March 2007 Richard Hatch Richard Hatch PHOTO: JEFF GRASS 50 MUM March 2007 “The more a magician reads about magic, the more he realizes how much more there is to learn and how many more magic books there are to read.” Robert Lund (1925-1995), Founder The American Museum of Magic The Accidental Magic Bookman By Bill Palmer Born in California, raised in Germany, and edu- Germany where his father worked for a clandes- cated at Yale University, how did Richard Hatch tine branch of the U.S. Government for two wind up in oxymoronic Humble, Texas? And how years before completing a year of post-doctoral did this same fellow go from having a Master of research at Heidelberg University. Attending Philosophy in Physics to being a respected magic German kindergarten, Richard began to learn the historian, German translator, and successful pub- language at this early age, but it would not pay lisher and book dealer in just a few years? “My off until years later. wife and parents would also like to know what When Hatch was six years old, the family happened,” Richard says with a smile. moved back to the United States and to Ames, Richard Clawson Hatch was born May 24, Iowa, when his father was offered a tenured posi- 1955 in Pasadena, California where his father, tion with the Physics Department of Iowa State Eastman Nibley Hatch, was completing his doc- University. In 1964, Richard received his intro- toral studies in nuclear physics at the renowned duction into magic when he was given a copy California Institute of Technology. When he was of The Golden Book of Magic by The Great just three years old, the family moved to Merlini (Clayton Rawson). Soon, he was doing March 2007 MUM 51 magic shows in the basement for family and quick wit and genial manner. Although he had friends, performing tricks gleaned from the been invited for an afternoon Kafeeklatsch book. The climax of the show was the removal (coffee and cakes), no one wanted him to leave of brother Joe’s shirt to demonstrate that his and he stayed for dinner as well. When he arms had been sawn through. somehow managed to steal Frau Ettengruber’s Richard enjoyed this kind of excitement. An watch off her wrist without anyone, least of all early interest in hypnosis, which was encour- her, catching him, there seemed to be no limit aged by maternal grandfather Calvin Clawson, to his powers of persuasion.” The fact that DDS, led to playground experiments in mes- Raxon spoke several languages fluently and merism. However, a painless ear piercing of a billed himself not as a magician, but as a classmate during recess resulted in a banning of Täuschungkünstler, a word he had coined hypnosis from Sawyer Elementary. and, says which literally means “perfomer of decep- Hatch, “ended my career as a hypnotist.” tions,” also made a powerful impression. In 1966, he visited the Circle Magic Shop in Richard quickly lost interest in apparatus New York City, where he purchased a Milk magic and began to practice classical sleight of Pitcher and an E-Z Hat Loader, and with the hand. Henry Hay’s Amateur Magician’s addition of the Color Changing Knives, a Handbook became his bible. He began to pur- Grant’s Square Circle, Dove Pan, and miscella- chase any magic books he could find, in neous other props that he would purchase from German and English. Through Bora’s Magic Loftus Magic in Salt Lake City, he soon had a Studio in Frankfurt, Richard was able to buy respectable show to present at family gatherings. some back issues of The Linking Ring and Christmas of 1968 brought a copy of Henry became an I.B.M. member. He also attended Hay’s Cyclopedia of Magic and the book monthly meetings of the local branch of the encouraged Richard’s interest in magic’s liter- German Magische Zirkel in Frankfurt. And it ature and its history. The fact that the leg- wasn’t long before Hatch was giving paid per- endary T. Nelson Downs was a native of near- formances: the first one at the U.S. Armed by Marshalltown made a strong impression. Forces elementary school’s Halloween festival In the summer of 1969 the family moved and another for a 12-year-old neighbor’s birth- one last time, from Ames to Logan, Utah, day party. where his father had been appointed a One of the highlights of his stay in Germany Professor of Physics at Utah State University was attending a lecture on magic history given and would later be Dean of the Graduate School. by Alexander Adrion at the University of Although both his father and his mother, the Frankfurt. Richard had received Adrion’s book former Anne Clawson, had been born and Zauberei Zauberei for Christmas, as well as the raised in Salt Lake City, three of Richard’s then recently published first German edition of grandparents had been born and raised in or Robert-Houdin’s memoirs, which Adrion had near Logan in Utah’s Cache Valley, and his edited. Adrion kindly signed both books and Hatch grandparents had been married in the encouraged the youngster’s interest. Richard Mormon Temple there. According to Richard, still has the knots from the rope that was cut and “One of my great-grandfathers, Charles W. restored that evening. Nibley, a Mormon convert from Scotland, Alexander Adrion was the intellectual face practiced polygamy (a common practice sanc- of magic in Germany at the time, playing a tioned by church teaching at the time) and role similar to that John Mulholland, housed his three wives in different homes on Milbourne Christopher, and Ricky Jay have the same street. The homes were rumored to be filled here in America. Adrion was the man the connected by tunnels, but I have not been able media would contact if they needed special to confirm the rumor as fact.” What this review in the Logan Junior information about magic. He also performed in After spending his ninth grade year in High student newspaper didn’t men- a style he called Kammermagie or “chamber Logan, in the summer of 1970, the family went tion was young Richard’s tailcoat magic,” which was to inspire some of Hatch’s on a camping trip in Europe, a journey that belonged to his great uncle, Hastings later work. proved a turning point for Richard’s progress Clawson, who managed the second At the end of his year in Germany, the as a magician. After traveling through France Dean of the S.A.M., Frederick Ettengrubers gave Richard a farewell party at and Germany, Richard opted to remain in Eugene Powell. which Bora (Emil Weinbruch, not to be con- Germany a year and stay with family friends in fused with Borra, the famous pickpocket) and Nieder-Erlenbach, a village near Frankfurt. Raxon, who lived in nearby Koenigstein im his assistant Tamara performed, as well as vis- There he attended the Georg-Buechner Taunus. She called Raxon and invited him to iting American professional Roland Khan Gymnasium in nearby Bad Vilbel and quickly meet with her visiting American guest. When (Roland Hill) and his wife, who had been tour- gained a speaking and reading fluency in Raxon accepted the invitation he became the ing military bases with a nightclub act. Hatch German. But more importantly, Ruth first sleight-of-hand magician Richard had ever has lost touch with Bora, but sees Roland Hill Ettengruber, the mother of the family with experienced at close quarters. every few years at the Los Angeles Conference whom he was staying, was so intrigued by “Raxon arrived in a large Mercedes, which on Magic History. Richard’s hobby of magic that she called a made an immediate impression,” Richard Upon his return to the United States, local television studio and obtained the phone recalls. “He was impeccably dressed and pulled Richard’s interest in books had taken root and number of a professional magician, Fredo everyone into his circle of admirers with his his practice and performance of sleight-of- 52 MUM March 2007 hand magic began to flourish. After complet- of the museum, and thanks to the Pepper’s their copyright registered (to prevent future ing the 11th grade he attended the 1972 I.B.M. Ghost principle, she eventually did. Hatch embarrassment through unauthorized republi- convention in Buffalo, New York in June, stay- only lasted two weeks at that job, quitting cation!) was more than I was paid for having ing at a nearby Y.M.C.A. It was his first con- when the Fiberglas that he was fashioning into written them.” vention, so it made quite an impression. He saw clouds around the wax figure of the ascending To support himself while in Spain, Richard Eddie Fechter, Walter Cummings, and Gene Jesus permeated his clothes to such a degree taught English privately. He deeply regrets that Gordon, and recalls that Tom Mullica was help- that it made sleeping difficult. at that time his obsession with magic was in ing Duke Stern run the Abbott’s booth. But The short stay in Lourdes, however, did remission, so he was unaware of the great Richard knew where the real magic was and garner at least one new joke for Hatch’s slow- magicians, such as Tamariz and Ascanio, who spent most of his money with Phil Thomas and ly growing repertoire. When his French land- were creating a revolution in close-up magic in Anthony Vander Linden on books. The rest of lord learned he was from Utah, he asked Madrid at the time.