Dell O'Dell.com
Part 1, The first half.
Copyright 2010 by Dick Brookz, Houdini Museum, Scranton, PA. Thanks to Dorothy Dietrich, David Charvet and many others.
Born Oct 02, 1897 Lemonweir, Juneau, Wisconsin- Died Feb 5, 1962, Santa Monica, California
Although Dell claimed to be born Oct. 20, 1902, in Kansas, USA, our research at DellODell.com and the Houdini Museum into the file of the Wisconsin Births and Christenings, 1826-1926 for Newton finds that...
in Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C00315-7 System Origin: Wisconsin-EASy Source Film Number: 1302882 Reference Number: item 2-3 p 96 2188
she was born to Father's Name: William Newton, and Mother's Name: Weston Forand on 02 Oct 1897 in Lemonweir, Juneau, Wisconsin.
Not surprising as what woman would have wanted to list their birth date as before the turn of the century!!! Our apologies to Dell.
Dell O'Dell was the stage name of Nell Odella Newton, an American magician who is regarded as one of the few pioneers who provided a role model for modern female performers. She was one of the most successful female magicians of the first half of the 20th Century. She specialized in snappy and cute rhyming patter, a quick wit and lots of promotional material.
Dell O'Dell is noted for being one of the first magicians, male or female, to appear on television. For a time she called herself "The Funsation Femagician." At the height of her career she was billed as "The Queen of Magic." [1]
Her father William Newton was a traveling circus performer, organizer and promoter.
Nell Newton was known to her family as Odelia or Della. O'Dell grew up in Kansas and early on learned performance skills from her father and other entertainers.
Nell Newton's father worked in and ran large circuses, one of thee first to truck them around the mid west. Dell probably, early on, worked in the "girlie shows".
O'Dell grew up in this surrounding for a while, before moving on to juggling and magic. Her father was well known in the fielld. William "Lucky Bill" Newton operated the as "Lucky Bill" Show from 1880 to 1917, his son, Dell O'Dell's half brother, William Newton, Jr. used the "Honest Bill" Show title 1903-17, in 1918, 1920 and 1922. Bill Newton, Jr. also called his show "Honest Bill-Lucky Bill".
She learned to do juggling and acrobatics at an early age, becoming an advocate of womens health and physical fitness later. As a young woman, she combined educational heath-related lectures with demonstrations using originally designed exercise gadgets. As a teenager, O'Dell became fanatical about exercise. She developed a sort of "strong-woman act" and claimed the title Miss Physical Culture. In her shows at the time, her finish was balancing a 6 foot divan on her chin.
Odella Newton in 1917 was listed as press agent for he half brother's "Honest Bill's" Shows (William's son) . She would have been about 19 at the time. Her fathers "Lucky Bill" Show also traveled the same year with animals including elephants, eight trucks and twelve wagons. His shows also included at times camels and a pigmy rhino. He and Jr. also raised horses, and usually had a horse(s) named Cupid that did an educated horse routine. Known in the trade as pickers.
Very old picture of Dell's father doing a balancing act, Dell herself would later do a balancing act.
At some point on her way to fame, Nell ODella Newton changed her name to the stage name Dell O'Dell. She became fascinated with the world of juggling and later magic and ultimately became one of the best-known women magicians nationally.
Della O'Dell had a circus show with various animals and acrobats on the show, including elephants, camels and trained dogs, as well as an educated horse, or picker as they are called. By secret signal from its trainer the horse magically appears to multiply, add, subtract, find articles, etc. She learned her skills from her father and other show people. She later became proficient in juggling and magic.
As a juggler, she went under the name Dottie O'Dell, and was juggler
PRYDE SHANNON's first partner before he teamed up with Alice Daye.
One particular publicity stunt memorialized was a photo of young Dottie O'Dell, working with Pride Shannon, standing precariously on the top ledge of a five-story Jamestown Hotel building juggling clubs. "She did have a rope around her!" Juggler Art Jennings confessed. Photographers from Look Magazine, Post-Journal and FOX Movietone News were there.
She married Charles Carrer, (Birth Date: Oct 12, 1898 Died: Dec 25, 1971) a famous juggler known as who was billed as "The Swiss Juggler" and "The King of Jugglers". He was born in Zurich, Switzerland as Karl Karrer. We have not yet established where or when they were married, but would have probably been in the 1920's. He starred in vaudeville and appeared in two feature films, "Du Barry Did All Right": (in which he appeared as a waiter who juggles wine glasses and bottles) and "Dexterity" (both in 1937). He appeared on the TV show "You Asked For It" and contributed to Max Holden's book Manual of Juggling (1947).
He was a accomplished juggler from the old country, and while he was juggling, he would use the expression "OH BOY!" during every juggling trick. It was a running gag. Charles Carrer says in his article in Popular Mechanics for July 1936, "I began juggling to improve my eyesight and this eventually led me into the entertainment field. Several years ago, while working in a factory in Switzerland, I suffered an eye strain and a specialist suggested I take up juggling in a mild form to strengthen my optic muscles. With this in mind, I began learning a few simple turns and within a few months I had progressed to the point where my services were in demand at company parties and church socials. In a short time my eye trouble disappeared, and I have never been bothered since. Glasses are a rarity among the followers of this lively art."
Dell O'Dell entered vaudeville with a kind of a balancing act. According to the following article (Reading Eagle - Aug 30, 1928) it included a Pyramid built by a "girl and two men."
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=drYhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OJ0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3820,5364064&dq=dell-o-dell&hl=en
In an article in the Reading Eagle - Aug 31, 1928
Vaudeville at Park Theater in Reading. Dell O'Dell balances a heavy full sized parlor couch on her head and then walked up a ladder and down the rungs on the other side. See similar picture above being done by her father.
Vaudeville Bill At Park Theatre. Sep 1, 1928,
The Park Theatre presents for the last time tonight Dell O'Dell and company in Pyramid, "remarkable feats of strength"
In the Youngstown Vindicator. Jun 24, 1931
An article mentions Dell O'Dell "Visiting husband juggler Charles Carrer appearing at the Keith Palace. It mentions she has a "school of physical culture in NY and was a comedian. This is probably when she was transitioning from a balancing act to Frank Van Hoven's comedy magic act. This makes it clear she wanted to carry on as a seperate act. They probably realized that to book a juggler and a balancing act in the same show as they traveled would not be easy. A comedy or magic act would, however, be possible to book on the same show.
Charles Carrer managed her show and constructed her trademark clever and special props.. Her husband was a extraordinary prop builder, which is necessary for a good magic act. Charles continued his own act and also would manage Dell's magic career.
According to Source Information at: California Department of Health Years: 1960 to 1985. collection of California marriage records provided by the California Department of Health. contains data from marriage certificates registered in California from 1960 to 1985. He married again, after Dell O'Dell died in 1962, in 1971, at age 73, to Doris Stahlberg (Scott by previouse marriage) Birth Date. 1933, age: 38 Marriage Date: Sep 2, 1971 Marriage Location: Los Angeles, CA He died about 3 months later in California at the age of 73 on December 25, 1971.
[1][2][3][4] "
DAILY STAR, QUEENS BOROUGH
SEPTEMBER 29, 1927.
PROCTOR'S
58th & 3rd
Dell O'Dell gives an original novelty,
her routine being that of handling
large furniture with ease, doing unbelievable
superhuman feats of strength, interspersed with singing
and dancing.
SCHENECTADY GAZETTE
JUNE 28, 1929
PROCTOR'S
Dell O'Dell
That Versatile Artist
"A Very Original Novelty"
A Company of 4 Clever Performers
Miss Dell O'Dell, equilibrist, opens
the show and opens her act with a
singing specialty, after which she does
some balancing stunts with a heavy
piece of furniture.
July 9ã 1929 THE NIAGARA FALLS GAZETTE
THE STRAND THEATER
Dexterity, versatility and ability are the
outstanding features of the offering presented
by Miss Dell O'Dell, who completes the
roster of vaudeville. She sings, dances.
plays musical Instruments and performs
some sensational and thrilling balancing
feats.
BINGHAMTON PRESS,
JANUARY 3,1931
BINGHAMTON Theater
Following is Dell O'Dell, the female
Frank Van Hoven. Miss O'Dell Is known
as the greatest comedienne in vaudeville
and proves herself rightly so by the tremendous
applause at each performance.
UTICA DAILY PRESS
JANUARY 8, 1931
COLONIAL PROGRAM
OFFERS VARIETY
Dell O'Dell, the
"Dippy Mad Magician," puts over
an amusing act.
The Utica Observer Dispatch
January 8. 1931
Current
VarietyÑ At the Colonial Theater
Dell O'Dell
The Dippy Mad Magician
wisecracking chatter...
Dell O'Dell skids on stage to offer
a nut magician act which is
carried along by her Jovial personality
.... rather than from any feats of
magic she performs. The young
woman provides a tonic for an indigo
disposition and her performance last night received tha heaviest palm clatter on the bill.
THE BINGHAMTON PRESS
FEBRUARY 1,1933.
STRANDÑEndicott
Charles Carrer International Juggler
Dell O'Dell & Co., "Dippy Magician"
THE BINGHAMTON PRESS
FEBRUARY 3,1933.
ENJOY Theater
Opening the bill is Charles Carrer,
famous International juggler. Dell
O'Dell and Company supply the comedy
with "The Dippy Magician;"
THE BINGHAHTON PRESS
FEBRUARY 4,1933
ENJOY Theater
Tonight marks the close ef the
vaudeville program at the Enjoy, which
features, Naomi Price and her Black
Kit Four, Charles Carrer International
Juggler, Dell O'Dell and company
KINGSTON DAILY FREEMAN
APRIL 11, 1934.
Announcement of the signing of
Mr. Carrer gives further assurance
that the entertainment to be given
at the charity ball will excel that of
former years, Mr. Sehenek already
had announced that Dell O'Dell. regarded
as one of the funniest women
on the stage, would be on the program.
KINGSTON DAILY FREEMAN
APRIL 13. 1934.
Kingston
Municipal Auditorium.
Mr Sihenck previously had announced the signing of Dell O'DelL
who recently finished a long engagement
at the Palladium Theatre
London and Charles Carrer, famed
Swiss juggler.
POUGHKEEPSIE EAGLE NEWS
June 27, 1936
SPECIAL SHOWÑSATURDAY 10 P. M.
THREE STARS:
HELEN WERHLE, featured in EAT! Carroll Vftm'tie. '30**31
DELL O' DELL, Magic Wit and Humor
PAXTONÑRipley'* Mtntal Marvel
GOLDEN RULE INN
9WÑ4 Miles South of K|ngÈton, N. Y,
KINGSTON DAILY FREEMAN
JUNE 4, 1937.
Dell O'Dell of Hen Rellly's Arrowhead
Inn. who made such a hit at
the UP A Food and Progress Show recently
and entertained at the UPA
banquet, was back again and as the
"World's Leading Lady Magician",
alternately mystified and humorlzed
Her audience, save for those few unfortunates
who took part "by request''
in Her act. However, It was
all in fun, and mystery and humor
put everyone In an excellent mood
creating a spirit of good fellowship.
BROOKLYN DAILY EAGLE
MARCH 26,1937
The spirit of Spring permeates the air of the Hotel St. George Italian Gardens, with Dell O'Dell delivering a rhyming routine while she performs her feats of magic
BY 1937MAGICIAN
.
Early on Dell O'Dell bought the rights to the comedy magic act of Frank Van Hoven, (Frank Raymond Van Hoven (Born February 5 1886, Sioux City Iowa- Died January 11, 1929, Birmingham, England) and was successful with her own version.
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Van Hoven at first tried juggling and then magic at the suggestion of Dante the magician. He was a failure at both and his magic act was said to be embarrassing and laughable. He then saw William J. Hilliar in vaudeville who was doing a burlesque comedy magic act at the time and took the concept to new heights that made Van Hoven famous.
Yy
William John Hilliar (November 27, 1876 - November 15, 1936), born in England. He was a professional magician that performed in vaudeville. Wrote Novel Hand Shadows (1900). In the January 1901 issue of Mahatma, it was announced that he would start to contribute a column of interesting ideas to the paper beginning with the next issue. The first article would be devoted to shadow pictures. He moved to the United States in 1902. Founded Sphinx magazine in March 1902. He ghost-wrote Howard "Thurston's Card Tricks" (1901) He also ghost-wrote T. Nelson Down's book "Modern Coin Manipulation" and wrote his own book "Modern Magician's Hand Book" (1902). and wrote the column on magic for The Billboard magazine. He once performed, in disguise, as Howard Thurston while Thurston was sick and got a standing ovation. For many years he was with the Barnum and Bailey Circus and other large circuses in charge of the side shows. Hilliar committed suicide by shooting himself just before his 60th birthday.
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Van Hoven did a satire on magicians and extensively used stooges in his act. One of his bits, that Dell o'Dell would do after he died was called "The Act That Made Ice Famous." This famous bit had as many as three youngsters come on stage and have one hold a large cake of ice, while he would attempt to make a handkerchief vanish that was to appear inside the cake of ice as the freezing helper was holding it. He also used to pull a dopey-looking fellow out of the audience after an argument up on stage. Famous columnist Walter Winchell was known to comment on Van Hoven's signature gimmick of talking back to himself. He was also known to try in a cumbersome manner to construct a "magic box" out of some pieces of wood, on stage telling the aucience he would assemble them into a box and make a live dog appear. He then proceeded to attempt to put the box together. Pieces would fall over, he would have it nearly assembled and it would collapse, etc. etc. Finally, after several minutes of frustration and audience laughter, after bumbling thorugh it all, Van Hoven would yell, "LET THE DOG DIE!" and throw all of the pieces off stage. It was a riot. Audiences were known to go into histeria laughing at him to the etxtent he said he was leaving the stage while they were laughing to go next door to the bar and have a drink. He was one of the first of very funny rare burlesque magic acts to follow.
Here is a quote from a writer explaining what he does, "exceptional mad magician of Frank Van Hoven. Van Hoven carries farther than anyone else the appearance of not knowing the audience is to be amused. He complains in a mutter of the presence of human beings, individually probably all right, but en masse . . . ! He leaves the stage and passes out of the auditorium, bidding the audience amuse itself while he's gone. And his great finale, with a bowl of goldfish, a handkerchief in a trunk, a table covered with a cloth, an inflated paper bag, and a revolver shot-at the sound of which exactly nothing happens, is the last word in destroying... the magician and all his works.", Frank Van Hoven was one of the most succesful comedians in vaudeville. In the early 1900's he was making as much as $10,000.00 a week. About three times what Houdini was earning. He performed the top theaters in the world. The B. F. Keith's Palace Theatre in New York in 1927, in which he was billed as "The Mad Magician," as well as The Brighton Hippodrome, where he was presented as "The American Dippy Mad Magician." Van Hoven first set out to become a juggler .On seeing him practice, Harry Jansen (later becoming Dante) advised him to take up magic instead. Not faring well at being a traditional serious performer, he transformed his magic act into a comedy routine where nothing went right.
The above picture is from Variety. Van Hoven was billed as the "Mad Magician" and "The Man Who Made Ice Famous", with the routine that would have a "volunteer" from the audience holding a large block of ice during his act while he kept trying to make a borrowed handkerchief appear inside it.
Dell O'Dell doing a promotion for the ice act in front of a theatre.
Van Hoven died of pneumonia on his second tour of England. He was famous enough to warrant an obituary in the New York Times.
To continue click here for part 2. Dell O'Dell, the second half-the magic years
Click here for story of Frank Van Hoven as in Will Goldston's Sensational Tales of Mystery Men.
Lucky Bills only daughter, Della Newton, claimed to be born in 1902, and lived a life filled with entertaining others. Being the daughter of "Lucky Bill", she grew up surrounded by entertainers and in front of the spotlight.
Although it is not the scope of this site to go into detail, here are pictures of a few ground breaking women of magic.
Adelaide Herrmann
Joan Brandon
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Joan Brandon 1955 and Joan Brandon 1969
Dorothy Dietrich
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Houdini Non Profit Fund
This site put has been put up by Scranton's Houdini Museum. It is part of our educational mission We have also been asked by the family of Houdini & the management of the Houdini Grave to provide for its upkeep. Please donate to this cause. On Sept. 27, at our own expense we restored the bust that was missing for 36 years on his grave. Please donate to keep all these projects alive.Thank you,
Click here for part 2. Dell O'Dell, the second half-the magic years
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William and Weston were divorced and Weston later remarried Samuel Kelso Velliquette and she had 3 more children. MORE TO ADD. with brown eyes ad brown hair,
Her niece, Lavera Dell (Dale) Grove. She is Dorothy Lynne Velliquette Grove's daughter(Dell O'Dell's half sister) and she was named after Dell O'Dell. One time when Dale went to a supper club in Los Angeles, she found that Dell O'Dell was appearing there. She did introduce herself to her and they had a lovely chat. Dell O'Dell lived in New York, so she didn't see much of her mother Weston Belle Forrand Newton Velliquette who lived in California.
Her quick humor added to the event to make her a standout, and later, a national hit. She formed the Friends of Magic Club, which boasted more than 20,000 enthusiasts. Considerable time and money was spent sending notices to each club member, at regular intervals, telling about something new in the magic world. She distributed hundreds of thousands of souvenirs and magical novelties to the club members over the years. ODell married Charles Carrer, an expert juggler who was born in Switzerland. She had met him backstage. They lived in Long Island, New York, entertaining large crowds at posh venues. He was dubbed the King of Jugglers and she the Queen of Magic. They also loved to entertain friends at the couples home, which was filled with custom-designed metal furniture, including a collapsible chair, which provided amusement for all. In an article titled, Dell ODell on Both Sides of the Footlight, which tells the short story of her life of fame, the author writes, Although Dell has played before the most famous people in modern history, she never forgets she owes a debt to the less fortunate. She is the favorite in orphanages, crippled childrens homes and institutions throughout the country. Dell travels 75,000 miles a year giving magical performances, but never fails to go to hospitals and other like places where she puts on a full show at her own expense.
Besides performing her magic show in every large city in the United States, she also kept an immaculately clean home, cared for their beauti- fully landscaped yard (which included over 100 varieties of flowers) and was an accomplished pianist, trumpet player and enjoyed playing the harmonica.
O'Della Newton died Feb. 5, 1962, in Los An- geles, Calif., at the age of 64. Her husband died in 1971. This Osage Countian made a significant impact on the world of magic and paved the way for early female entertainers
document her earliest days in show business working and running her own circus, her time in vaudeville with Frank Van Hoven's "ice" act, through her career as a television personality and magic shop owner in Southern California in the 1950s.
Della O'Dell's circus and the verious animals and acrobats on the show, including elephants, camels and trained dogs, as well as an educated horse.
Dell at the P&L magic factory examining apparatus specially built for her, and still more photographs show her performing for school children, at social events, with Edgar Bergen, and in countless other venues.
Patter notebooks are organized by category of trick and contain the scripts for hundreds of magical effects O'Dell would perform, everything from illusions to close-up and pocket tricks. Each script is written in the rhyming patter that was O'Dell's trademark. Many bear notations in her own hand.
O'Dell was a pioneer in her field and likely the most successful and busiest female magician of the 20th century.
The WPA Circus For about five years the federal government of the United States was in the circus business. Part of the New Deal programs included the WPA Circus, which was part of the Federal Theatre Project. The WPA was the only instance of a state-sponsored circus in the United States. It provided work for many out of work showfolks such as the great rider Oscar Lowande (by then over the hill and performing on clown alley), old-time strong woman Kate Sandwina and up and comer Burt Lancaster who later, of course, made it big in the movies. It also provided free entertainment to tens of thousands of children. Burns O'Sullivan, a former manager for Andrew Downie and later for Fred Buchanan's Gorman Bros. Circus, was the managing director. The WPA Circus began in late 1935 and lasted through 1939. The show had an incredible 55 piece band and one elephant, Japino or Jap from Honest Bill Newton. She once escaped, and was rounded up by the police who mistakenly (although understandably) returned her to the Ringling-Barnum Circus, then appearing in Madison Square Garden. This was the only case in American field show history where an escaped elephant was returned to the wrong party. The show was out 21 weeks starting in late May, playing all around New York City and Long Island. 225,000 people saw the show during the under-canvas tour. From "WPA Circus," Federal Theatre Project, (1937)