Incredible talent, unending creativity and a heart of gold!
"Jack Tillar's works prove, time and time again, he knows what to perform for real people, in the real world, and for real money. There are no pipe dreams in his books. Just really practical material you should study and put to good use. The term 'audience tested' takes on new meaning each time I read his creations." - Bruce Bernstein
"No wonder you have such a sterling reputation!" - Ken Weber
"Jack Kent Tillar is a living legend among knowledgeable mentalists everywhere.” - Larry Becker
"Jack's presentations are built upon concepts that are appealing and intriguing. The methods are relatively simple. As an example . . . the routine "Mr. Lucky's Hook" has a splendid frame of reference, which leads to an utterly charming closing line." - Max Maven (SOLO Intro)
"Another great magic mind!" - Teller
"Happy Birthday, Jack. I'm really enjoying your material and am savoring every word! Ordinarily I tear though things, but am reading one manuscript a night. I love your thinking. I've been reading everything a second time now and keep finding new things. The material is great!” - Michael Weber(ASSUMPTION SWINDLE)
"DUET is amazing! With this one book, a couple can have a career for the rest of their lives!" - Banacheck (DUET)
"One is hard pressed to find a best or favorite from this book. Every effect is strong, clean, and can play like the "real work". And, he is one of the good guys. He is a friend." - Ross Johnson (SEXTET)
After screening his 22 minute all original "Live from the Magic Castle" act, he will explain each effect from his performance in detail.
Your Host Also Reads Minds (DUET) Cards are borrowed, freely selected by four guests and the host correctly names them all!
The JKT Utility Impression Device (SOLO) An impression device so effective it could replace all other clipboard impression devices!
One-in-a-Trillion (TRIO) The Dunninger 16 Digit effect without a trick slate!
Go Figure! (QUINTET) A switch on the numbers addition effect. Instead of freely selecting 16 numbers, they select the 5 digit total in advance! It's Jeopardy Plus!
His successful career of over 1,200 films and TV shows includes an Emmy, an Academy Award and many other accolades. The magic world knows him for the “Blister” effect, but – who is J. K. Tillar
Jack has four great passions: his brilliant family, composing music and lyrics, mental magic, and the ocean! He always lives by or on the water and was a Naval Officer for over a decade. His mom wanted her son to appreciate music, so she implored her father-in-law to buy the family a piano. She played it religiously throughout the pregnancy. It worked! At 4, John (later Jack) began lessons.
At 9, a friend took him to Bert Wheeler’s Hollywood Magic. He was mesmerized by a cut rope that magically restored itself and tiny sponges that jumped from one mini cup to another! For his 11th birthday, he got volume one of the famous Tarbell Course and devoured it! More than magic, he learned stagecraft, lighting, how to routine and what makes good theatre. (He even made gimmicks from tin cans to earn his Ben Chavez College of Magic tuition!)
At 13 he was a school stage manager, at 14 a TV magician and at 15, he fell in love – with Jennifer Jones, a bewitching film star of the forties. He wrote her a concerto! In high school, Dunninger was the top show on radio, so Jack and a young radio actress he’d directed in drama class, started doing Annemann’s En Rapport 2-person act. (Not surprisingly, she looked a lot like Jennifer Jones.)
At USC, one of his two degrees was in Naval Science, which did not allow a Midshipman to major in music, TV or cinema, so he studied Psychology to become a better director and writer. He wrote and produced varsity shows, song festivals,“Trolios” and“The Club El Teen” on channel 9. Tempting offers came in – but so did the Korean conflict. Years later, Jack started at the bottom of CBS.
Because of his “grease paint” mentality (and having done some homework for a now big TV exec), he was on the fast track! At one point, he was in Production Cost Control at Television City under Bill Larsen, president of the Magic Castle! He ultimately took over Jerry Goldsmith’s place in the prestigious CBS music department.
He supervised the music for some of the greatest live shows of TV's Golden Age – shows like Playhouse 90 and Climax! and classic film series like Perry Mason and Twilight Zone. At Desilu and Columbia, he supervised many episodes of The Untouchables, Naked City, Route 66, etc. He was David Wolper's music director for 12 years on epics like the Jacque Cousteau series, Roots, National Geographic Specials (for 27 years) and movies like Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. He composed That's Incredible!, The Bob Hope Shows (for 10 years), Lucas and Spielberg CBS Specials: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, E.T., Return of the Jedi, etc., and mini-series, specials and long-running series for PBS and other networks.
He's in Tarbell, Magick, Genii, Invocation, Talisman, etc. Retirement No way. He’s written 10 books, is finishing his 5th stage musical, is lecturing, is performing, and enjoying family, friends & the magic of the human mind!
