Paul Le Paul
Born:
Paul Shields Braden
August 2, 1900
Olney, Illinois
Died:
June 8, 1958 (age 57)
St. Louis, Missouri
Resting place:
New Saint Marcus Cemetery and Mausoleum, St. Louis, Missouri
Categories:
Books by Paul Le Paul:
Paul Le Paul (August 2, 1900 - June 8, 1958), born Paul Shields Braden, performed in Vaudeville and later appeared in the top night clubs and hotels.
Contents
1 Biography
2 Contributions
3 Endorsements
4 Bibliography
5 References
Biography:
Le Paul grew up in St. Louis where he was a boyhood pal of Bill Baird. He started his professional career around 1920, doing a manipulative act entirely with playing cards. He adopted the name Le Paul around 1927 and made his first New York vaudeville appearance in July of 1928 at the Fifth Avenue Theatre.
After vaudeville, he appeared in the top night clubs and hotels. He also played on Broadway in Earl Carrolls' Varities.
In 1939 he was a technical adviser for movies, including "Eternally Yours" starring David Niven. He also held a small role as the Butler. In that same year, Paul LePaul was also credited for being part of the miscellaneous crew on the film Miracles for Sale.
During World War II, he performed tours with the USO.
Contributions:
Le Paul was one of the first to use to the split-fan production in a professional act. At one time he also used the glass vanish under the newspaper, and may have been the first man to use this as a stage trick.
He also may have started the Card to Wallet fad among magicians which was based on the routine he published as Cards in Sealed Envelope in 1949. (Wallets did not become a common item until after the 1950s).
Endorsements:
"LePaul is one of the greatest manipulative magicians ever to practice the art of pleasant deception." - John Mulholland in The Card Magic of Le Paul
Bibliography:
The Card Magic of Le Paul (1949)
The Card Magic of Bro. John Hamman S.M. (written and edited by Le Paul) (1958)
References:
Who's Who in Magic, Sphinx, August, 1932
The Linking Ring, Vol. 26, No. 10, December 1946, Paul LePaul, Card Manipulator, By Jack Lippincott, page 28
The Linking Ring, Vol. 29, No. 10, December 1949, Cover, LePaul - McDermott .... A Collaboration, By Robert Parrish, page 15
Photo Genii 1952 June
The New Phoenix, No. 332, November 1955, Interview in St. Louis with Card Star Paul le Paul, page 136
The Linking Ring, Vol. 38, No. 3, May 1958, Sick and convalescent, by Harry E. Cecil, PAUL LE PAUL (Paul Braden), p. 102
Hugards’s Magic Monthly, Vol. 16, No. 1, June 1958, Paul LePaul (Braden) died June 8 of cancer…, page 3, Out of My Profonde, By Arthur Leroy, page 4
The Linking Ring, Vol. 38, No. 5, July 1958, Broken Wand, Paul (LePaul) Braden, page 83
M-U-M, Vol. 48, No. 3, August 1958, Cover, PAUL LePAUL magician-of-the-month by Leslie P. Guest, page 85
The New Tops, Vol. 4, No. 12, December 1964, The Collector’s Page, Picture LePaul, page 22
Bio-bibliographisches Lexikon der Zauberkünstler Edition Volker Huber, April 2002, Braden, Paul Shields = Paul LePaul, USA Zauberkünstler (*02.08.1901 Olney, Illinois, USA; † 09.06.1958 St. Louis, USA), page 51
Paul LePaul who's who
Paul LePaul exhibition
Table of contents for the Magic of Paul LePaul
IMDB information on Paul LePaul
IMDB Bio information on Paul LePaul
Photo of Paul LePaul
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Paul LePaul (1900 – 1958)
“LePaul is one of the greatest manipulative magicians ever to practice the art of pleasant deception.” – John Mulholland
Paul LePaul was gifted with the rare combination of superb technique and master showmanship. Although he is widely known today as the author of the classic work The Card Magic of Paul LePaul, a work that showcased many of his innovations in advanced sleight-of-hand, LePaul was no stranger to the stage. He performed countless times on the vaudeville circuit and when that ended, he moved on to the hotel and nightclub scene.
His Life
On August 2nd, 1900, LePaul was born Paul Shields Braden. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and it was here that he developed an interest in manipulative card magic. By 1920, he was performing his card act professionally. This aspiring magician was largely influenced by, but never imitated, the work of Howard Thurston and Nate Leipzig. Looking to these magicians for inspiration, LePaul crafted a style all of his own that won audiences for the length of his career.
His Travels
Magic took Paul all over the globe. In 1923, after performing near his home town for a couple of years, he joined the Ackerman and Harris Vaudeville Circuit, which canvassed the West Coast. In 1927, he decided to tour the East Coast, and it was during this run he was first billed as “Paul LePaul.”
During the war, LePaul decided he could use his talents to perform for the troops. He became part of the USO’s Camp Show Unit and ended up performing on stages all over Europe, North Africa, The Caribbean Islands, South America, and Japan. Afterwards, he went back to performing for the hotel and nightclub scene and occasionally performed at veterans’ hospitals.
Showmanship
Like Leipzig, LePaul had the utmost respect for his audiences. One way he displayed this respect was by dressing in his finest clothes. His smart appearance expressed to each audience that he held them in high regard and wanted to entertain them, they deserved it. In fact, when he first appeared on the East Coast, he was most praised for his sharp attire. Variety Magazine wrote that “LePaul, card manipulator, wears afternoon clothes with distinction and has the crispest linen in vaudeville.” His magic was graceful and his impeccable dress was a fine complement to his stylish performances.
Effects, LePaul believed, were most magical when executed with absolute precision. It is for this reason that he dedicated so much of his time to polishing his work. Stripped of superfluous chatter and cluttered displays, LePaul performances were always polished and clean. He performed only his tightest material gaining him a reputation for engaging, streamlined shows.
Noticing that LePaul was remarkably at ease on stage or close-up, Robert Parrish wrote:
“What gave his work its extra dimension, however, was the attitude he conveyed of delight in what he did. When you came right down to it, it is a little absurd for a grown man to stand in front of a crowd flourishing playing cards. When Paul LePaul performed you were persuaded that this was the most wonderful thing a person could possibly do.”
Thoughts on Technique
His magnificent performances were the result of a rigorous discipline and elevated standard he placed on himself for the the development of his art. LePaul would often perform a sleight for years under a strenuous practice schedule before ever using it in front of a live audience. He likened mastery of a technique to the effortlessness of walking and breathing. If it did not feel that easy, that natural, it was not suitable for an audience.
Gathering a variety of perfected techniques guaranteed LePaul could be resourceful in all performance situations. Highly observant and equipped with this vast repertoire of material, LePaul had the unique ability to select the most engaging and appropriate sleight for a particular moment.
This dedication to not just the learning, but the mastery of new effects, led LePaul to become the exponent of what is now called the “split-fan production.” He discovered this move in a British manuscript published in 1916, and he is credited as being the first to use the sleight professionally. This is only one of several “Firsts” in LePaul’s career. He was also the first to produce cards in both hands simultaneously, using a different method for each hand. By doing such, LePaul surpassed Dr. Elliott’s record of performing the shift 120 times a minute.
Writing the Book
At Schulien’s Tavern in 1946, a relationship began than led to the penning of one of the great magic classics. At this Chicago bar, the well known magician Dorny introduced Jerry McDermott, a photographer and sleight-of-hand hobbyist, to LePaul. At the time, McDermott was working on another classic, The Expert at the Card Table by Erdnase. McDermott’s conversations with LePaul furthered the photographer’s interest in magic.
After discussing challenging parts of the classic Erdnase book, the question presented itself: Why didn’t LePaul write a book explaining Manipulative Magic in a language that could be easily understood? McDermott volunteered to take the pictures. LePaul, having never authored a book, but always up for a new pursuit, agreed. He would now have to learn and master a new craft, writing.
Although there was 30 years of experience to pour onto the page, LePaul utilized his “one finger touch system” to type up the manuscript. The card moves were keenly described yet accessible to any reader. To assist comprehension, McDermott photographed accompanied every move LePaul described. Together, they created a delightful and thoughtful card master’s handbook which, to this day, is considered a classic in the magic canon.
