MARTIN'S MeArGeleCeAcL IeN¢VeE*NeTeleOoNeS LECTUREin these notes The Color Changing Pencil ....c.cscsssssssseeseetensstenees 1 The Big SWHHCH ....cescssesessesssseseseessseessscsssesessssesssesssetsees & OUCH § Bolts From the BlUC .....sesessesessssssessssessssessscsesaseeseseesses 6 Technicolor Prediction .....scscsssssessecsetesesteteseetenseeeseee 9 Torn & Restored Cigarette Papel 0.0... 10 Mardo Egg Bag Patter 14 Masklyne’s 24 Rules Of MAQIC .......cssessesseseseesesseese 15 also in the lecture The Spelling Collins Aces Point of Arrival Texas Money The Stampede Second Sidewalk Shufflin’the prismatic pencil During the mid-seventies I lived in Oakland, California There was a magic shop downtown officially called “Morcome's House of Magic” although to most patrons it was always “the Poor Mans Palace.” The Palace was a magic shop in the grandest tradition. Piled around were of mysterious looking boxes. Long, dusty, glass counters filled with shoe boxes each overflowing with a jumble of magic stuff. Guarding these treasures was Ray Morcome, a smiling fellow who dearly loved Magic. So much so that he wouldn't hesitate to hurry a lay customer along when the local magi discussed magic in the back room. It was Ray who showed me the pencil gag. I have developed a simple handling for it and include it here with his permission. The effect is this: You start to do a trick involving a pencil. You introduce a red pencil and joke that it matches a spectators eyes. As you explain that really, you're not kidding, you magically change the color of the pencil. Now it does match. An alternate presentation might be to have it emerge with your advertising imprint and give it as a souvenir. The can be done because after the trick the pencil is completely ordinary. Prepare the pencil at the beginning like this. You need some red modeling balloon, a #8 knitting needle, an exacto knife, and three pencils. Only use round pencils and be sure that they have a metal band at one end that holds an eraser. Get a blue, a brown, and a grey one. Shorten these to about 5 inches and sharpen them with a proper sharpener. Use a round, rather than hexagonal, pencil so the line formed at the base of the pointed section is smooth rather than scalloped Put the knitting needle inside the balloon and roll it until it resembles a tiny doughnut and the needle is completely free. Now unroll the balloon around a pencil so that the pencil is inside it. With the knife trim away the excess balloon mak- ing sure you completely conceal the original color of the pencil, make sure that most of the metal band shows. A pencil pre- 2pared like this will withstand close observation. Cover all three pencils with red balloons and put them into different pockets. Because the prepared pencils are all the same color now, you must remember which pocket has what color. To perform. Select a spectator that has either blue. brown, or grey, eyes and introduce the appropriate pencil. Make a fist with your palm down left hand. Push the pencil into this fist eraser end first and push it halfway through, rolling the balloon up as you do so. You will find that about halfway through you will need to reposition the pencil. Relax your grasp and begin to withdraw the pencil. Stop before the half-rolled balloon makes an appearance. Comment on it’s color, regrasp the pencil and continue pushing it through until it emerges the new color. Reach in front of your fist with your right hand and take the pencil between thumb and first and second fingers just below the eraser. Remove the pencil completely, leaving the balloon, now rolled into that little doughnut again, on the point of the pencil. Your right hand will conceal this from the onlookers. Make a point of slowly opening the left hand and showing it empty. Take the pencil from the right hand by sliding it out of the fingers holding it. Leave the little rubber roll behind, held between the thumb and first and second fingers. Retake the pencil in the right hand fingers, the balloon held behind it and concealed by the pads of the fingers and thumb. Turn your palms toward the audience to conclude the effect. You can ditch the gimmick a number of ways, leave it behind as you go for the next prop, if you are standing amid a small group you can even flick over their shoulders or drop it ina wastebasket, the balloon cannot be reused so be as creative as you want Make sure that the balloon is darker in color than the pencil to prevent the pencil color from bleeding through. There, that's all there is to it!the big switch This is a quick comedy type trick that I frequently use in my stand up performances. You take a deck of cards and tell the audience that you have made a prediction that it ts in your inside coat pocket, tapping your chest to indicate where it is. You pro- ceed to let a spectator choose a card, and then show you have predicted it by removing from your pocket a Jumbo Ace of Spades. The spectator protests that this is incorrect, so you ask for the name of the card chosen. “The Queen of Hearts” you are told. “In that case,” you say, “I must perform what ts called in the trade, a switch.” You turn the card around and fixed to the back is a large double pole throw switch, which you solemnly flip over to opposite poles. When you turn the card round again, it has now changed to the correct card, the Queen of Hearts. Little explanation should be necessary. The Queen of Hearts was, of course, forced on the spectator. The jumbo card is simply a flap card as illustrated, which has a switch cemented tothe back. The flap of the card should be loosely hinged so it will drop of it's own weight. When the card is first turned around to show the back, it is turned end for end, so the flap drops by itself, unseen to the audience. Then when the card is turned to show the face again, it is turned sideways so the flap remains in post- tion. ouch! This trick requires a special card. A little work in making it will be well rewarded. The gimmick is basically a double faced card with a needle sandwiched between the two surfaces as in illustration. You will also need a pencil with an eraser on the end and an 18" silk handkerchief. Working: Have the gaff card in a suitable place to add to the deck. I sometimes have it in my pocket and palm it onto the face of the cards (with a great deal of care) as they are returned from the shuffle. Force the two cards that match the double face card “by your favorite method”, I use the Hindu Shuffle. have the cards returned face down onto the face up deck and hand this out to be shuffled. Upon receiving them back, add the gaff to the face of the deck and cut this to the center. Hold the deck by it's sides, little finger on the bottom and index finger curled on the face, backs to to audience. Throw the silk over it. Take the pencil and force the needle into the eraser and lift, causing the card to rise free from the deck. Put the deck down. Then remove the pencil and hank and show the firstselected card. Return this to the deck keeping in mind the direc- tion the card is facing. Turn the deck upside down and repeat the rising but this time without the hank. However, don't let the card fall out of the deck this time. just squeeze the cards slightly and the eraser will pull free of the card. If you forced correctly in the beginning this will be the second selected card. Tap it back into the deck and take a bow to your thunderous applause Note: It wouldn't hurt to keep a few bandaids on hand while rehearsing this effect. If you are heavy into hand magic you may like the Erdnase diagonal palm shift to go south with the gaff as it is pushed into the deck, then put it away with the hank, big bolt from the blue I read an effect in Science and Mechanics Magazine's Magic Handbook, circa 1962. (In which the editors give thanks to William B. Gibson among others. I think they meant Walter B. Gibson.) The effect was called “The Block, Frame, and Ribbon Trick” catchy title eh? It was a penetration effect that required some rather convoluted moves to accomplish. I changed the design from a square frame and round block, to a giant nut and bolt in order to give the prop more visual interest. As I didn't like the method I came up with a new one, or rather an old one, the Sword Thru Neck! Quite simply there is a strip of flexible plastic in one end of the ribbon that passes around the shaft of the bolt instead of going through it. The whole thing is about 4.1/2" dia. by 4.1/2" long. The ribbon is 3/4” wide and 6' long and has a strip of thin, flexible, plastic, 4.3/4" x 1/2" glued inside one (folded) end. Handling couldn't be easier. Get a spectator to assist. Hold the nut and bolt together in your left hand, with the head of the bolt nestling in your palm and the fingers and thumb holding the nut by it’s sides. Hold the stiffened end of the ribbon between thumb and forefinger of right hand. The stiff end casually concealed in the palm. The move is as simple as ABC. In fact, the right side view cross sections, (A, B, and C,) say it all. Hold the nut and bolt up to the spectators eyes so they may see 6that the holes are aligned. As you bring it back in front of your chest make the move. It should simply appear that you are getting a firmer grip on everything. Feed the ribbon through the nut and bolt, keeping the back of your hand toward the audience so that they cannot see the stiffened end do it's work. Pull the ribbon halfway through. Now take both ends of the ribbon into one hand and let the nut and bolt swing freely on it. The ridges in the bolt prevent it from falling out Have the spectator hold the ribbon with their left hand, make sure the ends of the ribbon are hanging away from their hand so they don't feel the stiff tip. Have them grasp the bolt head with their right hand and lift it up and to the right. As the bolt comes free in their own hands instruct them to take a bow. If you have a wood turner make one for you here's sometips. Hard maple is an ideal material. Cut the outside nut shape with a bandsaw, then make the hole on the lathe. Dado the slot in the bolt head before turning to shape. Leave about 3/16" play between bolt threads and nut to allow the plastic strip to pass through. No need to cut a real thread, just make a series of grooves with a V scraper. Drill the hole for the ribbon on a press with a 7/8" Forstner bit, drill through both nut and bolt at the same time to ensure perfect alignment. Here is a patter suggestion written by my friend Len “Doc” Wayne (get a man from the audience to assist) Have you ever heard of the Titanic? A big ship... it was in all the papers... the biggest ship afloat... temporarily. everything about the Titanic was big... big staterooms... big ballrooms... big dining rooms... big buffets... maybe that's why it sank... the people were getting too big eating the big meals... Of course, the Titanic had a big frame and a big hull... and the bolts they use to secure the hull to the big frame were big... big bolts and big nuts... I want you to know that this ts an actual ersatz, pseudo, fake, sham, phony, replica of a genuine bolt and nut that held the Titanic together... temporarily... now, that’s some kinda nut. (hand him the nut as you gesture toward him) sorry sir - not you - this... if you'll wake up and pay attention here, you'll see that there is a hole drilled through the nut... and... through the bolt... that was so the geniuses who designed and built the Titanic could assure the investors who financed construction of he ship that those bolts would absolutely, posi- tively be firmly fastened and locked into place... They did it like this... (thread ribbon through nut and bolt) Obviously fool proof... as any fool can see, right? (look at him as you say above line) However - they overlooked one teensy weensy, teeny weeny de- tail. (hand him the ribbon, nut and bolt) 8It was the nut that was holding the bolt... sorry, not you, sir.. (take it all back - point to nut) This nut.. because you see once they had placed the bolt into the nut... and then secured the bolt in the nut... they forgot to check the nut!... Here would you please check it out... (remove bolt and hand it to him) And that's why the Titanic was only the biggest ship afloat.. temporarily! technicolor prediction This is a comedy mentalisn routine - one of several meth- ods developed with my dad, Eric Lewis. The performer displays a set of three small envelopes- one red, one blue, and one yellow. Two spectators, a man and a woman, are invited to each select an envelope. The choice is fair, but the performer insists he has predicted the spectators actions. We'll assume the man chooses the red, the woman the blue. Each is asked to open their chosen envelope, remove the papers within, and read out loud the mes- sage thereon The ian reads out, “I predict you will choose the red envelupe.” The woman reads, “I predict you will pick the blue envelope.” Of course, the audience assumes this is burlesque mentalism. However, the performer's yellow envelope contains a paper reading, “I predict I will be left with the yellow envelope: the man will choose the red: and the woman will choose the blue!” Required is a Himber Wallet, aud nine envelopes - three of each color. One set of envelopes (one of each color) is set with prediction messages which say, “I predict you will choose the ____ envelope. Place this set into one side of the wallet The other six envelopes cover the six possible outcomes of the participants’ choices, with the appropriate messages as per the effect just described. These are placed in the other side of the wallet, indexed so you can get to the proper envelope quickly. (Staggering the envelopes helps here. You may wish to use a piece of cardboard to help mount the envelopes in position.) 9At first, you open your wallet to the three envelope side, displaying one of each color. the two spectators make their choices, removing those envelopes from the wallet. Flip the wallet closed, gesturing with it towards each spectator, repeating their choices. Comment, *... that leaves the envelope for me...” Open the wallet, towards yourself, to the index side, and take out the appropriate envelope. Conclude as above. A worthwhile gag is to have a further message on the back of your prediction, which one of the spectators reads aloud: “My goodness, I'm amazed! I think I'll applaud!” Of course, the audi- ence will follow suit torn cigarette paper For the first few years in my career as a magician I performed close up magic exclusively. This was at the Magic Cellar in San Francisco. As the club grew so did the audiences until we were forced to set aside the green baize table and build a stage in it’s place. While this was taking place I quietly panicked. No more Table, no more lapping, (where do those stage magicians hide stuff?) What to do, what to do I read that Nate Leipzig did perform the torn and restored cigarette paper to large audiences. Because I already did this effect close up I decided to try it on stage. My first few tries met little enthusiasm. The trick was just not visible enough. Undaunted I retired to the drawing board to return a few months later with pastiche of ideas garnered trom the four corners of the Magic Castle library. This time the effect played. I kept in my act for over five years. The only originality I claim is for the display of the torn pieces. The real credit goes mainly to Hatton and Plate for having published in “Magicians Tricks, How they are done” (1910) a paragraph titled “The Torn Cigarette Paper Trick.” I am flattered that David Copperfield asked me to teach him my routine, I did, and he subsequently performed it in one of his TV specials with a paper heart. To good effect I may add The papers you select must be the plain variety with 10no gum and no creases. I have found “OCB” brand papers to be ideal. You also need some magician's wax. Blue-tak will not work. I use a wax product made for adhering candles to candlesticks that is available from craft stores. Prepare the package of papers by putting a tiny dab of wax in the center of the underside. Also, if you use OCBs, sepa rate the top sheet of the packet. The papers come glued along one edge, like a notepad. This helps removal during performance. Now for the preparation of the restoration pellet - the packet that will be switched for the torn pieces. Folding this packet correctly is essential; it is this fold that permits the fluid and visually satisfying effect of instant restoration. Illustration 1 and 2 show the paper being folded into a spill, while 3 shows where to pleat the spill to form a packet with a tail. To complete the fold wrap the tail completely around the packet. Attach this ball to the wax on the packet of papers. Make sure that the part of the ball where the tail ends makes contact with the wax to prevent the ball from springing open aM prematurely. Put the papers thus prepared in your right jacket pocket. Next put a dab of wax on the cuticle of your right thumbnail. Use enough U to cover the moon of the nail, and smooth it out. Applied carefully, the wax will blend in Q) with the moon and become h unnoticeable L\ a_™ To perform. “People often ask me what the difference is between sleight of hand and illusion, well it has nothing to do with the size! An illusion may be demonstrated with even the smallest of lems.” @) Remove the papers from your pocket, as you do this secure the pellet between theright second and third fingertips. Transfer the papers to your left hand and hold them chest high. Drop your right hand to your side with the pellet. “Something as small as a cigarette paper for example.” Turn to a spectator seated to your right and hand them the papers. As you do this your right side will be turned away from the audience. Use this moment to transfer the pellet from your fingertips to the wax on your thumbnail “Would you be kind enough to remove one paper from the packet please, blow on it, make sure there is only one and not two stuck together.” Take this paper with your left hand and leave the rest of the papers with the spectator. “Please observe that my hands do not leave this area.” Suggest an area about the size of a 13” TV screen about 18” in front of your chest. Please note that when gesturing with either hand be aware of keeping the pellet from view. Keep your thumbnails on a parallel plane to your chest and make identical gestures with either hand Start a tear in the middle of the top long edge of the paper. then, holding the narrow edges delicately between first finger and thumb, palms toward the viewer and fingers wide open, complete the tear. Place the two halves together one in front of the other. Give these a quarter turn and begin a tear again. Hold the sides as before but this time make sure that the pads of the fingers contact plenty of the paper's surface. Complete the tear. As you separate your hands gently squeeze thumb and first fingers together. You will find that you can display the four pieces in a very effective manner now by simply opening your hands wide, palms toward the audience, and fingers spread wide apart. Due to the natural adhesive quality of the paper the quarters will adhere to their respective fingers and thumbs. Be extra careful not to expose the pellet at this point. Close the thumb and first finger of the left hand and take 12these two quarters between the thumb and first finger of the right hand and between the two quarters already there. Show your left hand front and back. Take the four pieces into your left hand. During this move- ment your left hand must slide the pellet off your right thumbnail and take it behind the pieces. Show your right hand front and back. Again take the pieces between the first finger and thumb of the right hand taking the pellet first between the balls of the fingers. Use both hands to squash the pieces into a ball then stick this ball on the thumbnail and bring the prepared pellet into view. This will be easier for you to follow if you have the trick in hand Separate the tail from the pellet and hold it firmly between the thumb and first finger of the right hand. Ina single stroking movement, with your left first finger and thumb, open the packet into a spill. Pause with this for a second. Another stroking movement across the width of the spill will open it into it’s original shape. Hold this delicately between the first finger and thumb of the left hand. As atten- tion is on this, steal the bits from your right thumbnail be- tween the tips of the right first and second fingers. Hold the right hand flat, palm up, but angled to pre- vent the spectators from seeing the torn bits. Place the re- stored pieces flat onto these fingertips and blow gently, caus- ing the restored paper to float into the air and then flutter to the floor. Take a bow and retrieve the packet of papers. Put them away with the torn pieces. ‘That's it, you might want to make a few extra restora- tion balls and keep them in the same pocket as the papers. Then, if by chance you drop the restoration ball, there is no need to panic. Comment that some magicians may resort to such trickery - but not you! Casually get the papers back from the spectator, put them away, and steal another ball.mardo egg bag patter This joke makes ideal patter for the Mardo Egg Bag. Just use a golf ball instead of an egg. The plaid bag . you claim, is the pocket from a pair of loud golfers pants. Make it vanish and reappear three times. Finally produce a shot glass of liquor. Iwas playing golf with a friend who had a most wiusual golf ball. On the first tee he sliced this ball into the trees. I thought it was lost but he snapped his fingers and the ball grew little mechanical legs, walked to the fairway, and jumped into his pocket. On his second stroke he hooked this ball into a sand trap. I thought it was a goner but he snapped his fingers and the ball grew a little mechanical shovel, dug it's way to the fairway, and jumped into his pocket. On his third shot he hit the ball straight... straight into a wee stream in front of the green. I thought the ball was history but he snapped his fingers and the ball grew a liltle mechanical outboard motor, propelled itself to the fairway, and jumped into his pocket. I could contain myself no longer. I asked my friend “Where can I get a ball like that.” He said, “I dunno, I found it..." Twent to the nineteenth hole for a drink. maskelyne's 24 rules During the lecture I will make some mention of theory. I will try to make this as painless by only explaining theory if it is directly related to the effect being demonstrated. I have included here, however, what I call “Maskelyne’s two dozen.” These twenty four rules are from the second edition of Our Magic by Maskelyne and Devant. I believe that if you fully understand these thoughts and apply them to your performances you cannot fail to become a successful magician 14masklyne's 24 rules of magic 1 Never set aside any accepted rule, unless it is absolutely necessary to do so for some clearly defined reason. 2 Always endeavor to form an accurate conception of the point of view most likely to be adopted by a disinterested spectator. 3 Avoid complexity of procedure, and never tax either the patience or the memory of the audience. 4 Never produce two simultaneous effects, and let no effect be obscured by any subsidiary distraction. 5 Let each magical act represent a complete, distinct, and separate entity: compromising of nothing beyond one continous chain of essential details, leading to one detinite effect 6 Let every accessory and incidental detail be kept well “within the picture,” and in harmony with the generay impression which is intended to be conveyed 7 Let nothing occur without an apparently substantial cause, and let every potential cause produce some apparently consequent effect. 8 Always remember that avoidable detects are incapable of justification. 9 Always remember that a plea of justification is ordinarily an aknowledgement of error, and consequently demands every possible reparation. 10 Cut your coat according to your cloth, but spare no pains in the cutting, or your procedure cannot be justified 11 Always remember that a notable suprise is incapable of repetition; and that the repetition of an effect, of any kind whatever, cannot create suprise, 12 A minor conception ordinarily demands the cumulative effect of repetition: a conception important in itself should usually create a distinct suprise. 1513 The simultaneous presentation of two independent feats is permis- sible when one of them is associated with cumulative effect and the other in a final suprise. 14 Unless good reason can be shown, never explain, UPON THE STAGE, precicely what you are about to accomplish. 15 When presenting an effect of pure transition, the first and most important essential is the avoidance of every possible cause of distrac- tion. 16 When an effect of transition ends with a sudden revelation or suprise, the course of the transition should be punctuated by actions or sounds leading up to and accentuating the final impression. 17 In every effect of pure transition, the beginning and end of the process involvedshould be distinctly indicated by some coincident occurrence 18 In each presentation, the procedure should lead up to culminating point of interest, at which point the magical effect should be produced and after which nothing magically interesting should occur. 19 When a presentation includes a number of effects in series, the final effect should represent a true climax, and it’s predecessors successive steps whereby that climax is reached 20 When Magic and Drama are combined in one presentation, the stage procedure should primarily be governed by Dramatic requirements of the case, rather than the normal principles of Art in Magic. 21 When, in a combination of the two arts, the primary requirements of drama have been satisfied, all subsidiary details of procedure should be dictated by the normal principles of Art in Magic. 22 No magician should ever present, in public, any magical feat in which the procedure cannot be, or has not been, adapted to his own personal characteristics and abilities. 23 Never attempt. in public, anything that cannot be performed with the utmost ease in private 24 Never present in public any performance which has not been most perfectly rehearsed - first in detail, and finally as a whole. 16