Co-Founder of The Magic Castle in Hollywood, Milt Larsen, Dies at 92

Milt Larsen, who co-founded The Magic Castle in Hollywood and wrote for the game show Truth or Consequences for nearly two decades, passed away on Sunday in Los Angeles from natural causes, according to his family. He was 92.

Larsen created songs with Oscar-winning composer Richard Sherman, who collaborated with his late brother Robert to write the music for such Disney classics as Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and The Jungle Book, and produced TV specials for ABC, CBS, and NBC.

Additionally, he was the designer and consultant for Caesars Magic Empire, a $50 million show at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

The Magic Castle was established in 1963 by Larsen and his late brother Bill in a 1909 French Chateau estate on Franklin Avenue. The location would develop into a well-known exclusive club for magicians with its numerous stages, winding hallways, and vintage furnishings.

In addition to penning five joke books and three novels about The Magic Castle, Larsen also authored a weekly column for the club's members and served as the editor of a monthly newsletter. At the time of his passing, he was still serving as the club's parent company's president.

Larsen was selected as one of the 100 most significant figures in the history of the trade by Magic magazine's readers in a reader poll conducted in 2000. He celebrated the 50th anniversary of his yearly stage performance, It's Magic!, six years later.

On April 9, 1931, Larsen was born in Los Angeles. William W. Larsen Sr., his father, was a practising magician and defence lawyer, while Geraldine, his mother, provided children's entertainment on television as "The Magic Lady." His parents launched Genii, The Conjurors Magazine in 1936, and it is still in circulation today.

When he was still a teen, Jim Hawthorne and Larsen appeared once a week on a CBS Radio programme that included Larsen's vintage music and commentary from CBS's Andrew White. He also served as Eddie Cantor's record archivist, and Milton Berle, Bob Hope, Buddy Ebsen, and Steve Allen frequently sought his advice regarding music.

The midday audience participation programme Larsen worked on as a professional writer for ABC Radio featured variety performances and a 25-piece house orchestra.

As a writer for the television production business owned by Ralph Edwards, Larsen frequently had to keep the subjects of Edwards' NBC programme This Is Your Life engaged while the crew prepared to surprise them. Therefore, Larsen was given the responsibility of providing entertainment for celebrities like Buster Keaton, Stan Laurel, Ed Wynn, Mack Sennett, George Burns, and Jack Benny.

Edwards was also the show's first host before Bob Barker took over in 1956 and continued hosting it until 1975.

He and Sherman also co-wrote the musical Pazzazz, which had its world premiere in 2008 at Santa Barbara's Lobero Theatre. Pazzazz features comedic tunes like "Bon Voyage, Titanic," "We're Depending on You, General Custer," and "When the Hindenburg Lands Today."

In addition, Larsen lectured at the Smithsonian in Washington and at magic conventions all over the world while opening for The Amazing Jonathan in Las Vegas.

He was the owner and operator of the Variety Arts Theatre in downtown Los Angeles as well as the Mayfair Music Hall in Santa Monica, where he produced live stage revues.

As a teenager, Larsen, who presented a radio show on CRN the Digital Cable Network, began compiling audio recordings of celebrities in the entertainment industry. He later gave his complete vaudeville collection to UC Santa Barbara.

His wife Arlene, nephew Dante, niece Erika, and great-nieces Jessica and Liberty are among those who remain.

A legal dispute involving Larsen and his niece in 2015 over a 5.5 percent royalty from the venue's yearly food and beverage sales was eventually resolved. A class-action lawsuit alleging that the club's management failed to fully pay at least 100 hospitality workers was filed a year later.