About Carter the Great: His World-Renowned Magic Career & Accidental Revival
Presented by Cedric Clute
Ever been curious about the huge, awe-inspiring Carter the Great
poster that hangs in the Hotel Oregon Paragon Room? What’s the story there?
Well, it’s one of tricks and mystery, smoke and mirrors, illusion and
disillusion, because Carter was a world-renown magician. Join us for the
legendary tale of one of vaudeville’s greatest talents, as told by the
delightful, longtime curator of Carter the Great’s magical menagerie.
About the Speaker:
Cedric Clute was born in 1931, and raised in Marin County,
California. He spent the first half of his life in San Francisco, where he
worked with the Turk Murphy Jazz Band and managed the night club, ‘Earthquake
Mc’Goons’.
In 1964, Cedric and his brother Peter, along with Turk Murphy,
embarked on a venture to make some money importing vintage cars. Things didn’t
work out as expected. The cars that were stored in an old San Francisco
warehouse had to be moved, and one of the cars slipped off a rack and went
through a wall. Behind the wall they discovered the entire collection of the
magician, Carter the Great---thirty tons of magic, which they immediately
purchased and turned into San Francisco’s first club devoted to magicians and
magic.
Cedric spent 15 years managing and expanding the Magic Cellar.
Then in 1979, he and his wife Jan moved to Volcano, California (pop. 100) in
the Sierra foothills, and with the help of many friends, and the passing of
many years, they managed to build their house.
He is the retired curator of the Amador County Museum, and for the
past 35 years has written and narrated more than 500 “Tales of the Mother Lode”
as well as “Tales of Magic and Magicians” on both KUOP Radio, Stockton and KVGC
Radio, Jackson.
