The Magic Man, Not El Diablo

Been waiting two years to find an excuse to run a photo of Doug Henning. The famous Douglas Magicland, formerly on North Ervay till its myriad moves around Dallas preceding its disappearing act, received a shout-out in yesterday's New York Times. Came in a story about Dallas-born magic man John...

By Robert Wilonsky

May 19, 2008

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Been waiting two years to find an excuse to run a photo of Doug Henning.

The famous Douglas Magicland, formerly on North Ervay till its myriad moves around Dallas preceding its disappearing act, received a shout-out in yesterday's New York Times. Came in a story about Dallas-born magic man John Gaughan, who's out in Los Angeles creating illusions for no less than Siegfried & Roy, David Blaine, David Copperfield, Ricky Jay and, best part yet, Doug Henning. Turns out Gaughan studied with another famous Dallas-raised magician, Mark Wilson -- who trained the likes of Dick Van Dyke and Johnny Carson and who writes extensively about Douglas Magicland in his Web-only autobiography. Oh, and Gaughan came up with the trick that made it look like Gary Sinise didn't have legs in Forrest Gump. Turns out, it's an illlllusion. --Robert Wilonsky

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