Ching Ling Foo
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Ching Ling Foo (1854 - 1922), born Chee Ling Qua (朱連魁), is credited with being the first modern Asian magician to achieve world fame. His act was in some respects plundered by an American magician who went on to even greater fame - Chung Ling Soo.
Born in Beijing, Foo studied traditional Chinese magic and was a well-respected performer in his homeland.
During a typical performance, he stunned the audience by breathing smoke and fire or producing ribbons and a fifteen foot long pole from his mouth. One of his sensational tricks had Foo using a sword to cut the head of a serving boy off at the shoulders. Then, to the amazement of the audience, the “beheaded” boy turns and exits the stage.
Another trick involved producing a huge bowl, full to the brim with water, from out of an empty cloth. He would then pull a small child from the bowl. When he brought his show to the United States in 1898, he began offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who could reproduce his water trick. This was apparently done for publicity’s sake and there was never any real intention to give out the reward.
Brooklyn-born William Robinson, who worked occasionally as a magician, decided to try for the $1,000. Foo rebuffed him. Unable to claim the $1,000, Robinson developed a Chinese-style show of his own and recreated himself as Chung Ling Soo. Robinson, in the guise of Soo, traveled to Europe and a deep rivalry was begun between the two men.
These events partially inspired Christopher Priest to write the novel The Prestige.
[edit] From Here to Shanghai
Irving Berlin included him in his lyrics for “From Here to Shanghai” (1917)
First verse
- "I've often wandered down to dreamy Chinatown,
- The home of Chingaling. It's fine! I must declare,
- But now I'm going where I can see the real, real thing.
Second verse
- I'll have them teaching me to speak their language, gee!
- When I can talk Chinese, I'll come home on the run,
- Then have a barr'll of fun, Calling people what I please.
Chorus
- I'll soon be there, In a bamboo chair, For I've got my
- fare, from here to Shanghai. Just picture me, Sipping
- Oolong, tea, Served by a Chinaman, who speaks away up
- high. ("Hock-a-my, Hock-a-my".) I'll eat the way they do,
- with a pair of wooden sticks, And I'll have Ching Ling Foo,
- Doing all his magic tricks. I'll get my mail from a pale pigtail,
- For I mean to sail, From here to Shanghai."
