What intrigued me most (I suppose that I’ll always be more or less partial to any book or manuscript on mental work) about the new Calostro Radio-Vision Mindreading Code is the 3 year research and tabulating job that Bob Doidge put into it. Over a 20 year period his collection of secrets picked up about a hundred systems of all sorts. From these Bob picked the best 25. Then, tacking up a big sheet of ruled paper he broke them all down to discover that certain words were used more than others. Several words found use in 21 of the 25 acts. And the score dropped to words used in but one act. These tabulations were then checked against a frequency list of words most used in everyday conversation. From the results Bob built a code for the mindreader that had the best of all the acts. He eliminated the system of grouping articles in favor of a more modern idea which allows of unlimited scope without getting top heavy. It practically builds automatically with practice and experience. The work covers birthdate, horoscope, lucky numbers, first names, last names, cards, titles and vocations, animals, birds, and almost anything else one can think of including the transmission of drawings. All in all, it’s as comprehensive a code as has been produced to our knowledge, and to the people who have the time and inclination for this type of work, indispensable.
Chester Morris was in New York for several weeks and dropped by to chat about West coast tricks and incidents during his latest personal appearance tour. We hope he remembers our new finish for the 3 billet trick. ‘Twas its first showing and we were a bit scared, for as everyone knows, it’s getting harder every day to do miracles. The best news was that Paramount pics still owns The Life of Houdini script and it may come along suddenly one of these days. Let us all pray until then that Walter Wanger isn’t the producer, not forgetting to tack on the wish that The Great Morris will be in the stellar role.
Justin Gilbert, who columns for Broadway on the Bergen County (N.J.) Daily Record, is busy organizing a magical club consisting only of writers for papers and magazines. If this idea jells, and the first get-together wasn’t bad, it should be a great boost for magic as the members will all be in a position to mention and talk about the art of mystery and its exponents. We’ve always contended that the place to stop exposing was not by appealing to the good nature of magicians who haven’t any, but by making the writers and publishers conscious of the fact that exposing magician’s tricks that they are using is harmful to those person’s livelihoods. Plans are on the fire to use dues payments for hiring a magician (professional) to appear as often as possible before the group. That angle alone (and I mean PAYING acts for their work) should show that the new club is off on the right foot.
Has anyone within reading distance of this sheet seen or definitely heard from or of Doc Nixon since the first of December last? Rather important that we find out. — Arnold Belais, “The Rube Goldberg of Magic,” postcards that the new “Liquid Thread” to be found on the market now as well as in the 5 and 10 cent stores, is perfect for making up Afghan Bands and Clippo. He also suggests that with a little talcum powder on it, the stuff can be used on cards. When two such surfaces are put together, brother, THEY STICK.
With N.Y.’s Heckscher Theatre S.A.M. show in the limbo of a successful past, the next “big” one will be the Knights of Magic Annual Full Evening Night of Magic. The date is March 27th. The place is the Y.M.C.A. auditorium, Central Branch, Fort Green St and Hanson Pl., Brooklyn, New York. We’ve never been to one of the K. of M. shows yet but what there weren’t plenty of new kinks and tricks shown. — We’ve been sort of haunting the Savoy-Plaza (N.Y.) of late during the time Russell Swann has been there. You (or at least Walt Gibson and myself) can’t get tired of the show Russ puts on for he makes the swank set howl for more of his angles on magic presentation. We know of any number of mystery workers who would say that his tricks are too simple and overcast with too much humor. However, we know any number of magi who aren’t working the places that get Swann back time after time. And as long as a fellow can work the best spots without exposing in order to get laughs, that’s all I need to know to boost instead of knock.
If Bob Weill’s Linking Ring efforts to make a collection up for the purpose of getting Al Saal’s picture on the cover of that mag are serious he can include the dollar he’ll be sending us shortly for his Jinx renewal. The only fault, though, with Weill, a second edition of Prof. Jerry Colonna, is that no one ever thinks he’s serious until it’s too late. The gags and the practical jokes come at you too fast. Did you hear about him rigging one of those auto bombs onto a guy who was set with battery and connections for an electric light bulb trick? And the city officials (since several of his publicity effects went over and made the local editors look sheepy) are thinking of changing the name of the town from Buffalo to Buffoono.
Alden I. Dillenback, whose current L.R. article The Suicide Pact is ??????? to many of us is reported as getting ready to commit harikari if John Snyder, Jr. does not get next year’s I.B.M. presidency by a write-in on the ballots. — Winston Freer is also reported as building us a personal one man levitation in thanks for the publicity we’ve recently siphoned out of our veins for him. — And did you hear about the two magicians who challenged each other to a duel with card swords? They were to meet at dawn, with seconds, et al, in approved fashion, brandish their swords in the air and the highest card that appeared was to win a coffin escape gimmick. The instigator of the publicity stunt told his brother (?) magus that both should get Aces of Spades and shake hands over a bloodless duel. The double crosser had an Ace of Spades all right, but it was a GIANT CARD!! I wonder if they slapped each other’s faces with color changing gloves?
Dante is now ensconced, with family, in his western ranch house. He’s very prideful of his machine shop with all the mechanical gadgets necessary to build thumb tips and floating lady gimmicks. He might let down a bit from the bombastic and self made man attitude he is taking with the other boys, for it won’t help him with a lot of swell fellows out there. — Here’s a worthwhile tip for those who have painted metal slates which are smooth and don’t take chalk very well. Don’t try sandpaper. Just put a spoonful of Dutch Cleanser, or Babbo, etc., on the surface and then scour with a damp cloth. Paint will come off but it gives a new roughened side which takes chalk as it should be taken. — And lastly we can’t help telling you about the nite club mystifier who has been having likker trouble during show periods. The management asked a mechanic if the fellow couldn’t be rigged up with a gyroscope top to keep the fellow on his feet and standing straight! Gabbatha!
