Leo Behnke, a luminary in the world of magic and illusion, passed away on November 7, 2023, at the age of 90. Born on March 2, 1933, in Hollywood, California, Leo's fascination with magic began at the tender age of nine when he learned his first card trick. This early passion for the art of illusion led him to a remarkable career that spanned decades and influenced many.
After proudly serving in the United States Navy, Leo embarked on a professional journey in the magical arts. In 1956, he began his career as a performer-dealer, a role that merged his talents for performance with his business acumen. His skills and charisma led him to open and manage Merlin's Magic Shop at Disneyland, a venue that became synonymous with wonder and excitement under his guidance. For six years, he enchanted visitors with his knowledge and skill, creating an atmosphere of awe and mystery.
Leo's magic extended beyond the boundaries of Disneyland. In 1959, he toured Europe with John Daniel, forming a dynamic two-person magic act that captivated audiences across the continent. His expertise in the field was further highlighted through his work as a production assistant on Mark Wilson's "Magic Land of AllaKazam" TV series from 1960 to 1965, where he played a crucial role in bringing magical entertainment to television screens.
In 1969, Leo founded the Magic Touch, a sales promotion agency that combined his love for magic with his entrepreneurial spirit. His business acumen was evident in this successful venture that further cemented his status as a multifaceted professional in the world of magic.
Beyond the stage and screen, Leo was a revered figure in the magic community. He served as the curator of the Copperfield Collection in Las Vegas until 2000, safeguarding a treasure trove of magical history and artifacts. His knowledge and expertise were not only limited to performances but also extended to mentoring future generations of magicians. Notably, he influenced Larry Jennings, who worked for Leo Behnke’s father in the plumbing repair business, and Steve Martin, who worked at Merlin's Magic Shop at Disneyland and learned from Leo.
Leo's contributions to the world of magic were not just through performances and mentorship but also through his writings. He authored numerous books on magic, sharing his extensive knowledge and passion with a wider audience. These writings serve as a testament to his dedication to the art and his desire to inspire others.
Leo Behnke's legacy is one of magic, wonder, and inspiration. His life was a tapestry woven with enchanting performances, influential mentorship, and a deep love for the art of illusion. He will be remembered as a master magician, a gifted mentor, and a cherished member of the magical community. His passing leaves behind a void, but his contributions to the world of magic will continue to inspire and amaze for generations to come.
In memory of Mr. Behnke I'm replubishing this interview I did with him, which was originally published June 27, 2023:
I have been hunting down the Magic Hands for years. They lived as a dim but persistent memory from my childhood. A pair of hands in close-up, performing magic, then teaching how the trick was done. This was one of my earliest introductions to the world of magic and had a huge influence on me. Thanks to fellow magicians Geno Munari, John Nolen, Jody Baran, and Kevin Jackson Duty, I managed to find the man behind the hands: Leo Behnke
After some more research, I managed to contact Mr. Behnke who was generous with his time filling in gaps in the story of the Magic Hands. Here is my exchange with this talented and influential magician:
Mark: First, thanks for the show. I have such fond memories of it. How did you get involved in it? And how did you sync up your hand movements with the voice-over?
Behnke: The original idea came to me while I was working at Disneyland in the Main Street Magic Shop, in about late 1960. I had convinced myself that the best magic on TV was close-up as illusions were too small in their images and parlor magic lost its panache. So I envisioned close-ups of a pair of hands, using a black background to focus the action, and everyday objects to forestall suspicion about the props. I sketched out some ideas on a scratchpad, and filed it away.
Years later, about 1964, an out-of-town magician by the name of Jim Cooper came to the Magic Castle and started impressing everyone with his gambling moves. Don Stern, who had filmed our location episodes for “The Magic Land of Allakazam”, was also a Castle member and the three of us kept bumping into each other. Then Jim told us his idea of creating a five-minute show that could be dropped into any Saturday morning show across the country. He’d been doing specials for local stations with his gambling exposes, and knew the markets. I mentioned my idea of hands-only magic, and the other two immediately bought it.
So, we formed Trick and Treat with Don as the cameraman and producer, Jim as the sales force, and Leo to create the tricks and perform them. The first rule was that there wouldn’t be any identification of the person belonging to the hands, so each station could present these inserts as part of their cast or as we filmed them.
I had been good friends with Lynn Searles for years, and finagled him into writing the scripts at a very reduced price, and Don had a voice-over friend, George Mather, who agreed to record the narration. I had a black art stand built so my arms were in sleeves sewn onto the backdrop, and coordinated my movements by looking into an overhead 45-degree mirror.
We created and filmed ten shows for a pilot film, and then every week we’d get together in Don’s living room to shoot ten more. I would go through the moves as George read the script, and we’d agree on little pauses here and there. Then he’d record his part. I set up the props, Don hit the playback button on the Nagra tape machine, and I’d do the trick to the playback as he filmed it.
We made 130 shows, Jim did his selling job, and we wound up in 44 domestic markets and something like 20 more internationally. I remember that they played us in some place like Indonesia for about four years. I also created a series of weekly trick sheets and five small magic kits for Jack-in-the-Box to use as self-liquidating premiums in their retail outlets. Once in a great while you can find one of them on the Internet.
Mark: I’m trying to remember where I saw the show. It might have been during a local Chicago show, Garfield Goose, which had a local host (Frazier Thomas), puppets, cartoons, the usual kid show fair back then. Or could it have been during Captain Kangaroo? I was pretty young when I watched it. But it left an impression. The hands against a black backdrop was a stroke of genius. It made it all about the magic.
Do you know who holds the rights to the show now or where they could be viewed?
Behnke: Unfortunately, Don Stern died in the early 1970s and, since I had already sold my part of the company to him, all of the film and rights were inherited by his mother. Over the years all of that slowly disappeared, so you can only find one or two episodes on the Net, usually on YouTube. I even gave away my demo cassettes over the years to interested friends.
Mark: Have you met other magicians who grew up on the show and got interested in magic because of it? I imagine there must be a lot of them.
Behnke: Through the years I’ve met a few people who not only remembered the show, but became interested in magic because of it. Most of them, happily, have continued their pursuit of card tricks and hanky-panky.