Madren Elbern "John" Calvert (born Madren Elbern Calvert on August 5, 1911 in New Trenton, Indiana) is an American magician who has performed on stage (including Broadway) for eight decades in the United States and all around the world. He is also a film actor who appeared in numerous movies. He was the subject of a biographical documentary entitled John Calvert – His Magic and Adventures.
Early years
He became fascinated with magic at age 8 when his father took him to see the magician Howard Thurston perform in Cincinnati, Ohio. Shortly afterward, John performed his first trick in Sunday school class. Having forgotten an egg he had in his pocket, he made it seem to appear from under another boy’s coat, which nearly broke up the class.
When he was 18 he went on his first magic tour. His small troupe consisted of himself, one assistant, and “Gyp the Wonder Dog.” He printed handbills, performed in town halls in the back road towns of Kentucky. He returned home with a two dollar and sixty-five cent profit.
Depression era to the mid 40’s
Through the depression years and into the forties, he continually increased the size of his magic show, adding illusions and personnel, and he gained notoriety by performing daredevil stunts for publicity.
Acting career
In the mid-forties to the late fifties, he took part in approximately 40 motion pictures, including starring roles in three Film Classic releases, in which he portrayed a debonair detective known as “The Falcon.”
Fifties-present
Through his Hollywood days, he continued with magic. In the mid-forties, he transported his show’s equipment and personnel around the world in a Douglas DC-3 airliner, and in later years in seafaring yachts.
His biographer, William V. Rauscher, has called Calvert a “real-life Indiana Jones,” because of his reputation for surviving dangerous circumstances in his travels.
As of August 5, 2010, John Calvert turned 99. He has been invited by both New York’s Broadway and the London Palladium Theatre to perform his magic show on his 100th birthday. He is also set to appear at The Houdini Museum's annual Houdini Seance in Scranton, PA on October 31, 2010.
