Theodore Annemann

Biography

Early in his life, Annemann began working as a railroad clerk and then got into showbusiness as a tenor singer and a magician's assistant. He eventually became interested in mentalism and used his invention and performance skills to become one of the most talented and respected magicians of the 1930s. Annemann perfected his own version of the famous bullet catch illusion, performing the effect outdoors. Accounts of his performance describe the feat as a dramatic effect wherein Annemann would collapse from the apparent force of the gun and then produce the bullet from his blood-drenched mouth.

In 1934 he began publishing the famous magazine The Jinx, for magicians. The magazine was focused on mentalism, but also featured ground-breaking effects from other fields of magic. The publication of this magazine ceased after Annemann's death and copies of it have become collector's items. Effects from the magazine have been published in several books and manuscripts, among them Annemann's Practical Mental Magic. This book is considered a classic in the field of mentalism. It is notable for exposing the billet reading tricks of the medium Bert Reese.

Annemann was married twice and had a daughter by his first wife. His personality is the subject of much speculation. Annemann was scheduled to perform his bullet catch indoors for the first time. The performance was to be on the night of January 12, 1942. Two weeks before the performance, he committed suicide.

Manuscripts by Annemann

Edited posthumously

Biography