Arnold Furst, (Furstenburg),
Magician, Author, Lecturer, Hypnotist

Arnold Furst died on February 22, 2002 at the age of 83. Furst was best known to magicians as the inventor of the classic "Fresh Fish" paper tear where a strip of paper with the words "Fresh Fish Sold Here Today" is torn into pieces using a comical presentation and then restored.

As a magician he toured during WWII with the USO presenting his classic routine with Oscar the white rabbit. After the war he performed in nightclubs and did many shows for children. His success however, came in the field of Hypnotism where he wrote a number of very successful books about using hypnosis for therapy.

The magic books he wrote include: Famous Magicians of the World (1957), Magic for Monsters (aka Kid Stuff 6 – 1960), Mightier Than The Bullet (1961), Great Magic Shows (1968), and How to Get Publicity in Newspaper ... and Other Media (1975).

Arnold Furst's "FRESH FISH" Paper Tear and his performing rabbit, Oscar, took him around the world including a 1946 FISM appearance. And these features, combined with his knowledge of publicity methods, filled up many scrapbooks!

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Obituaries | Passings
Arnold Furst, 83; Magician, Hypnotist Touted Hypnotherapy

March 05, 2002|From Times Staff and Wire Reports


Arnold Furst, 83, a magician and hypnotist who entertained and instructed others in using his techniques as therapy, died Feb. 22 in Los Angeles of natural causes after several years of failing health.

Furst began his professional act in 1939 and toured the globe with the USO during World War II, always traveling noticeably with his white rabbit, Oscar. After the war, he worked in vaudeville and had a nightclub act combining magic and hypnotism.

Always popular in schools, Furst also entertained children confined to hospitals. He could pull Oscar out of his hat, chop his turban in two and put it back together, and pull money out of thin air. But he was unable to fulfill the typical request from young patients: "Make my cast disappear."

In 1957, Furst collaborated with Dr. Lester Kashiwa to write the pioneering "Case Histories in Hypnotherapy." His later books included "How to Prepare and Administer Hypnotic Prescriptions," "Famous Magicians of the World," "Great Magic Shows" and "Post-Hypnotic Suggestions: How to Give Post-Hypnotic Suggestions for Therapeutic Purposes."