Born on June 23, 1935, Claudine's whole magic life has thus been bound up in magic, and perhaps inevitably, show business has provided her only career. She sayd that she never read any magic books, or joined magic societies, for her father taught her all the magic she needed. He developed her special routines and even shared his Abracadabra Magazine with her!

However, she has firm views on the role of women in magical societies. The Societies seldom have facilities for women simply because they were founded years ago as a purely male preserve. To be successful as a male society, it must begin as a mixed society. She thinks there is little real need for women to break into this closed circle anyway, and at the moment, the wives of magicians have a relaxed feeling about the husbands attending such meetings with "the boys". This would change if women were admitted and the clubs would, necessarily, have to expand to include assistants and probably wives with no genuine interest in the hobby. Friction may well result from a wife's jealousy about the often glamorous magiciennes that the the husbands might encounter at meetings, and this is something that should be seriously considered.

But a knowledge of conjuring technique is never enough to make a really successful performer, and at the beginning of her career, Claudine had a very wide general training in elocution, theatre and dancing. She became, at the age of 15, one of the Tiller Girl dancers. The next assignment was ballet in paris, returning to England as chief soubrette in summer seasons, touring reviews and also in several ice shows.

"Holiday on Ice" saw Claudine as part of a comedy animal act. It was into this animal act, when it was later touring the theater and circuses, that Claudine first introduced her conjuring. Then magic began to assume the major role, tricks were introduced, the animals became smaller and of less importance, and were produced magically.

In her initial silent act, Claudine was assisted by Old Stevens, the Butler. Trevor Hill has been the principal in the animal act, but he now became the minor partner in this new magical act. He assumed the character of the old major domo and indeed confusion has arisen over the identity of Old Stevens. People sometimes thought that it was her father Claude who acted as the assistant - a reversal of the more common father-daughter roles. This was never so. Trevor Hill wore a suit slightly too large to make him appear frail, and he was made up as an old man. Claudine wore immaculate tails and tights, top hat, silver cloak and white gloves, and this act toured from 1958 to 1960.

It was very difficult to get onto a moss Empress No. 1 Tour without being previously seen by Cissie Williams who, at that time, was the all-powerful booker for Moss Empires. However, Claudine was accepted 'sight unseen' on such a tour, purely on her father's name - a compliment to his high reputation. So Claudine's opening date was, in fact, at the prestigious Finsbury park Empire where she appeared with Betty and Larry Parks of Al Jolson fame. There, Cissie williams saw her, and even came around to her dressing room - a great honor - to compliment this talented daughter of a distinguished father.

In 1961 Claudine became the first live entertainer to work in Kuwait, where her visible legs caused consternation! It was only because she was able to convince authority that her legs were, in fact, absolutely covered by opaque tights UNDER her fishnets that she was allowed to continue. Needless to say, this made her act an even greater success in the part of the world where a woman's legs are very safely hidden beneath flowing skirts and kept strictly for private viewing!

During the period 1960-63 a patter caberet act was developed, with Trevor Hill acting as assistant, but no longer in the butler role. The first silent act was produced solely for stage. Realizing that in cabaret, patter gave more interaction with the audience, an act was devised containing humorous situation comedy, delivered with an intriguing French accent. To quote the publicity material was: "Bubbling with sex appeal, color and fun".

From 1964 until she retired in 1971, it was a solo act, mainly for cabaret, with audience participation, presented in six languages. For this her glamour was enhanced by the costume seen in the photograph - surely reviting male attention very firmly, altho not, perhaps, on the candle trick.

This effect is part of a very fine silk and candle routine devised by her father, which always proved a favorite with both audience and performer. Included were various tricks with doves and two dogs, but Claudine's strongly held views on the care of animals always influenced her choice of effects. She believes that animals should always appear - never vanish. An audience may wonder if the animal is injured in the process, and, because they never see it again, probably fear the worst. A general dislike of "high risk" tricks makes Claudine feel that mutilations and smoking tricks are unfeminine and therefore less suitable than 'pretty" tricks, altho naturally all effects should suit the performer's personality rather than their sex.

Claudine married Chester Harriot, a well known singer, and retired in 1971 to enjoy family life. She still maintains an interest in magic, lecturing wittily, with sound theatrical advice, to magical societies and women's clubs, telling of her years as The Magical Claudine, La Femme Magique.

Frances I Marshall (pub. Magic, Inc - 1984)

Chandler, Claude, MIMC

(Britain: 12 Nov 1896 - 10 May 1977) Pro magus-vent-actor. Possible inventor of Card in Balloon. Father of "The Magical Claudine". Vice-President, The Magic Circle, 1958-77.