The S.A.M. Club Night was on December 3rd at the Hotel MacAlpin in New York. I had a review written out with all of the effects presented and the running time of each. In view of the fact that the show has been reported capably elsewhere before this, I’ve basketed my copy and will touch on the high spots only, especially those details which others didn’t consider of value as news.
Sam Margolies talked four minutes about the Annual Show for the Hospital and wound up by introducing Cardini, thereby upsetting Mr. Homer and causing no end of ruckus and bad language within very few feet of the front rows. Cardini did eleven minutes, the latter three being taken up with a travesty on a cute rubber band trick and the bland remark that those present could find out about it by reading Popular Mechanics. In short, Mr. Cardini gracefully crammed it down everyone’s throat that exposing was his business rather than that of the society. Whether or not the society likes such cramming can be assumed only by their adherence to the expose rules.
Comments were quite plentiful. To me, the sarcastic by-play by Mr. Cardini was sadly out of place before such a gathering. I wonder if he would do it at a regular meeting rather than before assembled guests who could only lift eyebrows at the display of bad taste. It ruined a magnificent manipulative presentation. Mr. Altman, Chairman of the Expose Committee, commented, “It was very poor judgment.” I asked Mr. Mulholland about the expose mentioned. “I haven’t seen it,” he replied. I asked him what Cardini meant by his last remarks. Came the reply, “He didn’t speak to me, did he?” I asked, “Did he?” John smiled, shook his head, and walked away.
Mr. Julian Proskauer, National Counsel President, speaking of the show and behind-scenes activities, remarked, “The petty jealousies among magicians are enough to make a sane man insane and an insane man worse.” I asked him about current exposing. “The harmony that now exists on the surface in all magical societies for the first time in years is sitting on the edge of a volcano waiting for the next big expose to blow it up. Exposures of magical effects used by working magicians will wreck any society, but exposures of petty tricks interest outsiders in magic. However, when you countenance small exposures, you encourage exposures of everything, and it’s time that was stopped.” He looked at me. “You don’t agree with me about the petty tricks, do you?” I said, “Hell no, but I asked for your views so I’ll print them.”
Eugene Homer, when asked about his evening’s feud with Mr. Margolies: “Don’t bother me. I haven’t time to think about the—!”
Hardeen was asked how he liked the show: “Who asked John Mulholland to talk about the history of the S.A.M. anyway, and why didn’t he mention Houdini?” (quote by permission).
Otherwise, it was a pleasant evening. Mr. Belais made no comment about the incessant clatter and bell ringing by which Mr. Homer showed his obvious disapproval of the former’s presentation. I think he showed a lot of willpower. He should have walked off and put the bell where it belonged.
Perhaps I seem a bit upset, but these things are overlooked in the usual glowing reports. If this petty kid stuff of sticking out tongues like chastised schoolboys would be done only at the closed meetings, at least outsiders and invited guests wouldn’t be impressed that magic is for children only. These same men wouldn’t use such tactics in their business or they wouldn’t be able to buy even The Jinx.
Percy Abbott will start a new monthly called The Tops on January 1st. By the subscription price, I assume that it will be a house organ, but I envy the published list of his contributors for the first issue. The advance notices say that grievances will be published and that if you feel like speaking your mind, just send it in. This is a step in the right direction for the good of magic.
Since the lamentable death of Doctor Wilson, there has been no magazine or publication to challenge advertisers who creep in and openly denounce the practice of these same advertisers who persist in advertising what they haven’t got and can get only through advance orders. Doctor Wilson used to guarantee his readers against loss when they answered advertisements in his magazine, but such a practice seems to have died with him.
So, if none will undertake such a responsibility, it must be left to independent publications not dependent upon advertising to keep the magical buyers informed as to which dealers are reliable and which are not. I’ve tried to do it with The Jinx, and Mr. Abbott’s publication, if it adheres to this advertised policy, will be a welcome addition to the field of honest magic for sincere buyers.
Mr. Abbott announces that ‘anyone’ may advertise in his magazine. Therefore, I fear for his ‘grievance’ policy. The Jinx takes no ads. We are free to say what we please. We can win renown if we are on the right path, and if otherwise, our circulation will convince us that we are wrong. Let us hope that The Tops has a successful existence for the sake of good magic, if only because of its excellent array of contributors.
Something’s wrong somewhere. Burling sent me a couple of letters, and because I couldn’t see straight after reading them, I ordered any more returned.
“My dear Annemann: I am appending this little private note to my other, which you might want to print. [What do you mean note? This one is two full pages, and the one I did use was more than I promised.] No, Stage Magic was NOT seven years late, but like the Edison Talking Pictures, Television National Broadcast, and MANY, MANY OTHER projects, it was announced, started, and then withdrawn because I could not find time to produce it on the scale I desired. [You’re still pretty busy, aren’t you?] There was no reason for any competition between our publications. Certainly, mine has in no way slowed yours up; it has, in reviews, commended your Jinx and your own ability. [I’ll give a life subscription to The Jinx if you can show my name or that of The Jinx in any issue of Stage Magic to date.]”
Burling, as far as I’m concerned, my only great dislikes in magic are against those who advertise something they haven’t got and don’t produce. For two months (Oct-Nov), you promised a picture of your new shop in The Sphinx ad. In December, you promised it again but in your catalogue. (Nice plug?) And I’m not kidding when I say I’ll give you another life subscription if you’ll just print the address of the shop under the picture. I don’t mean a box number either, for I’m old enough to know you can’t keep it in one of those little things.
I’ve used up enough space, so shall go into my dance and finale:
THIS SHOULD END THE BURLING HULL MATTER.
From a magician known to most Jinx readers, at least by name, I have received a letter that may put a different aspect on my recent correspondence with Burling. I am always ready to be set right when I am wrong, and I value this man’s judgment and opinion. Hence, I shall quote his letter here, in all fairness.
First, I shall give brief extracts from his letter, then I shall print the letter in full below.
Extracts:
“You were wrong in saying what you did about Burling Hull (…) Nothing that you could say would hurt him in the eyes of magicians (…) Hull is an honest man in every respect (…) He always keeps his word (…) You owe an apology (…)”
Those are, as I said, extracts from my good friend’s letter. Now here it is in full:
“You were wrong in saying what you did about Burling Hull because you merely spend your money to give him some free advertising. Nothing that you could say would hurt him in the eyes of magicians who have had dealings with him, as they know already things that you would not print… You owe an apology to the readers of The Jinx for mentioning him in it.”
I apologize.