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Magic memory square..

Posted: December 25th, 2008, 3:08 am
by smokemist
I think that is what the effect i am looking for is called.. I just remeber a mentalism type of effect where a large number is named... Then the performer writes many numbers in a square formation, that add up to the chosen number.. (usually done at a very fast pace)

Anyone know what i am chatting about?

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 25th, 2008, 8:56 am
by Magic Newswire
The Magic Square.. It's the focus of Harry Anderson's lecture these days and he does a great routine. If you can get his lecture nots and are interested in this effect, I highly recommend it!

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 25th, 2008, 8:39 pm
by Richard Kaufman
The easiest version I know of (which even a mathematical imbecile like myself can do) appears in Harry Lorayne's "The Magic Book."

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 25th, 2008, 9:49 pm
by Harry Lorayne
The actual "memory magic square" was originally in Reputation-Makers - now re-written, updated, etc., in LORAYNE: THE CLASSIC COLLECTION, Volume 2. HL.

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 25th, 2008, 10:50 pm
by Richard Kaufman
That's the complicated one, Harry. I'm talking about the simple one where you only have to fill in four numbers.

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 25th, 2008, 11:38 pm
by Harry Lorayne
Gotcha, but then you can't really call that a "memory" magic square. The one you refer to, however, is the one I close my personal appearances with. HL.

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 26th, 2008, 12:26 am
by Edward
Who's trick is it Harry? Yours or others?

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 26th, 2008, 3:00 am
by Tim Ellis
Is Reputation Makers on DVD?

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 26th, 2008, 10:33 am
by Harry Lorayne
Edward: My presentation.

No, none of my books are on DVD - some of my routines, sleights, etd., are - there's a 4-volume "Best Ever" DVD set.

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 26th, 2008, 11:25 am
by Harry Lorayne
PS, Tim: For example, the first routine from Reputation-Makers, Card Shark & Four Gamblers (now updated,etc. in THE CLASSIC COLLECTION, Vol. 2)is demo'd and taught on volume 3 of my "Best Ever" DVD set, plus over 30 other routines!! Individual DVDs, or the 4-volume set available directly from me. HL.

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 26th, 2008, 11:37 am
by Ian Kendall
I think he was being facetious.

Take care, Ian

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 26th, 2008, 1:46 pm
by Harry Lorayne
WHO was being facetious? We do have many comedians here. HL.

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 26th, 2008, 1:48 pm
by Harry Lorayne
Rather people who THINK they're comedians. HL.

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 26th, 2008, 2:24 pm
by Ian Kendall
Tim, when he asked if a book was a DVD. A wry social comment on the current state of magic, if you will. Some people can't pick up on subtle humour.

Take care, Ian

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 26th, 2008, 3:18 pm
by Harry Lorayne
No, Ian, I don't think he was being facetious. He didn't ask if Reputation-Makers WAS a DVD - he asked if the book was ON a DVD. Frankly, I don't really understand the question. It does tell us something though, doesn't it? Best - HARRY L.

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 26th, 2008, 4:36 pm
by Ian Kendall
Yes, it does...

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 26th, 2008, 5:46 pm
by Tim Ellis
No, I wasn't being funny at all. I thought I'd seen a DVD called Reputation Makers with a magic square on it. Obviously it wasn't yours after all.

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 26th, 2008, 5:49 pm
by Ian Kendall
Ah well...

Are you thinking of John Archer's DVD?

Take care, Ian

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 26th, 2008, 5:57 pm
by Tim Ellis

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 26th, 2008, 6:00 pm
by Tim Ellis
Sorry for the confusion, I've been trying to put together a Sudoku version of the Magic Square for my new show, and all the different methods I've been researching are starting to blur together! ;)

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 26th, 2008, 6:42 pm
by Harry Lorayne
Yeah, just went to his site. I got a chuckle out of the line "...Charles Gauci doesn't believe in spending hours practicing a difficult sleight..." He obviously also doesn't believe in spending any time thinking up his own titles! HL.

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 26th, 2008, 7:23 pm
by Joe M. Turner
The magic square I use is the first item in The Lost Notebooks of John Northern Hilliard. It does require mnemonics for each square, but I like the fact that all the numbers end up close -- there are no obvious outliers.

I saw Harry Anderson's lecture on the topic and I admire his work. His presentation is great, but doesn't work in the context in which I present the square. Still worth study, though -- and his tic tac toe meets the magic square card trick is great fun!

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 26th, 2008, 11:14 pm
by NCMarsh
Is Anderson's routine published/available in a form outside of his lecture?

N.

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 27th, 2008, 4:25 am
by Ian Kendall
I've tried a few in the past, but if you can track down a copy, Chuck Hickok's Diagonal Magic Square is the best.

Take care, Ian

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 27th, 2008, 9:10 am
by Joe M. Turner
RE: Anderson's square availability

I don't know. I have not seen his notes or the props marketed outside his lecture.

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 27th, 2008, 10:49 am
by John Smetana
IMO Orville Meyer's "Magic Square and Master Memory" is a great performance piece. It takes some work to learn it but it's killer material..

all the best,
John

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 28th, 2008, 7:46 am
by the Larry
And where could one find the Orville Meyer "Magic Square and Master Memory" effect described?

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 28th, 2008, 9:42 am
by John Smetana
the Larry wrote:And where could one find the Orville Meyer "Magic Square and Master Memory" effect described?


I think Chris Washuber has it available now:
http://www.lybrary.com/index.php

have fun,
all the best,
John

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 28th, 2008, 9:57 am
by the Larry
John, thanks a lot for your kind help. I love the Internet. I thought this is probably something I will not be able to locate quickly but now I already bought it and can read and enjoy it.

I am starting to like this Orville Meyer guy. Are there other publications by him you know of?

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 28th, 2008, 10:06 am
by David Alexander
Bev Bergeron sells his version, developed after he saw Polgar perform. Polgar was probably the originator. Bev sells the ms. for $75 and it is well worth the price.

See:http://bevbergeron.com/manuscripts.html

third manuscript down.

As Bev says in his description, this is not for a beginner. It will take work, but when you have it you'll have something that few have.

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 28th, 2008, 11:00 am
by the Larry
David Alexander, the Orville Meyer manuscript I just bought at Lybrary.com reads like Orville Meyer was the originator of this effect. Are you saying that Polgar invented this and not Meyer?

I am also surprised that at Lybrary.com I could buy this PDF for $7 whereas Mr. Bev Bergeron sells this for $75. One is an ebook the other a printed manuscript. That would explain some difference but not $68. Any thoughts on that?

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 28th, 2008, 12:41 pm
by David Alexander
Yes, I believe that Polgar created this effect as well as finding his check with contact mindreading.

While I own an original signed copy of the Meyer manuscript, I bought Bev's routine for several reasons - 1) Bev is a professional performer, 2) he had done the effect hundreds of times, 3) I've known Bev for decades and know him to be a clever guy so I knew, given his cleverness and experience, that I would be receiving something that had been refined to a high degree and that Bev would not hold back anything he deemed important to the presentation 4) I knew his manuscript would contain the essence of his performing experience which means the presentation and suggested timing of the effect - how the various parts all fit together to make a strong presentation.

The "real" secrets of magic are in the timing and presentation, not the physical means of producing the effect. In this case the Magic Square and mnemonic techniques are readily available for next to nothing in the literature and on the Internet. What I wanted was Bev's experience.

The "difference" of $68 that you point out is nothing to someone looking for professional-level performing material. Indeed, the material is quite cheap to a knowledgeable professional performer.

I also knew that once I had this worked up I would have something that was commercial, impressive, and that few others would take the time to learn. It's good to have material like that.

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 28th, 2008, 1:37 pm
by the Larry
David Alexander, thanks. Makes a lot of sense what you write. Although I must say, having now read the entire Orville Meyer PDF that it is very good and complete to actually perform this. This is my first Orville Meyer publication and it appears that Meyer is (was) a clever fellow. As I asked above, if anybody knows about other Orville Meyer publications then I would love to know about them.

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 28th, 2008, 4:01 pm
by John Smetana
Larry, a quick search would most likely turn up a few things by Mr.Meyer..

all the best,
John

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 28th, 2008, 5:44 pm
by David Alexander
Probably the funniest listing you'll find is Orv's "Telepathy in Action," (a sort of pseudo-hypnosis routine) scanned and put on a pseudo-science website by some clown who probably only read the title.

Re: Magic memory square..

Posted: December 28th, 2008, 9:12 pm
by Richard Hatch
the Larry wrote:As I asked above, if anybody knows about other Orville Meyer publications then I would love to know about them.

His one hardback book is MAGIC IN THE MODERN MANNER. A good collection of a variety of material. Not too hard to find, but probably in the $50 range unless you get very lucky...
He eventually contributed his bullet catch, which had been used by Ted Annemann, to GENII. I believe he had quite a few contributions to various other magical publications as well.