Meeting The Astounding Velma

The phone rang. "What do you know about the Astounding Velma?" asked Sterling Lee, one of my running buddies for all things magical.

I thought of La Vellma, the vaudeville era mentalist, until he got more specific. "She had this amazing flying carpet act back in the 1960s with a Middle Eastern theme."

I had to confess I didn't know anything about it. "Why do you ask?" I inquired.

"Because she called me. Found my number from 4-1-1. She's 91 years old, and wants to tell her story," he explained.

So we scrambled to learn everything we could about her. Computer and newspapers searches, along with AskAlexander, gave us some information. I followed up by calling anyone I could think of who might remember her: George Schindler, Jeff McBride, Steve Rodman and others all had recollections to contribute. Then my friend, magic scholar Michael Claxton, sent me a file of photos and memorabilia.

Armed with this material, we spent a day interviewing Velma during Memorial Day weekend. It was an extraordinary experience. Rather than tell you the story, I'll let an expert do it. My friend Dean Carnegie, The Magic Detective, took our research and recordings, blended it with his usual dedication to uncovering the stories of lost magician, and put together a wonderful tribute to Velma. You can find it here: