Larry Jennings
Encyclopedia
Larry Jennings, was a magician. He is known for his card techniques and has eight books published by him or written about him. He is also known for being close friends with fellow magician, Dai Vernon
.
on February 17, 1933. He was born to parents John Alfred Jennings and Eva Jennings (née Jones). His parents eventually divorced. Larry divided his time between staying with his father in Detroit, and his mother in Georgia.
At age 16, while in Detroit, Jennings joined the United States Navy
. He started his service on June 29, 1949 and was honorably discharged on April 22, 1953. After his discharge, Jennings moved back to Detroit and met a French-Canadian woman named Nina Chauvin, who he later married.
In 1956, while in Windsor, Ron Wilson moved in across the hall from Jennings. Jennings came over one day and asked Ron if he had a deck of cards. He then proceeded to show Ron the trick he had learned in the Navy. Afterwards, not knowing Ron was a magician, Jennings asked him if he knew any magic. Ron then showed Larry “Out of This World,” which completely fooled him. Jennings asked Ron to teach him the effect, but Ron resisted. Instead, he told him to think about it. Jennings eventually figured it out, and Ron continued to teach him magic, introducing him to the world of magic, including the magic of Edward Marlo and Dai Vernon.
In the early 1960s, Jennings and Ron Wilson met Dai Vernon
for the first time at a convention in Cleveland.
In 1964, Karrell Fox
told Jennings about the Magic Castle. Knowing that Dai Vernon now lived in Hollywood, Jennings quit his job as a combustion engineer. He and Nina moved to California
and lived at 2005 Ivar Street, Apt. 7. In Hollywood, Larry got a job working for Leo Behnke’s father in the plumbing repair business. Jennings quickly became friends with Dai Vernon and studied under him. During this same year, Larry’s first published ideas, “A Snappy Lift” and “Lift No. 2,” appeared in a letter from Dai Vernon to The Gen magazine.
In July 1967, Jennings published his first set of lecture notes, Lecture Notes On Card And Coin Handling. These notes were written by his wife, Nina. In the same year, a collection of Jennings’s magic appeared in Dai Vernon’s Ultimate Secrets Of Card Magic.
In 1969, Jennings traveled with Dai Vernon on his lecture tour of Japan
. Here he met Hideo Kato, who acted as their interpreter. In 1970, a second set of notes were published for a special lecture Jennings gave at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, written by his. Larry’s one-man issue of Genii was also published in May 1970. The effects were written by Jules Lenier. In this same year, Hideo Kato came to America
and studied card magic with Larry. He wrote a book on Larry’s card technique, entitled Larry Jennings-No Card Magic Nyuumon. Written in Japanese
, the book has yet to be translated into English
.
Jennings and Nina were divorced early 1970s. In the mid-1970s, Jennings met his second wife, Geri, in Los Angeles
. They married and moved to Lake Tahoe
, where Jennings opened up his own plumbing company, Jenco. They later divorced. Also in the mid-1970s, Karl Fulves published a special two-part issue of Epilogue featuring Jennings’ magic.
Jennings met B.J. in Lake Tahoe
in 1977, where she worked as a blackjack
dealer at a casino Jennings frequents. Jennings also met Jeff Busby, who would release the book Jennings On Card And Coin Handling (1977).
In 1979, Jennings was the guest of honor at the annual Fechter’s Finger Flicking Frolic. He presents a new lecture for the event. Following his appearance at Fechter’s, Larry was invited to lecture in Japan
. The Japan Lecture Notes were produced for the occasion. These are put together by B.J. and Louis Falanga.
In the early 1980s Jennings sold his business in Lake Tahoe
and moved to Newport Beach, CA to work at the Magic Island. Jennings was the resident magician, and was placed in charge of booking. He tried to get higher pay for the magicians, and when the management refused, he quit. Jennings then moved in with James Patton. The two frequently had sessions. Jim convinced Jennings to do another lecture and in 1982, Jennings lectured at the Magic Castle, presenting the material from A Visit With Larry Jennings. Jennings later went to work for the Los Angeles Unified School District
and moved to North Hollywood. Also in the early 1980s, Jennings went to France
, and shot his first magic videos for Pierre Mayer.
In 1986, Jennings and Louis Falanga started L&L Publishing. In April 1986, Larry Jennings and Dai Vernon were invited to perform at the Circulo De Magios Maxicanos IV Convencion De Magia in Mexico. Also in 1986, The Classic Magic Of Larry Jennings was released. It would be the largest collection of Larry’s magic to date, containing over eighty effects. This was quickly followed by the publication of Neoclassics (1987) and The Cardwright (1988).
Jennings and B.J. were wed on December 28, 1990. Michael Skinner
would be the best man. During the 1990s, Larry continued to share his magic with two new sets of lecture notes and five videotapes. In 1995, Larry was awarded the Creative Fellowship by the Academy of Magical Arts. Larry continued to frequent the Magic Castle through this time, performing both formally and informally.
Jennings and B.J. continued to live in North Hollywood, until his death on October 17, 1997, at age sixty-four.
, Jennings’s magic continues to inspire with the publication of his effects in various magazines and most notably in Richard Kaufman’s book, Jennings ’67. It is the largest collection of Larry’s magic since The Classic Magic Of Larry Jennings.
Two legendary names are associated with making the chop cup popular as they were their "signature" pieces - Don Alan and Jennings. History records that Wheatley saw Jennings perform his chop cup routine at The Magic Castle shortly after it opened in 1963. He was so impressed that he asked Jennings to please not reveal his method or routine in print until after his death. Jennings kept his promise, and did not publish his routine until a year after Wheatley's death. It was published in Genii Magazine, Volume 29, Number 7, in March 1965.
In 1998, Larry Jennings was one of the topics studied at the Escorial in Spain.
) from the movie Shade
was based on Larry Jennings.
Dai Vernon
Dai Vernon , aka The Professor, was a Canadian magician. His expert sleight-of-hand technique and extensive knowledge garnered him respect among fellow magicians. His influence was considerable in the magic world, and he was a mentor to numerous famous magicians...
.
Biography
Jennings was born in Detroit, MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
on February 17, 1933. He was born to parents John Alfred Jennings and Eva Jennings (née Jones). His parents eventually divorced. Larry divided his time between staying with his father in Detroit, and his mother in Georgia.
At age 16, while in Detroit, Jennings joined the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. He started his service on June 29, 1949 and was honorably discharged on April 22, 1953. After his discharge, Jennings moved back to Detroit and met a French-Canadian woman named Nina Chauvin, who he later married.
In 1956, while in Windsor, Ron Wilson moved in across the hall from Jennings. Jennings came over one day and asked Ron if he had a deck of cards. He then proceeded to show Ron the trick he had learned in the Navy. Afterwards, not knowing Ron was a magician, Jennings asked him if he knew any magic. Ron then showed Larry “Out of This World,” which completely fooled him. Jennings asked Ron to teach him the effect, but Ron resisted. Instead, he told him to think about it. Jennings eventually figured it out, and Ron continued to teach him magic, introducing him to the world of magic, including the magic of Edward Marlo and Dai Vernon.
In the early 1960s, Jennings and Ron Wilson met Dai Vernon
Dai Vernon
Dai Vernon , aka The Professor, was a Canadian magician. His expert sleight-of-hand technique and extensive knowledge garnered him respect among fellow magicians. His influence was considerable in the magic world, and he was a mentor to numerous famous magicians...
for the first time at a convention in Cleveland.
In 1964, Karrell Fox
Karrell Fox
Karrell Fox grew up to become one of the most influential magicians of the 20th century. When he was a child, his parents operated a small restaurant in East Rainelle, West Virginia. A customer sneaked out without paying his bill, but left behind a few small tricks...
told Jennings about the Magic Castle. Knowing that Dai Vernon now lived in Hollywood, Jennings quit his job as a combustion engineer. He and Nina moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and lived at 2005 Ivar Street, Apt. 7. In Hollywood, Larry got a job working for Leo Behnke’s father in the plumbing repair business. Jennings quickly became friends with Dai Vernon and studied under him. During this same year, Larry’s first published ideas, “A Snappy Lift” and “Lift No. 2,” appeared in a letter from Dai Vernon to The Gen magazine.
In July 1967, Jennings published his first set of lecture notes, Lecture Notes On Card And Coin Handling. These notes were written by his wife, Nina. In the same year, a collection of Jennings’s magic appeared in Dai Vernon’s Ultimate Secrets Of Card Magic.
In 1969, Jennings traveled with Dai Vernon on his lecture tour of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Here he met Hideo Kato, who acted as their interpreter. In 1970, a second set of notes were published for a special lecture Jennings gave at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, written by his. Larry’s one-man issue of Genii was also published in May 1970. The effects were written by Jules Lenier. In this same year, Hideo Kato came to America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and studied card magic with Larry. He wrote a book on Larry’s card technique, entitled Larry Jennings-No Card Magic Nyuumon. Written in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, the book has yet to be translated into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Jennings and Nina were divorced early 1970s. In the mid-1970s, Jennings met his second wife, Geri, in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. They married and moved to Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
, where Jennings opened up his own plumbing company, Jenco. They later divorced. Also in the mid-1970s, Karl Fulves published a special two-part issue of Epilogue featuring Jennings’ magic.
Jennings met B.J. in Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
in 1977, where she worked as a blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
dealer at a casino Jennings frequents. Jennings also met Jeff Busby, who would release the book Jennings On Card And Coin Handling (1977).
In 1979, Jennings was the guest of honor at the annual Fechter’s Finger Flicking Frolic. He presents a new lecture for the event. Following his appearance at Fechter’s, Larry was invited to lecture in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The Japan Lecture Notes were produced for the occasion. These are put together by B.J. and Louis Falanga.
In the early 1980s Jennings sold his business in Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
and moved to Newport Beach, CA to work at the Magic Island. Jennings was the resident magician, and was placed in charge of booking. He tried to get higher pay for the magicians, and when the management refused, he quit. Jennings then moved in with James Patton. The two frequently had sessions. Jim convinced Jennings to do another lecture and in 1982, Jennings lectured at the Magic Castle, presenting the material from A Visit With Larry Jennings. Jennings later went to work for the Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...
and moved to North Hollywood. Also in the early 1980s, Jennings went to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and shot his first magic videos for Pierre Mayer.
In 1986, Jennings and Louis Falanga started L&L Publishing. In April 1986, Larry Jennings and Dai Vernon were invited to perform at the Circulo De Magios Maxicanos IV Convencion De Magia in Mexico. Also in 1986, The Classic Magic Of Larry Jennings was released. It would be the largest collection of Larry’s magic to date, containing over eighty effects. This was quickly followed by the publication of Neoclassics (1987) and The Cardwright (1988).
Jennings and B.J. were wed on December 28, 1990. Michael Skinner
Michael Skinner
Michael Skinner or Mike Skinner may refer to:*Mike Skinner , American NASCAR competitor, inaugural NASCAR Truck Series champion*Michael Skinner , former rugby player...
would be the best man. During the 1990s, Larry continued to share his magic with two new sets of lecture notes and five videotapes. In 1995, Larry was awarded the Creative Fellowship by the Academy of Magical Arts. Larry continued to frequent the Magic Castle through this time, performing both formally and informally.
Jennings and B.J. continued to live in North Hollywood, until his death on October 17, 1997, at age sixty-four.
After death
Since his deathDeath
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
, Jennings’s magic continues to inspire with the publication of his effects in various magazines and most notably in Richard Kaufman’s book, Jennings ’67. It is the largest collection of Larry’s magic since The Classic Magic Of Larry Jennings.
Two legendary names are associated with making the chop cup popular as they were their "signature" pieces - Don Alan and Jennings. History records that Wheatley saw Jennings perform his chop cup routine at The Magic Castle shortly after it opened in 1963. He was so impressed that he asked Jennings to please not reveal his method or routine in print until after his death. Jennings kept his promise, and did not publish his routine until a year after Wheatley's death. It was published in Genii Magazine, Volume 29, Number 7, in March 1965.
In 1998, Larry Jennings was one of the topics studied at the Escorial in Spain.
Larry Jennings in film
The character of Jennings (played by Jamie FoxxJamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
) from the movie Shade
Shade (film)
Shade is a 2003 neo-noir crime drama starring Stuart Townsend, Gabriel Byrne, Thandie Newton, Jamie Foxx, Roger Guenveur Smith, Melanie Griffith and Sylvester Stallone...
was based on Larry Jennings.
Published works
- Stabbed Coincidence (1977)
- The Coin And Beer Can (1977)
- Larry Jennings On Card And Coin Handling (1977)
- The Classic Magic of Larry Jennings (1986).
- NeoClassics (1987)
- The Cardwright (1988)
- Jennings '67 (1997)
- Up in Smoke (2005)