Joan Brandon.com
Joan Brandon
PART TWO 1950 TO 1979
Click here to go to Joan Brandon Part 1, 1914-1950
1952
The novelty of of her magic act began to wear off and become familiar. She tried fronting a magical band for a time. Her attempts at television went nowhere. Although she was successful she began to attempt to reinvent herself. Several reviews of her magic act were mild.
From about 1950 to 1953 she began experimenting with a longer one woman show.
Needing more time she would delve into exposure of phony spirt mediums, escapes and finally into hypnotism.
This would change her life.
Provides advice on how to use hypnotism for purposes of sleep, how to drive a car, alleviate pain, be happy, rid self of bad habits, lots of photos of her at work, tributes and press comments, 24 pages. Toured endlessly to make a living, wore a fur coat during her act.
1953 front page stories as Joan creates a sensation with what she termed "Mass Hypnotism" Up until this point she would still do some magic, Medium exposure, Table lifting, Blindfold Act and her Bar Act
Around 1953 she began to drop the magic and switch to being a full time pioneer woman in hypnosis and created a sensation. She billed herself as "The World's Greatest Hypnotist". Packed houses, held over, etc.
She wrote what may have been a pitch book that she may have self published "Help Yourself Thru Hypnotism and Self-Hypnosis,"
Brandon Enterprises (1953) - 24 Pages
ASIN B0007HEMNW
Billboard - Jun 4, 1955 - Page 43 books.google.com/books?id=pBwEAAAAMBAJ Magazine Hypnotist Joan Brandon drew 22,000 paid admission in her four days at the Armory here last week,
1956
Sucessful Hypnotism 1956.
The Daily Mail 15 August 1958-Page 3 and The Morning Herald 15 August 1958 Page 32
June 1958
1959 Charleston Daily Mail Monday, March 16, 1959 - Page 8
"JOAN BRANDON Hypnotist At Home Show Hypnotist To Appear At City Home Show A lady hypnotist with a national reputation will demonstrate her art in Charleston this week. Joan Brandon will. hypnotize for the unbelieving at the Charleston Civic Center as an attraction of the Greater Charleston Home Show and Better Living Exposition. The show opens tomorrow. Miss Brandon will be featured each evening ind will present two Saturday and Sunday. The unusual lady has been called the greatest hypnotist I have ever seen" by John Chapman, dramatic critic of the New York Daily News. In a demonstration before a group of doctors at a medical -convention in Atlantic City, Miss Brandon told one doctor that he would be touched on the forearm with a red-hot iron and that a blister would form as a result She touched the hypnotized doctor on the arm with a wooden pencil. He jerked his arm away obvious pain and a blister formed as if he had actually been burned by an iron."
Cavalier Magazine, July1956
1959 She has presented demonstrations of hypnotism
before many medical groups and has
explained
how hypnosis may be used
therapeutically.
Joan Brandon 1955
Billboard - Oct 29, 1955 - Page 52
books.google.com/books?id=OiMEAAAAMBAJ
After a return engagement last weekend at the Esquire House Supper Club, Mobile, Ala.,
Joan Brandon hopped to Tampa, where she's set at the Auditorium October 25-30.
Miss Brandon recently flew into New York for an appearance with Eddie Fisher on "Coke Time" on NBC TV.
Not sure if she did this show with the old magic or a hyp bit.
1963 JUN 3-8 Joan Brandon "World's Greatest Hypnotist" The Lagoon in Utah
Gordon's Holiday Spot
Sept 24, 1964.
According to the ads being run by Gordon's Holiday Spot, Joan Brandon, The World's Greatest Hypnotist was appearing at the establishment. Supposedly she would present startling and sensational demonstrations that would hold the audience spellbound. There was a cover charge to get in and view the show. There was also a $10,000 reward offered to anyone who could prove that she was a fraud. The ad claimed if you could prove that she is a fake, the money was yours.
On February 5, 1967, Joan Brandon appeared on "Long John" Nebel's radio program, entitled "Hypnosis". Can be found at Long John Nebel Papers. An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University. Overview of the Collection Creator: Nebel, Long John. Title: Long John Nebel Papers Inclusive Dates: 1962-1969 Quantity: 106.5 linear ft. Abstract: Papers of the American radio broadcaster (1911-1978). Correspondence; book manuscript; and audio tapes of interview and talk radio shows. Language: English Repository: Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 http://scrc.syr.eduOversize box 32 (nebel_0635-0637) February 5, 1967 "Hypnosis" with Richard Kollmer, Joseph Lampl, James Donnelly, John Kolish, Joan Brandon (3 reels)
Joan Brandon 1969.
NewspaperArchive.com Greenfield Recorder, Friday, July 31, 1970, Page 4 newspaperarchive.com.. Friday, July 31, 1970 NewspaperArchive.com
Jul 31, 1970 - Greenfield Recorder Newspaper Archive: July 31, 1970 - Page 4 ... JOAN BRANDON America's Greatest and Most Beautiful Hypnotist SundayÊ... North Adams Transcript, Friday, July 31, 1970, Page 18 newspaperarchive.com/us/.../1970/07.../page-18
Jul 31, 1970 - North Adams Transcript (Newspaper) - July 31, 1970, North Adams, .... JOAN BRANDON AMERICA'S GREATEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL HYPNOTIST ... 3 SHOWS FREE "The Baffling Phanomanon of Mass Hypnosis"
This is the last record of her performing we have been able to find. July 31, 1970 in Holyoke, Mass
Not much has been found about her doings from 1970 until her death in 1979.
Any information regarding Joan Brandon would be greatly appreciated.
Obituariess for Joan Brandon's brother Donald Brandon, which mention Joan.
Donald Brandon; treated celebrities, reporters
By Jim Fitzgerald
Associated Press / June 18, 2011
BRONXVILLE, N.Y.-Dr. Donald Brandon, a World War II combat veteran and longtime Manhattan internist whose patients included Marlon Brando, Tennessee Williams, and a long line of foreign correspondents, has died. He was 84.
Dr. Brandon, who lived in Bronxville, died Wednesday of heart failure at nearby Lawrence Hospital.
Dr. Brandon was medical director to the Associated Press for many years, and his son remembered many mealtimes interrupted by phone calls from reporters abroad.
"If one of the people at AP were to call from some remote outpost and have some exotic tropical disease, he would stay on the phone for hours and make sure he was getting the right treatment,''
Dr. Brandon was also an official physician to the United Nations, his son said, and counted Secretary General U Thant among his patients and close friends. The doctor told friends of his pride in accompanying Thant as his personal physician on an overseas trip.
Dr. Brandon was born in Memphis, the son of touring vaudevillians, and grew up on the road. After his parents' death, he would occasionally serve as an assistant in his sister's magic act or a bass player in her band.
Dr. Brandon attended more than a dozen schools before starting college.
His education was interrupted by the war, and he served with the Army in the South Pacific, his son said.
Afterward, he graduated from the University of Denver and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. He established his New York practice and worked until 2008.
Dr. Brandon was married to Janet E. Brandon for 48 years until her death in 2009. He then married Joyce Brandon.
With his show business and medical connections, Dr. Brandon became friends with many celebrities including Brando, Williams, Lenny Bruce, and explorer Thor Heyerdahl.
Darrell Christian, editor at large at the AP and a patient for 25 years, said Dr. Brandon "was a throwback to the days of the old-fashioned country doctor, except that his office was in middle of the biggest city in the country. . . . He relied on common sense and experience as much as medical journals.''
When the AP's foreign correspondents returned to New York on leave, Dr. Brandon's office was a mandatory stop for a checkup and whatever inoculations were called for.
VARIETY...
Doctor to showbiz, journos dies
June 19, 2011 | 02:14PM PT
Brando among Donald Brandon's patients
Associated Press
Dr. Donald Brandon, a Manhattan internist who grew up in showbiz and had patients including Marlon Brando, Tennessee Williams and a long line of foreign correspondents, died Wednesday, June 15, of heart failure. He was 84.
Brandon was medical director to the Associated Press for many years.
"If one of the people at AP were to call from some remote outpost and have some exotic tropical disease, he would stay on the phone for hours and make sure he was getting the right treatment".
Donald Brandon was also an official physician to the United Nations.
Brandon was born in Memphis, Tenn., the son of touring vaudevillians, and grew up on the road. After his parents' death, he would occasionally serve as an assistant in his sister's magic act or a bass player in her band.
He served with the Army in the South Pacific. Afterward, he graduated from the U. of Denver and the U. of Texas Southwestern Medical School. He established his New York practice and worked until 2008.
With his show business and medical connections, Brandon became friends with many celebrities including Brando, Williams, Lenny Bruce and explorer Thor Heyerdahl.
When the AP's foreign correspondents returned to New York on leave, Brandon's office was a mandatory stop for a checkup and whatever inoculations were called for.
Click here to go to Joan Brandon Part 1, 1914-1950
Copyright 2010 by Dick Brookz, Houdini Museum, Scranton, PA. Thanks to Dorothy Dietrich, and many others.
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