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The Modern Midway

Magic Acts

Magicians Hilliar and Houdini

Midway Magic Acts – Houdini and Hilliar Were Great Friends  William J. Hilliar was a magician and author who edited Billboard‘s “Magic and Magicians” page for many years. He was also close friends with Houdini. “That friendship will always stand out as one of the dominating factors in my life,” said Hilliar. In 1933, Hilliar […]

Carnivals

WILLIAM C. GASKILL

The Second Generation of the Gaskill Midway October 22, 1882 – February 1935 William C. Gaskill was born in Alliance, Ohio, on October 22, 1882, the son of pioneering carnival showman Frank W. Gaskill and Mary Lou Osterstock Gaskill. Unlike many children who later entered the carnival business, William did not have to discover the […]

Carnival Movies

Showbiz And The Big Screen

Hollywood And The Midway Movies Come To The Tented World If you’re like me, you love old films that have anything to do with ‘The Biz’. Victor Mature is great in the 1959 classic: The Big Circus which is an example of a little known Hollywood gem. Elvis Presley in Roustabout features colorful scenes from the […]