David Berglas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Berglas
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Berglas appearing on television discussion After Dark in 1989
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| Born |
David Gert Heinz Berglas
30 July 1926 Berlin, Weimar Republic, Germany
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| Died | 3 November 2023 (aged 97) London, England
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| Occupation | Psychological magician and mentalist |
| Relatives | Marvin Berglas (son) |
David Berglas MBE (born 30 July 1926 – died 3 November 2023) was a famous British magician and mentalist who was born in Germany. He was known for his amazing secret card trick called the Berglas Effect. Many magicians called this trick the 'Holy Grail' of card magic because it seemed impossible. David Berglas was also one of the first magicians to have his own show on British television.
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About David Berglas
David Berglas went to school in different countries across Europe. He was Jewish and had to leave Germany for Britain when he was 11 years old because of the Nazis.
When he was older, he wanted to help during World War II. He joined the US Army's Intelligence Service, even though he was a bit younger than the usual age. He was accepted because he could speak fluent German and had some military training. He served for about 18 months at the end of the war, which he described as an "adventure." After the war, he studied textiles, planning to join his family's business.
David Berglas became interested in magic in 1947 after meeting another magician named Ken Brooke. Magic quickly became his main hobby. For about five years, he also studied psychotherapy, which is a type of therapy that helps people with their thoughts and feelings. He focused on medical hypnosis.
David Berglas passed away in London on November 3, 2023, when he was 97 years old.
His Magic Career
In 1999, David Berglas started a non-profit group called the Foundation for Promoting the Art of Magic (FP-AM). This group gives out "The David Berglas International Magic Award" every year at a big magic event in London. Famous magicians like Uri Geller, David Copperfield, and Derren Brown have won this award. In 2014, David Berglas himself received the award in a surprise moment!
The British Magical Society, which is the oldest magic club in the UK, also gives out 'The David Berglas Trophy' every year to top British magicians. You can find videos about David Berglas's life and career on his YouTube channel and website. These videos show his life in his own words, with old footage and photos.
The Berglas Effect
In the 1950s, David Berglas created his most famous trick, "The Berglas Effect." It's often called the "Holy Grail" of card magic. In this trick, a magician seems to let someone freely choose any playing card and any position in a deck. Then, the chosen card is found exactly at that chosen spot in a random deck of cards. It looks like pure magic! This trick was first named "The Berglas Effect" in a book in 1984.
David Berglas in Film
David Berglas also worked on movies as a creative and technical advisor. This means he helped make sure the magic and illusions in the films looked real and amazing. Some of the famous movies he worked on include:
- Casino Royale (1967)
- Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon (1975)
- Octopussy (1981)
- George Lucas's Willow (1988)
- Tim Burton's Batman (1989)
David Berglas on Radio
David Berglas had a popular radio show where he did what he called "Nationwide Psychological Experiments." Millions of listeners at home would take part! His weekly shows included exciting stunts. For example, he once hung a sealed box over Regent Street in London for a whole week. When it was opened, it contained the passport of someone from the studio audience, which had disappeared just moments before! He was on radio for about 17 years. Later, he had a regular phone-in show on LBC radio, starting in 1973.
David Berglas on Television
David Berglas was one of the first magicians to have his own TV show in Britain. His show Meet David Berglas started in 1954. He also had popular TV series in other countries like the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Germany. When commercial television began in the UK in 1955, David Berglas presented the very first series called Focus on Hocus.
In the 1970s, he hosted a TV special from Las Vegas. Later, he had a Channel 4 series called The Mind of David Berglas (1985–1986). On this show, he interviewed and entertained famous guests like Omar Sharif and Christopher Lee.
Books by David Berglas
David Berglas wrote several books about magic and his ideas:
- In 1967, he released a best-selling Dutch book called David Berglas onthult...bijna alles (which means David Berglas reveals...nearly everything).
- In 1988, he wrote A Question of Memory with Guy Lyon Playfair.
- He also wrote articles and notes for other magicians, including The David Berglas File No.1 (1976) and The Mind and Magic of David Berglas (2002).
- In 2011, he released a book with Richard J. Kaufman called The Berglas Effects. This book is named after his famous "Any Card at Any Number" trick and even came with DVDs and 3D glasses!
Awards and Honours
David Berglas received many awards and honours throughout his career:
- In 1967, after his popular Dutch TV show, he was named "Television Personality of the Year." He was the first person from another country to win this award.
- He was the President of the International Brotherhood of Magicians (British Ring) from 1976 to 1977.
- He appeared on the covers of many top magic magazines, including The Linking Ring, Abra, Magic, and The Genii.
- In 1979, he was voted "King Rat" of the Grand Order of Water Rats, a famous charity group for show business.
- He was the President of The Magic Circle (a very famous magic club) from 1989 to 1998.
- The Magic Circle gave him their special "Gold Medal" in 2000. This award had only been given out six times before since 1926! He also received "The Maskelyne Award" in 1995 for his great contributions to British magic, and "The David Devant" award in 2011.
- He also received international awards like the "Gold Plaque" in Sweden (1980) and the "Grolla" in Italy (2008).
- The Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood gave him a "Special Fellowship" in 2000 and a "Masters Fellowship" in 2004.
- In 2008, he was given the "Griffin Award" and named "Grand Master of Mystery" by PSYCRETS (a British society for mystery entertainers).
- He received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.
- In 2014, he was awarded The International Magic Award in London.
- He was given an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2019, which is a special honour from the British government.
Images for kids
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Berglas appearing on television discussion After Dark in 1989
See also
In Spanish: David Berglas para niños
