Carl Ballantine

Carl Ballantine was an American magician comedian and actor Billing himself as The Great Ballantine The Amazing Ballantine or Ballantine The Worlds Greatest Magician his vaudevillestyle comedy routine involved transparent or incompetent stage magic tricks which tended to flop and go hilariously awry to the wisecracking Ballantines mock chagrin He has been credited with creating comedy magic and has influenced comedians and magicians alike