An inspiration (for me) has passed
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From: Yorba Linda, CA
An inspiration (for me) has passed
I became interested in magic when I was eight years old, largely because of the father of one of the other boys in my Cub Scout pack: Glenn Falkenstein.
Glenn passed away on July 4, apparently having suffered from Alzheimer's for many years.
I recall seeing Glenn on my first visit to The Magic Castle, doing his second-sight act with his lovely wife, Frances Willard. Fran was blindfolded on stage and Glenn would walk through the audience and ask the spectators for objects. If he were given a driver's license, for example, Fran would call out the number, the owner's name, their weight (usually about 15 lbs. more than was listed on the license; Glenn would ask her what the license read and she would correct it). If given a dollar bill, she'd call out the serial number. One spectator gave him a pager, which Fran correctly identified. He asked her to give the make, and she hesitated, saying that it started with an "M", but it was a difficult name to visualize; she finally said, correctly, Motorola.
In another effect, Glenn tied Fran in about 30 feet of rope: her wrists tied together, the rope wrapped around each arm, then around her body and tied at the back. A gentleman from the audience would stand in front of Fran, and Glenn would raise a curtain around them (think of a hula hoop with a velvet curtain hanging from it) for about five seconds. When he dropped the curtain, Fran would be wearing the gentleman's jacket, underneath the ropes which were still tied around her.
In their finale, Fran had length of cloth tied around her wrists and neck, she sat on a wooden chair, and audience members would nail the cloth bonds to the chair. Glenn slid a barrel of props next to Fran, then put her in a trance. He then closed a curtain around her (with audience members on both sides to ensure that nobody snuck in or out) and the props came flying out from the curtain, but when he quickly opened the curtain, Fran was still in a trance, still nailed to the chair. Other effects transpired, but Fran was always shown in a trance, still nailed to the chair. (At the end, she floated up above the top of the curtain, then back down.
I miss him.
Glenn passed away on July 4, apparently having suffered from Alzheimer's for many years.
I recall seeing Glenn on my first visit to The Magic Castle, doing his second-sight act with his lovely wife, Frances Willard. Fran was blindfolded on stage and Glenn would walk through the audience and ask the spectators for objects. If he were given a driver's license, for example, Fran would call out the number, the owner's name, their weight (usually about 15 lbs. more than was listed on the license; Glenn would ask her what the license read and she would correct it). If given a dollar bill, she'd call out the serial number. One spectator gave him a pager, which Fran correctly identified. He asked her to give the make, and she hesitated, saying that it started with an "M", but it was a difficult name to visualize; she finally said, correctly, Motorola.
In another effect, Glenn tied Fran in about 30 feet of rope: her wrists tied together, the rope wrapped around each arm, then around her body and tied at the back. A gentleman from the audience would stand in front of Fran, and Glenn would raise a curtain around them (think of a hula hoop with a velvet curtain hanging from it) for about five seconds. When he dropped the curtain, Fran would be wearing the gentleman's jacket, underneath the ropes which were still tied around her.
In their finale, Fran had length of cloth tied around her wrists and neck, she sat on a wooden chair, and audience members would nail the cloth bonds to the chair. Glenn slid a barrel of props next to Fran, then put her in a trance. He then closed a curtain around her (with audience members on both sides to ensure that nobody snuck in or out) and the props came flying out from the curtain, but when he quickly opened the curtain, Fran was still in a trance, still nailed to the chair. Other effects transpired, but Fran was always shown in a trance, still nailed to the chair. (At the end, she floated up above the top of the curtain, then back down.
I miss him.
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From: Denton, TX
Originally Posted by magician,Jul 9 2010, 09:19 PM
I became interested in magic when I was eight years old, largely because of the father of one of the other boys in my Cub Scout pack: Glenn Falkenstein.
Glenn passed away on July 4, apparently having suffered from Altzheimer's for many years.
I recall seeing Glenn on my first visit to The Magic Castle, doing his second-sight act with his lovely wife, Frances Willard. Fran was blindfolded on stage and Glenn would walk through the audience and ask the spectators for objects. If he were given a driver's license, for example, Fran would call out the number, the owner's name, their weight (usually about 15 lbs. more than was listed on the license; Glenn would ask her what the license read and she would correct it). If given a dollar bill, she'd call out the serial number. One spectator gave him a pager, which Fran correctly identified. He asked her to give the make, and she hesitated, saying that it started with an "M", but it was a difficult name to visualize; she finally said, correctly, Motorola.
In another effect, Glenn tied Fran in about 30 feet of rope: her wrists tied together, the rope wrapped around each arm, then around her body and tied at the back. A gentleman from the audience would stand in front of Fran, and Glenn would raise a curtain around them (think of a hula hoop with a velvet curtain hanging from it) for about five seconds. When he dropped the curtain, Fran would be wearing the gentleman's jacket, underneath the ropes which were still tied around her.
In their finale, Fran had length of cloth tied around her wrists and neck, she sat on a wooden chair, and audience members would nail the cloth bonds to the chair. Glenn slid a barrel of props next to Fran, then put her in a trance. He then closed a curtain around her (with audience members on both sides to ensure that nobody snuck in or out) and the props came flying out from the curtain, but when he quickly opened the curtain, Fran was still in a trance, still nailed to the chair. Other effects transpired, but Fran was always shown in a trance, still nailed to the chair. (At the end, she floated up above the top of the curtain, then back down.
I miss him.
Glenn passed away on July 4, apparently having suffered from Altzheimer's for many years.
I recall seeing Glenn on my first visit to The Magic Castle, doing his second-sight act with his lovely wife, Frances Willard. Fran was blindfolded on stage and Glenn would walk through the audience and ask the spectators for objects. If he were given a driver's license, for example, Fran would call out the number, the owner's name, their weight (usually about 15 lbs. more than was listed on the license; Glenn would ask her what the license read and she would correct it). If given a dollar bill, she'd call out the serial number. One spectator gave him a pager, which Fran correctly identified. He asked her to give the make, and she hesitated, saying that it started with an "M", but it was a difficult name to visualize; she finally said, correctly, Motorola.
In another effect, Glenn tied Fran in about 30 feet of rope: her wrists tied together, the rope wrapped around each arm, then around her body and tied at the back. A gentleman from the audience would stand in front of Fran, and Glenn would raise a curtain around them (think of a hula hoop with a velvet curtain hanging from it) for about five seconds. When he dropped the curtain, Fran would be wearing the gentleman's jacket, underneath the ropes which were still tied around her.
In their finale, Fran had length of cloth tied around her wrists and neck, she sat on a wooden chair, and audience members would nail the cloth bonds to the chair. Glenn slid a barrel of props next to Fran, then put her in a trance. He then closed a curtain around her (with audience members on both sides to ensure that nobody snuck in or out) and the props came flying out from the curtain, but when he quickly opened the curtain, Fran was still in a trance, still nailed to the chair. Other effects transpired, but Fran was always shown in a trance, still nailed to the chair. (At the end, she floated up above the top of the curtain, then back down.
I miss him.
My grandmother's deteroriation from dementia and Alzheimer's is pretty bad right now, too. Luckily, you weren't closer to the situation to deal with the hard times.
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From: Yorba Linda, CA
Originally Posted by DFWs2k,Jul 9 2010, 07:36 PM
I am pretty sure there is no 't' in Alzheimer's.
Originally Posted by DFWs2k,Jul 9 2010, 07:36 PM
Luckily, you weren't closer to the situation to deal with the hard times.
Originally Posted by DFWs2k,Jul 9 2010, 07:36 PM
My grandmother's deteroriation from dementia and Alzheimer's is pretty bad right now, too.
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From: Yorba Linda, CA
Originally Posted by CG,Jul 9 2010, 07:26 PM
Bill, he started you on a great path and will live on through you. Miss him yes, but know he will remain with you.
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From: Yorba Linda, CA
Originally Posted by senor_flojo,Jul 11 2010, 01:35 PM
I'll respectfully keep my opinions of illusionists to myself.
Originally Posted by senor_flojo,Jul 11 2010, 01:35 PM
sorry for you loss, mag.
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