"A magician is an actor playing the part of a magician"
Famed Nineteenth Century magician and illusionist, Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, once wrote, " a magician is an actor playing the part of a magician ". During wartime, mov ies provided war-weary audiences an escape from the turbulence and sacrifice of war, while also providing an opportunity for nations to boost morale, through government-funded propaganda films. Some World War Two-era magicians were also actors, appearing in movies made between 1939-1945 to entertain the public. The most famous of these was James Stewart. Before becoming a world-famous movie star, Stewart started out as an amateur magician, partnering with fellow magician Bill Neff. He was a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and contributed several tricks to magic magazines. Turning to acting, Stewart appeared in more than 90 films, television programmes, and shorts. He starred in 12 films between 1939-1941, including Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), It's a Wonde...