Fred Keating, a talented individual of Irish-Spanish descent, began his career as a skilled magician, captivating audiences with his conjuring tricks from a young age. He eventually became apprenticed to the renowned Howard Thurston after leaving Culver Military Academy, and by the age of eighteen, he had established himself as a successful performer on the vaudeville circuit in the 1920s.
With his signature blend of amusing patter and clever showmanship, Keating's most popular routine was a version of de Kolta's Vanishing Birdcage, which left audiences in awe. In addition to his magic performances, he also dabbled in writing, selling several short stories and adopting the stage name "Fred Keating" after receiving advice from the esteemed playwright Edna Ferber.
By the early 1930s, Keating began to shift his focus from magic to comedy, making his Broadway debut and subsequently appearing in fourteen Hollywood films between 1934 and 1940. He received starring roles in several notable productions, including The Nitwits (1935),The Devil on Horseback (1936),When's Your Birthday? (1937),and Prison Train (1938),alongside notable co-stars such as Wheeler & Woolsey, Lili Damita, Joe E. Brown, and Dorothy Comingore.
However, Keating's career was eventually hampered by struggles with alcoholism and depression, leading him to return to performing magic in the seedier nightclubs and hotels of New York. Despite his efforts to revive his career, his days at the top of his profession were behind him, and he was forced to acknowledge the decline of his once-promising career.
