Al Robbins

Magician - Herpetologist

(December 25, 1901-June 1, 2000 )

I was apprenticed under Al Robbins as a magician for about 7 years, he taught me many routines of magic that he used throughout his life. In his notes I learned routines long forgotten in vaudeville acts during the 1940's. Sadly, Al Robbins passed away June 1st, 2000 to read more about his article in the Bakersfield California click on his picture.

Please enjoy reading about this magician who performed magic for over 70 years. Al lived in the heyday of vaudeville.

At 98 years old Al performed his famous "Appearing Rattlesnakes out of a fire pan" . A showman to the end. Al didn't make his goal of reaching 100, but perfomed the last year of his life and has a legacy that lives on.

Al was born in Harrison, New Jersey. He decided he wanted to be a magician when he was just 12. By the time he was 18, he was a frequent visitor to Martinka's, Tannens, and Al Bakers Magic Shop. He met many well known magicians including the famous Harry Houdini. In the years 1920's through the 1930's magic was flourishing.

There were five magic shops in New York at this time. Only one of those shops,Tannens Magic is still operating.

Al later went on to perform in Vaudeville and traveled the country. This included many school shows. Later Al headlined at the "Frontier Hotel & Casino" in Las Vegas.

In 1948, Al moved to Bakersfield, California. Always a magician reaching for the unusual, he produced a show using live rattlesnakes appearing out of a firepan. Al, is the only magician in the world that I know of which uses live rattlesnakes in a magic act. He also perfected a surgery a (venomductectomy) to render the rattlesnakes safe to handle with Dr. Lewis Larson in Bakersfield. This surgery is known worldwide. Al is known nationwide as being one of the foremost experts on reptiles.

He worked for Golden Crust bread here in Bakersfield, and did numerous promotions for that company using magic as a draw at the Kern County Fair, and at school shows. He also worked for Breyers Ice Cream in Philadelphia, by doing magic promotions.

For over 50 years Al Robbins has delighted the children of Kern County with his School Magic Shows and his Educational Reptile Shows. He taught many children with this simple rhyme the difference between a poisonous and a nonpoisonous stripped snake. "Red touching black is a friend to Jack, but red touching yellow can kill a fellow."

Al was one of the charter members and Dean of the Bakersfield Magic Circle- part of the parent group of the Society of American Magicians.

Al was honored by the Society of American Magicians and inducted into their Hall of Fame. This honor has been bestowed to about 150 people worldwide! John Engman, Vice President of the Hall of Fame said: Al was honored because of his long association with magic and his first hand experience with many of the world's greatest magicians.

CALM (California Living Museum) - located in Bakersfield has an reptile exhibit honoring him, The Al Robbins Herpetological Center. This exhibit has many of the specimans Al has collected through the years. There are also numerous reptiles on display at the Al Robbins Herpetological Center.

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This page was last updated June 2009. It was created by Persuasive Communication - Sharon Kinney. We wish to thank Graphics by Annika for the excellent snake graphics she created for this page.