Ross Bertram: Master Magician

TELEVISED TRICKERY

Ross soldiered on and threw all of his energies into performing and creating new magic. The hard work paid off in a phone call from Don Hudson, a pioneer in directing and producing live television variety specials.

Don Hudson, who would mentor such renowned directors such as Norman Campbell, Harry Rasky and Norman Jewison, was producing the Wayne and Schuster television show for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Wayne and Schuster were internationally acclaimed comedians, based in Toronto, but who would eventually make over twenty-five appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. Don Hudson approached Ross about creating and presenting some visually startling close up magic that would be intermixed with live interactive dance sequences. 

Ross created a superb magical sequence—surreal at times—using virtuoso cup and ball technique to make balls appear, multiple, vanish and reappear beneath cups coupled with a faux explanation in which miniature dancers appeared to move the objects around.

Ross Bertram presents the Cups & Balls on wayne and schuster 

Ross created another magical sequence for Don Hudson, this one involving the manipulation of playing cards—again intermixed with dance sequences. This sequence also illustrates Ross’ superb mastery of the pasteboards and some of his original technique.⁸

Both short film sequences were screened at the LA Conference on Magic History in 1999 to the surprise of the attendees.

Ross’ exploration of magic in television was cut short, however, by the tragic death of Don Hudson who died in a plane crash in Quebec in 1964.

Footnotes

8—Ross performs, for example, his scoop addition that secretly adds cards on top of the chosen cards. This technique was also independently created by René Lavand.