Frederick Willis Culpitt (9 May 1877, in

Southwark St Saviour Southwark St Saviour ( ) was a civil parish in the metropolitan area of London, England, and part of the ancient Borough of Southwark. It was formed in 1541 from the union of the parishes of St Margaret and St Mary. It was abolished in 1930, ...

, London – 1944 in Wandsworth, in London) was an English stage

magician Magician or The Magician may refer to: Performers * A practitioner of magic (supernatural) * A practitioner of magic (illusion) * Magician (fantasy), a character in a fictional fantasy context Entertainment Books * ''The Magician'', an 18th-ce ...

and magic inventor. He achieved stage success in the early part of the 20th century with a comedy magic act and is also notable as the first magician to appear on a regularly scheduled television show. Culpitt got his first big break when the American "chinese-style" magician Chung Ling Soo booked him for a tour of Australia in 1909. Between 1914 and 1918 Culpitt replaced

David Devant David Devant (22 February 1868 – 13 October 1941) was an English magician, shadowgraphist and film exhibitor. He was born David Wighton in Holloway, London. He is regarded by magicians as a consummate exponent of suave and witty presentation ...

at St. George's Hall, London, performing as a "magical comedian". Culpitt is credited with inventing the '' Doll's House Illusion'', the ''

Costume Trunk Illusion Costume is the distinctive style of dress or cosmetic of an individual or group that reflects class, gender, profession, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch. In short costume is a cultural visual of the people. The term also was tradition ...

'' and the ''

Silk To Egg Trick Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...

'', which continue to be used by magicians. He is also credited with devising methods for the ''

Torn and restored newspaper Torn may refer to: Film and television * ''Torn'' (2009 film), an American film by Richard Johnson * ''Torn'' (2013 American film), directed Jeremiah Birnbaum * ''Torn'' (2013 Nigerian film), directed by Moses Inwang * ''Torn'' (TV series), a ...

'' trick and various other effects that have become a part of the stage magic repertoire. In 1936 the BBC began test broadcasts from

Alexandra Palace Alexandra Palace is a Grade II listed entertainment and sports venue in London, situated between Wood Green and Muswell Hill in the London Borough of Haringey. It is built on the site of Tottenham Wood and the later Tottenham Wood Farm. Origi ...

, London, for the world's first regular television service. In an effort to find material that would work well on the new medium the corporation sought entertainment acts that had a strong visual element. Culpitt was recruited to present magic, thus helping to establish a lasting place for magic in television variety programming. Also in 1936, Culpitt appeared in the film ''Keep Your Seats, Please'', which starred George Formby. According to the ''British Film Catalogue'', Culpitt, in a small supporting role, played a magician.

References

External links

Brief biography with a photo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Culpitt, Fred 1877 births 1944 deaths English entertainers English magicians