Aloha to Milt, The Architect of the Arcane.
I am writing this story on May 29th. This morning a message from Arlene Larsen reached the magic world that her husband Milt had passed peacefully in his sleep at the age of 92 on the previous night peacefully in his sleep at the age of 92. Milt was a force of nature and his passing lessens the magic world of a man, who along with his brother Bill and Irene Larsen, created the world-famous “Magic Castle” in Hollywood. The influence of the “Castle” can’t be overestimated, and innumerable magicians’ lives have been affected by this unique mecca of magic. I was just one of the many. However, I wanted to write a short and highly personal tribute to Milt.
I know that Genii Magazine will publish a more comprehensive tribute to Milt. Given the strong connections with the Larsen family, The Magic Castle, and Genii, I strongly suggest you read their tribute when it is published. This is just a brief note about a friend of 49 years who was one of the people who helped me create a life doing what I love. All those weeks of stage time at the Castle that I spent during the ‘70s and ‘80s are responsible for creating the magician I became.
Curiously enough my first booking when I arrived in California from England was not at the “Magic Castle,” but in another of Milt’s quirky entertainment venues the “Mayfair Music Hall” in Santa Monica. As a young Brit with a keen interest in the history of British entertainment, it was a perfect match. I worked there frequently until it closed its doors. It was a wonderful theater that rose phoenix-like from the ashes of many previous theaters that had occupied the space since its first creation in 1910. Milt used his unique talents to make the Mayfair as singular as his magical creation the “Magic Castle.” I shared the stage of the “Mayfair Music Hall” with some of the most unusual talent that I have ever known. There was always a talented troupe of singers and dancers who were a large part of the Mayfair’s success. They were costumed by a keenly talented Arlene Zamara, who later married Milt and became Arlene Larsen. I spent many delightful nights at the Mayfair drinking Pimm’s Cups, their delicious house drink, with Milt and the music hall’s chairman the great Bernard Fox. We were joined by the ever-changing, but always all-star, cast of tap dancers, crooners, slapstick comics, monologists, and other oddball performers who “trod the board” in Sunny Santa Monica.
I soon began working at the “Magic Castle” and that was the venue that turned me into a commercial and successful performer. The Castle was, and is, perhaps the ultimate testimony to Larsen’s fascinating vision and inspired skills as a creative force in Los Angeles.
Some of my favorite times at the Castle were sitting in the “Owl Bar” with Milt swapping stories and drinking that devilish alcoholic beverage known as aquavit. I also got to perform quite a few shows with Milt over the years with him presenting his famous “Magic Carpenter” routine. Milt helped me in many ways, and the Mayfair and Castle were a very real factor in paying our monthly rent!
On one of our get-togethers at the “Mayfair Music Hall,” Milt asked me if I would like to be a founding member of his next club and said it would cost me 50 bucks. I immediately said, “Yes!” I asked him where the club would be centered and he answered, “I’m not sure, I haven’t found anywhere yet!” Well, he never got around to requesting that 50 dollars, but I did become a founding member of Milt’s “Society for the Preservation of Variety Arts. In 1977 the S.P.V.A. found its home in downtown Los Angeles. It was a historic and magnificent six-story arts center complete with a large theater occupying the entire ground floor. There was an elegant nightclub, a dinner theatre, research centers, and library. As always Milt transformed the building into something special and unique. I performed there many times, including appearing in an “It’s Magic!” show.
I just re-read my last sentence and I realized that not every reader might be familiar with “It’s Magic!” another very successful Larsen magic project. Milt created “It’s Magic!” in 1956. The show is an annual all-star magic revue that has run almost continuously to this very day. Milt was also a successful TV writer, performer, producer, author, actor, and historian. Not everyone knows Larsen was one of the creative forces behind Caesars Palace’s multi-million “Caesars Magic Empire” spectacular. Milt Larsen has added his creative touch to many different areas of the entertainment spectrum and launched many magicians’ careers upward toward the stars.
In the 2000s Milt brought his famous “Magic Carpenter” act to Las Vegas as a guest in the Amazing Johnathan’s show. I used to enjoy having the occasional late-night coffee shop breakfast with Milt and our old chum Billy McComb. These two often paired up together to perform the A.J. gig. Billy and Milt were as excited as hell about performing in Vegas to enthusiastic younger audiences. The fact that they were both in their 80s made this “happening” an even rarer and cooler event.
When Milt’s Vegas career started to wind down he had still another trick up his sleeve; Larsen created a Magic Castle Cabaret close to their home in beautiful Montecito. This was another intimate, unique, and extraordinary magic venue that Milt created. A steady stream of world-class magicians, jugglers, singers, ventriloquists, and musicians entertained the members. I was very excited to play at the Cabaret as I had worked all of Milt’s venues, but sadly the COVID pandemic canceled my booking there, and that same pandemic led to the closing of The Magic Castle Cabaret. I did, however, enjoy a delightful lunch in Montecito with Milt and Arlene and my dear friend Steve Mitchell. After lunch Milt gave me a tour of the Cabaret and showed me his latest brainwaves such as a door that only opened when you played a certain note on the organ. The Cabaret was delightful and idiosyncratic in equal parts.
When the Cabaret closed Milt went right on to his next quixotic project, Milt was always moving forward. Just a couple of days before his passing Milt was at the AMA Magic Awards Show in Downtown Los Angeles. It is still more than slightly shocking to me that Milt has gone, he always seemed one of the immortals. It will be strange never again get to sit at the “Owl Bar” and gossip over a cocktail.
This has been a very sad day as I looked back on the many ways I had benefitted from those great Clubs, Theaters, Cabarets, and Music Halls that Milt Larsen (and of course Brother Bill and Princess Irene) had created and run. I am extremely grateful for their friendship and vision. It was all that stage time and rows of audiences that allowed me to work on my act and achieve so many of my goals.
I told you that article was going to be personal and it is. With just hours before we had to publish our July issue of Vanish Magic Magazine it was the only real road to go. What didn’t I tell you about Milt that I could have? He was a man of limitless talents, a playwright, a lyricist, a technical adviser to movies, a radio host, raconteur, and he could also pull a tablecloth out from a tabletop and leave all the dishes in place. Usually! My personal affection and gratitude to Milt are being echoed today by a great many other professional magicians who were given huge career bumps by Milt. I’m just the one writing this article but there are many of us with similar stories to tell.
People will be sharing stories and swapping anecdotes about Milt for many years to come; he was a one of a kind, and I was proud to be his friend. Everyone here at Vanish Magic Magazine wish to send their deepest condolences and much love to Arlene, Erika, and the entire Larsen family. The world is a much less creative place without Milt Larsen. He will be missed by many.
I want to thank Steve Mitchell for his help with photographs for my Vanish Magic Magazine article, and also Najee Williams for the wonderful portrait of Milt that he allowed us to use as our cover. Najee made a great little video about Milt that can be found on YouTube at https://tinyurl.com/56jvkxhf I have decided to share our recent video seminar “Magic Castle: Golden Years.” It is a deep dive into Milt’s greatest achievement. In this seminar I am joined by Steve Spill, Diana Zimmerman, Michael Perovich, and Howard Hamburg as we share stories, reminisces, and gossip about our beloved Castle. You may screen this seminar for free during the month of June/July at https://tinyurl.com/3rat99js My Vanish article “Magic Castle Re-visited” is also available as a free PDF on my website at www.lewinenterprises.com
REMARKABLE MAGIC 
This is a great article and tribute to Milt. Thank you so much for sharing it!
All my best,
Kerry