CHANNING POLLOCK performed one of the most sophisticated and elegant magic acts in the world. A debonair figure, dressed immaculately both on stage and off, he set the standard for producing doves from thin air. As he made literally hundreds of doves appear from nowhere he seemed to be shaping them from his own hands. Magicians throughout the world copied his act but never equalled his artistry.

He retired as a magician in the early 1960s and with his handsome looks had a successful career as an actor in European cinema.

Born in 1926 in Sacramento, California, he became interested in magic from an early age. An advertisement in a magic magazine advertised a “college of manual dexterity” (the Chavez School of Magic in Los Angeles) and Pollock applied. He graduated in 1952 and became a professional magician.

Deciding on a new approach to magic in which there were no language barriers, Pollock began to experiment. Seeing a sign in a local shop offering rabbits and pigeons for sale he bought a pigeon “about four times the size of a dove and totally unsuitable for a magic act”. The pigeon was returned and in its place he acquired two doves.

Within two years he had created one of the most spectacular magic acts in showbusiness and was in demand in cabaret and theatres throughout America. In the mid-1950s he came to Britain where he headlined on several occasions at the London Palladium, sometimes billed as “the most beautiful man in the world”. When asked how he developed his stage image he said: “Fear made me look sophisticated!”

He also appeared in top London cabaret venues such as the Café de Paris, the Stork Club and Churchills as well as provincial variety theatres.

At the height of his magic career he was one of America’s highest-paid entertainers and a regular guest on The Ed Sullivan Show.

In 1959 his act was seen in the film Europe by Night and the following year he quit magic to become an actor. He appeared in numerous thrillers and dramas including Moschettieri del mare, I (1960), with Aldo Ray and Pier Angeli, Rocambole (1962), Sceicco rosso, Lo (1962) and most notably George Franju’s tribute to the silent serials, Judex (1963), in which he played the romantic lead. He also went on to guest star in American TV shows such as The Beverly Hillbillies and Bonanza.

In 1969 he retired completely from performing and he and his artist wife Corri set up an organic farm in Moss Beach, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Their spectacular one-floor house, with floor-to-ceiling glass walls and a large library of esoteric and spiritual books, became something of a haven for aspiring magicians who were always welcomed graciously by the couple.

In 2000 Pollock was invited by the Magic Circle to appear on stage in London for an interview with the BBC producer and author John Fisher. Magicians from around the world attended the occasion and Pollock received a prolonged standing ovation on his entrance. During the interview he expressed his admiration for the comedian and magician Tommy Cooper and commented what a great comedy magician Basil Fawlty would have made. Asked what were the true secrets of magic he replied: “They lie in the mind, the heart, the body and the soul.”

“Channing Pollock was the quintessential magician,” said John Wade, of the Magic Circle. “He has never been equalled.”

His wife predeceased him.

Channing Pollock, magician and actor, was born on August 16, 1926. He died on March 18, 2006, aged 79.