PROPOSAL FOR MEMBERSHIP INTO THE S.A.M. MAGIC HALL OF FAME:

 

WALTER BROWN GIBSON 1897 - 1985

AUTHOR ‑ MAGICIAN

 

Walter Brown Gibson, renowned author and a leading authority on magic, was born September 12, 1897 in Germantown, Pennsylvania, son of Alfred Cornelius and May (Whidden) Gibson. His father was a prominent Philadelphia manufacturer of fine gas fixtures, ornate candelabra, chandeliers and related objects of art.

 

He was educated at Chestnut Hill 1904-5 and 1908-13; Northeast High School, Philadelphia 1913-14; Peddie Institute 1915-16 and Colgate University 1916-1919.

 

His education started very early in the confines of his home, however, where he was provided with books, games and puzzles. At the age of four he liked to join the family in a game of hearts. His kindergarten teacher had a special pack of cards for him so he could make his own little games and puzzles. At age five, his parents took him to the theatre to see Henry Dixey, the actor, perform card tricks between his dramatic skits. As soon as young Walter was inside the door of his home, he ran to a dresser drawer, pulled out a deck of playing cards and proceeded to show his parents how he, too, could make a fan of the cards and a "waterfall" up his arm (his own version, of course)! Those awkward shuffles were the beginning of his magical career.

 

At the age of seven he entered Chestnut Hill Academy, not far from his home. His literary talent soon came uppermost. He wrote a puzzle called 'ENIGMA". It read as follows: "CHANGE THIS FIGURE TO ANOTHER SYSTEM OF NOTATION AND IT WILL GIVE THE NAME OF A RARE OLD PLANT." The answer: "Change "4" to the roman numeral "IV" (which is pronounced "IVY", the delicate green leaf climbing plant.)" This puzzle was published by the famous St. Nicholas Magazine for Young People in 1905. That same year, Walter was taken to Manchester, Vermont, for a Christmas family reunion. At the party he was given a surprise gift ‑ a box of magic tricks. He read and reread the instructions until he thought he could perform every one. He then presented his first little show.

 

The next couple of years were spent at home because of frail health. His education was continued with a private tutor whom he loved because she not only directed his studies but also encouraged his interest in magic. He returned to Chestnut Hill Academy in 1908 and soon met an older student who was performing professional magic in the clubs in Philadelphia. He was J. Elders Blackledge (class of 1910). This inspired the young WBG but he did not neglect his schoolwork. Literature caught his interest, especially the mysterious. He wrote his first mystery "THE HIDDEN WILL" which was published in the school magazine "THE WISSAHICKEN" in 1913.

 

In the summer of 1913 Walter visited his aunt in New York City. She was director of public relations for the great department store, John Wanamaker. She took Walter to the store to meet a young man by the name of Joseph Dunninger who was doing intervals of magic to attract customers. Joe was 16, Walter 15, and they became friends. In later years Walter ghosted the Dunninger books and wrote the first scripts for the radio show that made "Dunninger the Mindreader" famous.

 

Although Walter was happy and progressing rapidly at Chestnut Hill, his father wanted him to transfer to the public Northeast High School in Philadelphia. He entered the Junior class in 1913 and graduated in 1914. This was a definite step toward his career in magic because it gave him a lot of free time. He visited magic shops, learned everything possible, met everyone interested in magic. Among these were Carl Brema, Harry Houdini, Nate Leipzig, Roland Travers, James Wobensmith (patent attorney for Howard Thurston) and many others.

 

Walter continued his education at Peddie Institute (now Peddie School) at Hightstown, New Jersey. This was a preparatory school for Colgate University, where his uncle was treasurer and professor of Greek. During the two years at Peddie he contributed magic articles to the Sphinx Magazine while adding to his literary credits. He wrote a short mystery story which he read at his graduation in 1916. President Taft was the guest speaker and when he presented Walter with his graduation diploma said that he hoped that it was the beginning of a great literary career! This period was also the beginning of his great magic career. His first article published in the Sphinx Magazine in 1915 was a trick called: "A New Rising Card". Three more articles were published that year and two more in 1916.

 

In the Fall of 1916 he entered Colgate University. There was no stopping him now. Five articles appeared in the Eagle‑Magician that year, and eight in the Sphinx and two more in the Eagle in 1917. In 1918 there were eleven to the Sphinx and three to the Eagle. It was after the publication of "A New Card Detection" in the May 15,1918 Sphinx that the editor, Dr. A. M. Wilson recognized Walter's talent. He wrote a letter of commendation to WBG for his fine work and also included an application to join the Society of American Magicians. Walter filled the blank spaces, signed it and included a check for $7.00 payment for dues. His card of 1919 is # 586. It was signed by Harry Houdini, President and Oscar S. Teale, Secretary. Walter then instigated the founding of the Philadelphia Assembly which, on February 24, 1920, was designated Assembly #4, James Wobensmith, President, Walter B. Gibson, Secretary. (Later, Walter also served as President of Assembly # 4). During the years at Colgate he wrote all the magic articles, carried his scholastic classes, completed his military service and performed a magic act with the very active Colgate Glee Club.

 

The flow of magic articles grew to 33 in 1919, to 59 in 1920, the year he left Colgate. He returned to Philadelphia with the realization that he had to do something that would be remunerative. He became a reporter on a local newspaper, The North American. In 1921 he joined the staff of The Ledger Syndicate. That was the "right place at the right time" for he wrote important news columns and provided the syndicate with the "Brain Tests", games, simple little magic tricks and puzzles. They advertised him as a "creator" of crossword puzzles, at which he was a "whiz". Added to all that work he wrote another 56 contributions to the magic magazines.

 

During the ten years from 1921 - 1931, he was "ghostwriter" for Thurston's "200 Tricks You Can Do", "200 More Tricks You Can Do", "Lessons in Magic" as well as for Blackstone's "Modern Card Tricks" and "Secrets of Magic". He also wrote "Houdini's Escapes" and "Houdini's Magic" at that time. He had a very inventive mind and often credited his own tricks to other magicians. He could perform every trick he wrote. He received so many requests for a book of his own tricks that he decided to write one. He titled it "After Dinner Tricks". It was the beginning of a lifetime of books that have been the starting point of careers for many magicians.

 

That demanding, self-imposed routine of working continued until 1931 when an even more strenuous role fell upon him - the author and creator of "The Shadow", the invisible crime fighter. The Shadow schedule was heavy- two 60,000 word novels per month during the peak of the sales. He also wrote all the Shadow comics and continued the articles to the magic magazines. The Shadow ran for sixteen years. After the Shadow, he chose another similar field of writing- Factual Crime. He continued to write on a variety of subjects that interested him including hypnotism, papercraft, knots, astrology, memory, card games and brain tests.

 

During the 1940's Walter wrote the "Blackstone" and "Neff" magic comics. From the 1950's onward he concentrated on the writing of books. His last magic book was published by Doubleday, 1980. The title is "The Big Book of Magic for All Ages". It is a fitting end, an Alpha and Omega because it is like his first magic book- a "How-To" for everyone.

 

A Bio‑Bibliography published in 1984 by Gale Research Company, Detroit, Michigan titled "Contemporary Authors, A Guide to Current Authors and Their Works" gives a very explanatory "Sidelight" of the ability of Walter Brown Gibson. It is as follows:

 

SIDELIGHTS: Walter Gibson is renowned for his prolificacy. In 1933 alone, he produced more than one million words during ten months of magazine writing, and it is estimated that he has produced more than 29 million words during his career. He has written on a variety of subjects games, gambling, magic, mystery, and crime - in a career that stretches almost sixty years. Aside from his voluminous output, however, Gibson is probably best known as the creator and author of numerous tales featuring the Shadow, a mysterious crime fighter who stalks the underworld of the late 1930's and '40's. Writing under the pseudonym Maxwell Grant, Gibson relied on his ability to produce acceptable first drafts in filling the bimonthly Shadow Magazine with the lawman's adventures. It is estimated that Gibson surpassed the 16 million-word mark during his years with the publication.

 

Another bibliography, published in 1988 by Scarecrow Press, Metuchen, New Jersey, written by J.R.Cox, titled "Man of Magic and Mystery, A Guide to the Work of Walter B. Gibson" states as follows:

 

"As a confidant and ghost writer for some of the greatest stage magicians of his time he interpreted so much of their lore to the public that no accurate history of the art of illusion should omit his name."

 

Walter Brown Gibson died December 6, 1985 in Kingston, New York. A memorial service was held January 11, 1986 for this respected Man of Letters and Literature.

 

May God keep his soul intact.

 

Litzka R. Gibson

September 24, 1989