THE UNO N “HALF BULL, HALF MABIL” 1 © Copyright 1992 by Marvin J. Leventhal & Daniel D. Harlan ‘March 1992 / $8.00 Dan Harlan’‘s FINANCIAL ATTRACTION DH: How would you like to be able to make a borrowed bill cling to your fingertips, fly through the air, and defy gravity? Well with this new idea in thread work, you'll be able to do just that, but the best part is that after your initial set up, you can perform these miracles just about anywhere, anytime, without any reset. There's just one really small catch. Instead of invisible thread, this new idea uses that newfangled invisible elastic, which may be a tad more difficult to come by. However, by checking out your favorite magic magazine that carries advertising (hopefully THE MINOTAUR is your favorite one that doesn’t), you should be able to find at least one or two magic dealers that stock it. Many magicians shy away from floating effects because of the inherent difficulties in using invisible thread. Just to name a few (difficulties that 4s, not magicians), the thread can get tangled while performing other effects; it’s hard to get ready to hook the thread up without excusing yourself to go to the bathroom; once hooked up, the thread severely limits your mobility; and its difficult to clean up and reset the thread for repeat performances without breaking it. a Merely substituting invisible elastic for invisible thread alone does not alleviate these difficulties. However, I believe the unique method I've devised for hooking up invisible elastic not only overcomes these difficulties, it also uncovers its previously untapped versatility, which | have exploited in Financial Attraction. For starters, you'll need to assemble a simple invisible elastic gimmick. All you need to do is attach the ends of an approximately sixteen inch long piece of invisible elastic to two small rectangular cards roughly measuring one and a half inches by two and a half inches each (Figure 1). 2 ‘Adhesive tape handles the attaching part nicely, and the two cards can be cut out of an old playing card. That's the gimmick. 1 Reverse Inflation 5 N | _ Prints Re: Gent = 6 i Bangle Tate © = 5... lgteree ieee sts Wears isen nes 7 D | _ Stick Itin Your Bar e 8 E From the Labyrinth 5 Ron, unbutton both cuffs and roll both sleeves up just below your elbows. This can usually be accomplished with three “rolls” of each cuff. Hold either card of the gimmick temporarily between your front teeth, as you unroll your left sleeve one roll. Slip the other card under this cuff on the palm side of your left arm so that the elastic exits the cuff toward the inner side of your left elbow (Figure 2, previous page). Re-roll your left cuff one roll to lock the card in place. Now remove the other card from your mouth and in a similar manner lock it in place in your right cuff. You should now have a length of invisible elastic running from one elbow to the other (Figure 3). For future reference, I'l modestly refer to this setup as the Harlan Hookup. By the way, because invisible elastic is somewhat shiny, with the ‘gimmick in place you should color the elastic’ entire length, from elbow to elbow, with a permanent black marking pen. This dulls the elastic ‘enough to prevent your spectators from catching a glint of light off of it. ‘Because the sixteen inch piece of clastic can be stretched to over five feet without breaking and is self-contained on your body, the Harlant Hookup ‘overcomes the inherent difficulties associated with traditional thread ‘work. That is, the elastic is away from your hands, which allows you to perform other effects with the gimmick in place; the elastic will not tangle; you have almost complete freedom of movement; and after its, initial setup, is always set to use. Y y With the Harlan Hookup in place, you are ready to perform the following, effect, but first you might want to get used to having it on for awhile. AS an exercise, try spreading your arms wide apart. Then try performing a card or coin trick with iton. As advertised, you'll discover that the elastic does not restrict your movements, and you are able to perform other effects with it hooked up. Now let’s move on to Financial Attraction. Ask to borrow a bill from a spectator. Explain that you've discovered that you can create a static electric charge in paper money by rubbing it ‘on a cloth surface and offer to demonstrate. As you reach to take the bill from your spectator, you will almost naturally extend both your elbows ‘out in front of you. With both elbows in this position, grasp either short end of the bill between your right thumb and index and middle fingers and turn your right hand palm down so that the bill hangs down below your hand, With your elbows still extended, move your right forearm toward your chest, so that the bill goes above the elastic, and place the bill in the space between your chest and the elastic (Figure 4). THE MINOTAUR / March 1992 Page 2 To hook it up, you need to be wearing a dark colored, long sleeve shirt. The dark color will help camouflage the invisible elastic, which is not, quite as invisible as invisible thread is. Assuming you have such a shirt Su ‘ 7 Grasp the other short end of the bill between your left thumb and fingers below the elastic. Place the bill against your shirt at the center of your chest and gently rub its surface on your shirt by moving both hands simultaneously up and down a couple of times. iS Now move the bill forward against the elastic and, in a continuous ‘motion, fold the bill in half so that the elastic is inside of it. The folded \y . 5 ‘edge of the bill should be toward you; the short ends of the bill should be toward your spectators. Your left hand creases the fold, while your right hand holds the short ends ofthe bill. Then hold the short ends tightly in your right hand as your left hand relinquishes its grip (Figure 5).THE MINOTAUR / March 1992 Page 3 To continue, lower your left forearm slightly below the level of the bill but keep it in front of you with your elbow slightly bent. Your right hand carries the bill over your left arm to a point about four inches above your left elbow on the outside of your arm. Rest the fold against your outer arm and move the short ends downward so the bill is flat against your arm (Figure 6). Now turn your left shoulder in toward your spectators and rub the bill on your outer left arm using your right hand. Mention that the static charge created by rubbing the bill will make it cling wherever itis placed. Release your right hand’ grip on the bill and the elastic will hold it in place on your outer left arm, apparently clinging to your shirt. Now regrip the folded edge of the bill with your right hand and move it to a new spot a couple of inches to either side of the previous one. Rub the bill against your left arm again at this new spot and release it there. Once again the bill appears to cling to your shirt. (Once the clinging effect has registered, regrip the short ends of the bill between your right thumb and index and middle fingers. Then carry it around the side of your left shoulder, slightly behind your back, and then over the top of your left shoulder to your front. The elastic should rrun from your left cuff to behind your left shoulder, over the top of your left shoulder, through the bill, and across your chest to your right cuff (Figure 7). The bill will now cling to your shirt near the front of your left shoulder. Just rub it there and let go. Explain that it doesn’t matter where ‘you put the bill; the static charge makes it cling. Regrip the short ends of the bill with your right hand and move the bill forward and to the left so that the elastic springs off your left shoulder. ‘The elastic should now be running from your left cuff through the bill to your right cuff. Tell the spectator who loaned you the bill that sometimes enough static charge, some unusual things can happen. Extend the il to your spectator and ask him (or her) to hold its short ends between the thumb and fingers of either hand. Then adjust your grip to apparently steady the bill by holding the corners of the folded edge, one corner with each hand, Actually, you are covering the elastic running along your arms from these comers to your cuffs (Figure 8). (Once you are sure your spectator has a tight grip on the bill, release your own grip but keep your hands close to, but slightly above, the corners you were holding just a moment ago. Explain that when you tell him to drop the bill, he should immediately release the bill and allow it to fall freely. Then tell your spectator to drop the bill. The moment he releases the bill, raise your hands above your shoulders and throw your elbows back to the sides of your body. Asa result, the bill will fly through the air and land against your shirt in the center of your chest. At this point, you ‘might want to mention that you have a definite attraction to money. With the bill still clinging to your chest and your elbows still at your sides, bring both hands back to the bill and piace your fingers onto the surface of the bill facing your spectators so that the upper side of your index fingers are just slightly above the fold. Now slide your thumbs between the bill and your shirt. Then move them up behind the bill, over the elastic extending from the two folded corners of the bill, onto the upper sides of your index fingers just below the first joint, in order to pinch the elastic between your thumbs and index fingers. (Figure 9). While still pinching the elastic, flatten both hands as much as possible and separate them so that only your fingertips are touching the front ofTHE MINOTAUR / March 1992 Page 4 n the bill. Now move your hands and elbows forward away from your chest; the bill will appear to cling to your fingertips. Explain that there is, ‘so much static charge in the bill that it even clings to your hands. Now move your right hand away from the bill, slightly to the right and above it, while still pinching the elastic between your right thumb and index finger. Curl in all of your right fingers except your index finger and place its tip on top of the folded edge at its center. Then slowly move your left hand slightly up and to the left of the bill and turn it palm ‘down. Now spread your left thumb and fingers apart. In this way the elastic, which is running out the left side of the fold and through the fork of your left thumb, is screened by your left hand, and the bill appears to be clinging only to your right index finger at a slight angle (Figure 10). After your spectators have given you a hand for this feat, extend your right middle finger next to your right index finger and move your index finger slightly so that the bill slips off its tip and springs between the tips of your index and middie fingers (Figure 11). You are now ready to hand the bill back to its owner. To do so, spread your right thumb to release its grip on the elastic, and turn both your hands so that their palms face your spectators, spreading your thumbs and fingers apart to show that ‘both hands are empty (Figure 12). This should release the elastic from the forks of both thumbs. If it doesn’ try lowering your hands slightly while raising your elbows slightly. Finally, turn your right palm toward you and bend your right fingers in so that their tips point toward you and the surface of the bill is parallel to the floor. By relaxing your grip on the bill, the clastic is released from the Dill so that it is once again running directly from your left cuff to your right cuff. You can now hand the bill back to its owner for examination, and although you are for all intents and purposes clean, you are stil set ‘up to perform this effect again. Horning in (ML): I remember the first time Dan demonstrated this at a local 1.B.M. meeting. He blew everyone away. Since then, I have seen Dan float balloon animals, make objects move on a table, and animate a pen lying on the floor (the pen was on the floor, not Dan), all with the Harlan Hookup, thus testifying to its versatility. There are a couple of things to be aware of with the Harlan Hookup. Occasionally the elastic will sneak beneath your tie or get caught on your belt buckle or a shirt button. However, once aware of the problem, you can usually release it easily. Also, although you can carry out normal social activities with it on, you should avoid hugging or placing your arm around someone. AYter all, it’s one thing to get the elastic caught on one of your buttons; it’s another to get it caught on someone else's. If you need the elastic to be more out of the way but still want to remain hooked up, here's another idea of Dan‘s. Lift its center up over your head and behind your neck. Now with the elastic running along both arms and behind your neck, it’s virtually impossible to tangle. In fact, Dan has set his up like that and worn a jacket for hours without any problems. Ifyou can‘t seem to locate any invisible elastic, you can order Dan’s ‘commercially available version of Financial Attraction for $15 plus $1 for shipping through THE MINOTAUR (the address is on the last page). With it you get a gimmick, a spool of invisible elastic to make more gimmicks, and ideas for many other uses of the Harlan Hookup.THE MINOTAUR / March 1992 Page 5 Gazzo Macée’s © REVERSE INFLATION DH: Here’s a neat stunt that looks impossible but is actually quite simple — just the sort of thing we'd expect from Gazzo. And what could be more impossible than blowing up one of those balloon animal type balloons in reverse. By that I don’t mean blowing it up so that it inflates, from the sealed end back towards the nozzle end. I mean you apparently inflate the balloon by blowing into its sealed end. If this sounds bizarre to you (as it rightfully should), just wait until you do it for someone else. ‘You'll need a 260 type animal balloon that you can inflate without using, ‘a pump or busting a lung. With the nozzle end held between your left thumb and index finger and the sealed end held between your right thumb and index finger, prepare the balloon by inflating a small bubble near the nozzle (Figure 1). Stretch the desired location of the bubble between your hands prior to inflating to help facilitate this task. Make ‘the bubble openly in order to show how most people blow up a balloon. Now allow the air to escape from the balloon as you bring its two ends together by bringing your hands together (Figure 2). Tell your spectators that you are going to show them how you blow up a balloon in reverse. Don’t mention exactly what you mean by that since you intend to surprise them later. As you patter, casually exchange the positions of the nozzle and sealed ends so that the nozzle end is now held by your right hand and the sealed end is now held by your left hand. Place the sealed end of the balloon into your mouth without letting your spectators get a good look at it. They will assume this is the nozzle end. Hold the real nozzle end very loosely with your right fingertips and thumb. Place your left index finger against your upper lip with the backs of your fingers facing out. At the same time, your right hand moves downward, so that most of the balloon shows between your hands (Figure 3). This downward motion also rotates the nozzle end between your right thumb and fingers so it is hidden behind your right fingers. Here's the sneaky part. Instead of blowing into the balloon (you can't — the sealed end is in your mouth), begin sucking in on the sealed end to form a bubble inside your mouth. This may take a little practice, so here's a couple of pointers to help. Don’t hold the balloon closed with either hand; your hands are there only for cover. Also, before sucking, squeeze the end of the balloon firmly against the roof of your mouth with your tongue. As you move your tongue back down away from the roof of your mouth, the bubble should expand in your mouth. Once you've formed the hidden bubble, squeeze the nozzle end shut with your right thumb and fingers. Then squeeze the bubble in your ‘mouth with your tongue; the balloon will begin to inflate near the nozzle above your right hand at the prepared location (Figure 4, next page). It should look like you're blowing a balloon up from supposedly the sealed to the nozzle end. This in and of itself is enough to impress some people. Pause when you have pressed all the air out of the hidden bubble so it's no longer a bubble. Remove the sealed end from your mouth with your left hand to display it and say, “You see, I did blow it up in reverse.” Once your spectators have realized the true situation of the balloon,THE MINOTAUR / March 1992 Page 6 Phil Goldstein’s PRINTS RE: show the nozzle in your right hand without releasing the air. Finally, release the air and inflate the balloon fully (through the nozzle end, of course) and give it away to prove there are no other holes in it Horning in: This is a great stunt to perform for the public if you do balloon animals and an even better stunt to perform for someone who does balloon animals and thinks you are just doing the old sealed end to nozzle end bit. Occasionally when I perform this, Il repeat it, except the second time I openly insert the sealed end of another balloon in my ‘mouth and quickly form the hidden bubble before grabbing the nozzle end. This fools ‘em again, because | am still able to blow a bubble, even though this time they saw me put the sealed end in my mouth. GENT ML: When Phil sent me this effect a couple of months back, he prefaced it by writing, “In the belief that there can never be too many packet printing effects, l offer the following.” Now there might be some of you that believe that you've already met your lifetime requirement of packet printing effects, in which case you've probably already skipped ahead to the next effect. However, if you are of the same mind as Phil, and even if you aren’t, I encourage you to proceed with this quick lesson in how playing cards are “really” printed. It requires the following five cards: a blank-faced card, a blank-backed king of spades, a blank-backed king of hearts, an ungimmicked kings of clubs, and an ungimmicked king of diamonds. Make sure the back of the blank-facer matches the backs of the king of clubs and the king of diamonds. You'll also need to be familiar with the Elmsley count and the ‘Ascanio spread (see Horning in). Before the start of your performance, arrange the cards so that they are in the following order from the top of the packet: face-up king of diamonds, blank-side-up king of spades, blank-side-up king of hearts, face-up king of clubs, blank-side-up blank-facer (Figure 1). Figure 2 depicts the order of the cards with the packet turned face down, To begin, bring out the squared face-down packet and perform an Elmsley count to display the backs of four cards. Then flip the packet face up and perform another Elmsley count to display four blank faces, ‘outjogging the third card of the count (the blank-facer) slightly. As you ‘count to show the backs and faces explain, “These are raw playing card stock obtained from the factory prior to having their faces printed.” ‘Now position the packet soit is in left-hand dealing position, if it isn’t already (Figure 3). Continue by extracting the outjogged card (the blank-facer) with your right hand and gesturing with it, allowing both sides of itto be seen. Say, “You may think the playing card factories use big high-tech equipment to print their cards, but in fact it’s a much simpler process.” As this is said and attention is focused on your right hand's card, obtain a left little finger break beneath the top two cards of the left-hand stock. One possible way to accomplish this would be by buckling the bottom two cards of the four card packet with your left index finger (Figure 4). Whatever way you do it, just be careful not to prematurely expose the face of a king,THE MINOTAUR / March 1992 Page 7 Harvey Rosenthal Ss ‘Comment, “All it takes is a moment of seclusion...,” as you flip your right hand’s card face-down and square onto the left-hand stock. Pause for a moment, then continue, “...and the cards print themselves.” Then performa triple turnover (made easy by your left little finger break). The ‘king of hearts should now show as the top card of the packet. Promptly execute an Ascanio spread to display the four newly-printed kings (Figure 5). Do not release your right hand’s grip on the double card at the right side of the spread. Instead, continue by pulling it from the right side of the spread. At the same time, adjust the position of the king, of hearts with your left thumb, so that its blank back will be obscured by the other cards in your left hand and your left fingers. Then deposit the double card as one on top of the king of hearts, just under the tip of your left thumb (Figure 6), and release your right hand’s grip on it. Conclude by saying, “And that’s how it’s done!” As if to emphasize your statement, at the same time raise your left hand slightly, flashing the back of the spread packet in the process. Because the blank back of the king of hearts is hidden behind the other cards and your left fingers, only backs will be seen. As a result, your spectators will be left with the lasting impression that they have seen both the backs and fronts of all the cards, thus leading them to believe that you have somehow printed all. the blank surfaces. Now casually square the packet and put it away. Horning in: There you have it —a quick, no frills, printing effect. However, that’s exactly the reason I think spectators find it so striking; the printing of all four kings at once happens so fast that they are caught completely off their guard. As for the Elmsley count, don’t you think it’s about time you became familiar with it? Iso, Lonce again suggest, as I have in the past, that you turn to page 41 of Jerry Mentzer’s book Counts, Cuts, Moves and Subilety. By following Jerry's instructions, you will be Elmsley counting like an ‘expert in no time. Note his “Added Comment” on page 45 for counting five cards as four, since that is what you do in this effect. Coincidentally, Jerry can also have you Ascanio spreading like a pro by following his instructions on page 70 of that very same book. Wow! That's two useful items out of one magic book. What more could you ask for?@ BANGLE TANGLE DH: From the past, some of you may remember Harvey for his Close-Up Folios in The Pallbearers Review. More recently, some of you may recall hhim for his one man issue of The Trapdoor. In the future, you can get to know him through his upcoming book from Kaufman and Greenberg However, for the present, you can get acquainted with him right here. Magically speaking, Harvey's been around awhile and has been influenced by many magicians, among them Milbourne Christopher. As a youngster, Harvey recalls being home sick from school (yeah, right) and by chance seeing Mr. Christopher perform a series of rope effects on television. In one of those, he held a rope between his hands, twirled its ends around and created two figure eight knots in the rope (Figure 1). Harvey thought this was pretty darn clever, and so he tried to recreateTHE MINOTAUR / March 1992 Page 8 Mac King’s STICK IT IN Mr. Christopher's trick. Now Harvey doesn’t know for sure whether the method he came up with is the same as Mr. Christopher's, but along the way he discovered that if you held a bracelet sized ring in each hand as you made the knots, the rings ended up tied on the rope as well. And thus this magical-looking flourish using two rings and a rope was born. To perform it you'll need two rings, about two and a half inches in diameter each, and a four foot length of rope. To get ready, first thread the rings onto the rope and place one ring on the palm of each hand. The rope should go under the rings by your little fingers and over the rings bby your index fingers. Bend in your middle, ring, and little fingers and press against the ring to hold it in place. Also bend in your index fingers s0 that they rest lightly against the rope (Figure 2). The rope should be raped over the sides of your index fingers for about a foot or so. Pinch the rope between your thumbs and the sides of the second your index fingers, Then turn both hands inward so that the backs of your fingers face each other. With the section of rope between your hands held straight but not taught (Figure 3), you're ready to perform. To begin, start rhythmically swaying the ends of the rope back and forth to get them moving in unison and to relax your arms. Now here's the move. In one continuous circular motion, swing both ends away from you, upward, and then back down toward you so that they go between you and the section of rope running between your hands (Figure 4). Still circling, both ends continue moving forward beneath your hands and then up and over them. As this happens, straighten the middle and ring fingers of each hand. The ends should land on top of these fingers. Without pausing, extend the index and little fingers of each hand to clip the ends between your index and middle fingers and also between your ring and little fingers (Figure 5). To end, immediately move your hands apart, release your grip on the rings, and adjust your grip on the ends 50 that they are held only between your index and middle fingers. Each ring, will be now be displayed caught in a figure eight knot (Figure 6). Horning in: Harvey uses this flourish to end his routine using two rings and a rope. It looks pretty and ends with a display that leaves you in applause position. At first you might have alittle difficulty getting the hang of it. It does require bit of a knack, but once you get it it’s almost automatic. And here's an idea. Why not first have two ring-like objects (maybe a previously vanished borrowed watch and a wedding ring) hidden in your hands and secretly threaded on a rope and then perform this flourish? I think that would make for a very flashy production. YOUR EAR ML If you've never heard of Mac King, you probably don’t follow the ‘comedy club circuit. Recently Mac was headlining at The Cleveland Improv, so I was able to catch his act with my wife (I guess they thought I was out of town). What I meant to say was that my wife and I were able to catch his act. She thinks Mac is the funniest comedy magician she’s ever seen. Of course, he's also probably the only comedy magician she has ever seen. But seriously folks, my wife really did enjoy Mac’s act. After all, he's come a long way since his early days in magic as part ofT HE MINOTAUR / March 1992 Page 9 : ame DB “The Mac & Lance Show,” in which he teamed up with an obscure ‘magician by the name of Lance Burton. In a brilliant career move, Mac smartly left that act for a solo career, which just recently peaked with an appearance at Tombstone Junction in Cumberland Falls, Kentucky. In retrospect, Mac feels somewhat remorseful that he has skyrocketed to tardom, while Lance has floundered around Las Vegas trying to earn a living, But hey — that’s show business! Now in another brilliant career ‘move, Mac offers the readers of THE MINOTAUR the following effect. From your audience's perspective, here’s what happens. You borrow a bill and a cigarette. Tearing off a corner of the bill and giving it to it’s, ‘owner as.a receipt, you announce that you will tap the bill three times with the cigarette. You say that the cigarette will act as a magic wand, and that on the third tap the money will disappear. However, on the third tap the cigarette vanishes instead. ‘You then expose the vanish by showing that you left the cigarette behind ‘your ear during the third tapping motion. So you proceed to remove the ‘Cigarette from your ear and tap the bill once again. This time you succeed in causing the bill to vanish, but where has it gone? To answer that, the cigarette is torn open by the bill's owner and inside is found the missing. Dill, whose missing corner matches up exactly with the owner's receipt. ‘As some of you might have surmised, this effect is simply a combination ‘of Harry Crawford's Ear It Is from The Tarbell Course in Magic, Volume 7, and the basic bill in cigarette trick. In advance of performing it, you will need to prepare a cigarette. To do so, first squeeze all of the tobacco out of a fairly typical-looking, popular brand of cigarette. This is easily accomplished by rolling the tobacco portion of the cigarette between your thumb and fingers. Be careful to keep the paper exterior intact, 50 ‘that you end up with a filter-tipped paper tube. ‘Now tear a small corner from a dollar bill (Figure 1, previous page) and save this corer. Then starting at one of the short edges of the bill, roll up the dollar as tight as possible, so that it will fit into the empty paper tube of the cigarette (Figure 2). Shove a bit of tobacco back into the end of the cigarette to cover the end of the rolled up bill inside the cigarette. Place this prepared cigarette into your left outside jacket pocket along with the matching corner torn from the dollar, and you are set to perform. Just before beginning the routine, casually reach into your left outside jacket pocket, get the prepared cigarette, hold it concealed in the curled fingers of your left hand, and take your hand out of your pocket. Now begin by asking, “Does anyone have a pack of cigarettes I could borrow?" Contrive to borrow a pack that closely matches your prepared ‘cigarette, ie, same length and filter color. Place the borrowed pack over your left hand’s concealed cigarette (Figure 3). Pretend to shake a cigarette up out of the pack by withdrawing your prepared cigarette from under the pack with your right hand (Figure 4). Place the prepared cigarette in your mouth and the pack into your left outside jacket pocket. It should appear as if you merely borrowed a pack of cigarettes, shook one cigarette out of it, and placed it in your mouth. ‘After depositing the pack into your jacket pocket, your left hand emerges with the torn comer of the dollar concealed in its fingers. Then acting as. if you just remembered that it wasn’t your pack of cigarettes, reach backTHE MINOTAUR / March 1992 Page 10 into your pocket to retrieve the pack and give it back to its rightful ‘owner. The purpose of retrieving the torn comer the first time your hand ‘goes into your pocket is to cover any fumbling that might occur as you feel around for the corner. The small laugh you get when you pocket the pack of borrowed cigarettes helps cover any initial groping. Now ask to borrow a dollar bill. As you take the dollar from your spectator, place it in your left hand and maneuver the torn corner so that itis hidden from your spectator’s view on your side of the bill between your left thumb and the bill (Figure 5, previous page). With the help of your right hand, adjust your grip on the bill and the corner so that they are held between the tips of your left thumb and index and middie fingers. Casually open your right hand and your left ring and little fingers so your hands can be seen empty (Figure 6), but don’t make a big deal out of it. Then readjust your grip on the bill and the corner and tear off a piece of the dollar that closely matches the concealed duplicate comer (Figure 7). At this point you must switch the two torn corners. Here’s an easy and effective way to do just that. After tearing off the corner of the borrowed dollar, your right hand holds up that corner and displays it by holding it by its edge between the tips of your right thumb and index and middle fingers (Figure 8). Then say something snappy like, “It’s okay.” To continue, your right hand takes the dollar from your left hand. In doing so, your right hand’s comer is placed behind the bill (Figure 9) and your left hand’s corner is retained by its edge between the tips of your left thumb and index and middle fingers (Figure 10). Thus, your left hand is left displaying what is apparently the same corner piece of the borrowed dollar. Hold your left hand’s corner up a bit for emphasis as you say, “This way you'll know it's really your dollar...” Bring the dollar and the corner a bit closer together as if fitting the corner back into place (Figure 11, next page) and continue, “.. because the piece will fit back exactly.” Trust me; if you've made the two tears even remotely similar, no one will notice that this corner doesn’t fit exactly. Now hand your left hand’s corner (which matches the bill in the cigarette) to the owner of the bill, ‘The switch is really quite easy. Just time the actions to your words, and it will be deceptive. Mac feels that this is one of the big keys to making good magic. If you can time the secret moves with words and actions that seem logical, there will be no telltale “fishy stuff” to be seen. Proceed by folding the bill into eighths, keeping the other corner hidden inside. You should wind up with a packet approximately one and a half inches square (Figure 12, next page). Because the corner piece is locked inside the folded dollar, you can let both your hands be seen empty. This is an example of one of the little things that Mac believes helps I} improve a trick’s impact. Itis almost always better to “let” something happen than itis to “make” something happen. Unlike some magicians, Mac doesn’t believe that his audiences are stupid. He feels that if you “tet” your hands be seen clearly empty, people will notice that fact. You don’t have to “make” a big deal out of it. 10 Now display the folded bill in your palm up left hand. Grip the cigarette by the end opposite the filter with your right hand as if it were a dartTHE MINOTAUR / March 1992 Page 11 us you were about to throw. Turn slightly to your right and hold your left hhand with the folded bill on it out in front of you. Announce that you will tap the bill three times, and that on the third tap the bill will vanish, As if preparing to throw that dart, raise the cigarette up even with your right ear. Then bring the cigarette down (Figure 13) and tap the bill with the side of the filter as you count, “One.” Repeat these actions counting, “Two.” Then raise the cigarette to your right ear a third time in preparation for the count of three. However, this time slide the cigarette behind your right ear and leave it there. Then without hesitation, swing, your right hand down counting, “Three.” The third tap should look the Same as the first two. The effect you are striving to convey is that instead Of the bill vanishing on the third tap, the cigarette disappeared. After the vanish of the cigarette has registered, pull back both of your elbows, thus bringing your hands closer to the tops of your jacket pockets (Figure 14). It should look as if you are looking for the cigarette. Continuing to look for it, you now turn to your left. As you tum, itis a imple mater to secretly deposit the folded bill into your left jacket pocket. This is amply covered by suddenly “noticing” that the cigarette is. behind your ear, thus directing attention up and away from your hands. ‘The reason for bringing your elbows back first and then turning to the left is because if you turned first and then brought your left hand back to, put the bill in your pocket, your left elbow would suddenly come into view behind your body —a visual clue that something fishy was happening. By bringing your elbows back first, your audience doesn’t see any unnecessary arm motion as you deposit the bill in your pocket. Remove the cigarette from your ear and hold it opposite the filter as, before. Keep your left hand cupped a bit as if it were still holding the bill. You don’t want your spectators to know that it’s already gone. Say, “Let's start again.” Then as you turn and face your audience, tap your cupped left hand with the cigarette as you count, “Three.” Once tapped, ‘open your left hand out flat to show that this time the bill has vanished. ‘The impression you want to convey is that the bill vanished at the very {instant you tapped it. All that remains to bring this effect to its successful conclusion is to hand the cigarette to the bill’s owner and to have him tear it open, remove the bill, and verify that the torn corner receipt he holds matches the bill exactly. Horning in: This is certainly one of the easier versions of the bill in cigarette trick. Yet I have found it to be just as, if not more, effective than some of the more complicated methods that abound. In fact, I think it ‘would be an understatement to say that Mac’s adaptation of Mr. Crawford's trick makes it a more interesting one. His routining and attention to detail have taken it to a new plateau. If you like this trick as much as I do, you may want to prepare a bunch of cigarettes at one sitting. If that’s the case, Mac suggests you seal each loaded cigarette and corresponding torn corner into a separate envelope. Otherwise, you will surely mix them up. Finally, you may think that I made up the connection between Mac and. Lance Burton, but nothing could be further from the truth, Mac affirms that there really was such a thing as “The Mac and Lance Show,” and that he and Lance are good friends. In fact, Mac couldn't be happier to see his buddy make it big while leaving him to languish in the dust.@OTAUR / March 1992 Page 12 THE MINOTAUR “Half Bull, Half Magic” Marv Leventhal Editor-in-Chief Dan Harlan Creative Genius & Illustrator Subscriptions: THE MINOTAUR is published at least quarterly or four times ‘year, whichever comes first (more often if we feel up to it). Single issues are $5. ‘You can save yourself a couple of bucks bby subscribing. A one year subscription four issues) is $18, $26 overseas. Make your check or money order in U.S. funds payable to THE MINOTAUR and mail to: ‘THE MINOTAUR P.O. Box 470025 Broadview Hts, OH 44147-0025 Submissions: Your editorial submissions (tricks, bits of business, ‘essays, comments, anecdotes, fan mail, ‘ete, and magical ramblings in general) are not only welcome, but encouraged in order to assure the future viability ofthis fine publication. Your submissions will be returned if self-addressed, stamped ‘envelopes included. Permissions: No part ofthis publication may be reproduced, in any form, by any means, be it electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or even a pencil without the written permission of Dan and Marv. In addition, the manufacturing and ‘commercial rights for all tems contained herein are reserved by their contributors and THE MINOTAUR, Advertising: Write to THE MINOTAUR for advertising information. Please be sure to include a telephone number ‘where you can be reached. ‘THE MINOTAUR Copyright 1992 ‘by Marvin J. Leventhal 4 Daniel D. Harlan All Rights Reserved Printed in the US.A. 3/9215, FROM THE LABYRINTH — DH: Ihave. confession to make. like my agent. I think he does a pretty good job. Now if the hair on the back of your neck is standing on end, and you're experiencing a spine-tingling shudder running down your back, then you probably don’t share my sentiments, Instead, you've probably either had the dubious honor of working with an agent before, or have heard a horror story or two about someone who has. Come to think of it, almost no one I've talked to in show business has had a good thing to say about their agent. In fact, when I was very young, an actor I once met told me a fable that captured his feelings about agents. Ill recount it for you here as best as I can recall it. One day a blind rabbit was hopping through the woods, minding his own business, when suddenly he heard a voice say, “Hey rabbit, come over here.” The voice belonged to a hungry snake coiled around a tree branch overhead. The rabbit couldn't see the snake, so he said, "Who's that?” The snake, realizing he had to keep the rabbit busy while he slowly slithered down the tree, thought quickly and replied, “Iam an admirer of your hopping abilities. 've seen many rabbits hop through these woods and I must say you are one of the best. Why your legs are so strong and agile, you make it ook easy.” ‘The snake inched his way across the branch and started moving down the trunk as he continued, “In fact, Mr. Rabbit, I'd like to get a better look at your hopping technique. If you would kindly hop over here to me, I'll give you a fresh, tasty carrot.” The rabbit, sensing he was being tricked, shouted to the snake, “You can’t fool me. I'm not coming anywhere near you.” He then turned and began to hop away but added, “I know who youre. You're an agent!” hope you liked that little fable, but if not, perhaps you'll enjoy this story Marv told me about an incident that happened to a mutual friend of ours. It seems our magician friend was looking for something fun to do on a weekend during which he had no shows. Browsing through the entertainment section of the newspaper, he noticed that a magician was appearing ata local hotel the next evening. Our friend couldn’t pass by this opportunity to watch a fellow conjuror practice his craft, so he phoned the hotel to inquire about the name of the performer, ust to see if he recognized it. Much to his surprise, the name was very familiar — it was his own! He was booked to perform and didn’t even know it. He quickly called his agent and asked him if he had anything to do with it, to which his agent simply replied, “Oh, yeah. I ‘booked that for you months ago. Didn’t I tell you?” From my own experiences and the stories I've been told, I've come to the conclusion that there are both good and bad agents. A bad agent will get you a few shows for very little money in remote locations, performing for obscure groups that have no appreciation for talent. By contrast, a ‘g00d agent gets you more of those same kinds of shows, but occasionally he will also come through with a higher caliber show. That's what my agent does, which is why I think he’s a good agent. Oh, I almost forgot — fables are supposed to have morals. The moral of this one is, “If you're a blind rabbit, keep hopping no matter how many carrots you're offered, and if you're going to a magic show, phone first."