Career

Much of Caldwell"s comedy stemmed from his large size. Caldwell was a contemporary of Harry Blackstone Junior., Jay Marshall, Karrell Fox, Howard Flint, Lance Burton, David Copperfield, Doug Henning, and David Mark. Caldwell was a staple at the famous Abbott"s Magic Get-Togethers, usually in the company of Blackstone, Flint, Fox, and Mark.

He was known for a comedy routine in which he borrowed a young boy"s handkerchief, cut a large hole in it and, after some comic by-play and several failed attempts, restored the handkerchief.

After realizing he could have speared himself many times over the years, Caldwell never again performed the flip.

Achievements

• At more than 400 pounds, Caldwell became famous for being able to do a complete backflip from a standing position, and he featured this stunt in a series of television commercials for many advertisers throughout the 1960s and 1970s.