One of the "opinion very much to be respected" boys has been boxing my ears verbally since last issue's denouncement of the LeRoy show, and with good logic. His view is that Servais was more or less stampeded into the attempt by the overenthusiastic producer who should have considered what time and inactivity can do to a magician. An awfully strong point is the assertion that LeRoy did not "break" when he saw everything going to "pot" but carried on as a showman should. However one may discuss and argue that angle there still remains the fact that he didn't…
July 6, 1940 The funniest story to come our way during the week was recounted by Bert Kalmar. He talked with John Booth just after the latter had made all arrangements to enter the ministry and let his professional magic career drift. Bert asked when John was starting his new line of life. John, among magi friends of years standing, spoke without thinking, and then caught himself, "I open on the --!! I mean that I take up my duties, etc." Mr. Kalmar, he of the song writing team of Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, spent some of his time…
Servais LeRoy, a name to conjure with. I can only too well remember when I used to absorb every word and every name in the magic books and papers, wondering if I'd ever see any of them perform their illusions, not daring to expect ever knowing them personally. Well do I recall the magic pages of the Billboard (they had 3 full pages per week then) with probably the most militant fight against exposing ever waged by any magus. It was Servais LeRoy. We saw him but a few weeks ago and doubt if he was ever more dapper and…
The main thing that appeals to our somewhat jaded sense of mystery is that the Invisible Pull effect in this issue is the only such type of gimmick that will work even after the elastic breaks! Certainly no slight was intended in issue #81 when we talked about being conversant with only two lady magi in this country today and heralded the coming of a Miss Blanche from the other side. The word "professional" should have been inserted and that would have saved us from criticism for not mentioning Roberta and Marion Byron. The sisters in magic have shown their…
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…
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…
Our May 1938 issue #44 had what now is becoming much discussed, or at least mentioned by various magical mag writers. The prophecy (to a day !) when Austria would lose her independence was offset a bit by "A country, not long ago thought to be strong and stormproof, will offer a very pitiful spectacle". The date given was July 22, and two months later came Munich. This was all Oct. 1937 prophecy business via astrology. However, the spine tingler angle on that Polish monk's seering, (also in #44) which, mind you, was foretold in 1788, was regarding the "general…
Jinx Indexes are all gone so don't order from us direct. Try your dealer. We had no idea so many were keeping complete files although the fact that back numbers have never appeared on counters at nickel and dime prices should have tipped us off. And speaking of sellouts, the Hilliard book has passed 800 of the 1000 edition. There is talk in the air of another printing. There has been some discussions about the number of card tricks in the tome. Well, The Art Of Magic is still selling, isn't it? And you consider it a textbook, don't you?…
Just as we warned, the DeLaurence Co. has clamped down a bit on their majestic catalogue of the occult influence on life in general. This is especially so in the cases of those who wrote on their "rabbit from a hat" stationery and even mentioned The Jinx. The company of "messages for the multitude" is not in sympathy with wand wielders who, for the most part, are unbelievers. In a letter to one such higher plane aspirant, they quoted a price of 50 cents (it's well worth it) and asked for a copy of the publication in which they got…