Christopher, Milbourne
(1914-1984)
Major American magical entertainer, author, inventor and collector. Performed a popular full-evening show for many years. Produced and performed in the first network TV magic special, "The Festival of Magic", broadcast on May 27, 1957 on NBC-TV (a show which also featured Cardini's last television appearance). He wrote a long-running column in Hugard's Magic Monthly under the pen name "Frank Joglar", derived from words meaning "candid magician".
Invented: Telegram to Flowers, Eeire Rabbit and the original Forgetful Freddy
He wrote a number of classic books on magic history, including Panorama of Magic, The Illustrated History of Magic, Milbourne Christopher's Magic Book (1977), and Houdini: The Untold Story.