Much running around this past month, but not much of news interest. We wonder about such foolish things as “Force” breakfast cereal and guess how many magi eat it. Tip to West Coasters: Go after Pat Marquis, the Glendale, Calif. boy wonder who does a new version of the x-ray eye act. Eastern papers make claims that the faculty is genuine so much publicity could be garnered by a challenge. The Sears-Roebuck catalogue of magic is Abbott’s new one, with good paper, lots of cuts, and a beautiful printing job. They’re free for a postcard.
Mickey MacDougall is peddling a story to a weekly mag on a sure way of beating the races. I hope he doesn’t go broke before they pay for it. Incidentally, hunch players at Havre De Grace, Maryland on April 20th could have played JINX in the 3rd race and got $5.40 on top of each dollar they might have bet. Generally you can follow a magician’s route by the type of tricks that are getting a rush over the counters in each city. You can follow Blackstone easier, just by watching the exposes.
Frances Rockefeller King, Dunninger’s manager for years, went to the Variety office in high dudgeon after the March 24th article. The copy she carried was not Variety. It was Jinx #31 wherein we reprinted the blurb! Knott Knotes for April carried a story about Frank Ducrot. Even if Thurston didn’t originate the elephant trick at the Hippodrome, and ten thousand is puh-lenty for a levitation, the picture of a stork coming from a hat and causing a lady to faint is worth the cost of the mag which is an overnite stop at a Knott hotel before the issue goes. That New York well known, who recently “got in” with a local lecture bureau at good prices, better lay off $3.00 Y.M.C.A. dates or he’ll cut his throat and wind up depending on his $50 per week job. The ad trick in Editrivia last month has been U.F. Grant’s for about 4 years. I understand Charles Fricke of L.A. is not only a top Judge but a ballistic expert too. Now I’ll have to go west, if only to let him check the bullet I catch in the gun trick. He may be mad that I don’t answer some of his letters, but the next Improvement page will look like a monument to him, so many ideas of value has he sent.
Mystic Craig’s Miracle Bar routine allows of more drinks being poured than any other method, and it’s the only one where you can pour a second drink in the same glass. He brought the portable outfit over one night for a party, and was never so popular before in his life. There are no liquid essences used, it being a different mix-up.
Audley Walsh has a Magician’s Dream effect about ready to market, and ’tis truly such. I was completely fooled twice in succession and didn’t have a suspicion of a lead as to how he handled the card. Vosburgh Lyon’s rising card effect is being built and marketed. It was mentioned here a year ago when I first saw the original model and you can do it in a crowd on any street corner.
It was being produced by another, so U.F. Grant has been given exclusive on the original with signed instructions.
De Roze came over here and started the magic bar craze. I mentioned that formulae and routines were printed by Stanyon in 1907. Now I find a notice “Andrew Macallister, Scotch magician, and a pupil of Phillippe, was in New York in 1848 and did the astounding feat of pouring 22 varieties of liquors from one bottle.”
FLASH! (Last minute paste in over some bad jokes) Robert Rhinehart, author of the Variety articles, is being brought up on charges at the May S.A.M. meeting. For the result, quizz your Parent Assembly acquaintances.
Max Holden’s buying of the rights for Ed Wolff’s Practical Hypnotism has resulted in a very nicely printed and bound work of the former manuscript. Those that know praise it because of the clearness of Wolff’s writing and the boiling down of the important points and methods. Scoopalulu: A 100 page manuscript is being finished by Jack Cutter on gambling and rackets. He’s worked for many years as a first class hustler, and has been behind the counter of gambling emporiums as an expert. His technique is very simple and not the ornate type, so that alone should make the tome popular. Practically all of the material is really new.
Regarding the above advertisement, Mr Proskauer, who heads the organization of Stunts Inc. as well as being president of the S.A.M. Parent Assembly, telephoned me and said that positively no exposing is being done, that mention of magic is only a “come-on” for puzzles and games, that Robert Sherman, of Sherms Inc. and also of the S.A.M. supplies only “slum” apparatus and gadgets, and that he hoped I’d make it clear that he is not an exposer and thus head off any barrage of untrue accusations.
Dr Jacob Daley says that many magicians have to wear gloves for card fans and productions in order to keep the cards clean! And lastly, watch for Mona Lee, the mindreading sensation.
