In endeavoring to present a four-ace trick not requiring the skill of a Vernon, Cardini, or Daley, this which follows should help many. No blanket claims for originality is claimed. Aside from certain rather minor improvements which I made in collaboration with Mr. Ralph Schugar, his combination of moves are different from anything previously published. The fact that a borrowed deck may be used should appeal to the most fastidious. Three double faced cards are added to any deck, an accomplishment not impossible even to the newest member of the I.B.M. These cards are the aces of hearts, diamonds, and…
If a real black magic magician was doing a card trick, he would have the card selected, returned to the deck, and then, without further monkeyshines, let the audience tell him how they would like to have it located. That's what you do in this one! Briefly, the effect is this. You allow a spectator to cut a shuffled deck at any place, remove the card to which he cut, note and replace it, and put the cut-off cards back on it. Then, without (apparently) doing anything at all, you finish the trick in any one of three ways as…
This little routine is based on an effect originated by Sid Lorraine, I believe, and later improved by Theo. Annemann. I have elaborated the effect and have applied some different methods. Three playing cards, a black jack, a black king, and a red queen, are handed a spectator. He mixes them well and then holds them in front of him fan-wise with the backs facing you. Up to now you have stood ten or fifteen feet in front of him. Walk towards him, look into his eyes, and say, "I am going to guess which is the queen." Exactly in…
Back in 1921, nineteen years ago, there appeared upon the advertising pages of magical journals a sales item called by the coined name XKWIZIT. This momentary phenomenon carried this message to prospective buyers. "A subtle principle applied to a deck of cards which absolutely does away with the pass and takes the place of stripper decks, long and short cards, forcing decks, marked cards, etc." "Invaluable to any card worker - as the deck may be shuffled by a spectator both before and after the selected cards are returned to the deck." "Yet, upon the return of the deck, the…
The following effect together with the method for its performance have been found very acceptable over a period of years of professional engagements. In my card work I have always tried to think of the showmanship before the method, for it is what an audience thinks it is seeing that is more important to be true, than what actually takes place to make the effect possible. Most difficult sleights can almost always be circumvented by the use of a subterfuge. Behind-the-scenes trickery of this sort is decidedly permissible because the magician is supposed to be a wonder-worker or he would…
"You have, say, thirty cards, which you show, back and front. You call especial attention to the fact that there are no two cards alike among them; all different. Now you take about half of the lot of cards and hand them to anyone with the request that they "hold on to them tight." Then you spread out the remaining cards and ask three different persons to each mentally select one of the cards. You now square up the cards and command the selected ones to fly into the hands of the gentleman who holds the other cards. Upon spreading…
The following combination of two mysteries is of the type most suitable for intimate audiences and small club shows. By following the first effect, which is repeated several times, with the second, and improved version of the Princess Card Trick, and which is done but once for the climax, one has a very bewildering series of apparent predictions and mental selections. Four Jacks are selected from the pack and shown. One is placed face downwards on the table, and a spectator asked to name one of the four Knaves. No matter which is called, the card on the table proves…
If the magicians who read these words spend an evening period of two hours to make up the required gimmick combination, plus an additional hour or so of steady practise in making the fans required, provided they don't already have them mastered, they'll be in possession of a really new and quite startling routine to be used at almost any time during their program. The modern deck of cards obtainable now in the five and ten stores have a wide range of ornamental backs. These are of such odd designs that they allow of at least four entirely different patterns…
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.…
(Cedric, of London, uses this extremely cute trick as an advertising novelty, the cards and instructions being packed into an envelope for giveaway purposes after a trial. Ed.) The cards used for this "sell" are illustrated on our Comic Section page. Note. - The key card is the Four of Spades with the words "I will" printed thereon. This card can be read from the back, made possible by any secret marking that is convenient to the individual performer. The trick is best shown in the company of "the man who never pays." Without showing the faces of the cards,…