Sam-thebellhop.pdf

SAM

The Bellhop

TRICKSHOP.COM

© Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.

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CONTENTS FRANK EVERHART’S SAM, THE BELLHOP................................... 3 MOE AND SAM........................................................ 10 THE DEVIL’S TICKETS................................................ 12

© Copyright 2014 by Trickshop.com. All rights reserved.

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FRANK EVERHART’S FAMOUS PLAYING CARD PLAYLET

THE SAGA OF SAM, THE BELLHOP AS PERFORMED BY FRANK EVERHART WHO IS FRANK EVERHART? Visitors to Chicago always make it a point to visit the famous Ivanhoe Restaurant, 3000 North Clark Street, where they have seven bars, several spacious dining rooms, an outdoor garden, a rathskellar, and the much talked about Catacombs. This amusement feature, complete with tricked up elevator that seems to take you thousands of feet down, walks thru dark winding stone corridors weird with “prison windows”, spooky sounds, unexpected rushing water, and all the amusement park devices, has brought fun to thousands. But perhaps the most laughs, the best screams, the gayest crowds are to be found in Frank Everhart’s Magic Bar. These caricatures give you a pretty good idea of this popular magician’s appearance. He’s tall and rangy, good looking, and loaded with personality. He has a wide repertoire of tricks, but every one has been worked over to deliver the ultimate in entertainment that Frank demands of his magic.

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Frank was born September 10, 1921 in Alverton, Pennsylvania. As a young man, he had arrived in California needing a job and found one in a bar. This was the beginning of his experience in that work that eventually took him to Chicago and the 90’s Bar at the La Salle. Previously, while working in an Elston Avenue Bar in Chicago, a southerner had come in and taught him the Sam, The Bellhop routine for a drink. With this as his first trick, he now fell under the influence of that top flight magician, John Platt (featured for the past thirteen years at the ‘90’s). He became a good pupil for John, and gives him full credit for his success when he took a new job at the Ivanhoe. Here he worked first at the Front Bar, then later was moved into the featured spot of the Black Knight Bar, often called the Magic Bar. He is now in his seventh year of this happy arrangement. Besides doing the most entertaining of magic tricks, Frank is known for his “insult” lines. He never really hurts anyone or insults ladies, but he manages to hurl barbed remarks at “Conventioneers” and other merry makers so that the whole bar group roars and the victim himself has to laugh. Harold and Dick Jansen, the Ivanhoe owners, have given Frank a free hand. When, once in a long time, an annoyed customer comes to them about being “insulted”, they say: “Oh, yes. We’ve heard about him. We plan to fire him tomorrow.” So, be sure you get over to the Ivanhoe the next time you are in Chicago, because any day now....they might! However, that day seems far away, because the Ivanhoe is beginning a full remodeling program, during which the Magic Bar will be enlarged and improved. Frank himself is working on new material with Jack Pyle as his guide. It looks as tho magic and the laughs will be bigger and better at the Ivanhoe.

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THE PATTER STORY If you follow the patter with the set-up deck in hand, you’ll get the idea. This is the story of “Sam The Bellhop” in the exact words of Frank Everhart: This is the story of “Sam The Bellhop.” We’ll call the two of spades “Sam” and continue. Cut the cards. Sam worked in a large hotel. One night he got a call to go upstairs. The elevator didn’t work, so he walked up. He went up 1 2 3 4

flight flights flights flights

to the room and said: “Say, are you the four gentlemen who ordered room service?” [deal Four Kings] They said: “Sam.... Cut the cards. ....we would love to have some company.” Sam said: “I’ll see what I can do.” So Sam went down the street 1 2 3 4

block blocks blocks blocks

He came back and said: “The best I could get is two blondes and two brunettes.” [Deal Queens] One of the fellows said: “Sam, where did you get them?” Sam said: “At the 654 club.” Then the fellow said: “Sam, you are such a fabulous guy, I’d like to give you a little $2.00 tip.” Cut the cards. Another fellow said: “We’d like to have a little poker game. Do you know any gamblers?”

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Sam said: “I do, and if it’s gamblers you want, it’s gamblers you’ll get.” So Sam went down the street 1 2 3 4

block blocks blocks blocks

The same fellow said: “Where did you get them?” [Deal Four Jacks] Sam said: “At the 654 club.” Then the fellow said: “Sam, you are such a great guy, I’d like to give you another $2.00 tip.” Cut the cards. Another fellow said: “Sam, I owe this man some money, and all I have is this $40.00 check. See if you can get me two twenties.” So, Sam went up the street 1 2 3 4

block blocks blocks blocks

Sam got the check cashed. He came back and said: “All I could get was four tens.” The fellow then said: “Sam, how old are you?” Sam said: “Guess.” The fellow said: “I’d say 38.” Sams said: “No, you’re wrong. I’m 39.” Then he said: “Sam, do you live around here?” Sam said: “No, I live at 1329 8th St.” “Do you gamble, Sam?” “Yes, every night in the week.” The fellow said: “Where?” Sam said: “Right down the street at the 654 club.” The fellow said: “Do they have very big games there?”

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Sam said: “They sure do. Last week there was a $1,000 pot.” The fellow said: “What kind of hands were they holding?” Sam said: “You should have seen the hands in that game! The first man put down 3 sevens and a pair of nines.” The fellow said: “How much did he win?” Sam said: “Are you kidding? That old boy wasn’t even in the running. The next man put down 3 aces and a pair of eights.” The fellow said: “How much did he win?” Sam said: “He didn’t win either. As a matter of fact, he borrowed carfare from me because I had just what it took, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3!” HOW TO DO IT These are the Everhart Notes To The Performer: The 3 of Hearts (last of the straight flush) is the key. After the cut, go thru the deck to the 3 of Hearts. Place the turned over cards under the remainder. Set deck up as follows: 2 of Spades Four Kings Four Queens 6,5,4, A deuce Four Jacks 6,5,4, A deuce Four Tens 3,8,3,9 1,3,2,9,8 6,5,4, Three sevens Two nines Three aces Two eights 7,6,5,4,3 of Hearts These brief notes were made by Frank for the benefit of those who had seen him do the routine.

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In view of the many magicians who cannot be here to see it, we have asked our mutual friend, Dai Vernon, to write the following more detailed working of the trick. Remove the deck from its case and place it face down on the table. Turn up the deuce of spades and leave it face up as you commence telling the story of Sam. The basic idea underlying the whole procedure is to always bring the deck back to its original order after a spectator has freely cut it. This is accomplished during the patter lines. The first time you do this during the “one flight, two flight, etc.” patter, then during the “one block, two block, etc” patter, and so forth until the end. The procedure is delightfully simple owing to the arrangement. Suppose the spectator should cut about center. Pick up the pack after the cut has been completed. Now commence fanning off small packets from the top and slap them down face up one atop the other. Keep a lookout for the three sevens. If you should pass them, watch for the three Aces which are likewise all together. If these are also missed, you will hit the spot where the sequence of hearts are together. At any rate, your final packet of cards must have the three of hearts at its face. These cards are picked up and placed below the remainder held in the left hand. As each of these batches of cards are turned face up the performer is remarking, “One block, two blocks, etc.” This method of bringing the cards back to their original arrangement is adapted throughout. With a few trials you will discover how extremely simple it is when these “warning cards” (the sevens and the Aces) turn up to be able to judge how many cards to turn up to separate the cards among the sequence of hearts. At this point you can instantly calculate how many to remove for the last time, either four, three, two or one. At the conclusion of the story, the performer will be left with only five cards - the dream of every poker player - a straight flush. One of the pleasant features of this whole presentation is that the simple dropping of the entire heap of face up cards on top of the deuce of spades sets the cards back in their original order, all ready for the next showing of Sam, the Bellhop.

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SAM, THE BELLHOP 1, 2, 3, 4 FLIGHT/BLOCK HANDLING TIP An even easier method is to simply place a firm, length-wise crimp in the 3 of Hearts prior to the trick; which makes it easy to locate this key card after each spectator’s cut and “correct” the deck.

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Lift with thumb to locate the crimped card and obtain a break. You can then transfer the break to your left pinky finger - freeing up the right hand. See Photo 1.

It’s now an extremely easy matter to undercut four packets to the top, one at a time. See Photo 2. The fourth packet should be the remaining cards to the break - so the 3 of Hearts is returned to the bottom of the deck.

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“Moe and Sam” was the forerunner to Frank Everhart’s Sam the Bellhop routine.

MOE AND SAM Stories with a pack of cards are always popular. There is no mystery in them, for the deck is obviously stacked. But if the story is told in a natural way, the inevitable turn of the appropriate card is surprising, not to mention the fact that every card in the deck is used up in the telling. A routine such as the following is worth the while of a magician for two reasons. First, it is entertaining. Second, it is a good item to teach an interested spectator who says he wants to learn a trick, for there is no expose of magical principles in revealing the stack. Set up the deck in the following fashion, from top down: 3H, 3S, 4 kings, 4 aces, the 6, 7, and 8 of clubs, the 2 of diamonds, 4 queens, the 6, 7, and 8 of spades, the 2 of clubs, 4 jacks, the 6, 7, and 8 of diamonds, the two of spades, 4 tens, 5D, 5C, 2H, 4S, 5S, 3D, 4D, 4C, 3C, 4 nines, and the 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of hearts. You are now ready to tell the following story. “Sam, a hotel man, (represented by the 3H), tells his bellhop, Moe (represented by the 3S), to go out and find some men to fill up four rooms.” “Moe goes out and comes back with four Kings.” “After a time, the four Kings call Sam and ask for four quarts of Ace Whiskey. Sam sends Moe out to get them. Moe comes back with four quarts of Ace Whiskey (deal four aces) from the 678 Club (deal 6, 7, and 8), for which Moe gets a $2 tip (deal deuce).” “When they have drunk the whiskey, the four Kings call Sam and ask for four ladies. Sam sends Moe out for four ladies. Moe comes back with four Queens (deal) – from another 678 Club (deal) – for which Moe gets a $2 tip (deal).” “After some time, the four Queens get bored with the four Kings and call Sam asking for four younger men. Sam sends Moe out. He comes back with four Jacks (deal) – from another 678 Club (deal) – for which he gets a $2 tip (deal).” “This makes the four Kings mad, so they decide to check out of the hotel. Sam tells them that their bill is $40. They offer a $50 bill in

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payment. Sam has no change, so he sends Moe out for some. Moe comes back with four tens (deal) and two fives (deal) – for which he gets a $2 tip (deal).” “Sam says, Moe, weren’t you afraid with all that money? No, says Moe, I had my 45 along.” (Deal 4 and 5 of spades). “Sam says, Moe, how old are you? I’m 34, Moe says (deal 3 and 4 of diamonds). Do you have any kids? says Sam. Yes, Moe says, one four and one three.” (Deal 4 and 3 of clubs). “Things are pretty quiet in the hotel. Sam asks Moe if he ever plays poker. Moe says, Yes, but I was cured. One time I had four nines (deal) and the other fellow raised. I raised back, and he spread 4-5-6-7-8, a straight flush in hearts (show last 5 cards). Then I stopped playing poker.”

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THE DEVIL’S TICKETS To a superficial mind a deck of cards is simply fifty-three pasteboards forming a jumbled mass of painted figures and numbers, appearing in a chaotic succession and disorder. At first glance a fickle hazard seems to dominate all and so pernicious has been the lure of chance on ignorant minds that in older days many church people thundered against the “devil’s tickets.” Perhaps the real reason for branding an innocuous deck of cards as “devil’s tickets” is to be found in the extraordinary importance and respect given to cards in medieval magic. Anyway, a story is told about one of the World War Veterans, who, upon finding the World War was at an end, wandered away from his barracks one Sunday morning and in his wanderings passed a small church. He stopped and looked in and there found the town folk gathered for worship. The comrade wandered in, walked down an aisle and into a pew, where he took a seat beside some other worshipers who were at that moment sitting with their heads bowed in prayer. The comrade having no prayer book reached in his pocket and took a time-worn deck of cards. He opened them up fanwise and mumbled to himself. His fellow worshippers, amazed at the comrade for displaying a deck of the “devil’s tickets” in a place of worship, nudged him and whispered, “Put them away, you are in God’s Temple.” The comrade paid not the least attention so carried on with his cards and mumblings. Soon the fellow worshippers became alarmed and sent out for a constable and had the poor comrade arrested. He was placed in jail and the next morning was brought in front of the magistrate charged with disorderly conduct for displaying a deck of cards in a place of worship. The Magistrate asked what he had to say for himself, guilty or not guilty. The comrade standing before the bar of justice replied, “Not guilty, your honor, and I would like to offer the following defense for my actions with your permission.” Upon receiving the permission and the evidence which was “the timeworn deck of cards,” he began: “Your Honor, to me this deck of cards is a Bible and a prayer book. When I look into this packet and see an Ace it reminds me there is just one God, and the Deuce that the Bible is divided into two parts, The Old and the New Testaments; the Trey, that there are three persons in the Blessed Trinity – the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost; the Four, of the four great Evangelists, who wrote the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; the Five, of the five Wise Virgins, who kept their lamps trimmed against the coming of the Lord; the Six that the Lord made heaven and earth in six days and rested on the seventh; the Seven represents the Sabbath, the day of rest and worship; the Eight, of the eight Righteous Persons saved from the Flood – Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives; the Nine, of the Nine Lepers who were cleansed but did not return thanks, such was their ingratitude; the Ten, not only of the Tenth Leper, who did return thanks, but of the Ten Commandments handed down by Moses on the Tablets of Stone, each spot representing one Commandment; the Jack, or the Knave of the Devil and to shun his temptation; the Queen, the Queen of Sheba who was wise but not as wise as Solomon, for she brought fifty boys and fifty girls all dressed in boys’ apparel for the King

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to decide which were boys and which were girls. The King had them all wash and the boys washed to their wrists and the girls to their elbows so he told by that; the King, of the King of Heaven and Earth and All Things, to whom we should all bow down and worship.” Then he said, “If you count the spots in this deck of cards you will find 365 spots in a deck of cards and 365 days in a year. The joker standing for the leap year. There are fifty-two cards in the deck and fifty-two weeks in the year. There are thirteen lunar months in a year and thirteen cards to a suit. The twelve face cards in the deck represent the twelve months in a year. The deck is divided into four suits, Hearts, Clubs, Spades and Diamonds and the year is divided into four seasons – Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring. You also find the deck of cards has two colors, red and black – red, the light color, stands for day, and the black stands for the night. So you see, Your Honor, this deck not only is my prayer book and Bible but also is an almanac.” With that His Honor said, “You are discharged.”

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