J R R B: Ack Irnman Obert Armer Ussell Arnhart

• INNER-WORKINGS

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Jack Birnman • Robert Farmer • Russell T. Barnhart

Written & Illustrated by Richard Kaufman

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Text and Illustratio ns

Copy righ t

1999 3

by Richa dd Kaufman. All RighSs Reserved.

Everybody remembers the good old days — the days when you could visit your local magic shop, see what’s new, browse the new books and magazines, hang out with your buddies, show some tricks. You may have noticed that those days have van­ ished in many cities: Philadelphia used to have Kanter’s, Chanin’s, and Philadelphia Magic — they’re gone. DeVoe’s Magic Den in St. Louis is gone. In New York City it used to be A1 Flosso’s, Holden’s, Tannen’s, Russ Delmar’s Magic Center, Mike Tannen’s Circle Magic, and more. Now only Tannen’s and Flosso’s remain, and they’re not the social centers of years past. There are many factors for the decline of the local magic shop and these days many local magic shops are struggling just to get by. There is, however, a new trend that’s just starting that could help to kill them off all together — discounting. Now, let me say at the outset that it is not against the law to sell items for less than retail price. It is against the law (restraint of trade) for any­ one to try and stop someone from selling merchandise at a discount. The only people who have any power to control such a policy is the customer, who always votes with his wallet. There are certain dealers, large and small, who do business by mail, who dis­ count many books and tricks. They do not advertise this fact in their ads, but after you buy something from them you may receive a list of discounted items (not old junk they’re trying to get rid of, but new top of the line items). Or you may be “invited” to join a club (with no membership fee!) and be allowed to purchase new books and props at a substantial discount. This is per­ fectly legal, but there is a consequence to doing it that you may not be aware of. You would probably have bought that

very same item, on which you are saving a few dollars, from your local magic shop, helping him to pay his bills, to keep his shop open as a meeting place, helping him to sponsor lectures in your area. Instead, to save just a few dollars, you are buying the item from someone else. Wouldn’t you gladly spend that few extra dollars to help ensure that your local magic shop is there the next time you want to drop by and glance at the latest magazine, or see a new trick demonstrated, or leaf through the pages of a new book before you buy it? I would. Every time you buy something from someone who is selling it at a discount just to save a few dollars you are driving a nail into the coffin of the magic shop in your town. Do you really want to do that? •••

On a jollier note, you can run right into your local magic emporium — your geographi­ cally convenient purveyor of marvels — and buy the 1 <994 MAGIC Calendar. For the measly (and we’re talking the irresistibly low) price of $12.95, you can hang on your wall gorgeous color photos of your fav magicians along with each month laid out day by day and bursting with interesting magical titbits about that day in history. And if that isn’t enough to send you out the door, the calendar itself is a trick designed by Jim Steir^meyer. So many good things in one package, and the price ....

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One last little doodad before we get to

the three swanky tricks I’ve collected for you this month. It has come to my attention that dealers have been advertising my new book Steel and Silver: The Magic of Paul Gertner, when in fact there is no book ready yet. I am writing this onOctober 6, and the book is still in the process of being illus­ trated by Ton Onosaka. I hope to have it in the stores by the end of this year. I have not advertised this book or sent materials to any dealers saying that the book is ready. The

only dealer who has advertised it with my permission is Joe Stevens, and at the time that he required the information for his catalogue last spring I thought the book would be ready in July. Thus he advertised it prematurely, albeit with my participation. Sometimes these things happen. When the book does come out in the next few months we hope you enjoy it.

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Jack Birnman is working on a large book

of his unique brand of card magic. He has been working, and working, and working on it for as long as any of us can remember. He has a huge amount of lovely original material — this is just a sample. (Some of his routines, including his fine effect “Drag­ net,” appear in Jon Racherbaumer’s Card Finesse II.) He has taken Larry Jennings’ “Intuitively Yours” (Neo Classics, Minch, 1987), added a sly presentation and made it simpler to do. He lives in Wheaton, Mary­ land, and if you live in the Washington, DC area, he happens to be a very fine teacher of card technique and gives lessons.

Subliminal Suggestions (Jack Birnman) Jack Birnman jots some information on a file card and passes it rapidly before a spectator's eyes. This, he explains, is an example of subliminal suggestion. The card is placed aside in full view. After shuffling the deck, the magician asks his helper to deal to him a packet of ten cards. First, however, he is asked to think of a number between one and ten and to deal that many cards onto the table. They are added to the bottom of the deck and squared. From that random point, a ten-card pile is dealt for the performer. The talon is further shuffled and a portion of it is handed to the MAGIC • November 1993

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merely having the four Aces turn up at the end: one is a discernment of the future, while the other is card manipulation. So, let’s say that you have four cards whose identities you know on top of the face-down deck. The only other thing required is to secretly reverse the bottom card. Say, “Most likely you’ve heard of sublimi­ nal suggestion. It has been used in movies and advertisements to try and get you to buy all sorts of products. These suggestions appear in a flash — you can barely see them but they affect your thinking. I’d like to demonstrate this by jotting down a few impressions of my own and passing them rapidly before your eyes. You may note one or two of them, but don’t make an effort to memorize anything. ” Obscure the face of the file card from the audience as you write down the names of the four principle cards you either just noted or memorized in advance. Rapidly pass the file card in front of the spectator so he has just the barest moment to glance at the writing. He won’t be able to see much — that’s the ' point. Afterward, fold the card in half so the writing is on the inner side, concealed, and place the card on the table. Pick up the deck and hold it face down in your left hand. Reach underneath with your right hand and grasp the deck in posi­ tion for an Overhand Shuffle (you must be careful not to flash the reversed card on the bottom.) Begin the shuffle by peeling off two cards into your left hand one at a time, then throw the deck on top of them (i.e., run two and throw). This positions two of the principle cards beneath the reversed card on the bottom of the deck. Begin a second Overhand Shuffle by chopping off the upper half of the deck with your left thumb. Your right hand comes away with the lower half of the deck as the shuffle begins. Run (peel) seven cards into your left hand one at a time and then throw the deck on top. Explain what the spectator is supposed to do: “I want you to deal me a pile of ten cards, but, before you do that, I want you to think of a secret number between one and ten. For example, if your secret number is five, you would deal down five cards like thi^.” You have named any arbitrary number to dem­ onstrate, so deal five face-down cards off the top of the deck onto the table, then drop the deck on top and square. Pick up the deck and place it in your left hand. Say, “So, are you thinking of a secret number between one and ten?” As you speak, your left thumb As you speak, your left thumb moves to moves to the left long side of the the left long side of the deck (this can be deck (this can be done with the deck in done with the deck in either Charlier Cut either Charlier Cut position up at the position up at the fingertips or while it’s on fingertips or while it's on the palm) and the palm) and pushes upward so the cards pushes upward so the cards break at the reversed card, which is on the bottom of ■ break at the reversed card, which is on the the upper portion. bottom of the upper portion (fig. 1). (Note:

spectator. Jack indicates that he will not touch the cards again and, for the first time, asks the volunteer to name his number. He then deals that amount of cards to the table and sets the balance aside. He does likewise with the magician's ten-card pile, thus forming four packets. When the top card of each packet is shown, they prove to match the names of the four cards written in advance on the file card. You need a blank file card, a pen, and a deck of cards. Depending on how you per­ form the routine, there may be a slight set­ up required. Jennings produced the four Aces in his reworking of an old mathematical trick, and this necessitated secretly culling them before starting. Jack’s alteration of the pre­ sentation allows you to use any four cards that happen to be available. You can sim­ ply spread the deck between your hands, faces toward you, and note the four cards on top of the deck, or do an Overhand Shuffle while the deck is face up, running the first four cards singly and remembering them as they go by. Then continue shuffling natu­ rally. (If recalling four cards on the spur of the moment poses a problem for you, then you can memorize and use the same four indifferent cards each time — but you have to control them to the top of the deck before you start.) The point of all of this is that Jack’s presentation is taken as a com­ pletely different effect by the audience than

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MAGIC • November 1993

it is possible to do this effect without the reversed card by using either a wide or narrow card, or even merely a crimp.) You do not want this to look like a Charlier Cut — your right hand immediately grasps the upper half of the deck and lifts it away. The lower half is in left-hand dealing position: obtain a break above the bottom card by pulling down on the inner right cor­ ner with the tip of your pinky. Immediately insert the cards held by your right hand into this break, above the bottom card. This whole sequence gives the impression that you have casually cut the deck and that’s all. Two of the principle cards are now on top of the deck, followed by seven indifferent cards, followed by the other two principle cards followed by the rest of the deck. The key card (be it reversed, crimped, or whatever) is second from the bottom of the deck. Give the deck to the spectator and turn away. Ask him to silently count to his secret number by dealing cards to the table in a pile one at a time, one card for each number. Then ask him to drop the deck on top of the pile he has just dealt and square the cards. Say, “Do you recall that I asked you to deal me a pile of ten cards a few moments ago, well please do that now. Deal ten cards off the top of the deck into a pile on the table one at a time.” The spectator deals ten cards to the table. Take the balance of the deck from the spectator and Overhand Shuffle about 10 or 15 cards to the bottom, bringing the reversed card closer to the center of the deck. Here you immediately repeat the actions shown in illustration 1: your left thumb moves to the left long side of the deck and, as if doing a Charlier Cut, splits the deck at the reversed card (which is on the bottom of the upper half). Your right hand imme­ diately takes the upper half of the deck and tables it to the right of the ten-card packet. Hand the spectator the balance of the deck which remains in your left hand. Say, “The cards are now completely out of my hands and I have no control over them. Everything’s been random because I don’t know what your secret number was. For the first time, will you tell us your number. ” The spectator reveals his secret number — let’s assume it is four. Ask him to deal four cards (or whatever his secret number happens to be) off the pile he is holding and onto the large pile on the table, farthest to his left. Ask him to place the cards which remain in his hand onto the table at the right (that’s his right) end of the row. Ask him to pick up the center packet (these are the ten cards he dealt). Tell him to repeat his secret number and deal that many cards to the table in a pile. Then, ask him to place the cards which remain in his hand afterward onto the table at the extreme right end (again, his right) of the row.

Pick up the file card and open it, giving it to the spectator. Turn over the cards on top of the four packets to reveal the same four cards written in advance on the file card.

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In October, 1971, Roland Hurley pub­

lished a routine titled “The De-Materializing Coin” in Kabbala, Vol. 1 No. 2. In Decem­ ber 1976, Jon Racherbaumer wrote a set of instructions for a more elaborate version of Hurley’s routine, then marketed by Paul Diamond as “The Mandarin Mystery Coin.” In December, 1979, Bob Farmer, obviously with more time on his hands than he has now, worked out a streamlined version of the Hurley trick which eliminates the handkerchiefs, playing card, double-sided tape, and window-envelope of the mar­ keted routine. While the marketed routine required a special “post” coin, Farmer’s han­ dling needs nothing unusual (or difficult to obtain) except a Chinese coin with no hole in the center for its climax.

is always concealed in “High” finger palm (fig.^L). It is gripped between the outer and center phalanges of the fingers. (The shell, incidentally, could be on the half dollar to begin with, and you could steal it into right-hand finger palm as you toss the coins onto your left hand before placing them onto her hands. This would save a trip to the pocket.) Your palm-down left hand picks up the half dollar and stacks it on top of the Chi­ nese coin (much as if you were playing checkers), then lifts both coins. During this, the right hand, with the palm tilted slightly toward you, hovers nearby. Imme­ diately place both coins directly into the

finger-palmed shell, then lift the stack to the right fingertips (fig.2). The coins are out of sight for only a split-second and merely appear to be “handled” between the fingers of the hands for a moment. The left hand lets go. The right thumb snaps the two coins flatly against the inside of the right fingers so the half dollar is beneath the thumb. The coins are now concealed behind the right fingers as the hand turns toward you. Immediately, with the fingertips, push the shelled Chinese coin (masquerading as the half dollar) into view (fig.3). Place the shelled Chinese coin, which appears to be the half dollar, into Spell-

ln this routine, the shell is always concealed in "High" finger palm.

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Transpose My Spaces With The Trick Coin Of Life (Robert Farmer)

Robert Farmer causes a half dollar and a Chinese coin with a hole to change places several times, climaxing with the hole traveling from the center of the Chinese coin, which ends solid, to the half dollar, which ends with a hole in the center. You need five items for this: 1) an ordinary half dollar; 2) a half dollar with a hole drilled through the center; 3) an ersatz (magician’s type) Chinese coin with a hole in the center; 4) a duplicate Chinese coin with no hole (that is, solid); and 5) an expanded half dollar shell. The No-Hole Chinese Coin and the Holed Half Dollar, along with shell, are placed into the right trousers or jacket pocket. The ordinary half dollar and Chi­ nese coin are in a convenient place. Part One

To perform, bring out the regular half dol­ lar and Chinese coin and display them. Ask the spectator to hold out both hands, palm up. Place the half dollar on her left hand and the Chinese coin on her right. Let her exam­ ine them and, in the words of Farmer, “Make some incredibly witty remark incorporating one of the more obscure Assyrian dialects.” During this, your right hand slips into your pocket and finger palms the shell so the open side is away from the hand. In this routine, the shell MAGIC • November 1993

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