Pages from hugard's magic monthly vol 4 by Conjuring Arts Research Center

Hugard's D E V O T E D VOL.

S O L E L Y

MAGIC T O

IV. No. 1

T H E

I N T E R E S T S J U N E

TELEPHONIC

O F

1 9 4 6

M A G I C

Monthly A N D

M A G I C I A N S 20

CENTS

TELEPATHY

by ABRIL LAMARQUE

M v

Ever since the late John Northern Hilliard conceived the idea of the discovery of a chosen card by a recipient at the other end of a telephone line, and worked out a method of accomplishing that magical feat, magicians the world over have cudgelled their brains to devise other means of doing it. Amongst these are â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the forcing of a certain card known to the percipient, the use of a false name in phoning to the recipient, each card in the deck being assigned a different name, manipulating the receiver so that the line remains open and the recipient can hear the name of the chosen card, and many others. All these are open to objection on one ground or another. In attempting to devise still another method, I set myself the following conditions: 1. Wherever possible a borrowed deck should be used. 2. The cards should be shuffled by the spectators and the operator should not handle them before the card is chosen. 3. The cards should then be spread on a table face down by a spectator and any card be freely drawn out by him. He should be given the opportunity to replace that card and take another if he so desires. 4. The operator should not touch or even go near the telephone. 5. All talking over the wire should be by the spectator only. 6. There must be no confederacy. These conditions rule out all the methods heretofore published and set a problem that was very difficult. My solution follows: Effect: This is strictly in accordance with the conditions detailed above. Method: First of all the operator and the recipient must have in mind the simple set-up deck already described in the issue of Feb. p. 195. In this, the suits run clubs, hearts, spades, diamonds and the cards in each suit in sequence from ace to king, the jack being counted as 11,

3. When he is satisfied, instruct him to look steadfastly at the card so that he will be able to make a distinct mental picture of it, then place it in his pocket. Let us suppose that he has chosen the seven of spades. 4. While this is being done you calculate the number at which the seven of spades lies in your mentally set-up deck, that is to say 33. From that number subtract 10 giving you 23. In your mind's eye visualize the twenty-third card, it will be the ten of hearts. This card will be your key card and you cannot fail to have arrived at it by the time the spectator has pocketed his card. 5. Gather up the pack and spread it again face upwards from right to left. As you do this watch for the key card, in this case the ten of hearts. At the same time call particular attention to the haphazard arrangement and the impossibility of anyone knowing any particular card until it was turned face upwards. Run your hand over the cards, pushing them farther apart as if merely to show the faces more plainly, but, in doing so, contrive to push the ten of hearts and the next card on its right a little apart, making a slight gap in the line of cards. the queen as 12, and the king as 13. 6. Gather up the cards by placing By this means each card is assigned a your right fingers under the ten of number from 1 to 52, which can be hearts, sweeping the cards above it to calaculated in a moment. For inthe left and place that packet in your stance, the ten of hearts is 23- 13 left hand, face upwards. Then sweep clubs plus 10 hearts, while the seven up the remaining cards, starting at of spades is 33- 13 clubs, 13 hearts the extreme right, and drop them and 7 spades. The simple calculation face upwards on the packet in your necessary is almost automatic. left hand. Turn the pack face down and lay it aside carelessly. The ten of Working: 1. If possible use a borhearts will now be the top card. rowed deck. In any case have the cards thoroughly shuffled by the 7. Invite the spectator to call up spectators. your number and ask for â&#x20AC;&#x201D; your 2. Have a spectator spread the cards wife, sweetheart, or whoever may be face downwards, ribbonwise on the acting as your percipient, and ask table, then have him place his finger her to name the card he has chosen. on the back of any card, draw it out When he has made the connection of the line and turn it face upwards. and explained his business, the perciIf he so wishes, allow him to replace that card and take another. {Continued on page 230)

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Hugard's MAGIC Monthly

MILBOURNE CHRISTOPHER'S COLUMN The card-stabbing feat, especially in the hands of a Bertram, Leipzig or Malini, has always been a feature mystery. Swords, daggers, penknives and even table knives have been used to impale the chosen cards. Sometimes the cards have been scattered openly while the wizard, wearing a blindfold, makes a stab in their midst, other times they have been wrapped in newspaper or covered by a cloth. The climax, no matter what the method, when the performer dramatically discloses the chosen pasteboard on his instrument of discovery, invariably brings hearty appaluse. Few other card tricks allow to much scope for showmanship. The card-stabbing feats I am about to describe are streamlined. The draggy parts of the usual routines have been sheared away and the finish has been pointed up. Card-stabbing mysteries are effective on the largest stages, on night club floors when the magician is entirely surrounded and, paradoxically, close-up.

THE BAG STAB Effect: A chosen card is returned to the pack, the pack is shuffled, then dropped into a paper bag. The magician runs a sharp knife or dagger, through the bag and with an upward sweep produces the card on its blade. Needed: A grocer's bag (the size will depend on your personal preference), tiny bit of magician's wax, a sharp knife and a pack of playing cards. Preparation: Stick the small piece of magician's wax to the rear inner wall of the paper bag about six inches up from the bottom. Performance: When the selected card is replaced, bring it to the top and keep it there through a false shuffle. Hold the cards in your right hand and pick up the bag with your left. Turn the bag mouth upwards and put the cards (and your right hand) inside. Press the deck against the magician's wax. The chosen card will adhere, the other cards will fall to the bottom. From here on everything depends upon the performer's acting ability. He picks up his knife withy his right hand, shakes the bag a bit^with his left, being careful not to dislodge the chosen card (it may be held through the sides of the bag with your left hand during the shaking process). "Please name your card", he tells

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GIANT STAB

Those of you who perform night after night in hotels or supper clubs will welcome this twist in a stabbing trick. If after five or six evenings of performing the trick in your routine way, you would like to amuse the visitors, musicians and steady customers, bring up, not the selected card but a giant replica. This large card is in the paper bag beforehand. Force its smaller duplicate, shuffle the cards, drop them into the bag, then impale the huce pasteboard on your knife.

\ 4â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;˘the spectator who chose the pasteboard. The spectator names the card and the performer runs his knife through the bag, then cuts up and away. The bag is ripped and the chosen card is found impaled in his knife!

FORCE STAB For the stage performer who can't go down into the audience to have a card selected or have a volunteer assistant come up to help him because of time or lack of stairs, I offer a variation. Effect: The performer fans a deck of cards, then closes the pack, snaps a rubber band around it and tosses it out into the theater. He instructs the person who catches the card to stand, to hold the pack face down on his left palm. "lift the pack at any point", he instructs, "peek at one card, then throw the pack back to me". The spectator complies; the performer catches the pack. He removes the rubber band and drops the cards into a paper bag. As in the first version he has the chosen card named, then he locates it with his knife. Method: A Telomatic Deck is used to force the card. This deck can be purchased from most dealers and handled just as I have described. The card to be stabbed is pressed to the wax in the bag beforehand. Upon the forced card being named, the performer runs his knife through the bag and cuts up and away with the duplicate card.

MORE VARIATIONS

If you don't mind the trouble, you may paste a double side in your paper bag and put the duplicate card in it rather than use the wax method. Further, if you construct a double side you can paste in two cards. Then, after forcing the pair, you can locate both with a single thrust. Should you have a pack of long cards and a matching deck of short cards, then you can do the trick still another way. Allow any two cards to be taken from the long pack. While the spectators look at their choices, switch the packs. Have the long cards replaced in the short pack. Shuffle the cards with abandon. Pick up the paper bag. Hold the pack lengthways and you drop the cards in. Because of their length, the two chosen cards will remain between your fingers as the rest of the cards fall to the bottom. Hold these two cards with your left hand through the sides of the bag, then run your blade through at the point where you know the cards will be.

CONCLUSION The first two methods are my favorites. The others I describe knowing full well that tastes in trickery differ. Knowing, too, that the wise wizard should have several methods for the tricks he uses most if he hopes to deceive those who see his show more than once. One final tip. A pocketnife which will extend its blade when a buttom in its side is pushed is perfect for the magician wbo likes to carry his 'apparatus' on his person.

Hugar<Ts MAGIC Monthly

FEATS OF STRENGTH IN MAGIC PACK TEARING AND MAGIC Tearing a pack of cards in half is generally regarded as a feat requiring great strength only. If that were so, it would have no place in the repertoire of a magician. In reality two secrets are involved, one is the manner in which the pack is gripped between the hands and the other is a subtle bevelling of the cards so that the tear is started with the thickness of only two or three cards to contend with. Further, the resulting half packs can be used to present a very effective experiment. Fig. 1 shows the best position for holding the cards to make a genuine tear with the pack squared perfectly. The palms of the hands face each other and the heavy muscles at the base of the thumb in each hand are opposite each other at the point of greatest pressure. Even with the knowledge of the correct grip, a good deal of practice will be required to rip the cards asunder. The best way to learn is to begin with half a pack and gradually increaase the number of cards. Fig. 2 shows another hold for packtearing which is not so satisfactory for accomplishing the genuine feat but lends itself to a trick which makes the tearing easy. Fig. 3 shows how the cards are bevelled by shifting and sliding. By pulling forward with the fingers and pressing backward with the thumbs, the side edges of the pack are made to slant so that the lowest edge has a thickness of one or two cards only. This makes the starting of the tear, the most difficult part of the genuine feat, very easy to do. This bevelling process can be covered completely by bringing the thumbs together. They are shown apart in the figure for the sake of clarity. The pack having been torn apart, the halves can be used for the presentation of an effective version of YOU DO AS I DO Effect: One half of the deck is handed to a spectator, the magician retaining the other half. Turning his back and holding his packet of half cards behind him, he instructs the spectator to do exactly as he does. He removes a half card from the middle of his packet and looks at its face. The spectator does likewise. Still with his back turned, the magician places his half card on the top of his packet and makes a complete cut burying it in the middle. The spectator follows suit.

The magician now turns to face the spectator. The packets of half cards are exchanged, the magician taking the spectator's packet and vice versa. Each then removes the half card he selected and holds it face down. The halves are fitted together and the torn edges match exactly. On being turned face upwards they match, making a complete card. Method: 1. Before tearing the pack, secretly glimpse the top card, suppose it is the seven of hearts. Tear the pack in halves and hand one packet to a spectator. 2. Impress on him that he is to do exactly as you do and that he is to synchronize his actions with yours as closely as possible. Turn away putting your hands behind your back so that your packet remains in full view. Take a half card from the middle of your packet. The spectator does the same with his. Each of you looks at the face of the half card he chose, places it on the top of his packet and makes one complete cut. 3. This done, turn to face the spectator, hand him your packet and take his in exchange. Tell him to run through your packet and take out thf> half card corresponding to the one he looked at while you do the same with his packet. What you really do, of course, is to find your key card, in this case the seven of hearts and remove the half card above it. 5. Hold your half card face downwards and have the spectator do the same. Place the torn edges together

and they are seen to fit exactly. Finally, the halves are turned face upwards and together they form a complete card. This surprising result only happens, you explains, when two sympathetic souls go through similar actions in unison. TEARING A TELEPHONE DIRECTORY This is a feat which always astonishes the onlookers, especially when it is done with a very large book, such as the New York Telephone Directory, which contains some 790 pages. Yet it can be done easily by the same trick described above with a pack of cards. Take hold of the book in the same way as shown in Fig. 2, with the spine nearest to your body. Bend your hands upwards towards each other, bringing the backs of the hands together, and let the fingers on the lower cover slide apart. Now take a very firm grip and bend your hands back to their original position without releasing the grip of the fingers. You will then have the book in the condition shown in Fig. 4. Conceal this trickery by bending forward and holding the hands well down. Seeing that at any one moment you now have to tear through only three or four pages, the ripping of the whole book apart can be done in. short order. For practice tear old magazines in half, place the halves together and tear again and so, until you are able to tear as many pages as are in a real directory. 225

Hugard's MAGIC Monthly

AGIC BY TELEPHONE By HAROLD J. KELLY Card tricks, which the magician performs over the telephone seem to be very popular, both with magicians and their listeners. Quite a few methods have been evolved where the performer calls, or has a spectator call, an assistant who names the selected card. However, effects wherein the magician calls an acquaintance on the phone and performs a trick for the listeners are very scarce. Baker and Walsh's phone trick and a few variations of it, such as Bill McCaffrey's seem to cover this field at present. I have found that the "Detective Card Trick" in Hall's TESTAMENT OF R. W. HULL, makes a perfect phone trick and creates an astounding effect. Incidentally, this effect is practically identical with Hummer's "Fantastric" and recently it has been published again in Rufus Steele's new book, 50 TRICKS YOU CAN DO under Bob Oswald's name. Effect: The performer telephones an acquaintance and says that he will attempt to perform a card miracle over the phone. The listener is asked to take a full pack of cards and remove the joker, if the pack contains one, then to shuffle the cards throughly. "Now", the magician continues, "I want you to select a card, entirely by chance. I will explain what to do in a moment. Of course it will be impossible for me to tell what this card is, but I shall use one of the cards in your deck as a detective and this card will tell me just how to locate your card. "Have you shuffled the cards? Very well, name any number that you wish, say from ten to twenty, or thereabouts (spectator names a number, say eighteen). Take the pack and deal that number of cards, eighteen, on the table in front of you. Place the balance of the pack aside. Cut the pile of eighteen cards into two heaps about even. Pick up one of these small piles, look at and remember the bottom card, then drop this small pile on the main deck. Remember that card as it is the one that our detective card must locate later. "Take the deck in your hands again and deal, one at a time, ten or twelve cards, or more if you wish, onto the small pile still left on the ta^le. Do not tell me how many cards you deal. . . . Now drop the cards left in your hand onto the cards on the table and square up the pack. . . . "Let's go back. You shuffled ymm

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cards and selected a card, which you alone know. However, as I said, my detective card in your deck will help me find that very card. Just take the top card from the deck and tell me its name, then the name of the next card and so on until I stop you. Name each card and lay it aside. Go ahead". The spectator does this and suddenly the magician calls, "Stop! The nine of spades! That is my detective card! The one I have been looking for. Lay the nine to one side. Now count nine cards off the deck and turn over the next one. That will be the very card you selected a moment ago. Right? Thanks. Sure, I'll have one next time we meet". Working: The directions are given to the listener just as written. When he calls a number (eighteen in this case) the magician remembers it, or better, marks it on the telephone pad. The listener is then directed in the various moves as detailed above until he ends up with the pack face down on the table, just before he is told to start calling out the names of the cards. Then, as each card is called, the magician counts, calling the first card by the number originally called (eighteen in this case). Thus the second card will be counted as nineteen, the third as twenty, and so on, until the count reaches thirty-nine. At this point the magician changes his method of counting. Instead of calling the next card forty, he begins counting backwards from the king, thus, king, queen, jack, ten, nine, eight and so on down to the ace. Therefore, the first card after the thirty-ninth, will be called king, the next queen, then jack, ten nine, etc. During the counting from the king down, the performer must listen for a card that matches his count, or that is one or two cards less. He stops the other person at this point. For instance, when the performer counts "king" to himself, if the person on the phone names a king, queen or jack (of any suit) the count is stopped immediately. Or several cards may be named until the magician count is, say "eight" and the call of eight, seven or six comes over the phone. The miracle is concluded as follows: If the card stopped at is a court card, the listener is told that each card has a numerical value, that the jack counts eleven, the quen twelve and the king thirteen. Spot cards have a

value according to their spots, six, eight, etc. If the performer's count and the named card are the same, the listener is told to count that card as one, the next card two and so on up to the value of the card. This last card is then turned over and found to be the selected card. If the listener names a card with a value of one less than the performer's count, that card is laid aside (uncounted) and that number of cards dealt one at a time from the deck, the card on the last count being the selected card. If the listener names a card with a value of two less than the magician's count, that card is laid aside (uncounted), the correct number of cards dealt from the pack and the following card is then revealed as the chosen card. Here is an example of the second type of count where the listener is stopped when he names a card with a value of one less than the magician's count. Suppose the magician's silent count is king, queen, jack, ten, while the listener names ace of clubs, king of hearts, three of clubs, nine of spades. This nine of spades is one less than the performer's count of ten, so the count is stopped. The listener is told to place the nine to one side, to deal nine cards one at a time from the top of the deck and turn up the ninth card. This will be the selected card. Suggestions: Give the Listener specific instructions, repeating if necessary, so that he will know exactly what to do and will not make any mistakes. If more than one person is at the other end of the line, it is best to have the listener direct one of the other persons as to what to do with the cards. This will save time and also the listener will not have to lay the phone down while handling the cards. Editor's note: In the rare event of a suitable card not being called by the time the mental count of two is reached, simply call "Stop! That is the card I have been waiting for. The very next card is the card you selected." •

•

Have an extra pack of cards or some small trick on your table or in your pocket. In case of something going wrong, accidents will happen sometimes, you can cover up quickly or gain a few precious moments.

Hugard's MAGIC Monthly

BASIC ENGLISH FOR MAGICIANS by ZOVELLO

THE EVOLUTION OF A KNOT by Dr. ARNOLD BOSTON Recently I have seen a number of silk effects utilizing false knots and, as silk becomes increasingly easier to obtain, more of these effects will come into being. One weak spot that I have noticed time and time again, is the clumsy method in which the false knot was tied. The movements were so different from the ordinary way of tying a knot that even the casual observer became aware of trickiness. With this fact in mind, I set out to find a way of tying a false knot that would simulate the tying of a real knot in the closest detail. Doubtlessly the knots I have evolved are the end products of a number of methods, I claim originality only in the method outlined below. Each of the knots is different and any of them can be utilized as the occasion demands. They have all evolved from a single basic position, hence the name — the evolution of a knot. Of prime importance is the basic position, which follows: Hold the silk in the left hand as in Fig. 1 Take end B betwen the thumb and first finger of the right hand, at the same time closing third and fourth fingers of the left hand around the silk and place them as in Fig. 2. Reach through the loop C with the right hand and grasp corner A; bring hand out of loop C and the silk will be in the basic position shown in Fig. 3. Note particularly the portion of the silk, D, around the

second finger. It is from this position that the various knots are formed. Knot No. 1. Tie a single knot with the remaining ends A and B by drawing B over A, around A and through the new loop formed. As B is pulled through the loop, release the middle finger. Tighten the knot by pulling on the four portions of silk running from the knot. To release the knot pull on the two lower portions of the silk leading from the knot; do not pull on the free ends. Knot No. 2: Cross B over A, around A, and then through the loop over D; bring D through loop with end B. As you tighten the single knot around D you will have a false knot of remarkably strong tension. Release the knot as with Knot No. 1. Knot No. 3: Cross A over B. Bring B around A, and slowly remove the second finger under portion of silk D, inserting end B at the same time through the loop formed by the removal of the finger and then tighten the false knot so formed. The release is the same as with Nos. 1 and 2. Note: Always tighten all knots by holding and pulling on the four portions of the silk leading from the knots. This series of knots will give you methods which will fill almost any requirement.

GENERAL TERMS MAGIC — "Magic consists in creating, by misdirection of the senses the mental impression of supernatural agency at work". OUR MAGIC by Maskelyne and Devant, Fleming Edition, page 140. In other words, when a series of perfectly natural actions apparently produces an un-natural or supernatural effect, that is magic. EXPERIMENT —A magical feat, a pseudo-miracle. TRICK —The sleight, subtlety or other means of misdirection used by the magician to accomplish his experiment or feat of magic. The misuse of this word "trick" has been the source of much confusion both to the magical writers and magicians generally. It is commonly used to denote the feat of magic, the miracle itself, in place of the means, sleight or subtlety, whereby the experiment is accomplished. Thus we have "The Indian Rope Trick", "The Box Trick", "The Linking Ring Trick". All of these and the others are misnomers. They are feats of magic, the tricks are the secret means by which they are performed. We are badly in need of a single word to express 'a feat of magic'; miracle is logical, but perhaps too emphatic though it is on record that a celebrated French magician considered himself insulted when asked to do some tricks. "Bah! Tricks! I don't do tricks. I do miracles!" he said. In future these three terms will be used in these pages in strict accordance with the definitions given above.

Hugard's MAGIC Monthly A monthly publication devoted solely to the interests of magic and magicians.

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MAGIC Monthly

ROUNDABOUT by FRED BRAUE Big news of the month is that Sachs' SLEIGHT OF HAND is again available. Paul Fleming has issued it as Volume 2 of his Magic Classic series, in the same fine format as No. 1. It's a book which should be owned and studied by every magician, for the material is time tested. Herrmann's "Egyptian Pocket", for instance, is little seen, yet it is a remarkably fine audience trick; and the book is studded with just such good workable material. Some dapper talkers are using the one about atomicache, but we wouldn't know. . . . You can learn by studying the pix of Charles Bertram in Modern Conjurer. . . . "The kind of man who calls a spade two spades", said Russ Grouse twenty years ago, speaking of bridge players. . . . Women love fortune-telling. A knowledge of the so-called meanings of cards can be useful. The Thayer Simplex Half Dollar Vanisher, is a nice thing to have. Foolsum. . . . You can build a nice impromptu trick with "Squash" and an eggbag. Cork a 1% ounce glass with a rubber ball and place in the bag. Vanish a duplicate glass via Squash. Show the bag empty, make

HU-GARDENIAS To Rogert Barkann for his novel and artistic act at the S.A.M. Ladies Night at the Barbizon-Plaza theatre, April 16. The idea of the music from a gramaphone, introduced as an accompaniment for the performer in lieu of an orchestra, suddenly changing to the voice of a disembodied and very authoritative magician, one Falstaff, his caustic comments on Roger's work and the effective tricks which he then directed Roger to do, was a touch of genius. The timing required for this delightful but difficult presentation was perfect and the success of the act wai very evident from the en-\ thusiasm with which it was received by the packed house.

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catch in air, drop 'caught' glass into the bag. Reach in, uncork, produce glass of liquid. . . . "My mother told me there would be nights like this",— an oldie, but a good 'out' for the unexpected contretemps. Quote a sentence from Erdnase to Dai Vemon and he can continue the passage from memory. . . . What makes big-shot gamblers so nervous? Don't they live right? . . . How many performers use pochettes? Very useful. . . . Tommy Tucker has an amusing lament in Conjurers' in re Six Card Repeat. Jean, How's about a Hugardenia for Tommy? . . . Funny thing about Six Repeat. It's been done so often you always worry about it — perhaps the audience saw the Great Magoo do it last week. But they always laugh and applaud. The Linking Ring is a consistently good magazine. They say the telephone trick in a recent issue, is a sizzboom. . . . Tom Osborne entertained the N. Y. SAM show recently with a linen handkerchief. Goes to show you. . . . Bob Madison has resigned as Mayor of Santa Rosa. He's given a fine presentation trick to this magazine, Jean, remind me! Isn't Stuart Robson of Conjurer's shop related to the great May Robson. . . . That Svengali routine in an early Monthly is a nice thing. . . . Sid Fleischman, touring with Francisco's Spook Show, saw ghosts on stage where none should be. Result, fracas in the dark with a spectator who had crept on stage to jam the show. Result again: black eye for spectator.... Spook Shows handle obnoxious audience assistants thus: Performer's assistant stands behind troublemaker and snarls: "Be good or I'll knock your teeth in." (Stronger than that sometimes). For less troublesome people: "We can make you look awfully foolish before your friends, chum." Both systems work for this type of audience. Gambit for forcing the third pile in fouracing using a die: Let anyone throw die; if one or four appear, (which prevent a proper count) "lift die and show the lowermost surface —a five or two. (Starting at either end of line of four, any number, but one or four will land you on the third pile). . . . Card Crimp. Riffle and cut pack as directed. Lift top card of lower packet at outer index corner to enable spectator to note card index. This action puts a crimp in the card; you can locate it after assembling pack and shuffling. . . .

MAXIMS Always study the way your audience is seated before going on, and the angles of vision you will have to take into account. If certain moves cannot be covered from all angles, cut them out. Substitute another trick. Strange that magic, perhaps the most difficult of all the arts to excell in, is the only art in which expert instruction and hard work are not considered necessary by so many who are attracted to it. Al Thompson does, this: A spectator takes the pack and gives 11 cards to A, 10 cards each to B, C, D, and 11 to E. Al takes each packet in turn, riffles it and invites each spectator to think of one card, forcing this by momentarily stopping the riffle — a familiar device. He takes a break under this card and slips it to the top, each spectator then holding the packet thereafter. Taking each packet in turn, Al sights the top chosen card, names it, produces it, each card being produced in a different manner. Nice presentation idea. That Mexican Gambler idea of Judson Cole's in the current Conjurer's is good. . . . Tom Osborne's Poker Routine will soon be published by Magic Limited. . . . And you'll have an Invisible Pass — soon. . . . About time for someone to revive Pintrix, the Thayer novelty of years ago still a good delusion.... Abbot's Tumblebugs are interest-catching. Imagine he still markets them—material should now be available. . . . Where does R. Himber get all the ideas? And is his locking key practice? We are sorry to report the passing of Lloyd Jones' father. He was a fine gentleman; the fraternity extends its condolences to Lloyd. Where is Baffles Brush these days? . . . Bob Stull performing Psychiatric. Didn't realize this deck could be used to such good effect. . . . Why doesn't someone saw a women in half — lengthwise?... Never could understand why anyone, even a ghost, would want to write on cigarette paper. . . . Leslie Guest's portable shadowgraphy outfit said to be the best extant. His shadows are excellent too. . . . Mrs. B. says, "Look out, New York, here I come". Mr. B. concurs.

Hugard's, MAGIC Monthly

BILLIARD BALLS THE ROLL FLOURISH This flourish is akin to the Coin Roll hw\ much easier. To do it, stand facing the audience squarely, the ball held in either hand between the thumb and first finger, the arm bent inwards bringing the hand opposite the chest and back outwards, Fig. 1. Then execute the following moves: 1. With the fingers stretched out and wide apart, roll the ball downwards over the back of the first finger, with the thumb, by bending the finger inwards, and take the ball between the first and second fingers, Figs. 2, 3. 2. Next roll it over the back of the second finger by bending that finger inwards and take it between the second and third fingers. 3. From that position roll it in similar fashion to the space between the third and fourth finders. 4. To roll the ball upwards, back to its original position between the thumb and forefinger, bring the second finger down against the back of the ball, then raise it carrying the ball Into the space between the second and third fingers. 5. By means of the same move with the first finger lift the ball between the first and second fingers and, finally, with the thumb bring it to rest between the thumb and first finger as at first. The flourish is a pretty one and can be done very rapidly. When executed with a ball in each hand, the balls rolling simultaneously, the effect is striking. Further, it affords an excellent exercise for the hands

THE STRIKE VANISH 1. After executing the Roll Flourish with the left hand, hold it in front of your chest and roll the ball to the space between the first and second fingers. 2. Hold the left hand motionless, bring the right hand over, grip the ball between the thumb behind and the fingers in front and carry it away, closing the fingers on it. 3. Keep your eyes fixed on the right hand as you work your fingers on the ball, then open the hand and show it. This is the feint. 4. Replace the ball between the left first and second fingers, move the right hand away a foot or so

and rub the fingers on the palm for a moment. Again bring it over to the left hand and apparently grip the ball as before, in reality strike it lightly with the right palm sending it into the left palm. The left second finger, rapidly bending inwards, aids in securing it there, then rapidly extends again, so that when the right hand moves away the left fingers are stretched out as before showing the empty space between them. 5. The left hand remaining stationary, move the right hand away to shoulder height, crumbling the fingers and keeping your eyes fixed on it. Then let the left hand fall quietly to your side. G. Open the fingers of the right hand one by one, starting with the little finger and show that the ball has vanished.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

THE TWO FINGER VANISH 1. Taking the same position as for the Strike Vanish, with the ball between the left thumb and forefinger, roll it down to the space between the third and fourth fingers as in the Roll Vanish. 2. Bring the right hand over and grip the ball with the thumb behind and the fingers in front. Remove it rather deliberately, the left fingers remaining outstretched. 3. Move the right hand away about a foot, moving the fingers on the ball, then open them and show the ball. This is the feint. 4. Replace the ball between the third and fourth fingers and move the right hand away a little, rubbing the finger tips on the palm. 5. Again, apparently seize the ball with the right hand, actually, under its cover, bend the two fingers carrying the ball into the left palm, the tip of the third finger pressing it home, and instantly extend the two fingers again. Complete the vanish as in paragraphs 5 and 6 above. If the feints and palms are executed in such a way that there is no perceptible difference between them, both these sleights create perfect illusions. Motto of most magicians: There's no new trick under the sun, but in some old ones, there's lots of fun!

Fig. 3

DONTS Jiggle a dummy rabbit about as if it has St. Vitus' dance. Hold it as if it were alive and contrive a vigorous kick or two with its hind legs. Produce intimate feminine garments for display on the stage. The production of various articles of women's apparel from a borrowed hat was a stock item in the repertoire of the magician in former times, but even then certain articles were tabu. It would seem to be inconceivable that any performer today would descend to such depths of vulgarity as to fiddle with the dress of a lady in the audience and then produce an article of the most intimate wear. Yet this has actually been done. So far from receiving the applause the perpetrator evidently expected, the display was treated by the audience with icy silence. Had the curtain been dropped on him then and there he would have gotten his just deserts.

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TELEPHONIC TELEPATHY (Continued from page 223) pient makes the usual stipulations that he shall think intently of his card making a distinct mental picture of it and so on. Then she says, "I have a very clear conception of the value of your card, but the suit is very hazy. Your mental picture is not at all clear. Have you the pack from which the card was drawn?. Very well, just turn over a few cards, one at a time, naming them". He does this and she stops him when he has named three or four by saying, "If you have now seen a card of the same suit as your card that will help you to make your mental picture clearer". Without

waiting for an answer, she goes on, "That's better. Now I see your card quite clearly. It is a spade and, as I told you I got the value at once — it is the seven of spades. All the percipient has to do is this: As soon as the top card is named, she calculates its number in the imaginary deck, namely 23 (in this case) adds 10 to that and immediately she knows that the selected card is the seven of spades. It will be noted that this method can be used with any cards, anywhere, and at any time that your friend is available at the phone. To get the full effect of this magical feat, the conversation should be led to the subject of telepathy so that the experiment will follow quite naturally.

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S O L E L Y

MAGIC Monthly T

OT H E

IV, No. 2

I N T E R E S T S J U L Y

INFALLIBLE

FM A G I C

A N D

M A G I G I A N S

1 9 4 6

CENTS

INDICATOR

By DAI VERNON "So simple that a child can do it, yet so subtle that it will baffle magicians." How often do we read similar blurbs about the latest novelties and how seldom are such claims lived up to? The feat that follows, however, really justifies the claim. It rates a place in any cardman's repertoire. Effect: From any deck, borrowed if possible, the magician removes a four-spot, of any suit, and then has the remainder of the deck shuffled by a spectator. Explaining that the four-spot is an infallible indicator, he has the spectator cut the deck and inserts the four-spot, face upwards, at that point. A card is now freely selected by a spectator and it is replaced in the pack at any place he wishes and the deck is promptly and honestly squared. The reversed four spot is then used as an indicator card which infallibly reveals the position of the chosen card in the deck. There are no sleights involved and no preparation is necessary. The feat is one of the best impromptu self-workers ever devised. Working and presentation: Use a borrowed deck, if possible. Take the deck and, remarking that you will use a certain card which has remarkable magical properties, run through the cards and remove a four-spot, let us say, the four of hearts. Hand the remainder of the deck to a spectator to shuffle. While he does this, you may remark on the peculiar associations of the number four, somewhat after this manner: "I use a four-spot because the number four has always been regarded as the number par excellence by all thaumaturgists, representing as it does the first and perfect square. Again, the name of the deity is written with four letters in almost every language. For instance, Deus in Latin, Dieu in French, Dios in Spanish, Gott in German, Hah in Arabic and so on. (Continued on page 233)

MIACO'S BILL, LEMON AND CIGARETTE COMBINATION By MIACO

Effect: Announcing that he is about to perform the famous feat of passing a borrowed bill into a lemon under the strictest possible test conditions, the magician tosses a lemon to a spectator asking him to examine it and retain it in his possession. He has another spectator mark a $10 bill and, while this is done, he lights a cigarette and puffs on it. Taking the marked bill he causes it to vanish, presumably passing it into the lemon. But, when the lemon is cut open, the bill is not there. Embarrassed by this failure, the magician notes that his cigarette does not draw well and, tearing it apart, he extracts the borrowed bill which is identified by its mark.

Requirements: Two lemons; a cigarette, prepared with a dollar bill; a prepared handkerchief; a pocket knife; a pencil. Preparations: With a pair of tweezers extract the tobacco from a cigarette for about half its length. Fold a dollar bill in quarters, roll it up tightly and insert it in the open end of the cigarette. Place the cigarette, thus prepared, in your case or pack, in such a way that you can take it out without hesitation. Roll up a piece of paper, the same size as a dollar bill, exactly the same way as the bill in the cigarette was folded and- insert this in the hem of your handkerchief at one corner by (Continued on page 234)

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MILBOURNE CHRISTOPHER'S COLUMN After trying most of the "Blendo" on the market I finally worked out a method which suited my style of working and my distaste for prepared silks.

TWO SILK BLENDO Effect: The magician, at any time during his performance, pulls a red silk from one trousers pocket and a yellow silk from the other. He crumples them together between his hands. Then suddenly spreads his arms apart and they have blended into a large red and yellow foulard. Needed: Two 16 inch silks, one red ana one yellow, one 56 inch foulard, red with a yellow center. Preparation: Contrary to the advice given in almost every set of instructions I've ever read, I roll my foulard this way: Holding it by two diagonal corners, one in each hand, I twist it with a circular motion until it resembles a silken snake. Then I wind it into a ball as tightly as I can, with the free end tucked in at the finish so that the bundle won't come apart. One corner of the yellow silk is pushed into the center of this packet, Fig. 1,

YELLOW SILK

and the lot is put into my right trousers pocket, yellow silk first, the rolled up foulard above it. The red silk is put in my left trousers pocket. Performance: "A quick trick with a yellow silk." The magician pulls the yellow silk from his right pocket. As his hand enters, it closes around the bundled foulard and takes hold of the yellow silk's uppermost end, thus, when the silk is pulled from the pocket only the yellow silk is seen, thanks to the closed hand. The right hand passes the yellow silk to the left hand. The silk comes free of the pocket smoothly. The left hand gives the yellow silk a showmanly shake, then passes it back to the right hand. "And a red silk." The left hand takes out the red silk, gives it a little shake, then both hands come together. As a drum roll begins, the magician bunches the two silks together with a slight waving motion. To the audience the colors seem to be "melting away. The two sixteen inch silks are pushed compactly into the right hand and the bundled foulard is moved to the left hand (all this as the hands hide the silks from view). Concealing

232

the two small silks, the right hand takes hold of the outer coil of the twisted foulard and, pulling away from the left hand, snaps it out and open. The right hand holds one corner and the left hand immediately seizes a second corner so that the foulard can be held up for effective display. A cymbal crash and the performer balls up the foulard and the two silks concealed in his right hand and tosses them aside.

Name of act, of selected card Or of club, may be stencilled.

VARIATION FOR M.C.'S A very colorful way for a magician master of ceremonies to introduce an act is to have the act's name stencilled in red on a large yellow foulard which he produces as I have just described.

ly). If he doesn't wear a ring, instead of knotting the end, he should tie a circle of flesh colored thread to it, which prior to performance, he must slip over his left ring finger. The cigarette vanisher, open end uppermost, is put in the palm of the left hand and the foulard is bundled up with a folding motion so that the left hand can cover it completely. It's surprising how large a foulard can be hidden by a closed hand. Performance: The magician enters with his left hand back to the front and naturally by his side. He takes a puff of the cigarette which his right hand holds, blows out the smoke, then pushes it, lighted end downwards, into his left fist—and the cigarette vanisher. At once the right hand seizes the vanisher and both hands extend with the foulard billowing out between them. The change is very pretty. After the reaction has died down, the right hand pulls the foulard away from the left (and the knot out of the ring or breaking the thread loop as it does) and puts the silk aside. P. S. You could produce a bouquet of feather flowers from the foulard— or did the fellow just ahead of you on the bill use that one?

CARD BLENDO A red and white silk can be changed to a giant replica of a chosen card. Or the name of the card can be caused to appear across the silk's center.

SMALL KNOT

\jt

•

CIGARETTE VANISHER

BEAD TIP Most magicians prefer to sew tiny beads in the corner of their foulards so that they can be quickly opened by touch.

CIGARETTE TO FOULARD Effect: The hocus-pocus worker takes a puff from his cigarette, then pushes it down into his closed left fist. Lightning-like a large foulard appears stretched between his two hands. The cigarette (as if anyone cared) has vanished. Needed: A 36 inch foulard. To one of its upper corners a cigarette vanisher is fastened, a small knot is tied in the other corner. A lighted cigarette. Preparation: This is an excellent opening trick. Previous to walking out to the microphone, the performer tucks the small knotted end of the foulard through the ring he wears on his left hand (the palm side natural-

Hugard's MAGIC Monthly A monthly publication devoted solely to the interests of magic and magicians.