Sky-divers, boxers and halfbacks in action

on a circular screen at the bottom of a well

A CANOPIED KIOSK in the General Cigar Hall of Magic at the Fair houses a unique sports picture, which was shot as it is viewed, looking into action from above as from a helicopter.

Visitors gaze down the sloping pit walls (bell-shaped) as an overhead 16mm sound projector puts exciting action sequences onto the six-foot circular screen. A most exciting sequence shows the free-fall, sky-diving parachutists as they hurtle towards the earth.

Within the brief three-minutes, there's also indoor action of billiards, boxing and golf and a "worm's eye" view as the camera looks upward at a boxer skipping rope.

Patterns in Sport is co-sponsored by SPORTS ILLUSTRATED. It was created from an idea developed by Gordon Auchincloss and George Marck. Filming was by Gerald Productions, Inc., designed by George Canata and under the direction of Jerry Auerbach. Technical equipment was designed and built by Reevesound, under the supervision of William Szabo. Another good Fair idea!

James "Mark" Wilson (b. 1929) is an American magician and author. He aspired to be a magician after seeing Tommy Bearden perform. His family moved to Dallas, Texas where, as a teenager, he improved his magic knowledge by working for Douglas Magic Land as a clerk. As a student at SMU, Wilson performed shows with the Morton’s Potato Chip Company as his sponsor.

When television began to grow he arranged a local show in Dallas in 1955 which grew to other shows in Houston and San Antonio. When videotape was developed he created the first show to be videotaped and nationally syndicated. That show was the original black and white Magic Land of Allakazam and was sponsored by Scotch Brand Tape. His wife, Nani Darnell, assisted him and they were joined by Bev Bergeron who helped write the shows and played the character, Rebo the Clown. The Kellogg Company bought the series and moved it to CBS Television in 1960. The show moved from CBS to ABC in 1962. In 1965, the series left ABC and was internationally syndicated.

Mark Wilson created the Hall of Magic for the General Cigar Company at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair. He later created The Funny Face Magic Show and the Pillsbury sponsored Magic Circus in 1971. He and his crew assisted in the technical production of the magic in many network shows including The Magician, Circus of the Stars, Hollywood Palace, The Roy Rogers Show, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Incredible Hulk, Columbo and more. His last regular TV production was The Magic Of Mark Wilson. The series was seen in national syndication in 1981. Wilson was aided on this final series by second son Greg as well as by longtime assistant Nani Darnell.

In 1971, he published his Mark Wilson's Complete Course In Magic which is still in print in various forms around the world.