The Amazing Kreskin was a mentalist who became a TV star of the 1970s with his many appearances on “The Tonight Show” and other talk shows.
- Died: December 10, 2024 (Who else died on December 10?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Caldwell, New Jersey at the age of 89.
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The Amazing Kreskin’s legacy
Born George Joseph Kreske Jr., Kreskin became interested in magic from a young age. He told a story of discovering a key ability when he was nine years old, and his brother hid a penny for him to attempt to find. He quickly homed in on the penny’s location without asking his brother any questions about it.
The early feat was reflected in a stunt Kreskin included in his live performances: the “check test.” At some point in each show, his booking fee, in the form of a check, would be hidden by a group of audience members while others watched over the star outside or in a dressing room. Once the check was hidden, it was his job to find it – or forfeit his earnings for the night. Kreskin said he only failed to find the check 12 times out of thousands of attempts.
Many of those tries came on popular TV talk shows of the 1970s and beyond. He first appeared on a 1964 episode of “The Steve Allen Show,” and then he became a regular on “The Mike Douglas Show” and “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” It was Carson who added “The Amazing” to the mentalist’s brand name – he had preferred to go simply by “Kreskin.” And in turn, Kreskin inspired Carson’s famous Carnac the Magnificent character, whose awkward stumble was born from a moment on “The Steve Allen Show” when Kreskin tripped after being blinded by the stage lights.
When he appeared on such TV shows, Kreskin amazed viewers by displaying surprising knowledge of audience members’ personal lives, and he could guess which card was pulled from a deck. But he was upfront about not being psychic. To help explain his abilities, he pointed to two unusual traits he possessed: He had strong senses of intuition and empathy, and he had extremely good hearing. He was also adept at reading body language, and he used the power of suggestion to guide people. His innate abilities were helped along by his sense of showmanship, including his familiar catchphrase, “Even now, I know what you’re thinking!”
Kreskin was also known for his predictions about the future. He was a regular on CNN and Fox News on New Year’s Eve, prognosticating about the coming year. Among his notable predictions was the outcome of the 2016 presidential election; he made an advance statement that appeared to suggest that Donald Trump would win, against the leanings of polling data. On the other hand, a decade earlier, Kreskin predicted that UFOs would appear in the sky over Las Vegas on a particular date. Though this 2006 prediction would appear not to have come true, one person reportedly saw green orbs in the sky that night. Kreskin later said the prediction was a stunt to prove the power of suggestion, and he pointed to the orb sighting as a successful outcome.
Kreskin remained a cultural figure for the rest of his life, continuing to appear on TV and in live performances. He became a frequent guest on “Late Night with David Letterman,” “The Howard Stern Show,” and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” The title character of the 2008 movie “The Great Buck Howard” was based on him.
Notable quote
“One of the huge things I rely on is intuition, because I believe that empathy is the most priceless gift we have, but we’re losing it in our culture today.” — from a 2019 interview for DC Theater Arts
Tributes to The Amazing Kreskin
Full obituary: The New York Times
