|
"He was a giant of a man in every way. His magic inspired magicians as much as it entertained them ... though his shows were never built up as extravagant spectacles, they were nevertheless the ones the public remembered, and indeed strangers to magic, asked about the art, always remember The Great Levante. I think this was because they were presented without boast or bombast ... Levante was not only a real magician, a large and vivid personality who could work wonders, but he was also a human being. I have said that Levante shunned the extravaganza festooned with razamataz. But when you analyse it, he didn't need the trimmings. He enjoyed the pageantry of parading magic, but he did it through his personality. The tricks, from the largest illusion, to the smallest front cloth quickie, had style. His humour had heart. He isn't the last of the 'greats' but what I do know is that he was unique in inspiring others. That's real magic." - Alan Kennaugh, "Magigram" magazine |
| Levante - His Life, No Illusion is the seventh installment in the award-winning series of Magical Pro-Files published by Mike Caveney's Magic Words. The format for this biography of the great Australian illusionist, Les Levante (1892-1978), is unlike any other book in the series.
After discovering Levante's unpublished autobiography, author Kent Blackmore spent five years researching the fascinating life of perhaps the last of the great touring illusionists. Each chapter is divided into two distinct sections. First comes Levante's personal memories of the many adventures he experienced while touring the world with his ever-expanding, full-evening illusion show. Levante's words are followed by the author's considerable research which adds greatly to the story, makes corrections and places into context Levante's reminiscences. In describing his heroic struggle to the top of his profession, Levante provides a word's-eye-view of show business during the early part of this century. Travel with Levante and Company as they visit Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan and India. As a headliner in England's music halls, Levante socialized with many of magic's greatest names including Dante, Goldin and Selbit. Levante - His Life, No Illusion contains over a hundred photos illustrating his long career and spectacular magic show. An appendix describes many of Levante's classic tricks and illusions that have been explained in magic magazines over the years. |
|
WHAT THE MAGAZINES SAID ... "Les Levante was the most famous performing magician to come out of Australia and also probably the last of the great post-vaudeville road show magicians, still touring well into the 1950s. Kent Blackmore has provided an interesting and readable account of this worthy subject in a decidedly unusual format ... what comes across is a portrait of a man who was adaptable, hard-working, good-natured, and with a clear talent for business ... a classy and pleasing job all around, as befits the life it portrays." - Genii magazine, September 1997 (Jamy Ian Swiss)
Blackmore has not only accomplished this storytelling mission, he has written the genuine and definitive Levante book ... It affords a true picture of the style and performance persona of Australia's greatest illusionist at the height of his magical career…throughout the book there's fascinating information about others magicians of the times. An example is the four-page unravelling of the complex history of magicians in Australia who cashed in on the success of P.T. Selbit's "Sawing" ... it will be difficult to put the book aside until you finish every intriguing word. |