Search found 524 matches

by Max Maven
May 23rd, 2021, 11:10 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Kalanag Munchausen 1943 film
Replies: 22
Views: 6890

Re: Kalanag Munchausen 1943 film

Zig Zagger wrote:Pseudo-magic fun fact: The movie Metropolis was butchered for the U.S. version by a dramatist and author named Channing Pollock...


The magic connection is not coincidental. Our Channing was named after the dramatist.
by Max Maven
May 21st, 2021, 7:14 am
Forum: Close-Up Magic
Topic: Clippo
Replies: 9
Views: 4711

Re: Clippo

There’s an in-depth history of that trick in the Summer 2014 issue of Gibecière.
by Max Maven
April 30th, 2021, 3:51 am
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Your Suggestions for the New Edition of Greater Magic
Replies: 65
Views: 11121

Re: Your Suggestions for the New Edition of Greater Magic

Greater Magic was published in 1938, by which time rubber bands had been around for about a century. The jumping rubber band trick that virtually every beginner learns was invented by Stanley Collins and published in late 1911. So while yes, there has been a boom of invention with rubber band magic...
by Max Maven
April 26th, 2021, 2:29 am
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Magic Live 2021 Postponed Until May 2022
Replies: 24
Views: 5555

Re: Magic Live 2021 cancelled

Richard Kaufman wrote:At the moment Vegas is not allowing any gathering of more than 250 people in a room.


Actually, Richard, the limit varies with the size of the room.
by Max Maven
April 12th, 2021, 4:39 am
Forum: General
Topic: Yuji Yasuda Has Passed Away
Replies: 1
Views: 3800

Yuji Yasuda Has Passed Away

Just learned the terrible news of the passing of Yuji Yasuda (An Song U). He was a great magician, an important teacher who inspired the magicians of Korea, and an international ambassador whose efforts made the world of magic a closer community. He was also a friend for 35 years, and this is a very...
by Max Maven
April 8th, 2021, 5:57 pm
Forum: Magic History and Anecdotes
Topic: Law Enforcement Magicians
Replies: 11
Views: 8668

Re: Law Enforcement Magicians

As I can't figure out how to insert a JPG here, I call your attention to the organization that was known as the Magicops, and will send you their logo by e-mail.
by Max Maven
March 27th, 2021, 3:53 pm
Forum: Collector's Marketplace
Topic: Unique Anverdi Key box on Auction - Grab that deal!
Replies: 4
Views: 1004

Re: Unique Anverdi Key box on Auction - Grab that deal!

Richard, there were nasty rumors about Henk for years, and not only that one. However, I’ve never come across any verification. If such exists, then fire away. But it you’re just slinging vicious gossip, stop.
by Max Maven
March 23rd, 2021, 3:47 pm
Forum: General
Topic: Turn of the 20th century stage magician historians?
Replies: 59
Views: 13495

Re: Turn of the 20th century stage magician historians?

The Bushi Strut long predates the Fargo Strut.

And well before Sheena Easton’s “Strut” was that being offered by the Meters.
by Max Maven
March 23rd, 2021, 2:08 am
Forum: General
Topic: Turn of the 20th century stage magician historians?
Replies: 59
Views: 13495

Re: Turn of the 20th century stage magician historians?

When the movie came out, a well known European magician was hired to advise on the translation into his country's language. He received a copy of the script prior to seeing the movie, and promptly sent me a panicked e-mail, because although well read in conjuring literature (his English was excellen...
by Max Maven
February 28th, 2021, 9:16 pm
Forum: Magic History and Anecdotes
Topic: A new book about Kalanag
Replies: 22
Views: 7808

Re: A new book about Kalanag

Kalanag’s affiliation with the Nazi party was known and discussed in English-language magic literature since before the start of the war. After the war, he made efforts to spin the historical record. This worked for some; for example, in Abra magazine, editor Goodliffe declared himself a Kalanag sup...
by Max Maven
February 27th, 2021, 6:00 pm
Forum: Magic History and Anecdotes
Topic: Magicians come to life!
Replies: 31
Views: 6049

Re: Magicians come to life!

The Uncanny Valley Cultural Society
by Max Maven
February 10th, 2021, 11:39 pm
Forum: General
Topic: The Magic University Journal
Replies: 59
Views: 16619

Re: The Magic University Journal

The Season is the lowest point in William Goldman’s writing career. Worth avoiding.
by Max Maven
February 10th, 2021, 11:37 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Ramsay for J. Townsend
Replies: 8
Views: 1937

Re: Ramsay for J. Townsend

A pleasing detail: On the title card, the handwritten lettering is recognizably by Sid.
by Max Maven
January 5th, 2021, 3:00 am
Forum: Close-Up Magic
Topic: Characters on "Chinese" Coins
Replies: 21
Views: 4635

Re: Characters on "Chinese" Coins

On U. F. Grant’s otherwise splendid Temple Screens, one side shows utterly inappropriate images of the Buddha. The other side has Chinese ideograms, which are poorly rendered, but legible: “No Smoking.”
by Max Maven
December 29th, 2020, 11:13 pm
Forum: Close-Up Magic
Topic: Memorization
Replies: 33
Views: 7967

Re: Memorization

Mnemonics and peg systems just don't work for me, I've tried numerous times. I need a stack that uses rules/math and then that blends into memorization. Haven't played with a stack in quite a while though. Same here. Without Joyal's book, I doubt I ever would have committed a stack to memory. (And,...
by Max Maven
December 11th, 2020, 11:15 pm
Forum: General
Topic: Conflict in Magic?
Replies: 16
Views: 4574

Re: Conflict in Magic?

While Keith Johnstone’s work on improv is important, I feel the work of Viola Spolin (whose work predated Johnstone’s by about two decades) is better. Magic shares similarities with group improv comedy, but the rules are different. Good improv teamwork requires sharing the narrative. A magician inte...
by Max Maven
December 10th, 2020, 2:32 am
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Article in LA Times about Magic Castle
Replies: 38
Views: 7005

Re: Article in LA Times about Magic Castle

I started writing more replies, but it’s simpler to accept that I’m a disappointing coward.

And meanwhile, I’ve got work to do, and problems to continue trying to fix.
by Max Maven
December 9th, 2020, 2:37 am
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Article in LA Times about Magic Castle
Replies: 38
Views: 7005

Re: Article in LA Times about Magic Castle

A few replies: Steve, there was no cap on attendance at Sunday’s meeting. Almost 500 members did. I don’t know what caused the problem in your case, but as was mentioned above, the entire three-hour Town Hall is now available for viewing in the Members Only area of the magiccastle.com website. To th...
by Max Maven
December 8th, 2020, 4:57 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Article in LA Times about Magic Castle
Replies: 38
Views: 7005

Re: Article in LA Times about Magic Castle

The amount of venom in this thread is startling. I am the Vice President of the Academy of Magical Arts (Magic Castle), albeit only since late March. As I stated during a Town Hall Zoom meeting on Sunday, the most painful thing about the Los Angeles Times article is that some of it is true. There ar...
by Max Maven
November 30th, 2020, 5:40 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Stewart James
Replies: 77
Views: 69713

Re: Stewart James

Leo Garet wrote:Thanks Mister Ben, this is great stuff.

Just wondering, though, where does Ed Gein fit in all this "Psycho" stuff, if anywhere at all?


Gein was the impetus for Psycho. The description of Stewart and his mother helped Bloch to flesh out the story.
by Max Maven
November 29th, 2020, 4:26 am
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Stewart James
Replies: 77
Views: 69713

Re: Stewart James

It is mentioned in the January 2005 Genii on page 15.
by Max Maven
November 25th, 2020, 12:59 am
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Card size survey
Replies: 46
Views: 4906

Re: Card size survey

Oddly, in light of the Charlie Miller comments mentioned above, Dai Vernon (at least in his later years) said that Poker-sized cards were better than Bridge-sized because the former were closer to the Golden Ratio! He was wrong. The Golden ratio proportions lie between those two standard card sizes....
by Max Maven
November 15th, 2020, 4:58 am
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Magicians with Bacon / Erdos / Sabbath numbers
Replies: 12
Views: 3530

Re: Magicians with Bacon / Erdos / Sabbath numbers

As I mentioned to Bill in e-mail correspondence when this thread began, my BES number is six.
by Max Maven
November 14th, 2020, 5:38 am
Forum: Buzz
Topic: IN & OF ITSELF Streaming Now
Replies: 16
Views: 3425

Re: IN & OF ITSELF Streaming Now

Apologies to Joe Lyons.

To Joe McKay: Welcome aboard.
by Max Maven
November 13th, 2020, 10:21 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: IN & OF ITSELF Streaming Now
Replies: 16
Views: 3425

Re: IN & OF ITSELF Streaming Now

Joe Lyons wrote:Who says Magic isn't an Art?


You do.

Glad you’re changing your mind.
by Max Maven
November 12th, 2020, 3:17 am
Forum: Buzz
Topic: RIP Walter Blaney
Replies: 3
Views: 1211

Re: RIP Walter Blaney

He spelled it “Zaney”...

(RIP, Walter.)
by Max Maven
October 12th, 2020, 11:25 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Copperfield Interview
Replies: 9
Views: 1588

Re: Copperfield Interview

Here is the Graffiti mentalism trick I mentioned earlier. https://youtu.be/8CehjowD-Xw?t=614 Except that is not the trick discussed in the newspaper review cited by Waters. The reviewed trick was Andre Kole’s “Dream Vision” which, in the 1980s, was a staple of David Copperfield’s touring show. It w...
by Max Maven
September 22nd, 2020, 8:17 pm
Forum: Mentalism & Mental Magic
Topic: Is Persi Diaconis Having Us On?
Replies: 89
Views: 15399

Re: Is Persi Diaconis Having Us On?

Brad Henderson wrote:Look under the section on counting.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_number


First published use of Bell numbers in magic: "Belling the Catch" in Ibidem 3, Aziz & Beyond, 2003.
by Max Maven
September 20th, 2020, 9:39 pm
Forum: Link Watch
Topic: Rawson and Merlini
Replies: 18
Views: 10806

Re: Rawson and Merlini

Regarding the Witchdoctors' bylaws, a later version had this for #14: "Any Witchdoctor who utters the name Milbourne Christopher shall be obliged to pay everyone's check."
by Max Maven
September 8th, 2020, 12:42 am
Forum: Magic History and Anecdotes
Topic: Creators of forcing techniques
Replies: 10
Views: 3098

Re: Creators of forcing techniques

The proper way might have been to mention the person who had actually done the research, instead of dropping that name from your cut-and-paste.
by Max Maven
September 7th, 2020, 4:14 pm
Forum: Magic History and Anecdotes
Topic: Creators of forcing techniques
Replies: 10
Views: 3098

Re: Creators of forcing techniques

Sorry, but going to a couple of websites that have compiled work by others does not qualify as "research."
by Max Maven
September 5th, 2020, 8:02 pm
Forum: General
Topic: The Tragic Rhythm - David Ben
Replies: 45
Views: 14093

Re: The Tragic Rhythm - David Ben

“Magic is like conceptual art. Every magician has their own vision.” — Actually, few people, let alone magicians, have any vision of Conceptual Art. “My vision of magic is based in the ironic outlook I have towards life. I think by not shooting directly for High Art you have better chance of actuall...
by Max Maven
September 5th, 2020, 3:19 pm
Forum: General
Topic: The Tragic Rhythm - David Ben
Replies: 45
Views: 14093

Re: The Tragic Rhythm - David Ben

If you've decided that magic is not a high art, then for you it never will be.
by Max Maven
August 30th, 2020, 6:23 pm
Forum: General
Topic: 3MW
Replies: 36
Views: 5276

Re: 3MW

Didn’t expect to find Polari referenced on this site. On YouTube there’s a clip from British television some years back, which shows a full conversation in Polari that is impenetrable.
by Max Maven
August 30th, 2020, 1:44 am
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Academy of Magical Arts Award Winners for 2019
Replies: 6
Views: 2315

Re: Academy of Magical Arts Award Winners for 2019

I was not directly involved, but they told him they wanted to give him the award; he turned it down; they gave it anyway.
by Max Maven
August 28th, 2020, 4:02 am
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Academy of Magical Arts Award Winners for 2019
Replies: 6
Views: 2315

Re: Academy of Magical Arts Award Winners for 2019

Last year, Derren had a run on Broadway.
by Max Maven
July 31st, 2020, 12:05 am
Forum: Link Watch
Topic: "Primes"
Replies: 29
Views: 7364

Re: "Primes"

Here is one of the underlying problems: The probability figures you cite presume that the chance of a person naming the three of diamonds at random is 1/52. But most people do not name random cards. MagicbyAlfred acknowledges this when he repeats the claim that the three of diamonds is "not a c...
by Max Maven
July 28th, 2020, 2:53 am
Forum: Link Watch
Topic: "Primes"
Replies: 29
Views: 7364

Re: "Primes"

This useless survey is based on a false premise.
by Max Maven
July 12th, 2020, 4:36 am
Forum: Magic History and Anecdotes
Topic: Index of Dover Magic Books
Replies: 22
Views: 7255

Re: Index of Dover Magic Books

Unfortunately, Dover has a long history of playing loose with images. Years ago, when they put out a reprint of Will Goldston’s Exclusive Magical Secrets , they chose to put a Houdini poster on the cover. That particular poster was rare, and the image they used was of the poster Jay Marshall owned. ...
by Max Maven
June 26th, 2020, 7:08 am
Forum: Magic History and Anecdotes
Topic: Was Houdini aware of the Centre Tear?
Replies: 8
Views: 2025

Re: Was Houdini aware of the Centre Tear?

Richard Stokes, it would appear that you didn’t pay attention to my lecture.

Several of your questions were, in fact, addressed in my lecture.

While I gave Al Mann deserved credit for his published research, it was filled with errors and false assumptions.

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