author
Chung Ling Soo
1861–1918
A master showman with a carefully built stage persona, this American magician became one of the biggest music-hall stars of his day. He is still remembered for grand illusions, fierce theatrical rivalry, and one of the most famous accidents in magic history.
1 Audiobook
Spirit Slate Writing and Kindred Phenomena
by Chung Ling Soo
About the author
Born William Ellsworth Robinson in New York in 1861, he found fame under the stage name Chung Ling Soo. Performing as a silent Chinese conjurer, he built an elaborate act that made him a sensation in Britain and Europe during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
His career was closely tied to the popularity of theatrical illusion and to his rivalry with the genuine Chinese magician Ching Ling Foo, whose style helped inspire Robinson's act. Offstage as well as on, he carefully protected the Chung Ling Soo persona, which made the performance feel even more mysterious to audiences.
His life ended dramatically in 1918, when a bullet-catch trick failed during a performance in London. That shocking death fixed his place in entertainment history, but his long success on the music-hall stage also shows how skilled he was at spectacle, timing, and creating an unforgettable character.