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Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 10th, 2007, 7:29 pm
by Guest
Hey, I spoke to Alfonso after he saw it and he said it fooled him badly!!

I have only read the description in Greater Magic and Alfonsos' recount of it.

Can someone enlighten me more??
Is there video of it somewhere??

Scott

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 10th, 2007, 7:42 pm
by Pete Biro
NO VIDEO, NO STILL PHOTOS ALLOWED EITHER.
One of many effects. Borrowed deck, shuffled, put into houlette that was on a book, laying flat on glass pedestals. 3 cards NAMED each card rose on command.

THAT WASN'T EVEN ONE OF THE STRONG EFFECTS.

ANOTHER DECK BORROWED SPEC REVERSED ON CARD NEAR MIDDLE OF DECK. PUT INTO HOULETTTE AND THAT CARD ROSE.

Another deck shuffled put into houlette and four jacks, one at a time, JUMPED OUT OF THE DECK.

One card rose about a foot in space above deck.

too many variations for me to describe. BELIEVE ME, IT WAS LIKE WE WERE SEEING REAL MAGIC. NO CLUES..

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 10th, 2007, 8:27 pm
by Guest
Imagine if you would being transported back to a small room in brooklyn new york... it is 1914... you are looking at a worn stage 12 inches in height... on the stage some spindely tables,on one a disembodied teddy bear head, Miltiades ... a large glass dome on another... Out comes Dr Hooker who displays a small frame the size of a deck of cards a brass piece with glass sides and bottom... Miltiades and Dr Hooker enter into a conversation as he assists the doctor with different card rises... Any card shouted out by the audience is caused to rise on command from a tiny frame placed on a rickety table which appears to have barely enough support to stand on its own. Miltiades then proceeds to do some magic of his own including a very deceptive levitation ...of himself ...This is what happened at the conference. John Gaughan takes you for a little journey that is well worth the effort to get the chance to see as he transports you back to that brooklyn stage for some incredible magic... It is hard to imagine that this was originally thought out and assembled just a few years after we learned how to build a controllable airplane and television was barely a dream. I thank RK for his post which allowed me the opportunity to attend this wonderful event. I have seen a lot of magic over the years most unfortunately not worth the time but this was in the well worth it catagory . I also agree with RK's earlier posts it would not be the same on television or other media you have to be there for the true value to come across. As Dr. Hooker might say John slow down. Thanks SB

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 10th, 2007, 10:28 pm
by Guest
Well done, scottb. Thank you.

Someone HAS to ask: Does the method have anything to do with ghosts?

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 11th, 2007, 1:20 pm
by Guest
Yeah, thanks for that Scott.

Unfortunately other parts of life kept me from witnessing this once in a lifetime event BOTH times. Hopefully the powers that be will see to it to offer the experience again in the future.

It's stuff like this that makes it easy to see why some folks dedicate their whole life to this wonderful world we call magic.

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 12th, 2007, 9:00 am
by Pete Biro
Methinks the lack of posts is for 2 reasons.

1: Nobody wants to admit they don't know how it works.

1: All that viewed it are still in shock and can't logically even describe what they saw.

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 12th, 2007, 9:08 am
by Carlo Morpurgo
Originally posted by Pete Biro:
Methinks the lack of posts is for 2 reasons.

1: Nobody wants to admit they don't know how it works.

1: All that viewed it are still in shock and can't logically even describe what they saw.
I can think of another reason, which nicely complements what you propose....but I am not telling.

Carlo

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 12th, 2007, 9:20 am
by Guest
It's not Reason Number One for me, Pete. I'll cheerfully admit to one and all that I have almost no clue as to how any of it works. I have a bit of an idea what went on with my deck (Militades determining how far from the top of the deck my selection was located) but no idea as to the exact mechanics that were involved. Much of the rest of the performance was completely unfathomable.

And so, for me, even a week afterwards, I'm still quite in shock about it. There's so much hype in magic, and I know all of us have been repeatedly taken in by dealer ad claims that promised real miracles and delivered far, far less. Or the "must see!" performances that edged closer to the "must flee!" end of the spectrum.

But Dr. Hooker's Impossibilities lives up to and exceeds the legend. It's everything you read about, and more. One of the delights of the performance was the mass of original correspondence displayed on the rear wall of the room. It was delightful to read the reactions of some of the leading lights in magic at the turn of the last century and how utterly flummoxed they were at the creations of Dr. Hooker. And to know that I was in rarefied company in:

1) being able to witness the routine, and

2) knowing that these masters of the art were as clueless as I was about how these miracles were accomplished.

Just an amazing, amazing night...one I'll remember the rest of my life.

Jeremy
(still in shock)

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 12th, 2007, 12:40 pm
by Guest
No one at the conference hesitated to admit how completely fooled they were. I've written a description of the demonstration and the sequence of effects. I will probably post it here, but not for a month or so.

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 12th, 2007, 2:51 pm
by Dustin Stinett
I was badly fooled and I am happier for the experience! It is the most astonishing magic performance I have ever seen. Whats more, I do not want to know how its done. I relish the idea that I will always have the experience of this mystery to recall.

Dustin

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 12th, 2007, 3:09 pm
by Carlo Morpurgo
I was there too, on Friday. Flew over just for that one half hour, and truly enojoyed it. I must admit that for me it was more of an intellectual challenge than a mystical and magical experience, but what can I say. On one hand there was so much hype about this series of effects, on the other, I am not a magician... I think Dr. hooker as a scientist would appreciate my efforts in trying to make some sense out of what I 've seen.

Well, I have done that. I wrote a small article (8 pages) with my observations, and with some ideas on how it might be done. It could be all wrong, but I've tried. I've submitted it last saturday to the LA Conference of Magic History, and shared it with no one else, yet.

To be honest, I feel like we are in a bit of an impasse here. On one hand, Richard Kaufman says that we are free to write whatever we want, on the other, there are folks here who do not want to read or hear anything about it, and prefer to live the dream forever. I think it's pretty much up to Mr. Kaufman to decide whether or not to allow the real discussion in his forum.

Carlo

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 12th, 2007, 3:15 pm
by Guest
After seeing the effect I have some fairly substantial theories on how it operates but that wasn't the point of the experience. The atmosphere of sitting in a room and seeing something that collectively was fooling a host of knowledgeable magicians and magical thinkers was an amazing event. When you've been in magic a long time you sometimes miss the joy of those first experiences when you were mystified so badly. The Hooker rising cards revived that joy for many of us.

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 12th, 2007, 4:36 pm
by Guest
My wife and I went to see it on November 2. It was everything I expected and more. My wife was a bit non-plussed, though. She told me that she couldn't appreciate it as much as I did. After all, magicians are SUPPOSED to be able to do those things!

But neither of us figured it out.

I, for one, don't think that it would be of any value to me to figure it out. It is Art. Dr. Hooker's point may have been to create the perfect rising card, and thereby raise the bar for the rest of us. He may have even wanted us to try to figure it out, knowing full well that we won't be able to do so.

For me, the point was to see it. And I did, along with a great view of the back of Dr. Albo's head!

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 12th, 2007, 5:52 pm
by Michael Edwards
It was a wonderful experience...not because it had not been seen in over a decade, not because it is unlikely to be seen again, and not because it mystified some of the finest thinkers in magic today. It was wonderful because for twenty-five minutes we were back in Dr. Hooker's little theater in Brooklyn Heights watching cards behave as if truly enchanted by magic. Enchanted is a good adjective to express my feelings as well.

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 12th, 2007, 7:25 pm
by Guest
I love hearing stories like this. It reminds me of when I was new to magic, and everything was amazing! It's cool that there's still things that can utterly baffle us, even after years in the field. Thanks for all the reviews!

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 12th, 2007, 8:05 pm
by Richard Kaufman
Anyone is free to post anything about The Hooker Card Rise here on the Forum. If you want to speculate on methods, feel free! I just wanted everyone to wait until after the last performance was over. Now have at it.

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 8:18 am
by Guest
So, I did not attend, but have a few thousand questions. Why is this not being brought to the East Coast? Too big? Where exactly has it been written up? I know that there was a picture of Johnny on an earlier Magic Magazine, and if I also recall, there was either a lens flare, or a hole drilled into this big glass (covery thing) that wasn't air-brushed out. Can anyone recall what issue this was? I would like to go back and re-read the article...Why are the audiences limited, angles? How did Johnny decipher, or buy into this illusion? Where was he during the performance?

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 8:38 am
by Pete Biro
Offer JOhn a huge check o bring it east?
The flare/glare in the MAGIC MAG photo was just that... NOTHING RETOUCHED.

JOhn walked all over during, someetimes standing near table sometimes in audience.

Believe me THERE WAS NOTHING TO BE SEEN. Room size dictated no. of audience. Could have done at Radio City music hall, but not many would b able to tell what value of cards (too far away0.

I also believe they wanted the room to rresemle the Hooker residence. Even had the original Hooker home drapes.

He got the apparatus from Dr. HOoker's grandson.

And as Ricky Jay said, "THE RIGHT PERSON OBTAINED IT."

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 9:16 am
by Guest
The MAGIC magazine with John Gaughan and the Hooker Card Rise on the cover is the January 1994 issue. There is a very good article by Jim Steinmeyer, with a complete description of the effects.

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 9:22 am
by Guest
I guess with the airlines losing so much luggage, the illusion would preferred to be driven cross country... I'm not too sure you could pay ME to drive cross country. What's with the teddy bear? Did this conceal any mechanics? How many people do you think it took to pull this off? How high did he levitate? Were any of the letters in the back from, say ten years ago?

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 9:35 am
by Richard Kaufman
Max, instead of asking a million questions, let some of the people who've been asking me privately whether they could write about this now do so.

As for the photo on the cover of MAGIC in the old article, yes of course it was retouched. It was taken by Bill Taylor and he retouches all his photos.

Unfortunately Pete is wrong, it could not be done at Radio City Music Hall. The routine was designed to be done for a small audience, and for a small audience it must be done. It has no commercial potential in current day theater.

It is also designed to be seen only once or twice by anyone, and then only years apart. So it will never be brought anywhere else, and it will likely never be performed again.

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 10:16 am
by Brad Henderson
The problem I had was the battle between two minds. Not mine and Dr. Hooker's, but mine and myself.

If I had one magic wish it would be that I could have seen the Hooker rise twice, knowing I would be seeing it twice.

I don't care how much one wants to have a magical moment, there is always that little "how is this done" voice that creeps in. If course, that voice is necessary, without it we wouldn't experience the sensation of magic - it would just be something that happens.

But I found myself in an internal struggle: Part of me wanted to just let go and experience the wonder, but part of me kept asking 'how, where, and what?'

When that happens, I find it hard to get lost in the moment, which I so badly wanted to. Sure there were times when that happened, but the rational "magic dork" side of me would rear it's ugly head.

Having said that, it is probably the most deceptive piece of magic I have ever seen. And it is one of the most provocative. Everyone left the room and conversations spilled forth. But unlike most times when this happens in our little world, every single conversation was founded in a position of respect and ultimately praise. Sure we talked methods and possibilities, but in every single instance we were led to a feeling of greater respect for the man, his methods, and his magic.

There will never be another Hooker Rising Cards, but how wonderful would it be if each of us, in our own way, tried to engender that type of response with our own magic, for our own audiences, for our art. My own bar has been raised.

More than anything, that's what I walked away with.

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 10:37 am
by Pete Biro
Richard: You missed my point about Radio City Music hall.. He could have set it up on the stage.. physically... but it would be too far from the audience to see it.

BTW: If Bill did retouch the photo it was likely a flaw in the photo (flash reflection or something) but there was NOTHING TO HIDE a we were sitting just a few feet away and saw nothing)

What happened to the Dec. cover art on the home page?

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 10:41 am
by Carlo Morpurgo
Ok...let me break the ice here. As I said, I attended the Friday performance, not completely sure as to what to expect. Should I let myself be fooled, or should I not? I honestly did not know, but I soon found myself taking the opportunity to try to solve the mistery. I've let myself be fooled many other times....The upshot is that I actually relived the performance in my head for over a week, in trying to remember and understand what I had seen, and that was great....

I wrote something up, but it is mostly for those who have seen the performance, especially last Friday, or those who know more or less the effects. It's a theory, no more, no less. I am ready to take punches and toss it in the garbage!

You will find the file here:

http://tinyurl.com/242svm

If you have a weak stomach and do not like to see Hooker's Impossibilities sliced up, then do not open the link above.


Carlo

PS 1. I only focus on the card effects, and I do not have a detailed explanation of everything. I was hoping to at least nail the main principles behind the workings of the houlette.

PS 2. The document is the same one I sent to Jim Steinmeyer last Saturday, except some minor changes and a couple more footnotes.

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 10:48 am
by Guest
Here is "Silent" Mora's brief explanation:
(transcribed from one of the letters on display at the Conference).

A varied quantity of iron (Don't know what form) in every card and every card a different amount.

Magnetic repulsion (if there is such a thing) terminating in the rising card table. The amount of current into the table is controlled off stage on a dimmer system and the more current, the higher the card rises.

53 or more dimmers, one for each card and one for each group of cards.

The Bear's Head (explanation????)

Wireless control of the jaw, eyes turning the head.

The Levitation of the bears head, THAT I DO NOT KNOW.

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 11:19 am
by Michael Edwards
Carlo -- Have you ever tried to use a Neyhart houlette? Or ever found one that could work consistently...even with each of the 52 cards carefully idexed and in new condition...let alone with the precision that is required for some of the Hooker effects?

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 11:23 am
by Carlo Morpurgo
Originally posted by Michael Edwards:
Carlo -- Have you ever tried to use a Neyhart houlette? Or ever found one that could work consistently...even with each of the 52 cards carefully idexed and in new condition...let alone with the precision that is required for some of the Hooker effects?
No, I have not. I have no clue as to what the mechanics of that houlette are. I am not claiming that Neyhart's houlette is the same as Hooker's.

Carlo

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 11:25 am
by Guest
Originally posted by John Lovick:
Here is "Silent" Mora's brief explanation:
(transcribed from one of the letters on display at the Conference).

A varied quantity of iron (Don't know what form) in every card and every card a different amount.

Magnetic repulsion (if there is such a thing) terminating in the rising card table. The amount of current into the table is controlled off stage on a dimmer system and the more current, the higher the card rises.

53 or more dimmers, one for each card and one for each group of cards. ...
That's great! Better than the "trained fleas" idea that someone sent via email.

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 11:28 am
by Michael Edwards
Interesting that Jim has repeatedly noted that the secret lies in a principle of magic rather than one of science...if you believe him. :)

John...did you not see the fleas in Miltiades fur?

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 11:52 am
by Guest
Originally posted by Michael Edwards:
...did you not see the fleas in Miltiades fur?
Oh geeze...anybody get one? Wonder if that means the rumor about using a trained spider...(maybe even the story inspiration for Charlotte's Web?)

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 12:26 pm
by Gordon Bean
And so, inevitably, the bottom of a slippery slope appears. I imagine Im not alone in thinking that a public forum is not the appropriate venue for such a bull session regarding methods. (I was about to add a joke about the trained fleas, but...)

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 1:01 pm
by Guest
Originally posted by Gordon Bean:
And so, inevitably, the bottom of a slippery slope appears. I imagine Im not alone in thinking that a public forum is not the appropriate venue for such a discussion of methods. (I was about to add a joke about the trained fleas, but...)
Not going with any method discussions here - only joking about the absurd ideas.

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 2:03 pm
by Gordon Bean
Agreed. Both Silent Mora's letter and your comment pretty much reflect my own appreciative muddle upon seeing the routine. As long as nobody mentions that it apparently can't be performed below the equator, I'll be happy.

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 2:15 pm
by Richard Kaufman
I don't think this is the bottom of a slippery slope--and I certainly don't think there's anything wrong with people having a discussion of potential methodology here. I encourage it! That's what this board is about.

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 2:25 pm
by Richard Kaufman
Carlo, I wish I could tell you that you were even close in your ideas about the methodolgies used--but from the little I know, you're not.

That's what will make Hooker's "Impossibilities" an undying mystery.

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 2:26 pm
by Pete Biro
remember the cards were borrowed and I really do not believe any deck switches were made. That I was watching for like a hawk. And I do not think any stooges were in on it.

Don't forget CArlo, the houlette was looked into by those of us in the front rows.

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 2:37 pm
by Carlo Morpurgo
Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:
Carlo, I wish I could tell you that you were even close in your ideas about the methodolgies used--but from the little I know, you're not.

That's what will make Hooker's "Impossibilities" an undying mystery.
I was afraid of comments like that...not because I might be wrong, and I likely am, but because they are unsupported, neither by evidence nor by argument. I'd rather hear reasons or facts that could either dismiss what I wrote, and/or even better, improve it. I am all ears.

Carlo

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 2:51 pm
by Carlo Morpurgo
Originally posted by Pete Biro:
remember the cards were borrowed
For *some* effects yes, like the one with the houlette behind the booklet. The guy who took the deck out of the pocket was my neighbor, actually. So this is still consistent with what I said. In other effects the decks were not borrowed.

and I really do not believe any deck switches were made. That I was watching for like a hawk. And I do not think any stooges were in on it.
In the first effect when John reassembles the four packets he turned around sharply and the deck disappeared from view. All he needed to do was to add a few cards in the back, no deck switches needed.

Don't forget CArlo, the houlette was looked into by those of us in the front rows.
Well, again, I was not so lucky, so I theorized from what I had seen. I'd be curious to hear from other folks who sat in the front row if they were able to see clearly inside.

Carlo

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 3:09 pm
by Mike Rozek
My wife and I were in the front row. There was nothing of note to see in the second or so that we were able to "inspect" the houlette. Metal and glass...that was about it.

Re: Hooker Card Rise

Posted: November 13th, 2007, 3:12 pm
by Carlo Morpurgo
Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:
Carlo, I wish I could tell you that you were even close in your ideas about the methodolgies used--but from the little I know, you're not.

Let me at least try to ask you to be more specific: which methodology is utterly away from the truth? The idea of finding the selected card by lifting the deck and then dropping the cards? The actual mechanism that would do that? Or other explanations? Or ALL the explanations?


Carlo