The Amazing Kreskin, Master of Mind Games, Dies at 89

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As a gamer with a deep-rooted passion for the history of entertainment, I can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia upon hearing about The Amazing Kreskin‘s passing. Growing up, his mind-boggling performances and mysterious stage acts were a constant source of amazement and wonder. It feels like losing a piece of pop culture magic that once captivated millions.

Legendary mentalist The Amazing Kreskin, known for hosting his own television show and potentially inspiring a Johnny Carson character, passed away at the age of 89 on Tuesday. This remarkable individual also served as the basis for a film starring John Malkovich, and he regularly performed in hundreds of live shows each year.

Kreskin passed away at his residence in Caldwell, New Jersey, as confirmed by his manager, Ryan Galway, to The Hollywood Reporter.

Back in 1991, when I penned the book “Secrets of the Amazing Kreskin“, I made it clear that I’m not a psychic, occultist, or fortune-teller. No, I’m not a mind-reader, medium, or hypnotist either. I’m neither supernatural nor mystical. Instead, I see myself as a scientist, delving into the realm of suggestions and ‘extrasensory’ perceptions. What I do on stage is the result of my research and discoveries.

A key part of his stage routine involved discovering the payment, secretly placed by audience members, for his performance. If he failed to find it, he claimed he wouldn’t get paid (this happened approximately a dozen times throughout his lengthy career). He discovered checks in some of the most unusual locations, such as within a turkey’s stuffing, inside a fire hose, and under the upper bridge inside someone’s mouth.

88 times, the captivating Kreskin graced the stage of “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson”. It was Johnny himself who bestowed upon Kreskin the title “The Amazing”, a testament to his extraordinary abilities. Rumor has it that Carson modeled his character, Carnac the Magnificent, wearing a turban and known for clairvoyance, on Kreskin, although others attribute the idea to an earlier Steve Allen sketch.

Apart from that, he frequently graced the vicinity of these shows approximately 100 times each: “The Mike Douglas Show”, “The Merv Griffin Show”, and “Regis and Kathie Lee Live”. Additionally, he was a consistent guest on programs run by David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, and Howard Stern.

Each New Year’s Day, Kreskin would appear on television to share his predictions for the upcoming year, earning him the nickname “America’s living Magic 8-Ball” by a Newsweek columnist. He claimed to have been involved in helping out with many criminal investigations.

He was well-versed in handling card decks and also owned a Milton Bradley board game titled Kreskin’s ESP, launched in 1966. This game featured a “Mystery Pendulum” to challenge the psychic abilities of players aged ten and up to adults.

In 2008, Sean McGinly – a former road manager for Kreskin – penned and directed the movie “The Great Buck Howard”. This film saw John Malkovich portray the main character, who was a mentalist, much like Kreskin. A significant aspect of Kreskin’s act, discovering check figures, played a vital role in the storyline.

In 2009, McGinly stated that the job he had for approximately four months left a lasting impression on him. Years after this experience, he chose to write about it, and as a result, the initial 10 minutes of the movie “The Great Buck Howard” are based on his own life events.

At the same time, Zach Galifianakis’ character in the 2010 movie “Dinner for Schmucks,” directed by Jay Roach, is a big fan of the actual magician Kreskin.

Born as George Joseph Kresge Jr. on January 12, 1935, in Montclair, New Jersey, he later became known as The Amazing Kreskin. A comic book featuring Mandrake the Magician left a lasting impression on him, inspiring him to start showcasing his intellectual abilities from the third grade.

One day in class, we played the game ‘Hot and Cold’, where you guess who’s ‘it’ by being told if you’re getting warmer or colder. I became fixated on figuring out who was hiding without anyone revealing it. So, I made my family hide a penny, and I tried to find it, but nothing seemed to work. It wasn’t until one afternoon when my brother hid the penny that I finally managed to locate it. I climbed up onto a chair and reached behind the curtain rod in my grandparents’ bedroom, and there it was! This story was shared with the Chicago Tribune in 1991.

In 1964, during his debut on “The Steve Allen Show”, he approached the host to shake hands, but the bright stage lights momentarily disoriented him, causing him to trip.

In an interview with the New Jersey Herald in 2012, Kreskin stated, “I tripped and fell on live television.” Interestingly enough, Johnny Carson was tuned in at the time. Seven weeks later, Carson introduced Carnac, his character of a psychic who topples over a desk, which was inspired by this incident.

Between 1970 and 1975, he presented “The Kreskin’s Amazing World,” a program that aired on CTV in Canada and was distributed across the U.S. In this show, he declared, “We delve into humanity’s most profound puzzle: the secret of the human mind.

In an interview with the Tribune, he shared that he couldn’t delve into the intricate workings of the human mind, but on numerous occasions, he could sense a solitary thought or a string of basic thoughts. This ability arises when the individual is receptive to him and ready to unlock their imagination. However, he is powerless if they choose not to cooperate. Essentially, he relies on the strength of optimistic thinking.

Apart from stating it, he was equally boastful about debunking the notion that hypnosis holds any merit. In 2018, he declared flatly, “There’s no such thing on Earth.” He went on to add, “No one has ever entered a hypnotic state, and as a result of my findings, no court in the United States can accept evidence based on hypnosis.

Among his other works is the 2012 publication titled “Conversations With Kreskin“, featuring an introduction by the late media mogul, Roger Ailes, who had previously invited the mentalist to appear as a guest on “the Douglas show” during the 1960s.

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2024-12-11 06:55