Paul LePaul
Encyclopedia
Paul LePaul was born Paul Shields Braden in Olney
, Illinois
. He grew up in St. Louis, Mo.
He started his professional career around 1920, doing a manipulative act entirely with playing cards. He adopted the name LePaul around 1927. LePaul made his New York
vaudeville
appearance in July 1928 at the Fifth Avenue Theater. He worked in vaudeville and later appeared in the top night clubs and hotels. He also played on Broadway
in Earl Carroll
s' Vanities.
He was a technical adviser for movies, including "Eternally Yours (film)
" starring David Niven
(1939). In a brief cameo he is seen doing card flourishes. In that same year, Paul LePaul was also credited for being part of the miscellaneous crew on the film Miracles for Sale
.
During World War II
, he performed tours with the USO.
"LePaul is one of the greatest manipulative magicians ever to practice the art of pleasant deception." - John Mulholland
LePaul was one of the first to use to the split-fan production in a professional act. At one time he also used the glass vanish under the newspaper, and may have been the first man to use this as a stage trick. He appears to have started the Card to Wallet fad among magicians which was based on the routine he published as "Cards in Sealed Envelope" in the late 1940s. (Wallets did not become a common item until after the 1950s).
Olney, Illinois
Olney is a city in Richland County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,631 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Richland County.-History:...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. He grew up in St. Louis, Mo.
He started his professional career around 1920, doing a manipulative act entirely with playing cards. He adopted the name LePaul around 1927. LePaul made his New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
appearance in July 1928 at the Fifth Avenue Theater. He worked in vaudeville and later appeared in the top night clubs and hotels. He also played on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in Earl Carroll
Earl Carroll
Earl Carroll was an American theatrical producer, director, songwriter and composer born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.-Career:...
s' Vanities.
He was a technical adviser for movies, including "Eternally Yours (film)
Eternally Yours (film)
Eternally Yours is a 1939 American comedy film made by Walter Wanger and released by United Artists. The film was produced and directed by Tay Garnett with Walter Wanger as executive producer, from a screenplay by C. Graham Baker and Gene Towne....
" starring David Niven
David Niven
James David Graham Niven , known as David Niven, was a British actor and novelist, best known for his roles as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and Sir Charles Lytton, a.k.a. "the Phantom", in The Pink Panther...
(1939). In a brief cameo he is seen doing card flourishes. In that same year, Paul LePaul was also credited for being part of the miscellaneous crew on the film Miracles for Sale
Miracles for Sale
Miracles for Sale is a 1939 mystery film directed by Tod Browning and starring Robert Young and Florence Rice. It was Browning's final film as a director. The film is based on a locked-room mystery novel by well-known mystery writer Clayton Rawson, Death from a Top Hat, which was the first to...
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he performed tours with the USO.
"LePaul is one of the greatest manipulative magicians ever to practice the art of pleasant deception." - John Mulholland
LePaul was one of the first to use to the split-fan production in a professional act. At one time he also used the glass vanish under the newspaper, and may have been the first man to use this as a stage trick. He appears to have started the Card to Wallet fad among magicians which was based on the routine he published as "Cards in Sealed Envelope" in the late 1940s. (Wallets did not become a common item until after the 1950s).
Published works
- The Card Magic of LePaul (1949)
- The Card Magic of Brother John Hamman (written and edited by LePaul) (1959)