Magician Steals Hollywood Parade show at Roberts

By PFC. LEO M. FREMONT

Special Service Branch

This should be a story of glamor and gals, a typical USO-Camp Show's presentation replete with star-spangled fun. But instead, let me tell you about one of the stars of the "Hollywood On times16de" show that appeared here Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

He joined Lord Kitchener's famous British volunteer Army early in 1914, and was severely wounded in the second battle ofthe Somme, and also say action in the second battle of Ypres, although he was only 17 when he joined. He began his tricks kof magic in the bitter, cold trenches in France, while he tried to keep his fingers warm by flipping cards and rubber balls. After he was shell-shocked in some of the worst scenes of action, he spent many months in a base hospital, unable to speak, only to mutter- apparently incoherently. But because he would excercise his dextrous fingers, practicing his beloved magic,and was unable to speak they thought he was "off the beam" and he had an awful time trying to get out of the hospital for the insane to which he was sent.

But all this was 25 years ago, and today Cardini-- as he is known on the stage-- is one of our greatest magicians, much more a star because he performs his work with a pair of white cotton gloves on his hands. His tricks are amazing, baffling and unbelievable. For here is the man who can take lighted cigarettes-- dozens of them -- out of thin air, and can make solid balls change color as he tosses them into the air His feats with a deck of cards is terrific-- they change color and reduce in