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| Friday,
December 3rd 1787 at the Old Theater FALCONI spoke five languages
fluently and would entertain French soldiers stationed in Baltimore and
elsewhere along the east coast. Signor Falconi put on the earliest recorded magic performance in Baltimore on December 3, 1787 at the Old Theater. The Italian magician traveled the East Coast performing “Natural Philosophical Experiments,” which mostly relied on mechanical means. In his act, he used a hidden magnet to stop watches and attract small metal objects. He also employed an automaton who could answer audience members’ questions and predict which numbers would come on a pair of dice rolled by a volunteer. For the grand finale, Falconi would load a piece of paper with a question written on it into a pistol, which he fired out of the theater. A dove would then appear instantly bearing the answer to the question on the paper in its beak. Baltimoreans went wild for Falconi’s show. He extended his stay in the city for several weeks and he rolled out more exciting illusions with even more exotic names for each show. People paid a handsome sum to see the “Talisman Chinois” and the “Theophrastus Paracelsus” in person— 75 cents for box seats and 50 for those in the pit. Four lucky—and presumably rich—attendees could pay to sit on stage during the show. |
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| Henry Ridgely Evans (Click me to learn more)
Baltimore’s own
Librarian-Lawyer-Journalist-Mason-Magic Historian Extraordinaire!!!
Considered one of the 20th
Century’s preeminent magic historians.
His ability to write and record benefits the magic profession to this day! |
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| ELIJAH J. BOND Inventor of The Ouija Board (Click me to learn more) |
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"AHHHOOOOOOY CREW MEMBERS!" Captain Chesapeake was a morning and afternoon children's show on WBFF (channel 45) in Baltimore, Maryland hosted by George A. Lewis who portrayed "Captain Chesapeake". The show aired from April 1971 until 1990. |
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| WHO REMEMBERS !?! ANDREWCLAWS THE LION!?! BRUCE THE BIRD!?! MONDY THE SEA MONSTER!?! THE CURIOUS CABIN!?! Who remembers the "Curious Cabin" where universal laws did not apply? Captain C would perform experiments such as pouring water from a pitcher where it spilled out at an angle! Ooooohhhh!!! lol |
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GEORGE A. LEWISAN INTERVIEW It's nice to hear his voice (CLICK ME) |
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The Captain Chesapeake show began with the poem: "A shipwrecked sailor found himself in a plight. Lost at sea he was really a sight. He swam and swam 'til he thought he'd die, when a wondrous sight appeared to his eye. A derelict boat that saved his life and put an end to his watery strife." |
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Children in Baltimore could become a "Crewmember" on the show.By the mid '70's, "Captain Chesapeake" boasted more than 50,000 card-carrying "crewmembers" and the station received as many as 3,000 letters to Lewis a week. |
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| BRUCE THE BIRD being his usual self and heckling CAPTAIN C and MONDY THE SEA MONSTER. Audiences never got to see BRUCE THE BIRD, as he refused to come out of his birdhouse on camera! lol ... so kids would make drawings of how they imagined Bruce appeared and send them in to be shown on air. |
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| "CAPT. C" loved his Goetze's Caramel creme candy... |
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| ...and his Briardale Cola |
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| ...to wash down a Double-R-Bar burger from Roy Rogers!!! Everything a growing kid needs! lol |
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"BE SOMEBODY IMPORTANT... BE YOURSELF" AMONG THE SHOWS THE CAPTAIN WOULD FEATURE... |
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| THE LITTLE RASCALS |
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| "SEVEN BELLS... IT'S TIME FOR SPEED RACER!" |
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The theme song was the Bob Crosby tune "Stumbling" by The Three Suns. This theme was played from a 33 rpm at 45 rpm speed. ON YOUTUBE... THE CAPTAIN CHESAPEAKE INTRO (CLICK ME) A TV COMMERCIAL FEATURING CAPT. C (CLICK ME) Lewis began his career as the children's host of the Steamboat Bill and Mr. Cartoon shows on WSAZ-TV in Huntington, West Virginia, from 1957 until 1970. |
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| Mr. Cartoon was a television program for children that aired for over thirty years on WSAZ-TV, the local NBC affiliate in Huntington, West Virginia. The show was hosted by George A. Lewis until 1969. and by Jule Huffman until 1995. The show aired at four on weekday afternoons for one hour. |
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Lewis hosted a similar show, Captain Pitt on WPTT (channel 22) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
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| Lewis also acted as "Ghost Host" on WBFF's late night horror movie show, and did news on WBFF prior to 1988. |
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EARLY GHOST HOST INTRO (Click Me) LATER GHOST HOST INTRO (Late 80's) WBFF 45 COMMERCIAL BREAK with GHOST HOST  |
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| A recreation of the original painting used in the GHOST HOST introduction.(1994) |
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| George A. Lewis retired in 1990 and spent his last years amongst friends and loved ones. He passed away December 18, 2000 in Lutherville, Maryland. Captain Chesapeake had captured the hearts and imaginations of a generation in Baltimore with his gentle grace and respect towards America's youth. He was a good man. The best of men. He made the world a better place. God Bless you, Mr. Lewis. "UNTIL NEXT TIME... SO LOOO-ONG CREW MEMBERS!" SHOWS AIRED FOLLOWING CAPTAIN CHESAPEAKE... |
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| Seated to the left of Thurston is Demon's Club President Frank P. Knight. Louis Shilling (Demon's Secretary) is standing on the very left. Club vice president Charles Zeigler is directly behind Thurston. Club founders Arthur D. Gans & Thomas C. Worthington III are on the right. |