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Every hoss can do a thing better and spryer if he's been broke to it as a colt." David Harum. “ . . . Subtle deliberation is the weapon of the Modernist." “ The Magic Wand." (December, 1932)
FARELLI’S
CARD MAGIC A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON LITTLEKNOWN CARD SLEIGHTS, INCLUDING NUMEROUS NEW CARD PROBLEMS
By
VICTOR FARELLI Editor of “ THE ODIN RINGS.” Author of “THE MASTER SPELLER,” “ CONTROLLED COINCIDENCE,” “THE MYSTIC SEVEN”
Illustrated by Seventy-eight Photographs and Sketches, also many Diagrams.
C O P Y R I G H T The right to reproduce the contents, or any part thereof is strictly reserved.
EDWARD BAGSHAWE & CO. GREAT WEST ROAD, HESTON MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND
TO
MY MOTHER
CONTENTS PAGE 9 11 12
Foreword Introduction Index of Illustrations
Chapter 1-FLOURISHES Fancy Shuffles The Standard “ Waterfall ” Shuffle The “ Double Waterfall ” Shuffle The “ Spring ” Shuffle The Cards on the Arm The “ Throw ” The “ V.F. Throw and Turn ” The “ Slide ” The Mulholland “ Grab ” The Back to Front “ Toss ” Spreading Two Packs The “ Dart Forward ” The Weyer “ Gather-Up ’ An Easy Combination The “ Boomerang ” Card Throwing Two Cards in Succession Throwing Cards with Both Hands Card Caught with Hand at Side Throwing Two Cards Together Catching a Card with Scissors Addition to Cutting a Card in the Air Loaded Card for “ Boomerang ” The “One Hand Drop ” The Cards to Use The “ Blindfold Drop ” The Vertical “ One Hand Drop " The “ Ambidextrous ” Drop
15 15 16 17 17 1l 17 18 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 23 23 24
Chapter 2—PASSES The “ Drop ” to Cover the Pass A Common Fault Turning the Pack to Hide the Pass The “ Move ” that Mystified Downs Dr. Elliott’s Presentation The Rubber Band Version The “Weyer” Version The Improved “Bluff” Pass The “ Charlier ” Pass The “ Veneri ” Move
24 25 25 26 28 28 28 29 31 32
Chapter 3-SUBSTITUTES FOR THE PASS The “ Mahatma ” Substitutes First Version Second Version Third Version The Bagshawe Substitute The “ Riffle ” Substitutes Using a “ Longitudinal Bridge ” Using the Veneri “ Flesh ” Break The “Strip Cut” Shuffle Substitute
32 32 33 33 33 34 34 35 35
PAGE Eliminating the Pass for Forcing The “ Strip ” Cut “ Sighting ” Shuffling to the Centre By means of the “ In-jog ” Pack Cut by Spectator The “ Continental ” Cut
35 35 35 35 36 36 36
Chapter 4-FORCING Timing Balance Some “ Imperfections " Closing the Fan Suggesting Liberty of Choice Aggressiveness Exposing on the Stage The Nervous Assistant Choosing a “ Forcee ” A “ Tip ” from Spain The Table “ Spread ” A Simple Infallible Force The Touch Method The “ Pencil ” Force
37 37 37 37 37 38 38 38 39 39 39 39 40 41
Chapter 5—FALSE SHUFFLING Should Cards be Shuffled ? The Roumanian “ Fan ” Shuffle The “ Lace-Through ” Table Shuffle Learning the Sleight The Interlocking Shuffle The “ Waterfall ” Blind Shuffle The Oblique Cut The Shuffle The “ Strip Cut ” False Shuffle The “ Milking ” Shuffle “ Setting ” the Pack A Substitute for False Shuffling
43 44 45 45 47 47 47 47 49 49 50 51
Chapter 6—PALMING The Cards to Use Common Faults Curling the Forefinger Stiffness of the Arm Spreading the Thumb The Longitudinal Grip The Devant “ Mark-Off ”
52 53 53 53 53 54 55
Chapter 7-SECOND DEALING The First Method First Exercise : Moving a Pair Second Exercise : The Withdrawal Third Exercise : Seizing the Second Card Fourth Exercise : The “ Swing ” The Second Method
55 55 56 57 58 58
Chapter 8—Miscellaneous SLEIGHTS and “ TIPS ” A Link with the Past A Clean Slip A Little-known “ Glimpse ”
63 64 64
PAGE The Veneri “ Flesh ” Break The Veneri Discovery A General Utility “ Location ” Disposal of Located Card Suggestions A “ Sucker Gag ” Returning a Card to the “ Fan ” Thumb-Counting Crimp and Riffle Location The Goldin Visible “ Change ” The Houdini “ Bluff ” Change The “ Left-About ” Change To “ Sight ” the Bottom Card How to “ Bridge ” For the Table “ Spread ” Force The Tail of the “ Q ” Cards with White Borders The Mexican Turn-Over To Make Cards “ Slippery ” Obtaining a “ Stock ” With a Borrowed Pack Learning New Sleights
65 65 66 68 68 68 68 69 70 70 71 72 73 73 74 74 74 74 75 75 75 76
Chapter 9—TRICKS BASED ON THE “ GLIDE ” The Three Packets The Partagas “ Sell ” A Matter of Thought
77 79 81
Chapter 10—EASY EFFECTS Subtlety versus Manipulation A “ Close-Work ” Discovery The “ Follow-Up ” The “ Soo ” Stripper Pack The “ Double Crimp ”
82 84 85 86 86
Chapter 11—THE CARD TO WALLET A Strange Hallucination Up His Sleeve The “ Sandwich ” A Double Surprise The Original Card to Pocket For Conjurers Only Pure Bluff With an Unprepared Pocket-Book
87 89 89 91 93 93 93 94
Chapter 12-MORE TRICKS The “ Do-it-Yourself ” Discovery The Veneri “ Turn ” Four from Five Leaves One The “ Slick ” Ace A Study in Blue and White The “ Simplex ” Thirty Cards The Floating Image Slightly Different Presentation An Additional Effect History and “ Invention ”
95 95 96 98 99 102 104 105 105 105 L’ENVOI
f o r e w o r d T must be conceded that magic has in the past been plentifully supplied as regards material upon card conjuring. The subject is quite inexhaustible, and for this reason the magician who uses playing cards is naturally interested in the latest ideas embracing new methods and presentation. This new book will, I think, be welcomed by all card workers. The author has set out to describe several novelties and improvements, and the items he has included in the book have been specially chosen from a collection of material that is the outcome of a wide experience of this particular branch of magic. Among the contents the reader will find several originations involving new “ twists ” on sleight-ofhand processes, and also various improvements on existing sleights. Although many modern card tricks tend to dispense as far as possible with manipulative work it is, I think, all to the good to keep in mind the legitimate function of sleight-of-hand as an ally to the magician. The chapters on manipulative work included herein form a valuable section of the book, although in order to suit all tastes a number of simple effects and many ingenious subtleties have recently been added to the manuscript. The numerous illustrations have been prepared under the author’s own guidance, and the reader will find that the various moves are demonstrated with great clearness. Photographs have been included wherever it has appeared that their use would enhance the descriptive value of the text. And now I will not delay the reader any longer, for I know that he will be wishing to explore the many good things that this book has to offer—among which will be found methods communicated to the author by such men as David Devant, Nate Leipzig, Horace Goldin, John Mullholland, Billy O’Connor, the late Harry Houdini, Dr. Elliott, Chung Ling Soo, and a host of others. EDWARD BAGSHAWE.
I
INTRODUCTION
B
EING, perchance, rather slow on the “ up-take,” I often experience the greatest difficulty in understanding descriptions of card sleights and effects. In an earnest endeavour to avoid all ambiguity, I have spared neither time nor trouble in continually revising and correcting the manuscript of this treatise. I hope, therefore, that the reader will be indulgent should my explanations appear, at times, somewhat verbose . . . The late Edgar Wallace once remarked that the great art of writing consisted in knowing how to handle a blue pencil. I have used mine freely. As the reader will observe, many of the performers whose methods I disclose have long since “ passed over ” : consequently, any pledge of secrecy that I may have given to those who have left us is no longer binding, and the publication of their effects cannot be harmful to them or to their memory. On the contrary, by explaining their secrets, I place the names of the originators on record, and I sincerely trust that future writers on Magic will find this work of some interest and historical value. VICTOR FARELLI.
10th June , 1933.
INDEX OF ILLUSTRATIONS As frequent references have to be made to some of the illustrations, the following list has been compiled for the convenience of the reader.
Fig.
Page 15 15 16 3 16 4 16 5 6 17 1 2
7 8
17 18
9 10 11 12
19 21 23 24
13 14 15 16
25 26
17 18 19 20
27 28 29 29 30 30
Fig.
Page 31 31 23 34 36 24 25 41 26 41 42 27 28 44 29 44 30 45 31 45 46 32 46 33 33a 46 46 34 35 47 48 36 48 37 38 48 48 39 40 49 21 22
Fig.
41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60
Page 50 52 52 53 53 54 54 54 56 56 57 57 57 58 59 63 64 64 65 66
Fig.
61
Page 66
62
66
63
67
64
67 67
65 66
67
67
69
68 69
69 69
70
70
71 72
70 70
73 74
71 72
75 76
72 96
77 78
103 104
NOTE.—It is quite impossible to obtain even a faint idea of the contents of this book—which describes well over a hundred distinct items—by examining the photographs. For instance, Figs. 7 and 8 do not illustrate the well-known “ flourish ” of reversing a pack of cards on the arm, as a casual glance might lead one to imagine. The explana tions must be carefully studied.
PART ONE
FARELLI'S CARD MAGIC CHAPTER I
FLOURISHES ANY well-known writers on matters magical are against the inclusion of flourishes and fancy sleights in a conjuring entertainment, maintaining that any parade of dexterity completely destroys the magical atmosphere. Other authorities, equally eminent, hold that these little interludes actually enhance the performance. Of course, it is not surprising that experts in magic, as in other pursuits, should disagree. It is proverbial that members of the medical profession, more particularly specialists, have their individual ideas and notions— “Hippocrate dit oui, mais Galien dit non.” In Lesson 59 of his Correspondence Course Harlan Tarbell writes :— “There is a difference between a manipulative juggler and a manipulative magician. In the first case the audience gives credit for the performer concealing objects by dextrous moves, while in the latter case the audience is really and truly mystified. It notices no moves that are unnatural.” Many years ago I discarded all fancy sleights from my card act, having come to the conclusion, either rightly or wrongly, that from the point of view of true Art that was the only course to pursue. Be that as it may, there is not a shadow of a doubt that sleights of pure dexterity, when cleanly performed, “go down great” with an audience, especially with one composed exclusively of men. It is not my intention to cover the whole ground—a book could be written on this branch of card handling—but merely to describe a few of the lesser-known fancy sleights. I shall mention also some improvements or variations of the standard flourishes.
M
FANCY SHUFFLES The Standard " Waterfall" Shuffle This is a genuine shuffle, that is to say, it really mixes the cards, and is merely a fancy version of the “ riffle ” shuffle in everyday use by card conjurers. I mention it as an introduction to the “Double Waterfall” Shuffle, of which a description will be given subsequently.
a.
D
Take about half the pack in either hand as depicted in Fig. 1. The thumbs almost touch each other ; the fust fingers are curled against the top cards. The middle, third and little fingers are under their respective packets which latter are bent at an angle of about 90 degrees.
PART TWO
FARELLI’S CARD MAGIC CHAPTER VIII
L
MISCELLANEOUS SLEIGHTS AND “TIPS”
ITTLE or no attempt has been made to classify the following items, among which will be found some of the most subtle ideas that I know in Card Magic.
A LINK WITH THE PAST (The J. H. ANDERSON Slip)
This move was shown to me over a quarter of a century ago by a Scotch conjurer, Carl Hengler, of Glasgow, who informed me that a pupil of John Henry Anderson the famous Wizard of the North, had taught it to him in his (Hengler’s) youth. This sleight—which is used to slip a card from the centre of the pack to the bottom—is easy to explain, but extremely difficult of accomplishment in an indetec table manner. Hold the pack in the left hand as if about to make the double handed pass, inserting the third and middle fingers of the same hand above the lower half. Press downwards with those fingers and draw the top card of the lower half to the bottom. No noise should be made and the first finger should not shoot out as shown in Fig. 13. Hengler’s method of presentation was the following. A card having been returned to the centre of the pack, he would inquire :—“ What part of the pack would you like your card to appear ? The top, the bottom or the centre ? ” If the top were chosen, a double handed pass was immediately made. To bring the required card to the bottom, the Anderson slip was used. The same sleight may be employed to draw a card from the centre to the bottom, reversing it in the process. This variation is vastly easier of execution and it is mentioned by Mr. W. G. Craigen in the June, 1929, issue of The Magic Wand. In this connection I may mention an improvement recently shown to me by Mr. Mulholland.
Hold the pack in the usual position for the pass, but insert all four fingers between the upper and lower halves. These fingers press on the top card of the lower portion in readiness to perform the “reverse slip.” Keeping a firm grip with the right hand, move the entire pack towards the right and slide it on to the out stretched fingers of the left hand. Fig. 56. Under cover of this movement, the selected card is slipped to the bottom and reversed. Needless to add, silence is essential.
“CONTROLLED COINCIDENCE” (Victor Farelli) TWO cards are chosen from a pack by two spectators, each removing his card from a different part of the pack. These cards (which are not forced) are retained by the choosers. An ordinary penknife is handed to one of the helpers, who slips it into the re mainder of the pack at any position he fancies. Without any sleight occurring, the magician genuinely separates the pack at this place. For the first time, the spectator is asked to show the face of his card— which is, say, the Ten of Hearts. At the request of the magician, he now examines the cards where the pack has been " broken " by the knife insertion—and finds the bottom card of the top packet is a TEN, whilst the top card of the bottom packet is a HEART! Truly a surprising coincidence! BUT NOW—the second spectator also took a card—what of this? Gently running out the cards, backs up across the table, the magician shows one card to be re versed. The name of the second card is now asked for and proves, for example, the Jack of Clubs. The chooser is asked to come up and remove the reversed card, together with the one immediately above it. He finds that one of these cards is a JACK and the other a CLUB. Again desig nating the actual card he has chosen !
Note that YOU DO NOT FORCE ANYTHING AT ANY TIME—THAT THE ENTIRE “ DOUBLE EFFECT ” MAY BE DONE WITHOUT DIFFICULT MOVES OR SLEIGHTS— NOTHING TO COUNT OR MEMORISE—ANY MAKE OF CARDS USED—NO PREPARED CARDS ARE REQUIRED. A PERFECT CARD MYSTERY, which may be worked anywhere. This unusual effect—one of the best " close-range ” items we have seen—is the invention of Victor Farelli, who has per formed it before many magicians, who were unable to fathom the secret. The effect, based upon an entirely novel conception in card magic, is but ONE OF FOUR on this principle. We have no space to describe the remaining effects, but the one above-mentioned is itself worth the price. All are concisely described in an exclusive illustrated booklet of 5,000 wordlength, as follows: —A STRANGE CO-
INCIDENCE; THE REVERSAL; CHOICE FORETOLD; THE MARVELLOUS DIS COVERY; Suggestions and Tips. How to use the special method employed for other effects. A typical Farelli lesson in magic.” Price (without cards) 3/-, post 2d. U.S.A., $1.00 post paid.
“THE ODIN RINGS” THIS book is a translation of a recent French work describing for the first time in print M. Claudius Odin's method of per forming the Chinese Rings; a most ingeni ous routine for which he is justly famous in France. The translator has added three appendices containing the latest novel notions in EXPERT RING MANIPULA TION. Profusely illustrated throughout, and specially indexed for easy reference. Bound in board covers with two-colour wrapper. The low price of the volume brings it within every worker’s reach. NOW READ THIS! That great authority, JOHN NORTHERN HILLIARD, Author of Downs' "ART of MAGIC,” and Manager to HOWARD THURSTON, writes in a letter to Mr. Farelli: — " I once told ' Namreh' that his treatise on the ' Lincoln Rings ’ was the grammar of that ancient miracle. If that is in any way a sound tribute, then your Odin Rings ’ is the poetry of the Art.” I READ THE BOOK WITH ENTHUSIASM. IT SURPASSED MY MOST SANGUINE EXPECTA TIONS. A GLORIOUS BOOK on one of the greatest of all Magical classics. There is no one writing in Magic to-day I admire more.” (s.) J. N. HILLIARD. Contents include: THE EFFECT; THE ODIN COUNT; LINKING THE RINGS; UNLINKING; TIPS AND IDEAS; A CHUNG LING SOO METHOD, in which Soo threw out each ring separately; and FINAL NOTES. Price 6/6, post 3d. U.S.A., S2 .00 .
FROM YOUR USUAL DEALER
BOBBY & CO., LTD Printers, Margate
Part One of
“Farelli’s Card Magic” contains a large number of varied effects, moves and subtleties of use to all card magicians. ORDER THIS PART NOW from the dealer who supplied this booklet.
NOTE: Parts I and II are arranged so that if desired both may be bound together into one volume.