Milt Larsen Dies: Magic Castle Co-Founder, Writer & Actor Was 92

Milt Larsen, co-founder of the world famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, actor, TV writer and producer, died May 28 in his sleep at his home in Hollywood, his family told TMZ. He was 92.

Larsen, along with his brother Bill Larsen and Bill’s wife Irene, founded Magic Castle, a private club for magicians, in Hollywood in 1963. The Larsen brothers grew up in a family of magicians. Their father, William Larsen Sr., was a performing magician and Los Angeles defense attorney. Their mother, Geraldine, was an early TV pioneer children’s entertainer known as The Magic Lady.

The Larsen brothers and Irene transformed the Lane mansion below Yamashiro in Hollywood, into the Magic Castle, also home to the Academy of Magical Arts.

In addition to his talent as a magician, Milt Larsen was a successful writer, working on Ralph Edwards’ TV game show Truth or Consequences starring Bob Barker, for 18 years. He also authored several books, three of them involving Magic Castle.

Larsen also wrote on the Malibu U television series (1967) and audience-participation shows starring Vin Scully and Jim Nabors.

Larsen and his collaborator Bobby Lauher wrote the book for the stage musical Victory Canteen, starring the Andrews Sisters’ Patty Andrews. He later teamed with famed songwriter, Richard M. Sherman, the duo having developed a cult comedy following for some their outrageous songs, including “Bon Voyage, Titanic”, “General Custer” and “Congratulations Tom Dewey,” which became the theme song for the stage production Give ‘Em Hell, Harry!, a one-man stage play about President Harry S. Truman starring James Whitmore. The play was videotaped one night in front of a live audience and made into a feature film, for which Whitmore received an Oscar nomination in 1976.

Larsen also wrote the book and Sherman the music for the comedy musical Pazzazz! which world premiered at the Granada Center for the Performing Arts in Santa Barbara in 2008.

As an actor, Larsen appeared in a guest-starring role on Hart to Hart in 1981. He also appeared as the back and hands of Raul Julia as Gomez Addams, performing his tablecloth yank at the end of Gomez and Morticia’s Tango dance in Paramount’s 1993 film Addams Family Values.

As a producer, Larsen owned and operated Mayfair Music Hall in Santa Monica producing live stage revues for 10 years, and the Variety Arts Theater, a 1,200-seat variety theater in downtown Los Angeles for 12 years. He also was the creator and consultant for Caesars Magic Empire at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.