Posts
Newsletter of IBM Ring #170
The Bev Bergeron Ring
Next general meeting Wednesday, 09/17/2008 at 7:30 PM SHARP
Board meeting at 6:30 pm
Meeting theme: Hurricane magic
Marks Street Center, 99 Mark Street, downtown Orlando
If you visit with us and do not know the room we meet in , please be aware that some of the people in the office at the Senior Center may not be aware we are meeting there! At the last meeting one visitor asked where the "IBM" was meeting and the management apparently thought they were asking for the International Business Machines group! They said that there was no "IBM" on the schedule. So, if you have never been to our ring meeting , please say "magicians" or "FAME" and if that doesn't get the room location , just walk around looking for us. The Senior Center is a public building.
Please note that the Ring meetings will be held at a new venue, starting in October. The new address is:
The Elks Club Lodge #1079,
12 N. Primrose Dr., Orlando, Florida 32803
“The corner of Primrose Drive and Central Boulevard”
Lunch meetings every Tuesday at noon at Goodings (next to the food court)
Website: http://www.ring170.com/
F. A. M. E. is the Florida Association of Magical Entertainers
*************************************************************
Directory
Craig J. Fennessy – President – CraigFennessy@gmail.com
Chris Dunn- Vice President – Youngdunns@yahoo.com
Art Thomas – Treasurer – Art.Thomas@Disney.com
Dennis Philips- Secretary – Dennis@alliedcostumes.com
James Songster- Director at Large, - JjTjMagic@aol.com
Joe Vecciarelli- Sgt at Arms - talkingmute@tampabay.rr.com
Stefan Bartelski – Editor of “Famulus”- Famulus@illusioneer.com
*************************************************************
GET PUBLISHED!
Got an idea for an article to add to the next FAMULUS? Put it in the body of an email or in a Word document attached to an email. Send it to Famulus@illusioneer.com, and we will get you in print.
Please, please, please, use the above e-mail address, your messages are in danger of getting lost if you do not do so.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
2008-09 From the editor
As summer draws to a close, at least for the rest of the country, the hurricanes are flying left and right of us, but luckily not right here (yet?). I was glad to read that Fay was not able to disrupt our monthly meeting and as I write, there are no storms on the horizon that could impact our next meeting. My thanks to this month's contributors, some of whom have mutiple entries: Dan Stapleton, Joe V., Dan Knapp and, as ever, Dennis.
I am Stefan Bartelski and I approve this message
I am Stefan Bartelski and I approve this message
2008-09 Ring Report Ring #170 The Bev Bergeron Ring
Tropical Storm Fay could not keep away almost 30 magic lovers from our August meeting. The winds were gusting up to 30 miles an hour outside and at times the rain was blowing sideways. All the storm shutters had been applied to the Orlando city building where we hold our meetings. President Craig Fennessey gaveled the meeting to order just 5 minutes late. A special guest was Paula Large, known to the magic world as the illustrator of Don Arthur’s book, “Illusions in the Round”. It was also great to see the recovering J.C. Hiatt bouncing back from surgery and looking good. Mark Fitzgerald mentioned that members of the ring are doing street magic 7 days a week at Downtown Disney. They can be found outside the Magic Masters store across from Bongo's restaurant. The magic crew covering the full week consists of Mark Fitzgerald, Craig Fennessy and Mike Bondi. The magic is starting at 6pm and ending 10:30 pm on weekdays and ending at 11:30 on Fridays and weekends.
Bev Bergeron and Dan Stapleton gave a positive report on the Louisville Combines IBM/SAM Convention. Ring members were invited to a picnic tribute for the ailing Wayne Scott. “Scotty” was one of the nation’s leading clown shoe and circus prop makers and long time Ring members. Ring member Fred Moore and wife Adina are embarking on a world tour with their magic.
Ring treasurer, Art Thomas presented a mini-lecture on tables you can use for your magic act. He took what is normally a forgotten part of a magic act and presented a highly entertaining and complete treatise. He put forth some real effort and lugged in ten examples from his collection of tables. This included side tables, center tables, novelty tables and “Office Max” specials. He even gave us a look at his own clever design for a folding Night Club table. The highlight was a one-of-a-kind folding table he bought from Abbotts.
Phil Schwartz, our resident magic historian, presented his “Magic Moment #7”. This month it was a talk and artifact exhibit of The Herrmans. He began with Carl Hermann and his younger brother Alexander Hermann. Alexander became famous in America and was a big name in magic on this continent from the time of the American Civil war until he died in 1896. He had a magical rivalry going with Harry Kellar. Hermann’s wife Adelaide continued his large lavish show until the late 1920s. Hermann performed for presidents Lincoln and Grant. Hermann had a mansion and estate in Beechurst Long Island. According to Walter Gibson, Howard Thurston was only able to buy the stable and part of the land but he transformed it into his own mansion and estate.
With Phil’s great talk concluded, Chris Dunn agreed to Emcee this month’s show. First up was Dan Stapleton with an effect he created and published in his recent Linking Ring Parade from September 2005. Four spectators selected four cards after shuffling the deck on top of a card table. Dan had them all toss their parts of the deck into the air and he whipped away the table drape and in the cascade he impaled the cards on each of the four table legs!
Richard Hewitt presented a mentalism effect he adapted from a classic Blackstone Sr. trick. A large chart with a grid was filled by high numbers. A spectator selected a square in the grid and Richard was immediately was able to name the number. Charlie Pfrogner had a creative version of the “Room Service” mentalism trick. He first brought the audience to laughter by showing a card with a cartoon word-bubble with the word “Think”. He flipped it over and it had a large light-bulb cartoon drawing. Charlie had number cards handed to him by three assistants while another added the numbers. It ended up that the room number of the hotel key in Charlie’s vest pocket matched the sum of the numbers they called out and one of the digits matched the hotel selected on a list of hotels. Charlie said he got the idea for the trick from an old Linking Ring article.
Finally, Jim McNiff, did an impressive torn and restored newspaper. His unique twist was that he had it signed before he began and when he did the restoration the signature was still on the newspaper! He selected Bev Bergeron to sign the newspaper. It was a clever way to get Bev’s autograph. With the show concluded we headed back out into the wind and rain.
Good things are always happening in Ring 170.
Dennis Phillips
Bev Bergeron and Dan Stapleton gave a positive report on the Louisville Combines IBM/SAM Convention. Ring members were invited to a picnic tribute for the ailing Wayne Scott. “Scotty” was one of the nation’s leading clown shoe and circus prop makers and long time Ring members. Ring member Fred Moore and wife Adina are embarking on a world tour with their magic.
Ring treasurer, Art Thomas presented a mini-lecture on tables you can use for your magic act. He took what is normally a forgotten part of a magic act and presented a highly entertaining and complete treatise. He put forth some real effort and lugged in ten examples from his collection of tables. This included side tables, center tables, novelty tables and “Office Max” specials. He even gave us a look at his own clever design for a folding Night Club table. The highlight was a one-of-a-kind folding table he bought from Abbotts.
Phil Schwartz, our resident magic historian, presented his “Magic Moment #7”. This month it was a talk and artifact exhibit of The Herrmans. He began with Carl Hermann and his younger brother Alexander Hermann. Alexander became famous in America and was a big name in magic on this continent from the time of the American Civil war until he died in 1896. He had a magical rivalry going with Harry Kellar. Hermann’s wife Adelaide continued his large lavish show until the late 1920s. Hermann performed for presidents Lincoln and Grant. Hermann had a mansion and estate in Beechurst Long Island. According to Walter Gibson, Howard Thurston was only able to buy the stable and part of the land but he transformed it into his own mansion and estate.
With Phil’s great talk concluded, Chris Dunn agreed to Emcee this month’s show. First up was Dan Stapleton with an effect he created and published in his recent Linking Ring Parade from September 2005. Four spectators selected four cards after shuffling the deck on top of a card table. Dan had them all toss their parts of the deck into the air and he whipped away the table drape and in the cascade he impaled the cards on each of the four table legs!
Richard Hewitt presented a mentalism effect he adapted from a classic Blackstone Sr. trick. A large chart with a grid was filled by high numbers. A spectator selected a square in the grid and Richard was immediately was able to name the number. Charlie Pfrogner had a creative version of the “Room Service” mentalism trick. He first brought the audience to laughter by showing a card with a cartoon word-bubble with the word “Think”. He flipped it over and it had a large light-bulb cartoon drawing. Charlie had number cards handed to him by three assistants while another added the numbers. It ended up that the room number of the hotel key in Charlie’s vest pocket matched the sum of the numbers they called out and one of the digits matched the hotel selected on a list of hotels. Charlie said he got the idea for the trick from an old Linking Ring article.
Finally, Jim McNiff, did an impressive torn and restored newspaper. His unique twist was that he had it signed before he began and when he did the restoration the signature was still on the newspaper! He selected Bev Bergeron to sign the newspaper. It was a clever way to get Bev’s autograph. With the show concluded we headed back out into the wind and rain.
Good things are always happening in Ring 170.
Dennis Phillips
2008-09 Need 450 Acres Near Disney?
KISSIMMEE (Orlando Sentinel) – One of Osceola County's grandest tourism visions remains an illusion. A 450-acre tract planned for a theme park mixing magic and Transcendental Meditation remains vacant in the tourism corridor. Almost two decades later, the two men behind the project are dead, and the land has a $150 million price tag. The former plant farm has remained a swatch of green foliage and wetlands that runs for nearly three-quarters of a mile among U.S. 192's glitz and kitsch, flanked by Old Town and a Cracker Barrel. Vedaland, which means land of knowledge, was announced with much fanfare in 1989 by magician Doug Henning and the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a guru to The Beatles who introduced the West to Transcendental Meditation. Henning died of cancer in 2000, and the Maharishi died at his home in the Dutch town of Vlodrop this year. A Maharishi subsidiary closed on the property in 1990 for $20 million in cash. In 1996, it was on the market for $60 million after the group shifted efforts to a site in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The park plan originally included a building seemingly suspended above water without supports, a "magic flying chariot" that took riders inside the molecular structure of a rose, and robots that would fly through the air, performing magic tricks. The development was projected to cost $1 billion. The backers spent hundreds of thousands of dollars planning the project and getting government approvals, which expired years ago. While the property is listed on tax rolls as agricultural land because of a tree-farming operation, an Internet sales listing cites a study that "suggests potential development scenarios up to 800,000 square feet of commercial space and as many as 4,300 multifamily residential units." While the tract is zoned for a planned development, the original approvals expired in 2005. A new owner would have to start the process from the beginning, county officials said.
2008-09 Lesson Learned (UNCLASSIFIED)
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE
One wouldn't think it necessary to learn such a basic lesson.
During the July meeting I performed a mind-reading effect using colored cards and emotional events. In truth, I knew there was a flaw in the cards I had purchased. I found the flaw when I proofed out the effect - one of the cards was missing a line of text - and I knew it. Still, I have used this effect many times for quite a while and never been tripped up. So, overconfidently, I bring the effect to FAME. Surely the best thing that could have happened happened. The flaw was exposed much to my embarrassment.
The lesson is that if there is a problem, it will show at the worst possible time in a way to embarrass you the most.
Need I say more?
Wait until you see my new color cards at the September meeting!
Dan Knapp
[Editor's note: the 'Classification' and 'Caveats' are required because Dan sent us this article from his military account!]
Caveats: NONE
One wouldn't think it necessary to learn such a basic lesson.
During the July meeting I performed a mind-reading effect using colored cards and emotional events. In truth, I knew there was a flaw in the cards I had purchased. I found the flaw when I proofed out the effect - one of the cards was missing a line of text - and I knew it. Still, I have used this effect many times for quite a while and never been tripped up. So, overconfidently, I bring the effect to FAME. Surely the best thing that could have happened happened. The flaw was exposed much to my embarrassment.
The lesson is that if there is a problem, it will show at the worst possible time in a way to embarrass you the most.
Need I say more?
Wait until you see my new color cards at the September meeting!
Dan Knapp
[Editor's note: the 'Classification' and 'Caveats' are required because Dan sent us this article from his military account!]
2008-09 Magic Convention Contests more than just a trophy
We are less than three months away from the "fall" Florida Magicians Association convention in Daytona Beach. We encourage all clubs to sponsor a local member in representing the club in one of the contests. We also hope that you attend the contests so that you can cheer on your club member.
Yes, the prizes are very good. Magic on the Beach, in June, (the "spring" FMA convention) gave away some very nice cash prizes. In Daytona, they give away nearly $2000.00 in Daytona Magic merchandise. If you don't receive a plaque or trophy, ask the convention chairman and I'll bet that they might help arrange for you to also receive one if you wish.
I recently attended the IBM/SAM convention in Louisville. What impressed me was during the final night of the contests. "Invitations" to many future conventions were handed out and (nearly) every contestant walked away with a few contracts worth thousands of dollars.
Not only were the contestants admired by their peers, but even many of those who did not win the contests, were invited to perform at one of many international magic conventions. The more conventions you perform at, either in a contest or during an actual show, many magicians will step out and offer suggestions as to how you improve your act. One comedy act, Dave Kaplin, although not winning, walked away with thousands of dollars in contracts. Yes, he has a hilarious act but, again, he did not win! Many years ago I came in second during a contest but the chairman enjoyed the act enough that he invited me to perform on the "big show" two years later.
Sometimes it just takes a push from the club or a few club members to give any person the opportunity in advancing their interest.
At most conventions are other convention chairmen looking for talent for their own conventions. If you do compete in a contest, do yourself a favor and invite criticism. Ask friends and even some people who you don't know to give you ideas of how to improve your act. It will only help in making your act stronger. See if someone can tape your act, although most of the time taping is not allowed during the actual competition.
Again, I ask the clubs to get involved and encourage a club member to compete at a future convention contest. Then, and above all, help them and give that person your support. It will only make your club proud and make your club stronger.
See www.flmagic.org to see the rules for the upcoming Florida Magicians Association convention contest. Good luck.
Dan Stapleton
Prez-FMA
Yes, the prizes are very good. Magic on the Beach, in June, (the "spring" FMA convention) gave away some very nice cash prizes. In Daytona, they give away nearly $2000.00 in Daytona Magic merchandise. If you don't receive a plaque or trophy, ask the convention chairman and I'll bet that they might help arrange for you to also receive one if you wish.
I recently attended the IBM/SAM convention in Louisville. What impressed me was during the final night of the contests. "Invitations" to many future conventions were handed out and (nearly) every contestant walked away with a few contracts worth thousands of dollars.
Not only were the contestants admired by their peers, but even many of those who did not win the contests, were invited to perform at one of many international magic conventions. The more conventions you perform at, either in a contest or during an actual show, many magicians will step out and offer suggestions as to how you improve your act. One comedy act, Dave Kaplin, although not winning, walked away with thousands of dollars in contracts. Yes, he has a hilarious act but, again, he did not win! Many years ago I came in second during a contest but the chairman enjoyed the act enough that he invited me to perform on the "big show" two years later.
Sometimes it just takes a push from the club or a few club members to give any person the opportunity in advancing their interest.
At most conventions are other convention chairmen looking for talent for their own conventions. If you do compete in a contest, do yourself a favor and invite criticism. Ask friends and even some people who you don't know to give you ideas of how to improve your act. It will only help in making your act stronger. See if someone can tape your act, although most of the time taping is not allowed during the actual competition.
Again, I ask the clubs to get involved and encourage a club member to compete at a future convention contest. Then, and above all, help them and give that person your support. It will only make your club proud and make your club stronger.
See www.flmagic.org to see the rules for the upcoming Florida Magicians Association convention contest. Good luck.
Dan Stapleton
Prez-FMA
2008-09 Dan Stapleton Magic Workshop
Dan Stapleton Magic Workshop
Nov. 17 (Monday) 7:00pm - 9:00pm
(Combo Lecture and “on hands” workshop for beginner and intermediate)
At the home of Chris Dunn
1112 Druid Rd.
Maitland, Fl 32751 (Map Quest it or call)
(407) 808-5146
Only 20 seats available, sign-up and "first-pay-first-serve" Chris to reserve.
Cost: Only $10.00 (Cheap!)
Some things you “might” learn:
String Thru Finger I
String Thru Finger II
Rope Thru Finger
Silk Thru Rope
Silk Appear on Rope
Ball & Silk Manipulation
Ball to Silk
Thumb Tip magic
Linking Tooth Picks
Silent Mora Drop Vanish
Sponge Ball magic
Prof. Nightmare false count
Riffle “slip” Card Force
art of “Lapping”
Impromptu Vanishing Cell Phone
David Berglas’ Equivoque
A few card tricks
Easy “impromptu” Magic
If you have the following items, please bring them. If not, then they will be provided for you:
Three sponge balls, Prof. Nightmare, 15”-18” silk, thumb tip, approx. 3 ft. rope.
Remember, this will be an on-hands workshop/lecture where EVERYONE gets involved. Great fun...not to be missed. Free coffee too!
Nov. 17 (Monday) 7:00pm - 9:00pm
(Combo Lecture and “on hands” workshop for beginner and intermediate)
At the home of Chris Dunn
1112 Druid Rd.
Maitland, Fl 32751 (Map Quest it or call)
(407) 808-5146
Only 20 seats available, sign-up and "first-pay-first-serve" Chris to reserve.
Cost: Only $10.00 (Cheap!)
Some things you “might” learn:
String Thru Finger I
String Thru Finger II
Rope Thru Finger
Silk Thru Rope
Silk Appear on Rope
Ball & Silk Manipulation
Ball to Silk
Thumb Tip magic
Linking Tooth Picks
Silent Mora Drop Vanish
Sponge Ball magic
Prof. Nightmare false count
Riffle “slip” Card Force
art of “Lapping”
Impromptu Vanishing Cell Phone
David Berglas’ Equivoque
A few card tricks
Easy “impromptu” Magic
If you have the following items, please bring them. If not, then they will be provided for you:
Three sponge balls, Prof. Nightmare, 15”-18” silk, thumb tip, approx. 3 ft. rope.
Remember, this will be an on-hands workshop/lecture where EVERYONE gets involved. Great fun...not to be missed. Free coffee too!
2008-09 Interesting link for magical historians
Joe found a link with an interesting magical history link. Scroll down the home page and click on "First" to start reading the story at the beginning.
http://www.clockwork-comics.com/
http://www.clockwork-comics.
2008-09 New TV show with (TV) magic?
Joe found this link to a show that may be coming to TV in the new season
http://www.nbc.com/Primetime/Merlin/
http://www.nbc.com/Primetime/
2008-09 Dennis' Deliberations
“Technical skill is mastery of complexity, while creativity is mastery of simplicity”
-Sir Erik Christopher Zeeman-
It was 1960 and I was 12 years old and deeply entranced with magic. My family lived in Norfolk, Virginia and my Dad was a Navy man. It was the height of the Cold war and the Russians might nuke us at any minute. Chubby Checker was singing "The Twist" and The Ventures had just released "Walk Don't Run".
I spent my evenings pouring over magic catalogs and there was an intriguing effect called "The Spirit Bell". It would ring and appear to read people's mind. It sold for an enormous amount of money! There was no way that I could afford it. I would have to mow lawns and deliver The Virginian Pilot newspaper all summer to get anywhere near the price.
The thrill of every month was visiting the magic club meeting at Earl Edward's Magic Shop in downtown Norfolk. Bob McAllister, the local WTAR-TV kid's show host was always there. He took a liking to the way I thought about magic. Twelve years later I would have my own syndicated TV show based in Charlotte, North Carolina and Bob and I would continue to be good friends as he ascended to Wonderama at WNEW-TV in New York.
I had to figure out a way to make a functional Spirit Bell. The trick was too amazing. I had no money but I had to make it work! I reasoned that it used a mechanical ringer. I played with having an assistant pull a fishing line to make a weighted ringer hit the bell. Nothing seemed clean and examinable. I wanted everything to be examinable.
It was a warm August night and my dutiful Navy father happened to be in port and drove me downtown to the meeting in the back of Earl's Shop. Edwards had a small stage and with seats in his inner sanctum. Bob introduced me. Earl had a small stage in back of his shop and I asked that all the lights be dimmed.
The Crystal Bell I was using was used without permission. It was from my parents wedding in 1947. I placed it on a plain undraped table that was sitting on a small rug. I passed the bell and the table for examination and returned the bell upright to the table.
"Bell, processor of the spirits, answer "yes" with one ring and "no" with two. Are you ready to read minds? One loud “ding”! The audience snapped to attention.
For the next few minutes the bell told the ages of young magicians, and answered everyone's questions with absolute accuracy. Following the routine I again brought the bell and the table down into the audience for complete examination. There were no gimmicks! No ringers. They were totally unprepared!
I thought that Earl and Bob and the assembled at the club would die from puzzlement. You know, it was one of those times when you know they were fooled out of their minds but they could not bring themselves to admit it.
After the meeting Bob grabbed me over to the side and said, "Kid, you fooled 'em! Got me too until I almost broke my neck!"
What Bob discovered and the others didn't was how I did the trick.
My kid-brother Kenny was backstage in the wings with a soda straw and a mouthful of BBs! He was pee shooting the "dings" on the bell through the straw! I needed the rug so you could not hear them fall.
Bob almost tripped over the BBs on the floor. That is what tipped him off as to what I was doing!
So, friends, if you ever want an unprepared "Spirit Bell", try the simplistic BB method! It works and fools magicians.
Later in the year my Dad was transferred to Mayport Naval Station near Jacksonville. He was assigned to an aircraft carrier, the USS Essex, CVA 8.
When we arrived in Jacksonville, I was convinced we had arrived in heaven. The sky was bright; the weather was balmy with beautiful palm trees and a beach. The only hint of hell was the stench of the paper mills. At first my Mom thought that someone was cooking cabbage all the time. We lived across the street from the Pittsburg Pirates spring training camp at Jacksonville Beach. Summer mornings were spent watching Ranger Hal on TV and afternoons meant a time with Skipper Al and Popeye cartoons in Channel 12. Jim Green and Fielding West would have their own shows on these TV stations a decade later.
I wasted no time in trying to find a magic shop and magician’s group. The pickings were slimmer than in Norfolk, Virginia. The big name in Jacksonville at that time was , “Mars the Magician”. His name was Alston Cockerill. He was a sort of Bill Neff character. He did ghost shows and phone room fund-raising and had a collection of illusions. The other main local guy was Bob Hutchings who had a small magic shop called, The Magic Shack. It was actually a small building in back of his house.
I was excited to find out that they had sporadic meetings and I forced my mother to drive me over on the next Friday night. Shortly after arriving in Florida I made an exciting discovery of a brand new magic principle! For a few years I had been pulling single strands of nearly invisible thread from my mother’s old nylon stockings. I used them to move cards and work my own version of The Wonder Mouse. We had not been in Jacksonville for a week when I discovered a brand new animation principle that was not available in Norfolk, Virginia and places up North.
I arrived at Hutchings Magic Shack and there was only another boy about my age and mostly older guys smoking cigars. It was a familiar smell that I remembered from Leroy Mingus’ shop in Reading, Pennsylvania. Mingus was known for making his feather flower props.
It was my turn to perform! Bob Hutchings quieted down the roundtable, “Guys, here is a young newcomer from Norfolk who wants to show us a trick. His name is Dennis, give him a hand”. I opened up a shoe box and removed a one dollar bill and explained that it was all I could earn from picking up pop bottles the week before. I laid the dollar bill flat on the table and made some incantations and moved my hands around it and it began to move toward my hand. The old guys were not impressed.
Then it began to move sideways and reverse the direction. I put my hands into my lap! The bill kept moving. One old guy took his Swisher Sweet cigar out of his mouth and moved in for a closer look. They all moved in. I invited them to feel around the dollar bill for threads and look under the table for magnets. I got up and walked away and the bill was still weaving and bobbing all over the table. One old guy laughed and said, “Well, I’ll be da….sorry for the language, kid. That’s good!”
I picked up the bill and returned it to the shoe box. That night I never did explain how I did it. You see it only took a few days in Jacksonville to discover a brand new method of magical animation: A giant roach! Florida was filled with huge Palmetto bugs. I merely stuck one to the back of the dollar bill with a dab of magician’s wax! Once you stuck the bug on the back of a bill they were highly motivated to move.
Sometimes the best tricks are ones with a simple method!
Dennis Phillips
-Sir Erik Christopher Zeeman-
It was 1960 and I was 12 years old and deeply entranced with magic. My family lived in Norfolk, Virginia and my Dad was a Navy man. It was the height of the Cold war and the Russians might nuke us at any minute. Chubby Checker was singing "The Twist" and The Ventures had just released "Walk Don't Run".
I spent my evenings pouring over magic catalogs and there was an intriguing effect called "The Spirit Bell". It would ring and appear to read people's mind. It sold for an enormous amount of money! There was no way that I could afford it. I would have to mow lawns and deliver The Virginian Pilot newspaper all summer to get anywhere near the price.
The thrill of every month was visiting the magic club meeting at Earl Edward's Magic Shop in downtown Norfolk. Bob McAllister, the local WTAR-TV kid's show host was always there. He took a liking to the way I thought about magic. Twelve years later I would have my own syndicated TV show based in Charlotte, North Carolina and Bob and I would continue to be good friends as he ascended to Wonderama at WNEW-TV in New York.
I had to figure out a way to make a functional Spirit Bell. The trick was too amazing. I had no money but I had to make it work! I reasoned that it used a mechanical ringer. I played with having an assistant pull a fishing line to make a weighted ringer hit the bell. Nothing seemed clean and examinable. I wanted everything to be examinable.
It was a warm August night and my dutiful Navy father happened to be in port and drove me downtown to the meeting in the back of Earl's Shop. Edwards had a small stage and with seats in his inner sanctum. Bob introduced me. Earl had a small stage in back of his shop and I asked that all the lights be dimmed.
The Crystal Bell I was using was used without permission. It was from my parents wedding in 1947. I placed it on a plain undraped table that was sitting on a small rug. I passed the bell and the table for examination and returned the bell upright to the table.
"Bell, processor of the spirits, answer "yes" with one ring and "no" with two. Are you ready to read minds? One loud “ding”! The audience snapped to attention.
For the next few minutes the bell told the ages of young magicians, and answered everyone's questions with absolute accuracy. Following the routine I again brought the bell and the table down into the audience for complete examination. There were no gimmicks! No ringers. They were totally unprepared!
I thought that Earl and Bob and the assembled at the club would die from puzzlement. You know, it was one of those times when you know they were fooled out of their minds but they could not bring themselves to admit it.
After the meeting Bob grabbed me over to the side and said, "Kid, you fooled 'em! Got me too until I almost broke my neck!"
What Bob discovered and the others didn't was how I did the trick.
My kid-brother Kenny was backstage in the wings with a soda straw and a mouthful of BBs! He was pee shooting the "dings" on the bell through the straw! I needed the rug so you could not hear them fall.
Bob almost tripped over the BBs on the floor. That is what tipped him off as to what I was doing!
So, friends, if you ever want an unprepared "Spirit Bell", try the simplistic BB method! It works and fools magicians.
Later in the year my Dad was transferred to Mayport Naval Station near Jacksonville. He was assigned to an aircraft carrier, the USS Essex, CVA 8.
When we arrived in Jacksonville, I was convinced we had arrived in heaven. The sky was bright; the weather was balmy with beautiful palm trees and a beach. The only hint of hell was the stench of the paper mills. At first my Mom thought that someone was cooking cabbage all the time. We lived across the street from the Pittsburg Pirates spring training camp at Jacksonville Beach. Summer mornings were spent watching Ranger Hal on TV and afternoons meant a time with Skipper Al and Popeye cartoons in Channel 12. Jim Green and Fielding West would have their own shows on these TV stations a decade later.
I wasted no time in trying to find a magic shop and magician’s group. The pickings were slimmer than in Norfolk, Virginia. The big name in Jacksonville at that time was , “Mars the Magician”. His name was Alston Cockerill. He was a sort of Bill Neff character. He did ghost shows and phone room fund-raising and had a collection of illusions. The other main local guy was Bob Hutchings who had a small magic shop called, The Magic Shack. It was actually a small building in back of his house.
I was excited to find out that they had sporadic meetings and I forced my mother to drive me over on the next Friday night. Shortly after arriving in Florida I made an exciting discovery of a brand new magic principle! For a few years I had been pulling single strands of nearly invisible thread from my mother’s old nylon stockings. I used them to move cards and work my own version of The Wonder Mouse. We had not been in Jacksonville for a week when I discovered a brand new animation principle that was not available in Norfolk, Virginia and places up North.
I arrived at Hutchings Magic Shack and there was only another boy about my age and mostly older guys smoking cigars. It was a familiar smell that I remembered from Leroy Mingus’ shop in Reading, Pennsylvania. Mingus was known for making his feather flower props.
It was my turn to perform! Bob Hutchings quieted down the roundtable, “Guys, here is a young newcomer from Norfolk who wants to show us a trick. His name is Dennis, give him a hand”. I opened up a shoe box and removed a one dollar bill and explained that it was all I could earn from picking up pop bottles the week before. I laid the dollar bill flat on the table and made some incantations and moved my hands around it and it began to move toward my hand. The old guys were not impressed.
Then it began to move sideways and reverse the direction. I put my hands into my lap! The bill kept moving. One old guy took his Swisher Sweet cigar out of his mouth and moved in for a closer look. They all moved in. I invited them to feel around the dollar bill for threads and look under the table for magnets. I got up and walked away and the bill was still weaving and bobbing all over the table. One old guy laughed and said, “Well, I’ll be da….sorry for the language, kid. That’s good!”
I picked up the bill and returned it to the shoe box. That night I never did explain how I did it. You see it only took a few days in Jacksonville to discover a brand new method of magical animation: A giant roach! Florida was filled with huge Palmetto bugs. I merely stuck one to the back of the dollar bill with a dab of magician’s wax! Once you stuck the bug on the back of a bill they were highly motivated to move.
Sometimes the best tricks are ones with a simple method!
Dennis Phillips
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)