CEELEY AND THE NAKED LADY.
IN THE early days of the war, a magician known in England as the "Great Ceeley" walked into my office, and told me that he needed advice. He went on to explain that he wanted a pretty girl assistant who could do some quick costume changing for him. He had arranged an illusion in which a girl was to appear in the dress of a British soldier, a Belgian soldier, and Britannia, all within the space of a few seconds.
I suggested that he would do well to insert an advertisement in a professional paper called the "Stage." He thanked me for my advice, and took his leave, promising to let me know the result.
A few days later he again came to see me. Pointing his thumbs to the ceiling, he cried: "I've got her, Will. She's a real peach-the very girl I wanted."
"Is she good to look at?" I asked.
"Er-well, she's got nice hair?" he replied guardedly. "I'd like you to fit her up with the costumes, old man. I'll send her along for the fittings."
On the following day the lady in question presented herself. She was by no means pretty, but had a beautiful mass of auburn hair that stretched below her waist.
My assistant measured her for the three costumes, and explained how she would have to work them. First of all she had to put on the Britannia dress, then the Belgian uniform, and lastly that of the British Tommy. Each costume was to be fitted with a different shaped button attached to a hidden cord. By pulling the first button, the British uniform would collapse, leaving her dressed as a Belgian soldier. The next button left her as Britannia, and the last button enabled her to discard the Britannia dress when her show was finished.
The girl agreed that the instructions were quite simple, and said she would call in a week's time, when the costumes would be ready. I urged the necessity of trying the effect over in my rehearsal rooms in order to avoid the possibility of a mistake on the stage.
On the day of the appointment, Ceeley himself called with his assistant. It so happened that there were three or four other theatrical gentlemen in my office at the time, and Ceeley invited them to see the rehearsal. The girl quickly changed into her costumes--they fitted perfectly--and I went over the instructions once again.
"When I say 'pull'," I told her, " you must pull the first button, and stand at attention as a Belgian soldier."
"Righto," said the lady. "Go ahead."
We took up our positions in the rehearsal room, and the girl walked in dressed as a British soldier. She did her posing well.
"That's good," I cried. "Now--pull!"
She pulled--and stood dutifully at attention. For a few seconds there was a deathly silence.
Then we all made a blackguard rush for the door, leaving the poor girl standing in the middle of the floor. She had pulled all three buttons, and every stitch of clothing had fallen from her!