Bob Gysel of Toledo died on January 5th. If any man could be a genius of weird ideas (that worked) Gysel was the one. He was certainly the most erratic and unfathomable piece of human flesh and blood, and the mere sight of him was a call for the militia, but he was one of the best read men on spirit work and lock intricacies I’ve had the good fortune to know. My correspondence dates back to 1924, and my file of over 200 letters in those 13 years contains some of the screwiest (it’s the only possible word for it) information of value I could hope to possess. I’ll miss him a lot.
That billboard advert of Blacaman, The Indian Fakir, has been creating talk. He is a mesmerist of Animals, and carries 50 crocodiles, 30 lions and 50 snakes! The truth is that there is such a 1 hour show, but he’s in Mexico now, and the BB ad is a feeler for work in this country. — Dave Allison, on the pan for exposing the bird cage in newspapers and the Easy Aces movie short, just purchased a new $15 cage from a N.Y. dealer! — The editor reaching plan for crimping exposures as outlined in the current Jinx Extra, was read at the last N.Y. S.A.M., liked by the members present, and a committee is jelling. — And did a N.Y. card ace’s features get red when, after giving a booker two big (and I mean big!) names for reference, the prospective customer checked and found they had never heard of the mystery man! — Max Holden’s place was recently used as the basis of a picture story about magicians in general. And Frank Ducrot lately got a letter addressed to Otto Maurer! In the last 50 years, the Hornmann Magic Co. has taken over more than 30 different magic firms.
Tid-bit from the Jan 8th Billboard. “Myrus, the College Inn (Chicago) Mental Marvel, with revelations that make one wonder whether Myrus or the listener is screwey.” — Germany, not content with stopping magi from using food of any type in their acts, and from exposing via the stage, has also banned newspaper exposes, and now stopping amateurs from taking jobs away from professionals. — Joe Ovette got himself in the movie issue #44 of Strange As It Seems with his hanging by the neck stunt. He gets out of a straight-jacket that way. He can’t do it hanging by the ankles because he gets dizzy! — Trivia: The four kings in a deck of cards are supposed to represent King David, the Psalmist; Alexander, the Great; Julius Caesar and Charlemagne. — Micky MacDougal, the Card Detective, has a story in a coming Cosmopolitan called So You Think You’re Gambling?
Figure it out for yourself department: (I can’t) Dunninger had a recent mediumistic spread in the February issue of Foto. A lady hairdresser in Ohio sent a fan letter “The velocity of the wind will never supersede the power of the mind.” She said the thought just “came” to her. — Incidentally, Dunninger makes it too, too tough for copyists by the simple expedient of fooling the booking agents as well as the public. One recently caught the act, immediately got in touch with all the magi he had listed and said he wanted the same stuff. When he described what had taken place, the wand welders all went home and started selling their stuff to China for old metal. — Dexter, expert masseur when magic doesn’t pay, had some exposes published in Sunday spreads, one of which was the ring on the wand. He’s always called himself the best dressed magician. In the picture with a lady, he still wears his silk topper! — That “outhouse” cartoon attributed by every means but confession to J.J.P. is bringing $1 per from collectors.
Error corrected with apologies: That $5 prize to Orville Meyer for The Finders in Genii was justified. I slipped because it was the same title and inventor, but ’twas an entirely different mystery. I should have known better than to think Bill Larsen would have his eyes closed. That January issue is better proof than ever he isn’t sleeping. — Vindication: From Thomas Gravetta in London town “I saw Henry E. Dixey work his cigarette vanish (Jinx #10) in vaudeville years ago. I must have been impressed as I can visualize it yet.” — Stewart Judah and John Braun got together and produced Subtle Problems You Will Do, which is the truth. Judah always has been noted for his care in working and the really cute subterfuges that will fool the best of the initiated. — Leon Maguire brought out a new version of the telephone book trick which is extremely effective from the audience. The method of handling is very neat and free.
If you must gamble, bet on a sure thing like the 20 matches. Just wager anybody that he can’t light a full paper of 20 matches, one at a time, without missing a stroke somewhere among them. Bet even money, and you’ll win eight times out of ten. — Judge Charles W. Fricke explains (?) the Hindu Lota after it has filled a number of times with water, by finally taking from out of it a small dog! — Jack Chanin is coming out with a booklet The Further Adventures of 7 in 1. I wonder how many passed up the first 7 in 1 manuscript who would buy it twice after seeing Jack do the routine. — Barkaan Rosinoff took umbrage at that N.Y. Times article I used last issue, the part saying he was not representing the Calif. assembly in making the Proskauer charges. I have a photostat of the O.K. from them, signed by all members, so hereby humbly apologize for the N.Y. Times.
Crowded out of last month’s Editrivia was a most intriguing notice. N.Y.C. found cheating quite rampant in its proportional representation count at recent elections. I append a news clip to show how some low downs took advantage of one of our most respected gimmicks, the main idea being to change the figure 1 to a 4. Anyone caught with a pencil was subject to arrest, so “a piece of lead under the nail”, as one paper put it, became a valuable tool of unscrupulous politicians. Who says magic is dead and useless?
More trivia for table cloth scribblers: Write out all the names of the cards in a deck – ace, two three, etc., up to queen and king – then add all the letters together and they’ll total fifty-two, the same number of cards as there are in a deck. And you can do the same in the French language – with the same result. That is, if you care.
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