One of my heroes. He was crude, as blunt as a kick in the shins, had short, stubby hands and never stepped foot in a theatre. In an age of spectacle, where bigger was always better, Max Malini made a name for himself by performing some of the best intimate/close-up magic you could imagine. He gallivanted the globe performing for Kings and Queens, using a few borrowed objects and a boatload of charisma. He was famous for seemingly impromptu performances that actually required rigorous preparation. The secret, in his own words,
"Vell, you don't do it vhen they're vatching... I vait. I vait a veek."
One of his more famous stories happened at an elegant dinner party. Before dinner, he was able to sneak a live, de-feathered chicken into the kitchen. After winning over the kitchen staff, he hypnotized the bird, covered it with paste to make it look as though it was cooked and had the staff prepare it on a platter. During dinner Malini was able to subtly steer the conversation towards the afterlife. When the bird reached the table, Malini offered to do a "leetle trick". After a few magical gestures, he told the host to begin carving the bird. The knife awoke the chicken which began franticly running across the table. The guests went nuts.
Malini always said, "You'll vonder vhen I'm coming; you'll vonder more vhen I am gone."
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