- Billy McComb
Billy McComb (
April 12 ,1922 -April 30 ,2006 ) was a magician andcomedian . He was one of theUnited Kingdom 's leading magicians in the 1950s and 1960s, before taking up residence inLos Angeles, California in the 1970s.Early life
He was born in
Belfast ,Northern Ireland , the son of a physician who wasknight ed forX-ray research, and educated atPortora Royal School ,Enniskillen . He then trained for a career inmedicine atQueen's University, Belfast , graduating as a doctor in 1949.Entertainer
McComb decided to develop a talent he had discovered at school as a magician and comedian. He made a name for himself in
Ireland , and soon made his mark inLondon , in the West Endcabaret scene. He marriedJune Cochrane , a formerMiss Ireland , and they became a performing duo. McComb had a number of television series and also opened for such stars asBob Hope and, in recent years,The Amazing Johnathan . McComb has also performed before Queen Elizabeth II at aRoyal Variety Performance .After moving to California he made over three hundred appearances on television and in movies, including the part of Walter Wilder in the 1995 film "
Lord of Illusions ", directed byClive Barker . He also appeared in the 1987 TV film "Young Harry Houdini". Even in his eighties he performed regularly in Las Vegas. He was Vice-President ofThe Magic Castle in Hollywood, a position now filled by magicianWhit Haydn .McComb was the author of many books on magic and presentation, including "The Professional Touch" and "McComb's Magic: 25 Years Wiser". He was also a prolific inventor, creating such items as the "McCombical Deck". His "Double Thin Model Sawing" routine, in which two assistants are sawn in half and the halves of the two assistants are switched, has been used by several other magicians and was even a
Jeopardy! question.He died in April, 2006. His son Sean had died in 2002, and his widow June McComb died in 2007.
References
*
The Guardian , obituary, 31 May 2006External links
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0566179 Billy McComb] at
The Internet Movie Database
* [http://magic.about.com/od/biosonfamousmagicians/a/043006mccomb.htm McComb on magic.about.com]
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