June 25, 2008
Posted on 6/25/2008
There are now two new FREEBIES on the site. One is already in the Archive (“Easy O. Henry”). So, go there to check it out and then download it. The other (“Spell-Mell”) can be directly accessed by clinking on FREEBIE. Versions of Spelling to the Aces was trendy back in the 70s, revived when Gene Finnell introduced the Free-Cut Principle. Interest in spelling tricks is periodically revived; however, interest tends to peter out quickly. Lorayne’s “Spell-Mell” has a neat, slap-dash pace to it; hence, it seems uncontrived. When I first published this item, I wrote that Lorayne imparts a sense of casualness to its presentation, suggesting that he is improvising on the spot. Therefore, if you perform ”Spell-Mell” at the right tempo and moment, magicians will be as puzzled as lay people.
The new TRICK (“Copy-Cat Cards”) is really an old trick, although it has been more or less buried. It is based on Brother John Hamman's "The Magic Cards" (The Secrets of Brother John Hamman-1989, p. 99), an effect reminiscent of the Universal Card motif. (Check out UNIVERSAL CARD 2.0 on the site.) But there is a difference insofar that the Universal Card is a single card that successively changes to three selections. In Hamman's trick, three unknown or “magic cards” apparently change into three duplicates of three selections. Hamman's trick plays better than it reads, a fact recently substantiated when Eric Brad fried a group of blasé magicians with it.
Brother John's version is a wonderful tease because he never shows the "magic cards" before or after the changes. This forces the audience to happily accept and enjoy the mystery of so many successive transformations. Magicians of course are left to stew. Brother John uses the Gemini Count to full advantage and applies a force devised by Lin Searles. John Bannon published a variation (“Duet to It”) in Smoke and Mirrors (1991), p. 113. The following version uses a Pick-up Shuffle Force or The Cut-Deeper Force and the Convincing Rhumba Count from Prime Moves. After the successive transformations (eight), the "copy-cat cards" are shown to be blank. This “discernible climax” may please brother magicians. If not, simply apply the Convincing Rhumba Count to Brother John’s trick and forget the rest.
The new PRIME MOVE is a favorite that impressed the Argentine cardmen that were shown it last May. For lack of a better term, we call it “In-Depth Tilt Control.” Try this if you are unfamiliar with it. Afterwards, you may permanently shelve the Pass (as a control).
Next week, Marlo’s DISCOURSE ON A MOVE will be posted as an E-Manuscript for Premium Members. “Discourse on a Move” appeared nearly a half-century ago (December – 1959) in M-U-M magazine. Accompanied by 13 small, blurry photographs, its 6500 words were densely packed onto 14 pages. This made it look too advanced and technical for the average card handler. The level of cardmanship required (at the time) was beyond the reach of enthusiasts who were accustomed to Double-Cutting, Gliding, and Double Lifting. My reason for reprinting “Discourse on a Move” is to provide an edited, emended, and footnoted version with added color photographs for those who missed it in 1959. The essential content of Marlo’s original treatise is unchanged.
As usual, your support is appreciated. Your comments are always welcome. We are, relatively speaking, a small cyber-sodality, which this is a good thing.
Onward…