Mulholland learned the art of magic as a teenager with John William Sargent, President of the
Society of American Magicians. Mulholland was a professional magician for two decades, working in small companies and large stage shows. He ran one of the first magic workshops and was from 1930 the editor of the magical trade magazine
The Sphinx. He published many books on magic and its history. Mulholland was a close friend of
Harry Houdini. Mulholland asserted that "Houdini once told me that he considered no man to be a magician until he was able skillfully to perform the
cups and balls." His other friends included
Gene Tunney,
Harold Ross and Bert Terhune. Mulholland married Pauline Pierce on May 17, 1932. During
World War II, he wrote a spellbook for soldiers. His collection is now owned by
David Copperfield. In 1949, Mulholland was issued a public $10,000 challenge. John J McManus (Magic Collector) issued the challenge in the Conjurors' Magazine (June 1949, Vol 5 Issue# 4). The full page ad called for Mulholland to re-create his famous 'Hooker Rising Trick' under controlled stage conditions with McManus providing the necessary props. Failure to answer the challenge or to correctly recreate the trick would call for publicly accepting the story of his trick as an 'exaggerated myth'. He was the editor of the Conjurer's Journal and was the only living magician listed in the book
''Who's who in America'' immediately after the death of
Howard Thurston. Mulholland was also a member and honorary vice-president of the
Inner Magic Circle, and a member of the
International Brotherhood of Magicians and the
Society of American Magicians. In 2008, magician Ben Robinson authored ''The Magician: John Mulholland's Secret Life'' which documented his work with the CIA. ==Skepticism==