Help me identify a magician

ben m · 20th January 2008, 02:10 PM

Here's an obscure (to me) clue from a trivia puzzle. Can anyone recognize the magician?

Quote:

"... that magician who many mistook as leader of a national political party."

The magician's last name (or otherwise recognizable name) is between Dep... and Hof... alphabetically. That's all I know. Help!

AgeGap · 20th January 2008, 02:39 PM

Robert-Houdin went to Algeria to prove French magic was more powerful than that of local shamans. Could this have caused him to be mistaken for the French leader? Any more clues?

ben m · 20th January 2008, 03:28 PM

I have no idea what the "mistaken" could be. It could be a reference to a bit of trivia---"so-and-so started his performing career as a body double for Chairman Mao"---or it could be purely name-related---for example, if there were a magician named Dennis Hestert or Bob Dowle or Neville Chamberlynn---or something else entirely, some sort of weird pun.

ben m · 20th January 2008, 08:02 PM

Never mind; the puzzle-hunt is over. Please don't post the answer, then; I suspect (I realized) this forum will become the top Google hit for the clue phrase, and some people might want to solve it with Google, but without such direct help.

Azrael 5 · 22nd January 2008, 03:39 AM

My guess is someone like Maskelyne,one of the old music hall magicians.

AgeGap · 26th January 2008, 07:11 PM

Doug Henning mistaken for leader of the Natural Law Party due to him being featured prominently in TV ads for same.

AgeGap · 26th January 2008, 07:25 PM

Above post thanks to Nova Land

Bob Klase · 27th January 2008, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by AgeGap

Doug Henning mistaken for leader of the Natural Law Party due to him being featured prominently in TV ads for same.

I don't know if Henning was ever featured in ads for the Natural Law Party (I'll take your word for it), but he ran as a candidate of the Party once and I would imagine he was featured in TV ads for his campaign.

AgeGap · 28th January 2008, 02:37 AM

Originally Posted by Bob Klase

I don't know if Henning was ever featured in ads for the Natural Law Party (I'll take your word for it), but he ran as a candidate of the Party once and I would imagine he was featured in TV ads for his campaign.

From Wikipedia (so it must be true) "As the party's most famous candidate, he was so prominently featured in their television ads that many voters mistakenly thought he was the party's leader. The party was in fact led by Dr. Neil Paterson." This was Canada though. You would have to do a lot of yogic flying north to have seen the ads. Wrap up warm as well.

20th January 2008, 02:10 PM	#1
ben m Graduate Poster Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 1,460	Help me identify a magician Here's an obscure (to me) clue from a trivia puzzle. Can anyone recognize the magician? Quote: "... that magician who many mistook as leader of a national political party." The magician's last name (or otherwise recognizable name) is between Dep... and Hof... alphabetically. That's all I know. Help!
ben m Graduate Poster Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 1,460

20th January 2008, 02:39 PM	#2
AgeGap Graduate Poster Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,803	Robert-Houdin went to Algeria to prove French magic was more powerful than that of local shamans. Could this have caused him to be mistaken for the French leader? Any more clues?
AgeGap Graduate Poster Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,803

20th January 2008, 03:28 PM	#3
ben m Graduate Poster Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 1,460	I have no idea what the "mistaken" could be. It could be a reference to a bit of trivia---"so-and-so started his performing career as a body double for Chairman Mao"---or it could be purely name-related---for example, if there were a magician named Dennis Hestert or Bob Dowle or Neville Chamberlynn---or something else entirely, some sort of weird pun.
ben m Graduate Poster Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 1,460

20th January 2008, 08:02 PM	#4
ben m Graduate Poster Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 1,460	Never mind; the puzzle-hunt is over. Please don't post the answer, then; I suspect (I realized) this forum will become the top Google hit for the clue phrase, and some people might want to solve it with Google, but without such direct help.
ben m Graduate Poster Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 1,460

22nd January 2008, 03:39 AM	#5
Azrael 5 Illuminator Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Yorkshire,Uk Posts: 4,219	My guess is someone like Maskelyne,one of the old music hall magicians.
	__________________ "I achieve these results through a mixture of magic,misdirection,suggestion and showmanship"-Derren Brown Photography here

26th January 2008, 07:11 PM	#6
AgeGap Graduate Poster Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,803	Doug Henning mistaken for leader of the Natural Law Party due to him being featured prominently in TV ads for same.
AgeGap Graduate Poster Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,803

26th January 2008, 07:25 PM	#7
AgeGap Graduate Poster Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,803	Above post thanks to Nova Land
AgeGap Graduate Poster Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,803

27th January 2008, 09:42 AM	#8
Bob Klase Master Poster Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Largo, FL Posts: 2,445	Originally Posted by AgeGap Doug Henning mistaken for leader of the Natural Law Party due to him being featured prominently in TV ads for same. I don't know if Henning was ever featured in ads for the Natural Law Party (I'll take your word for it), but he ran as a candidate of the Party once and I would imagine he was featured in TV ads for his campaign.

28th January 2008, 02:37 AM	#9
AgeGap Graduate Poster Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,803	Originally Posted by Bob Klase I don't know if Henning was ever featured in ads for the Natural Law Party (I'll take your word for it), but he ran as a candidate of the Party once and I would imagine he was featured in TV ads for his campaign. From Wikipedia (so it must be true) "As the party's most famous candidate, he was so prominently featured in their television ads that many voters mistakenly thought he was the party's leader. The party was in fact led by Dr. Neil Paterson." This was Canada though. You would have to do a lot of yogic flying north to have seen the ads. Wrap up warm as well.
AgeGap Graduate Poster Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,803