  1. Obit, WEST COAST MUSINGS by RAY MUSE, MUM, June 1958
  2. Obit, Hugard's Magic Monthly Vol. 15, May 1958
  3. Magic: A Pictorial History History of Conjurers in the Theater by David Price (1985)
  4. Sphinx, August 1922