Watch a Master at Work: Johnny Thompson’s Classic Great Tomsoni Dove Act

 Long before Johnny Thompson became known to millions of television viewers as the man behind the scenes on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, he was already one of the most respected performers in magic.

This vintage video gives us a chance to go back and watch Thompson doing what helped establish that reputation: performing as The Great Tomsoni.

And for magicians, this one is worth watching closely.

The Great Tomsoni Takes the Stage

Johnny Thompson and his wife, Pamela Hayes, traveled the world performing as The Great Tomsoni & Co.

At first glance, the character seems to be the classic image of a sophisticated magician: tuxedo, music, silks and beautiful white doves appearing from seemingly nowhere.

But Thompson turns that image on its head.

The Great Tomsoni is simultaneously an accomplished magician and a slightly bumbling showman, while Pam plays his less-than-impressed assistant. Their interactions create comedy without sacrificing the strength of the magic.

That's one of the things that makes this footage so much fun to revisit.

Underneath the comedy is some incredibly polished magic.

Beautiful Dove Magic

The dove work alone makes this video an important piece of magic history.

Thompson was an accomplished dove worker, and his act was influenced by one of the most famous dove magicians of all time, Channing Pollock.

Pollock gave Thompson permission to incorporate two of his signature sequences—the double-dove production and dove-to-silk finale—into the Tomsoni act.

Thompson didn't simply imitate Pollock, however.

He took the elegance traditionally associated with the classic dove act and built comedy around it, essentially creating his own affectionate satire of the sophisticated nightclub magician while still performing the actual magic at an extremely high level.

That combination is much harder than it looks.

Watch More Than the Tricks

If you're a magician watching this video, don't concentrate exclusively on figuring out where the birds come from.

Watch Johnny Thompson.

Look at his timing.

Look at where he's looking when the magic happens.

Watch the movements that appear completely unimportant.

Pay attention to the relationship between Johnny and Pam and how their characters continue developing even when neither performer says a word.

Most importantly, notice that the comedy doesn't weaken the magic.

The magic remains strong.

That's a lesson that still applies to performers today.

A trick doesn't exist in isolation. The character performing it, the timing, music, movement, reactions and interaction with an assistant can transform a collection of individual tricks into an act.

The Great Tomsoni & Co. was an act.

One of Magic's Great Behind-the-Scenes Minds

Johnny Thompson's influence eventually extended far beyond his own performances.

He became one of magic's most respected consultants and worked with some of the biggest names in the business, including Penn & Teller, Lance Burton, Criss Angel and many others.

His relationship with Penn & Teller became particularly important.

Thompson worked with the duo for decades and eventually became an integral part of Penn & Teller: Fool Us, helping determine whether contestants had actually fooled Penn and Teller.

There's something wonderful about watching this old footage with that later chapter of his career in mind.

The man audiences eventually knew as one of the greatest repositories of magical knowledge wasn't simply someone who studied magic.

He could perform it at an extraordinary level.

Preserving Performances Like This Matters

Johnny Thompson died in 2019 at the age of 84, but performances like this allow new generations of magicians to experience his work.

And that's important.

Magic is an unusual art because so much of our history isn't preserved in traditional ways. Routines are passed from magician to magician. Techniques are taught privately. Acts disappear when performers retire.

Old performance footage gives us something different.

We get to actually see the timing, movement, personality and audience interaction that can't always be captured on the printed page.

Johnny Thompson's magic has fortunately received extensive preservation. The Magic of Johnny Thompson, written with Jamy Ian Swiss, documents dozens of his routines and includes an entire section devoted to The Great Tomsoni & Co., including his work with doves and silks.

But there's still something special about watching the man himself perform it.

Watch Johnny Thompson — The Great Tomsoni

If you've never seen Johnny Thompson perform his classic dove act—or if it's been years since you've watched it—take a few minutes and enjoy this piece of magic history.

Then watch it again.

The first time, enjoy the magic.

The second time, watch the performer.

There's an enormous amount today's magicians can learn from The Great Tomsoni.