Doug Henning, the magician who brought a whimsical, hippie-era charm to one of television’s most-watched magic specials, died on February 7, 2000, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 52 years old. Henning had been diagnosed with liver cancer just five months before his death, in late 1999. He was cremated, and his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean off Redondo Beach, California.
The man who would become one of the most recognizable magicians of the 1970s was born Douglas James Henning on May 3, 1947, in Winnipeg, Canada. His fascination with magic began in childhood after he saw a magician perform on The Ed Sullivan Show. He quickly learned a few tricks and started performing for relatives under the stage name “The Astounding Hindu. ”
After graduating from Oakville Trafalgar High School, Henning stepped away from performing, unsure if he wanted to pursue magic as a profession.
He enrolled at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, where he studied psychology with the goal of eventually earning a medical degree. To support himself during this period, he took on manual labor work at the Toronto International Airport, but he found the job too physically demanding. Henning soon returned to performing, this time in local bars and nightclubs. After graduating with honors in science and psychology, he planned to take a couple of years off before entering medical school to continue refining his craft.
His magic career took off quickly, and he toured extensively throughout Canada, ultimately deciding that magic would be his life’s work. Recognizing that he needed more formal training in the art, Henning visited the Magic Castle in Hollywood, a private club for magicians. There, he connected with more experienced performers and absorbed a great deal of knowledge. Intent on restoring magic to its former glory, he devoted himself to perfecting his act and developing a theatrical show called Spellbound, which he created with Ivan Reitman, a college friend and future film director.
Spellbound was a musical that combined a dramatic story with magic performances. It opened at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, where it broke box office records. The show eventually made its way to Broadway as The Magic Show in 1974, running for over four years and earning Henning a Tony Award nomination. Henning’s path to television fame came through a bold proposal.
He approached NBC with the idea of a magic special, but the network was hesitant. It was only when he suggested performing Harry Houdini’s famous water torture escape—an act not performed publicly since Houdini himself did it—that NBC agreed to sign him. Henning spent the next eight months reworking his stage act for television and practicing the dangerous escape routine. The result was Doug Henning’s World of Magic, broadcast in December 1975 and hosted by Bill Cosby.
More than 50 million viewers tuned in, making it a massive success. Henning went on to perform in several NBC specials over the years, and his new-age, hippie style of magic became a signature that audiences loved. He also appeared on many variety shows of the era, including The Muppet Show, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and a Donny and Marie Christmas special. Despite his fame, Henning made a sudden and dramatic career change in the mid-1980s.
He quit performing magic and moved to India to devote his time to Transcendental Meditation, meeting with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. In 1992, he entered politics as a Natural Law Party candidate in the United Kingdom’s general election, where he finished last. He also served as a senior vice president of the Natural Law Party of Canada. Henning married Barbara De Angelis in 1977, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1981.
That same year, he married Debbie Dard. He was just 52 when he died, leaving behind a legacy as a magician who brought a distinctly joyful and colorful energy to the art form at a time when it was in need of revival.
