magic magazine num. 234

THE BOOK WITHOUT A NAME

A N N E M A N N

Biblioteca Fundación Juan March (Madrid)

Th.

ook Without a Name

'E y

T H E O . A N N E M A N N

W ith Introduction by

A l . B a k e r

P U B L ISH E D BY

MAX H O L D E NN e w Y o rk


Copyright 1931 by

M a x H o l d e n

Printed and Bound byPrinted in U.S.A. Wm< q popper & Co.

First Edition Rotogravure - Printing - LithographyA p r i l , 1 9 3 1 New York


I’m dedicating this, my first book, to Raymond McEwan and A. B. Bartron. Little could they have foreseen the path I was to follow when they showed me my first tricks.

T h e A u t h o r .


The printers of this "Book Without a Name” are proud that this, the first Magical Work ever to be done in the Rotogravure Process was entrusted to them.

They have done their best to have its format in keeping with the best traditions of the Graphic Arts and up to the highest standards of book making.

The best minds in the Magical World have told us the effects are the masterpiece of a superior artisté — we hope the book is worthy of its contents.


In t r o d u c t i o n...It is the usual thing for a writer to go to a friend for an

introduction to his work, knowing well enough that the friend will say all the nice things that the author would like to say himself.

I have been approached several times by budding authors to write an introduction for a book of new and original creations.

After reading the manuscripts and finding the effects not so 'new’ and not so 'original’, I tactfully refrained from granting requests because I feel that the market is already overcrowded with magical plagiarism. Therefore, the fact that I have read the manuscript of this book and am now writing the introduction speaks for itself.

Having seen Annemann do these effects and knowing of his ability to get 'that something’ out of his presentation I can see real value here for the performer who is looking for the greatest effect from the simplest method. Annemann has a distinctly different approach and way of presenting his effects and this alone is the secret of why he is able to fool even magicians with tricks they already know.

I think that if the reader will carefully study Annemann’s presentation as much as his method, he will get more real value than if he hastily reads the book just to see 'how’ the tricks are done.

A l B a k e r .


Foreword...The author must have his say even though it be little.

My ideas and conceptions differ a great deal from those of some with whom I am acquainted. It is my theory that any effect to be successful must first be founded upon a simple method and then be performed with a direct to-the-point presentation. It is my contention that the moment one deviates from this straight-line, he is not doing what a genuine magician or mind reader would do.

To follow the above rules I have had to renounce all of the so-called performing ethics, inasmuch as I consider the effect upon my audience above everything.

So, to some, my methods may seem bold, daring, bare-faced, and in a number of cases rather under handed, but before deploring these facts, admitting them, please consider what the ultimate effect is on those who are watching.

I wish to thank Mr. A l Baker and Mr. Max Holden for helping me with the photographs.

Lastly, my heartfelt thanks go to Mr. Julien J. Proskauer, business manager of The Sphinx, and member of many magical societies, whose knowledge of magic and attitude towards the Art has helped make this book possible.

T h e o . A n n e m a n n .


I n d e x ...The 'Really N ew ’ Locator Card......................................... 10

An Original Set Up Discovery.......................................... 11

One in Fourteen------------------------ ---------------------------- 13

A New Thought Card Spelling Effect............................ 14

Whichever You Pleasel....... .— .............. .................... ......... 16

Count Your Cardl ------------------------------------------------- 17

Telepathy in the Audience.................................... .........— 19

The Red and Blue Back Mixup......................................... 20

The Gambler in Person------------------------------------------- 22

The Gambler is Back Again...-.................................... — 25

Psychic Sympathy Method No. 1--------------------------- 27

Psychic Sympathy Method No. 2---------- ----------- ----- 29

The Four Pile Location........................................................ 30

The Genii Cut Deck Location............................................ 33

The Mystery Card Reading Method................................ 35

A New Apparatus for the Pellet Switch----------------- 38

Find the Lady.--------------- --------------------- ------------------ 41

The Improved Magic Square Presentation....................... 42

The One Man 'Genuine’ Magazine Test............................ 4 6

Mental Coloring— Telepathy with Silk.-------------------- 49

The Color-Tell Billiard Balls------- --------------------------- 51

Seeing in the Dark........................... ....-................................ 52

Seven Keys to Baldpate------------------------------------------- 54

A Prophecy of the Koran_________________________ 58

Jimmy Valentine Opens a Safe____________________ 61


The “Really New” locator (^ard. ..

I SINCERELY hope that this is my own originality because it is of untold value to the subtle card man. However,

although I claim it as a 'find’ of my own, I can never be sure that it hasn’t been thought of before by someone.

Just imagine picking up a strange pack of cards at any time or place. Then imagine having a perfect locator card in that pack in one second without it being out of sight for a moment, without adding anything or taking anything away, and without apparatus needed of any type. When I say 'locator card’ I mean one as perfect for the purpose as a short or narrow card and yet in this case it is neither of those two.

By now it must seem like a marvelous secret but it is so silly and simple that even now my reader may just pass it over.

MERELY TAKE THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER OF A N Y CARD A N D BEND BACK THE TIP OF SAME UNTIL IT BREAKS.

How many times have you accused a party (in your mind, of course), of being a clumsy dolt because they used your new pack and broke the corner of a card? I don’t mean break it off, nor by bending half the card, but just at the corner and just so that it has cracked. It must be done from the face backwards and not from the back towards face. Now do this at the diagonally opposite corner when the deck is turned end for end.

That’s all there is. You have the same thing as a short card. Riffle the deck from face towards back at this corner and when you reach this card it will snap and you will stop at it like any self respecting 'short.’

Don’t ask me why. I found it two years ago while playing with an old deck that had some broken corners. Since then I’ve used it constantly and some magicians are wondering how I did a certain trick with their own new pack.


cAtt Original Set - Up ‘Discovery. ..

I TH IN K I have something here that will open the eyes of the ones who have handled cards for any length of time and

who have had occasion to use a set up or stacked deck.

There are two stacks which have weathered the ages, one being the well known Si Stebbins arrangement of rotating suits and a three advancement in values, and the other is the arrangement using the rhyme 'Eight Kings threatened to save, ninety- five Queens for one sick Knave.’

Of the two, the latter was much the best from many standpoints, the most important being the apparent haphazardness and the fact that there was no semblance of mathematical progression as in the former. It is very apparent in the Si Stebbins arrangement that when 3-6-9 shows up and then repeats itself a little further on something more than chance is at work.

The one great objection to the 'Eight Kings’ method was the labor involved in setting this up as the cards must be found and stacked one at a time. The Stebbins method in contrast was simply put together by making four piles of the separated suits which had been placed in order from Ace to King. Each pile was started three ahead of the other and the mere picking up of the cards in rotation set them.

My discovery, and I claim it as a real and worthwhile find, is an arrangement whereby the 'Eight Kings’ stack' can be put together as quickly and simply as the Stebbin arrangement and therefore the one great fault of this well thought of arrangement is eliminated.

We shall suppose that your suit arrangement is Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds and Spades. We separate the four suits into four piles. New each pile is taken face up and arranged thusly from back towards face of pile— 4 - 7 - K - A - 9 - 3 - 6 - 5 - 1 0 - J - Q - 2 - 8 . This is very simple to learn when gone over a few times and is your entire key. Arrange each of the four suit piles in this order and have them face up before you in the correct suit order from left to right. The first pile starts with

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an Eight. Cut the second pile so a King is at the face. Cut the third making a Three the face card. The fourth is cut to bring the Ten up.

Starting from the left pick a card at a time from each pile over and over placing them face up in left hand and do this until all are picked up. Your deck is now completely arranged in the correct order and from the time you start with a mixed deck and separate the suits until you finish, this should not take over three minutes.

I am not at liberty to mention his name, but one of the best known men in magic has used this stack for years and always had to set them one by one. I had the pleasure of setting his deck several times when in a great rush, once on a subway train, and thus I can be sure that in this case, at least, the 'find’ has been more than welcome.


One in Fourteen...

I HAVE found a rather good trick to end up any series of effects in which a stacked deck is being used. It destroys

the order, hence the reason for it being last.The deck is placed on the table and the performer walks

away. A spectator steps forward, cuts the deck several times and then takes the top card from deck. He remembers it, places it on table and deals 13 more cards from deck on top of it. Picking up these fourteen cards, the spectator shuffles and mixes them as he pleases, finally handing the cards to the performer. The performer in turn, fans the packet once, draws a card and throws it face down on table. The party names his card, turns over the one on table and finds it to be correct.

Simple? Very much so because in the stacked deck every thirteen cards complete a cycle of the thirteen values and then start over.

All the performer must do is look for a pair of cards of the same value and there will only be one such pair among the fourteen cards. The noted card is the one whose suit precedes the other and there you are! Thus if there are two Four spots, one a Heart and one a Spade, the Spade is the card because of your suit order in the stacked deck which is Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds and Spades. If the pair were a Diamond and a Club, the Club would be the one. It all happens simply because the top card is looked at and the fourteenth card from any one in deck is of the same value and the next suit in order.

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cA I"New Thought Qard Spelling Effect. . .

THIS rather gets away from having people pick a certain card which is desirable. The performer deals four piles of

four cards each onto the table, places the deck face down and walks away. He asks that someone pick up any of the piles, look at them and to merely think of one, to place the packet on the deck, the other three packets on top of all and to cut the deck once or twice. Taking the deck, the performer gives it a cut or two and hands it back to the spectator with the explanation that he must touch the deck once in order to bring his power into play.

The spectator is asked to spell his thought of card to himself and to deal the cards one at a time with each letter spelled silently. When he stops, the performer asks him to name his card and to turn over the next one face up. It is the one!

We must first arrange sixteen cards on top of the deck. Make four sets of four cards each. Starting with the first of each set, the cards in each set spell with 12, 13, 14 and 15 letters respectively. For instance, the first set from back to face could be Four of Hearts, Seven of Spades, Four of Diamonds, Queen of Diamonds. Thus the first spells with 12 letters, the second with 13, then 14 and lastly IS.

W ith these sets arranged, pick them up backwards onto the deck so that when you deal them off, it will be done naturally into four piles. My own method for a quick set up is to run through the face up deck and locate four 12 letter cards and put them on top. Follow these with four 13 letter cards, then four 14 letter cards and then four that spell out in 15 letters on top of all. To deal, make a row of four, then four more on top of these and repeat this twice more and you are set. It is done perfectly natural as one would deal.

If using a borrowed deck I make a short card as described in this book and have it on the bottom.

Any pile is picked, a card merely thought of and the packet placed on top of pack. Then this is followed with the other three which has the effect of placing twelve cards on top of the

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four among which is the thought of card. The deck is cut and the performer takes it and cuts it a couple of times, cutting at the short card and not forgetting to cut the short card back to bottom so that the deck is left exactly as it was after the packets were replaced. NO W THE TH O U G H T OF CARD WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE AFTER THE LAST LETTER OF ITS NAME IN THE SPELLING. What more can one wish for. The performer never knows what the thought of card is until the spectator names it and turns that very card over.

Some may wish just to have the packets replaced and then give the deck a false cut and hand it to the spectator. Or by noting the bottom card, one could fan through the pack several times and cut it back to bottom. I prefer however, any method that does not necessitate the performer looking or seeing any of the cards at all.


Whichever You ‘Please...

H ERE is a very cute location of a card in a rather different manner and impromptu with any cards.

A card is chosen, replaced and the deck handed directly to the spectator who is asked to cut it several times and then to deal it into either two, three or four face up piles. Great stress is laid upon the fact that he may do whichever he pleases and during this the performer walks away. This having been done, the performer asks the party to pick up the one pile containing their card and to discard the rest of the deck. This packet is cut once or twice, the performer takes it face down and deals a card at a time into a face up pile. Suddenly he stops and declares that he is holding the chosen card. It is nanied, he shows the card, and once more he is acclaimed as successful.

This is practically automatic, but it is also practically indetectable. Any card is chosen and in fanning for the selection, the performer counts cards from the top so that he has the card replaced under the 11th or in other words, the chosen card is replaced 12 th from the top. As he hands the deck to the spectator for cutting and dealing he notes the bottom card and this is the key.

The deck is cut as pleased and dealt into either two, three or four piles faces up. In turning around at the finish the performer sees at a glance how many, or he can tell at once from the size of the packet given him.

The rule is simple. If the above has been followed out correctly the chosen card follows the key card in the packet by three, four or six cards. The performer merely divides the number of piles dealt into twelve and he has the number. If three piles were dealt, the chosen card would be fourth after the key card. If four piles, the card would be third after the key. The key and the chosen card will always fall into the same pile. Have the card 12th from the top, note the bottom, and it works.

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Count Tour Card! . . .

THIS is a far cry from originality but I consider it rather a novel effect from the presentation standpoint. In short,

I have taken a very old principle, arranged it to repeat twice instead of once, and it is made to look like something new.

A party is asked to take the inevitable card, note it and then replace it among the others. After a possible shuffling or cutting, the deck is handed directly to the spectator with the request that he find his own card and save the performer a lot of worry and trouble*

He is asked to start dealing the cards face down one at a time and to turn a card face up whenever he pleases, but not to go too far and make the effect boring.

The spectator deals and turns one face up. The performer says, 'You have turned up any one card that you pleased. Is it your selected card?’ The answer, of course, is in the negative.

The performer then asks the number on the card turned up. We shall assume it to be a six. The spectator is asked to deal another pile and to turn over the sixth card.

'Is that your card?’ asks the performer and the answer is again 'N o.’ Again the performer asks the number of the card turned up and the reply is 'Ten.’

The performer continues, 'Three times and out. You may have one more chance and if you fail I guess I’ll have to find it myself. Count another pile and turn over the tenth card this time.’

The party deals nine and the performer stops him. He is asked to name the card he first selected and upon doing so, he shows the next or tenth card, and it is the selected one.

There are possibilities here for a comedy presentation due to the apparent mistakes and the continuance even in the face of such contretemps.

The method however, is purely a simple arrangement and automatic. From the top or back of deck is arranged eleven cards as follows regardless of suits: The top card is a Ten followed by a nine and so on in numerical order to the Ace which is followed by another Ten. That’s all.

S mamBiblioteca Fundación Juan March (Madrid)

p

The card is selected from deck below these eleven arranged cards and the performer breaks the pack so that the card is replaced twenty-first from the top. I would suggest that in first fanning the cards for the selection the performer count ten or fifteen and then finish the count while apparently fanning the cards a little more for the return. Some may prefer a bridge or other means of getting twenty cards up so that the chosen one may be replaced twenty-first. The rest works itself.

The first number must not be over ten and I usually ask the party to silently think of any single figure and to count down and turn that card over. Regardless of what the number on the first card is, the second will always be the Ten and the chosen card is tenth beyond that so they can’t miss.

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Telepathy in the cAudience...

I D O N ’T guarantee this as a 100% foolproof effect but I will say that if the performer is careful in his working and

selection of assistant, it should not fail once in twenty times if that. It is adaptable to giant cards.

Announcing that he shall try a test of telepathy between two members of his audience, the performer asks one to choose one card from a deck to remember it and then to replace it.

The party is told to think of the card as a picture rather than as only a name. The second man is handed the deck and told to step to a far side of the room and turn his back. He is asked to look through the deck, fanning them slowly past and when he comes to some one card which stands out as being different than the others, or one which impresses him as being an unusual card, he is to pick out that card, turn around and hold it with its back towards the audience. He does so and the performer asks the first man to name the card he has been thinking of. The second man shows the card he picked by himself and IT IS THE CORRECT CARD!

This is purely impromptu but everything depends upon the performer. Some will not like this but some will make a big thing of it.

The secret merely is that after the first party replaces the chosen card, the performer in his own way, reverses it in the deck so that it lies near the center and face up.

Read the lines above where the performer tells the second party what to do. It must all be done good naturedly and positively not seriously. That is, until after the selection and you are ready for the climax.

I leave it up to the performer to judge his man for this job. A good natured person is essential and I always pick portly ones too. The lines above to this party very subtly convey the fact that he is to take the unusual Card and the stunt, worked properly, will not fail once in twenty or more times.

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The Red - and - Blue (.'Back cMixup. . .

THIS will no doubt go into the routines of many club and social artistes who are looking for something different in

general effect.It is announced that a very peculiar affinity exists between

cards of the same value and suit. In order to illustrate this, two decks are brought out, one having a blue back and the other being red.

Each deck is shuffled by the audience and acknowledged as being thoroughly mixed. The performer takes the two decks and very openly shuffles them together mixing the big double pack well. This double pack is dropped into a hat borrowed at the beginning and holding it over his head the performer asks each of three people to name any number up to ten. Reaching into the hat with his free hand, he brings out cards one by one, dropping them aside, until coming to the number given by the first party, this card is seen to be a RED back and is placed back out against a glass or stand. Continuing, this is repeated with the second person whose card turns out to be BLUE and lastly with the third party’s number the card at which is another RED.

N ow the three parties are asked to name a number again and starting with the first the card at his number proves to be BLUE and it is placed alongside his first card. This is done with the others and they get RED and BLUE respectively.

It is surprising at the attention the audience gives these cards as they are reached and placed on the stand and at the interest in the coincidence of the colors appearing as they do.

Imagine the surprise then, when the performer turns the three sets of cards face out and each set consists of a matched pair!

I don’t think that such an effect can be surpassed for the simplicity with which it is accomplished. Method means nothing and the feat has the appearance of something real deep and to the magician probably very complicated.

The whole thing depends upon a mere setup of six cards only taken from the decks (three each to match) before starting.

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They are arranged from back to face 1, 2, J, 1, 2, 3. The duplicate numbers represent a pair of like cards. However the back arrangement is important too. The first 1 is RED, the following2 is BLUE and the 3 is RED. The second 1 is BLUE and is followed by 2 and 3 which are RED and BLUE in order.

It is only necessary that these six cards thus arranged be loaded into the hat and every performer will suit himself about this part. I personally hate sleights because I can seldom get away with them, but in this case it is less than simple to palm the cards in from your pocket as you borrow a hat while the double deck is being mixed. However, they can easily be dropped in from the bottom of the card cases you are holding when you borrow a hat at the start.

Thus the shuffled double deck is dropped into the hat and the six cards become top or bottom. The rest is mere routine. The numbers called, they are each counted to, these cards coming from one side of deck and at the proper number the card taken from the other side.

It is really quite a thing to watch this effect from the front and see the different colored backs come out mixed and at the proper number having a certain color appear right there. It warrants a fair trial though to really prove what I have said about its effect on your audience.

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The Qambler in ^Person...

IT is the desire of many magicians to really be as good as an audience considers them. How often, after a card effect or

two, the remark is heard, 'How would you like to play a game with him?’ Due to this thought there often comes a request for the performer to show them how a few good hands should be dealt and it is at this point that the average card man is in deep water.

These two methods for card table demonstrations will no doubt fill the bill for many a person who needs something like it but can’t bother to learn a lot of different sleights and shuffles.

In the first routine, the performer has a spectator thoroughly mix any deck and taking same, the performer deals five hands of poker face up. He explains that this is what would happen should the spectator be dealing and he asks that they note which of the five hands would be the winner.

Picking the five hands up, the performer now states that he shall try to deal a few fair hands and he asks which of the five shall get the highest. One is designated and the performer slowly and fairly deals the hands, the selected hand always being the top or highest of the lot.

This is so extremely simple that it must be worked to realize the good effect. The first dealing of the hands is to build the hand for the next deal. When the hands are on table faces up, the performer must locate a fair hand, and it is important that he only take one card from each of the five dealt out hands. I have yet to see a combination of cards which would not contain a possible hand of likely value. Starting, with a full house (three of a kind and two of a kind) you will be able to build four of a kind with an extra high card, a straight, which is quite common and easy to get, or an ordinary flush which is probably the easiest of all. As you do this time after time, it gets to be second nature to spot the various cards to make a combination even as you deal them out. You do this dealing in a slow unhurried manner so that they may watch the various hands and see which is the highest the first time.

The picking up is the real secret. The hands are scooped up one at a time and dropped face down on top of deck and it is only necessary that the desired card from each hand be on top

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or at the back of this heap. Thus in picking up each hand you pick one, two, three or four cards as the case may be and scoop up the remaining cards with these in hand and drop on deck and so your wanted card is on top.

When all hands have been picked up in this manner, if they were dealt out again, the first hand would contain the cards and be highest but the idea of letting them choose which of the five is to get the good hand this deal makes it appear as if the performer can just deal the cards wherever he pleases. All that is necessary, however, is to add one, two or three cards to the top of deck from bottom which will automatically do the work. If the third man is to get the hand, add two cards, etc. This is easily done quite openly while you false shuffle or false cut the deck, as you must remember that you are doing this as an exhibition of skill and deft mixing. The psychology here is that if you didn’t shuffle or monkey with the deck at all, the idea of a stack is uppermost in their minds. However, if you shuffle and apparently mix the cards, they assume you are stacking them in some uncanny fashion and will laud .your skill to the heavens.


The Qambler is (Rack cAgain...

THIS can logically follow the first hand described as you stipulate that this will be done under more strict conditions.

You explain that many people presume that the card dealer must stack his cards beforehand or know just how they are placed so that when he deals them they will appear in the right places. However, in this instance, the performer declares that he shall allow the spectators themselves to arrange the cards in any order and that he can thus prove the results due to his method of skillful shuffling.

While talking the performer has taken 20 cards from the deck, or just enough for four hands of poker. The cards are the Tens, Jacks, Queens, Kings and Aces. He arranges them with values together and holds them in a fan in his hand.

Three spectators are designated as players. In turn they are asked to name some combination of five cards that they might receive from the cards performer is holding. For example, they may say, 'Three Jacks and two Aces,’ or 'A King, Queen, Ten, and Two Jacks.’ They are asked not to call high hands, like Straights, Flushes, etc., as the purpose of this first part is to insure the cards being well mixed around. As the various hands are called, the performer places them face up on table until he is left with but five which he places before himself.

It is now explained that by knowing where various valuable cards are laying in the deck, the performs: can expertly shuffle them to another spot where they are ready for dealing. The four hands are assembled and holding them faces down the performer shuffles them and cuts them a few times.

Then after cutting, he deals the four hands and ends up with a Royal Flush for himself while the others have but ordinary or poor hands.

The tricky part comes in when the cards are first being placed on table. The performer knows that he is going to build himself the Hearts suit or any other suit. The others go by values only.

Thus, in laying out the hands with the values called for, he merely places the Heart suit to come out right. We shall assume the four face up hands spread before you. Follow

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illustrations. One heart must be second in one hand. One heart must be third in one hand. One heart must be fourth in one hand. Two hearts must be in one hand, one at each end. N ow this may all seem very hard to do but after doing this steadily for nearly four years I can safely say there is no combination possible of being called that you cannot arrange. You do not have to have the hands in order on the table or put them down in that order. Just so that when the four hands are finished they will come under the above rules for placing the Heart suit. Another point is that you need not lay the cards down in the exact order as they are called as long as the hand contains the various values asked for. And again, always have the entire hand of five cards told you before you start picking them out and laying them down.

The next part is the picking up of the four hands. They are all face up on table. Pick up the hand containing the two Hearts and drop it on the pile which has the Heart in second place. This double pile goes on the hand which has the Heart in third place and they are all dropped on the remaining heap, the packet squared up and turned face down.

Any simple false mixing here will suffice and the packet may be genuinely cut as desired. I like to ask a spectator cut and in completing the cut note whether the bottom card is a Heart or not. If so, I can then start dealing and stress the point that I deal from the cut. If it isn’t a Heart the first time, have another cut by someone else, and it is very seldom that two cuts will not bring a Heart to the face which is all that is needed to start the deal.

The deal is fair enough and the five Heart cards will never fail to drop in front of yourself if you placed them correctly.

This may seem complicated and I will grant that it is rather difficult to explain any too clearly, but with the illustrations I think that one will quickly grasp the simple principle of a truly worth while table effect.

In the illustrated example, the first set of four hands are as they have been asked for by the players. The second set is the same cards after they have been dealt. The performer has just dealt himself the fourth hand, and a study of the first layout will show how he set it up for himself by placing the Heart cards in the various positions.

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Psychic Sympathy...

A T first reading, this effect may sound rather daring to some, but after you think it over and then finally try it out, it

will be found that it really works and what’s more is really effective.

Two decks are shown. The performer selects a spectator to assist and explains what he is to do. He is to take one deck and stand at a distance with same on his left hand. He is to cut the deck at any spot, note the card, replace the cut and square the deck up. That’s all.

When the spectator does this, the performer runs through his deck and picks out one card. The party is asked to name the card he is thinking of and the performer turns his card around. It is the same! A t once the performer picks another party and duplicates the feat once more.

I have several methods for this effect and any one of them may be used at will and according to the likes of the performer.

The first method is making use of an old friend. Two single kind force decks are obtained, all cards of each being alike. I would suggest one a black picture card and the other a red spot card. Each deck has a contrasting face card and the top card of each deck has been taken from the opposite deck. Now read the presentation carefully.

The performer picks up one deck and as he talks shuffles it. It is very easy to overhand shuffle the deck twice. The top card is shuffled to bottom and the bottom to the top. Once more and they are back in the same original positions. Or, it is very easy to dovetail shuffle and leave top and bottom cards in position.

The performer explains that the spectator is to hold deck on hand and to cut somewhere and note a card. In explaining this, the performer suits his words with actions and cuts the deck several times towards himself as he talks. The 'patter’ may go something like this: 'Don’t look at three or four cards and clutter up your mind with many, but make a clean cut somewhere and remember the card you look at. Say, for instance, the Seven of Hearts, or again, the Two of Clubs. Just keep a picture of it in your mind rather than the words of its name.’

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As the performer mentioned the cards he has cut and is glancing at the face up cut (which no one else can see) and this bit of misdirection is worth plenty to the effect in general.

The deck is given spectator and performer walks away, picking up the second deck which he also shuffles as he did the first one. Standing at a little distance and facing the spectator, he is asked to now look at a card which is done.

The performer runs through his cards as if he were looking for something, back and forth a few times and then draws a card out. It is the one card from the other deck which has been on top of this one. The spectator names card and performer shows his with a grand flourish.

Immediately the performer takes spectator’s deck in left hand and picking another spectator hands him the deck from right hand. This is the deck containing duplicates of a different card. And the deck performer has just taken from spectator number One has a duplicate of force card number two on top of it ready to be picked by the performer who, it seems, is always right. METHOD NUMBER TW O

With this idea it is possible to use only one deck and to have the same deck used for the two cuts and a different card is forced each time.

This deck is made up of twenty-six cards alike and twenty- six more alike of a contrasting card to the first. The 13 th card of each group of 26 is a short card. Place the two halves together, riffle until you hit a short card and cut deck. Now examine it. The top 13 cards and the bottom 13 cards are of one kind, while the center 26 cards are alike. Now riffle near center and when you hit the short card there cut again. The same thing holds good except that the top and bottom 13 now are the original middle 26, and vice versa.

Thus when the 26 cards are split into top and bottom packets they present very little selecting possibilities while the middle 26 give a pretty wide expanse. There’s the secret.

The deck is handed a party to cut and note a card as in the first version. It is inevitable that they cut among the center 26. Try it for yourself. Taking the deck from them, the performer merely has to cut it at the short card and the deck is ready for another selection resulting in a totally different card. In this version a second deck may be used if wished or the performer may reveal the card in another manner to suit himself.

This deck can be used in any effect in which the forcing of two cards is desired.


The Four-Pile location ...

THIS is an excellent location of a noted card and under real good conditions. Using a deck of cards with a reverse

back pattern arranged all one way, the performer asks the spectator to first shuffle the deck.

That being done, he is intrusted to deal the deck into four face down heaps to thoroughly separate them. In the meantime the performer walks away and turns his back. After this the spectator is requested to select any of the piles, to take any card from somewhere within it, to remember the card, place it on any of the heaps and then to reassemble the piles in any order he chooses. Thus it becomes very evident that no possible way could influence the selection of the card and certainly one could find no fault with the returning to the deck and the resulting pick up of the piles, all of which is left entirely to the whims of the spectator. And yet, the performer merely has to take the deck, deal a card onto the table one at a time and face up, and ACTUALLY STOP W H E N THE NO TED CARD IS ARRIVED AT!

As said at the beginning the reverse back principle is brought into play. The shuffle does not disturb this arrangement. Then the performer takes the deck for a second and explains what the spectator is to do in dealing four piles a card at a time. In describing this, the performer actually deals a row of four from the top of the shuffled deck and then the second four on top of those. As he asks the spectator if he understands, the performer changes the deck from left to right hand and incidentally it is simply turned end for end. The left hand scoops up two of the piles, the right hand drops the deck on top of them in left hand and then scoops up the remaining two piles and drops them on top of deck. In an innocent and open manner, four cards have been reversed both on top and bottom of the deck. It is handed to the spectator for dealing.

Because of this arrangement the top and bottom cards of each pile are reversed from the others.

The selected card is taken from in and among the cards of any pile. N o matter upon which pile it is placed and no matter how the piles are picked up, the selected card thus comes between two of the reversed cards while the other three pairs

3 0 )§►


of reversed cards are together in the deck with nothing between them.

W ith the deck face down in left hand, the cards are dealt into a face up pile and the performer watches for the reversed pairs. He goes right along until one reversed card appears followed by an oppositely turned card. As he deals this one face up he sees that the next on deck is the second one of the pair and his quest is at an end.

It is a strong point that he actually never sees the face of a single card from the time the deck is thoroughly shuffled until he takes it to find the card.


The Qenii Qut-<T>eck location . . .

DURING various effects, the performer has the deck shuffled well and then placed face down on his left hand. He

announces that he shall use only the one hand that in this case the noted card will not even be removed from the deck.

Turning his head away he asks a party to merely cut the deck anywhere on his flatly outstretched hand, to note the card cut at, to replace the cut, take the deck in their own hands and give it several more cuts.

Yet, although the position of a single card in the deck hasn’t been changed except for the cutting of deck, and even though performer did not see the cutting done and never looked towards the card, he easily and correctly finds the noted card with no trouble. Again I call your attention to the fact that at no times are the fingers closed around the deck and no crimpings or marking of the cards is necessary.

Our old friend, the reverse back, is here again. The first shuffling of the deck does not hurt the one-way set up. As it is placed on left palm of performer he gets a glimpse of the bottom card and remembers this. This remembered card is never used as a key-but is to later act as a guard and tell the performer where the noted card IS N O T. It can only be one other place as will be seen.

Note the illustration for the holding of the deck when it is first cut. On the left hand which is held outwards to the left a little and the performer’s head is turned to the right.

The moment that the cut is made, the performer says, "Look at the card cut at and be sure I don’t see it at all.” As this is said, the performer turns even farther to the right and the left hand swings around so he is holding deck behind his back. The cut is then replaced, the deck picked up, cut several times more and then given to performer.

The turn did it because the action of putting the hand behind his back reversed the pack on hand. The other half was replaced.


As the condition now exists, two halves of the pack are turned in opposite ways. The selected or noted card is thus the last card of one of the halves or the one before the next that is turned the opposite way.

Remembering the previously noted card, the performer deals the cards into a face up pile and watches the back of deck in left hand. When he deals a card and the next is reversed, the one dealt will either be the one noted by performer or the one noted by spectator. If the former, the dealing is continued until the reverse happens again when the card just dealt will be the noted one.

I earnestly hope that the reader will try this out as it is as clean a method of getting a card as can be wanted under the conditions which are about as strict as a card location can overcome.


The ¿Mystery Qard Reading ¿Method. . .

AT any time or place, and with any deck of cards, the performer is able to apparently look through them and

read them one by one as often as desired. During the reading they are laying face down on his left hand and as they are named, they are dealt off into a face up pile. There is no apparatus or fake used and the secret is so simple and correctly placed as well as timed that people standing on three sides of the performer cannot catch a thing. It is of worthy note that even a person knowing the exact method cannot see it being applied.

It is essential that this be presented slowly and easily as there is positively no need or use of any fast moves.

Method: When you first place the shuffled deck behind your back, it is necessary to know the top card. Either use your own method for ascertaining this or follow my own. As you first place the deck behind back, note the bottom or face card. N ow merely crimp or bend one corner of the bottom card, cut deck and hand it back to the owner for an additional shuffle with the remark that someone might accuse you of seeing the bottom card. Take it back again face down on left hand, openly cut it once or twice and cut the crimped card to top. Place deck behind back and you know the top card!

W ith deck behind back, slowly named the color, suit and value of the top card. This enables you to— shove two top cards into right hand without changing the orc^r, turn the next four or five cards face up on deck and then replace the top two cards faces down. The index corners of the face up cards are now at the upper left corner of deck.

After naming the top card, the deck is brought to front around right side by right hand, holding it flatwise with fingers at front end and thumb at the rear. The deck is brought across in front of you and placed face down on left hand. The top card is dealt off face up to show it correctly named and the left hand without a further move curries the deck back of you once more when the next card is named and the procedure repeated.

<•{ 35 }>


The deck was held in right hand, fingers at front and thumb at rear in bringing it forward, but what the audience couldn’t see was T H A T THE RIGHT FOREFINGER A T THE UPPER LEFT CORNER WAS HOLDING THE TW O TOP CARDS UP ABOUT A QUARTER INCH , W HICH BROUGHT THE TOP CARD OF THE FACE UP FEW IN SUCH A POSITION TH A T ITS IN D EX WAS PLAINLY SEEN AS THE PACK WAS CARRIED ACROSS A N D DROPPED INTO LEFT H A N D . In other words, the first finger holds a small break which shows you the index of the next card. When right hand drops deck in left, the break is, of course, lost and the top card dealt on table or shown. The left hand carries deck behind back and this is the time when tricky work is being watched for.

Behind the back this time, the right hand merely takes second card from top and places it on top turning it over at the same time. Then holding it as before with the two card break at corner, the top card is named and the deck brought around for dealing and the next face up card spotted. Continue this the several times until the face up few have been used, when, after the last card is dealt, the deck can be shuffled or examined.

The beauty of this method is that at all times the deck is kept squared up, the bottom card always remain the same, and the deck can always be seen top and bottom. It is also important that at no time can anyone see the performer make a move or make any semblance of a peek.

< § (3 T


A ¿New (Apparatus for the (Pellet Switch. . .

THERE are many magicians who have wanted to do something in the way of a pellet reading effect to introduce

into a performance as an exhibition of how a medium would give a single sitting seance.

Lately there has been put on the market a piece of apparatus which was designed. for an entirely different purpose. The Petrie-Lewis Match Box for changing cigarettes is it. Read on and see how this ingenious little thing can make a pellet switch possible.

In effect, the performer hands a person a piece of paper on which they write a question or notation, fold it and lay it on the outstretched left hand of performer. He steps to table, takes a match from the box, and openly burns the paper to ashes. Taking a small 4 by 6 inch pad from pocket, the performer announces that he shall attempt to get an automatic writing. He scribbles a little on the pad and reads it aloud but the spectator says that it is in no way connected with what he wrote. The performer tries again and this time gets a perfect answer and the pad is handed directly to the spectator to verify the reading.

Nearly three years ago, I produced a pellet steal which was read by the use of the pad, and as far I know the handling of the pad should be credited to Dr. Ervin of Kansas City.

The box is in the right coat pocket to start and the fake top has been filled with matches. On the under side of the box and impaled onto the two sharp prongs is a duplicate pellet. In the same coat pocket is the pad with writing side outward.

Have the slip written on and folded. Accept it on left fingers near end. Step back and turn a little to left. Box is brought out with right hand which places it for a second on left fingers while right gets a match and scratches it. In placing the box on fingers, the pellet there simply went directly into the side of the box aided by the left thumb and the fingers which are just under the box are in contact with the dummy pellet there. The match lights and the box is grasped in right hand between third and little fingers and heel of hand while match

» h8{88).>


New Pellet SwitchThe spectator’s pellet is slid into the box as it is placed on hand for removal of match. When bo* is laid aside the dummy pellet is left on fingers from bottom of bo*. Note the method for reading the writing in back of the pad.

■<{89]».


at tips of forefinger and thumb lights the pellet in left hand. The moment it lights, match is blown out and dropped and right hand goes to pocket with box and stays there easily while performer watches the pellet burn.

Performer turns more to right now and drops the burning pellet on an ash tray or saucer there and right hand has of course ample time to take pellet from side of box and open it against face of the pad.

The pad is brought forth and after an explanation the performer scribbles anything irrelevant that he pleases as he really reads the slip. He reads what he has written, it is said to be wrong, and he at once crumples up the top sheet with pellet, tears it off and drops in pocket or throws aside where he can get it later. The ash tray is a good place.

N ow he starts over and this time gets the good answer. The pad is then handed directly to spectator which in an open manner prevents any further thought about it in any way.

O f course, the matchbox may be used for a switch with any other method of finish, but I wanted to complete out the effect of such a handy article.


Find the J^ady. . .

A N effect quite like this was invented a few years ago by Sid Lorraine. In this case however, the method is totally

different and knowing one will give no clue to the other.

Everything used may be borrowed and nothing else is used other than the unprepared cards and the unprepared envelopes. I suggest using five. The deck is handed a spectator who is asked to remove any one of the Queens and all four of the Kings or Aces.

Holding the envelope open and singly, the performer asks the spectator to drop the odd cards in and as each card is placed into an envelope it is sealed. We now have five sealed envelopes one of which contains the lady. The spectators mix them well and they are handed the performer behind his back, either one at a time or all together. Regardless of the procedure, the performer draws one envelope away from the others and declares that it contains the Queen. It is opened and the Queen drawn forth. Everything may be examined as there is nothing to find.

This secret is based on the fact that all standard envelopes are just a trifle higher than a playing card. Playing cards are 31/2 by 2 Z2 while the Bridge decks are % of an inch less in width.

So behind his back, the performer merely gives each envelope a sort of 'bending feel’ and the Queen envelope cannot be missed.

By a little experimenting the performer will find that when the cards are placed in the envelopes long side down, and he is holding the envelope open, he can by a very simple motion, jump the card to a standing position and this little detail, while not necessary, is worth acquiring.

4>1 )5*


The Improved ¿Magic Square ^Presentation. . .

I do not wish to claim anything new for this centuries old feat but I do think that I have made a better effect out of it

and my work has been to make it a shorter, snappier and more interesting item for your program. There may be several other small details of my own inserted but they are of no great consequence.

My idea of the good presentation is thusly; the performer announces the making of a magic square under extraordinary conditions, but before starting wishes to make clear just what a magic square is.

Drawing a square of sixteen smaller squares, the performer fills them in quickly from one to sixteen and explains that he has made a magic square of 34. In short, by adding the columns horizontally, vertically, diagonally, any square group of four numbers, or the four corner numbers, one will reach the same total of 34. Truly, a remarkable combination and arrangement.

N ow , the performer continues, he will show the amount of concentration and memory he has applied to this problem inasmuch as he can instantly make a magic square of sixteen different numbers that will result in any total desired by the audience. To do this, it is obvious that he must carry any number of totally different combinations in his mind.

Lastly to do away with any thought of mathematical methods, he will fill in the various squares in any order in which they are pointed to by a spectator! This is the strongest point.

A number is named, the square drawn and following the pointing finger of a spectator, the performer quickly fills in the squares and the effect is over. In my mind, the presentation is clear, clean-cut and not in the least bit cloudy or draggy.

My method requires absolutely no memory at all except for the simple bit of calculating.

The illustration shows the original magic square of 34 which is the smallest that can be made. If one cares to learn this, all well and good, but I simply suggest your writing down the figures beforehand on the slate or blackboard in ordinary


pencil writing which you alone can see. In chalking down your numbers, cover the pencil writing and nothing can be seen by the spectator who comes forward.

One very subtle point is that you use this first square to aid you in making the next one although you are apparently all through with it.

To keep everything clear please follow the rest of this with pencil and paper on which you have written the first square.

You ask a spectator to name a number, say higher than 34 and up to 100. You put same down and T H E N make the outline of the square. Make this deliberately AS THIS GIVES Y O U AMPLE TIME TO MAKE YOUR SLIGHT CALCULATIO N.

First, subtract 30 from the number given. Divide the remainder by 4 and you get either a result, or a result and a remainder. If you get an even result with no remainder you merely subtract one from it and remember the result as your key number.

If you get a result and a remainder, you think of them as for instance 3-2; the first being the result and the latter the remainder. In your mind you make a equation by subtracting one from the result which gives you 2-2, and then a final move of adding both result and remainder to make a new remainder which gives you as a key number 2-4. The above two paragraphs are your complete rules.

When there is a remainder in the final key number, this figure of the two applies only to the squares numbered 13, 14, 15 and 16 in the original diagram first made. The other 12 squares use the first of the two key numbers. When there is no remainder, the single figure applies alike to every square.

When the spectator points to the various spaces on the blank square you are keeping an eye on the filled in one near it and can note instantly the corresponding square on the first one. By adding the key number to the number in the first square you arrive at the correct number to put down the square you are working on.

We shall make an entire example from the illustration. After the first part, the number given was 43. This was written down and as the square was being drawn, the following calculations were quickly made:

• if 4 4 )* •


Subtract 30 leaving 13. Divide 13 by 4 which gives 3-1. N ow the performer says to himself "3-1, 2-1, 2-3”. Thus 2-3 is the key. I have detailed the process of this before.

When a square is pointed to, you note the number in the same square of the original, add the correct key number and mark down the total. In this case, the first key figure "two” is being added to all squares from 1 to 12 inclusive while the second key figure "three” is being added to squares 13, 14, 15 and 16. The square which Mr. Baker is just pointing to would be filled in with an “eight”.

When there is no remainder after the division and you have only a single key figure after the subtraction of "one” from it, you just forget about squares 13, 14, 15 and 16 and add this key figure to them all in the same manner.

Once tried out, this effect will be liked by many who heretofore have thought it too complicated or hard to learn.

I detailed this some time ago to a party who wanted it more as a pocket effect for impromptu use. He had the original square printed on the back of a name card at one end, and after showing what a magic square was like would make one at the other end using any number named. The card was then left with the party and served as a rather cute ad.


The One-Man ‘Qenuine * ¿Magazine Test. ..

THE performer has several copies of a popular magazine such as Collier’s at hand, they being different issues. He

wants to attempt a word test and he asks a spectator to pick any of the magazines he cares to use for it. Two other spectators widely separated are asked to stand also, the first being requested to name some number of his own free choice that is not over the limit o f the pages which the selected magazine contains. Upon this being done, the second party is asked to name some figure up to ten that may come to mind.

The performer now instructs the man with the magazine to open it at the page first named and then to count to the word at the number named by the second person. He is to keep his finger upon that word and think of it. Picking up a slate and chalk, the performer writes little by little and finally asks the man to name the word aloud.

Upon that being done, the performer turns the slate and HE HAS W RITTEN THE VERY SAME WORD!

There are no lists, memory of any nature, assistants or confederates and nothing used but the magazines alone. It is extremely subtle.

First you get three copies of one week’s issue. Then you get a copy each of two different issues. This type of magazine is put together by staples at the center. Remove the staples and exchange covers so that YO U H AVE THREE COPIES W ITH TOTALLY DIFFERENT COVERS OF VARIOUS WEEKS, BUT ALL THREE COPIES ARE ALIKE IN C O N TENTS.

Don’t mention that you have three different magazines. They will see that much and you merely ask them which one of the issues would they like to pick. You return to the front with the remaining two and lay them right beside you. The numbers are named before you tell the spectator just what you want him to do.

You carefully and clearly explain that you Want him to Open the magazine at the number first named and to hold it up so that no one can see the page but himself. As you start

•$ 4 .6 fa


talking you pick up the top copy by you and carelessly illustrate but it must be carelessly done or not at all. Knowing the page you can open quite near it but if you don’t hit it, don’t try to get to it yet. You know it is only a few either way.

Personally I ink dotted the edge of the pages in fives so I could practically hit it everytime and this is a good hint.

Remember that this must all be done as if you are entreating him to keep the book up and so no one can see a thing.

When he has the page you tell them: "Now when you have the right page, just start in at the top and count one, two, three and stop at the word at the second number.” As you talk you are actually doing it and you generally have the word long before they get to it themselves.

This may have read very bold like but it is nothing at all. To the audience you are making it clear what he is to do and you are using the nearest object. In many cases the number is not so large and you can get the word on the page with just a glance and without going into further detail.

This should have a little practice to get the handling of it learned well. With the pages marked and a few trials you should never miss and it is all over in a second or two of explaining.

And then besides, who would think that you actually were looking it up in front of them?

-Sf 4.8 )>


cMental Qoloring. Telepathy in Silk. . .SILKS have always held a very important part in the Art

of Mystery. However, their use, insofar as mental and mind- reading effects have gone, has been restricted to very little. Thus when Mr. Stuart Robson, a long ardent fiend for subtle ideas, and likewise an important executive for Florenz Ziegfeld, gave me the following item, I accepted it in all gratefulness as somewhat of a rarity.

It is for two people, the performer himself and his assistant. Six differently colored handkerchiefs are shown while the assistant is taken from the room. In his or her absence the performer has someone freely choose any one of the colored silks that they may wish.

A t this time, it is very important that the performer impress upon all that the selection is perfectly free and I have found it very effective to tell them to change their mind several times before naming the color desired.

When one has been picked, the spectator is asked to merely hold-it in their closed hand and to keep it completely covered. The assistant is sent for and the performer may leave the room before they return.

Upon entering the room, the assistant walks directly to the party and merely touching the back of their hand CORRECTLY NAMES THE COLOR OF THE CHOSEN SILK!

This may seem much more of a mystery when I tell you that there is nothing used but the silks and the spectator. Nothing is done secretly at all and the assistant gets no information or help from the performer.

The secret only offers further proof of the greatest adage of magic, that the simpler a method is, the more subtle and practical it becomes.

The performer is standing near the handkerchiefs when one is picked and he takes it up and over to the selector. Without mentioning the particular hand, or in fact, anything about hands, the performer asks the party, "Won’t you just hold the silk tight and so that none of it can be seen?” As he says this, the performer suits his words by putting the handkerchief into

->5{ 49 Is*


their hand, closes their fingers tight around it and is done. HE HAS SEEN TO IT T H A T IT WAS THE CORRECT H A N D ! In this way we cover the six colors. We shall call them 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

"1” is in the LEFT hand. “2” is in the RIGHT hand. "3” is placed in one hand and covered with the other and BOTH hands cupped hide the silk. But, you say, the other three? Quick Watson. The last three are the same as the first three with one difference.

If one of the last three is selected the performer puts it in the hand of the spectator and then tells them to please stand and ask the assistant to try the test with them when he reenters the room.

Thus their action denotes in a simple manner which set of three the silk is in, and the particular hand does the rest.

O f course, this could be varied by using a lady for the first three and a gentleman for the others, but I always prefer doing it with the party who does the selecting as this seems more logical. And again, there are many times when you are entertaining an audience composed of but one sex. However, the basic idea and principle is there and ready to be adapted to the style and mind of each performer.

• $ 5 0 ^ .


The Qolor - Tell ¿Billiard ¿Balls. . .

D IVINATIO N effects have always been more or less popular although more or less the same in effect to the audience.

I have read at least fifty of such feats and I guess the height of genius has been put into some of them in order to divine the hidden article. All kinds of mechanical devices have been put to use as well as the simplest of ruses.

In this effect a number of enameled wooden balls are shown and can be examined. A small box of any material but which is of a size to loosely hold one ball can also be examined as it is really unprepared.

You are, of course, ahead of me for the rest of the presentation. Behind his back, the performer can correctly name any of the colors which may have been secretly placed in the box.

Heretofore such effects have generally been limited to three or four articles to be hidden but in my case and method one can have fifteen balls if you just have them differently painted. Or, the balls may be used minus the box and yet the experiment works. This, despite the fact that every ball is of the same size and weight and have been secured at the same time under the same conditions. Where then can the secret lie?

The balls, after being painted their various hues, are done over by you but in water color. Thus the dark secret merely becomes one of taking advantage of cropping p*:ut. It is only necessary for the performer to rub a moistened finger across a ball in order to have an illustrated cue as to the color in the box or held behind him. Otherwise the balls may be examined and handled without fear, unless the examiner has just finished washing his hands and hasn’t as yet reached a towel.

I would suggest that the effect be done twice. First with the box and then without which will have the effect of throwing would-be solvers off the track.

4 51 }>


Seeing in the ‘Dark . . .

THE possibility of one’s seeing in the dark as well as in the light (nyctalopia) has always had a fascination for me. The

main requisite is to obtain light in some manner and to avoid detection with it.

In the past, the problem has been given much attention with good and bad results. Some took advantage of the darkness to force or bring into play material of which the audience did not know. Then an opaque bag was made use of as cover for a flashlight. Luminous paint then made its appearance and prepared cards were used to cast a luminous glow onto the reading matter. Even writing was done on prepared surfaces so that the medium only had to look at it in the dark in order to read it. Then luminous pigments were even introduced into the writing ink in order that the writing glow in the darkened room and make itself known.

Experience with these methods proved far from the height of success. Forcing could only be applied to cards or standard objects and carried no personal appeal such as writing. The opaque bag and light were clumsy to operate with although workable. Luminous cards would lose their radiance quickly and while bright would throw a reflection that was bad. Using such a surface for writing itself gave the spectator a soft yellow tinted side that had a totally different "look and feel” from the opposite side. The metallic pigments would not dissolve in ink and had to be constantly and well mixed for even mediocre results. So where are we?

I don’t claim that I have a cureall for this. I think I have as practical a device as any of the above and one that will stand better and stricter conditions. Perhaps five years from now it will be relegated to the basket by the advent of something by far better.

But here are the strong points of what I have to offer as a possible solution. It can be done in any room without preparation. A N Y reading matter or writing can be examined beforehand or brought from home, and T H A T IS W H A T YOU READ. There is positively no reflection of any kind possible. It is always ready and does not need the previous "get ready” that luminous paint needs. And lastly, the performer can sub-

52


mit to a search in order to prove that he has no apparatus upon his person.

The answer to all of this is very simple. It is nothing else but the fountain pen flashlight with a slight preparation. These are obtainable at all novelty stores and for years were constantly carried by doctors for throat examinations. They are exact models of fountain pens and clip in your pocket, always ready.

Paste or glue a small piece of dark green or red tissue paper over the bulb end. N ow cut from a piece of black electrician’s tape a small piece of a size to completely cover the end and shut out all light. In the center of this punch a small hole not over one-eighth of an inch in diameter. Putting this over the tissue and bulb results in a small point of colored light which will not reflect under any condition.

When this light is on and is held within an inch of the writing or printing, it can all be easily read. The light glow is so slight that even though the pen be held facing the audience it would not be seen for quite a while.

The fact that it appears to be such an innocent article and one so commonplace, makes it possible for the performer to be at easy in its use. And again, nothing but a pen could be so accessible and quickly put into operation.


Seven Keys to ¿Baldpate...

THE mentalist states that he has discovered such a force as metallic sympathy which arises between any metal objects

that must of necessity come into repeated contact with each other. W ith rapidly moving parts, this has been more or less catalogued as static electricity and produced through friction. But with articles that merely come into close contact through handling there exists a sympathy, even though they be inanimate. In this case, the experiment shall be illustrated by a padlock and key.

A genuine Yale, Corbin, or other well known make of padlock is shown and a reward offered if anyone can prove or show that the lock is not just as it left the factory or has ever been tampered with. W ith the lock is a key on which has been tied a piece of colored ribbon to identify it from six other keys that are lying at hand.

Announcing that the tagged key is the only one that can open the lock, the other six being odd keys, a spectator is asked to take the lock and try them one by one. As he tries each key and it fails to work, he drops it into a small bag and upon the last one actually fitting and opening the lock, the ribbon is removed and that dropped in also among the others.

Shaking the bag and mixing the keys well inside, the performer steps to each of seven people and they reach in and take one key from the bag in their closed fist. Absolutely no one sees the key removed by each until all seven are out.

Taking the wrist o f the party who is still holding the padlock, the performer passes to each closed fist in turn and merely holds his free hand near it. Suddenly he stops at one outstretched hand. "This hand holds the key that fits the lock,” he exclaims. The spectator hands the key directly to the party with the lock and holding the lock in full view the key is tried. The lock snaps open! And immediately the performer reoffers his reward if any of the other keys which are still being held, will open the lock.

This can be built into a real astonishing effect for any audience and it is far from being hard.


I |lll II INIBiblioteca Fundación Juan March (Madrid)

The necessaries are one lock, six odd keys that will not fit and seven that will. The bag is a changing bag and the illustration is of the new P & L Spirit Bag which is the daintiest and nicest bit of such work ever produced. I have found no bag better for this effect. It looks rather silly to drop seven keys into a bag big enough to change a rabbit and this new type just fills the bill.

N ow follow this routine closely: Prepare by dropping six of the duplicates into one side of the bag and then change over so the bag is now empty. You are ready. Have a ribbon tied to the other correct key to prevent its being mixed among the six odd ones.

Show the lock and explain about the keys. The spectator comes up. Ask him to try the six odd keys one by one and as he finds they wont work he drops them singly into the empty side of the bag you are holding. He now tries the seventh and the lock opens. Just at the moment the lock opens you change hands with the bag and switch sides bringing the six duplicates up. The spectator then removes the ribbon and drops the key in among the others. As he drops it in, ask him to scoop them out and count them in aloud again. Seven. And one of them fits the lock. Really all seven do that very thing!

The performer now passes among the spectators and asks a man to reach in and to take any one he wishes and keep it in his closed fist. Your telling this first man what to do serves as a slight pause and the bag is switched side for side again. N ow the performer passes to six other people in turn and each remove a key until the last is taken.

I advise doing this haphazardly and not in a straight row. This is simply because the first selected key is always the right one and you should be able to eventually pass one or two duds before stopping at the correct one.

The selecting done, the tricky work is done and the finish is played up as strongly as desired to a climax as of course, the right party is known and the other six won’t fit the lock.

Thus you start with seven unprepared keys and a lock and end the same way. The use of the bag is merely incidental and is never mentioned but just used and that’s all.

"K 56' }•>


It might be a good plan when passing from hand to hand at the finish in search of the key, to pass two duds and hit it the third time. Too much play is boresome. When you touch the first hand, shake your head and say, "No, there isn’t a thing there. It can’t be the key. Try it.” The party with the lock tries it and it doesn’t fit. This occurs with the second in the same manner. But with the third one the performer becomes elated and declares that this must be the key itself. It is tried— and works.

Various strong presentation points are in this and will be worked up by the enterprising performer. One is that during the entire effect from start to finish you need never so much as touch a key or the lock. They are laying in full view and are first picked up by the spectator. Throughout the routine you only carry them and mix them. The trying of the keys and the opening of the lock is done by your audience and what could be more fair? O f course, you can use five keys instead of seven but then I wouldn’t have had such a good title for this real little mystery.

57


cA (Vrophecy of the Koran...

I STILL remember when, around 1920, there was a deluge of methods for this effect and invariably they were more or

less complicated in procedure or necessitated the faking of envelopes with carbon. In an effort to simplify the working and preparation I think I have succeeded inasmuch as the effect is just as strong from the viewpoint of the audience.

The performer has an unprepared letter envelope and two business or blank cards. He asks that the envelope be initialed with large letters so that it can be seen all of the time as the original one. While this is being done (and which also allows spectators to see that it is ordinary) the performer writes something upon the card with his pencil. This he openly drops into the envelope and allows the spectator to seal it.

Holding the envelope so that the initials can always be seen, the performer asks a party to think for a moment and then name any city or town in the country. Upon this being done, someone else is asked to name a number of four figures and lastly a third person is requested to name any color which may be their favorite. As each is named, the performer writes it upon the other card at hand as a check.

Tearing the end from the envelope after again showing the marks, the card is withdrawn and read aloud by a spectator. The performer has written something like this, 'Someone willname the city o f -------------------- , another will say the figures----------------- , and another will pick the color o f ---------------------- ’THE PROPHECY OF THE KORAN IS CORRECT!

First, I advise a little practice before a mirror. The only things needed are THREE cards and an envelope. Follow the presentation.

The only preparation is to write on one of the cards something like what has been quoted in the description of the effect but leaving places blank where the names are to be. Place another card onto this and hold them together as one card. Personally I keep the three cards together in the envelope which is in my pocket. Take out the envelope, remove the cards together and merely fan the top and single card a little, making a remark that you shall present a problem and use a couple cards and a envelope which you would like to have initialed

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for identification. Don’t try to stress the point that you have two cards. The audience sees you use only two and telling them things that they can see is superfluous and gives rise to suspicion. Audiences are far from being as dumb as some performers seem to think.

Placing the two cards together aside for a moment or dropping them in side pocket, the performer now writes on the card in hand and actually writes what is on the other card. Giving the audience a quick flash of writing on the card but not allowing them to see it closely it is dropped into the envelope and sealed. Taking the envelope, it is held in the left hand with initialed side outward. The other card (tw o as one) is taken from pocket and as the performer explains that he is going to ask several people to think of things, the right hand in gesture allows of both sides of this card being seen BUT POSITIVELY N O M ENTION IS MADE OF THE FACT T H A T IT IS BLANK. It is placed on the envelope in hand so that it can be written upon. As it is placed on back of envelope, the right hand lifts it again in one further gesture but in reality the left thumb on envelope has retained the top blank card and when the card in right hand is replaced on top, the writing previously placed there is now facing the performer.

The three things are named and each time the performer writes them down but writes them in their proper spaces which are ready for them. As the last one is written, the right fingers pick up the card, reads the three things again and lays the card on table for a second. In reality, the under or blank card was picked off, looked at, and placed face down on table. On the back of the envelope is the written upon card.

The right hand takes hold of the envelope from the top with fingers in front and thumb in back holding the card and left hand tears off the left end (performer’s left) of the envelope. Blowing into this end, the left first and second fingers are inserted while the thumb goes onto outside of back and with one upward pull the card is apparently withdrawn from within and handed directly to spectator.

Immediately the envelope is dropped torn end down into right side pocket as performer steps to table, picks up card again and looking at it reads the three items aloud and has each spectator state that no one knew they were going to select these things.

<Sf 59


The spectator with card then reads aloud everything the performer wrote and the climax is there. Drawing the envelope from right pocket, the small card is left behind and the initialed envelope is left in audience.

I won’t bother to enumerate the strong points in this effect as they will be easily seen by performers. The psychology of the performer writing a lot on the card to start with is for the contrast with the amount of writing done on the second card.

Another subtle piece of business for those so inclined is to make a mistake on the first card as you write it and to cross it out openly and continue. Needless to say, the same mistake has been made and crossed out on the other card. Don’t think for a moment that this won’t be noticed and thought about when the card is being passed around after.

•*§( 6 0 jj t


Jimmy Valentine Opens a Safe..

SOME may wonder at this being included in this book but at least I am trying to give varied effects. I always keep

away from ideas that require apparatus and preparation of any lengthy type so this will certainly come under that head. Good publicity stunts are scarce and hard to find, and once attempted this will prove its worth. True, the man who will ardently use all of the other effects herein wont use this, but there are many amateurs and semi-professionals, not forgetting the professionals themselves, who will find this of untold value when they can not find use for the other ideas.

Advertisements appear to the effect that the Great -------will prove his uncanny ability to fathom the impossible in an astonishing and original manner. To heighten the effect it will be made a matter of life or death.

A local business office or individual will offer his safe to be used, the combination of which is known to only the usual trusted few. Arrangements are made to have the safe in a public spot where it can be seen by all. This can also be used in any office for officials and newspaper men as a feature news stunt.

A person knowing the combination is to sit about ten feet from the safe and to keep his mind on the combination numbers. Last of all, to show his sincerity (and to add to the sensationalism) the performer has a young lady or boy locked into the safe before he starts to work.

IN FULL VIEW THE PERFORMER KNEELS BEFORE THE SAFE, SLOWLY TURNS THE COMBINATION KNOB A R O U N D A N D A R O U ND , BACK A N D FORTH, TH EN SUDDENLY GRASPS THE BOLT, THROWS IT BACK, OPENS THE DOOR A N D HELPS OUT THE LADY!

Are you intrigued? Everything seems aboveboard, it is all in full view and the combination is unknown to the performer YET THE SAFE IS OPENED!

Please go back over the effect and visualize it again. Then read on and disillusion yourself.

The girl has a small screwdriver. That’s all. Years ago a method for escaping from a safe explained that the inside plate must be removed but that is erroneous today. On the inside

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of safe doors is the tumbler block and it is never held by more than two screws.

Immediately the door is closed, these two screws are removed and the tumblers pulled out. There is nothing that can fall apart or break. It merely consists of four or five discs on a shaft and all that is necessary is for these to be lined up so the slots all correspond.

W ith tumblers out the door could be opened at any time which would be alright if the safe were under cover and not in full view.

The performer stands close to the safe so that his body covers the bolt handle. As he fiddles with the combination knob with right hand the bolt is pressed with the left hand and the moment the tumblers are out the bolt slides back.

Inside, the girl lines the discs up and the moment the bolt is back she puts the tumbler block back into place and inserts the screws. It is very difficult to get the tumblers back into place and then rely upon them being just right for the bolt to be thrown. Thus the process of replacing AFTER the bolt is back.

The girl now either taps on the inside or pushes the door slightly whereupon with a grand gesture the performer bangs the bolt as if opening it for the first time and opens the door.

There is nothing left to do but to take the photographs and then take the girl out to dinner. You have saved her life and at the same time have presented a modern version of cracks- manship, for entertainment purposes only.

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magic magazine num. 234

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