LePaul Notebook on exhibit

[Richard Hatch]

The Conjuring Arts Research Center has a nice essay on LePaul with rare photos from the George and Sandy Daily Collection in its current gallery. You can then page through one of LePaul's personal notebooks online. This is really something! Here's a link:
http://www.conjuringarts.org/gallery/lepaul/

[Anthony Brahams]

Richard

Thank you very, very much for this link. Fascinating, especially to a Le Paul fan--no pun intended, I used to perform a routine of all Le Paul effects, for magic clubs (without explanations) as well as lay people.

Wonder if someone can transcribe? I have an official printing of a Le Paul lecture but it is not the same, for one thing, no tricks.

Anthony

www.thecairnpress.com for our Avis, Costi, Kaps books

[Richard Kaufman]

"Daley apparently created and showed Lepaul a lot of what appeared in The Card Magic of Lepaul."

And exactly what evidence do you have for this? While it's well known that Daley showed "Magician Vs, Gambler" to LePaul, and LePaul then printed the part of the trick without the Kings appearing in the pockets because Daley denied him permission, what else is supposed to be Daley's in the book?

[Guest]

I'm told LePaul was a true gentleman and a modest man. I doubt that he would have claimed material not his own.

Don't claim to be able to do everything in the book unless you really can, Shane. Your boast might prove embarrassing to you some time down the road.

The book is much more than just "sleights". There is a lot of wonderful psychology and performance advice there, too.

- entity

[Guest]

Your post just seemed a little self-aggrandizing, at the expense of LePaul's reputation.

Happy to see you've revised your comments. I will, too.

- entity

[Guest]

Does anyone know the title and author of the 1916 British manuscript from which, according to the article, LePaul learned to perform split fans?

[Richard Kaufman]

Brad, the answer to your question is no. No one that I've been able to locate has ever found that manuscript from 1916.
Both Cardini and Arthur Buckley claimed to have invented the Split Fan, and Vernon wrote that some guy named Ardo the Frog Man invented it.
My money, for what it's worth, is on Cardini.

[Max Maven]

Given that the Professor was always highly enthusiastic about Cardini, but quite emphatic about the attribution to Ardo the Frog Man, my money's on Ardo.

[Jeff Haas]

Is there any information on Ardo the Frog Man other than Vernon's recollection? You'd think Ricky Jay would have his poster.

[malbright]

My money's on Ardo too. Here's what The Professor wrote in his November,1969 Vernon Touch column in Genii:

The first time I ever saw Split Fans, which was before I ever met Cardini and probably before Channing Pollock was even born, was shown to me by a fellow named Ardo the Frog Man. He was an Australian contortionist who dressed like a frog and acted like a frog all through the act, but his hobby was magic. He did Split Fans and I had never seen them before. This was in Chicago in 1919. Its possible that the move originated in Australia, because I knew quite a few very fine card men in New York and none of them had ever seen or even heard about this move.

Seems pretty definitive to me.

[Dustin Stinett]

With all due respect to you Michael, the only thing definitive about that passage is that it was the first time the Professor saw split fans.

Given that Australia played a very large roll in WWI, I might be inclined to believe that Cardini and Ardo the Frog Man learned the technique from the same source.

Another scenario: Cardini was performing in Australia shortly after the war. Its not difficult to believe that Ardo may have seen Cardini while he was there.

Dustin

[malbright]

Excellent point, Dustin. You're absolutely right.

In May, 1982, Vernon writes, "Might mention here that I saw Ardo, the frogman, perform Split Fans at least half a dozen years before Cardini and others exhibited it."

Seems like The Professor is trying to underscore the credit he's giving to Ardo. Again, it's just Vernon's point of view so nothing definitive. Interesting nonetheless.

[Richard Kaufman]

He also might be trying to take credit away from Cardini. As I recall, Cardini's claim was the he invented it in 1914. (But that could also be Buckley's claim.)

[Guest]

This may be relevant:

The Oakland Tribune 1963-04-15 p. 30 E

"Final Rites for Vaudeville Star"

Funeral services were held in San Francisco today for William F. Cash, a veteran actor
from the stages of vaudeville, who died following a stroke last week at San Francisco
General Hospital.

Cash, in his 80s, appeared in most of the nation's theaters a half century ago doing a
juggling and acrobatic act under the name of "Ardo the Frog."

He was booked by such major agencies of that era as Keith-Orpheum and Ackerman.
He had a major role in one of the last of the silent films, "You Never Know Women."

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Cash did his last routine in 1939 at the San Francisco World's
Fair. For a short time after that he worked as a ticket taker in a downtonw theater in
San Francisco.

I also found references to a 1920's vaudeville act called "The Ardo Brothers" ("acrobats beyond compare"); and a 1919 reference to "Ardo, comedy juggler".

[Jim Maloney_dup1]

Originally posted by Michael Albright:
In May, 1982, Vernon writes, "Might mention here that I saw Ardo, the frogman, perform Split Fans at least half a dozen years before Cardini and others exhibited it."

I think it's worth mentioning that Vernon didn't meet Cardini until 1924 (i.e., almost half a dozen years after he saw Ardo).

-Jim