* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
*  Magic New Zealand 
*  NEWS FLASH
*  Issue Number: #164
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *                                 
Date: Wednesday 26th March 2003
Editor: Alan Watson
AW@Alan-Watson.com
www.watson.co.nz
www.alan-watson.com
=========================================================
* NEWS FLASH * NEWS FLASH * NEWS FLASH * NEWS FLASH * NEWS FLASH *

       *****- VALE EUAN BLACKLEY (Escalante) Died -*****

* NEWS FLASH * NEWS FLASH * NEWS FLASH * NEWS FLASH * NEWS FLASH *
=========================================================
Message from Richard Walls

VALE EUAN BLACKLEY (Escalante)

My friend of over 50 years passed away early this afternoon,
Wednesday 26 March 2003. I first met Euan, in Kaikoura, in the early
50's when, as Esclante (later to become Escalante, a name that I
believe he took from a Mexican aerial troupe, The Flying Esclantes),
he toured nationally with Cole Wilson and 'The Tumbleweeds' (Cole
and Myra Wilson and Nola and Colin McCrorie), one of our early - and
most successful - country and western vocalists. They also hailed
from Dunedin.

Euan's main piece on the first tour was 'The 1000 Pounds Trunk
Mystery' (better known as The Substitution Trunk) or
'Metamorphosis). On a second tour he featured Houdini's "Milk Can
Escape'. Both included his long standing favourite, 'The Razor
Blades'. On one tour, he purchased a number of illusions including
'The Oyster Shell', and 'Burning A Woman Alive' made, I think, for a
Wellington magician (whose name escapes me) who used them in his
show at the 1940 Centennial Exhibition in Wellington. I am not
certain that Euan actually presented them on-stage. The former fell
into disrepair and was eventually dumped. The cremation illusion
passed to Harry Sankey, who - shall we say - memorably presented it
on the first Otago Magic Circle stage production, 'Magically Yours'
in His Majesty's Theatre, Dunedin in 1958.

In many places, Euan will best be remembered as a hypnotist. His
dark, swept-back hair, sharp features and piercing eyes ideally
suited him for that role, and his powers of persuading unknown
people to go to sleep on-stage and perform for the audience were
considerable, something that I often observed first-hand as his MC
and on-stage 'helper'. Always extremely nervous before going
on-stage, Euan never missed a beat once out in front of his audience
and his approach was always professional. And, at end of it, he
always had a quart of the amber liquid (sometimes two) waiting for
him when he came off. Indeed we were to share one in his hospice
room (or in the pleasant garden surroundings outside) this
afternoon, something not to be as he took his final curtain call
early on a gloriously fine afternoon in his home city. I imagine
some of us will get together in the next few days and toast his exit
as he would wish!

Euan was a Foundation member of The Otago Magic Circle (1957); and a
former member of The International Brotherhood of Magicians and IBM
Ring 160; and the Wellington Society of Magicians.

A printer (and a very good one) by trade, he worked in Dunedin,
Sydney, Rotorua, Dunedin and Wellington before retiring to his home
city two or three years ago. He is survived by his sister, three
sons and grandchildren. Our thoughts are with them and his good and
close friend of recent years, David Taylor.

Richard Walls
(rfwalls@xtra.co.nz)

-------------------------------------
Subscription Management
-------------------------------------
Our subscriber list is NOT made available to other companies or
individuals. We value every subscriber and respect your privacy.

To subscribe or unsubscribe from the Magic New Zealand e-zine:
www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html

Magic New Zealand e-zine is published weekly, on Sunday.

The opinions expressed in this e-zine are those of the individual
contributors and not those of Magic New Zealand.

Neither Magic New Zealand or Alan Watson can vouch for the accuracy
or reliability of any opinion, message, statement, or other
information reported via Magic New Zealand e-zine. Subscribers to
this publication and authors who contribute to it by doing so agree
that they will not hold Magic New Zealand and/or Alan Watson liable
or responsible in any way for the opinions expressed herein.

We reserve the right to edit, correct or, in our discretion, choose
not to publish any submissions provided to Magic New Zealand for
potential publication.

Magic New Zealand welcomes readers to submit timely articles or news
items which appear to be of interest to our readers. Those
submitting to this e-zine agree that we have permission to publish
their submissions and that they have the full copyright to the
material submitted. All works published by Magic New Zealand are
fully protected by international copyright as provided by law, and
articles cannot be published for profit by anyone other than the
individual author without the written permission of Magic New
Zealand.

>>This publication may be freely redistributed (but not sold) to
other magicians if copied in its ENTIRETY including the copyright
notice below and the above disclaimer.<<

© Copyright 2003 Alan Watson