Milt Larsen Passes Away at 92
The world lost some of its magic this past Sunday, May 28, as Milt Larsen has passed away at 92. A writer and frequent participant on the long-running TV show, Truth Or Consequences, producer and instigator behind various theatrical projects like DAWGS! The Musical, but more than anything from his storied past, Milt will be remembered as the Founder, Father – one could say – Wizard – behind Hollywood’s The Magic Castle. An old Victorian mansion converted into a chateau of magic, trickery, and mystical performances by Milt, his brother Bill Larsen, mother Irene Larsen, and a fellow TV business associate, Don Gotschall, among others, when it opened in 1963, The Magic Castle would go on to become renowned as “the most unusual private club in the world.”
A longtime Montecito resident with his wife Arlene – a successful costume designer who had worked with Milt for years before they married in 1989 – the dynamic duo were a beloved sight at local gatherings. The two had more recently set out to craft The Magic Castle Cabaret at the former Café del Sol site near the Andree Clark Bird Refuge before the pandemic and permitting issues clouded the plans, closing the doors in 2022. We will have a larger feature on Milt in an upcoming issue, but for now, our deepest condolences to his wife Arlene, his family and loved ones, and the magical world he left behind.
