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rived . . . Maybe if I ask now they'll send me one. Well, What about it, Percy!
Last fall I wrote up a lot of the miracles I saw in Colon and among the collection you may remember my reference to a Jack Hughes effect called Back-Stage Magic or some such thing (Sucker Glass Vanish, Sid — Ed.) wherein a tumbler disappeared after you let the audience see how the trick was accomplished. At that time I said the idea was good but I thought the particular trick was a bit difficult to present. Well, Mr. Hughes and the Abbott folk have really improved the idea. In a trick called "The Lady Vanishes" they have a beautiful effect. A tray (that Hughes complex ... he spent his early days in a tray die) with a red velvet drape is shown. The audience are allowed a back view and see a couple of looped tapes hanging from the tray. The performer explains that he'll show them a trick from behind the scenes. Two boards are fitted into the tray . . . The lady, a giant card, a queen is placed between the boards but the customers see it drop through a slot in the tray and remain suspended in the tape loops. The boards are removed, shown both sides and the performer says, "The audience are amazed, and that's how the lady vanishes." He retrieves the cards and offers to demonstrate it again but this time as it appears to the audience. The same procedure is gone through, the card between the boards, the table is turned ,&t this point to remind the customers what has taken place, in case they've forgotten, and they see the Queen supported by the tapes .. . Now the tray is turned with drape to the front, the two boards removed, shown both sides and then the performer knocks 'em cold because he slowly strips off the drape and there are the empty tape loops . . . that's all. A very clever and well made prop that will be a popular item on many a program this coming season. If my word means anything, I highly recommend this particular trick. It is very good!
We didn't see a demonstration of the new "Crash Coin" effect but we did see the gimmick when we were in Joe Berg's and Dai Vernon bought one at the time and claimed it was one of the cleverest effects in years.
"The Miracle of the Bells" is another English item that Abbott's is manufacturing on this side of the Atlantic. This is a nice looking
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prop. Not too gaudy and well finished. There are six wooden cut-out bells and a container. A hole is bored through the top of each bell. The bells and case are shown. A spectator selects any three ... no force . . . all the bells ere inserted in the case, the performer pushes his wand through and shows how the wand passes through all six bells, they are partly removed . .. the spectator concentrates on his three colors . . . the wand pushed through the case and immediately withdrawn bearing only the three selected bells and they and the others can be immediately examined. A number of effects are possible and we saw Percy demonstrate it several times. The working is practically automatic and here is a trick that will lend itself to excellent story patter and the concert and church worker will be very happy with this colorful effect. We like it!
Bottled Silk is a novel production of a silk in a covered milk bottle. For a dollar you get a clever gimmick and if you're a Magician you'll probably create several ways of using it.
Another popular trick is the new "How Much?" a simple effect and easy-to-do trick wherein an Ace disappears. The trick is repeated and a surprise card turns up but still the Ace vanishes. This is made up in regular and Jumbo cards. A good novelty trick.
Oh, I almost forgot a frame affair that you fit around an assistant and then you push a blade right through a la the Chopper. Nicely made and a much smaller piece of equipment to carry, if that's one of your problems. Nevertheless, it's a good piece of apparatus if you have a tendency for slicing females as a form of entertainment.
There you have a few of the things I remember, there were many other good tricks and some that didn't strike me as so good but darned if I can remember anything really terrible . . . Guess Abbott must be improving. Take a tip from me, just the same, if you find yourself in or near Chicago you'll find it well worth your while to drop in and look this Abbott place over. It's quite a spot.
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Life Magazine for July 23 carried seven pages of pictures of Magicians at work during the SAM convention in Chicago. Shown were Martin Gardner, Paul Stadelman, John Piatt. Dr. Tarbell, Waldo Logan, Russ Walsh, Russ Swann, Bert Allerton, Matt Schulien, Father Lloyd and Sam Berman.
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