Can we see this guy in Vegas?

[kittynh]

I remember seeing a magician on tv who was some bumbling old guy who had a kind of slutty tart for an assistant. I only caught a few moments, but it was so funny. I was wondering if he was based in Vegas and maybe at the TAM I could get over to see him.

No clue who he is!

 

[Brown]

A funny "bumbling old guy?" The only one who comes to mind is Carl Ballantine. I believe Carl is in his eighties, but he's still performing.

Carl would get huge laughs for messing up a trick (and he would often lose his temper at his assistant and the unseen "guys backstage"), but in reality, he was a pretty good magician.

Carl had a regular role in the 1960s TV comedy, "McHale's Navy."

 

[bignickel]

I don't think that who's Kitten's talking about. I saw the magician she's referring to perform on one of those series on 'magic' that they have every now and again.

The 'mistakes' were definitely intentional, and he had no respect from his smoking-on-stage assistant. I remember him doing a bird act that left his tuxedo with more than a couple of white spots.

 

[teddygrahams]

The Amazing Jonathan does something similar, but he's not that old. He was in Vegas this year.

 

[RSLancastr]

A funny "bumbling old guy?" The only one who comes to mind is Carl Ballantine. I believe Carl is in his eighties, but he's still performing.

I shook hands with Mr. Ballentine at The Magic Castle a couple of years ago. I was there to see a comic magician (the name escapes me for the moment), and Mr. Ballentine was in the audience.

Halfway through his act, the man on stage4 pretended to spot allentine in the audience, gasped, and introduced him as one of his idols. Ballentine graciously stood and smiled at the audience, and sat back down.

At that point, the man on sage said "And I promise, Mr. Ballentine: from this moment on - only my own material."

Ballentine got a big kick out of it

 

[NoZed Avenger]

I think Kitty refers to the Great Tomsoni (Johnny Thompson).

One of my personal favorites.

NA

Edited to add: I shamefacedly add that it is actually "The Great Tomsoni and Company," which includes the talented Pamela Hayes as his assistant. Leaving her out was a momentary - but unforgivable - oversight. She was a full partner in the act and very talented in her own right.