The Original International Man Of Mystery
For decades David Berglas was billed as the ‘International Man of Mystery’ and amazed the world with a series of remarkable stunts and illusions, including hurtling blindfolded down the notorious Cresta Run, levitating a table on the streets of Nairobi and teleporting from London to Glasgow on live television.
Derren Brown has described him as “One of our greatest living magical performers” and Dynamo refers to him simply as ’The Master’.
He has entertained a host of celebrities, including Winston Churchill, The Rat Pack, Elton John, the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Walt Disney and most of the British Royal Family.
David’s passion and all-time favourite occupation is working as a creative consultant on major films. He feels privileged to have worked with some of the world’s greatest producers: Stanley Kubrick, The Luck of Barry Lyndon, starring Ryan O’Neal,Tim Burton, Batman, starring Jack Nicholson as the Joker,
George Lucas Willow, starring a young Warwick Davis and directed by Ron Howard.
He has also worked on five James Bond films including Octopussy, starring Roger Moore, produced by
Albert R Broccoli and the original Casino Royale, featuring Orson Welles, Peter Sellers and David Niven.
He was the first magician to appear in his own series on British television, Meet David Berglas (1954) and also had several major television series in Sweden, Germany, Norway and Holland, where he was voted `Television Personality of the Year’ (1967) - the first time it had ever been awarded to a foreign celebrity.
He was honoured to be the subject of television’s `This is Your Life’, broadcast to millions on Christmas Day 1991, following the Queen’s speech.
In the 1980s he interviewed and entertained several celebrity guests in his Channel 4 series - `The Mind of David Berglas’, including Omar Sharif, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Graham Chapman, Max Bygraves and Peter Cook.
He was President of The Magic Circle for nine years (1989 - 1998) and in 2000 was honoured with their coveted ‘Gold Medal’ which had only been awarded six times since 1926.
The Academy of Magical Arts (Hollywood), presented David with a `Special Fellowship' in 2000 and a ‘Masters Fellowship’ in 2004.
The world’s leading show business charity organisation, the Grand Order of Water Rats, voted him ‘King Rat’ in 1979.
He was made a ‘Freeman of the City of London’ in 1992 and then, in 2018 David was the first to be honoured with an MBE for ’Services to Magic and Psychology’, presented by Prince William.
When he stepped forward to receive the medal, he expected some formal words from the Prince, instead he was greeted with: “David, is that really you or just one of your illusions?”.
A few highlights of David's incredible 70 year career
How Magic changed Television (Channel 5)
