Coloroto

The magician, between other card effects, remarks that playing cards are very, very old in history. He continues that first mention of tricks with cards is found in books and writings of 300 years ago. One of the first of these was the then miraculous feat of making one card change to another. The performer proceeds to demonstrate this as he talks, color changing the face card of the pack. Then he tells how magic has improved through the ages and states that the changing of one card’s face is today considered “small power” in the eyes of the magi. Today is the age of mass production and effort and the magicians have had to keep up with the times.

The performer now calls attention to the fact that the deck he has been using is blue backed. He hands it to a spectator requesting him to remove four cards of the same value, adding “Take the Jacks out. They’re Knaves and shouldn’t be left at large anyway”. The remainder of the blue backed deck is given to the performer who places it aside. He picks up and shows a red backed deck. He runs through and picks out four cards, apparently, putting the deck aside.

The four cards are fanned to show 4 seven spots and then turned around to show their red backs. The fan is closed. A pass is made over the face seven and it changes to a Jack of the same suit. And immediately the four cards are fanned to show FOUR JACKS. And then the fan is turned around to show BLUE backs ! The performer says, as he closes the fan and puts them onto the blue deck from which the spectator removed the Jacks “and that’s how the magician takes care of difficulties today. No matter how many cards, faces and backs, all happens at one time. And the wizard keeps his deck complete”.

The answer ? Roughened cards. The principle so popular today is hereby used for an excellent closer to any series of card effects. At the finish of these explanations will be found the most practical formulae for making such cards.

The preparation of these cards, that is, in what way they are prepared, is shown in the illustration. The cards are prepared, in their respective ways, either on the top or bottom half of the back or face. Before fanning, the packet of eight cards (apparently four) is squared face down in the left hand, then picked up by the right hand with thumb at the faces and the index finger at the back and fanned.

This shows four sevens at the start and when they are turned around the red backs show. The cards fan in pairs perfectly when done with the one hand as described. It would be wise to dot the end with a pencil where they (the bunch of eight) should be grasped for the first fan.

Sevens are shown on the fan, and, when turned, the backs are seen to be red, as they should be for the cards were taken from the red deck. Everything is in order. The fan is closed. The face card is seen to be a seven, but after a pass it has turned to a Jack. This is an elementary color change, the “fresh” card coming from the back to the front. The same move can have been used in the descriptive change used with the original blue deck.

Now that the face seven has changed to a Jack, the packet is turned end for end in the showing and then fanned once more with the thumb in front and the fingers behind. This time ALL CARDS SEEN ARE JACKS. The roughing plus the change of one card from back to face takes care of this problem. And when the fan is now turned around the backs of the cards are seen to have changed color to blue ! The fan is closed and the cards deposited upon the blue pack when the performer tells all that modern magic cannot be qualmed — that a true magus can ever keep his own deck complete.

(Editor’s note : Keep this stunt set as a finish to any card routine. The angle of taking people into your confidence (?) is sound always, provided you louse them up as this effect does admirably.)