Charlie Miller
(Indianapolis, Indiana: 25 May 1909 - 13 August 1989)
Inspired by and learned magic from older brother at age 7. Moved to El Paso, Texas, at age 19. Moved to Los Angeles in 1933. Professional card sharp (until 1950s) and reported inventor of the notorious "beanshooter" holdout device. Semi-pro sleight-of-hand. Voted into the 12-member New York "Inner Circle" in 1936, despite living in the remote town of El Paso. Voted one of the 10 living Card Stars in 1955. A house magician at the Magic Castle since early 1960s. 1973 AMA Masters Fellowship. Worked cruise ships in late 1970s. In nursing home from 1988 until his death.
Did not, as widely presumed, invent the buckle and Buckle Count, which he admitted in a pre-WW II letter was taught to him at that time by A.J. Cantu. Did invent Ace Transformation (1941, which is miscredited to Buckley and to Paul Rosini).
Many tricks in Expert Card Technique (1940). Wrote Black Art Well Tricks (1969, 32pp). See also Robert Parrish, An Evening with Charlie Miller (1961, 72pp); and Frank Csuri (ed), The Magic of Charlie Miller (typescript), a legendary compilation distributed in the 1960s in only 6 copies to the underground. Wrote the "Magicana" column in Genii 1964-88. Tricks in Genii, Talisman, and Arcane. Audio, videos, and video segment (1988; 1991).
