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339:, whom he first met on 11 November 1918. They wed with Methodist rites at her father Kelvin Grove's home. They had one daughter, Esme (1921â1989), who at 5, was already performing with Cole. On 15 November 1941, Esme Cole married another member of Cole's magic show, Robert Butt, on stage. Cole enjoyed
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elected him as the world's number one magician. He returned to
Australia in November 1940, entertaining army troops in Queensland and settling in New South Wales. A financial member of the Variety Artists' Federation of Great Britain, he continued to actively tour and in 1954, he visited South
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and tended the hotel's bar. It was at the hotel where he encountered showman Tom Selwyn and became his apprentice. Cole spent two years studying under Selwyn, who gave him the stage name "Levant" (later changed to "Levante") and subsequently the "Great
Levante", occasionally performing at
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branch was set up in
Melbourne. Six years after the birth of his daughter Esme in 1927, the Cole family, a trio composing of Cole, his wife Gladys Costin and Esme (acting as assistants for Cole), toured the globe. During which they travelled out of Australia to the
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314:, Russia, China, Japan and England. The world tour, which was Cole's first, lasted till 1940. While in England, he came up with the idea for a magic show which would have comedic elements, singers and animals. It was to be known as
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Cole was already involved in magic in as early as 1907, when he founded what is now the fourth oldest magical society in the world, the
Australian Society of Magicians Incorporated. In 1909, Cole, then aged 17, travelled to
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In his later years, Cole frequently toured around
Australia, occasionally travelling to England. Cole died on 20 January 1978 at his eleven-room house located in
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as frauds. He was also an avid reader and artwork collector. Over his lifetime, he collected as many as sixty paintings and engravings, most of which were by
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191:. He is regarded as one of the greatest magicians in the world and "Australia's most famous magician". He is also credited with creating the
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and helped recruit soldiers. After the war Cole worked under the handles Les Cole and
Magician Cole. In 1920, at Cole's proposal, an
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Wonders of magic: a veteran magician's book of original tricks, concepts, pictures, memoirs, and conjuring history
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Levante, the famous
Australian illusionist: shades of the great magicians bow to the modern master of all magic
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America. Cole officially retired in 1977. In recognition of his contributions to magic, the
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and Sarah
Catherine (nÊe Chapman, later Reid.), a homemaker. His family later moved to
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Levante receiving Life Member
Certificate, Australian Society of Magicians, 1952
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Gladys
Pretoria Costin (m. 7 June 1919 â 20 January 1978, Cole's death)
425:"Levante" should be pronounced as "Levant"; the final "e" is silent.
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before going solo as a professional magician, making appearances at
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awarded him the Performing Fellowship and the Masters Fellowship.
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Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins
375:, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, which he purchased post-
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The magic catalogue: a guide to the wonderful world of magic
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Milbourne Christopher; Maurine Brooks Christopher (1996).
908:. Vol. 13. Canberra: Australian National University.
207:, Sydney, Australia to Sydney-born couple George Cole, a
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Kindly leave the stage!: the story of variety, 1919â1960
693:"Brief Biographies of Magic Inventors â Page K â L â M"
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On 7 June 1919, Cole married Gladys Pretoria Costin, a
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Magic: a pictorial history of conjurers in the theater
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Magic: a pictorial history of conjurers in the theater
215:, Victoria where the elder George Cole bred and sold
187:(5 March 1892 â 20 January 1978), was an Australian
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203:Leslie George Vante Cole was born 5 March 1892 in
734:. Australian Society of Magicians. Archived from
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646:"The Australian Society of Magicians No. 1"
1006:. Canberra: National Centre of Biography,
277:who had performed a similar stunt off the
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318:and it had a cast of forty. In 1939, the
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839:. The Miracle Factory. Archived from
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248:and found work at the Vine Hotel in
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541:"Magicians' Biographies â Letter L"
1003:Australian Dictionary of Biography
905:Australian Dictionary of Biography
624:"Levante, Lev 'The Great Levante'"
14:
285:, Cole briefly acted in military
884:"Honest Trickster in the City".
837:"Levante â His Life No Illusion"
760:The illustrated history of magic
714:"Army's Million Dollar Talent".
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648:. Australian Institute of Magic
449:. Cornwall Books. p. 305.
291:Australian Society of Magicians
122:Australian Society of Magicians
1008:Australian National University
888:. 18 November 1941. p. 1.
794:. 28 February 1941. p. 5.
169:Leslie George "Les" Vante Cole
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517:Levante, His Life No Illusion
805:William Doerflinger (1977).
470:John Nicholls Booth (1986).
998:"Cole, Leslie George (Les)"
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720:. 5 June 1943. p. 4.
62:20 January 1978 (aged 85)
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671:. Methuen. p. 175.
44:Leslie George Vante Cole
1073:Male actors from Sydney
865:. Arts Centre Melbourne
626:. Arts Centre Melbourne
515:Kent Blackmore (1997).
325:Academy of Magical Arts
788:"Magician Wins Case".
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235:Publicity poster for "
16:Australian illusionist
958:Sydney Morning Herald
902:John Ritchie (1993).
763:. Heinemann. p.
667:Roger Wilmut (1985).
367:Later years and death
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1068:Australian magicians
598:David Price (1985).
565:Adrian Room (2010).
445:David Price (1985).
252:. There, he marked
181:"The Great Levante"
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961:. 24 January 1978.
924:. 21 January 1978.
811:. Dutton. p.
602:. Cornwall Books.
474:. Ridgeway Press.
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343:-fishing, playing
259:repertory theatres
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25:Leslie George Cole
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974:Missing or empty
937:Missing or empty
843:on 3 October 2011
543:. MagicTricks.com
499:. Burnley, Lancs.
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1037:. Retrieved
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845:. Retrieved
841:the original
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740:. Retrieved
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695:. Magic Nook
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650:. Retrieved
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628:. Retrieved
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553:Levante, Les
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545:. Retrieved
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377:World War II
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316:How's Tricks
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237:How's Tricks
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152:Esme Levante
135:How's Tricks
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130:Notable work
124:Incorporated
118:Organization
47:5 March 1892
18:
1063:1978 deaths
1058:1892 births
1039:27 December
869:27 December
847:28 December
742:28 December
699:27 December
652:27 December
630:27 December
547:28 December
296:Philippines
283:World War I
271:Yarra River
189:illusionist
160:George Cole
94:Illusionist
1052:Categories
573:. p.
433:References
267:Queensland
221:dairy farm
213:Wangaratta
205:Alexandria
199:Early life
51:Alexandria
1026:1833-7538
967:cite news
930:cite news
791:The Argus
732:"History"
717:Billboard
263:Luna Park
254:billiards
246:Melbourne
177:"Levante"
157:Parent(s)
113:1907â1977
1034:70677943
304:Malaysia
250:Richmond
173:"Levant"
149:Children
98:Magician
85:Les Cole
81:Levante
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308:Borneo
300:Malaya
227:Career
209:driver
141:Spouse
79:Levant
383:Notes
345:chess
341:trout
337:clerk
312:India
105:actor
1041:2012
1030:OCLC
1022:ISSN
1012:ISBN
980:help
943:help
871:2012
849:2012
817:ISBN
769:ISBN
744:2012
701:2012
673:ISBN
654:2012
632:2012
604:ISBN
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521:ISBN
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451:ISBN
183:and
59:Died
40:Born
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77:Les
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