Hooker Card Rise
Re: Hooker Card Rise
Stevens' new catalog lists Abotts Nu-Power Rising Cards. Well worth looking at.
Also my new run of the Johnny Paul Cups.
Also my new run of the Johnny Paul Cups.
Stay tooned.
-
- Posts: 375
- Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
- Location: North Hollywood, CA
- Contact:
Re: Hooker Card Rise
I would not be surprised if there are "others" in on the method...serving to keep us all off track, what do say RK?
"Hope I Die Before I Get Old"
P. Townshend
P. Townshend
- Richard Kaufman
- Posts: 27046
- Joined: July 18th, 2001, 12:00 pm
- Favorite Magician: Theodore DeLand
- Location: Washington DC
- Contact:
Re: Hooker Card Rise
As far as I understand it, the only people who know the complete workings are John Gaughan, Jim Steinmeyer, and the secret assistant who helps during the performance. I am not giving anything away by saying that--the information has been printed before.
Those who attended all saw the same thing, but none of them, despite what they may say, can explain more than one aspect (if they can explain anything at all, and that's doubtful).
The little knowledge I have allows me to refute things which people post as possible methods (genuinely, not just to throw people off course), but I would never write out what my theories are.
Those who attended all saw the same thing, but none of them, despite what they may say, can explain more than one aspect (if they can explain anything at all, and that's doubtful).
The little knowledge I have allows me to refute things which people post as possible methods (genuinely, not just to throw people off course), but I would never write out what my theories are.
Subscribe today to Genii Magazine
Re: Hooker Card Rise
The relatives probably shopped it around first before giving/selling it to Johnny...Oui?
Re: Hooker Card Rise
"As far as I understand it, the only people who know the complete workings are John Gaughan, Jim Steinmeyer, and the secret assistant who helps during the performance"
____________
Richard: I do recall at the (11-10/4pm) showing - that John said something along the lines that He and '3-4 people' helped construct it in his workshop.
Now, whether his 'construction helpers' know ALL of the Hooker aspects, or just the bits that they each helped on, I have no idea.
I think you were at the same showing also.
____________
Richard: I do recall at the (11-10/4pm) showing - that John said something along the lines that He and '3-4 people' helped construct it in his workshop.
Now, whether his 'construction helpers' know ALL of the Hooker aspects, or just the bits that they each helped on, I have no idea.
I think you were at the same showing also.
- Dustin Stinett
- Posts: 7248
- Joined: July 22nd, 2001, 12:00 pm
- Favorite Magician: Sometimes
- Location: Southern California
- Contact:
Re: Hooker Card Rise
Mike has told me that he does not know all of the secrets of the Hooker Card Rise. On the last night of the Conference I was looking for John. Mike told me he was taking Hooker apart. I quipped that "he'd probably throw me out if I went in there." Mike said, "He'd throw me out if I went in there; but I'd love to go in."
Dustin
Dustin
-
- Posts: 375
- Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
- Location: Columbia, MO
Re: Hooker Card Rise
About 20 minutes after the show ended I re-entered the room to take another look at those letters in the back. In the room there was only Jim talking to another guy who was facing the opposite side of the stage. At that moment I saw two people (different than John) coming out of the left part of the stage, one of them carrying a cardboard box with a handle. The room was still open for "visitors".Originally posted by J Fox:
Richard: I do recall at the (11-10/4pm) showing - that John said something along the lines that He and '3-4 people' helped construct it in his workshop.
Carlo
Re: Hooker Card Rise
Without seeing the illusion, it is hard for me to come up with an explanation, I only have a few paragraphs to go by. I am going to speculate that the complexity of the threads, is the reason this only get shown every ten years...
---Having been the designer of several Rube Goldberg illusions myself, I would like to offer a stab at how I would set up a borrowed deck to levitate in an examined Houlette. This item could be stored in a thin table-top, perhaps palmed off when needed.. Think of 50 fine guitar strings that are set up like the wires on an egg slicer. If you load a deck with the same enthusiasm as a Farro shuffle, you can have 52 cards separated, inside a glass Houlette. Glass gives the illusion of transparency, but you can hide threads through glass if that pane is viewed the long way, (here horizontally), perhaps in the top of the Houlette, (that is, if there was enough glass decoration around the lip).
---This is the stuff that keeps me up at night!
---Having been the designer of several Rube Goldberg illusions myself, I would like to offer a stab at how I would set up a borrowed deck to levitate in an examined Houlette. This item could be stored in a thin table-top, perhaps palmed off when needed.. Think of 50 fine guitar strings that are set up like the wires on an egg slicer. If you load a deck with the same enthusiasm as a Farro shuffle, you can have 52 cards separated, inside a glass Houlette. Glass gives the illusion of transparency, but you can hide threads through glass if that pane is viewed the long way, (here horizontally), perhaps in the top of the Houlette, (that is, if there was enough glass decoration around the lip).
---This is the stuff that keeps me up at night!
-
- Posts: 516
- Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
- Location: Washington, DC
Re: Hooker Card Rise
You should know that the cards never appear to waver, tilt or shimmy on their ascent or descent under the dome...as might be expected if they were being raised by a thread.
Keep in mind that the bear's head levitates as well under a separate glass dome.
Keep in mind that the bear's head levitates as well under a separate glass dome.
Re: Hooker Card Rise
That is where I think a complex set of threads with pulleys comes in...I have never tried any of this, but someone did say the descent was not completed...If some form of mirrors were used, a descent would have been accomplished.
-
- Posts: 375
- Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
- Location: Columbia, MO
Re: Hooker Card Rise
I should point out that the houlette does not have glass or any other material in the front and in the back. John himself said that there's glass on the sides. Also, with glass in front/back it would be almost impossible to lift the deck out...(which was done precisely using those windows).Originally posted by MaxNY:
Without seeing the illusion, it is hard for me to come up with an explanation, I only have a few paragraphs to go by. I am going to speculate that the complexity of the threads, is the reason this only get shown every ten years...
---Having been the designer of several Rube Goldberg illusions myself, I would like to offer a stab at how I would set up a borrowed deck to levitate in an examined Houlette. This item could be stored in a thin table-top, perhaps palmed off when needed.. Think of 50 fine guitar strings that are set up like the wires on an egg slicer. If you load a deck with the same enthusiasm as a Farro shuffle, you can have 52 cards separated, inside a glass Houlette. Glass gives the illusion of transparency, but you can hide threads through glass if that pane is viewed the long way, (here horizontally), perhaps in the top of the Houlette, (that is, if there was enough glass decoration around the lip).
---This is the stuff that keeps me up at night!
My guess is that it was not a device of the sort you describe. I am trying to imagine what would happen if you try to push the deck in such a thing, most likely some cards would go down and some other would stay up and one would be forced to wiggle the deck a few times in order to intertwine wires and cards. I did not notice such hesitation. Just a guess of course...
As far as the 10 years, more like 15, my thought is that beside the complexity of the setup, it's also like a marketing tool. Take any good illusion, show it to small groups of people, do not allow them to see it again, or allow a few to see it again after a long time, and you can raise that illusion to Hooker-like status. It's the combination of complexity of the effects plus the "only seeing it once" aspect that works. Show it to me tomorrow and I'd know exactly what I need to look for.....It may not give me the full solution, but it would definitely confirm or rule out several things.
Carlo
-
- Posts: 375
- Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
- Location: Columbia, MO
Re: Hooker Card Rise
One more piece of information, regarding the extent to which the houlette was "examined". John walked out of the stage with the houlette in his hand, held firmly at a fixed angle. The audience portion of the theater was quite dark, even in front row.Originally posted by MaxNY:
... I would like to offer a stab at how I would set up a borrowed deck to levitate in an examined Houlette.
John walked by the folks sitting in front row, while showing the houlette at that angle -- I can't recall what angle that was. I suspect that one small object or mechanism inside the houlette could not have been spotted under those conditions.
Maybe someone else can come out and be a bit more specific as to how the houlette was held?
Carlo
Re: Hooker Card Rise
I saw the Hooker Card Rise on Saturday Night Nov.3rd. I sat in the front row, 2nd seat from the left, when John came forward with the Houlette in his hands I touched it, very briefly, John was moving quickly and almost seemed as if he did not want anyone to actually touch it. I touched the side panel and the bottom of the frame on the front side, the top was tilted towards me in and held in both of Johns hands and looked like he was being very careful about it as he moved along the front row from my left to the right end of the row. It happend quickly, and I did not notice if anyone else got a little touch on either.
-
- Posts: 375
- Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
- Location: Columbia, MO
Re: Hooker Card Rise
Could you see inside? Also, if you touched the side panel this probably means that one hand was holding the bottom, almost covering it completely, and the other hand was holding one of the sides, am I correct?
carlo
carlo
Re: Hooker Card Rise
Do the cards only rise within the glass dome? Or is that the "challenge version" after they cleanly rise from an uncovered deck?
Re: Hooker Card Rise
The cards actually rise under a number of different circumstances and no one is mentioning Miltiades levitation quite extraordinary.......Pete do you think it has anything to do with mass hypnosis...SB
Re: Hooker Card Rise
Such as?Originally posted by scottb:
The cards actually rise under a number of different circumstances ...
-
- Posts: 516
- Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
- Location: Washington, DC
Re: Hooker Card Rise
They rise while uncovered by the dome, when the bottom (inside) of the houlette is covered by a playing card, when the houlette is placed above the table on a book, and when the houlette is swinging on two ribbons suspended in air. When the houlette is on the table, it is not always placed at the same spot on the table. The rising cards are -- at times, from a deck shuffled by a spectator, from a newly opened pack of cards, and from decks that belong to members of the audience. By the way, it is not just one card (which is subsequently handed to an audience member for inspection) that rises when the houlette is covered by the bell jar. All the cards shoot out of the houlette at the finale, hitting the top of the dome.Originally posted by Chris Aguilar:
Do the cards only rise within the glass dome? Or is that the "challenge version" after they cleanly rise from an uncovered deck?
-
- Posts: 375
- Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
- Location: Columbia, MO
Re: Hooker Card Rise
I recall 5 types of card rise (within different effects):Originally posted by Chris Aguilar:
Such as? [/b]Originally posted by scottb:
[b] The cards actually rise under a number of different circumstances ...
1. One specific card rises 2/3 of the way (give or take) then descends back
2. One specific card rises 2/3 of the way and is picked up, or deck is picked up with raised card
3. A few random cards (less than 9 I recall hearing) rise 2/3 of the way in succession and stay all raised
4. Whole deck rises 2/3 of the way, then descends back
5. One card rises out of the deck under a glass dome and then descends back. Some "historical accounts" of this rise include *called* cards rising under the dome, and cards descending back into the deck. No called cards rose under the dome this time, neither in 1993. No card descended back into the deck this time, and it appears that this was the case in 1993.
Carlo
Re: Hooker Card Rise
I did see down into the Houlette, nothing looked out of the ordinary. I saw the bottom from the top down, and did not get to hold it at all, so could not guess its weight, or composition but it did look like antique brass, I don't recall the exact placement of John's fingers holding the Houlette while showing us its supposed simple design. Nothing looked out of place with it, the photographs in the booklet handed out look better than what it looked like out from under the stage lights, of course that is to be expected.
-
- Posts: 375
- Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
- Location: Columbia, MO
Re: Hooker Card Rise
If my "theory" is correct then the inner bottom should be there, empty, and the mechanics should be under the houlette (gears) and on the edges, especially upper edges.
If the houlette were as good looking as that in the photos...not a chance.
I suppose you do not recall seeing anything "suspicious" along the edges, or if there was additional brass along the border that was hiding the view of the inner edges. In the photos, the edges of the upper part of the frame are all vertical, but in the real thing there might have been a small horizontal border all around the upper part of the frame. In this case a straight view from top to bottom would completely hide the inner upper edges.
Carlo
If the houlette were as good looking as that in the photos...not a chance.
I suppose you do not recall seeing anything "suspicious" along the edges, or if there was additional brass along the border that was hiding the view of the inner edges. In the photos, the edges of the upper part of the frame are all vertical, but in the real thing there might have been a small horizontal border all around the upper part of the frame. In this case a straight view from top to bottom would completely hide the inner upper edges.
Carlo
Re: Hooker Card Rise
Carlo, at one point in the presentation, John while holding the Houlette and going back to it's table to set it down, fummbled with it for just a moment, as it touched the table top, he needed to re-lift the Houlette slightly and under its base I saw what seemed to be a small flap, that was connected to the Houlette from a hinge and it fliped down, then in just a moment, it appeared to be reset, and then lowered back into a position needed for the next effect. This all took just a moment and I was sitting directly infront of the where the Houlette was tabled. It is possible that myself and only a few others could have glimpsed this minor bobble, this leaves me with the knowledge that the Houlette does indeed have one or more moving parts.
Re: Hooker Card Rise
There is no question that there are mechanical aids, etc. but you know I think I want to keep believing it is magic.
Stay tooned.
-
- Posts: 375
- Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
- Location: Columbia, MO
Re: Hooker Card Rise
Let me ask you this: was the flap hanging down from a side hinge or from a front/back hinge?Originally posted by Scott Peterson:
Carlo, at one point in the presentation, John while holding the Houlette and going back to it's table to set it down, fummbled with it for just a moment, as it touched the table top, he needed to re-lift the Houlette slightly and under its base I saw what seemed to be a small flap, that was connected to the Houlette from a hinge and it fliped down, then in just a moment, it appeared to be reset, and then lowered back into a position needed for the next effect.
carlo
-
- Posts: 375
- Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
- Location: Columbia, MO
Re: Hooker Card Rise
I know Pete, I completely understand this. However, it's an illusion, like many others. More than that, even if Hooker's mistery dies, the world of Magic will still go on....Originally posted by Pete Biro:
There is no question that there are mechanical aids, etc. but you know I think I want to keep believing it is magic.
Carlo
Re: Hooker Card Rise
There is nothing more embarrassing than in trying to get your deck to rise, you first have to fiddle with the flap beneath your Houlette...
- Steve Bryant
- Posts: 1947
- Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
- Favorite Magician: Ballantine
- Location: Bloomington IN
- Contact:
Re: Hooker Card Rise
Based on this description from Walter Blaney:
"The cards were removed and anyone could bring up their own
deck, shuffle it thoroughly, put it in the tiny houlette and
place it back on the table. Again any card called for would rise
from the deck."
I keep coming back to the idea of stranger cards being shoved up through the houlette. The link below illustrates another route. (The celluloid might also account for the card's floating.)
Check out Goldfish Card Shark Trick .
Again, I wasn't there, so don't comprehend how the room looked relative to the tables. Fun stuff to think about ...
"The cards were removed and anyone could bring up their own
deck, shuffle it thoroughly, put it in the tiny houlette and
place it back on the table. Again any card called for would rise
from the deck."
I keep coming back to the idea of stranger cards being shoved up through the houlette. The link below illustrates another route. (The celluloid might also account for the card's floating.)
Check out Goldfish Card Shark Trick .
Again, I wasn't there, so don't comprehend how the room looked relative to the tables. Fun stuff to think about ...
-
- Posts: 4546
- Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
- Location: austin, tx
Re: Hooker Card Rise
My deck was used. I did NOT place the deck into the houlette nor did I "come up." Johnny took the deck from me, walked it to the stage, and placed it inside. The card which I had selected rose back outwards to the audience. It was an uncommon deck. I have no doubt that the card which rose was the exact card from my pack.
The effect which followed was not any card called for. The selected card which I had reversed in the pack rose. Then a chosen NUMBER of cards rose.
My deck was returned and a second borrowed. In this case the bear told us at what position the thought of card was located.
B
The effect which followed was not any card called for. The selected card which I had reversed in the pack rose. Then a chosen NUMBER of cards rose.
My deck was returned and a second borrowed. In this case the bear told us at what position the thought of card was located.
B
Brad Henderson magician in Austin Texas
Re: Hooker Card Rise
I haven't heard anyone specifically mention this, but the top brass piece of the houlette that was facing the audience moved quite a bit during the performance. When John would touch it, I could see it tilting slightly and once when the houlette was on the table and a card was rising, I saw the top brass piece move in a pivoting movement ever so slightly.
Re: Hooker Card Rise
"the top brass piece of the houlette that was facing the audience moved quite a bit during the performance".
____________
A friend who attended the Nov. 3rd performance - told me the exact same thing...still, I'm clueless:-0
____________
A friend who attended the Nov. 3rd performance - told me the exact same thing...still, I'm clueless:-0
-
- Posts: 375
- Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
- Location: Columbia, MO
Re: Hooker Card Rise
Could you be more specific as to what part of the top brass frame you are referring to? Do you mean the top edge, including the corners? Did it seem somehow not completely connected with the rest of the frame?Originally posted by cbusch:
I haven't heard anyone specifically mention this, but the top brass piece of the houlette that was facing the audience moved quite a bit during the performance. When John would touch it, I could see it tilting slightly and once when the houlette was on the table and a card was rising, I saw the top brass piece move in a pivoting movement ever so slightly.
Carlo
Re: Hooker Card Rise
It looked like a frame on the face of the houlette that was moving it actually did this frequently though I could not see the meaning to this movement.......Perhaps The Black Arts is somehow involved ......The mechanics are to clean ....SB
-
- Posts: 375
- Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
- Location: Columbia, MO
Re: Hooker Card Rise
Let me ask one more time: did it look likeOriginally posted by scottb:
It looked like a frame on the face of the houlette that was moving it actually did this frequently though I could not see the meaning to this movement.......Perhaps The Black Arts is somehow involved ......The mechanics are to clean ....SB
the frame in view was somehow not completely conected, i.e. with (top) parts moving independently.
Could the houlette have moved as a whole and you noticing only the top part moving?
Carlo
Re: Hooker Card Rise
What I saw was the top horizontal part of the houlette tilting slightly when John touched it and once when it was on the table and a card was rising. The houlette was not moving. The top piece I am referring to was obviously not solidly attached to the two vertical brass pieces on either side. It was able to pivot. I am not sure what this means, but the action of the card rising did cause it to pivot sometimes.
Re: Hooker Card Rise
I posted a picture of the houlette with the top piece circled in red. See link to view. That's the part I am talking about.
Pbase
Pbase
Re: Hooker Card Rise
Password?Originally posted by cbusch:
I posted a picture of the houlette with the top piece circled in red. See link to view. That's the part I am talking about.
Pbase
Re: Hooker Card Rise
I have been handcrafting a routine for the past twenty years, I deal with micro springs, gears, jewler's saws, and blades...I'll tell you this, there isn't much wiggle room in that Houlette.