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Chung Ling Soo was the stage name of American magician William
Robinson. He was inspired to take the name by the work of
magician Ching Ling Foo.
Ching
Ling Foo was born Chee Ling Qua in 1854 in Beijing, China.
He studied traditional Chinese magic and became a well-known
and well-respected performer there. In 1898 he brought his
show to the United States for a very successful tour. In his
show, he breathed smoke and fire and produced ribbons and
a fifteen foot long pole from his mouth. Ching Ling Foo caused
a sensation when he took an empty piece of cloth, produced
a huge bowl, full to the brim with water, and then pulled
out a small child!
While
Ching Ling Foo was in New York, he offered a reward of $1,000
(in those days, a great deal of money) to anyone who could
produce a bowl full of water like he did. He did it for publicity—Ching
Ling Foo never actually meant to hold a contest, but American
magician William Robinson didn't know that.
William
Robinson was a New Yorker from a Scottish family who sometimes
worked by himself as a magician, but also worked on-stage
and built props for other magicians like Harry Kellar, Alexander
Herrmann and Adelaide Herrmann. Not long after Ching Ling
Foo refused to let William Robinson try for the $1,000 reward,
Robinson went to Europe with a new Chinese-style show of his
own and recreated himself as the magician Chung Ling Soo.
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Chung
Ling Soo
(William Robinson) |
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Robinson,
under the stage name Chung Ling Soo, called himself "The Original
Chinese Conjurer." Even offstage, he was known as Chung Ling
Soo. When the press wanted to interview him, he brought an
"interpreter" because he claimed not to speak English. From
the newspaper stories, it sounds like all of Europe believed
that he was actually Chinese.
In
January of 1905, Chung Ling Soo began performing at the Hippodrome
Theater in London. That same month, Ching Ling Foo's show
arrived and opened at the Empire Theater, only 100 yards away.
The two magicians had very similar names and posters, and
both claimed to be "The Original Chinese Conjurer." The English
public was fascinated. Finally, Ching Ling Foo sent out a
challenge. It read: "I offer £1,000 if Chung Ling Soo, now
appearing at the Hippodrome, can do ten out of my twenty tricks,
or if I fail to do any one of his feats."
The
newspapers loved it. Each magician called the other names,
claimed his rival was lying, an impostor. Finally, a date
was set for the competition. Chung Ling Soo was there at the
appointed time, ready to win, but Ching Ling Foo never arrived.
Once again, no money changed hands. The newspaper "The Weekly
Dispatch" wrote "and the questions arise: Did Foo fool Soo?
And can Soo sue Foo?" The public declared Chung Ling Soo the
winner and he tour the world with great success for the rest
of his life.
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