Since the cinema houses inaugurated "free dish nights" and "prize allotments" throughout the U.S. in order to bolster up attendance marks, the public has become as conscious of "chances" as of the movies themselves. There have been a number of effects based on free selections of envelopes with the performer successful always in winning the prize, but I offer the following because it is simple, direct, and has been in constant use with my program. The magician shows six business size envelopes. All are in a sealed condition and each contains a piece of paper, dollar bill size, with the…
Magic catalogues of a decade ago were wont to describe each effect, ad oft subsequent disappointments to a degree of nauseum, as being suitable for parlor, club or stage. We offer Not For The Meek as strictly a parlor or drawing room mystery for not too large a gathering. The title itself is in order because the problem needs perfect aplomb and not an iota of hesitation in its performance. The performer shows a box of Life Saver rolls, and from it takes one. He calls attention to the fact that, because of the hole in the center of each…
While not excruciatingly remarkable, this effect of a dollar bill enlarging itself to one about four times its original size can be used in a number of combinations other than by itself. It lends itself to one of those "incidental" presentations which often are remembered when the trick in which a bill was used has been forgotten. All magic shops and novelty stores now carry the giant size dollar bills in quite good replica. We are not certain about other countries, but with the novelty at height in America it seems probable that pitchmen and grafters in England have similar…
Dollar bills, (or higher if you can get them) are always of interest to an audience. This original exchange which is the last word in constant visibility can be used for any number of tricks which require substitution either for another bill, or a dummy. In the latter case we would like to go on record as never having seen a dummy bill which could be considered a "safe" counterpart. We speak, naturally, as "safe" pertains to entertainment purposes only. Pertaining to "dummies" we know of those who have torn a one inch strip from the end of a bill…
Tommy Downs was how he was introduced to us when we met the Koin King along with his ever present buddy Eddie McLaughlin. It was around 1928-29 that it happened and the man who wrought up London with his manipulations in 1907 treated us fairly and squarely when our tricks so pridefully displayed morning after morning for a week did or did not fool him. It meant a lot to our, then limited, perspective on magic and magicians. We can never forget the Downs' trick of being cordial to the point of putting his hand upon the shoulder of an…
I'm afraid I'm losing my mind. Let me show you what happened or rather what I think happened and then you judge. Several weeks ago I borrowed $1000 from my friend, Mr. A, which he gave me in one bill remarking that he had made a record of the serial number in case it were stolen. (Borrow a $1 bill and have the number noted.) I used the money to purchase Goldbrick stock. (Place the bill in an envelope to represent the stock certificate.) Of course I had some savings of my own, $1000 to be exact, which I kept…
Although beautifully simple and practically automatic, this amusing deceit still has enough interest to hold any audience. Built about a topical theme the patter makes the effect run smoothly. Withdrawing ten new and crisp dollar bills from his wallet, the magus remarks that he has just come from the bank. When the teller cashed the check he reminded the performer of the counterfeit money now in circulation. The performer continues that because of late improvements in ink and printing it has become almost impossible in many cases for the Treasury Department to detect the real from the spurious. Actually, however,…
When Tom Sellers published a trick called It's Only Chance in his booklet Novel Necromancy (1935), little did he realize how many varied methods of producing the effect would appear during the next four years. I haven't kept track but there must be at least a dozen methods of producing the effect of having spectators freely select a flock of envelopes and leave the performer holding the bank, i.e., the one containing the dollar bill. My contribution to the group of such effects follows. It can be performed at any time (provided you have the money, of course) and at…
Calling it BANK NITE, Floyd Thayer first released a most excellent idea in an early issue of Genii. As is customary and to be expected with all items of sound effect, improvements and variations began to follow. The method to follow does away with the use of any arbitrary counting to a selection, such as the word "Bingo", etc., and makes of it a more personalized trick with the audience. The variation also tends to impress the watchers that the selection of envelopes is perfectly free and left undeniably to chance alone. Five envelopes are used. This number will be…