Richard Valentine Pitchford (24 November 1895 – 13 November 1973) was a master magician under the name Cardini, whose career spanned almost half a century. Born in Britain, he worked chiefly in the United States of America.
Biography
Richard Valentine Pitchford was born in the Mumbles, Swansea, Wales on 24 November 1895. Some sources use the incorrect year of 1899. After being injured in battle, he continued to hone his magic skills in a hospital, convinced that practising sleight of hand would help him recover.
After an unsuccessful attempt to establish himself as a stage magician in British variety, he travelled to Australia, where he performed initially as Val Raymond before adopting the name Cardini.
Cardini subsequently performed in Canada and then entered the United States from British Columbia. While working his way across the United States, he met Swan Walker in Chicago, who became his wife in 1927 and lifelong assistant. In New York City, Cardini became an almost immediate success, as audiences (and magicians) had never seen such an act. Cardini enhanced his performance by incorporating his magic tricks into a skit. He worked with the Marx Brothers and Jack Benny, and performed for Al Capone, Franklin Roosevelt, and Harry Truman.
Cardini was a heavy smoker, suffered from peptic ulcers, and died from a stomach-related condition in November 1973 in Gardiner, New York.