Frank Lane - Here's How PDF
Frank Lane - Here's How PDF
Frank Lane - Here's How PDF
HERE'S HOW
by
FRANK LANE
AUTHOR OF
"Help Yourself" -- "Here's How" -- "They're Off" -- "Patter Book No. 1"
"Patter Book No. 2" -- "Comedy Book of Magic"
and other Magic Books
Enter eBook
Contents
■ A PORTRAIT OF FRANK LANE IN OIL
■ BY WAY OF A BEGINNING
■ THE FIRST ONE, MY FRANS
■ AND YOU WON'T BLAME ME
■ AND IF YOU'RE STILL INTERESTED
■ WHAT A WEALTH OF MATERIAL THERE IS
■ BY THE WAY
■ DO YOU LIKE LITTLE THINGS?
■ OF COURSE, THIS BOOK WOULDN'T
■ A SWITCH FOR A DECK
■ I'M NOT SHORT OF MATERIAL
■ FORTY CENTS
■ AND ANYTIME YOU USE
■ AND IF YOU USE CARDS
■ WHILE WE'RE ON GAGS
■ JACK McTIGUE
■ YOU ALL REMEMBER THAT
■ THEN AGAIN, THERE'S A STUNT I
■ BOW
■ A VERY LITTLE KNOWN METHOD
■ I'VE HAD QUITE A LITTLE SUCCESS
■ COME ON FOR A MINUTE TO THE MENTAL
■ WANT AN IDEA?
■ NOW I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU BOYS
■ NOW YOU MAGICIANS THAT
■ ANOTHER SUGGESTION
■ MAE WEST AGAIN
■ HERE'S A GOOD ONE FOR YOU
■ I CAN'T BE MEAN
■ NOW ONE MORE AND THEN YOU CAN GO TO BED
■ NOW WE'RE DONE
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BY WAY OF A BEGINNING
My friend Frank Lane has asked me to stand sponsor for this book. Just
why he has put this pleasant but superfluous task to my pen may be
something of a mystery to those admirers who are aware of his impatient
aversion from all kinds of introductory folderols and fribbles. Quite rightly
he will have it that a book, like good wine, needs no bush. A favorite theory
of his is that no one reads a preface anyway, and I agree with him. No one
likes to be led by the nose by those professional cicerones who are forever
forcing us to see just what they judge it wise for us to see and to do only
what they, in their infinite boredom, bid us to do. They spoil everything,
these self-imposed guides, whether it be a hallowed shrine we are browsing
through or an adventure we're about to set out upon in the pages of a book.
I confess that at first his choice astonished me as much as it probably does
the reader. 1 am still a bit surprised, even as I write the line you have now
finished. But I think that I have at least some apprehensive inkling of his
motive. It is not that anything I might say in its behoof would add plume to
the book, for the magical writings of this redoubtable Boston
fee-fi-fo-fumer and funster have the merit of bearing with them their own
cause and "offering themselves in their own despite." Any reader of his first
buckramed book, "Help Yourself," will agree with this. Nor is it that any
book of his needs an affable introduction to a public interested in things
magical. Whenever two or three kindred conjuring spirits are gathered
together the talk, sooner or later, is bound to touch upon this salty New
Englander whose forebears lived through the dark magic that wrought so
sombrous a spell over old Ipswich Town.
From the witch's broom to the airplane. That epitomizes the genealogical
story of my friend, Frank Lane--The autobiography he embellished his first
book with to the contrary notwithstanding. That my forebears, too, lived in
that same old ghostied town and witnessed or took part o' nights in the
hag-ridden orgies on ancient Heartbreak Hill, may have something to do
with our enduring friendship. But rather do I like to think that it is our
common affection for a glamorous art that holds us together as with hooks
of steel. I will go so far as to say, if you will trust the word of one whose
lawful and professional occasion it is to blazer the merits of magic on the
highways and the byways of the world, that it is this friendship that has
prompted Frank Lane to ask me to act as magister ceremoniorum to this his
latest book. At least that is the way I apprehend his motive.
And so, here is my friend's book. I am not going to pounce upon you at the
very outset, after the manner of all guides, literary or otherwise, and
importune you in persuasive words to read this one page or that one, or to
add this one effect or that one to your assortment of mysteries. I am not
going to tell you about the treasure you may quarry in the pages that follow.
I am not going to launch upon a gratuitous and graceless exposition of the
book's content, a proceeding which, when you come to think about it, is
sure to please nobody. l am not going to din into your ears the excellencies
overleaf. In a word, I am not going to spoil the book for you by telling you
what I think it is and what I think it is not. You will have to find these
things out for yourself.
To be quite frank, I could not advise nor guide you even if I would. I know
no more about the pages that follow mine than I do about the troglodyte
who, in the dank caverns of the dawn age, thimblerigged the first flint "pea"
under a cup of aurochs' horn, to the amazement and attendant plucking of
his cave-fellows. I have not read the book. Nor have I the slightest
intimation as to what is in its pages. I am writing "sight unseen", as we were
wont to put it in those days of our youth when we lived in an Enchanted
Land and knew the thrill of the True Magic. But what boots it if I don't
know a jot or tittle of what the book contains? I know Frank Lane. I know
him as a writer of magic books. I know him as a magical entertainer and as
a master of ceremonies. And I know him as a friend. That is why I am
writing these words --a feeble testimony of my admiration for the craftsman
and of my affection for the man. He will speak for himself overpage.
So, you see, this is not a preface, after all.
Philadelphia, September 18, 1934.
-John Northern Hilliard.
they have actually seen each side, and numbered each side, and still the
message will appear for them while they are holding the cards. You may
also have a number prediction using this same procedure. It is SO simple,
you may not desire to try it, but if you DON'T, you don't know what magic
is and probably don't care, for it is already a trick that has PROVEN to be a
fooler.
A good plan, and one which I always use, is before you show the message,
take the cards, and TEAR OFF EACH corner that has a number, placing the
corners down in front of them and saying, "There you are, the numbers you
wrote, you examined each side, wrote the numbers, etc., etc." The reason
for this is that perhaps some SMART Republican will notice that the
message was on number ONE, and if the number is on the card at the finish,
he might figure that it MUST HAVE BEEN SOMEWHERE, and so "get"
the trick. But, with the numbers OFF, they do not know WHAT
PARTICULAR SIDE the message appeared on. Get it?
some mending tissue) and says, "How about this?" The man says, "No, that
isn't the binding she wants, I'm sure."
"Well, the magician got sore and says, "I haven't got any more binding to
show you, and I'm tired, I want to sleep." There is nothing left in the box.
(Show box empty.) He laid the box down and the man looked in and says,
"Say, THERE'S what I want." The magician says, "Well, help yourself."
And he did, and he took THIS out (take out the cheese). The magician
looked at it and says, "You don't want that, that's cheese." Well, the other
man said, "You darn fool, isn't cheese binding?"
them under the left hand portion, throw two cards on the table face up, have
one touched, and show it and then show the other, both cards he says, are
not his, and you BURY these, and then have him spell. If it is 42 have him
select two cards, one at a time from the deck, and after he says they are not
his, place them on top. This is all done naturally, and the idea is that you are
going to let him find his own card, and he FAILS so many times the regular
ways, that you'll finally let him spell it. You CAN'T FAIL on it, and I find
that the average spectators are interested in the procedure because it
concerns them and THEY are the ones to tell their card, and that
INTERESTS THEM.
One more thing, suppose the number arrives at around 35 or 36. You would
like to make it forty even, but it isn't absolutely necessary, so you say, "This
time, name a number between 1 and 10, and then whatever number they
give you, work from there. Try it. All right, then don't.
Now you insert the card in the deck, by pushing it in, and the position of your
hand and the card in your fingers is shown you in FIG. 10. As soon as you put it
in, take your right hand away, and with first finger of left hand, continue
pushing the card in all the way. Now with left thumb and fingers, slowly turn
the top card over and there she is.
The whole secret of fooling anyone with this move is the cover-up, as they
CANNOT POSSIBLY see the card drop, because your hand and arm cover the
dropping. Don't do it too fast and you'll fool them. I might say that Ten Kai, the
Japanese magician who has so MANY clever moves, told me that I had TWO
CARDS ALIKE. That is how it appeared to him. And so, of course, I showed it
to him, for which he showed me plenty.
BY THE WAY
the illustrations in this book, and the inside and last page drawings were
made by my friend, Lionel A. Walker, of Springfield. A mighty clever
artist, and although he has been in Magic only three years, he has developed
a fine act, and works fairly steady for these depressing times. He invented
"Charlie, The Wonder Snake," the best comedy trick I have ever seen, and
I'm going to bring him out to LIMA with me and show you what a lad can
do in the shut t space of three years.
First, of course, you get a rope. If you can't smoke hold it in your left hand as in
FIG. 1. It should be about 2 or 3 feet long, I mean the rope, not the illustration.
Now take the bottom of rope marked "B" and bring it up as in FIG. 2.
Next, your left thumb rolls the ropes to your right, which simply changes their
positions, as shown in FIG. 3. Now pull up end marked "A", up thru the fingers,
and put the end thru the loop as in FIG. 4. Now all you do is pull down on "A" a
little, pull up on "B" a little, then continue this alternate pulling A LITTLE AT
A TIME, until the rope looks as in FIG. 5, and it will appear that you have a
knot there, certainly.
That shows you how to tie the fake knot. Let them all see it and then cover it by
closing the left hand over it, so the ends stick out, and then have two spectators
hold the ends, but not tightly.
Now let's go back to the start of the trick. When you pulled the rope out, you
also pulled out something else, unbeknown to the spectators. And that was a
KNOT. This was palmed or kept concealed in the right hand. Simply tie a knot
in a rope, cut off both sides of the rope close to the knot, and you have a knot.
This is what you palm.
Now after spectators hold the ends, swap hands holding rope. You had your left
hand in middle. Now take it away, and hold it with right hand which conceals
knot, but change hands in such a manner that the spectators won't see that there
is no knot in the middle of the rope. Now tell them that you put a knot in the
rope and the spectators are holding ends, and you will show them some REAL
MAGIC, and as you say that, open hand slowly and show them that you have
apparently taken the knot right off the rope. Magicians will be surprised, and
will say it is clever. Laymen will open their eyes in astonishment. And even
ANNEMANN laughed when I sat down to play.
behind my back and I turned around to take it (and I can take it). After I got
the deck, I faced the spectators again, of course, and said something like,
"Now you took a card. Even if it was forced and I knew what it is I
wouldn't be able to find it because you shuffled the deck before you gave it
to me."
Well, that stumped 'em in a way, and all the time I was talking, my hands
crossed each other in the back, my right hand carefully dropped the deck
into the pocket on my left side and my left hand unbuttoned the flap and got
the deck on my right side. I took off the top card, produced it, and said,
"But even after you shuffled it, here it is," had them name it, and then
turned it over.
Thus I did a trick which puzzled them, and I ALSO, UNBEKNOWN TO
THEM, SWITCHED THE DECK ON THEM in a perfectly natural way,
with no moves, and when I started in on them with some tricks with a
set-up deck, of course they were... well, you know how it is. That's the best
switch I know of, and I'll tell you about it some day, but I won't include it in
this book because it is too good.
be sure and have him select a card below the eighth card from top. When he
takes it out, lay that pile down and pick up the pile that was the UNDER
pile, and have the card inserted SEVENTH FROM THE TOP and then
square up the pile.
Now if he touched the UNDER pile first simply have him select a card and
then replace it in that same pile the SEVENTH card from the top. In other
words, the selected card ALWAYS GOES IN THE PILE THAT WAS THE
UNDER PILE and always GOES BACK IN THE PILE THE SAME
NUMBER FROM THE TOP AS THE NUMBER ON THE THIRD CARD
IN THE COMBINATION, in this case a seven spot.
Now with the fleshy part of your thumb and fingers, CRIMP the entire
UNDER PILE, AS YOU PICK UP THE OTHER PILE AND THROW ON
TOP.
Now what have we. On top we have the sixth card a six spot, the seventh
card a king, and the eighth card a seven, and the deck crimped in the
middle. (After you get used to this crimp, you'll only have to make a slight
one, but if you are not used to it, make a heavy one so as to be sure and not
lose that break.)
Now square the deck all up and CUT IT AGAIN IN TWO PILES and CUT
IT AT THAT CRIMP OR BREAK. Have a pile selected but whichever pile
IS selected, the spectator must pick up the top portion. Now you ask him to
deal the cards from the top into your outstretched palm, tell him to deal
slowly. As he deals the third card you say, "And stop whenever you wish."
He will usually stop at about the sixth or seventh card.
As he starts putting them into your hand, YOU COUNT THEM TO
YOURSELF, and when he reaches the sixth card, you know that it is a six
spot. So if he stops with five cards in your hand, you turn over the card that
is on top in his hand and show it is a six spot. If he stops with six cards in
your hand, you turn over the top card in YOUR hand and show it to be a six
spot. If he stops with seven cards in your hand, turn over the top card in his
hand, as that is the eighth card and is a seven spot. If he stops with eight
cards in your hand, turn over the top card in your hand.
So no matter what card he stops at, you've got him, and FURTHERMORE,
as you turn it over, you also turn over the one card BEFORE THAT CARD,
and also the one AFTER it, saying something like, "O. K., you stopped
wherever you wished and you got a (now turn it over) seven spot (or six)
but look, if you'd have stopped here, you'd have received a (name the card)
and then repeat this with the other card, but you stopped here, so we'll use
the seven spot (or six)."
Take the cards away from him, and hand him the other pile saying, "Now
sir, you stopped at a six, I want you to count off six cards face down."
When he does it, ask him the name of his card, turn over the top card in the
portion in his hand and that IS it.
If the card turned over was a seven spot, tell him to name his card, then
count down and look at the seventh card. Now one thing further, suppose he
goes OVER THE EIGHTH card?... well, you're counting, aren't you? When
he gets to the eighth card, count that card as one, the next card TWO, etc.
until he stops, then use your bean. Suppose he counts more cards than you
thought and you run up to six, over the eighth one. Ask him to name a
number, not too big. You KNOW THE SIXTH CARD IS A SEVEN, and
the eighth card down is a SIX, so if he says 5, count off five cards, and look
at the next one and it is a seven spot, and work this the same way as you did
before and you positively cannot be beaten on the trick. It is one of my
favorites when magicians are around.
FORTY CENTS
is what we'll call this one because we use four dimes. This is really an after
dinner trick, but you could use it after breakfast or on a rug, if you have
one. It's the principle of four objects placed in the corners of a napkin or a
handkerchief and finally they all reach one corner. Lots of fellows who read
this book are magicians who wish to entertain their friends with the
minimum of effort in practice and this will suit them to a "T".
I'll detail the method I use, as I do this in restaurants just as the check
comes. The idea is that you spread out a napkin and place a dime at each
corner, or about an inch or an inch and a half in from the corner. Now you
take a playing card, or a business card and cover the upper right dime, and
taking another dime in the left hand, you reach under the table, hold the
edge of the dime against the table with left hand, and then let it bang flat
against the table itself, giving the impression that it has gone thru the table,
then your right hand lifts up the card and there are TWO dimes, where there
was only one a moment before.
Maybe I should tell you that you have an extra dime with a tiny little wax
on it, and this is stuck on the face side of the playing card, or as I do, stick it
on one side of your business card, because it is more natural to use a
business card in a cafe. Looks more impromptu.
When you cover the upper right dime with the card, your second finger
releases the waxed dime, as you lay the card down. Now your left hand
goes under the table with another one of the dimes, as described above, and
as it comes out, the dime is resting on fingers of hand, your right hand picks
up card and spectators see the two dimes.- Your right hand goes over dime
in left hand, your left hand takes the card with dime underneath, and then
transfers the whole business to the right hand, which deposits it again on
top of the two dimes.
You repeat this move with the other dimes, and finally you have the four
dimes under the one card. You have two methods of getting rid of the other
dime, the last one you placed under the table. Either snap it up your left
coat sleeve, or allow it to drop into your trousers cuff.
Sometimes I have a little wax in my finger nail of left hand. The first time I
go under table with my hand, I deposit the wax there, and when I am ready
to get rid of the last dime, I simply stick it to the table. When I go out, I
whisper to the waiter that there is an extra dime (yes, extra) stuck under the
table, and to go get it. They may think you're kidding them BUT THEY'LL
ALWAYS LOOK.
JACK McTIGUE
of Harvard, the cleverest stooge in magic, and the only man who can
shellac a rabbit box with a spray gun, gave me a good peek which I will
turn over to you, if you're good. It's simple, even as you and I, but I have
tried it several times and no one seemed to know how I knew his card.
Have a card selected and as it is replaced, instead of bringing your little
finger over the card to make the pass, add one card to the top of the selected
card, and THEN insert your little finger and make the pass. This brings the
card the second from the top.
Now take the deck in your left hand, and with the right thumb at the end of
deck nearest you, your first right finger curled on top, and your next two
fingers at the end of deck away from you, riffle the cards with your
THUMB, 'til you come to the top card, which you turn over face up. This is
the usual method of turning over a top card, WHEN TWO ARE LIFTED
AS ONE. But don't lift two, just one.
The secret is that in riffling them, you see the second card, and know what
it is. They'll say the top card is not theirs, of course, but you know by then,
what the name of it is. Sounds in print too simple, but try it and when you
fool them, you'll use it.
The reason that he couldn't collect money is that the people he did business
with didn't think he earned it because he never used gas, and he never used
novocaine or any forceps or any instrument that dentists usually use. You
see, HE was the fellow who really had the nerve. And he told me how he
did it, in fact, he invited me in for a demonstration, and tonight folks, I'm
going to show you how he did it.
"The day that I went for the demonstration, I went in his office and right
away I got an awful surprise. I saw all the latest magazines on the table.
(Wait for a laugh.) Well, soon a fellow came in with his face all screwed
up. I thought he'd just seen a Mae West picture, but he said he had a terrible
toothache. The Doctor said, "Sit in the chair and I'll pull it out." I mean he'd
pull the tooth out, not the chair. You see, the chair was already out.
"So the man sat down and the first thing the dentist asked him was where
his photograph was. And the man took out his photo like this (take photo
off table or out of pocket). The dentist then picked up a frame like this, put
the photo in and then the glass (knock the glass on something to show it's
real glass) and then put some brads in. The man says, "I thought you were a
dentist, I didn't come in to get my pants pressed." The dentist said, "I'm just
showing you how a wooden frame looks around you, if you never wake
up."
"Which do you want," he says, "Novocaine or gas?" The fellow says,
"Ether, I GOT gas already on my stomach". The dentist says, "I got
electricity in my hair but I'm not bragging about it." The man says, "I think
that it is in the bag". And the dentist says, "Not yet, but it will be." So he
took the frame and the man's face, (the picture you use should be a large
face). I mean the man's picture, and slipped it into a bag like this (put the
frame in, allow the glass to slip thru the slit in the bottom, and the fingers of
left hand stop it). "Now," he says, "we'll tie the bag (simply twirl the
mouth) and lay it here on the table (do so)."
"Now," he says to the man, "Be patient (to put this over, roll eyes upward
and smile) and we'll see what happens." He sat down and started to make
out a bill for the man and I leaned over and he was putting down $5.00 for
services rendered when suddenly the man jumped up from the chair and
said, "Don't make out a bill for me." The dentist said, "Why not?" The man
said, "Why, because the tooth is all right now, it doesn't ache any more."
(Now you slide bag off table, leaving the glass there, and take bag up in
right or left hand.) The dentist said, "That's true, and I knew it. That's my
method. I cured you, for you see (take frame out) (crush bag and toss away)
the frame is still there, the picture you gave me of your face is still there,
but the PANE IS GONE." (Take out picture and put hand thru frame to
show that glass has disappeared.) That folks, is where the famous
expression originated, "A tooth for a tooth and an 'I' follows an 'H'."
BOW
You know those fake pieces of food you see in a new ice box that is on
display, such as steaks, tomatoes, etc. Well, get two pork chops and your
local refrigerator dealer will tell you where, if he won't sell them to you.
Paint one of them a muddy BROWN, to resemble a COOKED PORK chop,
and then you are all set.
Whenever you use a production box of any kind, or a large jap hank box, or
anything where you produce articles, have the brown chop in among the
production articles, and have the other one on your table or in your pocket.
During the production, remark "A lot of people that see me do this trick
don't think it is so hot, but I'll show you how hot it is. Put in the fake pork
chop, and then draw out a few more articles, with the same pork chop
underneath them (silks, etc.) and then bring out the COOKED one,
displaying it with pride, saying something like, "That SHOWS you what a
HOT trick THAT one is. It's all cooked."
Now even them all up, and with the cards on your left hand, you invite
someone to cut them about in half, and they will cut at the crimp, which
brings your four aces on top again. If they don't cut at the crimp (but they
will, if you crimped correctly ) NOW YOU STATE YOU will allow
anyone to cut again. Lay the cards down on table and have anyone cut, and
replace the cut themselves, but as they replace the cut, you notice ABOUT
how many cards go on top of the lower portion. We'll say you figured about
25.
You are going to deal a hand of poker and you've got to figure it out before
you deal. If you will take the deck in your left hand, by a glance at the side,
you will know exactly where the four aces are because the top was crimped
at the corner. Now if there were about 25 cards in the top portion of the cut,
I'd say I'd deal three hands of poker, 5 cards to each hand. Then turn the
hands over and let them all see them.
You now, by spreading the cards out a little, can determine exactly how
many cards are on top of the ace and you figure accordingly as you allow
them to draw. If there were nine cards left on top of the aces, you could
give three cards to the first man, and if the other hand was no good, you
could give him five cards, or a new hand, and then you could draw five
yourself, discarding your hand and you'd get the four aces.
This is a method whereby you must use your own brain while doing the
trick. The main effect is to get the four aces yourself, and you do it
ALWAYS, by figuring out how to draw for the other hands. If someone
says, I'd draw three cards to this, and you only want to give him TWO
cards, on account of the count, get a peek of the top card, and mention that
card, saying, "Well, it wouldn't do any good as the top card is the ......", and
throw it down, etc., etc.
You're giving them the impression that you know exactly what's coming off
and having your own way about it, which you MUST HAVE, altho' it isn't
plain to the spectators that this is the case. THE EFFECT, REMEMBER, is
that the cards are shuffled, cut twice and evened up BY the spectators, and
then you deal yourself FOUR ACES, every time. It's a dandy effect, and the
writer uses it constantly.
Pick your deck up, remarking that you will lay three of the cards aside.
Take the three cards from the face of deck (really 6 cards) and stand them
face up. (If you laid them on table someone might see that there were more
than three cards.)
Now have the deck shuffled and then some spectator is invited to cut the
deck about a third down. He just lifts up the cut, and you place the first of
the prepared cards in the cut FACE UP, so that one card appears to be face
up in a face down pack. Now square the deck up, and repeat this with the
other two cards, haying the deck cut at two other places. Now is the time to
square up the deck and lay it aside, telling them that later, you will have the
cards FOLLOWING THE FACE UP CARDS, taken out.
You now force your book, and lay it aside. Next pick up the deck, and
running thru the cards face down, 'til you come to the first face up card, you
separate this, by pressing the two cards apart, and offering the next one to
the spectator to TAKE OUT HIMSELF. You do this with the next card, and
tell him that these two cards represent a number. The first card he took
represents the first numeral of the number and the second card, the second
numeral. Thus, if the first card was a seven spot, and the second card was a
2, the number he would think of would be 72.
This number represents the number of the page of the book he is to look at,
and the third card he takes, whatever number is upon that, represents the
LINE on the page. I always mention to them that if they take a face card to
let you know, and you will have them take another card. Naturally they
won't, but this is just a psychological remark.
When you put the three cards on top of deck after they are prepared at first,
remember to have the first card underneath a three spot, then a six under the
next one and then the four under the next one. In that way, THEY WILL
COME OUT ALL RIGHT.
All that is necessary for you to do now is to have someone open the book at
that page and look at the line and read it aloud and that is the same thing
that you had written at the start of the trick and had given to someone to
hold. They check it at this point and the trick is over. Look back and see the
FAIRNESS WITH WHICH THE CARDS WERE SELECTED, THE
FAIRNESS WITH THE SELECTION OF THE BOOK, the fairness of
everything, and you will have a trick that will fool anyone, magician or no
magician.
I might say that the force herein is brand new, and is original, and has been
recommended by Al Baker and Stuart Judah and hosts of others, and is the
force used in my "LAST WORD" trick. I only include it here as I have
ample reason to believe that the force is being copied now, and to protect
myself and the buyers of the "LAST WORD", I include it. That however, is
only ONE FIFTH of the subterfuges used in that trick "THE LAST
WORD".
Try this force. You'll find it will fool your brother magician as easily as the
layman. I've done it hundreds of times.
WANT AN IDEA?
Get some celluloid, about the thickness of a playing card. Cut two pieces
with a pair of scissors, one the same length of a regular playing card, and
the width of it A TRIFLE LARGER, maybe 1/16 of an inch, or even 1/32nd
of an inch. Cut the other one the same length as a bridge size card, but the
width of it, you cut a trifle wider again, say the same 1/32nds of an inch
wider. Now put them in your pocket and go visit someone. If you haven't
anyone to visit, come see me. And when I let you use my deck of cards, you
don't care whether it's a bridge size card or a regular size deck, you can add
to the deck at any time, the right piece of celluloid, and you have a WIDE
CARD that you can do lots of tricks with.
Now you continue, "Now, folks, what did we do?" We showed a deck to be
ordinary. This gentleman (or lady) held the cards on the board, all spread
out. The gentleman had his absolute free choice of any card and the card
that he chose and initialed is resting on the board now. At this time, I'm
going to ask the lady to stand up. (Nod your head to the lady you whispered
to) and tell every one what I whispered to her. (She will do this, saying that
you whispered that the gentleman would take the ten of diamonds, then you
go over to board, pick up the card, show it slowly, turning it around, and
saying at the same time), "And how, Ladies, and Gentlemen do you account
for the fact that that is exactly the card the man chose." (Bow immediately,
and while they applaud, tell the people that helped you to take their seats,
and you take the board away and set it down somewhere.) Bow again.
Finish.
This is EXACTLY the way I do the trick myself. It takes about 4 minutes. I
charge $3.00 a minute for material that I sell to club magicians. At this rate,
this trick alone FOR YOUR WORK, is worth what you paid for the book.
Immediately shuffle the deck in the following manner. The cards in right
hand, all of them, ready for an overhand shuffle. With left hand fingers,
draw of both top and bottom cards together. See FIG. 8. Now shuffle all in
a regular shuffle on top. At finish, your selected card should be second from
bottom.
Next, show the top card and the next card, etc. are not the selected ones.
Now turn over deck, and let them see bottom. They don't see their card and
9 out of 10 magicians will be fooled already, even tho' they saw you make
the pass.
Now shuffle again exactly as before, taking the top and bottom cards off at
the start, together, then shuffle off the balance, LEAVING THE LAST
CARD ON TOP. Now that is the selected card. Next look along the side of
deck, as you square it up, for that crimped card. Hold the cards now in left
hand, ready for the one hand cut, and MAKE IT, but when it is HALF
MADE, that is, when the lower half of deck has dropped down, AS YOU
CONTINUE THE PASS, your right hand takes off the top card (of the top
half) and as you complete the cut, the card goes on top. This is done in a
flash, quicker, lots quicker, than I can explain it here.
Now your crimped card is on the bottom and your selected card is on the
top. You have them pretty well balled up by now with your shuffles. Now
you want to know what their card is, and here's how you find out. Take
deck in left hand and with left thumb, riffle the corner of the deck, and cut it
about half, lifting off the top half with the right hand, and with left hand,
push over the top card a little and hold up your hand so they can see that
pushed over card and say "Is that your card?" AND JUST WHEN YOU
HOLD IT UP FOR THEM TO SEE, you peek at the top card in right hand,
as per Illus. No. 12.
ANOTHER SUGGESTION
Bob Hull, of Crooksville, Ohoho, tells us how to reverse the pack in a
million ways and one cut will bring them all face down again. It looks fine
and I like it, Bob. May I offer one suggestion? SPRING THE CARDS
FIRST from right to left hand, as usual, and this automatically crimps them
a trifle. Now do your turn avers taking a few cards at a time and reversing
them and continue the stunt until through, and then evening the cards in
your left hand, you will see the crimp plainly. Now all you do is to make a
quick ONE HAND CUT, with left hand, and instead of completing it in the
ordinary manner, as the top portion comes UNDER, you reverse the whole
portion (top) and that brings the cards all face down, without looking for a
break or a place to cut, or without running through the deck at all. Geo.
Pierce, Jim Grigsby, Gen. Grant, etc., all thought so well of this one little
move, I include it here.
long time on this, and I hesitated to include this here, but here it is, and as
the tailor said, suit yourself.
I CAN'T BE MEAN
so I won't argue with the guy, but some one says this is old. As far as I know, it
is MINE, and even if there is similarity with something else that produces the
same effect, I still think so much of it, that I include it. It fooled the man who
said the move was familiar to him. That was enough for me. I got the move
from an old color change that I used to do years ago.
The card is selected, and is in center of deck, we'll say. Deck is squared up and
without any pass, or any move that is perceptible to spectator, the top card is
turned over and that's the baby. This is another one that Ten Kai thought a lot
of.
Have the card selected in this way. Riffle the deck, with faces toward audience,
and have them tell you when to stop. When they say stop, you do so, let them
see the card, and your right hand hinges up the right side of the upper half,
your fingers of left hand go in between the two halves, and the tips of your
second and third left fingers, push the card out (see Illus. No. 13.) This
illustration, if you notice carefully, shows the corner of the card being clipped
between the right little finger and third finger tips.
Your right hand now comes away from the deck to the right, just enough to
bring out the card, on a perfectly straight line, (see now FIG. 14) then
immediately goes back to deck, leaves card on top, deck squared up, bottom
card shown, by turning the deck around and you're all done. This should be
done very fast, and if you DO it fast, you have a nice quick move, with nothing
suspicious about it, to bring a card to the top of the deck from the center. Study
those illustrations again. They tell the story better than my words.
The success of this trick depends on your nonchalance, and the manner that
you do it. You will be tickled to death, after you get it down, how easy
you'll fool fellows who really know card tricks. Don't pass it up.
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