FVI
Copyright 1947 LLOYD E. JONES
Published by Lloyd E. Jones, 4064 39th Avenue, Oakland 2, California
TRUE CONFESSION You know, it's strange how we change through the years. When I was eighteen I wrote my first magical book, "Futuristic Fantasies." In the "intro" I stated that all material was fresh and new and would present magic as it had never been presented before. Forgive me, I was only eighteen! At twenty I did "Magic From A2Z." The "intro" read: ANOTHER BOOK CONJURERS DESIRE EFFECTING FAR GREATER HEIGHTS IN JEALOUSLY KNITTED LEGERDEMAINE MIRACULOUSLY NOVEL ODDLY PERTINENT QUEER RATIONAL SENSATIONAL THIS UNIQUE VOLUME WILL XL YOGI ZENITH Boy, what a mouthful; but after all, I was only twenty. It was a glorious world, a world waiting to take a new magical book to its heart. Forgive me, I was only twenty! 3
At twenty-three, with Jimmy Shannon, "At Your Fingertips" was shot into the market. Jimmy and I called this the first complete and practical work on thimble "manips." Forgive me, I was only twentythree! At twenty-six, "Grand Finale" was written for Frank Ducrot. Lovable, kind, generous, wonderful Frank Ducrot, creator of Twentieth Century silks, change bag, and flocks of others. Ducrot died three days after he placed an "ad" reading "Watch for Grand Finale." Strange coincidence. So "Grand Finale" was published serially in the Sphinx, in memoriam to Frank. There was no introduction. John Mulholland felt the "intro' was too ribald, too vulgar, for the unsullied pages of the Sphinx. Forgive me, I was only twenty-six! Now here's "Outline of Mystery." It will revolutionize窶馬othing. It will change窶馬othing. It will excel窶馬othing. Its chief purpose is to make a couple of "bucks." Forgive me. I'm thirty-six now! ARTHUR LEROY.
Outiime of Mystery THE SPELL OF COLOR This above all I prime you—as you run through the pages of this "opus" you will not find any material requiring a "gimmick" or apparatus in the accepted sense, and no manipulation. What you do, you do with ordinary "props" which are just what they seem to be. Our lead trick is a rather cute gag of a psychic nature with a twist. You show five silk hankies (18, 15, 13-inch, it's up to you), a small paper bag, and a small paper "scratch" pad. Silks are solid colored, each one different in tint. Invite a volunteer assistant to lend a hand. He (or she) steps up to assist. Now ask him (or her, let's just say "him" from now on) to exhibit the silks separately, one at a time, to an individual in the party who is to mentally select one of the silks. To convince the rest of the spectators that collusion is out, the "chosen" writes the selected color on the "scratch" pad, detaches the sheet, and keeps it himself or passes it on to one of the others in the group. Now you go to work. With the "guy" who has stepped up to assist standing with you, you place the five silks into the small, unfolded, paper bag. The bag is now held so that its mouth is above the eye level of the assistant. For the first time "chooser" is asked which color he thought of. Let's pretend he answered "green." Assistant reaches into bag, takes out one silk, says G. Takes second silk, says R, third says E, fourth says E, fifth says N, and so help me, the N silk is GREEN. Pass everything for inspection if you like, repeat if you like, or just go back to "necking." I prefer the latter system. Let's analyze! First the silks. Colors are RLACK, WHITE, GREEN, BROWN, LEMON, PEACH. Five silks, each spelled with five letters. Catch the basis? As to coloration—Tintex them yourself from a basic white. Naturally, it is necessary for you to know the selected color before you "bag" the silks. HENCE THE SCRATCH PAD. Use any cheap, low grade, uncoated paper pad. No carbons, no nothing. Hand "selector" pad, and a fairly BLUNT pencil. Tell "selector" to PRINT
selected color on pad, one letter at a time, and to think of each letter as he prints it. Then he removes paper, pockets it, or passes it on to another spectator for future check up. Because of the quality of paper, and blunt pencil, an impression of the printing will be faintly visible on the next sheet of the pad, but only if you look for it. It will remain for a short time, length of time dependent upon quality of paper. As you take pad back, get a quick flash of this impression and you are "all set." Even if impression is bad, because of the color set-up, one clear letter is all you need to tell the story. Now pick up your paper bag, hold it with mouth open. It is held by the LEFT HAND窶認ROM THE REAR. Assistant stands directly behind you. The right hand places the silks into the bag one at a time. When you come to selected color, which you have discovered from the impression, you push it into the rear side of the bag and the left hand closes around it, forming a pocket. The left hand holds the silk through the bag in this improvised pocket while the spelling proceeds. Naturally, since the "speller" can't reach the selected silk, his hand can't enter this pocket as he spells, he brings out the remaining four one at a time as he spells. When he is about to enter the bag for the fifth and last letter, you release your hold, the silk drops out of its improvised pocket to the bottom of the bag, and will naturally be the last silk, on the last letter, removed the Spell of Color. Experience will teach you the right tempo, right position for bag in relation to assistant, etc. I'm sure if you once use this, you'll fall in love with it. It's so clear, so convincing, so damned nervy.
JUST IMAGINE Here's an item with cards. Thought out many years ago, it was forerunner to an item I brought out ages ago called "Self Control." I used this for quite awhile, then changed it into the elements of "Self Control" which had an excellent sale. At the time, the diggers got busy and informed me, and the world for that matter, that "Self Control" was bodily lifted from Hoffman's "Modern Magic." The answer to that was obviously, "So what? I didn't know at the time, but if I had, the answer would still have been "So what?' Admittedly the Hoffman effect required adaptation, polishing, pressure, to resurrect it from its sleep. It got it. Brother, if adaptation in the Arts is unethical, Bach would be the only composer pure and virtuous. I take it back, even Bach would be in a bad way. Enough of "Self Control" and self justification; here's the effect I worked at fourteen which gave me the basis for the adaptation.