Franz Polgar

Dr. Franz Polgar (1900–1979) was a renowned psychologist, hypnotist, lecturer and entertainer. Born in city of Enying, Hungary, he earned a PhD in Psychology from the University of Budapest.

He immigrated to the United States in 1935 and honed his hypnotism skills by working in speakeasy bars in New York city. He married his wife, Lillian, in 1938 and she became his booking and publications manager.

During the early days of television, Dr. Polgar had a 15-minute show on the CBS station in New York City. Most of his entertaining was done in colleges, universities, and resorts. His show consisted of three parts: hypnosis demonstration, a "mind reading" stunt where he would find an object hidden by his audience, and various memory stunts. He was an outstanding entertainer and would mix education and humor into his performances. He and his wife had two children: Julian and Risa.