| Woody Allen’s new film Magic in the Moonlight is the story of a world-class magician named Stanley Crawford who, like Houdini and the Amazing Randi, is renowned as an ace debunker of spiritualism. Set in the 1920′s, Stanley performs under the name Wei Ling Soo in a droopy Chinese mustache and a silly bald-head wig. There is a real life basis for this character about which I am sure the director was aware: there was a magician named William Ellsworth Robinson. He appeared as Chung Ling Soo and wrote a book called Spirit Slate Writing and Kindred Phenomena. He died on stage performing the famous “bullet catch trick.” I love this hokey world of spectacular magic tricks and extra-sensory shenanigans. Yes, Allen’s film ......... more |