Born on This Day: Gloria Dea, the First Magician on the Las Vegas Strip

 August 25 marks the birthday of Gloria Dea, a groundbreaking performer whose place in magic history was nearly forgotten.

Born Gloria Metzner on August 25, 1922, Dea became the first known magician to perform on what would eventually become the Las Vegas Strip. Her historic 1941 appearance came years before Las Vegas developed into the entertainment capital now associated with David Copperfield, Penn & Teller, Shin Lim, Criss Angel and countless other magicians.

Had she lived, Gloria Dea would have celebrated her 104th birthday today.

Gloria Dea Discovers Magic as a Child

Gloria was born in Oakland, California, and introduced to magic by her father, Leo Metzner. A paint and wallpaper salesman by profession, he performed at local clubs under the name “The Great Leo.”

Gloria later remembered becoming fascinated with magic after her father apparently pulled a gold coin from her ear when she was four years old.

It did not take long for her to move from spectator to performer. She began appearing onstage as a young child and was reportedly performing professionally by the age of seven. The Oakland Tribune nicknamed her the “Mysterious Mite” and described her as possessing the confidence and presence of a much older performer.

Her childhood repertoire included vanishing coins, appearing pigeons, the vanishing wand, transformations and other classic effects. She also produced two pet guinea pigs and a pigeon from a hat.

By 11, Gloria had become one of the youngest members of the Pacific Coast Association of Magicians. At 12, she received an award from the organization for her work with livestock.

These early accomplishments were impressive for any young magician, but they were especially remarkable for a girl entering an entertainment field overwhelmingly dominated by men.

The First Magician on the Las Vegas Strip

Gloria Dea made magic history on May 14, 1941, when she performed in the Round-Up Room at the El Rancho Vegas.

Although contemporary accounts sometimes described her as 19, Gloria was still 18 and only a few months away from her 19th birthday.

The El Rancho Vegas had opened the previous month on a largely undeveloped stretch of Highway 91. That road would eventually become Las Vegas Boulevard and the world-famous Las Vegas Strip.

Dea’s act combined sleight of hand, floating cards, multiplying and vanishing billiard balls, hypnotism and dance. One of her featured effects caused a playing card to disappear and reappear inside an orange. Between the magic routines, she danced the rumba with the hotel orchestra.

A contemporary newspaper review reported that Dea had completely mystified the audience and identified her card-to-orange finale as one of the show’s biggest highlights.

Las Vegas was not yet filled with enormous illusions, resident magic productions and celebrity headliners. Gloria performed in a comparatively intimate showroom with the hotel’s swimming pool visible through glass behind the audience.

Her appearance is now recognized as the first known performance by a magician on what became the Las Vegas Strip. As The Neon Museum observed, she opened the door for the generations of magicians who followed.

From Las Vegas Magic to Hollywood

After performing in Las Vegas, Gloria moved into motion pictures and adopted the professional name Gloria Dea.

Her film appearances included Mexicana, Delightfully Dangerous, The Story of Dr. Wassell, The Prodigal and The Sea Chase. In 1952, she portrayed Princess Pha opposite Buster Crabbe in the adventure serial King of the Congo.

She also appeared as a mourner in Ed Wood’s famously troubled science-fiction movie Plan 9 from Outer Space. Although the film later earned an unusual reputation as one of the worst movies ever made, Dea remembered enjoying the experience.

Her career blended magic, dancing, acting and glamorous costumes. She was more than a magician who briefly visited Hollywood—she was a versatile variety entertainer who successfully adapted to several different forms of show business.

Gloria Dea Disappears from the Magic World

Gloria eventually left show business and built an entirely different life. She sold insurance and became a successful new- and used-car salesperson at a Chevrolet dealership in California’s San Fernando Valley.

She returned to Las Vegas with her husband, Sam Anzalone, in 1980, but her pioneering magic career was largely unknown by then. She sold or gave away many of her costumes, props and books, and her accomplishments gradually faded from public memory.

That changed in 2020 when magician and hypnotist AnnaRose Einarsen discovered a vintage skirt that had once belonged to Dea. The discovery led Einarsen to Gloria’s collection of costumes, magic books, props and promotional material—and eventually to Gloria herself.

Even David Copperfield, who maintains an extensive collection of historic magic artifacts, had not previously known her story.

The magic community began correcting that oversight.

Copperfield befriended Dea and invited her to one of his MGM Grand performances in October 2021. When he introduced her to the audience, she received a standing ovation.

Las Vegas Celebrates Gloria Dea’s 100th Birthday

On August 25, 2022, magicians and Las Vegas dignitaries gathered at the Westgate Las Vegas to celebrate Gloria Dea’s 100th birthday.

David Copperfield, Teller and other members of the Las Vegas magic community attended the celebration. Clark County officially declared August 25 “Gloria Dea Day” and presented her with the Key to the Las Vegas Strip.

Copperfield credited Dea with helping open the door for magic in Las Vegas. Long before modern productions transformed the city into a global destination for illusion shows, Gloria had proven that magic belonged on a Las Vegas stage.

The celebration became Dea’s final major public appearance.

Remembering a Las Vegas Magic Pioneer

Gloria Dea died on March 18, 2023, at her Las Vegas residence. She was 100 years old.

Just three days later, she was posthumously inducted into the UNLV College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame. David Copperfield participated in the induction, while AnnaRose Einarsen and Dea’s caregiver and friend Elizabeth Bowes accepted the honor on her behalf.

Gloria’s recognition came much later than it should have, but the final years of her life allowed her to see the magic community embrace her extraordinary legacy.

Today, Las Vegas is home to more professional magic than nearly any other destination in the world. Its theaters have welcomed legendary performers, groundbreaking productions and generations of visitors searching for the impossible.

That history began with a teenage magician named Gloria Dea.

On the anniversary of her birth, we remember the young woman who walked onto the El Rancho Vegas stage in 1941 and helped make magic part of the Las Vegas story.