Richard Valentine Pitchford
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Richard Valentine Pitchford (24 November 1895 – 13 November 1973) was a master magician under the name Cardini, whose career spanned almost half a century.<ref name=milbourne>Template:Cite book</ref> Born in Britain, he worked chiefly in the United States of America.
Biography
Richard Valentine Pitchford was born in the Mumbles, Swansea, Wales on 24 November 1895.<ref name=WWII>U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942</ref> Some sources use the incorrect year of 1899.<ref name=milbourne/>
He joined the British Army during World War I, where he passed time in the trenches by practicing card manipulations. One result of his many hours of practising outdoors in frigid weather was that he developed the ability to perform card manipulations while wearing gloves.<ref name="Cullen196">Cullen, Frank (2007). Vaudeville, Old and New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America, Volume 1. Psychology Press. p. 196. Template:ISBN.</ref> After being injured in battle, he continued to hone his magic skills in a hospital, convinced that practising sleight of hand would help him recover.<ref name=milbourne/><ref name="copperfield-2021">Template:Cite book</ref>
After an unsuccessful attempt to establish himself as a stage magician in British variety, he travelled to Australia, where he performed initially as Val Raymond before adopting the name Cardini.<ref name="Cullen196"/> His new name advertised his mastery of card manipulation and paid homage to the most famous magician of the era, Houdini.<ref name="Cullen196"/> Cardini wore a tuxedo, cape, top hat, and white gloves, and was billed as "The Suave Deceiver".<ref name="copperfield-2021">Template:Cite book</ref>
Cardini subsequently performed in Canada and then entered the United States from British Columbia. While working his way across the United States, he met Swan Walker in Chicago, who became his wife in 1927 and lifelong assistant. In New York City, Cardini became an almost immediate success, as audiences (and magicians) had never seen such an act. Cardini enhanced his performance by incorporating his magic tricks into a skit.<ref name="Cullen196"/> Sleight of hand, gestures, and the appearance and disappearance of objects were all precisely timed to music.
He performed in New York at The Palace, Radio City Music Hall, Copacabana and other prominent nightclubs and reviews, and in London at the London Palladium. In 1933, he gave a Royal Variety Performance for King George V and Queen Mary.<ref>London Palladium, 22 May 1933</ref>Template:Citation needed He worked with the Marx Brothers and Jack Benny, and performed for Al Capone, Franklin Roosevelt, and Harry Truman.<ref name="copperfield-2021" />
In 1945 he became president of the Magician's Guild, at the death of Theodore Hardeen.<ref name=obit/>
In 1957 at the age of 62 he appeared on one of the few magic television shows broadcast at that time, Festival of Magic.<ref>This is the only known footage of Cardini at work -- see http://www.flixxy.com/cardini-master-magician.htm</ref>
Cardini was a heavy smoker, suffered from peptic ulcers, and died from a stomach-related condition in November 1973 in Gardiner, New York.<ref name=obit>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="copperfield-2021" />
Legacy
The 2012 documentary Deceptive Practice includes archival footage and commentary on Cardini's career.
On 13 November 2013, 40 years after his death, Cardini was recognised by his grand-nephew and fellow magician, Randy Pitchford. Pitchford funded the development of a museum exhibit, in honor of Cardini, located at The Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. The exhibit can be found in the Inner Circle of the Magic Castle, where the Houdini exhibit was previously located. The exhibit showcases some of the most important artifacts from Cardini's act.
Awards
Among his many acclamations was the New England Magic Society's proclamation of Cardini as the "greatest exponent of pure sleight of hand the world has ever known" (1958). He was honoured in 1970 with the title "Master Magician", which was awarded at the Magic Castle, Los Angeles, and presented by Tony Curtis. In 1999 he was named one of Magic Magazine's Top Magicians of the 20th Century. He served as president of the Society of American Magicians in 1941–1942. In 1960 The Magic Circle in London honoured him with the Silver Wand Award.