Giovanni has been signed up for one or more MGM "shorts" to demonstrate via the screen his pocketpicking talents and what to look out for when in a crowd. Fred Rothenberg swears by all that is sacred in magic that he never did know when the fellow got his wristwatch and then his suspenders. Silent Mora's favorite magician story is worth printing. Back in the days when everyone was doing Sawing a Woman in Half some dodo hired a couple of B'way chorines, and went on the road. One night, the girl playing "feet" quit the show and left. In…
Echoes of the Will Rock (Thurston ?) show are still heard about town. Some of the boys took exception to our rite-up (#91) as being too lenient. Their criticisms focused on his routining of the illusions, playing up, with good excuse, the fact that the audience didn't know the show was over. On first thought we passed that part by in our praise over the clean cut technique of presentation minus, of course, the Thurston warmth. On second thought we see our critics' view only too well. Most big shows we've seen, including Thurston's, did one illusion after another with…
Away back when the Jinx was bestablized, ('twill never be. Ed.) there was published a stack that would beat the solitaire game of "Canfield." Now, and with as few apologies as will save face, we offer Mr. Arbuthnot's arrangement, easily made, for beating that gambling houses' money maker. Our previously printed set-up was, to the "fast crowd", an old maid's version too easily, on percentage, broken. Canfield, who ran the famous Casino in the Gay Nineties, and who originated this type of solitaire, would sell, for $52, and pay $5 for each card played onto the foundation. Hence, you must…
Prediction while being chased: If that Winston Freer levitation is practical for anyone but himself it will be the "headless woman" mystery trick of 1940, to be seen on every sideshow platform, to be copied right and left by pirate builders, and about the middle of the season to be exposed in several of the mechanic magazines if not the Sunday supplements. The Playbill, N.Y.C. theatre program weekly, has been carrying a full page Nash automobile ad with a large leader - "You'll Feel like Houdini when you do it !" The intimation is that when you're in a Nash…
One pony of Gin One pony of Scotch Whiskey One-half egg One pony of lime juice One-half teaspoonful powdered sugar Ice, shake, (but well !) ((sometimes the drink starts shaking you, so hang on !)), strain into a small bar glass. (Note by Annemann, an old rainmaker; Keep your umbrella handy.)
Ropes in the air, especially with hindu boys aclimbing, are anathema to magicians. It is with gusto that we reproduce from LIFE magazine the true explanation, or, at least, one of them. --- For nearly forty years The Sphinx has been a lodestone for magicians. It has seen them come and go, especially those aspirants to the throne (?) of president in one society or another. We are in that era again, and I don't mean the S.A.M. --- There's no late news on Chester Morris' mishap. In his latest pic a machine gun went off a bit too close…
The "black cat" mystery subscription card that was sent around the country during the month (you didn't have to sign or mark. Just stroke the cat's back and whisper your name and address in its ear, and mail) kept not a few magi busy looking for the "key." We got cards back that had been soaked, heated to a burning point, crumpled into balls, trimmed, and even tinted blue. So far we are 100% on check-offs and so far no one has found anything definitely wrong. We said in the accompanying circular that we had a cat with a crystal…