MUM.11-2014

NOVEMBER 2014

INTERVIEW WITH AMERICA'S GOT TALENT WINNER MAT FRANCO PAGE 36

MAGIC - UNITY - MIGHT Editor Michael Close Editor Emeritus David Goodsell Associate Editor W.S. Duncan Proofreader & Copy Editor Lindsay Smith Art Director Lisa Close Publisher

Society of American Magicians, 18915 East Briargate Lane, #1F Parker, CO 80134 Copyright © 2014 Subscription is through membership in the Society and annual dues of $65, of which $40 is for 12 issues of M-U-M. All inquiries concerning membership, change of address, and missing or replacement issues should be addressed to: Manon Rodriguez, National Administrator P.O. Box 505, Parker, CO 80134 [email protected] Skype: manonadmin Phone: 303-362-0575 Fax: 303-362-0424 To file an assembly report go to: www.mum-magazine.com For advertising information, reservations, and placement contact: Cinde Sanders M-U-M Advertising Manager Email: [email protected] Telephone: 214-902-9200 Editorial contributions and correspondence concerning all content and advertising should be addressed to the editor: Michael Close - Email: [email protected] Phone: 317-456-7234

Submissions for the magazine will only be accepted by email or fax.

VISIT THE S.A.M. WEB SITE www.magicsam.com To access “Members Only” pages: Enter your Name and Membership number exactly as it appears on your membership card. 4 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

M-U-M

NOVEMBER 2014

MAGAZINE

Volume 104 • Number 6

S.A.M. NEWS 6 8 11 21 22 23 69

From the Editor’s Desk From the President’s Desk M-U-M Assembly News New Members & Reinstatements Broken Wands Good Cheer List Our Advertisers

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54

Cover Story Page 36

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Photo by Richard Faverty

THIS MONTH’S FEATURES 24 26 28 32 36 40 46 48 52 54 56 60 67 68 69 70 70

Nielsen Gallery • by Tom Ewing Stage 101 Practicum • by Levent Not Just Kid Stuff • by Jim Kleefeld Ebook Nook: In a Class by Himself • by Jon Racherbaumer COVER STORY • by Bruce Kalver Silent Mora • By Tom Ewing Hit the Road • by Scott Alexander For Your Consideration • by George Parker Cheats and Deceptions • by Antonio M. Cabral I Left My Cards at Home • by Steve Marshall The High Road • by Mick Ayres Informed Opinion • New Product Reviews Tech Tricks • by Bruce Kalver Salon de Magie • by Ken Klosterman Inside Straight • by Norman Beck The Dean’s Diary • by George Schindler Basil the Baffling • by Alan Wassilak Cover photo by Richard Faverty

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M-U-M (ISSN 00475300 USPS 323580) is published monthly for $40 per year by The Society of American Magicians, 6838 N. Alpine Dr., Parker, CO 80134 . Periodical postage paid at Parker, CO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to M-U-M, c/o Manon Rodriguez, P.O. Box 505, Parker, CO 80134. NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 5

Photo by fivebyphotography.com

Editor’s Desk Michael Close Season nine of America’s Got Talent concluded on September 17, 2014. Included among the usual assortment of singers, contortionists, acrobats, musicians, comedians, and dancers that appeared during the season were four magic acts: Smoothini, Mike Super, David and Leeman, and Mat Franco. When the smoke cleared at the end of the season finale, an amazing thing had occurred; Mat Franco had won, beating out singer Emily West and AcroArmy, a group of acrobats. This was the first time that a magician had won America’s Got Talent and its first prize of one million dollars. Many other magicians have competed on AGT, but Franco’s combination of a likeable, friendly personality and classic close-up magic effects (Ambitious Card, Out of This World, Cups and Balls) had a special appeal to the viewing audience. So how did Mat Franco make it to the finals? You’ll find out in this month’s cover story, an interview with Mat conducted by Bruce Kalver, who has known Mat for many years. (When Mat was fifteen years old, Bruce interviewed him for The Magic SYMbol; he also recommended Mat to Andy Dallas, who used Mat on an S.A.M. convention Stars of Tomorrow show.) I congratulate Mat on his win; his performances put magic in a positive light, and that’s good for all of us. Sometimes current events dictate what happens during the production of a magazine, and that’s certainly what happened this month. As planned, the cover story for this month was to be on Louis J. McCord, who is better known by his stage name: Silent Mora. William Rauscher has a big, new book coming out this month on the life, times, and magic of Silent Mora. In our other big story this month, Tom Ewing interviews Rauscher about Mora, who was a big influence on Dai Vernon. If you know Mora’s name, it is probably because of two of his signature creations that live on in the repertoires of magicians today: the wand-spin vanish of a small object (a core sleight in many Cups and Balls routines) and The Three Balls and a Net routine. The latter routine is a perfect packs-small/plays-big trick for the close-up or parlor performer. If you have an interest in this routine, there are two excellent sources of instruction: John Carney’s lesson (The Mora Ball Routine), which is part of the series Carney 2013 (see my review in last month’s issue of M-U-M); and Johnny Thompson’s handing, which is explained on the DVD Johnny Thompson Commercial Classics of Magic Volume 3. Both men are experts at this routine, and both offer valuable insights. I am happy to read in the Assembly Reports that many compeers are performing routines that have appeared in M-U-M. In fact, Assembly 22 has an annual meeting event that features magic from M-U-M. There’s some fine magic in this issue. In particular, kid show performers should check out Jim Kleefeld’s routine with a rope in his Not Just Kid Stuff column. (I suggested an added bit for this routine; Jim liked it and said he’d give it a try. If it plays well, I’ll tell you what my suggestion was in the next issue.) Steve Marshall’s I Left My Cards at Home column 6 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

has another kid show effect, this one contributed by David (Silly Billy) Kaye. Mick Ayres offers a simple but effective card trick from the late John Murray. This one is almost self-working, but it will probably puzzle your magic pals. (And it certainly will fool laymen.) Finally, you’ll find two not-well-known routines from Don Alan in the Ebook Nook column. The routine for the Mental Photography Deck is particularly useful. Pay attention to how Don gets the deck into play and how he gets rid of it before grabby spectators can examine it. Finally this month, I would be remiss if I didn’t publicly say goodbye to two old friends who died in September. Bud Dietrich was simply one of the nicest, friendliest people I’ve ever met. I ran into Bud all the time when I was much younger and attended the Midwest Magic Jubilees in St. Louis and Kansas City. Bud and his wife Audrey always greeted me with a smile and made a special effort to include me in their group of friends. Bud was one of the first trade show magicians, and he made a good living from it. More important than that, he was generous with his time and his knowledge. If not for Bud, a generation of magicians like Shep Hyken and Seth Kramer would probably be in another line of work. I was just a kid, but Bud laughed at my jokes and smiled at my tricks, and for that I’m grateful. Aloha, Bud. I met Phil Willmarth more than forty years ago; I’m pretty sure Jay Marshall introduced us. Whenever I drove from Indianapolis to Chicago to visit Jay, I’d always make a trip downtown to see Phil at his office. On one visit, as we were heading out to lunch, Phil said, “There’s someone joining us that I’ll think you’ll enjoy meeting.” That someone was Eugene Burger, who at that time was just beginning to make his mark on the world of magic. Phil was involved with The Linking Ring for many years, first as the Parade editor, and then as the executive editor. He loved working on that magazine, and it benefitted from his dedication. I know that one of the hardest decisions he ever made was leaving the magazine to become the international president of the I.B.M., but there were things he wanted to accomplish for the organization. During the twenty years I was the music director for the I.B.M. conventions we saw each other at least once a year, and we always set aside some time to kvetch about the world of magic and magicians. Almost twenty-five years ago, Phil, Jay, and Eugene came down to Indianapolis to visit Illusions, the magic-themed restaurant. (A photo from that weekend is floating around Facebook; you may have seen it.) Jay and Eugene performed on the small stage we had in the bar. It was the first time I had ever seen Jay Marshall perform for a lay audience, and it was an extraordinary event. Phil said to me afterward that it was one of the strongest performances he’d ever seen Jay give. Phil is also responsible for one of my favorite review quotes. He wrote (concerning a performance at an I.B.M. convention): “Jay Marshall was accompanied by Mike Close, who knows the act backward and forward, which is good, because that’s how Jay does it these days.” I (and many others) mourned the death of his first wife, Anne. I (and many others) was delighted some years later when he met and married Robbie. They were a great “magic couple,” and they were a pleasure to be around. If the measure of a life is how much you’re missed when you’re gone, then Phil Willmarth lived an exemplary life. Aloha, pal. I’ll miss you. 

THE PRESIDENT’S GOOD WILL PERFORMER OF THE MONTH: LES COOPER

President’s Desk Kenrick "ICE" McDonald In line with the “Year of the Member” campaign, this month’s article is dedicated to our members. Each month, members are selected by their peers and RVP to receive a Presidential Certificate for being an outstanding assembly and/or associate member. I am excited and honored to congratulate the following recipients of Presidential Certificates: Tim Wolf – Assembly 30, Atlanta/South Atlantic Region: Tim Wolf has been a longtime member of the Atlanta magic community. For more than three decades he has shared his special magic by making hospital visits. Through an initiative called Project Magic, Tim and other Assembly 30 members visit Shepherd Center, one of the nation’s leading facilities for medical treatment, research, and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord and brain injuries. Their monthly appearances include a magic show for the patients along with patient visits and words of encouragement. Steve Barcellona – Current Vice President Assembly 8, St. Louis/Midwest Region: Steve is a very active member, not just at the meetings, but for the assembly as a whole. This past year, he put together their fundraising show and enlisted members who had never participated before by helping them select an effect that suited them. This increased membership involvement and guaranteed new people to be on the show. He set up the advertising and became a one-man committee to make sure everything was done. Assembly 8 has a Skype or video session at every meeting; Steve always provides a video to show, which increases the knowledge of the membership. He often leads the discussion on a wide range of topics to provide exciting and informative meetings. He arranged for the assembly to participate in the local Relay for Life, giving members a chance to perform in public as well as creating goodwill for the assembly in the community. He brought money in for the club through a strolling magic gig that eight other members participated in. He always has something to perform, teach, or share at every meeting. Ray Goulet – Boston/New England Region: Ray Goulet, known to many, has helped countless magicians. He has dedicated his life to the promotion of our great art. He is a magician, magic collector, magic enthusiast, and a great person. He also has been a mentor, producer, author, and historian. Throughout his life he has assisted many organizations and community causes with a “good will” spirit. His magic shop, his magic collection, and his magic mini-museum are visited by many who come to New England. John Jennings – Mid Atlantic Region: John is the ultimate S.A.M. Deputy. He visits each of the assemblies and potential assemblies in Virginia every year. He stays on top of what each assembly is doing as well as its organizational health. John contends with his own personal situation, but never shows it during his work for the S.A.M. He is inventive in ways that contribute to the overall health of S.A.M., such as the recent Regional Growth Award. He is prompt with complete reports as needed and demonstrates an enthusiasm for the S.A.M. equaled by few. I’d also like to offer my congratulations to Presidential Citation recipients Goldfinger and Dove, the directors of entertainment for the Academy of Magical Arts at the Magic Castle. 8 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

Les Cooper, a native of Los Angeles, started his life of magic more than forty years ago. When he was eight years old, he purchased his first magic trick, a Ball and Vase. Later in life, Les joined the Navy. While stationed in Japan he joined the Masons, and after returning from Viet Nam, he joined the Shriners. Years later he was asked to be a clown at the Shrine Circus, which led him to becoming a part-time clown; this launched his new career as Pupo the Clown at children’s parties. Les is a member of I.B.M. Ring 21 in Hollywood, California. In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s he was a stage manager for the Cavalcade of Magic. He has been a member of the Academy of Magical Arts (Magic Castle) since 1981. That same year Les began working with David Copperfield and others to form Project Magic in 1982, which resulted in him later being named as a Founding Director of Project Magic. In 2005, Les started a homebased magic business called Magic and More. In 2008 he became the founding president of Assembly 291, the Westside Wizards, a magic club serving the west side of Los Angeles; he is currently the secretary. Since 2008, Les has been the New Assembly Coordinator for the S.A.M. He formed the S.Y.M. Assembly Y141 in 2010 and remains the group leader. Les entertains clients at an adult daycare center for folks with impaired memories (O.P.I.C.A. – Optimistic People in a Caring Atmosphere). This has become a regular part of his magic life, and he finds it very rewarding. It enables him to give back to the community by using magic as therapy. For four decades Les has enjoyed and lived a very magical life and has been an inspiration to those around him.

THE PRESIDENT’S YOUNG MAGICAL ARTIST OF THE MONTH: TRIGG WATSON At twenty-four years old, Trigg has performed for audiences from London to Las Vegas with his original magic and energetic stage presence. Trigg has received several awards for his magic. Most notably, he was the highest scoring American magician at the World Magic Contest in Las Vegas, and was a recent winner of the Texas Magicians Stage Contest. Last year, he was named the Dallas Performing Artist of the Year by the RAW Indie Arts Awards. This summer he was selected to represent North America at FISM in Italy in 2015. Trigg graduated from Southern Methodist University, where he pursued a double major in business management and theater studies, a combination he likes to call “show business.” He keeps busy performing at comedy clubs, colleges, and corporate events throughout the United States and internationally. Trigg also works as a magic designer and consultant for his local Dallas theaters. 

S.A.M. National Officers Dean: George Schindler, 1735 East 26th St., Brooklyn, NY 11229, (718) 336-0605, Fax (718) 627-1397, [email protected] President: Kenrick “ICE” McDonald, P.O. Box 341034, Los Angeles, CA 90034, (310) 559-8968, [email protected] President Elect: David Bowers, (717) 414-7574, [email protected] First Vice President: Jeffrey Sikora, (402) 3396726 [email protected] Second Vice President: Richard Bowman, 719527-0678, [email protected] Secretary: Marlene Clark, 274 Church Street, #6B, Guilford, CT 06437, (203) 689-5730, Skype: marlene.clark, [email protected] Treasurer: Eric Lampert, (215) 939-5555, [email protected]

Regional Vice Presidents New England: CT MA RI NH ME VT Thomas D. Gentile, 413-533-7653, [email protected] North Atlantic: NY NJ Eric DeCamps, (718) 896-5861, [email protected] Mid Atlantic: PA DE MD VAWV DC Arlen Z. Solomon, 215-443-7908, [email protected] South Atlantic: FL AL GA MS NC SC James M. Driscoll, 770-603-9266, [email protected] Central Plains: KY TN OH IN MI Steven A. Spence, (317) 722-0429 [email protected] Midwest: IL MN WI MO ND NE KS SD IA Shaun Rivera, (618) 781-8621 [email protected] South Central States: TX AR OK NM LA Michael Tallon, (210) 341-6959 [email protected] Southwest: CA AZ NV HI Ron Ishimaru, (808) 428-6019, [email protected] Northwest: WA OR UT ID CO AK WY MT James Russell, (360) 682-6648 [email protected] Canada: Lon F. Mandrake, 604-591-5839, [email protected] Society of Young Magicians Director: Jann Wherry Goodsell, 329 West 1750 North, Orem, Utah 84057 (801) 376-0353. [email protected]

Living Past National Presidents Bradley M. Jacobs, Richard L. Gustafson, Roy A. Snyder, Bruce W. Fletcher, James E. Zachary, David R. Goodsell, Fr. Cyprian Murray, Michael D. Douglass, George Schindler, Dan Rodriguez, Dan Garrett, Donald F. Oltz Jr., Craig Dickson, Loren C. Lind, Gary D. Hughes, Harry Monti, Jann Wherry Goodsell, Warren J. Kaps, Ed Thomas, Jay Gorham, John Apperson, Richard M. Dooley, Andy Dallas, Maria Ibáñez, Bruce Kalver, Mike Miller, Mark Weidhaas, Vinny Grosso, J. Christopher Bontjes, Dal Sanders

NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 9

ASSEMBLY NEWS

NOVEMBER 2014

Volume 104, Number 6

Society of American Magicians Monthly News GO TO: WWW.MUM-MAGAZINE.COM and use the easy submission form to file your report

1 RICHARD TURNER LECTURES

NEW YORK, NY— After a brief September welcome meeting, Alan Garber and Ariel Stein were sworn in as new members. Our lecturer Richard Turner did not disappoint our members. With two spectators sitting on either side of his table, Richard baffled us his unique display of card moves, such as shuffles, controls, and culling techniques. The second, center, and bottom deals were highlighted with various poker deals. And most amazing of all, Richard turner is blind.

Richard Turner Members looked forward to the opening of the Queen’s Museum exhibit Behind the Curtain, which has a display of Irving Desfor’s magic photos of the 1939 and 1964 World’s Fairs, both of which had the participation of Parent Assembly magicians. The exhibit also has a banner from the Devlin collection. New member Patrick Davis was booked for walkaround magic on opening day. We look forward to the October 2 meeting with visiting guests Dave Bowers and ICE McDonald. —George Schindler Parent Assembly 1 meets on the first Friday of each month at the Mt Sinai Goldwurm Auditorium at Madison Ave and E 98 St in NYC. Visit www.sampa1.com for more information.

the Oakland Magic Club’s annual interclub competition. The competition was a great evening of magic, dinner, and raffles; Rob did well against some serious competitors. Our own meeting began with Corky LaVallee teaching us how to use a thumb tip to make a bill exchange. For the magic presentations, Rob began by performing a version of Bank Night. Buzz Lawrence followed with three tricks, a book test, pushing a quarter through a solid piece of steel, and an unusual variation of the Diary Trick. Hippo Lau used a school theme and put the names of classes in a bag. He then wrote a prediction on a piece of paper that Buzz held. When Walt pulled a class from the bag, it matched the prediction. Corky did a math puzzle/ prediction using the number seven. Walt did two tricks, one being an interesting paper tear that he challenged the rest to duplicate. Few could. Using a clock face he predicted the number that Buzz would land on when he went around the clock three times. Stu Bacon put the names of a number of major league baseball teams in his baseball hat. He was able to determine that Hippo had drawn the Chicago Cubs. Throughout the evening we all eagerly devoured the cookies that Corky’s wife had baked. —Stu Bacon Golden Gate Assembly 2 meets the first Wednesday at 7:30 pm in the Community Room of the Taraval Police Station, 2345 34th Avenue. Contact Corky LaVallee [email protected] (415) 648-1382 for more details.

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2 FEBRUARY MEETING

HOWARD STEVENS LECTURES

SAN FRANCISCO, CA— Our meeting opened with thanks to our balloon twister, Rob Shapiro, who represented Assembly 2 at

PHILADELPHIA, PA— Our September meeting featured an excellent lecture by Howard Stevens. Prior to Howard’s

lecture, President Eric Johnson and Michael Bonacci presented workshops on the subjects “Card to Impossible Location” and “Movement in Performance.” We were very saddened by the recent passing of our good friend Brian Hurlburt. Brian, who was a longtime member of Assembly 4 and who ably served as our president last year, passed away in August after a short bout with cancer. A professional photographer, Brian could often be spotted taking candid shots at our monthly meetings. Many of the photos that have appeared in these monthly reports over the years were taken by Brian. Although Brian never received credit for them in writing, this writer will be forever grateful to him for his selfless contribution to this magazine. Brian will be greatly missed for his enthusiasm and his many contributions to our organization. A full obituary will appear in the next issue of M-U-M. We were very fortunate to begin the year with an engaging lecture by Howard Stevens who has been performing close-up and parlor magic for over thirty years in restaurants, private parties, and corporate events. Howard has also had effects published in Apocalypse and the Trapdoor magazines. His lecture was chock full of “workers,” consisting of many fine card and coin effects in addition to some novel ideas featuring the use of sponge balls. Howard taught and demonstrated many of his pet effects including The Strike Vanish using a wand to vanish a coin, a sponge ball, and other small objects. He then showed how to do the same effect using his necktie instead of a wand. Jack Stone was very impressed by Howard’s The Invisible Matrix, in which four quarters magically appear under four cards and then gathered under one card one at a time before returning to their respective positions in a mysterious way. Donna Horn particularly enjoyed Sponge Ball Mania – a very visual sponge ball production sequence using a purse frame and a silk handkerchief. Donna was also impressed with Howard’s Spellbound-type change called The Top

Howard Stevens baffles Reba Strong (l) and Archie Strong (r) with Sponge Ball Mania Change, which creates an astounding visible change of one coin into another while eliminating the traditionally difficult Spellbound moves. The most beneficial aspect of Howard’s presentation for those who perform magic professionally either full- or part-time was his focus on how to blend individual effects into a cohesive routine. Altogether, it was a great lecture. —Peter Cuddihy The James Wobensmith, Assembly 4, meets third Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at the Bustleton Memorial Post, 810 (American Legion) 9151 Old Newtown Road. Contact Eric Johnson (267) 317-5675 www.sam4.org/ for more details.

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A FALL FULL HOUSE

BALTIMORE, MD— Our September meeting brought a full house and many guests. Joe Bruno got the magic rolling with his version of Steranko’s Follow the Leader. He tipped it and provided a handout, following with his Oil & Water. Tony Anastasi performed an interesting prediction with red and blue decks. Craig Feinstein bravely performed Pop Haydn’s classic Linking Rings routine. Jared Raitzyk brought a very old gaffed deck that had no instructions; we all tried to figure it out (All Alike?). Guest Joe Castricone performed and tipped the card trick That’s It. Guest Ken Carle did the ever popular Hopping Half. Les Albert first had to ask if anyone in the room had a nongaffed deck. Finally finding one, he performed and tipped his ThinkStop variation of the Clock Trick

NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 11

Assembly News and also two clean and simple Lie Detector variations. Howard Katz had a spectator select one of three different sweetener packets. He then vanished one of two coins the spectator selected, the coin mysteriously reappearing inside the chosen sealed packet. Magic Warehouse markets the effect. Peter Wood introduced his silver dollars routine with a flash paper coin production. He then performed “the first trick that actually fooled his parents” (age eight), big nails through a sleeved balloon. Justin Miller was next with his OOTW variation with prediction kicker (Devon Knight’s Card Sight). Mark Wolfire followed with a card prediction he courageously (foolishly?) backed up with his own cash on the table (Henry Evans’s Art of Winning). He then caused Aces and Queens to mysteriously change their back colors (John Guastaferro’s Out of the Blue). Moving on to “thought projection,” Eric Hoffman did his non-ESP six-card version of Dan Tong’s Five-Card Mental Test. Mike Parkinson debuted his improved version of Forget to Remember, an interesting card prediction from Ryan Schultz’s Effortless Effects. After announcing next month’s theme (“Tricks with Venomous Animals”) President Andy London performed an extremely fair-looking and puzzling think-a-card. Joe Harsanyi located his spectator’s card under what seemed to be impossibly difficult constraints. Cardician Jeff Eline wowed us with the appearance of Aces oneby-one between Jokers. He then debuted his new Ace assembly. We all watched like hawks, burning his hands. But we had to conclude that what we had all just seen was...simply impossible! —Eric Hoffman The Kellar/Thurston Assembly 6 meets every first Thursday at 8:00 pm at the Magic Warehouse, 11419 Cronridge Drive suite #10 in Owings Mills, Maryland. 410561-0777. Contact Andy London [email protected], or visit www.baltimoresam.com for more details.

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IF YOU WANNA HAVE SOME FUN, CLAP YOUR HANDS

OMAHA, NE— This month’s Omaha Magical Society meeting opened with President Tom Zepf explaining that our executive board will present revised bylaws and a slate of candidates for office at the next meeting. Jeff Sikora volunteered to head the nominating committee. All nominees for office must belong to the S.A.M. This month’s program was a

lecture by Barry Mitchell who teaches his audience how to behave and participate without their knowledge. Before you know it you’ll find yourself either talking or listening. He got our attention. Although I do not perform shows for children I found his techniques captivating and useful for all audiences.

meets at 7 p.m. generally on the third Monday of each month at the Southwest Church of Christ near 124th Street and West Center road, right across from where Hooters used to be. Contact Jerry Golmanavich [email protected] (402) 390-9834 omahamagicalsociety.com for more details.

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MAGICAL WARRIORS

Barry Mitchell and Assistant Tom Neddo He started by making things disappear, appear, and change with very simple instructions. From the start he explained how to make many of his props, and then proceeded to make it easier for some by offering those for sale at the end. Those who are skillful can make most of their own props. He also has a Facebook group that offers free videos. Among other things he showed us “silk fireworks” from a rip-apart bag, a WOW (what others want) box and dream bags, from which all kinds of stuff comes out. For one effect he showed us how to make a special accordion fold that helps with the illusion. He demonstrated Buckets and Balls in which different-sized balls came out of apparently empty buckets. He also showed us for the first time a wand with a square cross-section. He ended the chock-full first part with how to fill your heart with dreams. After awarding a door prize to Jane Beckman after intermission he showed us how a magic worm could turn into a butterfly with a simple changing bag. He commented on his use of a “stand still” spot to be used by any assistants during his shows, plus the fact that he sometimes explains to the audience that what he does is not witchcraft. He tricked Tom Neddo into mentally finding three cards selected by the audience, and then explained that it’s good to use puppets. Coming down the home stretch he showed his “loaves and fishes,” plus a frog effect and finished with a challenge of sorts in which the “strong man” could not lift what a weaker one could. All things considered he showed us a complete magic show that captured the audience’s attention. }—Jerry Golmanavich The Omaha Magical Society

12 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

ST. LOUIS, MO — August 28, 2014 – Teach-in Night. We all enjoyed several videos, including Hans Moretti Cardboard box illusion. Columbus Smith taught a card in balloon effect. Steve Barcellona taught us good coin technique with his Two Coin routine. Greg Lewis taught us the fine art of rubber band effects with a rubber band vanish! PNP Harry Monti taught us the fine points of basic sponge ball handling while demonstrating with a ball produced from an invisible change purse, then disappearing from someone’s hand, only to reappear in his pocket! Chad Jacobs executed his Money Paddle routine changing coins to $200. Derrick Daniels performed an interesting card effect with Joey’s assistance. Dan (the Great) Todd, performed Barry Mitchell’s Magic Box with the assistance of Derrick, Joey, Jill, and Columbus, thus closing the evening of magic. September 6, 2014 – Welcome Home Warrior Summit. We were invited to attend and perform for and entertain our returning veterans. Larry Minth, Adam Putman, Steve Barcellona, Dan Todd, Greg Lewis, Jason Stack, Joey Lortz, and John Davit all performed and taught magic to the veterans and their families.

Greg Lewis - Magical Warrior September 11, 2014 – Magic on TV Night. Columbus Smith reached his five-year mark with the S.A.M. and was given a certificate of acknowledgment. As part of the continuing components of our meetings, Columbus demonstrated a Chop Cup routine.

PNP John Apperson told us about the nicely made Morgan dollar imitation coins (for magical use only) that can be found online. Randy Kalin demonstrated the new magic app C4, with the assistance of Michael Long. After watching some vintage magic on the big screen, Joey Lortz performed a four-Ace and four-King routine that rocked! Dan (the Great) Todd performed Ship Shape, a sponge letter-spelling effect, followed by Prediction, a new effect utilizing coins and cards, with an ending that is a cut above expectations. Our visitor performed a mental sensory effect and followed it up with a great card effect. John Davit provided us with some great feats of prestidigitation. September 17, 2014 – Nathan Kranzo workshop. The workshop covered basic magic with coins, cards, and business cards – similar to his lecture but with more time for questions and practice. We all received The Grumble Grim and Old School Kranzo DVDs. —Dan (the Great) Todd Assembly 8 meets at Mount Tabor United Church of Christ located at 6520 Arsenal in Saint Louis, Missouri 63139. Contact Dick Blowers [email protected] (213) 846-8468 http://Assembly8. com for more details.

17

WE’RE BACK!

SPRINGFIELD, MA— Our September meeting was themed “What I Learned Last Summer”; our members came ready to rock! Rich Pinsonnault started us off with a new effect called Holy Blank by Caleb Wiles. Joe Bednar was next. He performed Three’s A Crowd, a twist on an ambitious card effect using three Threes. Brian Dimmock showed us some of the fire eating he’s been practicing, but for safety reasons he had to show us video on his phone. Brian is now our club’s Resident G uy-Willi ng-to -Tr y- O ut-t he Darker-Side-of-Magic-so-WeDon’t-Have-to! Pj Pinsonnault performed the Diamond Deck by Diamond Jim Tyler. Our final performer, Peter Lennis (formerly Peter Leninis), opened with Envelope Impossible, a beautiful production of a deck from a flattened card-box. He then shared with us a trick he calls Force, in which any named card is shown to be the only odd-backed card in the deck. Finally, the deck was placed back in the box, the box flattened out again, and he ended how he began: clean. This was a great start to our new year of magic meetings! Thanks to

Assembly News Rich Pinsonnault for hosting us at the magic shop! —Pj Pinsonnault Assembly 17 meets a the RP Magic Shop 69 East Street Ludlow, MA Contact Rich Gilbert, President [email protected] for more details.

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WAYNE HOUCHIN LECTURE

HARTFORD, CT— CCMA was thrilled to once again host a lecture by Wayne Houchin. Calling this his “No Blessings!” tour, he explained that his subject was the transformation of ideas. He began with the transformation of torn bills. One bill was placed in a spectator’s hand and held aloft. Another bill was first torn, and then placed in another spectator’s hand along with the torn piece. When the torn piece was moved to the hand with the first bill, that first bill was torn, and the second bill was now whole.

Wayne Houchin makes a point That was just the first of many amazing subtleties the Wayne taught us. In an effect called Random Drawing, three spectators closed their eyes and doodled on a pad. The completed “picture,” after being burned, showed up again in Wayne’s pocket. With that picture burned, yet another duplicate was found inside an envelope that had been handed to a club member before the lecture had even started. In Helium, a balloon rose and fell on command. After many other effects, Wayne performed a needles-on-thread routine with a single needle that was a wonder to behold. It was a great lecture. —Dana T. Ring Assembly 21 meets the 2nd Monday of every month (except December) at Angelo’s on Main, 289 South Main Street, West Hartford, CT Contact Dana T. Ring [email protected] (860) 523-9888 www.ctmagic.org for more details.

22 THE MAGIC OF M-U-M

LOS ANGELES, CA— The September 2014 Southern California Assembly 22 meeting opened with a lesson in card magic. Assembly president Michael Perovich reviewed the five basic card sleights and then taught/ demonstrated one of them, the top change. Prior to the opening of the meeting, early arriving members had an opportunity to view some filmed performances by some of the greats from magic’s past. Mike will continue to feature these pre-meeting viewings in future months. The only item of official business was a first reading of the membership application for Bob Carroll, recently arrived in Los Angeles from Massachusetts. The program for the evening, Magic from M-U-M, was produced and emceed by Vice President Kim Hallinger. This is an annual program that features the performance of magic from the pages of our monthly M-U-M. The show had eight performers, with the first two performing effects from their repertoires that did not originate in M-U-M. Opening the show was Bob Carroll performing Out of this Universe, first published in Close-Up Card Magic, 1962, by Harry Lorayne. Next up was Jim Callen presenting a nice stand-up three-card Monte using jumbo cards. Matt Savin selected the December 2001 M-U-M and reviewed the Harry Riser column, The Riser Repertoire, to discuss the corner-short card and its use. John Engman gave a nice performance of a stand-up coin trick using three silver dollars called Elbow, Knee & Neck by Daryl. Originally published in Spectacle, 1990, by Stephen Minch, it was republished in the February 2014 M-U-M in the Ebook Nook column. Kent Morgan presented a triple-effect, thought-reading routine called Numbers Galore by Floyd Shotts from the M-U-M’s Magic column in the May 1988 issue. Our sixth performer was Brian Regalbuto, who discussed and demonstrated the use of a stacked deck. He used The Shuffled System from the High Road column by Mick Ayres in the August 2014 M-U-M. John Richmond presented A Slick Oil & Water card trick from the Share the Magic column, August 1996, and A Magical Magic Square by Ken deCourcy from the April 2005 issue. Closing the show was Jeremy Williams. Jeremy performed a card effect called “The End” from the column Card Stuff by Tom Ogden in the

December 1982 M-U-M. This show was again a demonstration of the fact that the pages of M-U-M contain a wealth of really good magic. —Steven L. Jennings Southern California Assembly 22 meets the third Monday each month at 8:00 PM, St. Thomas More Parish Hall, 2510 South Fremont Avenue, Alhambra, California Contact Ed Thomas [email protected] (213) 382-8504 for more details.

lectures. While their magical styles are very different, they share a passion for magic, and the ability to both perform and to teach. —Chris Natale C. Foster Fenner, Assembly 26 meets first Tuesday each month from September to June at 7 pm. American Legion Auburn Post 20, 7 Legion Way, Cranston RI Contact Jeff Smith for more details.

26

MENTALISM MONTH

TWO EXCELLENT LECTURES!

PROVIDENCE, RI— The club was fortunate to have two great magicians stop by recently. Jay Scott Berry presented a fantastic lecture, performing and teaching some of his finest magic. He stressed the importance of performing live, as well as starting and ending clean. The consummate professional, he fooled us all while changing paper to money, and doing some amazing coin effects as well. Reminding us that we should never forget to play, Jay presented a wonderful Ring and Ribbon routine. Ending the night with his Cloaking Device, Jay impressed everyone in attendance. Steve Reynolds has a much different style, owing to the fact that he performs restaurant and bar magic. He offered plenty of advice related to interacting directly with patrons. Get into their heads, and use it to your advantage. And be sure to make the experience about them.

Steve Reynolds offers a thorough explanation of an effect All of Steve’s effects are straightforward and powerful. Learning from Marlo, Vernon, J.C. Wagner, and Doc Eason, Steve has put together a great collection of close-up routines. He advised us to “Let the spectator have a special moment, without distraction.” Putting this into practice, he performed and taught effects that really drove his point home. Thank you to Jay Scott Berry and Steve Reynolds for wonderful

32

LYNCHBURG, VA— The theme of September’s meeting at the Hersy Basham Assembly as selected by our V.P./Program Chairman Mike Kinnaird was mentalism; a lot of the members already seemed to know that. Well, they might have read the meeting notice that was sent, but no one actually said how they knew. Presentations of new effects were a bit low, but John Jennings did demonstrate Mental Die II, a nicely made brass item picked up from the dealer room at the national convention in St. Louis over the summer. There was considerable discussion as to how we should vary our meetings so as to perk the interest of members and also to find new ones. It was decided to have additional dinner meetings at a local restaurant to see it that step might add variety and give members a change-of-pace to look forward to. Therefore, on the third Tuesday of October our Assembly will meet at Charley’s Restaurant, 707 Graves Mill Road, Lynchburg, VA. For November, we will be back here at Tharp Funeral Home on Breezewood Drive. The plan for December is to have our annual family dinner meeting at a local restaurant (there is a good chance it will be back at Charley’s). The detail yet to be decided is what day and time the family dinner meeting will occur. Our plans for the New Year will be based on the feedback we get over the next several months. Folks with an interest in magical entertainment are welcome to visit any of the upcoming meetings of Assembly 32. If someone decides to do so, it is recommended that such person get in touch with us in advance to verify the exact location. —John Jennings The Hersy Basham Assembly 32 (often) meets the third Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. at Tharp Funeral Home, 220 Breezewood Drive, Lynchburg, VA. Contacting us ahead is suggested. Contact John Jennings [email protected] (434) 851-6240 for more details.

NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 13

Assembly News

35 A NEW SEASON BEGINS AGAIN

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY— We’re b-a-a-c-k from our summer vacation. President Joel Zaritsky enticed us with the offerings of what we can expect at our meetings later in the year. We opened our year with a performance and lecture from Jason Ladanye. Jason is from Albany, NY, just a short distance north of us. His short drive led to a great evening for all of us. With the assistance of Frank Monaco and Ryan Dutcher acting as participants and straight men for Jason’s humor, he began his visual assault on the senses. He started off with being able to pick all the Aces out of the deck after the deck had been shuffled. The Aces then changed into Diamonds. Another effect has the picked card shuffled back into the deck, only to be found sandwiched between the Aces. In perhaps everyone’s favorite effect, Ryan picked a card that was shuffled into the deck, which was then placed back into the card box. Ryan placed his hand over the box. A moment later his hand then pushed down onto the box, only to find that the box was empty, with the cards reappearing underneath the table, with his selected card being revealed. These were but a few of the amazing effects that Jason beguiled us with. So much so, that I spent more time watching than writing, which explains the brevity of this report. Any assembly would do well to have Jason lecture for them. It would most certainly be worth it. With the fall season rapidly approaching, for those of us in the northeast it can be a magical time with the changing colors outdoors that can make people in the rest of the country jealous. For the more pessimistic it means that we are that much closer to winter. However, for the time being, let us ponder a thought that I recently read: “Autumn is the second spring, when every leaf becomes a flower.” —Darryl Bielski Assembly 35 meetings are held at the Milanese Restaurant in Poughkeepsie, NY. Typically, meetings are held the 2nd Tuesday of each month, which begin at 7:30 pm. Contact Joel Zaritsky jizdds@ optonline.net (845) 546-1559 www.sam35.com for more details.

37

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT IN DENVER

DENVER, CO— What is more fitting than a back-to-school night for a September meeting/show with real live children? Children’s performer Chad Wonder put a call out to some of his birthday party clientele and we had a packed house. President Matt Brandt greeted everyone; Treasurer The Amazing Dave Elstun acted as emcee. First up was Chad Wonder. He pulled out plenty of wands and multiple handkerchiefs and even a thing-a-ma-bob or two. The children screamed with delight. The best line of the night was when Chad asked if anyone could count to three in a foreign language and club junior member AJ shouted out I, II, and III Roman-numeral style. Lewis Peacock then took the stage and performed a laid back yet captivating anti-bullying peace that gave the youngsters something to think about. Teacher and Magician Glenn Prioux brought in a little something for the older kids in attendance. He had the audience mesmerized with a class-room Math trick. Next up was Secretary (and teacher too) Connie Elstun, dressed in a rain-coat with some very funny science-magic Tesla style. Her time machine was met with roars of laughter from the adults and the children. Especially when she put her rabbit Mr. Edison in a time travel box and said she was sure Mr. Tesla wouldn’t mind. After a grand first half it was snack time!

Back to School Night was cool! Opening the second half was Inspector Magic with a some rhyming magic directed to our tiny guests in the front row. He had a guest “Sneech” that the children loved and did a clever performance with the help of little Ava, Even, and Hayden. Next up was Sergeant at Arms (and multi-talented card magician) Gene Gordon, who proved that a napkin that was compliments of Applebee’s could be very magical. He tore the napkin to create a lovely snowflake. And then while crumpling up the snowflake it turned into a real egg. The last performer was national television celebrity Steve Spangler

14 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

and his three sons; he hysterically demonstrated what happens if you swallow gases like helium. And then he performed a card trick that had the chosen card exploding out of a Pringles can. He had a couple of reluctant volunteers, especially when he told the audience (when pounding on his son’s back), “Don’t try this at home; you could die from this stuff!” —Connie Elstun Assembly 37 meets at the Riverpointe Senior Center in Littleton Colorado. Contact Connie Elstun connie@ comedy magicbu n ny. com (303) 594-2555 www. milehighmagicians.com for more details.

it’s still hardly believable. Our finale was Dr. Phil King’s mentalism show, during which he divined the amount of change that various assistants had in their pockets. The members made him explain it about a dozen times. Good times followed at the Not Quite Five Star Bar and Grill, where this member was taught a new instant card change. He is devoting at least two to three minutes per day to working on it. —Don Beker Assembly 38 meets at the Westport Coffee House, 4010 Pennsylvania Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri Contact Don Becker joydonbeck@ comcast.net (816) 886-6780 for more details.

BIG NIGHT FOR PERFORMERS

TAOM MAGIC

38

KANSAS

CITY,

MO —

Assembly38 met on September 16 with President Rod Sipe reporting on our August auction, and on Magic Week. RVP Shaun Rivera spoke on the Magic Summit. The evening’s magic was begun by Trevor Korso, who talked to us about “Situational Magic,” that is magic that can be done impromptu with whatever objects are at hand. Then he did several tricks with whatever objects were at hand. He received a nice hand. Josh Theno did money magic, catching coins from thin air and from on and about an assistant. His four-coin roll-out received a welldeserved nice hand. Josh’s twin brother Nicholas then produced cards and restaurant coasters from the air. Bob Goodin did what he called a very basic Chop Cup routine. It was a great lesson, in that it demonstrated how all it takes is “basic” done well to take it to the realm of the exceptional. Then it was John Hicks whose “Four Zombie Ace Assembly” was a most entertaining example of a carefully thought out and executed presentation. Don Becker showed and demonstrated several pieces of vintage apparatus. The Thayer Dove Pan and Babcock Die Box sparked a lot of interest. Both are beautiful examples of the kind of workmanship that marked (and still marks) the best in magic apparatus. Shaun Rivera exhibited his usual mastery of card sleights with an effect that this scribe’s notes simply call “that turn up card thing.” Sorry Shaun, but we all know that in your hands “that turn up card thing” was excellent. Denis Burks did an eye-popping rope trick! A coiled rope suddenly transformed into a series of separate rope rings. It had to be seen to be believed, and even then

52

SAN ANTONIO, TX— Sept 4, 2014, Brother John Hamman Assembly 52 held its monthly meeting at LaMadeleine Restaurant. President Ray Adams called the meeting to order. We had eighteen present tonight, including members, wives, and guests. Welcome to Greg Solomon (Ed’s son), and welcome back to guests Matthew Orta and David and Nathaniel Pitts. Both David and Matthew will be auditioning tonight for acceptance into Assembly 52.  This month Don Moravits presented Castaways by Mick Ayres, which was in the December 2013 issue of M-U-M. Don was the second member to share an article of interest in the M-U-M. Joe Libby volunteered to share an article of interest at the October meeting. The theme for this meeting was Something You Bought at TAOM. Starting off the open performances was President Ray Adams who produced canes from a coin purse. Doug Gorman followed with an effect called Open Prediction by Boris Wild, and Michael Tallon did a card prediction by Peter Duffie. Ed Solomon told a story first penned by Ernest Hemingway with only six words guaranteed to elicit emotion. Paul Amerson told a story about stranger danger using assistants David Pitts and Fran Gorman. John Murphy gave us a lesson in apples and oranges and Paul Mims performed a baffling card effect called Deeper Mystery. Congratulations to our two newest members, David Pitts and Matthew Orta, who auditioned for acceptance into the assembly. David explained the principle of misdirection by using sponge balls, and Matthew did a very nice version of Dr. Daly’s Last Trick. Our featured performer tonight was Sergeant-at-Arms James

Assembly News Dusek. He completely destroyed us all with his incredible sense of comedic timing and outstanding magic skill. After an opening card trick, he presented one of the most original and hilarious versions of the Professor’s Nightmare ever performed anywhere. And then while we were still doubled over with laughter, he dazzled us again with a Cups and Balls routine that contained original moves of his own creation. It was a great featured performance. Thanks, James, for a job well done. We are honored that you are a member of Assembly 52. Door prize winners were Paul Amerson, Ray Adams, and Doug Gorman. Paul won the DVD East Coast Magic by Shawn Robison; Ray won collapsible dice; and Doug won a crystal goblet candle holder. Many thanks to Don Moravits and Barbara Adams for donating the door prizes. Brother John Hamman Assembly 52 meets at 7:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month at La Madeleine Restaurant, located at 722 N.W. Loop 410. The restaurant is inside Loop 410 on the access road between Blanco Rd. and San Pedro. For more information, contact [email protected].

56

SEPTEMBER MEETING

DAYTON, OH— Our September meeting was held at my home on 9/19/14. We had twelve members and two guests present. Our guests were my fiancé, Michelle Slattery, and Jo Ann Kinder’s husband, Larry. We had a good business meeting and discussed the amount of magic that is currently on TV, such as America’s Got Talent, Penn & Teller’s Fool Us, Wizard Wars, and Masters of Illusion. We also talked about how it was international Talk like a Pirate Day and how several members scored a dozen doughnuts from Krispy Kreme for dressing and talking like pirates. We took a break for refreshments and then regrouped for our theme, Classics with a Twist! We had performances by me, Scott Miller, Oran Dent, Dave Davis, Fred Witwer, Millie Witwer, Paul Burnham, Hank Borchers, and John Love. A good time was had by all. —Matthew David Stanley Assembly 56 meets in various locations. Contact Paul Burnham [email protected] (937) 474-0647 for more details.

59

SUMMER MAGIC

PORTLAND, OR—IT has been

a fast summer for most of us with all the usual summer projects and vacations. Also, we just had the annual S.A.M. picnic on August 10. Boy what a great turn out and way too much to eat. We had about forty people in attendance. We had eleven people giving us a show, including Whitney, Qi, John, Nicholas, Mel, Glen, Jay, Randy, Michael, David, and Riley. They all did a grand job of providing us with magical entertainment. It was a perfect time to socialize and Randy and his wife Myrna were gracious hosts. We had a splendid time and the weather could not have been any better. Fall Swap Meet/September Meeting— As fall descends on us we started out the new season with our annual club swap meet. There was no shortage of magical treasures on display for sale, swap, trade, and giveaway. Props lined the tables and all who attended enjoyed the fun. Our September meeting was kicked off by President Mel Anderson at 7:46 p.m. One of the first things discussed was that we needed three members to head up the nomination committee for next year’s board. Our own Bob Eaton addressed the membership in regard to the Desmond Close-up contest next month. Jay Fredricks presented proclamation certificates signed by the mayors of Vancouver, WA, and Portland, OR, for declaring the last week of October as Magic Week. On this exciting night we had four guests; a new member, Steve Johnson, was welcomed with a unanimous vote by the membership. After a few other issues were discussed, the meeting was adjourned; all resumed back to the swap meet and the fun continued. We have a great line-up of events coming this fall; it is sure to be exciting for all who get involved. —Andy Turner Assembly 59 meets at the Beaverton Elks Lodge 3500 SW 104th Beaverton, OR at 7PM. Contact Andy Turner [email protected] (503) 975-6139 samportland.org for more details.

77

PASSING

MASSAPEQUA, NY— Our opening topic for the new season of The Long Island Mystics is “Passing.” First was the passing of the gavel from PP Phil Levy to Dr. Mitch Goodkin, which included the presentation of the new S.A.M. president’s pins to each other. The second passing was that of our good friend Joe LeBue. The broken wand ceremony included

a minute of silence with the lights dimmed in the room. He was a pro and always gave his best at many of our meetings and shows. Finally we passed a few motions at the conclusion of our meeting in true Mystics fashion. After the meeting we were very excited about our huge lineup of lectures for 2014-15 and who better than Kostya Kimlat to kick off this important night. He answered our questions regarding choices approaching tables for restaurant work and speaking the lingo in getting work in restaurants and corporate work.

PP Phil Levy and Pres. Mitch Goodkin passing a pin Kostya showed his routines and held nothing back. His opening card routine absolutely floored us and when the explanation came, it opened a can of whoop ass to let us know that when it comes to culling cards, Mr. Kimlat is the master. Other effects that stood out were M&M Mentalism and a parlor stand-up piece called Who Killed the King, which is a jumbo card trick that Kostya created after learning something unusual about a card from the late Bob Elliot. Long-time member Harry Mandel explained: “Bob Elliot always was very helpful and generous to me and many magicians. One day I read an obscure article about a particular card. Back in 1991, I said to him I think I have something that can fool you. I placed a card face down and said this is my prediction. I forced another card on Bob the exact way he taught me. When he turned over the prediction he was a little puzzled. Then I told him to look at what the card was holding. He was amazed. He said he never noticed that. I was happy I was able to teach Bob Elliott something. And now to find Kostya turned what Bob told him into a routine, I had to buy it in honor of Bob Elliott.” Until next time, we will see you at the diner. —Lou Johnson Long Island Mystics Assembly #77 meets at 7:30PM on the second Monday of the month at The Community United Methodist Church. For more information, check www.limystics.org Contact Lou Johnson loujohnson@ loujuggler.com (516) 978-7735 www.limystics.org for more details.

88

BARRY MITCHELL LECTURES

ANN ARBOR, MI— After a dizzying flurry of magic picnics over the summer, our magi convened for the start of the fall magical schedule. After welcoming new member Carl Massie Jr., five guests were introduced: Chuck Kimbrough, Bernie Stevens, Joshua Wilde, Ken Drumm and Michael Robinson. Our much-anticipated September meeting featured noted magician and lecturer Barry Mitchell. Barry’s “Think Different Magic Tour” promised “useable techniques and family magic” for all skill levels. He did not disappoint. Barry delivered a ton of practical effects, presentation tips, and prop construction advice within a tight two-hour lecture. There was something for everyone! The topics focused on silks, sponges (and not just balls) with a few nontraditional card effects, pole productions, and miscellaneous children’s’ routines thrown in for good measure. In addition to having his effects for sale, Barry generously went into great detail on how to make the props ourselves with simple materials available from local supply sources (think Home Depot and Dollar Tree). Judging from the activity at his table after the lecture, all the members loved his routines. It is noted that his unique silks are considered of the highest quality on the market and are priced reasonably.

Barry Mitchell Barry and his wife Tracy delivered a high-energy, highimpact, fun-filled lecture and it is highly recommended. The club magic show for the Faith Lutheran Church will feature Marvin Mathena, Jim Folkl, Karl and Bill Rabe, Bill Brang, Gordon Schott, Scott Kindschy, Jim Molnar, and Dan Jones. The theme of our November meeting is “Money Magic.” December brings our festive and always popular Christmas party. —Jim Folkl

NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 15

Assembly News Assembly 88 meets the second Wednesday of each month at Faith Lutheran Church, 1255 East Forest, Ypsilanti, Michigan. Contact Jim Folkl folkinimagic@ yahoo.com (248) 8514839 http:// www.aamagic.org/ for more details.

95

EMCEE MAGIC

VANCOUVER,

CANADA—

The September 2014 meeting was held at the home of Steve Dickson. After all the members enjoyed a delicious BBQ prepared by Steve and Paddy, the evening of Emcee Magic or Bits began. This theme was chosen by Steve because he has a big theater gig coming up where he is privileged to be the emcee in an all-Asian magic charity production. Ray Roch showed a 3D card in which the card turned inside out in the hands of Tony Chris. Jens Henriksen did a rope trick involving two audience members. RVP Canada for 2014 and Assembly 95 President Lon Mandrake performed an ESP effect, which, in emcee fashion, he said was to prepare for the next performer who is a mind reader. This used twelve members of the audience to decide whether a card is red or black, the cards placed in piles, and then Lon showed that the members did in fact separate the red from black. Dennis Hewson performed a rope-cutting routine, and his famous multiple knots on and off rope. Henry Tom showed a two-part rope trick, which he said can be used between two acts as a comedy rope restoration explanation routine. Henry said to wait until the light comes on to show the next act ready, and then do the first part of the routine. Glen LaBarre did a repeat cut and restored rope routine, each time showing the ropes uneven and then starting again.

2014 RVP Canada & Assembly #95 President, Lon Mandrake performs ESP with jumbo cards Glen added his idea to cut the gimmicked rope off of a spool of

rope. Rod Chow did the Princess Card Trick with a roll-out banner displaying images of jumbo cards. Anthony Young did a calculator trick with everyone’s cell phone, and was able to get the last number of each cell number and that person’s age. Anthony Young also showed a breakaway torn and restored fan. John MacMillan did knots off rope. Juan Garcia performed a one-handed knot, tying multiple times, and showed patter outs for the trick not working. Ray Roch did Dennis Hewson’s multiple knots on and off a rope. Jens did a routine with mini chicken figurines and a story of chicken thieves. Tony Chris showed stupid hand tricks. Tony asked to borrow a pair of pants, but settled for a belt, which he used to do an impromptu rope through neck. —Rod Chow The Carl Hemeon Assembly No. 95 meets the first Tuesday of each month at members’ homes. Contact Rod Chow rod@rodchow. com (604) 669-7777 www.sam95. com for more details.

99

PHIL SCHWARTZ’S MAGIC HISTORY MOMENTS

ORLANDO, FL— President Mark Fitzgerald gaveled the meeting to order. We had twentysix present. Bev Bergeron did a presentation on impromptu magic with table knives. Phil Schwartz, our resident historian, acclaimed author, and consultant on Floyd Thayer and other classic props, presented his “Magic History Moment #60.” Phil is also a collector of antique magic; this month he brought several props to demonstrate the development of a trick from prototype to working prop. The spotlight was on James Barton, who died in 1935. Because of his patter, he was known as “El Barto, the Conversational Trickster.” In Barton’s time the Die Box was a well-known trick and a staple in Floyd Thayer’s line. Thayer made many improvements as well as using the principle in other themes such as the sucker sliding clock and cigarette package vanish. James Barton got the idea to do the sliding die box trick with a red billiard ball and he made a prototype. This was given to Floyd Thayer, who greatly improved the mechanism and marketed it. Phil was fortunate to locate and buy both original pieces and he brought them to show us! This was a real treat for us. The monthly ring show opened with emcee Mark Fitzgerald doing a Lifesaver linking on a ring. Charlie Pfrogner was up next

16 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

with a prediction mystery. Dennis Phillips works as a public school substitute teacher and he showed several items that he carries in his suit coat to use in the classroom to maintain interest. One was a “The Misfits” taste victory over shabby vanishing half-dolprops - Assembly 104 lar. He also showed his method of quickly changing the gimmick clip at Diamond’s Magic, in Peabody. to another coat. He then showed Christian Painter and wife an effect with a Bic pen. It floated Katalina will lecture and perform, up from the palm of his hand; he as will family entertainer Oscar wrapped it in a paper napkin and Munoz. At this writing, compeer it vanished. He explained how he Matt Blake is developing new, made the effect by combining the very special events just for kids, method of the old P&L floating to supplement an already exciting pencil with the method of Dave day. The evening show, which is Powell’s vanishing pen. free for full conference attendees, Dan Stapleton showed many will be open to the public for only methods and enhancements to $15 per ticket, four for $50. Our the classic Color Vision cube. He website is now open for PayPal also showed an impromptu cell ticket sales at www.sam104.com. phone vanish. David Friedman We agreed that the current popuhad a randomly selected playing larity of summer magic programs card appear in a matchbox. on TV can only enhance public Greg Solomon treated us with interest in our art. Inspired by the an effect and then gave every competitive creativity of Wizard person present a packet trick of Wars, in particular, it was decided Ian Adair’s – Butterfly Puzzle. to have the assembly take a crack —Dennis Phillips at a similar challenge. Compeer International House of Pancakes, Jim Loscutoff provided piles of 5203 Kirkman Road Orlando, FL odd and broken props. Two teams 32819 meets the third Wednesday of magicians selected items from of the Month 7:30pm Contact the lots, judges were selected, Mark Fitzgerald markaf1949@ and the games were on. After a hotmail.com http://www.ring170. half hour of deliberation, the first com/ for more details. team, “The Petting Zoo,” launched a series of hilarious routines, led by a loudmouth rabbit puppet that had taken control of compeer 104 GETS PROPPED UP FOR Buso-Jarnis. The second team, THE NIGHT “The Misfits,” led by cheerleader Debbie O’Carroll, offered their WITCH CITY, SALEM, MA— own gallant mix of slapstick and The new magic year for Assembly magic as props tumbled here and 104 began on September 3 with there. By the end, “The Misfits” lighter than usual attendance, but were voted the winners and tiny ample enthusiasm. Among the prizes were awarded. Compeer missing were our magic teacher Vince DeAngelis has been doing a Len Lazar and Co-President great job as the new proprietor of Bill Jensen. Despite this, newly Diamond’s Magic in Peabody, our minted Co-President Rob Snider unofficial magic haven. For details did a credible job of conducting on Assembly 104 and SAMCON a meeting that was fairly heavy please visit our website: www. on the business end. The fun end sam104.com. —Bob Forrest would more than compensate. Assembly 104 meets on the The emphasis of the evening was first Wednesday of each month, on our coming thirteenth annual September-June, 7 p.m., at the convention on November 15. First Baptist Church of Salem, SAMCON promises to be an out- 292 Lafayette Street, Salem, standing all day Saturday event. Massachusetts. Contact Bob With the extra added attraction of Forrest captainalbrightsq1@ manipulation artist Jad joining the comcast.net (339) 227-0797 www. roster of performers at the Double sam104.com for more details. Tree Hotel in Danvers, Massachusetts, the day and night will offer something for everyone to enjoy. Jay Sankey will lecture and WAYNE HOUCHIN teach a master class the next day LECTURES

104

110

Assembly News NEW CUMBERLAND, PA— In place of our regular September meeting we enjoyed a lecture by Wayne Houchin. We do mean enjoyed, because Wayne presented his “Strange Ideas” lecture in such a smooth and professional style and the lecture material covered ideas from those suitable to kid shows, through general magic to stage mentalism, if one was listening and used just a little imagination. The first half of the lecture consisted of the transportation of a torn bill from one side of the stage to the other. The torn bill transposed with an un-torn bill while each was held in spectators’ closed hands. A card effect called Unshuffling R, which Wayne developed from Paul Harris’s Unshuffling Rebecca that incorporates additional ideas from Paul Harris was next. The effect is to create order from the chaos of a deck wherein some cards are right side up and others upside down, similar to Triumph. The righting of the cards is quick and magical, but leaves two chosen cards face down. An enchanting trick with a helium balloon on a ribbon plays as well for adults as it would for youngsters. Plus, a spectator scores a balloon as a gift at the end. Drawing to Impossible Location is just that, but the method is so slick and easy you will want to do this ASAP. However, please, please put in the necessary practice to both the scripting and the method so you don’t diminish a very powerful effect. The second section of the lecture began with Houdini’s Influence, which uses a MasterMind or Monte Christo deck. The effect is very strong and Wayne does have some of the hard-to-find special decks for sale. French Kiss is an effect in which signatures on a folded pad paper held in the spectator’s and performer’s teeth change places. The handling is straightforward but devious and the props are minimal. This plays much larger than the props. Wayne’s finale was his single needle swallow – very well-crafted ideas in this one from start to finish. If you have not seen a Wayne Houchin lecture than you have missed some very fine magic. He is thorough in his preparation and his effects are strong. This lecture had something for everyone and was a delight from start to finish. Wayne’s words of advice at the close are worth remembering, “Respect your audience.” Very well done Wayne, Thank you! Joe Homecheck, SAM Assembly

110, meets 2nd Thursdays, 7:00pm, at John’s Diner 146 Sheraton Drive New Cumberland, PA 17070 Email: Secretary@ sam110.com

112

STAGING MAGIC

PLEASANT HILL, CA— Our August meeting was stage magic contest night, with competitions in two categories. First contestant in the one-shot contest, Bob Holdridge, performed a trick he calls Big Bills. Bob displayed four numbered envelopes to the audience and advised that one of them contained a $100 bill. Three volunteers each freely selected an envelope, but Bob ended up with the money while they ended up with gag rewards like an electric bill. Next contestant, Ric Ewing, performed minor miracles with a borrowed $20 bill, first causing the bill to magically turn upside down when folded and unfolded in the reverse of the original folds. He then poked a pencil through the bill and even ripped the bill sideways with absolutely no harm to the bill. Following Ric was Jose Ramirez, who performed a routine in which he not only bent a solid metal spoon with his mental powers but also twisted and untwisted it at will.

the Stage Act contest with a mentalism routine demonstrating his powers of precognition. Zappo correctly predicted the color of a selected card and also was able to produce a pre-selected photo of a celebrity randomly selected from among dozens of names. Remaining contestant, Christopher Douglass, took the stage to perform a routine that included cards, matches, and dollar bills. Christopher magically transposed two black Aces held by one assistant with the red Aces in the hands of another. He followed with an excellent presentation of an effect known as Inferno, and with a demonstration of reality versus illusion by changing a torn dollar bill into an undamaged bill and vice versa. Winner of the One-Shot contest was Roy Porfido, who had amazed everyone with his escape trick. Winner of the Stage Act contest was Zappo. Following a brief intermission, Bob Holdridge conducted the monthly workshop. This month’s trick was Behind Your Back, a variation of You Do as I Do. —Bill Marquardtr Diablo Assembly #112 meets on the third Wednesday of every month at the VFW building in Pleasant Hill, California Contact Larry Wright Zappo@ zappothemagician.com (925) 685-5129 http://www.sam112. com/ for more details.

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TALES FROM THE TRENCHES

If you didn’t know better, you would think that Ric Ewing had just poked a pencil through a borrowed twenty dollar bill Next up was Roy Porfido. At Roy’s direction, a volunteer escaped from two ropes that had been run through the arms of a sport jacket he was wearing even though they were secured with knotted handkerchiefs at his wrists and metal rings. Final contestant in the One-Shot, Jerry Barrilleaux, entertained with a unique device he calls the “sooey stick.” Jerry had no trouble making the stick’s propeller spin and even reverse direction upon command, but no one else could do so. Larry “Zappo” Wright opened

CHAMPAIGN, IL— We had a great meeting in September with lively discussion on many topics including quite a few tales from the trenches. First up, our next club show is at the VA in Danville on November 9 at 2 p.m. Join us in entertaining this very worthy and very appreciative group. Talk to Chris Bontjes for more details. Ring 239 is bringing in the new year with a show at the Hoagland Center in Springfield, IL at 6:00 p.m. as part of the Springfield First Night Celebration. The topic this month was magic with something from your kitchen. Andy Dallas demoed a salt shaker for vanishing/appearing salt and a coffee cup with pictures of a bound Houdini who escapes when a hot beverage is placed in the mug. Chris Bontjes showed us his disappearing butter knife in a napkin, a straw penetration, and spoon bending variations (prompting many other methods from the group). Professor Higgins did some spoon bending, a silk to cane,

and his Hundy 500. Andy Dallas took the floor again by telling us his method to push an egg through the space between a door frame and door. Justin Dudley changed one-dollar bills to fives in his hand, prompting some variations from the group, including a nice transposition in the spectator’s hand using Andy’s favorite bill switch. Jim Percy showed his take on Done with Mirrors and more discussion ensued – one topic being “Do you define the trick or does the trick define you?” Andy Dallas brought this topic up and asked “Would you rather people say he is a magician, or he did a nice trick?”—Ken Barham The Andy Dallas Assembly, Assembly 12 meets the third Wed. 7pm, (except Nov. and Dec.) For location call Jim Percy at 217494-2222 or Ken Barham Sec, 2318 Winchester Dr, Champaign, IL 61821 217-841-5616 email: [email protected]

141

CONJURORS PLAY WITH BALL MAGIC

COLUMBIA, MD— The Columbia Conjurors opened their September meeting with a discussion of the recently completed member survey and planning for the coming year. With Jerry Lee Lewis rocking in the background, the magic then began with the theme “Great Balls of Fire: Magic with Balls.” Eric Hoffman opened by utterly ignoring the theme to perform his version of Dan Tong’s Five-Card Mental Test using oversized playing cards. Taking inspiration from Eric, Peter Wood followed by crumpling up a piece of paper into a “ball” to justify a card trick, tossing his ball around to randomly for a card he then proceeded to locate in a chosen deck. Matt Neufeld did the stop light card trick, pattering about “balls of light,” followed by Rob Niccolini’s version of the three-ball trick with elements from David Roth and Johnny Thompson. Wayne Miller had fun with a single cup and numerous different balls, and then George Bradley did his own version of the threeball trick. Kenny Wadrick pulled out a child’s Ball and Vase trick, but then made the ball disappear, along with a half-full shot glass, in an impressive cloud of smoke. John Gazman did a “magical filtration,” moving balls of paper and money between and through two paper bags, followed by Theo Rushin using the mind ball to humorously predict cards. Bob Leedom then brought us home, reading Webster’s definition of

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Assembly News “anti-climax” for us, and then illustrating with a Cups and Balls routine he hopes to actually learn one day. The conjurors had a great time, and managed to keep the off-color ball jokes to a surprising minimum! —Rob Niccolini Assembly 141, the Columbia Conjurors, meet on the second Monday of each month at 8:00 pm in the basement of the Parish House (on top of the hill) at Christ Episcopal Church in Columbia, Maryland. For more information or to contact an officer, visit www. sam141.org for more details.

148

CLOSE-UP NIGHT

ELMHURST, IL— The magicians really came for the magic, so our business meeting was, as usual, very brief (as in three minutes). One of our recurring features is a mini-lecture given by a member, and this month Don Clancy performed and explained the strolling act he does for various charitable events in the area. First he described his wardrobe, a multi-pocket fishing vest out of which came cards, silks, dollar bills, and rabbits of the collapsible variety. He proceeded to do his full set, starting with rolling up a dollar bill so it formed an obviously empty cone from which a silk appeared and vanished. He then presented his Chop Cup routine with a “double fruit” climax, followed by Max Maven’s wonderful B’Wave. For a finish, Don did the sponge rabbit trick, arguing for its effectiveness regardless of the claims by detractors that it’s childish. As is appropriate in such a program, all demonstrated tricks were fully explained. After the mini-lecture, additional performances ensued. Don Dvorak presented his version of Peter Kane’s Jazz Aces. He also decided to tell some jokes, some were funny, some were groaners. After the last one, we were ready to have the sergeant-at-arms eject him until we realized that Don is the sergeant-at-arms. Next, Rudy Alfano performed one of his effects that wowed the spectators at our annual Vets show arranged and emceed by Mr. Alfano. Then John Hausheer did a card location based on a math principle that was so completely concealed that no one even realized math was involved. Gordon Gluff followed with his own approach to the Named Card effect; in Gordie’s case, the freely selected card was named Oscar, as predicted. To wrap up the evening, our very busy kid show magician/ clown, Mary Ziemba, did a sort of magical show and tell. She had

been to a garage sale (a local magician’s wife demanded he divest himself of some props or her). Mary showed us her purchases, including an ingenious box that changed one item to another in the course of assembling the box from a bunch of wooden slats She also displayed some colorful production silks and a did a most unusual Professor’s Nightmare. Next month, we’ll have another mini-lecture and a program of mentalism and mental magic, plus, no doubt, a debate on the difference. —Tony Noice Assembly 148 meets every third Monday at the Evangelical Epiphany Lutheran Church, downstairs, on the corner of Spring and Vallette in Elmhurst, IL Contact Tony Noice noicea@ net.elmhurst.edu (630) 993-3740 WWW. SAM #148.com for more details.

150

SMALL TRICKS PLAY BIG

FORT MYERS, FL — In an effort to get variety and fewer card tricks into a series of summertime meetings – which have low attendance because many “snowbirds” stay up north – the performance theme for September’s meeting was “parlor magic.” Still, as young magician Mat Franco demonstrated in winning the top prize on America’s Got Talent recently, almost any well-done card trick becomes “parlor magic” or even “arena magic” with the right presentation and props. (Who’d have guessed when your correspondent learned Out of This World from Merlin Eifert in 1949 that it could one day be done on the stage of Radio City Music Hall and draw cheers from 6,000 people?)

Now for the hard part... Starting the night’s show, member Wally Feather settled for a smaller parlor-size audience for his nice multiplying-bills routine followed by a quick Triumph card effect. And Alan Banspach got away with a die-in-box prediction and second-sight divination that despite its expense seemed better suited for close-up. Tony Chaudhuri looked as though

18 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

he was going to disregard the theme idea as he held up a pack of cards, but he just wanted to show off a new Scorpion deck available at his downtown shop. On the magishing side, he offered his take on What’s Next? or “the devious domino.” Installation of 2014-15 Officers Frank Levy tore up a single card, restored it (very smoothly) piece by piece, more, and adds face totals, deals and wiped the printing off an down to total, is chosen card. entire deck – both sides, leaving Dick Recktenwald had a “Black every card transparent. Unable to Bag of Mystery” and wand. He stop showing off, he transported has two participants hold ends of his cell phone inside a balloon. two ropes, gives two scarves to Tony Dunn got his usual flurry of two people, gives two rings to one laughs as he put two small boxes person. Dick ties wand to rope, inside each other (yes, both of ties scarves around ropes, rings them!) and kept taking sponge placed on rope. He pulls out wand balls out of their emptiness. and scarves and rings are off. Making a rare, but always Eric Davis presented Crazy Man’s welcome, appearance, Brian Boyd Handcuffs by demonstrating how demonstrated how to confuse a to use them and how to use with bank teller by changing one-dollar a ring. Doug Ries demonstrated bills into fives and twenties. Then Out of Order, four cards riveted he showed how his friend, the late together (two red backs, two blue John Calvert, taught him to silence backs, faces are two red and two hecklers by “teaching” them to tie black). He showed how they could a knot without letting go of the be moved around even though rope’s ends. riveted together. Jim Weyand  On the business side, the cost of told everyone he paid $24.50 for providing housing for future his shirt. He then showed how he lecturers (possibly Fielding West hypnotized clerk by showing her in November, etc.) was discussed, five ones, which he turned into along with signing up performers five fives. Clerk, still hypnotized, for the annual Christmas party. said “Here’s your change,” and —Don Dunn fifty cents falls from bills. Ray Assembly 150 meets 2nd Tuesday Lucas had a participant pick a each month at Myerlee Manor card. He then showed a bag with on Winkler Rd., at 7 p.m. (Come cards all over it, turned it inside at 5:30 for special-price dinner.) out, and chosen card is what is on Contact Sec. Richard Payne the inside. Jack Greenberg gave [email protected] (239) a calculator to participant, had 433-6885 FMMaOnline.org for someone pick a one-digit number, more details. hit times key, pick two-digit number, hit times key, three-digit and times key, hit equal key. Jack stated total was 4,6,3,5 with bonus INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS number. He dealt out five piles, AND MAGIC TO DO each holding number according to total. He turned the piles over BEAVER, PA— The Mystic and they equaled a royal flush. Magicians of Beaver Valley (157) —Judy Steed installed the officers for 2014-2015 The Mystic Magicians of Beaver with Ray Lucas as installer. Valley (157) meet the second The GPMN Picnic is 11/28/14 Thursday of every month at the at Brady’s Run Park with a Flea Towne Square Restaurant in Market, 50/50 Raffle, a special Beaver, PA. Contact Judy Steed Raffle, a pick up magic show, and [email protected] (330) lots of fun and entertainment. 525-5389 none for more details. Doug Ries has been appointed by Arlen Soloman, our representative for the S.A.M., as deputy represenHOLIDAY MAGIC tative for Western PA. He also will be attending the Magic Summit in COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — November as our representative. The performances were emceed Holiday Magic was the theme for by Merlin Olson. Don Moody had September. Magic Santa – aka a participant cut a deck of cards, Larry Mahan – took the helm as pick a card, replace, and give emcee for the night, showing us all deck to Don. Don pulls card from how virtually any magic effect, pocket, not chosen one, then three store bought or original, may be

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170

Assembly News made to fit the holiday or special occasion of choice. To help guide the lecture, Magic Santa used the acronym SANTA to show how to take said effects and help create the holiday based magic. Set the theme; Adopt a color; New tricks already themed; Theme-able tricks; Advertise. Magic Santa showed us several effects that he had changed up to fit many themes, including a Temple Screen, Card Match Trick, and even HippityHop Rabbits. For example, instead of using rabbits, Magic Santa made his own effect in which he can print and stick different styles of pictures on either side. Absolutely brilliant in the design, and thank him for sharing these secrets of his own design.

Magic Santa and his silk changing apparatus Other performers took the stage between the lectures to help fit the theme. As to hit up on some Halloween since the holiday is fast approaching, Larry Scott came out and showed an effect from a book called Spooky Magic, in which two glasses are shown to magically adhere to a book wrapped in a handkerchief. The book was passed around for the group to look through. Jack Hart performed his original jumbo card effect called Santa’s Elves and Reindeer, in which the Elves and Reindeer were found magically moving from and to different stacks. As an added bonus, Jack printed out the notes for those of us who came out to take home for free. Thanks Jack! As part of the monthly matrix, we did have a couple of other performers who shared a magical effect outside of the holiday theme. Tom Paine performed a levitation trick that still has me bewildered. Not sure how he made that lady float, but from the look on Tom’s face during the levitation, it took all of his inner strength to make it all possible. The night ended with Jeremy Chisum performing a card trick in which the spectator selects a card that matches a pre-selection. Thanks to all who joined and shared on this holiday magic night. —Larry Scott We meet at the Sand Creek Police Station, located at 4125 Center Park Drive Colorado Springs,

Colorado 80916 Contact Dave Wintermute bwintermute@juno. com http://www.170sam.org/ for more details.

181

PERFORMING A CLASSIC

HIGHTSTOWN,

NJ—

Returning from our summer vacations, Assembly 181 kicked off a new magical year with a workshop by Jeff Carson on a magic classic – the Linking Rings. Jeff has been doing magic since he was eight years old, and after graduating college, he immediately became a full-time professional magician. Since then he has appeared on talk shows and documentaries showing off his original performance style. He has performed for corporations, colleges, cruise ships, and casinos, as well as countless private parties across the country. Everyone has a favorite Linking Ring routine and there are many to choose from. Jeff begins his with music and recommends that you consider adding music to your routines. When you see how smooth he performs his routine, you have to ask, how one gets to that point, to which Jeff answers “practice more than you think that you need to.” That is good advice. Each meeting at Assembly 181 has time set aside for member performances. Silly Reba opened that segment of our meeting with a Block and Cord effect. The Amazing Randy showed Martin Lewis’s Sidewalk Shuffle with jumbo cards. Our resident children’s entertainer, Dennis Thomas, performed an effect from his Friends at School show called Fishing for Friends. The effect uses several funny props, includes a diversity message and ends with a spectacular twelve-foot silk.

a Matt Mello dropping-coin effect and then an original card prediction. Dean Hank Strasser showed a rising card effect and Archie finished the performances with the Bicycle Built for Five card effect. Our November meeting will include a lecture by Harry Allen of Daytona Magic. Harry is one of the funniest people in magic and he has a line for every situation. You might want to stop by if you are in the area. —Dave Zboray Assembly 181 of Hightstown meets the first Thursday of every month, September thru June at the First United Methodist Church, 187 Stockton Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520. Doors open at 7:00PM. Contact Stephan Sloan lands10@ optonline.net (732) 757-5337 http://www.magicsam181.com/ for more details.

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NEW OFFICERS FOR SAM 191

DANBURY, CT— Magic Mo, our president, is back and was voted in as our new president for 20142015; Magic Marty is VP again. Members talked about our upcoming holiday banquet at Chuck’s Steak House, on the third Monday in January. Tony Spiro performed a comedy routine in progress – a card effect ending in pocket, or wallet, or shoe with a comic surprise ending. President elect Magic Mo, performed a classic Spectator Cuts the Aces effect.

VP Magic Marty Age 6

A man and his rings Rocco, another famous name at Assembly 181, brings his creativity to the effects he performs. His first prediction effect used a homemade Himber wallet, made from items purchased at the local dollar store. Rocco continued with

Magic Marty performed a freely selected card effect followed by a number of slick Ambitious Card moves. Frabk L. back from Florida held our attention with some great magic mental math. —Magic Marty Steinberg Methodist Church 5 Clapboard Ridge Rd. Danbury, CT., in the back of the church 7:30 Contact Martin Steinberg magicmarty@ aol.com (845) 797-8363 FB Danbury Top Hatters for more details.

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SEAHAWKS CAUSE MEMBERS TO DISAPPEAR

SEATTLE, WA— The Seattle Seahawks prevented most of our members from appearing at our September meeting since it was the opening game of the 2014 season and they chose football over magic. They should have come to the meeting because most of the cars had disappeared from the roads and there was no traffic. Four of our wizards resisted the Seahawks allure and gathered for an intense review of some excellent new and old magic. JR Russell started us off by cutting the top off of a Ziploc bag and making it move magically. No strings attached! He then shared the “how” with the group and gave us some baggies to practice with. The trick is called Baggie Puppet by Julian Mather. It not only looks cool, it’s fun to do. JR then put a ribbon visually through a ring showing us what real magic looks like. This was Ring & Ribbon by Shigeru Sugawara. Finally he blew our already blown minds with Unleashed Dog Tag by Gregory Wilson. Jim Earnshaw is focused on perfecting his routines; he showed us a Coins Across effect and some additional coin moves that were perfect for our small audience. We also discussed a very cool effect he is working on with Mark Paulson for our upcoming club dinner. Larry Dimmitt presented a creative routine using cards and characters from the board game Clue. We randomly chose a room, character, and weapon only to discover that Larry had already solved the crime showing us that his prediction matched our choices. He also showed us a slick book test and even let us inspect the book. It’s fun to be fooled, but it’s also fun to find the secret. Chuck Kleiner showed his ability to scale an entire deck of cards with only one hand. He also predicted the exact card that was chosen. He is working on combining this skill demonstration and magic into a new routine. Throughout the meeting JR kept following the score of the game on his phone but Chuck insisted that he not tell the group since he was recording the game to watch after the meeting. Everyone predicted that the Seahawks would be victorious, but what would you expect from the Seattle magicians’ club? We were all correct. —Chuck Kleiner The Emerald City Wizards meets 1st Thursday 7:00 PM each month at a branch of the King County Library. Check

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Assembly News website for locations: www. emeraldcitywizards.org Contact Chuck Kleiner [email protected] (206) 236-0608 for more details.

226

POOL PARTY!

WILLAMSBURG, VA— In lieu of a monthly assembly meeting we had our second annual pool party, and what a difference a year makes! The weather was warmer (actual swimming weather), more magicians showed up to perform, and (same as last year) there was a great audience to enjoy magic. The Poor Prestidigitator (aka President Ron Grossman) started off with a trick in which he divined the color of poker chip the volunteer choose when Ron had his back turned toward the volunteer! Michael Heckenberger then did several card tricks. including one in which the selected card pops out of the deck while the spectator had his finger on the deck!

The Poor Prestidigitator at work! Larry Lessner did some great coin work, making a silver dollar disappear and re-appear at will. Larry also did some great mentalism effects. Scott Fridinger followed with a hilarious escape routine in which he was tied tight with rope but managed to get out with the greatest of ease. Last, but certainly not least, was Watt Hyer who amazed the audience with his skill with rope! If you ever find yourself in Williamsburg in August, I hope you have the chance to join us! —Michael Heckenberger Assembly 226 meets the fourth Wednesday of each month (except for August and December) at the Williamsburg Library, Room B, 515 Scotland Street, Williamsburg, VA. Meetings start at 7:00PM. Contact Michael Heckenberger [email protected] (757) 812-3299 https://sites.google.com/ site/samassembly226/Home for more details.

252 OOPS! FAIRFAX, VA— An article in

the June 2014 M-U-M was the subject of discussion as President Keith Pass opened the September meeting. Keith, an accomplished kid show magician, recommended everyone study the Jim Kleefeld kid show article in that issue that focused on variations of the “magician in trouble” theme that works well with children. Alec Negri followed with an update on the Assembly 252 website progress. The group also discussed a change in the meeting room setup in order to make the performing situation more relaxed and less formal. Tom Bohacek opened the evening’s magic performance with a card effect in which a selected card was found in a spread deck by a wind-up toy vehicle. Steve Keyl stunned the audience with a Woody Aragon effect in which packets of cards torn in half by each and every spectator in the room ended up in an incredible matching finale.

Tom Bohacek looks for the selected card. Richie Klein underscored the evening’s “oops” theme with a card effect in which the selected card couldn’t be found even with repeated tries. Bob Malinchock performed a Hippity-Hop Rabbit routine he adapted from the book Magic Comedy Text Book by David Rogers. The group had fun acting like an audience of fouryear-olds for Bob’s kid show trick. Alec Negri did his variation on the Chicago Opener that involved two spectators, allowing the spectators to select any card, “but not that one,” a line delivered in a shout. Greg Clements concluded the evening’s performances with a poker routine in which he proved he could read Tom Bohacek’s “tell,” i.e., the cards in the opponent’s hand. Greg’s effect worked perfectly, although he admitted he couldn’t achieve the same results when he rehearsed it at home. —Alan Wheeler Assembly 252 meets at the Knights of Columbus Hall behind St. Leo’s Catholic Church, 3700 Old Lee Highway in the City of Fairfax, Virginia. Contact Tom Bohacek [email protected] (703-754-2005) for more details.

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266 MYSTERY MAGICAL GUEST

LAKELAND, FL— Our September meeting was short on attendance and business but long on powerful magic...just the way we like it. Al D’Alfonso was up first with some show and tell items. Al showed off a series of glow in the dark magic tricks from Dollar Tree. Then he presented a Barbie magician and magic kit that was sold during the holiday season last year. With an iPhone app Barbie was able to do tricks for the group. Al also showed a Japan import he picked up at the last flea market – a deck of cards that became a camera to reveal a selected card.

The Mystery Magician shows off for Jerry Kardos President Jerry Kardos then presented his friend the Mystery Magician; this automated marvel discovered by Jerry did a complete show for the group that left us shaking our heads. Once again another great gettogether by Lakeland’s finest. Be sure to visit the next time your plans bring you to Central Florida; you’ll be glad you did. —Al D’Alfonso Jim Zachary Assembly 266 meets the second Monday of the month at 7PM at the Lakeland I-HOP, I-4 & US 98. Contact Al D’Alfonso [email protected] (321) 437-3814 for more details.

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“BODY MAGIC”

STROUDSBURG, PA— The PMMC met in September at the “Gallery” for their monthly meeting. After some discussion about their upcoming Community Day booth activity, the upcoming Big Brothers/Sisters Telethon performances, and who is going to any of the upcoming magic conventions including the ICBM Gathering, the Bob Little Convention, and the Kutztown conven-

tion, all happening in November. We started out the meeting with some great close-up magic including a “Back to School” routine from S. Patrick. These included three routines starting with a homework version of Timothy Wenk’s Misled, in which he wrote the answer to a math problem on a slip of paper and then proceeded to poke a pencil through it with no harm done. This was followed by a cool calculator trick using “backwards technology.” He then used the calculator on his Smartphone to arrive at an answer with a series of calculations, which coincidentally matched the answer written on the piece of paper at the beginning. We then adjourned to the main room for our “Body Magic” themed performances. Ricardo was up first with a rising card effect. Joseph Raven was up next; Joe is currently polishing his Psychic Detective character with a story about a crime. A selected card was lost in the pack, but with Joe’s psychic powers he found the criminal. Our own S. Patrick was up next; he showed off three “Body Magic” tricks. The first was a classic of magic and S. used his new grandson Isaiah to show it. S. then showed everyone the classic “Got Your Nose” effect. S. then got down to business and shared his Hypno Disk, which is of course, the Growing/Shrinking Head Illusion made popular by Bruce Kalver. S. then showed Hang’em High by Bob Sheets, in which a rope held by two spectators was passed straight through his torso.

Our newest member Isaiah didn’t like the Apple iPhone so he upgraded to the Banana! Our final performer was Odes Odhner, who took on the theme of “Body Magic” with two routines. First he showed his non-gimmick version of how to slow your pulse rate. The routine was a real gas! Next Odes showed us his hilarious version of Shinkoh’s Twisted Arm Illusion made popular by Meir Yedid. Odes used two volunteers

Assembly News from the audience and twisted his hand over one and a half times. If you are ever in our area, give us a call and stop by. —S. Patrick Assembly 277 meets each 3rd Friday at the “Art Space Gallery” (18 N. 7th St. Stroudsburg PA. 18301). Starting At 7:30 pm. Contact S. Patrick damagician@ verizon.net (570) 242-6821 www. pmmc.webs.com for more details.

He had lectured the evening before in Kansas City and then drove straight through to Greeley. In spite of being exhausted, he gave a fine lecture. Nate is humorous, informal, and very personable.

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KRANZO’S LATEST LECTURE

GREELEY, CO— James Lopez chaired a brief September business meeting over lunch. We welcomed new member Marquis Loflin. Our sister group, IBM Ring 250, The Presto-Digitators, jointly sponsored the lecturer, Nathan Kranzo. He is an inventor, television shows consultant, and popular lecturer around the world. Nate’s creations have been published in many magic magazines, including M-U-M.

Nathan Kranzo (left) and James Lopez Even though Nate speaks rapidly, the lecture’s pace was leisurely. He credited originators. The tricks were neither very technical nor knuckle-busters, so most magicians could perform all of them. A few effects were suitable for restaurant tables or strolling.

Many effects were familiar “workers,” but he had honed and improved them by adding new moves and clever touches. Nate began with a mini-show. He opened with flash paper, cards, and a disclaimer that a card revelation would play best for openminded adults. He performed two coin effects: 3-Fly with half dollars, and then, with Stephen Pichoff as the spectator, Silver, Copper, and Brass. Then came some uses for Burling Hull’s Mene Tekel Deck (which was given its Bible-miracle name by one of your scribe’s childhood heroes, Herman Hanson). Nate has a DVD out on Mene Tekel. The closer was an ingenious and stunning magazine test, TRU-Test, originally by U.F. Grant but greatly improved by Nate, with James Lopez ripping a page into little pieces to select a word. Then Nate explained so clearly the details of how to perform each effect that there were only a few questions, which he answered thoroughly. Following a break, Nate opened

with a funny flash paper and hot dog stunt leading to “smoke” from a thumb tip. More coin manipulations, and then came two book tests. One was his Coolest Book Test Ever, with two different-looking novels. Nate has a DVD out on book tests. He used Stan Skrabut for one test, and Lew Wymisner for the other. Nate closed with a card in wallet with Stan Skrabut. Nate showed not one but two quality wallets made by Tony Miller: the Complete Peek Wallet, and the versatile The Badger, the only authorized Mullica no-palm wallet. Afterward, Nate had some of his tricks, DVDs, and publications for sale. —Ron Dutton The Dr. Ronald P. Dutton Assembly 292 usually meets at Kenny’s Steak House, 3502 West 10th Street (corner of 35th Avenue) at 11:00 A.M. (lunch optional), on the second Saturday of the month. Contact Jim Pope jlp1616@ comcast.net (970) 339-3277 www.SAM292.com for more details. 

New Members and Reinstatements NEW MEMBERS Abello, Alejandro San Carlos, CA Barr, Jon Portales, NM Beem, Timothy Columbus, OH Cray, Dan Los Angels, CA Davenport, Michael Dallas, TX Di Quollo, Carmen Valrico, FL Elliott, Dirk Oakley, CA Fox, J Gary Princeton Junction, NJ Fyfe, Jackson Newton, MA Goldstein, Stephen Atlanta, GA Graham, Ted New Orleans, LA Green, Gary Delray Beach, FL Hoch, Willis Wayne, PA Lancaster, Steve Tulsa, OK

Letelier, Matias New York, NY Lewis, Robert Aurora, CO Mahn, Paul West Allis, WI Malvagno, Victor Dingmans Ferry, PA Martin, Lance Pikesville, MD Meyers, Warrin Sanibel, FL Moras, Tony Carlsbad, CA Orta, Matthew San Antonio, TX Page Jr, Dr Joseph T Kapolei, HI Paul, Joe Dallas, TX Sack, Jude Seattle, WA Sander, Stephen North Fort Meyers, FL Santillo, Tye Nutley, NJ Singer, Lawrence Syosset, NY Siqueiros, Leticia Tucson, AZ

Solomon, Joel Staten Island, NY Thompson, Cherylyn D Aldie, VA Varghese, George Bangalore, Karnataka, India Weng, Jeremy Cupertino, CA Williamson, Jacob Canal Winchester, OH Yoder, Jim Riverside, CA REINSTATEMENTS Aldridge, Clarke Hanover, PA Ammar, Michael Windermere, FL Anderson, Nathan Tucson, AZ Atkinson, Douglas Forest, VA Aust, Kevin Kensington, CT Austin, Robert Melville, NY Badik, Adam Somerville, MA

Bauman, Shannon Anglin Rockledge, FL Berman, Darryl Johns Creek, GA Bravo, Dorothy Dietrich Olyphant, PA Christopher, Robert Bettendorf, IA Dehart, Kevin Tampa, FL Kriss, Gary South Salem, NY Medows, Jeremy New York, NY Schwimmer, Steve Syosset, NY Trillo, Arthur Tucson, AZ Vanderbilt Brady, Philip Georgetown, SC Wax, Ken Needham, MA Ziegler, James W Platine, IL

NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 21

Broken Wands PHILLIP WILLMARTH AUGUST 19, 1931 – SEPTEMBER 16, 2014 On Tuesday, September 16, 2014, Phil Willmarth died peacefully at his home in Durham, North Carolina, surrounded by family. He was eighty-three. Phil discovered magic as a boy, with Will Lindhorst’s book, A Bag of Tricks. Shortly thereafter he saw an ad by Douglas Magicland in Dallas, Texas, and sent ten Phil in his office (Photo courtesy cents for their catalog. From it he bought of Samuel Patrick Smith) Professor Hoffman’s Modern Magic, then More Magic, and Later Magic. He was hooked on magic, especially magic books. Raised in New Castle, Pennsylvania, his interest in magic continued through high school, college, and into the U.S. Army; he married his first wife, Anne, in 1955 while still in the service. Following his discharge, they moved to Chicago, where he worked in advertising and marketing research. Chicago was in its heyday as a magic mecca, and he was in magic heaven, surrounded by magicians. His magic interests developed and he became an active performer, lecturer, and author. He became active in both the International Brotherhood of Magicians and The Society of American Magicians. In 1978 he became assistant editor and Parade editor of The Linking Ring. Following his wife’s death in 1985, he continued his work for The Linking Ring while also running his marketing research company. After he remarried, Phil and his wife Robbie moved to Durham, North Carolina. As he became active in the I.B.M., he earned his way up on the board to president-elect. But in 1992, when The Linking Ring needed his help, he resigned his officership to become executive editor and business manager. After fifteen years of keeping the journal on a solid foundation, he stepped down in March 2007 after his successor was selected, to prepare to become I.B.M. international president. He was inducted in July of that year in Reno, Nevada. Phil was the author of several books and booklets, including The Magic of Matt Schulien (1959), Fun with a Handkerchief (1969), The Ring and Rope Book (1975), Jim Ryan Close-up (four volumes, 1980-81), Trevor Lewis ESOLC (1981), The Knot Collector (1989), and The Impostress Princess Expanded (2011); he also published several books by other authors. Phil was a popular emcee and lecturer throughout the country. He was a member of Ring 199 (Raleigh, North 22 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

Robbie and Phil Willmarth (Photo Courtesy of Mona Morrison)

Carolina), Ring 326 (Burbank-Glendale-Eagle RockPasadena, California), Ring 2100 (The Universe), The Society of American Magicians, and the Magic Circle (MIMC with Gold Star). Among survivors are his wife, Robbie; his children, Janet and John; and her children, Eldridge and Lelia, and their families. CARL “BUD” DIETRICH MAY 7, 1922 – SEPTEMBER 24, 2014 The magic community has lost another legend. Carl “Bud” Dietrich died peacefully on Wednesday evening, September 24, 2014, at the age of ninetytwo. He was born May 7, 1922, in East St. Louis, Illinois; he was always known as Bud. He attended Bud as Mr. Hoyle Central Catholic High School and graduated from East St. Louis High School in 1941. He attended St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Indiana; following World War II he attended Shrivenham University in Swindon, England. He was a World War II Army Veteran, serving as an instructor in the Pack Artillery at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; he spent eighteen months overseas with the 12th Armored Division. He ended his service as an Intelligence N.C.O. in Germany. For sixty-six years he was married to Audrey (Effinger), who passed away last year. She would travel with Bud to many magic conventions and on many of his international trips. She was as big of a fan of magic as Bud was; they were the perfect magic couple. He was well known in magic and lectured to magicians all over Europe and America. He served on the Board of Directors of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and was a lifetime member of that

Broken Wands organization. He was also a member of The Society of American Magicians and was a former member of the Magic Castle. Bud loved magic as much as he loved life, performing professionally for forty-four years until he retired in November 2000. He was one of the pioneers of trade show magic and was often called the Fortune 500 Magician. For many years he was the spokesman for Hoyle Playing Cards. His signature routine was the Linking Rings. He would use the noise of the rings to draw attention to his client’s exhibit, accompanied with humorous patter that worked in his client’s product features. He was truly a master at building a crowd and holding an audience captive with his magic. As Bud traveled the world performing profession-

ally, he took time to engage with the magic community. He loved to help other magicians become successful. I remember making the decision to get into the corporate world as a speaker in 1983. His sage advice is still as relevant today as it was over thirty years ago. He said that to be successful you had to work at least forty hours a week. Practice and rehearsal don’t count. The real work is picking up the phone and calling on clients. Spend forty hours a week doing that and you can’t help but be successful. He was right! Bud was one of the most positive and upbeat people you would ever meet. His charisma and enthusiasm for life were contagious. I remember back in the late ‘80s we were in Chicago working a trade show together. He had a car, and we decided to go to Dick Jarrow’s home. Dick was a close friend and Bud’s co-author of The Tradeshow Handbook, one of the go-to books for any magician interested in learning about booking and performing magic at trade shows. We seemed to be lost, and I asked Bud, “Where are we?” He smiled and said, “I don’t know, but we’re making good time!” We couldn’t stop laughing and had to pull over to avoid an accident. He was my friend and mentor. Carl “Bud” Dietrich will be missed by his daughter Joan, son Paul and his wife Laura, his extended family, and the thousands of friends he made throughout his life. —Shep Hyken

Good Cheer List Please take a minute to spread a few words of cheer with a card or note to one of our less fortunate members. Send additions, changes, or deletions to: Anthony Antonelly, Chairman, Sick and Convalescent Committee, (215) 820-3192 ext. 1512. [email protected] Daniel Cudennec “Dany Trick” 225, Stang-ar-Veild’an-Traon, Mellac-29300, Quimperle, France Dan A. Dorsey 98 Woodvalley Dr. Fayetteville, GA 30215 Charlie Gross 16745 Gertrude St. Omaha, NE 60136-3023 Roy Horn c/o Siegfried & Roy 1639 N Valley Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89108 Bob King 304 Suburban Ct. Rochester, NY 14620

Dick Kohlhafer 408 Century Vista Dr. Arnold, MD 21012

James J. Morrisey 24 Grove St. Wayland, MA 01788

Pat Ryan 43 Fairbanks Rd. Churchville, NY 14428

Stanley R. Kramien 11205 SW Summerfield Dr. Apt 161 Tigard, OR 97224-3391

Nahmen Nissen PO Box 1856 Colfax, CA 95713-1856

Matt Savin P.O. Box 7693 Alhambra, CA 91802-7533

Richard Laneau 4020 55th St. N. St. Petersburg, FL 33709

Allen Okawa 2101 Nuuanu Ave., Tower 1, #2203 Honolulu, HI 96817

Jack White 4288 Arguello St. San Diego, CA 92103

George Gilbert Lott 1725 Great Hill Rd. Guilford, CT 06437

Jim Relyea 241 W. Lakeshore Rockaway, NJ 07866

Frank J. McNaughton, Sr 1926 Apple St. Williamsport, PA 17701

Harry Riser 11755 N. Michigan Rd. #313 Zionsville, IN 46077

Jim Zachary 2801 South Creek Dr. Mulberry, FL 33860

NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 23

The Nielsen Gallery Handy-Bandy - Levitation

Dimensions: 2-sheet European: 27” x 54” • Lithographer: Adolph Friedlander Date: 1926 • Nielsen Rating: Unique After the unfortunate shooting death of Chung Ling Soo at the Wood Green Empire Theater on March 23, 1918, a number of magicians tried to capitalize on his approach of impersonating magicians from the Far or Mid East. Prior to Soo’s death, some had been at it, even dating back to the turn of the century. Most of these were westerners who decorated themselves and their stages to appear exotic. One, however, was an actual Egyptian who appeared as Handy-Bandy, assisted by Nadia-Nadyr. In the long line of exotic magicians at that time, we had A.N. Dutt, who used the stage names “Ishmael,” “Ram Bhuj,” and “Linga Singh,” who appeared as “The Mysterious Hindu.” There was also A.W. Hartopp, who first came to notice in 1909 as “Amasis” and sometimes “Ben Said the Algerian Funjurer.” Without a doubt, the most successful of these was Albert Marchinski who called himself “Rameses.” For all their beautiful posters, very little is known about this month’s subjects. Here’s what the magic trades tell us. Handy-Bandy’s actual name was Fuad Makarius and he was born about 1899. While his wife’s name is unknown, she was an American. They reached the height of their popularity in the late 1920s and early 1930s. They were inspired by the magic of Okito (Theodore Bamberg) and first appeared in theaters around Berlin as a Japanese act. After being criticized for the imitation, they took on the guise of Egyptian wonder workers. The first review of the act appeared in Billboard on July 28, 1928. The headline read: “Handy-Bandy, Egyptian Mystic, Favorably Received in London.” It went on to say: “The latest foreign illusionist to visit England is Handy-Bandy, who opened at the London Coliseum, where his presentation was more than favorably received. He repeated his success at the Bristol Hippodrome, Shepherd’s Bush Empire, and the London Alhambra last week. Handy-Bandy, who is an Egyptian, has as his featured assistant Nadia-Nadyr. He has performed his illusions thru the Orient, toured extensively in Greece, Italy, and Germany, and is now in the early stages of a tour of the Stoll theaters. His illusions are on a big scale, for the most part cleanly executed, with good showmanship. His feature effects include ‘The Confetti Trick’ and ‘The Egyptian Sarcophagus,’ both of which he is the originator.” By September, he was in Holland, then on the continent. In November, he was appearing at the Friedrichsbau Theatre in Stuttgart, Germany, and then, in December, was taken seriously ill and advised to take several months and return home to Egypt to recuperate. There are practically no descriptions of the effects he featured in his show, but we know for a fact that he featured the Mignon Illusion, which was built and sold by the German firm of ConradiHorster about 1930. It was kind of a double-box illusion, one being inside the other and both set atop a table. First, each side of the outer box would be opened and dropped down, revealing the inner box. Then the inner box would likewise have all four doors opened and dropped. In the original version, the inner box was closed again, then the outer, and finally, the inner box was lifted out of the top of the outer box, shown empty one more time, and after being placed 24 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

back inside the outer box, Nadia-Nadyr would appear from the previously empty boxes. It was an effect that could be done surrounded. The first improvements to this illusion were made by Horace Goldin, who dispensed with the second showing of the inner box, which sped up the pace considerably. He also added large casters on the table legs allowing the illusion to be easily turned by the magician without the suspicious aid of an onstage assistant. Handy-Bandy’s contribution to the illusion was to add slats to the inner box that supposedly allowed Nadia to appear instantly. The effect, however, was lost on the audience, who could not determine what they were looking at. Writing in a January 1976 issue of The Magic Circular, Fred Maldino, a professional German magician from the 1930s, discussed the Mignon Illusion and the suspicious second showing of the inner box. He found it unnecessary and noted a Nelson Hahne cartoon in The Linking Ring showing a couple in a theater watching a magic show and the gentleman whispering to his date, “If he (the magician) shows the box once more to be empty, I will get suspicious.” The Sphinx magazine reported in November 1931 that HandyBandy and Nadia-Nadyr were appearing at the Wintergarten in Berlin with six or seven wonderfully executed “decorations” in the “old Egyptian style,” which must be referring to backdrops and other stage dressings. The reviewer, P. Sheldon, praised the magician but added that his tricks were “more or less old and seen here many times.” In the May 1932 issue of The Sphinx, Sheldon, president of the German magic club, Der Magische Ring, reported that many new members had joined, including Okito, Amac, and Handy-Bandy. The last reference to Handy-Bandy and Nadia-Nadyr appears in The World’s Fair for Saturday, May 9, 1936. Beneath a photograph of “Madam Stromboli, the Human Volcano” is a note that Handy-Bandy is playing in Berlin. In August that city would be the site of the Summer Olympics. Hitler saw the games as an opportunity to promote the Nazi party and his ideals of racial supremacy. There was considerable discussion that Jews and African-American people should not be allowed to participate in the games. American athlete Jesse Owens, an African-American, was allowed to compete and dealt a crushing blow to Aryan supremacy by winning four gold medals in the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, and 4 x 100 meter relay. There is no record of what became of Handy-Bandy and NadiaNaydr. As “foreigners,” perhaps they perished in the Holocaust. All that exists are examples of their wonderful lithographs that played upon erotic imagery of the scantily clad Nadia being cremated, levitated, and hypnotized, all set amidst Egyptian pyramids and temples.  —Tom Ewing Sources include the Conjuring Arts Research Center; David Price’s Magic: A Pictorial History of Conjurers in the Theater; Christopher Woodward’s Rameses the Forgotten Star; and other references.

Stage 101 Pr acticum By Levent THE FIRST ENTERTAINERS  “For millions of years, mankind lived just like the animals. Then something happened that unleashed the power of our imagination. We learned to talk…” – Stephen Hawking

THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN SOCIETY The day-to-day life of our early ancestors was a difficult one, no doubt consumed by the constant struggle to hunt and gather enough food to satisfy the biological need to survive. The one gift that separated mankind from the other animals was our ability to verbally communicate complex ideas. This led to the retention of ideas and the transference of valuable information from one generation to the next. For instance, a person might have seen someone die as a result of eating a certain type of plant. That person could then warn others about the presence of poisonous vegetation, thus helping their social group or tribe to survive and multiply. Much later, with the invention of written language, the constant accumulation of ideas accelerated and led to great advancements in agriculture, medicine, engineering, weaponry, and animal husbandry. A byproduct of the confluence of these technologies was the creation of complex societies that were much greater in size and scope than the typical tribe. One important feature of a complex society is the creation of the division of labor and its social byproduct: the class system. This meant that instead of everyone being hunter-gatherers, like in the days of primitive man, people could have different jobs. For instance, a person might be a farmer, or a soldier, or a basket weaver. All of these professions would be necessary to expand and sustain a large civilization. And as for the class system, many would be poor and some would be rich kings and rulers. 26 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

“All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.” – Old Proverb At some point in history, the business of entertainment began. At first, in ancient times, people gathered around a campfire and engaged in oral storytelling. This communal activity fulfilled a human need to understand the meaning of our existence; it also gave people pleasure to witness a well-crafted narrative. The telling of a story was not limited to verbal recitation; many cultures around the world also expressed narrative with dance, song, and drawings. Sometimes these tales told of what was collectively remembered to have happened in the past. Other times they related myths created from the imagination of the storyteller himself; these myths were used to explain the mysteries of the world. When people developed music and written language, the storytellers wrote and recited poetry, sang songs, and performed dances; thus entertainment, as we know it today, was born.  

THE ROLE OF MAGIC IN EARLY ENTERTAINMENT

When the storytellers told myths about the origins of man, his place in the universe, and the nature of death, the storyteller became a priest in primitive religions. Some of these priests practiced medicine; they evolved into shamans. Sometimes the shamans performed magic tricks to convince the people that they had supernatural powers. This occurred most notably in ancient Egypt, where the priests reinforced the military and political power of the pharaohs. It should be noted that in Egypt the magician/priests belonged to a specific caste that was part of the state religion. But the dancers, musicians, jugglers, and acrobats of the Nile region were usually there to entertain. In general,

in the ancient world, the art of magic was more closely aligned with religious ceremonies than other forms of entertainment.

 THE BIRTH OF VARIETY This all changed about two thousand years ago during the Western Han Dynasty in China. During that time China had a well-developed understanding of science and medicine compared to most of the world. And with their relatively enlightened view, the Chinese saw the performance of magic tricks for what it really was: pure entertainment. During that period it was common for troupes of magicians, musicians, acrobats, and jugglers to travel throughout Asia to entertain the people for money. Today we would normally classify these artists as variety entertainers.  For much of the first two millenniums, the variety entertainers in Asia and Europe were itinerant artists who performed outdoors for tips. Additionally, there was also a much smaller group of entertainers who were employed by the royal courts as jesters, minstrels, or troubadours. It was during the eighteenth century that variety artists began to perform indoors at theaters. And in the nineteenth century, as permanent outdoor equestrian shows began to evolve into traveling tent-based shows, the circus as we know it today was born; it became a venue for all kinds of variety acts.  

THE BLENDING OF THE ARTS IN VAUDEVILLE

In the 1880s vaudeville began in earnest; it became common to see a variety of artists all working in the same show. Soon the acrobat, the magician, and the juggler became brothers in the common quest to make a living by entertaining the masses in the early industrial age. The competitive nature of vaudeville also engendered the cross pollination of the variety arts. This meant that sometimes performers blended

various skills in order to distinguish them from their competition. Furthermore, some performers changed their acts completely, until they found something that would succeed. Take for example, the vaudeville performer Suzy Wandas-Bennett (18961986). At the beginning of her career she was a dancing violinist who at various times worked as a trio, a duo, and a solo act. But eventually she became one of the finest female manipulators of her time and performed a magic act for the latter half of her show-business career.  

THE POWER OF VERSATILITY

 “You’ll use everything you ever knew.” – Johnny Carson   For the past thirty years, I’ve performed on cruise ships. I have worked with many acts on these vessels; the one act that impressed me the most was Jerry Lewis, whom I saw in 1992. I certainly knew of Mr. Lewis from his many comedy films and his hosting of the Muscular Dystrophy Association annual telethon. But frankly, I was not expecting much from his live show and planned to watch only one performance. But I found his act to be so entertaining and educational, from a professional point of view, that I watched all four of his performances. Jerry Lewis sang, told jokes, danced, juggled, performed pantomime, and even did a comedy-magic routine. In a way he was a one-man vaudeville show; his range of talent was astonishing! I should point out that in my opinion he was not fantastic at any one specific skill. There were certainly funnier comedians or better dancers or mimes than him. But few could do so many different things in such an engaging manner. It seemed that each skill in combination acted as a force multiplier. The first time I appreciated the power of versatility was while attending a show in 1978 at The Village Gate in New York City. The show was called The Incredible World of Magic and Illusion; it starred the illusionist Richiardi and a few other performers. One of the other performers was an older Italian magician who was billed as “Count Della Ragione,” but he was called “Johnson” by his friends and fellow

performers. Johnson was a short, stocky man with a mane of wavy white hair. He opened his act with a silent manipulative routine in which he produced a multitude of lit cigarettes at his fingertips. Next he got two men up on the stage and proceeded to have them tie his two thumbs together with a length of cord, while he told funny jokes. The volunteers then threw colored Plexiglas hoops to him as he made the rings magically penetrate his tightly bound thumbs. The cord was then cut and Johnson began to pick the spectators’ pockets in a hilarious interlude. Next he did a comedy routine with a vanishing and reappearing ashtray. And for his finale,

Count Della Ragione Johnson announced that he was going to play the violin. With a fanfare an assistant brought out a closed violin case that rested on a four-legged wooden stool. He opened up the case and feigned shock that his prized instrument was missing from the container! To solve his predicament, he removed a stool leg and attached a single piece of wire and a matchbox to the leg, enabling it to function as an “improvised” one-string violin. He played Johannes Brahms’s “Hungarian Dance No. 5” beautifully and tap-danced at the same time. When he stopped, the audience exploded into a tremendous ovation. Johnson was a very powerful act; even to this day, my eighty-six-year-old mother talks about that performance. He was a fine pickpocket, musician, magician, and comedian. But in truth, it was the combina-

tion of all of these things that made his act amazingly strong, unique, and memorable.

THE DOWNSIDE On occasion the combination of various arts within a single act can cause problems. I’ll explain by relating my personal experience. Not long after I started performing magic, I learned how to juggle; before long I included juggling in my shows. To be completely honest, I was (and still am) a terrible juggler, but I learned enough to do a couple of entertaining juggling routines in my act. When I was a kid doing birthday parties, my juggling was good enough, because I was the only entertainer at the venue. Later, when I was a comedy club performer, I was usually on the same bill as stand-up comics who did not use props. So my good comedy magic and mediocre juggling were the only variety on the show, and it was fine. Later, when I started performing on cruise ships, I sometimes worked alongside world-class jugglers. And I knew that the deficiency of my juggling technique (as compared to the real jugglers) would be readily apparent to the audience. So I quickly took the juggling bits out of my show. But if I am not working on the same ship as a juggler, I can always put the routine back in! From what I understand, Johnson, aka Count Della Ragione, passed away a long time ago. The last time I saw him was at a magic shop in Manhattan in the mid 1980s. On that occasion, Johnson told me that among the tricks in his repertoire was the multiple production of goldfish bowls. He added that Richiardi prevented him from doing the goldfish bowls in the show that I had seen. The reason was because Richiardi was the star illusionist of the show and had felt that the goldfish bowls was too big a trick and would conflict with his illusion act. But since Johnson was the only magician on his cruise ship, the goldfish trick was back in the show! I never worked on the same ship as Johnson, but I guess (speaking figuratively) we were both in the same boat. In the next column I will teach the magic-and-juggling routine from my comedy club act in the 1980s.    © 2014 Levent Cimkentli NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 27

Not Just Kid Stuff By Jim Kleefeld

TIMING IS CRUCIAL There is a qualitative difference that separates a good magic show from an average one. A show can have many good ingredients, but still not be well received. Sometimes the number of tricks you perform is a factor, as well as the amount of time (or even money) you spent on your tricks. But many magic shows I have watched have one common flaw: poor timing. Timing is Crucial. It is important not only between routines but within a routine. Moving too quickly means you miss laugh points or “wow” moments. Moving too slowly means people lose attention. More important, timing needs to fit both the physical action and the sequence of human thought. It’s a hard thing to teach, (particularly in a written article like this one) but here are three basic tips. Slow down. Pause. Speed up. We will get to the how and the why of this idea in a few moments. But for now, remember them while you read. Slow down. Pause. Speed up. Most magicians, like most consumers, think that more is better. Do ten or twelve tricks in a show and the audience must have been given a better show than if you had done six or seven tricks. Do your tricks quickly, non-stop, one after another, and the audience will be breathless from laughter and enjoyment, right? Not necessarily. More tricks do not make a show better, any more than doing everything faster makes a better show. Children’s shows need proper pacing. A magician I saw at a kid show convention really wowed the crowd. He was ecstatic that the audience loved his performance. The audience was ecstatic that he had so many quick, funny routines. I was one of the few who thought he could be better. I think what everyone missed was that he was very entertaining to the audience of adult magicians. But I did not feel his act would work as well for lay people, particularly kids. I believe his problem was timing. He worked fast and non-stop; we barely caught our breath between the many gags and bits. 28 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

Theatrical timing is not a new concept, nor is it specifically relegated to children’s magic shows. Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter both made a huge impact on live theatre, partly because they focused on existentialism, but also because their play scripts depended strongly on many significant pauses that allowed the audience time to wonder what the characters were thinking. Pinter’s plays, The Room and The Dumbwaiter, with their numerous pauses, are excellent scripts for a stage performer to read. Buy them and study them. Waiting for Godot is groundbreaking because it is about waiting. If you really want to attract your audience’s attention, pause. Stop at a critical moment and look directly at the audience as if you were daring them to believe what is about to happen. Then provide the magical moment. By employing this technique you build anticipation. The magic becomes stronger or the laughs get funnier because people have time to think about what is about to happen. Jason Latimer is an expert at this technique. Try it for yourself. Slow down as you near the critical magical moment in a routine. Pause right before it occurs. Speed up and make the magic happen. Here is a routine that exemplifies the use of slowed action, pauses, and quick action. All you need is one piece of rope about five-feet long. You also need to be able to perform a one-handed knot and a Chefalo knot or other similar vanishing knot. I’ll go over those two sleights briefly, but I suggest you dig out your Abbott’s Encyclopedia of Rope Tricks and practice.

ONE-HANDED KNOT Hold your right hand palm up with the fingers spread wide. Place the rope diagonally across the palm from the thumb to the little finger. The center of the rope should be at the little finger joint, and half of the rope should be hanging down, passing between the ring and little fingers. The rope should pass over the thumb crossing it at the knuckle, with the short end hanging down over the outside of the hand. Turn your hand palm down quickly, rotating it at the wrist. The little finger should catch and hold its end of rope without actually moving. The thumb and first finger will be free to pinch the short

end of the rope hanging from the back of the hand. As soon as it is pinched, tip the hand downward, letting the rest of the rope slide off the back of the hand, forming a knot at the center of the rope. A general down and up arm movement will help the knot form and slide off quickly.

CHEFALO KNOT This is a self-dissolving knot. To tie it, simply tie a square knot and then pass the free end through both knot loops in the same direction. Step-by-step, it goes like this: Hold both ends of the rope. Place the right end over the left and then pass it around and under the left side to make a simple single knot. Now place the left end over the right and pass it around and under the right side to make a simple square knot. Do not pull the knot tight, but leave a small bit of space between the two loops. Take the right end of the rope and pass it from the back (your side) to front (the audience side) through the bottom loop. Keep hold of the same end and pass it the same way,

from back to front through the top loop. You can tighten the knot to a small twisted bit and it will still hold together, but if you pull hard, it will come completely untied.

THE ROUTINE Bring two volunteers up on stage. Have them stand on either side of you. This works well using a boy and a girl about the same age. Hand the rope to the boy. “Would you inspect this for me, please?” No matter what he says, act slightly contrite. “You see, I have to use it for this next magic trick and if it’s not inspected, I could lose my magic license. You are the Rope Inspector, aren’t you? I thought so.” Take the rope back, and hold it in preparation for the One-Handed Knot. “Thank you very much.” Keeping your eyes on the spectators, perform the One-Handed Knot as you turn toward the girl to hand her the rope. “If you could just hold on to the short end here?” Notice that a knot has appeared and draw the rope back from the girl before she can get a grip on it. Pause and look perplexed. Turn toward the boy. “Excuse me, I forgot to explain. The Rope Inspector’s job is to take out the knots.” Hand the rope back to the boy so he can untie the knot. Pause and look straight out towards the audience. Waiting and acting patient here gives the audience a chance to focus on the boy untying the knot. As soon as he is done, speed up your dialogue and actions again. Take the rope from the boy and perform the One-Handed Knot again as you turn toward the girl. “Thank you. Now if you could just hold on to this end of...” Notice the knot and pause. Slowly turn back to the boy. Pause a brief moment and then hand him the rope. “I meant take out all the knots.” Pause and stare at the audience while the boy unties the second knot. Take the rope back and perform the One-Handed Knot a third time as you turn toward the girl.

Speed up your action again as if you were getting impatient to get on with the trick. “Thank you. Now if you, young lady, could just hold on to this end of…” Notice the third knot and pause. Very slowly turn back toward the boy and freeze. Just stop and stare at him. People will laugh. Then start removing the knot while you speak and quicken your pace as you go. “I see what’s happening here. You’re putting these knots in this rope when I look the other way. I turn to her, and there’s a knot. I take this from you and there’s a knot. Every time you get the rope there’s a knot. I wouldn’t have asked you to help if I’d known you were a ‘knotty’ boy.” Pause and let the audience react to the gag. Hold the rope in both hands so the entire unknotted length can be seen. Pause. Then begin speaking at a steady pace. “I’ll tell you what; since you like knots so well, I challenge you to take out The World’s Most Difficult Knot.” Tie a new single overhand knot and hold up the rope between outstretched arms. Pause as if to indicate that the single knot is “the world’s most difficult knot.” “Not this knot, of course. This is an easy knot to take out. This is a single knot.” Tie a second single knot on top of the one in the rope to form a square knot in preparation for the Chefalo knot effect. “But do you think you could get out this double knot?” Hold it up as if it were a great challenge. The spectator will usually say yes. Turn to the girl. “He could get out a double knot!” Push the right end of the rope loosely through the bottom loop as in the Chefalo Knot effect. “How about a triple knot? Could you get out a triple knot?” Since the knots are loose and visible, the boy will usually say yes. Turn to the girl. “He can get out a triple knot.” Push the free end through the top loop to complete the Chefalo Knot. “Well then, do you think you can get out a…” Pause and look a bit confused as if trying to think

of the right term. Use your fingers to count to four in the air. Point as if touching and counting four invisible floating objects in front of you. “...a ‘ fourple’ knot?” The boy will usually say yes. Turn the rope over and cover the knot with your hand, but insert one finger into the bottom loop. Then pull both ends so the knot tightens around your finger. Speed up the pace. “Well maybe you could now because it’s loose. But if I pull hard on both ends of the rope, do you know what happens?” The boy will either say, “No,” or “The knot disappears.” Act pained and let go of the knot, holding your hand up to display the caught finger. “No. I get my finger caught in the knot!” Pull your finger out of the knot with great difficulty and shake your hand as if it really hurts. Stick your finger briefly in your mouth, and then glance back at the rope. “Oh, and the knots get tighter.” Turn to the girl and address her conspiratorially in a stage whisper. “Hey, let’s make it really difficult for him. I’ll hold the knot and you grab hold of this end.” Cover the knot with your fist and hand her one free end. Then turn to the boy and pleasantly begin to hand him the other end. “Here, you hold the other end.” As he goes to reach for it, let it go so that it falls down and he misses the grab. Pick up the end and repeat the business of letting the rope fall before he can grasp it. “You can hold onto this end.” Repeat the business once more, this time letting him get hold of it. As he does, cover the knot with your hand and stick a finger in the loop again. “Grab the rope!” Address both spectators quickly. “On the count of three, both of you tug on your end of the rope. One...two...three.” As soon as they start to pull, act pained and let go of the rope, holding your hand up so they can see that your finger is caught in the knot. “Ow! Ow! Ow! I got my finger caught in the rope!” Pause and turn to the girl, NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 29

NOT JUST KID STUFF smiling broadly and speaking slowly. “You did a very nice job on your end of the rope.” Turn to the boy. “You jerked on the rope. Just tug. A tug is a smooth, steady pull.” Let them pull the ends of the rope again. As soon as they start to pull, repeat the business of acting pained, letting go of the knot, and holding your hand up so they can see the caught finger. Pause. Turn to the girl and smile brightly. “You did a very nice job! Again!” Pause for two full beats. Then very slowly frown, turn, and stare at the boy for a full three seconds. This timing will get a laugh every time. Don’t move or say anything. Just stare at the boy. “You did it again. Do you know the difference between a ‘tug’ and a ‘ jerk’?” Turn and indicate the girl. “She’s the tug…” Slowly turn and point towards the boy, pausing for the audience to complete the thought. The audience will be thinking “…and he’s the jerk.” If you stop and say nothing, they will laugh. Wait until the laughter has just begun to die down. “...and that makes you the tug-ee.” Pause again and you will get another laugh. “Let’s try it one more time. One two three, pull!” Let the pair pull on the rope ends.

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The knot will dissolve underneath the cover of your fist. Release your hand and step back from the taut rope. Do not look at the rope, but turn to the boy. “Now, let’s see you get that knot out of the…” Turn and look at the rope. Pause again. Then turn to the audience and finish the routine quickly. “They did it! How about a big hand for the Rope Inspectors!” Coil the rope up and spread your arms to give an applause cue to the crowd. This reads like a long routine, but it does flow quickly in performance. It requires a lot of active participation by the two spectators, so you must be careful to pick good-natured children who will go along with you – children who are not overly eager to help usually work well. Excited or eager ones often pull the rope out of your hands and destroy the knot too early. Play this for good-natured fun. It is best received if everyone, including the audience and the volunteers, know you are joking around. No one seriously wants to fail at untying a knot or be called a “jerk,” so proceed with a bit of a wink and a smirk to let them in on the frivolity. Some of the moves and gag lines are Blackstone’s, but the refining and polishing I’ve done over thirty years has made this

a signature routine. It works because of timing. Places where you slow down and let the audience think or react are crucial to their enjoyment of magic routines. Pauses let them anticipate and build up the effect in their own mind. I assume you are familiar with a relatively new catch-phrase: “wait for it,” as in “Last night we ate at Lola Bistro and we talked to…wait for it…Michael Symon!” This capitalizes on the commonality of anticipation. People enjoy anticipation. So build that into your routines. Sometimes you need to move your show quickly through fast actions and rapid patter. But to make the most out of each trick, you may need to slow down when you get near the end, pause before the big moment, and then end by revealing the magic quickly. This will increase the audience’s attention and their anticipation. That makes your show better. Watch your show on video with an eye towards where you should slow down and also where pauses would be effective. Think about your pacing within each routine and throughout the show, because Timing is Crucial. 

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EBOOK NOOK Excerpt From: In A Class By Himself Written By: Jon Racherbaumer Description: Ebook, 312 pages Available From: www.llepub.com I wrote a review of In a Class by Himself: The Legacy of Don Alan in MAGIC magazine way back in April of 1991. This was the longest review I have ever written about a single product. Here are three brief paragraphs from that review: “I cannot truly appreciate Don Alan, in the same way that I cannot truly appreciate the fact that gravity holds us to the earth’s surface. For me, Don Alan has always been there, and I cannot imagine what close-up magic was like before he appeared on the scene. “In the 1950s Chicago was home to a superlative group of magicians who defined a style of magic that was not found anywhere else in the country. Johnny Paul, Johnny Platt, Clarke Crandall, Jim Ryan, and Matt Schulien established the salient characteristics of Chicago Bar Magic – tricks that were fun, easy to understand, and laced with a dose of edgy attitude that could keep inebriated customers in line. Bert Allerton infused the style with class and at the same time established the concept of the magician as “guest” – the clever and charming visitor who sat down at the table and became one of the party. Don Alan absorbed all these influences, and in the hot forge of real world performance shaped an approach that appealed to both laymen and magicians. Laymen loved the routines; magicians wanted the routines, and Don Alan became (in the words of Mike Rogers) ‘the most copied professional close-up magician in history.’ “Don Alan achieved success in his chosen field. He appeared on national television many times and he was a top trade show and corporate performer. Unfortunately, he also carried with him a great deal of bitterness and anger toward the world of magicians, whom he felt had not treated him with respect. His health began to decline, and he moved to Las Vegas in 1990. He later moved to a nursing home in Escondido, California, where he died on April 15, 1999, a victim of Alzheimer’s disease.” In a Class by Himself suffered from the fact that, by the time it was in active preparation, Don had lost interest in the project and did not participate. Consequently, while the book does contain fairly complete information on the “how” of Don’s routines, it is missing the “why.” As I wrote in my review, “Anyone who carefully studies In a Class by Himself will discover that, tragically, the one person missing from the book is Don Alan.” This is not to say that you won’t be able to learn from the book; you will. But if you’re serious about studying this material, you might want to invest in the Stevens Magic video about Don and the Magic Ranch videos. For this month’s Ebook Nook, I’ve chosen two lesser-known routines from the Alan repertoire. The first is his routine for the Mental Photography Deck (also known as the Nudist Deck). Two key points of this routine are the way Don gets the deck into play and the way he gets it out of play before curious spectators can make a grab for it. The second routine is a humorous demonstration of cheating at Blackjack. My thanks to L&L Publishing for allowing these routines to appear in M-U-M. —Michael Close 32 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

PRETTY-SNEAKY NUDIST DECK Ralph W. Hull’s mechanical deck endures because it is cleverly made, produces quick visual effects, and follows an easy formula. The deck is semi-automatic, but without an amusing, snappy narrative, the deck begs to be examined. It is obviously an unusual and special deck. Don Alan used the deck as a pretext to create laughter. It was one of his pet routines during his early career. Requirements: R.W. Hull’s Mental Photography deck. Set-up: Place the cards into the case with the faces uppermost and against the side of the case with the tab opening. When you open the flap to slide out the deck, it will come out face up. Since both sides of the deck at the outset can be shown to be blank, you need to know which side needs to be uppermost at the beginning of the routine. Method: Remove the deck from your pocket, take the cards out of the case, and hold them with the starting-side uppermost in your left hand. Say, “You know, I’d love to do a card trick for you, but I can’t...” Quickly spread the cards between your hands, thumbing over roughed pairs to ostensibly display blank-faced cards. Continue: “I hate excuses, but look at these cards!” Close the spread and flip over the deck, then spread them again to show more blank-face cards. Add: “As you can see, they’re a little behind in production this year.” Close the spread and square the deck. Flip the cards face up and hold them in a left-hand dealing position. “What are you going to do with a deck like this? Well, I can tell you about the trick I usually do...But first, I must shiffle the cards...always shiffle!” Position the deck for an overhand shuffle, and then rapidly run the cards. This should be a speedy, exaggerated shuffle; be sure to press firmly against the cards with your right thumb as the cards are chopped off in bunches. This ensures that the roughed pairs stay together and do not split. Freshly roughed cards tenaciously cling together, but humidity and frequent use reduces the adherence; hence, firm pressure against the pairs maintains alignment. Continue: “Notice how I shiffle? I used to be a chicken-plucker.” As the spectators laugh, turn to the spectator laughing the loudest and add: “You, too?” Square the deck and again hold it face-up in your left hand. Spread the cards between your hands to offer a selection, saying: “Usually I have a card selected.” As a spectator starts to reach for a card, pull back the spread, close it, and flip the deck over. Spread them between your hands again, showing blank faces. Say, “I can’t remember if the cards are face up or face down. Oh, well..I guess it doesn’t really matter, does it?” Close the spread and flip the deck over again, adding: “Let’s assume you’ve taken a card. You look at it, remember it, and return it to the pack. My job is to find it.” Perform a straight cut, lifting off about half the deck in a right-hand overhand grip. Merely lift at one of the short cards near the center of the deck, which permits you to split one of the roughed pairs to expose a printed face. Continue: “Let’s say you chose the ________.” Name the exposed face card. Transfer the right-hand section underneath the left-hand section, hence, cutting the printed card to the top. Suppose it is the Ten of Diamonds. Immediately add: “The Ten of Diamonds is very easy to find...”

Spread the cards between your hands, showing blank cards and only the Ten of Diamonds on top. Continue: “...since it’s the only card in the deck! ( Pause) I hate to do things the hard way!” Close the spread and hold the deck in a left-hand dealing position. Flip the top Ten of Diamonds over to show its blank back, adding: “Unfortunately there’s one problem. Cards should have designs on their backs!” Flip the Ten of Diamonds face up, then casually spread the cards again and square up. Say, “A guy could go snow-blind looking through these! Actually, I worked out a system. I hold the deck in my right hand...” Grasp the entire deck from above and by the ends with your right hand. Extend your left forefinger, then sharply tap the bottom of the deck against your upright forefinger and continue: “...and tap it against the tip of my left forefinger. This does two things: First, it breaks my fingernail if I hit it too hard. Second, it gives us a nicely colored back!” Turn your right hand palm up to show a back design. Name the appropriate color, then replace the deck into your left hand and say, “This back matches the face, which isn’t as confusing as it should be. It would really be confusing if we had others cards, as well!” Intermittently cut off sections of cards with your right hand, holding them from above and by the ends. Each time you cut, you will reveal a different printed card. Name each revealed card when it appears. Cut and expose three cards in this manner. Suppose the cards are the Seven of Diamonds, Jack of Diamonds, and Five of Hearts. Adjust your patter accordingly. To wit: “... like the Seven of Diamonds...Jack of Diamonds...or the Five of Hearts!” Continue: “But unfortunately we don’t have these cards. It would be nice...” After revealing three different cards, immediately spread the deck between your hands to show blank faces again. Close the spread and flip the top Ten of Diamonds over to show its blank back, adding: “It would also be nice if the Ten of Diamonds had a design on its back.” Flip the top card over to bring the face of the Ten into view. Ask the spectator to tap the face of the Ten of Diamonds, and then grasp the top two cards from above and by the ends in overhand grip. Due to the construction of the deck, this double lift is semiautomatic. Turn your right hand palm up to flash a printed back, adding: “You’re a terrific tapper!” Quickly replace the right-hand card(s) onto the deck, and then flip over the top Ten of Diamonds to show a blank back, saying: “Before you terrifically tapped, the card didn’t have a back.” Flip over the top card and extend the squared deck in your left hand. “Will you place all four fingers of your hand on the face of the Ten of Diamonds? Now wiggle your fingers up and down as though you knew what you were doing.” After the spectator wiggles his fingers a little, earnestly look at him and ask: “Have you done this before? ( Pause) Know why I asked you to do that? Because it makes you the Liberace of playing cards!” Take the deck, hold it in readiness for the Svengali riffle display, and then riffle-release cards off your right thumb, letting “doubles” fall off into your upturned left hand, revealing nothing but printed faces. Add: “By wiggling your fingers, we have nothing but normal-looking cards.” Perform the riffle display a couple of times, then square the cards and quickly spread them between your hands to again show blank cards except for the top Ten of Diamonds. This is a shocking transformation. Patter: “Before you wiggled your fingers, we didn’t have any other cards. ( Pause) That’s the reason I can’t do

the card trick I had in mind!” Close the spread and hold the deck in a dealing position. Perform any standard color change by dislodging the bottom blank card and slipping it to the top (face) with your right hand. A nice color change is explained in Expert Card Technique (1940), pp. 161–163. After performing the transformation, say: “But if I had some cards, I’d be happy to do the trick for you!” Spread the cards between your hands to show nothing but blank cards. Show both sides of the spread, then square up and place the deck into its case, saying: “Maybe next time we meet, I’ll have the proper cards and I’ll do the trick for you. A person can’t work without the proper tools. I guess they just don’t make them like they used to.” Smile and place the cased deck into your inside coat pocket. Notice how Don overcame most of the drawbacks inherent in gaffed deck tricks. By using a tongue-in-cheek approach and explaining why he cannot perform a trick, he took the bitter bite out of any subsequent bafflement. Yet the visual impact of the transformations remain intact. The routine is designed to be a quick series of surprises. When one surprise registers, another quickly follows it. The audience never fully recovers. The routine is also cyclical. It begins and ends with blank cards. Because blank cards are strange and useless, it makes sense to put them away. Although you performed several transformations, you act as though they are not relevant to the real (?) trick you apparently want to perform. Afterwards, the gaffed deck is in your pocket and out of play. If you wanted to take the time and trouble, you could have a legitimate deck of blankfaced cards in the same pocket. If a skeptic wanted to examine the deck, you could simply remove the ungaffed blanks.

BLACKJACKED! DON ALAN/EDDIE FIELDS Effect: The magician explains the ways professional gamblers can cheat using marked cards and special glasses. He offers to permit the spectator to cheat by letting him wear the special glasses. In this way he can read the markings on the backs of the cards. In spite of this, the magician wins every hand except for the first two dealt. The final hand is won by the magician, who hits twenty-one with the Seven of Spades and the Fourteen of Spades. Requirements: 1) A regular deck of cards. 2) A black marking pen. 3) A pair of eyeglasses with the lenses removed. 4) A case for the fake eyeglasses. 5) A man’s white handkerchief, cloth or silken. 6) A gag-card, the Fourteen of Spades (14S). Preparation: Remove and discard the Two of Diamonds (2D). The gag-card (14S) will replace the Two of Diamonds. Using the marking pen, boldly mark the backs of each card with the name of the card at both ends, so that the printing can be read regardless of the orientation of the ends. Do not mark the 8H, KS, 10D, 9H, 4H, and the 14S. The fake eyeglasses are referred to in the patter as “SneakerPeepers.” Because the lenses have been removed, you can perform a bit of business henceforth called the Hank Bit. This consists of taking the handkerchief, partially unfolding it, then putting the glasses on it to simulate cleaning the “lenses.” Place your thumb on one side, your fingers on the other. Do this is a casual, offhand manner. They’ll get the idea. Put the eyeglasses and handkerchief in the case. Set-up: Arrange the cards in this order from the face: KD, 3S, 7S, 6S, 14S, QS, 5D, AH, 4C, 9S, 10S, QD, 8D, JH, KC, 7C, 6H, NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 33

EBOOK NOOK 2C, 3C, 5H, AC, 4S, 9D, JS, 10H, 8S, 10C, KH, 7D, 6C, 2H, 3H, 5S, AD, 4D, 9C, JC, QH, 8C, JD, QC, 7H, 6D, 2S, 3D, 5C, AS, 4H, 9H, 10D, KS, 8H. The King of Diamonds will be the bottom card of the deck; the Eight of Hearts will be the top card. This stack was devised by Eddie Fields. The suits do not matter. The Tens, Jacks, Queens, and Kings have a value of ten in Blackjack. Consequently, they are interchangeable. When you play the game, point out that Aces count as one or eleven. Method and Presentation: Throughout this routine you will deal out Blackjack hands. Each time you deal a face-down card to the spectator, then a face-down card to yourself. On the next round, you deal a face-up card to the spectator, then a face-up card to yourself. After each round of “play,” push the dealt face-up cards aside into a discard heap. Because this is a repetitious activity used during the routine, instead of describing the entire procedure each time, it is henceforth designated as “Deal Blackjack.” It is also important to explain the advantage the spectator has when you play this game of Blackjack. Because he wears the special eyeglasses, he sees every card being dealt by reading the marked back or by actually seeing its face. Keep stressing this point throughout the routine. If necessary, call attention to the value of the next face-down card on top of the deck. Begin by saying, “I was in Las Vegas not long ago; one of the big problems when I’m there is that they never let me touch the cards! I never play or gamble because they know I’m a magician. It’s a lose-lose proposition. If I lose playing a game, they say I’m a lousy magician. If I win, they say I’m a cheater. Now I’m going to show you something that has been kept a secret for years. It’s something that very few people really know about or believe: gamblers cheat! It’s true. A lot of people don’t know this, but it’s true. And what’s more, you can only tell when a gambler is cheating when he wins. If he loses, you can’t be certain he’s cheating or not. I ’m going to teach you how to cheat!” Reach into your pocket and take the cards from the case, saying: “This box contains a very unusual pack of cards. They are called Marked Cards!” Take cards out of the box and add: “Can you read the markings on the back of the top card? No? I can’t either. That’s because you can’t read them without special glasses.” Remove the glasses from their case and add, “Here they are. They’re called Sneaker Peepers. With these glasses you can read the markings on the backs of the cards. It’s necessary that the glasses are clean. (Pause) They should be kept clean at all times. You clean them with a special handkerchief.” Perform the Hand-

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kerchief Bit, then put the glasses on and continue: “Ah, now I can see the little markings. I can tell by looking at the back of this card that it is the Eight of Hearts!” Turn the Eight of Hearts face up and say: “Let’s play a little game. In Blackjack you turn the first card face up and you put it on the bottom of the deck. That’s to prevent anyone from cheating!” Put the Eight of Hearts face up on the bottom of the deck and add: “I’ll deal one card face down to you and one face down to me...” Deal out two cards in this manner. Continue: “I can tell that you have the King of Spades and I have the Ten of Diamonds. That’s because I’m wearing the glasses. In Blackjack we would then each get one more card dealt face up!” Deal a card face up to the spectator and one face up to yourself. Note that when you do this, you will reveal the markings on the Ace of Spades. You don’t want to reveal this yet. Therefore, necktie the deck and turn the left hand palm down as you deal the last card to yourself. Do not permit anyone to glimpse the back of the Ace of Spades. Say, “I see that you have a Nine of Hearts showing and I have a Four of Hearts. However, because I have the glasses, I can tell that you have a King of Spades and I have the Ten of Diamonds as hole cards.” Turn the hole cards face up and add, “See? Only with these glasses can you read the little markings. They are certainly worth the money I paid for them. Here! Why don’t you try on the Sneaker Peepers?” Hand the glasses to the spectator. Continue: “Are the lenses too heavy for you? Let me know if the prescription is too strong for you. You can see through the glasses all right, can’t you? Good! Now, can you read the markings on the back of the cards?” Turn the deck so that he can actually see the markings, adding: “Excellent! Remember, I can’t read the markings now because I’m not wearing the glasses!” Ask, “Can you see the markings on the rest?” while spreading some of the top cards face down. “Since we are breaking the rules by playing with marked cards, there won’t be any limit on whether you have to draw or stand pat. You can take as many cards as you want, as long as you don’t go over twenty-one. Now you can cheat all that you want to, because you have the glasses. You’ll know what your hole card is, and you’ll know what my hold card is. You’ll know what the next card on top of the deck is, so you can take as many cards as you like, or you can stand pat. Let’s try it now.” Deal Blackjack (round one). “I can see that you have a Three of Diamonds face up and I have a Two of Spades. Look at what you have, look at what I have, and look at the next card. Let me ask you, do you want a hit?” The spectator will affirm. Continue:

“All right, you’re sure that you can see the markings?” Deal a card face up to the spectator and say, “Okay, there’s your hit. Do you want another hit?” The spectator will say “no.” Add: “You’ll stand pat then?” Peek at your hole card; never let them assume that you can read it. Say, “I’ll take a hit.” Deal a card. Continue: “I’ll stand pat; I don’t think I could stand one more card. What do you have? Twenty? (If he didn’t turn his hole card face up, ask him to do it now.) “You’ll have to turn your card face up! I can’t read them, you know. I have only fourteen, so you win. See how easy it is to cheat with the Sneaker Peepers? Let’s pretend that we’re playing for money now.” Deal Blackjack (round two) and continue: “Before we start, are you sure you can read the markings? Fine! Do you want a hit?” (He’ll say “no.”) “I’ll look at mine. I don’t want a hit either. What do you have? Eighteen? I have twenty. Are you sure you can see the markings...maybe you don’t understand the game. Let’s try again. Remember, you’re supposed to win, not me!” Deal Blackjack (round 3) and say, “Do you want a hit?” The spectator will affirm. Continue: “Ah, there’s a big five for you. You have nine showing. Do you want a hit again?” The spectator will say “no.” Look at your card and add: “I’ll see what I have here. What do you have? Nineteen? No good, my friend! I have twenty. I’m sorry, but are you sure that you see the markings? Don’t lie to be polite. If you can’t see them, I’ll clean the glasses for you.” Deal Blackjack again (round 4) and say: “Now, sir, do you want a hit?” The spectator will affirm. Continue: “All right, you have a King. You have sixteen showing. Do you want a hit?” The spectator will say “no.” Add: “You’ll stand pat.” Peek at your card, then say: “I’ll take a hit. What do you have? Nineteen? That’s what I have! Nineteen! You’re doing better, but that’s still a push. My gosh, you haven’t won a hand yet! Do you realize that? I would have a lot of money right now. You’re sure you can see the markings? Let’s start again. I just don’t know. You either don’t understand the game or you’re a terrible cheater.” Deal another round of Blackjack (round 5) and say: “Careful now, do you want a hit?” The spectator will reject a hit. Continue: “Let me see what I have...I don’t want a hit, either. What do you have? You have eighteen...I have nineteen. Are you putting me on? You still haven’t won one hand! Even I’m confused. Let’s try again!” Deal another round of Blackjack (round 6) and ask: “Do you want a hit?” The spectator will take another card. Continue: “You have a big seven. Do you want another hit?” The spectator will take another card. Say, “It’s a six...that’s thirteen showing. Do you want another hit?” The spectator will reject another card. Add: “I’ll check what I have. I’ll take another hit. Let’s see, I have ten showing and an Ace underneath. I have twenty-one! What do you have? Twenty! Come on...you haven’t won one single hand! Maybe it’s your eyes? Have you had them checked lately?” Continue: “I don’t want to keep reminding you, but are you sure that you can read these cards? Not just the ones on the table, but the ones on the deck, too. Do you want a hit?” (He’ll say “no.”) “You don’t want a hit...So, I’ll see what I have. I’ll stand pat. Show your hand. Eighteen? Look, I have twenty. Something is wrong here! I’ve given you all of the advantages. You can read the cards from the back and you still lose! Seriously, don’t you like me? Are you doing this on purpose?”

Deal another round of Blackjack (round 7) and say: “Let’s see now, you have a four showing, and I have an Ace. Do you want a hit?” (He’ll say “yes.”) Continue: “You want a hit and you’ll get it. It’s a five! Do you want another hit?” (He’ll say “no.”) Say, “What do you have? Nineteen? I have twenty! What do you want from me? I’ll ask you one more time...can you read the cards? Look, I’ll tell you what. We’ll play this last hand according to Western Rules. That means that you can double your bet. All of the money that you’ve lost, you can double! What’s more the dealer has to stand pat at seventeen! That seems fair enough, doesn’t it?” Deal a final round of Blackjack (round 8) and say, “If you don’t mind...can you see the markings?” (Your face down 14S is unmarked, so he can’t read it.) Say, “What’s wrong? You can’t see the cards? Hell, that’s what I’ve been saying all along! Oh, you can’t see one of the cards. Let me check the Sneaker-Peepers for a minute!” Take the glasses, “clean” them, and quickly inspect the 14S. If he says that he can see the markings on the other cards without the glasses, comment that it’s due to temporary sight retention – it’ll quickly pass. Shake your head, put the glasses back on the spectator, and say: “Son-of-a-gun, do you know what this means? It means that they forgot to mark that one card. Well, that’s all right, because you can read all of the rest of the deck, can’t you? We’ll continue. Let’s see what I have.” Look at your face down card and add: “Isn’t that funny? We’re playing by Western Rules, right? Do you want a hit?” (He’ll say “yes.”) Continue: “You have a nine showing, all spades – Six of Spades, Three of Spades. I can’t take a hit. What do you have? Nineteen? Dealer has to stand pat at seventeen...Western Rules!” Turn your card face up and say, “Well...I have the Fourteen of Spades and the Seven of Spades; that’s twenty-one! Sir, are you sure you understand the rules? You didn’t win one hand. Will someone please give him a lesson on how to play Blackjack?” The stack was Eddie Fields’s idea and Don Alan developed the routine and patter. The basic routine was devised and marketed in 1976. When it was released, it included a gimmicked card box with a flap concealed along the red border of its Fox Lake label. The flap was hinged at the top and its sides were held down by dabs of wax. The flap could then be lifted by placing your thumbnail under its bottom edge and prying up. When raised, it revealed a printed paper that listed the stack used in the routine. It was handy to furtively consult or when it was necessary to reset the deck. [Editor’s note: This routine offers the potential for a lot of fun and audience interaction. However, since the assisting spectator always loses, you have to play this with a light touch, otherwise you may find yourself in a situation in which the spectator simply quits or demands to shuffle the cards. You don’t need lens-less glasses; any tinted sunglasses will work. Simply refer to them as “luminous readers.” If you use the lens-less glasses, you might want to allow your finger to pass through the eye-frame as you clean them the last time. Unless you are a particularly gifted performer (or you are working for a captive, friendly audience) you may want to reduce the number of rounds of dealing. This is easily done. Also, for the final hand, instead of saying that the dealer will stick on seventeen, you might want to say that for the final round the dealer cannot hit at all – you can only play your first two cards. If you do that, it looks like the assistant can’t lose.] 

NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 35

MAT FRANCO:

A Star of Tomorrow Whose Dream Came True

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Photo credit: Richard Faverty

36 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

By Bruce Kalver

ou know the kid. You can pick him out in a room full of SYMers. He’s not the one who is there just to learn the secrets. He’s the one who walks around the room taking in all that is offered. He asks a lot of real questions and makes you show him a move over and over. When he goes to bed he is the type who is not under the covers with a flashlight reading comic books. Instead, he is reading Houdini biographies or poring through the latest magic magazine for the umpteenth time, absorbing the contents of each page like a sponge. He’s the teen who was always paying late fees for not returning magic books on time to the library. This was Mat Franco. Back when he was fifteen years old, I interviewed him for the SYMbol newsletter Magic SYMbol because I featuring felt that this was an Mat Franco exceptional magic student who one day could be working conventions and more. He kept winning the local magic contests and took some master classes with Jeff McBr ide. When I introduced him to the Stars of Tomorrow show producer, Andy Dallas, he booked him for the very popular SYM convention show at the S.A.M. convention in Las Vegas. Mat continued his magic, performing throughout his college years while he majored in marketing and minored in communications. After graduation, he took on magic full time and has been performing the college circuit. Then last February, his friends suggested that he try out for America’s Got Talent. By now, the name Mat Franco is known by laymen as the winner of AGT. Overnight, he became famous. Local comedian Nick Albanese joked, “Half of Rhode Island actually knows Mat Franco, and the other half will claim they do!” Each year, while magicians appeared on AGT doing large stage illusions, the judges dismissed the magicians as lower class acts and kept telling them they had to do something “bigger, more dangerous, and flashier.” Much like David Blaine, who went in the opposite direction during an era of stage magicians with dancing girls and sequins, Mat took the unexpected route of performing close-up magic in big theaters and connecting with the audience by showing off his warm personality. His persona on stage, his looks, and his skill won the judges – Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Howard Stern, and Mel B, who stated, “he makes magic sexy.”

The audiences responded by voting for him over the other finalists – four musical acts. One week after the win, I spoke to him on the phone. He was preparing for the America’s Got Talent Live Las Vegas show and was still trying to process his new-found fame. He was so excited that each sentence could have been typed out with exclamation points. Because Mat is the first magician to win America’s Got Talent, I pointed out two facts about his win: 1) He is the first Stars of Tomorrow performer to become a “star” among the general public. 2) In one night, Mat has been seen by more people than Houdini had in his lifetime.

certain code that I had to say, and they brought me in immediately. I was in and out in fifteen minutes. It was super fast and super easy. Part of that was because it was in Providence, so it was a smaller crowd. It wasn’t like going to New York City. I went in the audition room and did a couple of bits for them.

And the winner is... Photo credit: Peter Kramer/NBC

Mat Franco performing his college show

Mat with the AGT judges Mel B.,Howard Stern, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel - Photo credit: Peter Kramer/NBC

Bruce Kalver: How did you get on the show? Did they recruit you? Mat Franco: They tried recruiting me in the past. This year they did not. In the past I declined because I didn’t have material that was ninety-seconds long and appropriate, and probably because I was just scared to. So this time around, I decided to reach out to them. It was back in November of last year that I started thinking about it. I went to the open audition in Providence, Rhode Island; it turned out to be a preliminary audition. BK: Did you have to go through a few phases or did they move you right through? MF: I went directly to the last phase because I had sent them some videos ahead of time. They had an appointment for me. I thought it was going to be nonsense and that I would be there all day. It wasn’t true. They were great. I showed up and had a

BK: What did you audition with? MF: I auditioned with the story card trick that you saw on TV. It was a little different, but essentially the same thing. I had to change the address based on where I was performing as part of the Sam the Bellhop plot. Each time I auditioned I had to add the address of the theater. The other bit that I did was Cards Across. BK: You auditioned February 1 in Providence. Did they call you right away after the audition? MF: I didn’t hear back from them for a very long time. They didn’t contact me until late April. It was sort of like a final exam. You take the test and then you wait a long time to see what the grade is. They flew me out to Los Angeles to audition again. They called me a few days before. I later found out – because it seemed so last minute and I seemed like such a low priority – that I was brought in on the final day of shooting auditions. They did some auditions with the judges in New Jersey and New York. The last was in Los Angeles. When I got called NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 37

days before, I realized that I was a replacement for someone who cancelled. When I asked my producer about it later on, she admitted that there were dropouts and she pushed to bring me in. BK: On your second audition did you do the same tricks? MF: Yes, they told me to be prepared to do the same thing I did in Providence. I showed up and they said that they still didn’t know which trick they were going to film, so I had to be prepared for either one. They eventually said that they were going to go with the story. I agreed. They filmed it and that is how it all began. BK: You must have been memorizing that story in your head all day long. MF: Yes I was! In fact, I was rewriting and adjusting it on the plane ride to LA. You don’t simply change the address in the story. You have to change what cards appear to match the story. I had to figure it out each time. BK: So when did you know that you were going to be on the show? MF: The judges vote on the spot to give you a yes or no, which may or may not be the official final word. About a week later, I received the official email saying, “We want you the end of April.” The letter asked, “What are you going to do in the next round?” I then pitched my ideas. We shot “Judgment Week” mid May. BK: Now that you made it, do you start thinking about a few routines to do in case you get through? MF: I was thinking that from the very beginning even though it was on a very “just in case” basis. I was very careful not to get ahead of myself mentally. I still really expected nothing, which is where I was really coming from. However, the producers would

Photo credit: Richard Faverty

38 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

want to know from the get-go what you would do if you went through. Do you have some thoughts for the later rounds? So I did my best to produce ideas that I could pitch. I don’t think we used any of those, but I made sure I had ideas that showed that I had some depth and that I had concepts in mind that could be used for the live shows. BK: What kind of magic works on AGT? MF: Very few things can. It is so ridiculous. They want things that have never been done on the show before. The show has been on nine seasons, so a lot has already been performed. The trick has to be less than ninety seconds long and it has to be appropriate for television. It’s really, really challenging. I loved the challenge. BK: Were there ideas you pitched that they said no to? MF: Many! In fact if you think about it, when you present five ideas each time, they are only going to go with one of them. Sometimes I went back to one of the options that I previously pitched. What I was careful to do was to only pitch things that I would be happy doing. A lot of acts on these types of shows will complain, “They made me do this song or they made me do this routine that I didn’t want to do.” I made a conscious effort to pitch things that I would be comfortable and happy doing. The producers were very helpful making the ideas become reality. Many times they had positive changes that helped contribute to it and other times they just said, “That’s good,” and I kept it as is. BK: How did they feel about Cell Phone in Seat Cushion? MF: When I pitched that idea, they said, “Okay, that sounds good.” I said, “Wait a minute, are you sure? That’s it? No input at all?” The effect that I did the previous round had morphed into something completely different. When they liked the cell phone idea with no input, I was a little worried. I love impossible location routines and wanted to use a cell phone. It was my girlfriend who said, “Wouldn’t it be great if you cut open a seat and found a cell phone inside?” I didn’t think they would let me do that. Then I realized that Radio City repairs seats every day. We ended up cutting up several since we had to rehearse the camera angles many times. BK: The Cell Phone in Seat Cushion was the one trick laymen went wild over. MF: That routine is the one I’m most proud of. We worked on it for a long time. After a while, you lose perspective and you focus too much on the logistics. I remember wondering if this routine is gold, or is it boring? You really lose track. In the end I was so happy with how it turned out. Method-wise and sleight-of-handwise it was extremely gutsy, especially

for live television. A lot could have gone wrong. In the end, I was very happy with it. BK: There was a lot of camera work involved in that routine. MF: We rehearsed with the cameraman a lot to make sure it was YouTube-proof. AGT’s production crew was fantastic about protecting the secrets and worked very hard not to expose anything. BK: So all in all, the staff on AGT was nice to work with? MF: They were all great to work with. One guy designed special effects for Cirque du Soleil; I asked him if he could build a hair dryer that spews out smoke. Within five minutes, he said he could…and he did! BK: Did you have anyone advising you at the show? MF: There was no one onsite with me. I get advice from a lot of non-magician friends who said, “Wouldn’t it be cool if this happened.” In terms of magic input, Eric Dittleman was definitely instrumental in helping me with some of the ideas. Another friend was Corey King, whom I called many times to bounce off some ideas. BK: Do you think that being a member of the S.Y.M. as a kid helped you become a better magician? MF: Absolutely! You can’t dismiss the whole interaction with other magicians. The Internet is great, but to communicate with people in person makes everything faster. There is nothing like going to a magic shop and interacting with the people there. Corey King and I got to know each other at S.Y.M. and S.A.M. events and bonded with other people who also love the craft. It’s inspiring to be around people like that. BK: So do you believe that magic meetings and conventions are a better way to learn magic rather than combing the Internet? MF: It is tough for me to even relate the two because I have never learned magic from the Internet. I surf the web to watch old classic magic clips. I get inspired by watching them. BK: Why do you think you won? MF: (Big laugh and then a long pause) I really don’t know. I would say a combination of luck and timing. I was surprised that a singer didn’t win. Look at magic now on television. It is once again becoming more popular. Another factor was that I was competing against four music acts, which may have caused those votes to be split up. Many people view magic as a challenge. They immediately turn it into a puzzle. This makes it challenging to have a magician win. I made sure that I worked hard to connect with the live audience, as well as the viewing audience. I don’t have a character on stage. I’m just me. I felt that this might be a problem for me. I felt that I wouldn’t be memorable because I don’t have much of a gimmick. I hoped that for at least a few seconds I made the audience care about and appreciate the magic art. BK: I wrote a blog for magicsam.com saying that a magician would never win AGT. Of course, you proved me wrong! All the things I mentioned in the article about the judging were wrong this year, because the judges took the right approach this time. MF: Yes, the judges this year acknowledged how hard a magician has to work. A singer can pick a song that has already

been written. A novelty act, including a magician, has to create something new each week. They actually brought attention to that, especially Howard Stern. It was great for magic. It was great for the direction of that show. I was so happy to be a part of that. BK: Your life changed the minute they announced the winner to be Mat Franco. MF: The million dollars has not sunk in yet. (Mat gets either $350,000 in one lump sum or $40,000 in forty years of payments.) I am still the same Mat Franco. I’m just trying to stay organized. I don’t have time to get too caught up in much of anything. You get pulled in all kinds of directions and the decisions I make over the next few weeks are very important for my future. I am trying to take a step back and evaluate. I really need to focus on the many opportunities and decide on which ones I want to tackle. I am taking time to reflect and see how I want to use this new fame. I mean this is not what I planned on happening. I planned on being on the show during auditions for fifteen seconds and using that to promote my college shows. Once I won, I literally said to myself, “So now what am I going to do with my life?” It’s only been a week, so my focus hasn’t defined itself yet. I’m working on getting a manager to help me organize. That’s the toughest thing. BK: Will you be doing a Vegas show like past winner Terry Fator? MF: That’s one of the directions I could do. I just don’t know yet. Six days ago that was something I couldn’t even consider. People expect it, but I have to think about what I want to do, what would be best for me, and what I would enjoy. Mat Franco has a lot to think about. Will his win cause a resurge in the popularity of magic? Time will tell. Whatever he decides, Mat Franco will be representing the art of magic in a way that we can all be proud of. 

Photo credit: Fernando Martinez

NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 39

Silent Mora He Who Makes Silence Eloquent By Tom Ewing I believe in ghosts, or should I say “spirits,” and feel strongly they walk among us. I say this because I have too many examples among family and friends to conclude otherwise. And, after reading a new book by William V. Rauscher on the life and times of “Silent” Mora, I’m even more convinced that if B.F. Keith’s vaudeville theater in Boston still stood, a visitor backstage peering into the shadows would surely see the specter of Mora, resplendent in Chinese robe, waiting to perform. But that theater, vaudeville, and Mora are, of course, gone. However, with the publication of Silent Mora: The Story of Louis J. McCord, he walks among us again – still gone but now not forgotten. Over the last two years, Rauscher, a noted biographer and historian, gathered every story, reference, or magic trick about Mora published in magazines like M-U-M, The Sphinx, Genii, Tops, Conjuror’s Magazine, The Linking Ring, and many others, as well as Mora’s personal letters and correspondence. Magic historians around the world provided him access to their files on Mora. He even tracked down and befriended Mora’s grandchildren and just barely missed meeting Mora’s daughter Augusta, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 101. What emerges from all this effort is the story of a perfectionist, an artistic magical genius, an inventor, a talented pantomimist, and a major talent of Chautauqua, Lyceum, and vaudeville. He was a magical insider who befriended and influenced the greatest names in magic. In the preface of his new book on Mora, Rauscher writes: “In the first half of the previous century, the popularity of vaudeville, Chautauqua, and Lyceum kept thousands of performers, magicians included, fully employed. These venues, coupled with nightclubs, private dates, and clubs produced heady days of success. However, the advent of silent motion pictures and then ‘talkies,’ combined with the Great Depression, World War II, and the dawn of television, changed all this, and many performers were left to wonder where they could work and how they would survive financially. “Such was the case of Mora, who was a well-known star of Chautauqua and a popular and creative vaudeville entertainer with expert manipulative skills. He knew all the top magicians of his day and carried on an extensive correspondence with them. He traveled the width and depth of the United States by rail, car, and even wagon, staying in hotels, keeping in touch with his family, and sending his earnings home whenever he could. Even with his busy schedule he was a major contributor of articles and original tricks to magic magazines and a frequent correspondent with many of the magic stars of his day. He had a prolific mind for 40 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

magical ideas and the magic world knew his name and greatly admired him. “Like so many performers of his time, his image faded after his death, only to surface fondly in conversation. In Mora’s case, however, his name was immortalized when Boston Ring 122 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians (I.B.M.) named their club in his honor. This occurred on September 15, 1952, and was the undertaking of Ray Goulet, Mal Robbins, and Irving Weiner. Today Mora is recognized by magic collectors, who eagerly seek out his handmade props, such as his custommade and decorated bamboo Chinese wands, fans, and other effects as shown in this book. “Few magicians ever attain the status of household names and Mora is not remembered like Houdini, or even Kellar and Thurston, who were America’s favorite magicians in their time, but who are forgotten by the general public today. He was, in a sense, a magician who was popular with the magic fraternity and certainly a star within certain entertainment fields, but not the wider world. He led a full and active life of dedication to the magical arts, was a internationally recognized master of billiard ball manipulation, and was a creator of magic novelties, but there came a time as in the quote from Shakespeare, ‘And then is heard no more.’ “He deserves a brighter spotlight in magic history and this book is an effort to resurrect him and to imprint his magic and name in theater history. So let the curtain rise again for the talented and widely admired Silent Mora, who may have struggled offstage, but who onstage was radiant and perfect in performance. Perhaps his friend, the noted magician Joseffy, captured it best when he inscribed a book to Mora and wrote, ‘To Mora, he who makes silence eloquent.’” I interviewed Rauscher at his Woodbury, New Jersey, home, which is a jewel of a repository of magic history and which overflows with theater trunks of magic, poster-lined walls, and shelves of conjuring collectibles, each of which are threads in the tapestry of magic history. Tom Ewing: What prompted you to write about Silent Mora, who died over forty years ago? William V. Rauscher: It was several factors. The idea was suggested to me by another admirer of Mora’s, David Haversat, former president of the New England Magic Collectors’ Association. He has an extensive collection and a number of Mora’s original props and costumes; he felt a book on this talented magician was well deserved and long overdue. Second, I have always been fascinated with the heyday of vaudeville and that

period in American history when institutions like Chautauqua and Lyceum kept thousands and thousands of entertainers, especially magicians, fully employed in a nationwide network of theaters and performance venues. TE: We should remind readers that his actual name was Louis J. McCord. How did he first become interested in magic? WVR: He didn’t start out with magic, but rather with Punch and Judy. As a twelve-year-old he sat enthralled while watching two men perform at the German Hall on East Street on the north side of Pittsburgh. Earlier, cards announcing the show had been passed out at his school and he discovered that for ten cents he could gain entry into a world of wonder. The experience never left his mind and led him in a direction from which he never wavered. After the Punch and Judy there was a magician, John Lawrence McKissock, and that got it started. McKissock witnessed performances by Kellar, Herrmann, Thurston, and even met Houdini at Huber’s Theater in New York. He was a magician of the old school and became Mora’s mentor and teacher. The first trick he taught Mora was the four balls under two hats effect, an impromptu version of the Cups and Balls. TE: Why did he call himself “Silent,” and where did the “Mora” come from? WVR: The “Silent” was a reference to his performances of magic in pantomime, and the “Mora” was “Maro” with two letters transposed. Early in his career, McCord was impressed with the performances of Walter Truman Best, who adopted the stage name “Maro.” He always felt bad about creating a stage name so close to Maro’s; after that magician’s death in 1908, he wrote a piteous letter to Maro’s widow begging forgiveness for having pirated her husband’s name. TE: So how popular was Mora back in the day? WVR: One of the largest Chautauqua circuits in the U.S. was the Redpath Bureau; Mora was a headliner from 1917 through 1929 and received glowing reviews on his performances. He wasn’t what you might describe as a vaudeville headliner who only played the big time. However, he was very successful. He worked the Keith Time and the United Time. He played theaters in Chicago, Detroit, New York, and across the country. In my opinion, anyone working vaudeville theaters in major cities like that is not exactly playing “the sticks.” In 1913, Mora played Proctor’s Theater in Newark with Mae West headlining the bill. He played coast to coast and north to south. Prior to the end of his career in Chautauqua, he moved his base of operations to Boston, where he continued to seek bookings and performed in clubs and other venues. He still considered Pittsburgh his home, though, and often visited his family. TE: Tell us about the Ziegfield show and the incident with the goose. WVR: In his book, Magic: A Pictorial History of Conjurers in the Theater, David Price recounts that in 1930 Mora was employed to design some magical effects for Florence Ziegfield’s show Simple Simon; Ed Wynn was the headliner. One Mora bit in the show involved the production of a goose. Price wrote, “One night, the goose popped out from its hiding place before the time for its entrance and landed unceremoniously on its backside. Apparently thinking that Wynn was responsible for the mishap, the

goose headed toward him in anger. Ed saw the mood of the goose and led it on a ‘goose chase’ around and around the stage. Finally, Ed ran into the wings with the goose in hot pursuit, and the goose was captured by the stage crew. The audience was hysterical with laughter. Some thought it was part of the show; it was suggested to Ed Wynn that the bit be kept in the show. Ed hurriedly vetoed that suggestion.” TE: What were some of the main features of Mora’s act? WVR: His act was developed over the years, tried and perfected in every possible performing venue. It almost always included a vanishing lamp of his own design, appearing bowl of water and its vanish, a masterful performance of billiard balls, the floating ball, Linking Rings, and his most famous creation, Four Balls and a Net. TE: Some of his early sleight of hand inspired future greats of magic, didn’t it? WVR: Yes, especially Dai Vernon. Mora created the Four Balls and a Net effect wherein small rubber balls placed in one hand magically travelled to the other hand. Among other things, it involves placing a ball on top of your closed fist and apparently removing it. Actually, the ball drops into the closed fist as NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 41

the other hand supposedly carries it away. Vernon used Mora’s move for many years in his Cups and Balls routines. More significantly, Vernon heard about Mora’s Wand Twirl, a move Mora used beginning in 1904. Mora noted that drum majors or band members often twirl their drum sticks. Mora used it as a flourish to vanish an object in his hand. Mora used it at Tony Pastor’s Theater in New York in 1905 to vanish a ball during his act, but he also used it over the years to vanish other small items. Speaking of Mora, Vernon said, “Mora was one of the finest handlers of billiard balls I ever knew. His wand spin vanish of a ball is well known by magicians. It was part of my lecture and I always gave him credit for the move. Mora saw me do this in Boston one time and said that it was a little different from his method and he liked the way I did it. This remark coming from the master was very flattering to me.” TE: You write that he was an inventor of magic effects. Can you give us some examples? WVR: During my research I discovered a handwritten card by Mora in his scrapbook that lists a number of tricks he created. They include: • Floral Cabinet as presented by Kalmar & Co. on the Keith and Orpheum Circuits • The Vanishing Chinese Wind Bell • Vanishing Lamp • Houdini’s Ten Alarm Clock Vanish and Reappearance • Single Kerchief Color Change • All sleights with Ball and Silk • Twirling Wand and Vanishing Ball • Black Art Table with no front cover • Vanishing Giant Brass Water Bowl • Table Top Changes to Chinese Fan Reference to the Alarm Clock Vanish is interesting because Houdini always claimed he invented it. If, in fact, Mora gave the idea to Houdini for what came to be known as The Flight of Time, it contradicts Houdini’s publicity that reads, “The Last Illusion Invented by Houdini.” I am inclined to believe Mora. Collectors know that the alarm clock trick was built by craftsman Rudy Schlosser, but the revelation of Mora originating the illusion is interesting. He also originated Chinese Wands constructed out of bamboo, sets of which today are highly collectible. TE: Was Mora close friends with Thurston? WVR: Yes, they corresponded over the years, including on February 28, 1917, as World War I raged in Europe, when Mora helped Thurston out of a jam. Thurston was having trouble finding the right kind of wire to use in his Levitation of the Princess Karnac. Knowing of Mora’s connections in magic, he wrote to him asking him to obtain several one-pound spools of wire. Mora found the wire and sent it to Thurston’s agent in New York City. Mora saw to having the wire chemically colored to remove the bright steel finish. TE: Vernon admired him but what did other magicians say about him? WVR: George Corregan Jr. wrote in the November 1962 issue of The New Tops: “They tell about a baseball player’s ballplayer, about an actor’s actor, and a musician’s musician; but ‘Silent’ Mora is more than a magician’s magician. He is everybody’s magician. He has thrilled an audience of fifteen hundred in a theater with his pantomime magic act. He has delighted hundreds of children at a Christmas 42 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

party with his handkerchief knots and Chinese Rings. He has amazed a group of spectators with his net and white rubber balls. He has entertained laymen with his close-up effects. And he has been admired and idolized by magicians for all these talents. ‘Silent’ Mora is truly everybody’s magician.” There was also an undated statement in Mora’s scrapbook written by Mr. Otto Harbach, the American lyricist and composer for some fifty musical comedies. He was Oscar Hammerstein’s mentor and believed that songs should be woven into a show, not just placed there. Writing of Mora he said: “I saw you do your act at the Alvin Theater (NYC) tonight and as I watched you, I was wondering who it was you reminded me of and now I can tell you – Your timing as you worked with the Palace Theater Orchestra was so perfect, it reminded me of the Great Nijinsky when he was dancing with Pavlova.” Then there was a reviewer in the March 1930 issue of The Sphinx who wrote: “His Chinese costume and settings furnished a different and attractive atmosphere. Billiard balls, which Mora handles at least as beautifully as the best; candles, the Chinese Sticks, fire-eating, the Linking Rings, the ball on the fan, and many other interesting

and skillful demonstrations made this act one of the outstanding successes of the evening. Silent Mora spoke to the Chinese Sticks with bewildering effect and they responded to his suggestions like things alive.” TE: Obviously, Mora was an active and incessant letter writer. In fact, you describe his closing years as a time when illness kept him from performing and writing letters was his only means of communication. Were his letters interesting? WVR: Yes, they are filled with his reminiscences of magicians he knew and worked with, his opinions on what constituted great magic, and the importance of showmanship and practice. But what comes through most clearly is how depressed he was when vaudeville ended. Here with his own punctuation and capitalization is what he wrote one time: “I am speaking of those days of vaudeville, at one time the happiest profession in the whole world. We don’t have that privilege anymore and it seems to me that we are losing one freedom after another. As I dislike getting old, I also dislike losing so many things that were so beautiful and beneficial to all the people. I dislike seeing great, really great artistes working under ‘canned sardine’ conditions and I hate to see magic relegated to the unfair and cramped atmosphere of the Night Clubs and what is just as bad…to see a great profession like magic confined to the classification of parlor entertainments. “At least, we of an older generation have seen a marvelous period in the theater, to have seen such wonderful shows and to have taken part in so many of them. Vaudeville was killed, long live vaudeville. Those were happy days and theaters were all playing vaudeville and Drama and many thousands of acts and actors came to tour in all America bringing the greatest personalities of the theater to these shores. There were many magicians and kindred novelties playing the theaters all over this broad land of ours, spending their money in every town and no one can say they were not all good spenders, leaving money in every town, and magicians were only one branch of entertainment. “This was in the days when great horse-drawn trucks laden with trunks and scenery brought the baggage from the Railroad Stations to the Theaters and Hotels and many of the shows had to carry great loads of paraphernalia for the proper presentation of the shows, while the vaudeville actors used to carry from two to twenty trunks just to be able to use the right apparatus for a single vaudeville act. “There were few automobiles in those days, for you had to pay cash for them, and there were strict clauses in theatrical contracts that forbid anyone from travelling to the towns and cities in automobiles. They were a little uncertain about getting to the towns and there were many break-downs with many of the better paid acts missing their shows. You travelled by train each Saturday night and Monday morning the great Railroad terminals were filled with actors, buying tickets to distant points and others coming in from far flung cities. “At a recent actors meeting lasting from 2 a.m. until 5 a.m., I did not hear the name vaudeville mentioned once and many of those gathered there would hardly have believed it possible there were great shows presented at the Hippodrome in N.Y. City, often employing hundreds of people. These shows were the means of bringing many thousands of out-of-towners into the city where they spent money far in excess of the theater admission, for they made this visit to the theater also the occasion for buying from the stores in N.Y. City. This principle also holds good for thousands of other cities all over America – the people came to see a show and buy in the city. “This was the time when Movies were Movies and not Talkies

and there were no double features and independent Movie Exhibitors were privileged to buy exactly what they wanted and nothing else, and sometimes you could buy reels from $1.00 to $3.00 per reel, and in relation to that I would say that time when the old ‘White Rats’ Actors Union was in existence, I told the several hundred actors assembled there would be a day when these Movies would sell for $1,000 a day, and at this remark there was a ‘belly laugh.’ “This was a time before it was possible for any single group of people to gain control of the theater and where there was much more freedom in the entertainment fields than there is at the present time in 1939. “The European War started, involving England, France, Germany, Russia, and Belgium, and as at that time the vaudeville artists were really Internationalists and travelled in all those countries, and suddenly found they were no longer International travelers, but their Nationality was either for them or against NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 43

them. Germans who were in England were not allowed to return to Germany – so came to America. English artists who were working in Italy, Germany, or Austria were not permitted to go to England, so came to the U.S. So it was, that great personalities, great vaudeville acts that formerly found continuous work in all those countries found a haven only in America. “With all this influx of the greatest talent in the world into these United States brought the salaries of all talent down, with special favoritism shown the foreign acts, and at a price that in other times would have been laughed at by these vaudevillians. They were glad to be able to work here even at the lowest figure they had ever worked for. “As a result of this opportunity, which was appreciated by the managers of theaters, the American Public was treated to some of the very finest talent ever to appear on the American stage, but that same condition brought great hardship on the American Actor and there were many times that some of our greatest entertainers went hungry, believe it or not. “This condition was rendered doubly hard because commodity prices were high, and rents began to rise. That period was a distressing one for everybody, whether they were actors or preachers or plumbers. Then came the entry of the United States into the War, with everyone acting as a spy on the other fellow. The theater started to pick up a bit for the American vaudeville actors for the reason that many of the Foreign Acts were recalled to serve their own country, so the American born actor was once more in demand. But even at that time the theaters were starting to run a double feature (silent picture) and fewer and fewer acts were required. “There was not any quarter shown when this move was made and thousands of people found their living taken away from them. Not only actors, but people in the tent shows; on the Lyceum and Chautauqua’s; Musicians, Stage Hands, Railroad employees, Transfer workers, Wig makers, Stage shoe makers, Property builders, photographers, lithographers, printers, Theater cleaners (theaters used to be scrubbed clean every week). These are only a few of the many industries affected by the change from lighted theaters to dark ones. “Today, that is all changed and no longer do the actors come to town and no longer do the people from out of town come into the big cities to see a show and do some shopping. No longer do the Railroads have the great passenger traffic, nor are their baggage cars filled with trunks. No longer do the actors spend their money (they have not any money now). No longer do the great Circuses parade for the school children and pack the tents.” TE: What were Mora’s last days like? WVR: Mora continued club work and appearances at magic conventions in the Boston area until sometime in the 1960s, when his health forced him into the Long Island Hospital in Boston. He remained hospitalized for many years. By that time B.F. Keith’s vaudeville theater in Boston was a distant memory, but not for Mora. Before it was torn down, he obtained large swatches of the front curtain and for years afterward sent small souvenirs of the material to friends and admirers. It was a gentle reminder of those magical days when everyone worked and live theater ruled. After his death on August 5, 1972, his body was returned to Pittsburgh for burial.  Silent Mora: The Story of Louis J. McCord contains most of Mora’s published magic effects, his personal hand-colored scrapbook, and over two hundred never-before-seen photographs from his infancy to his closing years. It is available directly from 1878 Press Company, a division of Zanadu LLC ([email protected]) or through magic dealers.

44 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

The Society of American Magicians Contest of Magic Philadelphia – July 1-4, 2015 Probably Warm – Probably Crowded – Definitely Exciting! The Society of American Magicians Contest of Magic is open to all members of the S.A.M.; it will be a featured event of the 2015 convention. As performers from all over the world who have shared their skill and art with us will attest, the S.A.M. Contests of Magic are unique, fair, independent, welcoming, and hot – sort of like Philadelphia itself and what got started there: The USA! There are two contests: The Dr. Paul Critelli Close-Up Magic Contest and The Father Cyprian Murray Stage Magic Contest. You may apply for either or both. If you would like to be considered for this event, your first step is to obtain an application packet. To do this, email me at: [email protected] with “S.A.M. – Contest” in the subject line. Please make sure to include your email address, your full name, regular postal address, and your phone number. If you do not have access to email, send your request to:

Paul Critelli, 858 Iroquois SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506 All application packets will be made available electronically or sent out on or after December 31, 2014. Do not put any act on line or send it to me in any form before you read, complete, and submit the application form. All requests for an application packet must be in my possession by or sent on or before May 15, 2015. All applications and all videos must be on line as instructed in the application packet by June 5, 2015. (These videos must be sent so that only I, Paul Critelli, can view them on YouTube or some other video service. More details will be given in the application packet.) Thank you and good luck! Paul Critelli, Chairperson, Contest of Magic The Society of American Magicians

NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 45

Hit The Road With Scott Alex ander, Puck, Jenny Alex ander, and Adam Ace

APPEARANCE IS EVERYTHING As Billy Crystal used to say as Fernando on Saturday Night Live, “It’s better to look good than to feel good, dahling.” You may be having a terrible day, your flight may have been late, or you got a flat tire on the way to the gig, but you still have to go out on stage and look like a million bucks. Or at least the three-hundred-seventy-five bucks they are paying you. Regardless of your fee, you are still in show business – which, from the audience’s viewpoint, is supposed to be professional and polished. How do you keep the illusion of looking fresh, pulled together, and ruggedly handsome on stage while hitting the road? Let’s examine how you can live on the road, without looking like a rough stretch of highway.

YOUR COSTUME When living out of a suitcase, as I do about twenty weeks a year, it is important to do your best to pack that suitcase with the idea of keeping everything looking as wrinkle free as possible. When choosing your costume (either off the rack or custom made), make sure that the fabric will wear well and will be as wrinkle free as possible. Fabrics such as polyester or synthetic fabrics tend to wrinkle less. There are even suits that are made with wrinkle-free fabrics. I was just walking through Macy’s today and noticed one brand called Travel Guard specifically made with the traveler in mind. Buy clothes that are permanent press – no cotton clothes for traveling. Don’t buy dry-clean-only fabrics; buy acrylic, washable silk, washable wool, rayon, polyester, nylon, microfiber, or some blend of those types of fabrics.

SMELL THE MAGIC I remember walking backstage while working in repertory with another wellknown magician who shall remain 46 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

nameless. His jacket was hanging on the wall just offstage to “air out.” I noticed a distinct, pungent odor and looked around to see if a squirrel had died in a trashcan nearby. But alas, it was the bespangled jacket that was the offender. It smelled like a twelve-day-old bologna sandwich. I wanted to grab a bottle of Febreze and douse that thing with half the bottle. If you don’t know about this magical elixir, Febreze is a spray-on fabric freshener available in the laundry aisle at most grocery stores. It gives your fabrics a fresh, clean smell onstage between proper cleanings. It is mainly sold in larger bottles, but little travel bottles are also available. Another cool tip is to buy disposable, stick-on, underarm absorbent pads. These are simply stuck inside your coat before the show; they suck up any flop sweat you may produce. You just throw them away after the show. These can really extend the life of your wardrobe; they can be purchased at Joann Fabrics and other stores.

LOOK BETTER THAN THEY DO You should always look better than your audience, even if you are one of the new skinny-jeans, hoodie-wearing punks of the new school of casual magi. If you are “dressing down,” you still have to dress it up. Buy the best quality of these casual clothes you can. People can recognize name brands and designer casual wear, so make sure you spend the dough to look good. If you are going to dress like a slacker, at least look like a slacker with good taste. Make sure your jeans and shirt are wrinkle free. You are performing for people who paid you good money, so don’t be a hot, wrinkled mess. It is always a good idea to travel with a portable plug-in or batterypowered steamer. Your hotel room may not always have an iron; a portable steamer can be just the thing to keep you looking wrinkle free on the go. You can go from suitcase, to steamer, to stage in a matter of a few minutes. In a pinch, put your shirt on a hanger, hang it in the bathroom, and turn on the shower water to as hot as it will go. Close the door and let it steam up in there for five or ten minutes. Most of the

wrinkles will fall right out of the shirt. Your shoes are important, too. Some people say that you can judge the financial status of a man by the quality of his shoes. Going on stage with scuffed-up or dull shoes is a major no-no. If you are working on a raised stage, your feet are right in people’s line of sight. Keep your stage shoes polished and nice. When you have finished the show and you head off stage to pack up your gear, take them off and slip them into a cloth bag; this will keep them looking good. If you wear sneakers on stage, as many do these days, they should not be the sneakers you mowed the grass in last Thursday. Also, take a little Gold Bond or Dr. Scholl’s Foot Powder and sprinkle it in there after each show to keep those sweaty dogs from barking.

IT’S IN THE BAG Jenny introduced me to the concept of having a “show bag.” This bag has all the essentials that we would need for personal grooming and make-up. This bag is always packed and ready to go at a moment’s notice. The show bag includes the following items: shoes into their own little cloth bags, deodorant, toothpaste/tooth brush, fishnet stockings (for Jenny, not me!), socks, Febreze, sewing kit/safety pins (for emergencies), makeup, undergarments, breath spray/mints, hair products, nail file, and shoe polish. If you have a show bag ready to go, you won’t be running around the house feverishly gathering up all this stuff from your daily stash. Don’t overlook packing the breath spray or mints. You want to make sure you are minty fresh when conversing with your audience members on stage. You don’t want them to say, “Hey, that magician was great, but his breath smelled like the floor of a taxicab.”

DOES YOUR FACE HURT? Please don’t overlook the makeup! You may be devastatingly handsome, but stage lights can wash out even the most ridiculously good looking among us. If you are a lady, you most likely have the whole

makeup thing covered. If you are a dude and you are on stage, guess what? You need make up - or at the very least powder to keep you from looking greasy and shiny under the lights. Everyone on TV, stage, and the big screen wears makeup for a reason. It makes you look better than you are. You would be surprised how different a well-known stage performer looks in perfect makeup on a beautifully lit stage, as opposed to 8:30 in the morning in a Las Vegas Starbucks after three shows the

night before. Quite different, I assure you. If you don’t know the first thing about makeup, then seek out someone who does. There are MAC cosmetics stores in most “hoity-toity” malls around the country who have experts that are happy to sit down with you and walk you through the process; they can recommend products for you and teach you how to apply them properly. Here is one last little tip on looking your best. If you are like me, and tend

to sweat more than Kim Kardashian at a spelling bee, carry a small towel with you on stage in your prop case. Use this towel from time to time to wipe your brow if you become exceptionally leaky. Not only does it make your face look better, but it gives the impression to the audience that you are working really, really hard for them. I hear that audiences tend to like that sort of thing. 

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For Your Consider ation By George Parker

VERSATILE OPENERS (PART 1)

In the early 2000s I spent a great day roaming the streets and canals of Amsterdam with Max Maven. We talked nonstop about all kind of things, including magic. One of the condensed lessons I took away was about creating the opening of a show. Max said (I’m paraphrasing): “In the first few minutes of a show you need to answer three questions that are on the audience’s mind. They ask themselves: Who is this guy? What does he do? And why the hell should I care?” He may have phrased it that way or it may be my mind that immediately rephrased the last question that way (and worse ways I might add). So I started to work on routines that would include introducing myself (who is he and what does he do?) and would draw the full attention of my audience and create context for the show (why should I care?). Opening routines are also vital to setting the tone, allowing the audience to settle in and break the ice. On top of that, I’ve always found that getting past the first act successfully helps me to completely relax and work better. So openers are important to me on more than one level. One of my favorite ways to create versatile openers is to develop one or more alternative scripts. I talked about this idea in the July issue of this magazine (Exercises in Style). I introduced the idea of multiple scripts for two reasons. First, playing with multiple approaches to the premise, the script and the delivery will boost your creativity. Second, it will help you to get more mileage out of the same basic routine. When you have a serious version, a funny version, and a dramatic version of a specific routine, it will allow you to select the appropriate version (depending on the situation) without having to develop brand new routines for those situations. I will explain one of the routines I developed for the above purposes and will include a couple of my scripts. It’s my version of the Professor’s Nightmare that I developed in the mid 1990s. I focused on 48 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

rope magic for one year and studied everything I could afford to buy and could borrow. Inevitably, I came across the Professor’s Nightmare. I liked the visual aspects of it and the clarity of the effect. But I wanted a full circle type of routine that started and finished with one, single rope. After a lot of experimenting, I succeeded in creating a routine without using gimmicks. The deception relies on technique and rhythm. The impact relies on how the script and the multiple effects complement each other. For the audience it’s a clear, straightforward, and very deceptive effect. But there’s a lot going on behind the scenes. That’s why I will need two columns to teach it.

12321 I’ll describe the effect in shorthand so you get the symmetrical design. This is what the audience sees. A piece of rope is shown. It’s first folded into two equal parts, and then in three equal parts. The three parts turn into three unequal parts. The three unequal parts become equal parts again. They turn into two equal parts. Those parts are tied together, the knot vanishes, and it becomes one rope again. The working title is 12321 for that reason. The actual title depends on what script I select. I’ll talk about that next month. You will need a piece of rope of about sixty-six inches (about five-foot five). The three unequal pieces that you’re going to create without the audience noticing will be about eleven, twenty-two, and thirtythree inches. Introduce the rope by holding it between your two hands (Figure 1). Hold the left part between your left first and second fingers. This prepares you for folding it into three parts later. I let it protrude about

Figure 1

four inches for that reason. Fold it together in equal pieces and hold it between two hands (Figure 2). Apart from reasons that are explained in my scripts, I do this because of the symmetry of the routine. I hope to seduce my audience into remembering that I introduced one piece,

Figure 2

cut it into two pieces (which never really happens but the picture is there), and then cut it into three parts, only to bring it back to two pieces (which actually happens), finishing with one piece.

THREE EQUAL PARTS The next move makes it look like you fold the rope into three equal parts while you’re actually folding it into three unequal parts. I have never read about this move, but I remember seeing some footage of Slydini doing something like this. I figured out what he must have done. I might be way off though. But this is what I came up with.

Figure 3

Take the right side of the rope in your right hand (Figure 3). Bring that right part between your left first finger and thumb. When it has arrived, immediately stretch your left hand thumb, put it behind the rope that’s in your left hand, and lift it (Figure

Figure 4 Figure 6

4). In the illustration I used different shades of red to clarify what happens. Don’t be confused by that. It’s still the same rope. Pull the rope through and down. Figure 5 shows you the end situation; note that this is an exposed view. In reality your left hand is a bit lower and covers the suspicious parts. The audience sees a loop and a loose end on both sides. Take out a pair

Professor’s Nightmare. You will mimic the first count two times to add to the illusion that you’ve counted three equal pieces. Take the first rope with your right hand and pull it to the right. Hold on to it with your left fingers until it reaches the end (Figure 7). I always give an extra tug when it’s completely stretched out. I count “One” at that moment. I will repeat that with the other counts to reinforce the impression of counting three separate, equal pieces.

Figure 5

Figure 9

Take the rope that’s in your left hand and handle it the same way, stretching it and giving it a tug as you count “three.”

Figure 10

Figure 7

of scissors and cut the loops. The audience just saw you fold a piece of rope into three parts and cut it to get three equal pieces. In reality, you have cut the rope in pieces of about eleven, twenty-two, and thirtythree inches. If you are a bit off, it is not a big deal. The audience pays attention to the difference in length, not the exact length. The only phase that looks a little bit awkward when you’re off is the phase in which you show the two pieces at the end. You can easily camouflage the discrepancy by not holding the ropes closely together and moving them up and down slightly while you’re talking.

to the far left, between the first and second fingers of your left hand. At the same time you grasp the looped long-and-short rope between the thumb and first finger of your right hand (Figure 9). Once the right side of the looped long-and-short rope clears your left hand, grip the left strand of the long-and-short rope with your left fingers. Give it a tug and count “two” (Figure 10).

In the next phase you will put the first rope back into your left hand while taking the looped long-and-short rope with your right hand. Figure 8 shows how to clip the first piece of rope between the first and second fingers of your right hand. Move your right hand to the left as you open the gap between the first and second fingers of your left hand. Push the right-hand piece

This all happens in a nice, rhythmical way. If you rush it, it will look suspicious; there’s no reason to do this quickly.

EQUAL PIECES TO UNEQUAL PIECES Put the three ropes back into your left hand. Arrange them as in Figure 11. The long-and-short rope parts are on the outside; the middle-length rope is in the middle. In each of the scripts there is a line about reducing one of the three parts that is relevant in that particular script. You’re

COUNTING THE THREE PIECES Put away the scissors while holding the three equal pieces (as the audience perceives it) in your left hand (Figure 6 – performer’s perspective). Start to count the three pieces one by one as in the

Figure 8

Figure 11

NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 49

FOR YOUR CONSIDER ATION going to visualize that by taking the rope on the right and pushing it into your fist. Figure 12 is the exposed view and shows you how I fold it in an accordion-like way. For reasons of clarity, I only drew two loops. In reality there are three or four loops. You want the audience to see you Figure 12

reduce that piece to about eleven inches. Take the left rope and start to pull. I don’t do that smoothly. I yank it out a few inches at a time. It fits my physical style a bit better. But you can, of course, pull it out smoothly. Just pull it down until all the loops are gone (Figure 13). The audience just saw you shorten one rope and stretch another, ending up with three unequal pieces of rope.

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Figure 13

Keep your thumb on the messy part. Figures 14 and 15 are exposed views; again, I used a bunch of different shades of red to make it clearer. I was doing a lot of street shows when I developed this routine. I added it to my street repertoire because it’s a perfect, visual routine to do when surrounded. This is one of those moments that you may want to flash your side by turning around or swinging out your left arm in order to flash the side you’re seeing. It’s a moment that helps to convince the

Figure 14

Figure 15

audience of the fairness of what you’re doing. You’re now ready to count three unequal pieces just like you counted the equal pieces. (To be continued) 

NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 51

Cheats & Deceptions (For Entertainment Purposes Only) By Antonio M. Cabr al

MY MIRACLES, YOUR HANDS I’ve had some very interesting discussions recently with magician friends on the subject of agency. Not in the “who represents you, and what’s their cut?” regard, but in the performance of magic. Simply put, “agency” is the question of “where do all these amazing events come from?” Most of the M-U-M readership is likely familiar with the Robert-Houdin adage that “a magician is an actor playing the part of a magician.” What it means is that a conjuror (i.e. a performer, a “fake magician”) is an actor playing the part of a sorcerer (i.e. a “real magician”). The question that often gets overlooked is: just what exactly are these powers and where do they come from? If you haven’t somehow defined what “being a magician” means for your audience, it can just as easily mean “a fascinating person with arcane thaumaturgical powers” as “a person who spends a lot of time and money at the magic shop.” This is a particularly important question for anyone who performs with cards. Playing cards have been used to tell fortunes, they’ve been used for recreational game play, and they’ve been a magician’s prop. In modern times, as society has moved away from both superstition and recreational card playing, playing cards are more and more seen as a magician’s prop. This is a problem, because the worst reason to do a card trick is “because I’m a magician.” It’s a little easier to skirt the subject if you’re more of a general-purpose performer. If your audience sees you make liquid vanish into thin air, cut a rope and restore it whole, penetrate solid through solid, turn a one-dollar bill into a hundred-dollar bill, and then transport a signed card inside an orange, they’ll more readily buy your wide variety of abilities as happening “because you’re a magician.” If you’re presenting a bunch of card tricks, you’re in a different arena. After a while, your audience is going to wonder why all your supposed superpowers – as I explic52 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

itly state mine are – are purely cardboardbased. For me and my performing style, it’s more or less easy to explain things away by saying “It’s sleight-of-hand,” or “I cheat,” even for tricks in which I clearly don’t manipulate the cards. But what about effects like a torn and restored card, or Card Warp, or an Anniversary Waltztype fusion, in which the results are light years beyond what can be attributed to manipulation? How do you reconcile the set of skills that allow you to manipulate cards on a superhuman level, with the near-supernatural ability to turn playing cards inside out or fuse two playing cards into one? (This relates to the part of last month’s column, where I talked about knowing exactly what’s going on in an effect in order to present it effectively. Not only do you need to know how to relate it to your audience, you need to know how it relates to your role as a “sorcerer.”) This is particularly important in any trick that involves magic accomplished by the audience. That’s different from magic that happens in the audience’s hands. You can cause a card to change under someone’s hand, or cause the four Aces to assemble in someone’s pocket, or make the selection vanish from your hands and appear reversed in the deck while someone else is holding it, but in those examples you’re still the agent. I’m talking about tricks in which the audience is empowered and creates the outcome. Someone names a number; he deals the cards and finds his card at that number. A woman shuffles the deck; she does all the dealing and makes all the decisions, yet somehow she separates all the red cards from all the black cards. Another example that came up in conversation with a friend is the Ten Card Poker Deal. Your opponent does all of the shuffling, dealing, and choosing of cards for you and him in a game of poker, and somehow you always end up with the winning hand. The question my friend brought up about the Ten Card Poker Deal applies to all these examples: who’s the magician here? If your audience can suddenly do these miraculous things, what the heck do they need you for? This leads to one of my favorite paradoxes I’ve encountered performing magic: no matter how much credit

I try to give my audience in tricks of this nature, it always comes back to the performer. That’s not an ego thing; it’s a necessity. Your role as “the sorcerer” is to make wonderful and mysterious things happen. If your audience thinks even for a second that what’s happening is easy or in any way doable without whatever arcane knowledge you possess, you the performer become superfluous. A few years back I reviewed a collection of card tricks that were intended to come across as if the audience did the magic; instead, it was clear that the performer was simply walking his participants through selfworking, procedural tricks. If someone figures out that they could go home, grab a deck of cards, recall all the steps, and make the trick work, that’s not magic. That’s a science demonstration. Contrast that with one of the strongest tricks I’ve ever performed, my friend Andrew Wimhurst’s Spectator Estimates the Aces. If you’re conversant with card magic, you probably know Ed Marlo’s Estimation (or Miracle) Aces. It’s a classic of card magic, in which you actually do what you claim to do: you dead cut the four Aces from the middle of the deck – no crimps, no finagling, no fooling. Andrew put that power in the audience’s hands, so that they actually cut to four Aces, no fooling. I’ve had conversations with other magicians who worry that, by letting the audience do the cutting, you’re communicating that it’s somehow easy, or that anyone could do it. My actual experience with the trick is that it freaks people out more that any Spectator Cuts the Aces I’ve ever done. My participants know they’re not card experts, and they have no idea what they’re doing. And yet, they find all four Aces. I haven’t performed the trick in years, but the people who remember it, remember it. And they still ask me the same question: “How did you do that?” I was inspired to write on this topic after a recent dining-out experience with my wife. In conversation with our server, my wife mentioned that I’m a magician, and our server asked to see a trick. I performed a couple of quick memorized deck miracles that put all of the action and results in our server’s hands, under the guise of “testing her luck.” Again, rather than being swept up in her newfound

magical powers and running off to fight crime, our server clearly realized I was the source of her newfound “powers.” The result was that I got a new customer for my bar gig. The first routine I performed was Darwin Ortiz’s Test Your Luck (from his latest book, Lessons in Card Mastery), which is a card stab in which the participant finds a card she freely named. I followed up with the following simple Stop effect inspired by my friend Michael Vincent. Begin with a memorized deck in play, in one to fifty-two order (or a few cards off in either directions, as per my June 2014 column). Ask your participant to name any card in the deck she likes, and stress that she has a completely free choice. (I encourage people to change their mind as much as they want before settling on a card.) Once she’s named a card, you have to cut that card to the top of the deck. The best strategies I’ve learned for this can be found in Darwin Ortiz’s Lessons in Card Mastery, and Michael Close’s Workers 5. If you do this kind of Open Index card work, I highly suggest getting these sources. I find the trick plays stronger if you can get to the named card with as little finagling as possible. Once you have the card on top, place the deck on the table. Place your left hand palm up directly next to the deck. Ask her to take a card from the top of the deck and to place it face down in your left hand. Illustrate this by taking the top card yourself and placing it into your left hand; have her imitate what you just did. Once she’s done that, have her do it again, and then again. Tell her to keep going as much as she wants; whenever she feels like it, she should simply stop. (Choose your wording carefully; you don’t want her to get ahead of you and take a card or stop with one in her hand.) When she stops, you’ll have a short pile of cards in your hand. The bottom card of this pile is her named card. Push the top card of the pile about halfway off the top

with your left thumb. You’re now going to turn a couple of screws that always get a nice reaction. Say that you’ll let her choose: she can take the last card back, deal one more, or leave everything the way it is. Regardless of the eventual decision, I find just being at that crossroads has a really weird effect on people. If she chooses to leave things as is, fine. If she takes the last card back or opts for one more, do as she asks, and push the subsequent top card halfway off the packet with your left thumb. You’re in position to do a very well-covered bottom deal, in the style of Larry Jennings’s TNT bottom deal. Under cover of the side-jogged top card, push out the bottom card with the left second, third, and fourth fingers. Bring the left hand to the right hand, and rest the right thumb lightly on top of the side-jogged top card while the right first and second fingers contact the side-jogged bottom card (Photo 1).

Photo 1 Once the left hand delivers the packet to the right, several things happen at once. The left hand moves forward and to the left, turning palm down to spread the packet on the table. The right first and second fingers take the bottom card of the packet as the left thumb pulls the top card back flush with the rest of the cards (Photo 2). Timed correctly, it looks like the left hand delivered the top card to the right hand, then spread its packet face up on the table.

Now you milk the suspense. You point out that she could’ve stopped on any of the cards on the table. Turn over the top card of the remainder of the deck to show what would’ve happened if she had gone one card further. Ask her to repeat which card she named, and reveal it.

Photo 2 While my participant and any other spectators are reacting to this, I reset the deck as follows. I drop the selection on the face of the face-up spread. I sight-count six or seven cards from that end, and as I scoop up the spread I place my thumb down at that point so I can get a break. I do an overhand shuffle and run all the cards above that break singly, reversing the order, and throw the rest on top. I turn the top card of the rest of the deck face down and drop the packet face-down on top. Then I do another overhand shuffle, running six (or seven) cards singly to finish reversing the order, then finish with an Erdnase Overhand Blind Shuffle. All of this is done briskly but casually, as we’re between tricks and people are still freaking out over the previous one.  I welcome any questions or comments. If any M-U-M readers want to get in touch, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. I look forward to answering your questions and opening a dialogue or two.

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I Left My Cards At Home By Steve Marshall

DAVID KAYE (AKA SILLY BILLY)

Whenever the subject of performing magic for children comes up, more than likely either the name of David Kaye or his alter ego “Silly Billy” will come up as well. This is because David is one of the most prolific writers of our time (and arguably any time) on this subject. How did he come to know so much about this branch of our art? By being out there and performing for children for over twenty-five years! His love of magic began when he was just six and his father took him to a magic show; young David was picked to go onstage and help the magician. This encounter led to magic sets as gifts, and ultimately to David studying sleight-ofhand magic through his junior high and high school years. David then put his magic studies aside and attended Northwestern University, where he enrolled in a program called Communication Studies. After graduating, David got a job in marketing for a book publisher – a job that would only last for nine months. David recalls, “I couldn’t stand the nine-to-five work schedule, so I quit my job and started street performing in New York City. I had always been a fan of street performers and had grown up watching great street magicians like Presto and Mal Cross who performed regularly on the streets of Manhattan.” 54 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

While performing on the streets, David started getting the question, “Do you do children’s parties?” Although David was doing mostly magic for adults and families at the time, he accepted the shows because, as he put it, “That’s what you do.” He went straight to Tannen’s magic shop and bought some standard children’s magic tricks. “I did my first children’s show and I must have been good, because that show turned into more shows. The more I was on the streets performing, the more people saw me, and the more children’s parties I would book. Eventually I was doing so many private parties that I stopped street performing.” At the time he was known as “David the Magician” and performed at the parties in a tuxedo and tails. At this point he was just happy to perform magic wherever he could and to make money for it. After a few years of performing, and an ever-growing number of children’s shows, he decided that he needed to come up with a more clown-like outfit for the kids. “I went to my parent’s house where I had two things: my costume from my high school production of Godspell, which included rainbow suspenders and colorful pants, and some old stock left over from when I sold novelties and magic tricks at flea markets when I was in high school. Among this stock was a battery powered, blinking bow tie and some really big glasses.” David took all of these things and created his first costume specifically for children’s shows. Now that he had a new look, he felt that he needed a new name to go along with it, so he made a list of funny names; after his shows he asked kids which name from the list they liked the best. Out of all the names, “Silly Billy” was the one they constantly picked. And thus, a new character was born. After coming up with his look and name, David thought that he could change the color of his costume from time to time. He then realized that cartoon characters and certain corporate icons were always dressed the same way. He decided to stay with this concept and has kept the image of Silly Billy a constant throughout the years. This “branding” of the character has helped him stay easily recognizable and has kept kids saying, “I don’t want just any magician or clown; I want Silly Billy at my party!” Recently, David has appeared at more

magic conventions and places where there may not be too many kids in the audience. He started thinking of a more “grown up” Silly Billy look. I got to spend a great afternoon in the famous Harajuku section of Tokyo helping David design this new look. (He still wears the classic Silly Billy wardrobe for all of his kid shows, though.) In 2005, David’s first book Seriously Silly was published by Kaufman and Company; it has become a best seller around the world. (The book has even been translated into Spanish and Japanese!) This book has a wealth of knowledge, not only for kid show performers but for other types of performers as well. David has recently come out with a line of products for magicians. All of his props and routines have been personally tested hundreds of times in his own shows, so he can include all of the “real work” in the instructions and DVDs. (To paraphrase an old Orson Welles commercial, “He will sell no trick before it’s time.”) David is finishing up a new book that includes his one hundred “Turn It Around” columns from MAGIC. It is slated for an early 2015 release from Kaufman and Company. He also currently writes a bimonthly column for Genii magazine. Oh yeah, and he does children’s parties, too!

SNEAKER JUICE

BY DAVID KAYE

Effect: The magician borrows a child’s sneaker and pours water into it. The water really goes in! Then the magician shakes the sneaker a little, mixing the water inside the sneaker. He then places a plastic cup, mouth up, into the sneaker. When he removes the cup, it is full of sneaker juice – brown and wet! He then drinks the sneaker juice to the disgust of his audience. Preparation: You need two clear plastic cups that hold about three or four ounces of liquid. They are about three inches tall. Make sure the cups are clear. You may have trouble finding these in a store. If so, then look for a food store that sells drinks; cups this size might be used to give out samples. Try a coffee bar, a juice bar that sells shots of wheat grass, a supermarket samples stand, even your dentist. These cups are small enough to fit into the sneaker of a child. If you can’t find the small cups, then buy the smallest clear

cups you can find and use the shoe of an adult. Take one cup and cut off the rounded top, just under the rolled lip. This is Cup A. Cut out the bottom of the other cup. Leave a little lip, but cut out the middle of the bottom. This is cup B (Photo 1).

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in the sneaker that it is not visible, but high enough that you can pour the water in accurately (Photo 4).

5

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Place a sprinkle of grape Kool-Aid powder drink mix into the bottom of Cup A. Slide Cup B into Cup A. This now looks like only one cup (Photo 2).

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Performance: In the middle of your show say, “It’s time for my afternoon snack.” Ask to borrow a child’s sneaker. Borrow one that closes using Velcro. (When you return the sneaker, you won’t have an “I can’t tie it” situation.) Pick up your prepared cup(s), holding it around the bottom, thus hiding the hole and the Kool-Aid powder (Photo 3). Say, “I have to make sure your sneaker is big enough for my cup.” Place your cup(s) into the sneaker just for a second and leave Cup A behind. Make sure Cup A is low enough

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Take another cup filled with water or a bottle of water and pour it gently into the sneaker and into Cup A. Try to hold the water bottle about five inches or so above the sneaker so the audience can see that the water is actually going in (Photo 5). Place the water bottle on the table. Now shake the sneaker gently, like you are trying to stir up the water in the sneaker. The Grape Kool-Aid powder will mix with the water and make the water look black. Point to the toe area of the sneaker and say, “All the sneaker juice is accumulating down here.” This is a nice visual to reinforce the impression that the water is really in the sneaker. Wave your hand over the sneaker and say some magic words. Then take Cup B and place it into the sneaker and into Cup A. The cups will nest. Hold the top of the two cups tightly between your thumb and index finger and remove both cups (Photo 6). Keep your other fingers away from the cups so the audience can see the black water in it. Say, “All the sneaker juice jumps into the cup, and the sneaker is dry!” Turn sneaker upside down to show that it is dry. Toss the sneaker back to child. Look at the audience and say, “And now I will drink the sneaker juice.” Then look at the cup, consider it, and change your mind. “This is disgusting. I don’t want to drink it. Do you think I should drink it?” Kids will yell, “Yes.” Bring the cup to your lips, pause, and then change your mind. “No, I can’t drink it!” Kids will insist. Wave your hand at your nose as if you smelled something awful. Bring the cup back to your lips, pause, and then change your mind again. “No, it’s disgusting.” The kids will insist again. Hold the cup in your right hand and hold your nose with your other hand. Turn to

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the left so you are in profile. Bring the cup slowly to your lips and slowly drink the contents. Keep your fingers clear from the cup so the audience can see that you are actually drinking it. To end the routine, finish drinking the sneaker juice and then smile and start to say, “Deeeelicious!” But only say the “Deee” part. In mid-word make a sour face and finish by saying, “Disgusting!” (It will sound like deeeee-sgusting.) Say it nice and loud and end as though you have swallowed something gross.

STEVE’S STUFF The attention to detail in David’s routines proves he has performed the effect many, many times. In this effect, the advice to borrow a sneaker that closes using Velcro so you won’t have an “I can’t tie it” situation later is great advice for any trick in which you borrow a tennis shoe. I saw a video of him doing this live; the kids go wild at the end, chanting, “Drink it, drink it.” David milked it for all it’s worth. This trick might not fit everyone’s style; if it fit’s yours, you will have a lot of fun with this one!  NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 55

The High Road script writing, char acter development, and act construction for the modern conjuror By Mick Ayres

“Nothing is as common as the wish to be remarkable.” – William Shakespeare; Hamlet Who doesn’t love a good Cinderella story? You know, when the underdog rises to a challenge and overcomes the insurmountable obstacle. Personally, I don’t have a favorite football team for that very reason; I always root for the guys nobody expects to win. If the team surprises everybody by rallying together and somehow pulls out a victory in the last few minutes, it gets so exciting I can’t help but hoot and holler at the television. What does this confession have to do with conjuring? It has to do with where I hope to evolve as a performer. For some time now, I have been working to construct and script an act that gets the audience rooting for me. The final few words in that last sentence are critical. The goal is to convince the guests that what they are witnessing is so difficult, so crazy, and so impossible that they spontaneously drop their inhibitions and leap to their feet as they cheer and shout encouragement. In other words, they are not expecting success – they are hoping for it. I want to convert my guests from a passive, seated audience into a solid mass of crazy cheerleaders. The heck with polite applause; I’m looking for foot-stomping, palm-stinging, throat-aching chaos to rule the room when the show hits the finale. A show with that level of emotional impact is going to change everything about the way one performs, and the way the guests judge the performer on stage. In the world of conjuring, I privately believe it is mentalism that will get me there. It will take a lot of study and practice, pages of creative writing and long hours of rehearsal, but it is a very reachable, very doable goal. Now consider this: What if every conjurer tried to affect their 56 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

audiences that way, too? Well now, that would change the face of this art, wouldn’t it? An act of this construction would not necessarily require every effect in the show to be completely original. One can use a strong existing effect as the foundation, coat it with a relevant script, and tweak the handling until it slides smoothly into the new act. Once upon a long time ago, the magician John Murray had a fine store called the Up the Stairs Magic Shop in Greenville, South Carolina. Though it was a six-hour, acrossthe-state drive away, it was always worth the trip. Anyone who knew John in those days would tell you he had little patience for magicians “who have decided mediocrity is acceptable.” But John was always generous and willing to share with a young man who traveled far just to sit and listen. Eventually John Murray closed his shop and relocated to the city of Charleston, closer to my neck of the woods. There I visited with him often at his favorite bar. In his later years, John would often press me to conjure for his friends; he particularly enjoyed a mentalism approach I gave to his self-working effect Four-Card Coincidence. John is gone now, but you can enjoy more of his thinking by finding the book Inside John Murray. Before his passing, John graciously gave permission to share his brilliant thinking blended with the following script.

FOUR CARD INFLUENCE Hand a deck of cards to a guest. Pantomime an overhand shuffle and ask her, “Would you mind giving these cards a simple mix?” As she does this, address the rest of your audience and say, “Here’s a question: Can you be made to do something without your knowledge? Most adults will say, ‘Of course not; I am an intelligent human being and wise to the ways of the world.’ Hmm, think again. If

people could not be unknowingly influenced, a few advertising agencies, some car salesmen, most preachers, and all politicians would be out of work. In fact, professionals in those fields will often tell you the more gentle the effort, the stronger the influence.” Take a step toward your guest who is mixing the cards and extend your hand toward her. “Would you like to participate in a harmless example?” With a nod of her head she will finish shuffling the pack and hand it to you. “Thank you.” Say, “This demonstration begins with the isolation of one card. I have a specific card in mind already. Think of it as my ‘burden of proof.’ I’ll bet it's closer to the other end of the pack. That would be my luck. Okay, I found it. I will show it to you later.” Suiting action to words, you will search for the prediction card in the following manner. Spread the deck with the faces towards you. Note the value of the card at the back of the spread (this is top card of the deck when the deck is face down). Let us assume it is a Queen. Beginning with this back card, silently spell the word Q-U-E-E-N by pushing one card for each letter into your left hand. Your left hand now takes this block of five cards, turns the packet face down, and tables it. Keep pushing cards from the back of the spread into your left hand until you spot the second Queen. Your left hand takes the second Queen and all the cards behind it away. Again, this packet is turned face down and is dropped casually on top of the tabled pile. Continue searching the deck until you spot the third Queen. This time, however, do not take the Queen. Instead, remove all the cards behind the Queen, turn them face down, and drop the packet on the tabled pile. Search the remainder of the deck for the fourth Queen. When you spot it, jog this Queen up and remove it from the spread. Lay this card face down off to one side as your other hand turns the balance of the deck face down and drops

it on top of the tabled pile. Although this search is brief and appears innocent to the guests, you have effectively stacked the deck right under their nose. There is a Queen on top of the deck. Two more Queens are side-by-side a few cards from the bottom and the last Queen rests on the table. Pick up the deck and hold it face up. Say, “Remember, this experiment is about influence.” Look at the guest who shuffled the cards and ask, “Ma’am, when you mixed the cards did you feel influenced in any way?” She will answer no. Smile and mime another overhand shuffle as you say, “Remember when I asked you to shuffle how I moved my hands to show you how – and you cooperated. Also, at the end of my monologue I stepped forward and held out my hand. You handed me the pack. So, even though you did the work, how you shuffled and how long you shuffled were all influenced. Now, would you please point to someone in the audience you don’t know?” Let’s say she selects a gentleman. Comment on her choice by again asking, “Did you feel influenced in any way?” She will again answer no. Smile and say, “Studies show that when asked to point to someone they don’t know, over half the population will choose a member of the opposite sex; I don’t know why, they just do.” (If she selected a woman, adjust this bogus statistic to declare: “...will always choose a member of the same sex. Maybe it’s a birds-of-a-feather thing; who knows?”) Smile and add, “This means you are above average!” Turn the deck face up and hand it to the new guest. “Sir, please start dealing cards one at a time.” Once he begins dealing, continue, “Deal the cards into a face-up pile. You will divide the deck by stopping at any time.” You will see the pair of Queens get dealt, but ignore them. When you finish giving your guest the instructions, silently count the number of cards he deals from that point. Let’s say he stops after dealing six more cards. Say, “Thank you. Please turn that pile face down. Flip the rest of the pack face down as well, and put it here beside the others.” More often than not, the balance of the deck will be the larger of the two groups. Either way, this latter pile has a Queen on top, so remember its location. Now address this gentleman and say,

“When you stopped dealing you created two groups of cards. Did you feel influenced in any way?” He will answer no. Smile and explain yet another bogus statistic, “Professional poker players tell us that when given the choice, the average person will stop dealing about six cards after instructions are given, which is exactly what you did. Perhaps it’s an internal rhythm thing. Let’s get another person involved. Sir, please point to someone you don’t know.” He does so. The choice he makes provides an opportunity for humor. If a man is chosen, grin and quip, “You know, statistics also show that after learning of that earlier statistic, one-hundred percent of the population will be contrary!” However if a lady is chosen, say, “We all hope to be normal, but isn’t it nice to know for sure?” Let’s say the newest guest is a lady. Address her by gesturing to the packets on the table. Say, “There are two piles. Which one should we work with? Choose either one.” It doesn’t matter which pile the guest selects. Ask, “Do you feel influenced at all? Because half the time fiftypercent of the population will point to that same group of cards.” Deliver this line as if you are perfectly serious and the guests will laugh when it dawns on them how you have stated the obvious. If she pointed to the pile of dealt cards, say, “Pick up that pile and hold it. Now turn over the top card of the other pile. We have been given a Queen? This is good.” However, if the guest points to the pile of un-dealt cards, say, “Turn over the top card of your pile. We have been given a Queen? This is good. Pick up the other pile and hold it.” Either way, despite her “free” choice, the first Queen has made an appearance. Continue your instructions to the guest. “Please deal one card for each letter as you spell the word Q...U...E...E...N and make a small pile on the table. When finished, just put the remaining cards off to the side.” Spell aloud with her as she deals the five cards face down. Once she puts the balance of the packet aside, ask her to turn over the last card she dealt. With a startled look, exclaim, “Hey…another Queen! What a coincidence!” Build up the impossibility of this coincidence by giving a rapid-fire recap of events as you point to each of the three

guests in turn: “Think about this; you shuffled the deck. I was careful to not disturb the order and only took one card from the pack. Next, you divided the deck into two piles. Then you found a Queen, and you used that Queen to find another Queen. That’s one heck of a coincidence. You guys made every decision. No one ever felt influenced. “But I’ve been claiming all along that people can be influenced without their knowledge. So believe me – the current in this particular river was moving in only one direction today.” Turn the prediction card over to reveal the third Queen. Smile and quip, “See what I mean?” Drop this card next to the two piles so all three Queens are nicely displayed. Take a step back and wait. The audience will take this pause as a cue to applaud and will do so generously. When the applause begins to diminish, interject and say, “Now, it’s my job to know what you’re thinking, and right now some of you are thinking, ‘What if…?’” Again, address each guest in turn. “What if I had shuffled the cards a different way or not as long? What if I had stopped dealing sooner or kept going for a few more cards? What if I had chosen the other pile? Any other decision would have changed the outcome completely. So, that’s why it is good to have a back-up.” Reach over to the discarded pile and turn over the top card to reveal the fourth and final Queen. Enjoy the astonished looks, the generous laughs, and another round of applause. The construction of John Murray’s original effect has not been changed. However, this script and choreography blend with Murray’s method to emphasize an important theatrical element. Your guests assume the drama is over three times: at the initial coincidence, at the revelation of the prediction, and the appearance of the fourth card.  Four Card Influence copyright 1996 by John Murray and Mick Ayres. The effect was previously published in S’lie: Book Four in the Act-Series (c. 2010). Mick is a conjurer, tunesmith, and taleswapper. He welcomes dialogue and sophomoric humor. He can be reached at [email protected].

NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 57

INFORMED OPINION LATEST PRODUCT REVIEWS Compiled and Edited by W. S. Duncan

Bravura 4-DVD Set By Paul Daniels

Available from: www.EssentialMagicCollection.com Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $150.00 REVIEW BY CURTIS KAM I think most of us should purchase these discs about the magic of Paul Daniels, and here’s why: Paul Daniels is a speaking performer who does a solo stage act featuring proven, practical magic, audience interaction, and comedy. I’m a speaking performer who does a solo stage act based on classic effects, audience participation, and comedy. And odds are so are you. Paul Daniels’s act is designed to pack small and play big; it works with the basic sound and lighting available in your average club or hotel function room. That’s what’s practical for me, and, I expect, for most of you. Paul Daniels’s stage act is light entertainment and his performing persona is a guy much like himself, only a bit friendlier and funnier. That sounds pretty much like my approach. Yours, too? Paul Daniels’s stage act was developed in front of loud, rough audiences with short attention spans and a tendency to throw things. Does this sound like your worst crowds? Even if it doesn’t, wouldn’t you like your act to work for even the toughest crowds? Paul Daniels turned his solo stage act, and the skills he learned from doing it, into a successful career that made him a household name in his home country, a television personality, and an international celebrity. Wouldn’t you like to do as much with your act? If I’m right, you’ll find these discs as engaging and informative as I did. Paul Daniels does the kind of act that you and I do, only better. He has learned a great deal about performing that act, and has made a good living at it. On these four discs he shares all of that with us, including, for instance, a three-word phrase that will silence a room. It’s that simple. You walk out on stage, utter these three magic words, and you have everyone’s attention. This is essential knowledge for the speaking performer, and not something I would have thought of. In fact, it runs counter to some traditional wisdom about openings. Paul explains why this works, even in the rowdiest of clubs, and I believe him. Then there’s the matter of applause. Most of us lack any formal training in it. But on this subject, Paul has much to tell. Among other things, he covers how to prompt the audience to applaud, how to get a standing ovation without begging for it, and how to take the applause when you do get it. And what about rapport? Paul reveals how he builds a relationship with the audience, and how he gets strangers from the audience to follow his directions without question, to hilarious 60 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

results. This is explained in the context of his famous Electric Chairs act. Paul covers this highlight of his show step-by-step and gag-by-gag. He explains how to pick the right subjects, how to gain their trust, and how to take control over them. Of course, he also tips the secret workings of his remarkable routine, in which two spectators appear to be receiving shocks from their chairs, without any apparent cause. Finally, one of the spectators finds he can’t get up out of his chair, and the other, who is standing behind his chair, can’t let go of it. Paul has carefully crafted the routine so that the performer is never seen or heard directing the spectators to do these things. But it’s also not hypnosis, and the shocks aren’t coming from the chairs. Or what about scripting and presentation? If you’ve ever wondered how a seasoned pro crafts a presentation that makes the small play big, or that makes a child’s trick feel like a stage illusion, then you’ll find your answers here. I know I did. Paul tips the secrets that turn the simple vanish of a coin into a strong piece for the stage. I had to try it myself to believe it, but Paul’s right. This little trick stuns people on stage, and it has found a permanent spot in my act. The first disc gives us a performance of Paul’s solo stage act from start to finish. All of the gags and bits of business are included, from his famous opening Chop Cup routine to his celebrated Electric Chairs, and ending with a bulletproof borrowed bill in walnut, in egg, in lemon. The show is performed in a casino showroom in Lisbon for a live international audience that appears to be about fifty percent magicians. The effects are all familiar to close-up and parlor workers: The Chop Cup, the Professor’s Nightmare (aka Equally Unequal Ropes), Card to Wallet, the Baby Gag, the Electric Chairs, and the Bill in Walnut, Egg, and Lemon. However, Paul does this all on stage, and how he manages that, and why he bothers to, make up the lion’s share of the revelations on this project. Of course, these effects will also play in a close-up or parlor setting, if that’s your venue. And there are a few items that will perplex even the most seasoned card and coin handler. In one instance, Paul has a card chosen while he’s holding the deck behind his back. He immediately mentions that the chosen card is the Six of Clubs. Just a gag, he says, and offers the deck to the spectator to make a free choice, but he chooses the same Six. Finally, Paul hands the deck to another spectator, asking him to offer a card to the first spectator. That first guy takes a card, and he gets the same Six again, even though Paul’s nowhere near the deck. On disc three, Paul explains how he makes this happen with an ordinary deck and two lay spectators, neither of whom is stooged. There are interviews with Luis De Matos at the end of each disc, and the interview on disc one covers the basic biographical material: Paul’s real name, his childhood, and how he came to magic. A delightful extra is an additional interview with Debbie McGee. The Act, and most of the thinking behind it, is dissected and explained on disc two. Yes, he explains how one does the Chop Cup on stage, why he opens with it, what to look for in a cup, how to get the proper balls, how to handle the loads on television, and his systematic way of generating a presentation for this, and all of

his tricks. Paul’s advice on the timing of the final loads is essential knowledge for anyone doing a cup load, regardless of venue. His discussion of the importance of your nose in misdirection is interesting, as is his description of how and when he knew the routine was finished. But he also covers how The Act is packed and set up, how the tastes of the audience dictate the props you use, and things everyone needs to know about how to use a microphone. The other effects in the Act are also examined in depth, with Paul throwing in the occasional poignant or enlightening story, such as the one about the one trick in the Act that was successfully performed in the hands of a blind girl. As the explanations proceed, we learn that some of the tricks in the Act serve a dual purpose. The Equally Unequal Ropes was included in order to allow Paul to bring two people up on stage in an entertaining way. The Card in Wallet is a solid mystery, but also serves to make the two volunteers comfortable on stage, and to become accustomed to following Paul’s directions. The way that these tricks are woven into the blocking, psychology, plot, and pace of the Act is the real education here, especially for those who are building acts for the first time. Even the hoary baby gag is given an upgrade, in this case involving a vanishing eggbeater and lessons in scripting and acting. And he does explain the secret to The Electric Chairs, which is as simple and as wonderful as one could hope for. This is one of those tricks for which every possible method you can imagine might work, and the only way to tell good from bad is to try it. In this context, I value experience over ingenuity, and the lessons of years of experience are what’s offered here. Paul discusses some of the other methods as well, and his reasons for not using a chair that actually shocks the spectator might surprise you. If you’re interested in this effect, this is the best resource I’m aware of. The Act closes with a very practical handling of the Lemon, Egg, and Walnut, an effect that is open to endless variation in the handling of the vanishes and the loading. This handling requires less preparation than most, and relies almost not at all on mechanical aids. So there is little that can go wrong; as long as the performer has reasonable command of a toss vanish (Paul’s is excellent), this handling gets the borrowed bill inside a walnut, inside an egg, inside a lemon, in a magical and reliable way. The second interview features the experience of performing magic on television, in particular, a weekly television series that Paul performed for many years. While many of the things Paul learned from his experience are probably limited to television in his particular time and place, I found this discussion to be valuable, and certainly entertaining. On disc three Paul covers basics of card handling, notably the classic force, the classic force behind your back, and the secret to that moment I alluded to earlier, where one spectator forces a card on the other. This is something I’ve never seen discussed before, and it’s brilliant. Paul then covers the tricks he holds in reserve, in case more or less time is needed, and for other emergencies. This includes one of his best-known routines, the Linking Rings, which he performs along with a little girl from the audience. He states his goals for the routine at the outset, and then dedicates every moment towards achieving them. Many of the pretty moves that magicians love are discarded, and the result is a focused and commercial piece of magic. If you are looking for a Linking Ring routine for stage, street, or parlor, I recommend that you start with this one. Paul also covers some impromptu tricks and stunts that come in handy, including the little-seen rapping pencil effect. These are good, but the standout for me, and the piece that went immediately into my act, was his handling of Malini’s vanishing coin. This is a remarkable effect with a method that I have ignored

for as long as I have been in magic. However, Paul has applied the expert advice of Ken Brooke to this simple trick and the result is a coin trick with the impact of a vanishing birdcage. There are also other lessons, like the card trick that Paul uses to “make an audience out of them again” when everyone returns from intermission. Disc four is titled The Real Secrets; Paul addresses things like surviving in the business, professionalism, nervousness, taking applause, working the venue, knowing your audience, knowing yourself, and how one develops a funny and interesting presentation. These are the sorts of things I wish an experienced professional had told me years ago, and whether you’re just starting out on your career, if you’re right in the middle of it, or if you’re just wondering if, you’d be crazy to ignore the information that Paul is giving us here. He also has much to say about his Theory of Shapes, basically addressing the visual aspects of the different phases of a spoken act. In the end, this project is, as I’ve said, essential information for anyone with any interest in presenting magic as commercial entertainment. Granted, that doesn’t describe us all, but even if you are a close-up performer who occasionally gets asked to do a bigger show, or a businessman who does a larger presentation every now and again, or a grand illusionist who needs to actually talk to the audience between numbers, you’ll find much to think about and a lot to use.

Master Course Sponge Balls 4-DVD Set By Daryl Available from: www.daryl.net Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $80.00 for the set or $20.00 per DVD REVIEW BY DAN GARRETT If you think you already know all you need to know about sponge ball magic, think again. I’m sure you do know that any magic that apparently happens in the spectator’s hands is the strongest magic of all. Whether you do sponge ball magic or not, the study of this genre is essential to all magicians in order to gain insights into magic psychology and sleight-of-hand techniques. Daryl already has the reputation of being a “magician’s magician” and one of the finest teachers of magic in the world. These DVDs are a part of his Essentials in Magic – Master Course, produced by Murphy’s Magic Supplies. The videos set the highest standards of performing, teaching, and inspiration for magic students of all levels. From a production standpoint, everything is as close to perfect as one can expect. There is great camera work, picture quality, and editing. The lessons are delivered with skill, precision, and humor. Daryl has that special knack for holding your attention as he teaches. Every section is well scripted and rehearsed. It is sad that all DVDs on the magic market cannot achieve this standard of excellence. The material is taught in three languages: English, Spanish, and Japanese. Is everything there is to know about sponge ball magic on these DVDs? No, of course not. There is so much in print about the subject, that this goal would be impossible. Even though Daryl’s NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 61

teachings cover the subject like an encyclopedia, they don’t cover everything. But, it is safe to say that (whatever your level of expertise) these four discs cover ideas that you don’t already know. Even if you are a seasoned sponge magician you will find many surprises on each disc. They are that good. On Volume 1 Daryl sets the stage with a brief history of sponge ball magic. One name he doesn’t mention, however, is New York City magic dealer and magician Al Cohn, known as the “Sponge Ball King,” not to be confused with retired magic shop owner and legendary demonstrator Al Cohen of Washington, DC. Daryl then teaches various productions, vanishes, and routines – classics with some new twists. There is a wonderful section on the Sanada Gimmick, including one of my own handlings with this clever device. I was delighted when Daryl included some sponge ball techniques of Al Goshman, whose company Magic by Gosh has supplied the world with quality sponge balls for the last few decades. The first half of Volume 2 deals with different approaches to sponge productions, vanishes, and color changes. The disc opens with a nice production idea from our late friend Aldo Colombini. Various moves and variations with sponge balls and other sponge items are covered, always with full credit. Included are some great ideas from the likes of Flip Halema, Gary Ouellet, Gary Darwin, Peter Samelson, Roger Klause, Steve Spill, Ray Grismer, Paul Kozak, and many other great thinkers in magic. There is a fun foray into magical squeaking sponge balls and other sound effects. Daryl asked my permission to include a few of my ideas in this area. Next Daryl explores ideas with the routine called by many “the most commercial close-up magic trick of all time,” namely, the sponge bunnies. Daryl’s own signature bunnies and baby chicks routine is not here. Fortunately for all of us, he teaches this routine in the next volume. Volume 3 contains more great ideas and routines by many fine magicians, including Dan Tong, Mark Leveridge, and Jack Chanin, to name but a few. I particularly enjoyed a funny idea with “spaghetti” from Steve Spill. There is a wonderful section on handling spectators, which applies to all magicians. This is something rarely seen in magic videos, but it is sorely needed. Daryl also surveys various sponge props, from rabbits to mushrooms to hot dogs to bananas. I like bananas. In Volume 2 Daryl mentions the Benson Bowl routine, but on Volume 3, he teaches it. What a classic! Al Goshman’s sponge routine is here. Several other great routines are taught on Volume 3, including my favorite sponge bunny routine, Daryl’s own Papa Rabbit Goes to Town. This volume also gives advice on cleaning and storing sponges, as well as cutting your own. The advice is brief and incomplete, but it is a good start. As a self-proclaimed expert on the subject, let me say that the enemy of sponge ball longevity is oxidation. The two main contributing factors are air and sunlight. So I further recommend storing sponge in Ziplocstyle plastic bags, out of sunlight and fully expanded. Colors should be separated to avoid bleeding of the dye. The final volume is every bit as good as the previous three, with new productions, vanishes, transformations, and routines by more great magical minds. John Carney, Slydini, Aldo Colombini, Duane Laflin, Karrell Fox, and others not as familiar are represented. Fred Kaps’s Chinese Chow routine, a variation of the Benson Bowl routine, rounds out a fabulous series of DVDs on magic with sponge. In a recent conversation with Daryl, I got the impression that the Essentials in Magic projects were quite a labor of love. A lot of time, money, energy, research, writing, rehearsal, performing, and 62 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

work went into these DVDs, yet they are offered at a ridiculously low price by today’s standards. Although the DVDs are packaged separately, I strongly suggest that you get the full set of four. They should be available from most dealers, but I saw that Daryl offers a significant discount if you buy them from his website. This volume of work is encyclopedic in nature. Daryl has done extensive research, and a finer reference on the subject cannot be found anywhere else. This earns my highest possible recommendation.

Aurora – Modern Card Flourishing DVD By Scott Thomson Available from: www.BigBlindMedia.com Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $25.00 REVIEW BY DANNY ARCHER Scott Thomson is a well-known “cardist” who created, and runs, Essential Cardistry, YouTube’s number one cardistry channel, which is closing in on one million views. He performs and teaches eight jaw-dropping flourishes on this DVD from Big Blind Media. The flourishes have names like Golden Gate, Monaco II, and Merengue, in much the same way that jazz songs have titles. His card work is incredible and it’s captured beautifully on camera. Not a word is said during the performance or explanations as the cards in his hands seem to slip, spin, and swirl, defying gravity and making pleasuring patterns in the air. The desk telescopes outward while cards flip, flop, and fly before coming to rest. For learning purposes, the explanations are offered from four different camera angles. Straight on, over the shoulder, over the shoulder in slow-motion, and over the shoulder combined with a straight-on shot. Looking at the action from different angles really helps facilitate the learning process, and the camera work is exceptional. With flourishing, you are trying to show your skill and artistry, unlike with magic where most people try to conceal their technique. And from its humble beginnings, with fancy cuts, people come along who takes things farther than you would have thought they could. These routines are not easy to learn but will reward the student who takes the time to learn and perform them. Although flourishing is not something I perform, I enjoy watching it performed, especially if the performer is skilled. I would definitely recommend Aurora to anyone of the proper skill level who is looking to learn some incredible flourishes. On second thought, maybe I will try to learn one of these routines.

The Evolution of Card Manipulation DVD By Lee Ang Hsuan Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $35.00 REVIEW BY MARC DESOUZA I had the pleasure of watching Lee Ang Hsuan perform in the stage competition at the combined convention in St. Louis this past summer. He performed under his stage name, Anson Lee,

and although he did not make the finals, he gave a fine performance. The entire act was comprised of card manipulation with regular-size cards and jumbo cards. Lee was a part of a sizeable Korean contingent who made a fine showing at the convention. We, as magical citizens of the world, are fortunate that part of the Korean way of doing magic is to share their ideas with others. Many of the Korean magicians have shared techniques and effects right out of their working acts with us. This DVD, The Evolution of Card Manipulation, is a fine example of this sharing. Lee shares a variety of techniques that he uses in his act. The contents are broken down nicely into three categories: Basic, Moderate, and Advanced. There is only a musical audio track, no spoken word. The teaching is handled by repeated views of the techniques from a number of angles, coupled with subtitles. There is a very good idea utilized: Lee teaches in front of a mirror, allowing for simultaneous performer and audience views. This works really well. The techniques are taught slowly, allowing for easy grasp of the material. If there is a fault to the production of the DVD, it is that you must return to the menu after viewing each technique to get to the next one. Also, I found that there were a few techniques that would not play on my DVD player, but worked just fine when I popped the disk into my computer. One positive I must mention is the exceptional crediting of all of the moves. Lee has done a superlative job of this, as opposed to many others who seem to feel that a big ol’ “thank you to all of the creators” without detail is acceptable (it isn’t). Lee’s performing style is of a moderate pace that is most likely more in keeping with the average performer, as opposed to the very slow deliberate style of Yu Ho Jin or the rapid-fire pace of Hyun Joon Kim. This pacing makes the material on this disc seem much more accessible. In the Basic section, Lee reviews a single card vanish, single card productions from back palm position (Cardini) and front palm (Juliana Chen), and split fan productions. Moving to the Moderate section, he covers the Twirling Card Production (originally created by Vlademir), the vanish of several cards one by one, and two different front-palm, single-card productions. One is referred to as the Perfect Single Card Production, while the other is executed from a Tenkai palm position. Both are meant to be performed by the right and left hands simultaneously and can be used to produce single cards or two cards in each hand. Both of these are really good, and not terribly difficult. The final section, Advanced Technique, covers simultaneous split fan productions from back palm and front palm positions, Simultaneous front palm fan productions with both hands from what can only be described as a modified JW Grip (the coin guys will all know what I mean) and the impossible-looking vanish of a single card with some incredible hand washing that actually looks pretty good, though I can’t imagine doing this for laymen. He finishes this section with The QUAD. In this technique, he produces four cards and keeps them in his hand as the successive cards are produced, forming a very pleasing geometric display. He does this first with the left hand, then the right. He repeats with each hand, and then produces fans in each hand. This seems like one of the iconic techniques we have come to associate with the Korean manipulators. Lee closes out the DVD with the demonstration of a routine combining many different techniques which he had not yet covered

on the disc. Fortunately, he teaches not only these techniques, but also shows the holders he uses, as well as body placement and steal techniques. If you have any interest in performing card manipulation, I heartily recommend this DVD as a great first or second step (right after Jeff McBride’s wonderful set). And if this disc has whet your appetite for more, you will want to check out Lee’s second DVD, The Revolution of Card Magic, in which he teaches his jumbo card manipulation techniques. Watch for my review of that disc, too.

Deep Shadows Book By Dee Christopher

Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $75.00 REVIEW BY JOSHUA KANE I do not believe that anyone deliberately releases a bad book or product. It is clear, though, that many authors and “creators” would benefit from having their materials proofread and tested by their enemies or critics rather than their friends, who may be too close, or too kind, to offer the sort of feedback needed before one releases something to the public. Though I am sure I would enjoy chatting with Mr. Christopher over a pint, I did not enjoy his book. Deep Shadows comprises the elements that I dislike most about many of the self-published books put out by mentalists over the past few years. (Yes I realize I sound like Old Man Kane wearing his cranky pants.) Those elements include: derivative material presented as bold and new; lack of crediting or crediting without obtaining permissions; poor editing accompanied by non-standardized syntax or word choices (e.g., Mr. Christopher is fond of using the word “sat” as a substitute for “seated”); an over-fondness for cutsie-pie epic naming of sleights and routines that would have made Al Mann blush; referencing works from previous volumes as if they are Holy Grails but not explaining them in the work at hand; and presenting oneself as an expert while the text itself reveals just how much learning the writer should have done before presuming to present his work to the buying public. We are told in the ad copy that the book is “a collection of techniques, tools, and effects discovered by mentalist and psychokinetic expert Dee Christopher over ten years of study, creativity, and performance as a professional magician and mind reader.” The word “discovered” feels inaccurate. There is a feeling of déjà-vu and previously trod paths. In short, the material feels derivative. His methods are not new; in fact, he often refers to the works of others being inspirations when presenting his independent creations or versions. If you have a reasonably sized library you will not gain much new knowledge from this book. Methods aside, his routining does not interest me: there is nothing as presented in this volume that I would add, as is, into my repertoire. I also find that his writing style and voice get in the way of a fluid read. There is too much meandering and burying of important points. The volume captures the feeling of a transcription of spoken information, with the unfortunate result that the book is full of chatter and chaff. There is usually a difference between our spoken voice and our written one. The latter enables us to be more concise and to present ideas with maximum impact. With good editing, the page count could have been dramatically reduced and potential merits would have had a better chance to shine through. Mr. Christopher credits much more thoroughly than many of his peers and encourages the reader to buy the works he referNOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 63

ences. But this raises the question, do we really need an author to publish what feels like a compilation of the methods or routines of others when the original works are still available and where the improvements, takes, and additions lack novelty, purpose, or effectiveness? There is also an irony in having someone sell us a book with their routines, only to be told that we should use what they provide to create our own scripts or to be told blatantly, as on page 158, “I won’t go into my presentation and scripting here, as it’s an effect that could be presented in so many different ways. Take the time to write a good script/story and perfect the move and you’ll have an incredible piece of mental magic.” If Christopher does not bother to provide excellent samples of scripts, then this book is not helpful to the beginner who needs them as examples, nor to the professional looking for a ready routine. Such statements are facile and could be interpreted as a desire to hold back. And while Christopher is quick to credit when he knows a source, he does not indicate that he has obtained permissions. In some cases permission is just good manners and at other times, such as when he uses an uncredited and potentially unlicensed photograph of Billy Idol, there are matters of legality. In his section on metal bending, he credits workers such as Morgan Strebling and Banachek, but does not indicate he has permission to share their particular techniques or approaches. I have always understood The Twist maneuver to belong to Banachek and it is generally recognized by the fraternity that he contributed this maneuver to the repertoire. Christopher also includes the thumb bend, which he says is included in “pretty much every” metal bending book or DVD and writes that he does not know its exact origins but imagines that it is “very old.” With that statement he made me feel very old, as metal bending in our field only appeared with Uri Geller in the 1970s. Christopher comes across as a very nice fellow with a passion for the subject. Unfortunately, the book feels more like loose notes from a jam session late night at the bar at some convention than a thoughtfully constructed and edited book. Perhaps if it had been priced at $25 or less I would have felt differently, but in a world where you can buy two Barrie Richardson books or a thick volume of Bob Cassidy or any number of better values for the price, pass on this one. I suspect that in the years to come, when Mr. Christopher publishes a “best of” collection, much of the contents of this book will be absent.

Propel Trick By Rizki Nanda

Available from: www.SansMinds.com Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price: $34.95 REVIEW BY DAVID GOODSELL Here is what the SansMinds Magic, the company behind this Propel, would have you believe: “Draw a simple dot or symbol on your finger with a Sharpie marker. Watch the ink crawl up and down across your fingers and even onto the other hand…It happens inches away from your spectator with no cover or other funny business.” Close, but not quite. If you watch their trailer you will see that the performer 64 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

apparently draws a dot on the palm side of the little finger of his left hand, between the first and second joints. Then, as the performer slowly shakes that hand, the dot moves up to the third finger, and then up to the second finger. Finally, it is apparently transferred to the tip of the second finger of the right hand; that fingertip can then be examined. That’s not bad. It looks good, and is definitely creepy. But, the dot does not go up and down, which is what you might expect if it “crawled” across your fingers. It might be safe to say that it appears to crawl up your fingers, from one finger to the next. And, your spectators had better be more than inches away – more like a few feet, as in the demonstrations. Then you can probably get away with this, although you might still want to watch lighting, and you definitely want to watch some angles. Finally, using anything but a dot will require a bit more practice. We only saw the dot demonstrated on the DVD. That said, this is still an intriguing trick, perfect for street magic. Over and done in perhaps two minutes, it appears impromptu, although it uses a clever gimmick that you make up with materials provided with the DVD. The gimmick will probably break from use, or become lost, but a replacement can easily be made. The DVD instructions are excellent, clear and easy to understand, and the DVD is professionally produced. If it sounds like your kind of magic, it is worth exploring. Propel is a tad pricy, but then everything is these days!

Joined DVD By Dario Capuozzo

Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $29.95 REVIEW BY JAMIE SALINAS About a decade ago it seemed like everyone was doing some sort of torn and restored card effect. The good ones were straightforward, easy to follow, and looked like real magic. Dario Capuozzo has created yet another variation of this classic plot. Does Dario’s version live up to being one of the good ones? The answer is, yes! This version is indeed straightforward, easy to follow, and it looks like real magic. As per the ad copy, there are no magnets, no threads, and no sticky stuff. The setup is easy and you can do this surrounded. There are two versions, one with a signed card and one without a signed card. Dario performs the trick, provides step-by-step instructions for creating the gimmick, walks you through the setup process, and finishes with a walkthrough of the performance. The effect is simple. A playing card is folded into quarters and torn into four pieces. You then restore the card one piece at a time with no suspicious moves. You will need some basic supplies to assemble your gimmick but they are all readily available. The setup is easy and the performance is fairly easy as well. The signed version is a little more involved, but not too difficult for the experienced performer. Although you can perform this surrounded, you will have to watch your angles during some parts of the performance. Ever work in a noisy environment? This would be the perfect effect to perform in this environment, because the

effect doesn’t require much patter to be understood. Priced at $29.95, it is not a bad investment and the effect is very good. If you want to perform a torn and restored card that is straightforward, easy to follow, and looks like magic, then you should take a look at this version.

A Real Turn-On Trick By Bob Solari

is revealed, the joke is pretty much over; you’ll have to find a new group to do the trick on if you want to perform it more than once. Thus it would be good for walk-around or strolling if you have the pocket space to devote to a single effect deck of cards.

Wallet Weapon Trick By Lloyd Barnes

Available from: www.BobSolariMagic.com Price $29.95

Available from: enigmaltd.com Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $30.00

REVIEW BY PAYNE

REVIEW BY DAN GARRETT

This is going to get a good review simply because it took me back to my childhood. Bob Solari’s A Real Turn-On is reminiscent of the type of trick I often received when I ordered magic through the mail as a kid. Except that it’s actually a pretty good effect. It’s strange, odd, and needs a little work in the handling department, but if you’re looking for an offbeat effect to show at your next club meeting you should give this one a try. A deck of cards is taken out of the box. The spectator, while the magician averts his gaze, is allowed to take any card out of the offered face-up pack. The magician turns away so that the spectator can apply a yellow sticker to the face of the card, which he then initials. Still averting his eyes the magician takes the card from the spectator and returns it to the middle of the still face-up deck. With the card safely returned to the middle of the deck, the magician is now able to look the audience in the eye. After making that all so important eye contact, the magician then tells the audience that it would be easy, since the deck is still face up, to find the spectator’s card simply by running through the deck and looking for the card with the yellow sticker on it. But that would be cheating. Instead, the magician says he’ll locate the card in a new and novel way. He then, for the first time, turns the deck over to reveal that there is a light switch in the middle of the pack. The magician flicks it on and, after a moment or two to warm up, a card is shot out of the deck. It is, of course, the spectator’s previously selected card. Okay, so the effect isn’t that strong, and the handling, with the face-up cards forcing the magician to break that all-so-important eye contact with his audience, is pretty funky. But did I mention this trick, with its single sheet of printed instructions (on yellow paper no less), instantly induced a moment of nostalgia, whisked me away to those halcyon days of yore, before even the simplest of tricks came with over-produced instructional DVDs? I digress. A Real Turn-On isn’t going to be everyone’s cup-of-tea. After all, it is a one-trick wonder, because the deck can’t be used for any other effects. You only have two choices for the reveal. Either the card shoots out of the pack, or it can slowly rise (Kundalini Rising style) out of the pack. The deck can’t be examined. You get everything you need to perform this curious little effect: the altered deck and box handcrafted by Mr. Solari himself, two pages of printed instructions, a set of six stickers, and the secret something that is needed to accomplish the effect. The trick can be repeated, because the reset is simple and can be done in a second or two. But once the switch on the deck of cards

The effect is signed card to wallet. Yes, another one. The author is a young British magician, Lloyd Barnes, not yet well known to the magic world. This time the wallet is a “normal” hip-pocket wallet you can buy in a store. The author complains that the longer style wallets aren’t very common and look out of place. Perhaps Barnes doesn’t like the longer style wallet worn with a coat because he hasn’t performed any gigs where it would be nice to wear one. Just to be clear, I’m sure it is possible to easily perform this effect with the longer style wallet as well. For the card to fit in a “normal” (hip pocket) wallet, it must be folded. Barnes uses a Mercury card fold, which he explains. The general method for the card to wallet effect mirrors many of the “signed card to impossible location” effects, in that a switch is involved. Barnes’s idea for the switch, when the mechanics work properly, is excellent and totally invisible. It works even when the spectators are burning your hands. This is really the only reason for anyone to justify purchasing this product. In my opinion, this project is a textbook example of how not to do an instructional magic video. The camera work is awkward, and the image goes out of focus numerous times. The explanations are sometimes rambling; they are obviously unscripted and unrehearsed. There is too much repetition, which defeats the purpose of owning a DVD. The explanation of the Mercury card fold is okay, but it could have been much better. The reason Barnes feels it is necessary to get a break above the card before performing the move is a mystery left unexplained. These shortcomings, in my opinion, are not acceptable on a DVD being sold to the magic community, especially when compared to the quality of other products on the market. The DVD comes with nothing extra. You’ll have to construct and install the gaffus into your own wallet; it is a craft project. However, it doesn’t seem to be very difficult; most likely all the materials you need are already on hand. I did note that during the explanation of the main effect, the author’s gimmick flashed numerous times after he performed the “move.” Thankfully everything works perfectly during the performance sections, at least those performances we are allowed to see. When executed correctly, the switch is startling and near perfect. Other ideas are included. They involve using the gimmick as a utility switching device, for changing bills, mentalism (billet switches), torn and restored effects, and color changes (really?). NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 65

Most of these ideas work, but often the justification for using a wallet is very thin. Stick to the card-to-wallet routine. At no point is it mentioned, but I am sure female magicians could adapt the Wallet Weapon to a credit card purse. Perhaps that should have been mentioned. The basic idea is very good, but the way it is presented on the DVD is substandard.

Senses Trick By Christopher Wiehl

Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $34.95 REVIEW BY PAYNE

  Senses is not so much a trick as it is a series of effects that are accomplished by utilizing what we are told is a soufflé cup – a common, everyday object that some refer to as a condiment cup. I really wanted to like this trick. Or should I say these tricks? There are many effects and routines that can be accomplished with the Senses gimmicks and many of them are quite clever. Others employ existing techniques in a new and innovative ways. Plus, one would think, that using something as innocuous and innocent as a condiment cup would make Senses the perfect impromptu effect to use when dining out with friends or colleagues. And indeed it would, if Senses employed the type of condiment cup typically found in the average eatery. But it doesn’t. Perhaps I don’t dine in the finer establishments that Mr. Wiehl is accustomed to. Or perhaps the restaurants here in the Pacific Northwest are more down to earth than cafés and diners are in other parts of the country. But typically the soufflé cups one finds in this part of the country are made of clear plastic, or, more recently, a biodegradable material that is also transparent. The ones used by Senses are a sleek and trendy black. Unfortunately, most of the effects taught on the DVD that comes with Senses require the cups to be black, thus making the frosted clear cups one usually finds at the salad bar or condiment counter unusable. So now, instead of performing a miracle with an everyday object found on the table, you’re doing a trick with an uncommon and curious-looking item you’ve just pulled out of your pocket. If you have to justify the use of a curious-looking prop, there are better, more versatile, and sturdier props one can employ to accomplish nearly all the effects taught on the DVD. In fact, some of the effects don’t even require a prop at all, just some sleight of hand and a modicum of practice. But, if your local establishment happens to use black condiments cups, then you’re in luck and should give Senses a look. But before you do, you should be made aware that everything required to perform some of these routines doesn’t come in the box and some assembly is required. Apart from a magnetic finger ring, most of the items are common enough that the average household should have them readily on hand. So when you order this trick make sure you have some transparent tape, double-stick tape, glue dots, and invisible tape on hand. You’ll also need a pair of scissors to construct a couple of the gimmicks. Senses comes with three cups, but one of them must be destroyed to create one of the gimmicks. Since some of the routines use two ungimmicked cups, you will be unable to 66 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

perform all of the routines on the DVD if you choose to build this one gimmick. Personally, I find the tricks accomplished with the gimmicks to be the weakest routines of the lot. In my opinion the routines that employ the ungimmicked cups are far more versatile and usable. If you find yourself in an establishment that uses the black soufflé cups, all can be done impromptu with a minimum of setup. There are six routines clearly explained on the DVD; most of them employing coins. There are some startling and very visual vanishes and penetrations. Most of the routines are best accomplished while sitting at a table, though for you guerilla performers out there, most of them, with a little bit of work, could be adapted to be done while standing. A few of the effects might even be able to be achieved using the more typically found clear cups. Mr. Wiehl takes you through each routine phase by phase in a multicamera shoot, explaining each move clearly and succinctly and providing you with many alternative handlings (some of which he clearly does not do regularly, if at all, because he clearly isn’t comfortable or proficient in their demonstration). This is clearly an effect that was created through a bout of sessioning and, since there are no demos of anybody performing any of these tricks in a real world setting, one is left with the impression that this trick isn’t in Mr. Wiehl’s current repertoire. Overall I am left with the impression that Senses was cobbled together simply to be sold to the masses to give them their monthly fix of new magic. Had it been created thirty years ago it would more than likely been a trick that would have appeared in the pages of a magic magazine than on the shelves of a magic shop. But perhaps I’m being too harsh in my review. [Editor’s note: No, you’re not.] I’m sure that there are many out there who will find Senses to their liking. But for me, if I’m going to do a trick with a suspicious-looking prop that I need to come up with a reason to justify using it, I’d rather spend the money on an Okito coin box because it is more versatile, just as odd looking as a black soufflé cup, and will last a lifetime of professional use. 

If you wish to have your product reviewed, please send it to:

Bill Duncan P.O. Box 50562 Bellevue, WA 98015-0562

Home Decorating Magicians' homes are cool. At least we think they are. We live in a world of illusions and gimmicks, and we fill our houses with things that push the limits our spouse’s tolerance. For many years, no one came into our house. It was a sort of home/office for us, and projects, computer work, and phone calls filled our daily routine. When my kids graduated from high school, we had parties for them and decided to open up the house of gimmicks to their friends, who had never seen the inside of our abode. From the moment they walked through our front door, we couldn’t get their attention because they were walking around the rooms as if it was a museum or Hogwarts. They still talk about the amazing things they witnessed within.  Here are a few things that appear in my house.

Hover Lamp I talked about this lamp a while ago, but at that time it was being sold by an artist in very limited quantities. A company called Limelights has created a home version. It’s a pretty cool lamp. Much like the ever-spinning top that hovers and spins forever, the lampshade floats and rotates over the lamp with no visible means of support. I was able to make this work after two or three attempts. Now I can do it every time. It looks really cool and the lamp has a good brightness. The floating only works if the lamp is plugged in. It needs the internal lamps to rotate. Hover Lamp is available online at Amazon.com; it is also available at some Costco stores and BJ’s Wholesale Clubs. Google it and I’m sure you’ll find it. They retail from $50-$100.

Castles in the Air Hoverkraft is an old-school building game with a twist. Players take turns stacking pieces on a platform – that levitates. Using magnetic repulsion, thinkgeek.com built a game board that defies gravity. Stack translucent game pieces higher and higher or remove them as the die dictates. The last player to place a block without causing the platform to tumble wins. Think Jenga meets floating magnets. Hoverkraft is available from www.thinkgeek.com for $30.

First, you’ll need to put together your FlipBooKit DIY Flipbook Machine. This is easy; it will be ready for viewing in no time. It comes with one already-printed flipbook (a horse galloping), but also the stuff to build a few movies of your own. Keep your FlipBooKit DIY Flipbook Machine on your desk or hang it on the wall (there’s a hole on the back for that). You could even (easily) adapt it into a motorized unit. FlipBooKit DIY Flipbook Machine is available from thinkgeek.com and sells for $50.

Potentially Magical Michaels craft stores have come up with a cool device that could have some magic possibilities. The world’s first 3D-printing pen, the 3Doodler, draws by extruding heated plastic that quickly cools and solidifies into a strong, stable structure. This allows you to build an infinite variety of shapes and items with ease! Start by tracing objects on paper, and after only a few hours of practice you’ll be able to make far more intricate objects. 3Doodles can be created as flat forms (and peeled off of paper and stencils), as freestyle 3D objects, or in separate parts, ready to be joined together using the 3Doodler. The first thing I drew with the pen was the name of a card in plastic. Using that in a trick, I displayed a string of plastic that I then covered; I then quickly switched it. Demonstrating the power of my mind, I twisted the plastic into the name of the selected (forced) card. I foresee lots of possibilities with this handheld 3D printer. The 3Doodler is available at Michaels craft stores for $100.

If You Build It, They Will Come

Flipbooks in the Twenty-first Century

Want a quick and easy way to advertise a show and get it out on social media? I have been having a lot of fun with an app called Over. Over allows you to quickly grab a photo from your camera roll and add text to it. It offers many choices of fonts and designs. Once you create your mini-poster, send it right out to Facebook, Instagram, or other social media. You can make an advertising piece in less than two minutes. It’s super easy to do. Over is on the iTunes App Store and sells for $1.99. 

This FlipBooKit DIY Flipbook Machine is a cool version of the old arcade machines; you would put a penny in it and then turn a crank to watch a movie. I turned this device into a version of Card-Toon, revealing a playing card. 

Bruce is always on the lookout for computer magic, iPhone/ iPad apps, Android apps, and tech toys that can be used in magic applications. If you have any suggestions for future columns, write him ([email protected]). NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 67

Treasures from the Salon de M agie By Ken Kloster m an

LE ROY SPIRIT BELL

One of the finest magicians of the Golden Age – admired and praised by Kellar, Francis Martinka, Houdini, Thurston, and all his other contemporaries – was Jean Henri Servais Le Roy. Born in Belgium in 1865, he grew up in England; as an adult he performed for many years to great acclaim in Europe, England, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and South America. In 1898-99 he was part of the Triple Alliance, along with Imro Fox and Frederick Eugene Powell. From 1900 to the early 1920s the three-person show of Le Roy, Talma, and Bosco played top theaters in both full-evening and vaudeville shows. In addition to being an excellent performer of the classic feats of the conjuror’s art, Le Roy was a fount of knowledge about magical matters. And he was a highly original inventor of tricks and illusions. To list only a few, his first creation was The Three Graces, the production of three girls simultaneously from an empty cabinet; a later version of this trick was the foundation of the modern illusion Things That Go Bump in the Night. Other inventions included the Asrah levitation and the wedge base; the Duck Pan; the Duck Tub; the vanish that became known as Where Do the Ducks Go?; Stolen Jam, or the Palanquin illusion; The Dress Box, more commonly presented as the Costume Trunk, or Trunk of All Nations; and the Materializing Easel illusion, in which images were projected on paper frames through which the magician reached or tore away to produce the object or reveal the person pictured. Most of Le Roy’s tricks were intended for his own use, although he later created effects for magicians such as Carmo. All 68 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

were rapidly copied or plagiarized by others, so as self-protection Le Roy attempted to go into the magic supply business to sell his tricks. His first involvement (Halton, Jansen, and Le Roy of Chicago) failed within a year. In 1910 he established the Servais Le Roy Company in London to manufacture tricks, illusions, and scenery. It was staffed by others, for he was constantly performing in Europe and America. Expenses, especially salaries, outweighed sales, so it was not a profitable enterprise; he closed the business in 1915. From 1918 on, Le Roy, Talma, and her sister lived in Keansburg, New Jersey. In 1930 he was struck by an automobile while on business in a nearby town. He suffered broken ribs, other injuries, and a painful concussion that wiped out any memory of his nine days in the hospital. He appeared in a few performances for magic gatherings in the following years and attempted a fullevening show in 1940. He was then seventy-five, physically ill, and no longer mentally sharp; the show was a disaster. Soon after, frustrated and despairing, he had his apparatus hauled away and destroyed. Several small props of Le Roy’s escaped destruction after his death – items he had kept in his home, not crammed into a garage in Keansburg with the rest of his show. They were preserved by his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Ford. One such prop is his etched Spirit Bell. The five-inch-diameter bell is made in the standard manner of other mass-produced spirit bells. It was a trick stocked by most magic supply houses in the last quarter of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. An intricate pattern of interwoven lines etched into the glass of the bell adds significantly to the aesthetic value of the prop. Similar to a rapping hand, the clapper of the bell would strike the glass bell to signal yes or no and to count, for example, to reveal a date of birth or death.

Le Roy’s prop is activated by a wand of unique design. It allows the performer to hold the wand at one end and have complete control of the clapper-lifting mechanism in the cap of the bell, which hangs at the other end. Le Roy’s Spirit Bell was given by Elizabeth Ford to William Rauscher, who in turn presented it to the Salon de Magie. Talma died in 1944 while Le Roy lived until 1953. 

INSIDE STRAIGHT BY NORMAN BECK

OUR ADVERTISERS B. Happie Entertainment 51 Bob Kohler Productions 59 Burgoon Magic 9 Genii Magazine 71 George Parker 31 Jim Kleefeld 30 Joe Mogar - Magic Stars 47 LaRock’s Fun & Magic Outlet 2 Levent 31 L&L Publishing 47 Magic Summit 58 M-U-M Advertising 69 Nielsen Magic 45 Oceanside Magic Invitational 4 S.A.M. Convention 2015 72 S.A.M Facebook 10 S.A.M. Gifts and Insignia 50 S.A.M. Life Membership 7 S.A.M Twitter 9 Show-Biz Services 9 The Magic Bakery 3 T. Myers 4

MISSING ACE The past twelve months were not the best time of my life. I had several bumps in the road; one of the worst of these was the death of Alan "Ace" Greenberg. I met Mr. Greenberg at FFFF a number of years ago and discovered that he ran a small company in New York called Bear Stearns. I had no idea who Ace was or what Bear Stearns did. I found that he worked in the stock market – where I come from that means selling horses and cows. On one occasion, I flew to New York to see Ace. We were going to have lunch in a private dining room and I needed to wear a jacket. There was a bell on our table, and I didn’t know why. Ace rang the bell and a waiter was suddenly in the room. I very quickly found out that Ace was the real deal – a true mover and shaker in the world of money. I thought he was just a guy who liked card tricks and bridge. I talked to Ace every week, sometimes several times a week. We always talked about his two passions in life; we never talked about money. Ace had money and power in amounts that I can’t even comprehend. I want to tell you about two things that bothered him till the day he died. He shared with me two stories that both have lessons about dealing with people of real wealth. The first story is about a guy who bought a house at a point in time when he still owed Ace money; I have no idea of the amount. I do know that when Ace found out that the guy had bought a house, rather than repay him, that changed the relationship with the guy. The lesson here was not about the money. The amount that the guy owed Ace had no influence on him. The fact that the guy showed his true colors did. Ace accepted the fact that the guy was a snake and moved on. He did not hold a grudge, but he never forgot. I don’t know that he ever told anyone else the story, but he told it to me as a lesson. The second story involved Ace’s other passion in life – bridge. Ace was not a great bridge player, but he loved the game. A number of years ago Ace got a guy a job in New York. Ace could make a phone call and you had a job. The guy (we will call him Mike) needed work; he was a real good bridge player and he needed money. Ace took care of it and got him a good job, making good money at a good firm in New York City. The guy never said thank you. That’s right; he never said thank you. Once again, Ace never said a word; yet he never forgot, and he told me so. The other thing that Mike never did was to offer his time to Ace. You see, Mike knew that he was a better bridge player than Ace and could not be bothered taking the time to play cards with a weaker player. Ace could buy anything and get anything done that he felt needed doing. Ace could have hired the best bridge players in the world to play with him. But he could not get a guy to repay his kindness by spending a few hours with him at a card table. The guy who bought the house knew that Ace was not happy; the guy who couldn’t say “thank you” never knew. The point is this: if money will buy it, it has no value. I know that in the scope of Ace’s great life those two guys could have made it so much better if they would have simply done the right thing. For those who don’t know about Ace, he was half of Kaufman and Greenberg; he had a lot to do with many of the great magic books we have. I miss him.  NOVEMBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 69

The Dean's Diary By George Schindler

ABRIL FOOL’S NIGHT The Society of Illustrators had an annual stag show; one of their funniest members was a magician who produced their Nymph Follies. That man was a hilarious magician known as “The Smiling Latin of Manhattan” – a ribald necromancer with a great sense of humor who had a waxed handlebar mustache and a twinkle in his eye. Picture this scene: The magician is standing center stage holding a large green silk scarf. He patters, “I show you a large green cloth.” At stage right, a nude assistant makes her appearance. She stops, looks at the audience, and returns backstage. The magician displays the silk and announces, “It has now changed to red.” And indeed it had. A master of misdirection, Abril Lamarque takes his bow. Abril was a wellknown cartoonist, caricaturist, and illustrator. He was the art editor of the Sunday New York Times. Later he helped design a new magazine known as the World Report. He was the principal artist for Hugard’s Magic Monthly at its inception. Abril joined the S.A.M. in 1937. He left for Washington in 1946 and, fortunately for us, returned to New York two years later. At the Parent Assembly he served as

70 M-U-M Magazine - NOVEMBER 2014

publicity chairman. His offbeat lectures for us were always welcomed, such as the one titled “The Sexuality of Various Musical Instruments.” He concluded this performance with a how-to of popular dance steps. Abril Lamarque produced many of our after-meeting shows. The most famous was the 1960 Abril Fool’s Night, produced with the help of his friend Clayton Rawson. The show featured a who’s who of magic stars. Abril, who also appeared, did the artwork and funny copy. The bill starred Jackie Flosso as the Mystic Maharajah, the Wonderful Wizard of Boston (Doc), Francis Carlyle and his “homing card,” Joe Fenichel as Professor Fairchild, the Amazing Randi, Bil Baird (who brought a

few puppets), Lou Tannen, Blanca Lopez, Norman Jensen, and Clayton Rawson as the Great Merlini, who appeared in an “all purpose gimmick” sketch advertised with a cast of thousands. There was Punch and Judy by Albert Flosso and appearances by Fred Keating, Roy Benson (listed as “masters of mumbo jumbo”), and Dai Vernon. Randi came back to close the show with a broomstick illusion. The following announcement appeared at the top of the program: “UNPREDICTABLE! Magicians being what they are, this program is subject to violent change, substitution, deletion, and general confusion, without warning!” Eduardo Abril Lamarque was born in Cuba in 1904; at age twelve he was sent to Brooklyn, New York, to live with a Jewish-American family. He attended church every Sunday, learned English, and studied business administration. His love of cartooning sent his career in another direction. At age nineteen he drew a comic strip called “Bla Bla” for the New York Daily News, which introduced him to the art world. His accomplishments are too long to chronicle here, but his talents, practical jokes, and his antics are recorded in the programs of the annual shows and banquets. Abril Lamarque called himself a “society” magician. He belonged to the Society of Illustrators, the Society of Art Directors, and his best-loved Society of American Magicians. He died in 1999 at age ninety-five. I was glad to have had the pleasure of knowing him. 