10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Discuss the historical aspects of magic, including memories, or favorite stories.
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Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Guest » April 17th, 2007, 3:12 am

Most of the people I listed are deceased but because you didnt see them is a great pity for you Jon, but the fact that I did and as a working professional was able to form an opinion based on education, experience, and analysis does not diminish the validity of my opinion just because your education and experience is deficient in this area.
My meager education and experience puts the reader foremost when I write.

While I respect that personal and private perspective and memories make experiences valuable to the writer, I also wonder why some are publicly listing data that is by definition unavailable to others without offering enough context to permit the reader to form an opinion.

What specifically about the performance resonated with the audience and how do you believe that aspect of their work might be preserved and passed on to those who will follow us in the craft?

Guest

Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Guest » April 17th, 2007, 9:47 am

Jonathan Townsend wrote:
My meager education and experience puts the reader foremost when I write.

While I respect that personal and private perspective and memories make experiences valuable to the writer, I also wonder why some are publicly listing data that is by definition unavailable to others without offering enough context to permit the reader to form an opinion.

What specifically about the performance resonated with the audience and how do you believe that aspect of their work might be preserved and passed on to those who will follow us in the craft?
_________________________________________________________________-

The original question posed by Quentin Reynolds that started this thread had to do with opinion, not education. When I write a magazine article of several thousand words educating and entertaining the reader is always the purpose. In the case of Frakson, I am putting the finishing touches on a large article for Genii which may fill in some gaps in your education.

In the restrictive medium of an Internet forum opinion was asked and opinion was given. Most of us have neither the time nor the space to expand posts beyond a hundred or so words which would be woefully inadequate to mitigate the problem you describe.

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Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Steve Bryant » April 17th, 2007, 1:05 pm

The Albert Le Bas Miser's Dream was published in Genii, Volume 25 #9, May, 1961. It's similar to the Charlie Miller routine (also in Genii), but with a few nice touches I've not seen described elsewhere.

Guest

Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Guest » April 17th, 2007, 1:09 pm

Albert Le Bas was Ireland's greatest magician. There has never been one to equal him before or since from what I gather. He died too young from Leukemia. He occasionally performed standing on a chair and he worked for the Jury's hotel group for years and toured English speaking countries including the USA.

Guest

Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Guest » April 17th, 2007, 1:45 pm

Jesus Christ Jonathan you are taking this a bit deep.

Look - the title of the thread is 10 Best Tricks & the Magicians who PERFORMED (past tense) them.

So I don't know why you appear to be getting so stressed just because individuals have named THEIR particular favourites.

Rest assured, I'm not 'taunting' (as you incorrectly put it) anyone by naming my faves from the past despite many are no longer with us.

These aren't distant memories as you seem to imagine, nor acts seen on dusty old tapes; they were live performances that left me spellbound then and that, because they were such excellent pieces of magical entertainment, have become etched on my memory as if I had seen them only last week.

So what I'm trying to say, albeit politely so far, is let other people respond with their choices, take a chill pill and stop being such a self-opinionated person by pulling other people's posts to shreds.

Guest

Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Guest » April 17th, 2007, 1:55 pm

These aren't distant memories as you seem to imagine, nor acts seen on dusty old tapes; they were live performances that left me spellbound then and that, because they were such excellent pieces of magical entertainment, have become etched on my memory as if I had seen them only last week
Would you tell us some about your impression of the performers and what you found so special about those particular tricks?

Just reading the base methodology of folks routines in books leaves me clueless about what makes those performers and what they did so special. That "what did you like" would help me (and others i hope) learn more about what makes for good magic.

Guest

Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Guest » April 17th, 2007, 2:30 pm

What makes for good magic is a likeable performing persona. Add to that good timing, good material, with quality clothing and an understanding of what an audience wants and you'll find that that all combines and contributes to "good magic."

It really is both that simple and that complicated. The tricks themselves are almost secondary in consideration.

I've said this many times before as have several other pros, and yet people still want to know what makes "good magic." It isn't a secret, yet people ignore it all the time.

When PBS had a series on vaudeville with film of some of the old greats I turned to my wife and asked what was the one constant that was visible throughout the various clips?

Smart woman that she is, she instantly knew and responded with, "They're all smiling." Exactly right. They enjoyed what they were doing and it showed. That's one of the "secrets."

Guest

Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Guest » April 17th, 2007, 4:23 pm

They were Showmen.

They entertained.

They made the audience smile.

They left the audience wanting more.

It wasn't the tricks themselves - these were secondary (although what they did with the props/effects was timed and delivered to perfection through honing their performaces by trial and error - learning along the way what worked and probably what didn't).

Basically, they learnt their trade working for people in the real world without looking too deeply into the psycholgy of things (hint hint).

Guest

Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Guest » April 17th, 2007, 4:38 pm

Yes....what Barry said!

Guest

Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Guest » April 17th, 2007, 4:46 pm

Regarding what Jon wants to know (and further support for what Barry and I have posted), here's an object lesson from another thread, posted by Pete Biro in a discussion about Fred Kaps's FISM act, something he did for magicians.

Now you want real Kaps? His layman act, in his native language, killed, laughs galore.

The content?

Professor's Nightmare, Spot Card, Chinese Sticks and the Salt Pour.
_____________________________________

And to bring it back full circle to the person who started this thread, I've seen both Quentin Reynolds and Docc Hilford do a solid and entertaining 5-7 minutes with nothing other than their innate charm and a pocket handkerchief.

Those of us who were smart enough to buy Quentin's video - 5 Minutes with a Pocket Handkerchief - know exactly what I'm talking about.

Guest

Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Guest » April 22nd, 2007, 1:05 pm

Now we need someone, who will be so kind to take all those mentionings, and make a list of the ten most mentioned tricks.

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Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Steve Bryant » April 22nd, 2007, 8:20 pm

A few more, sticking to live performers:

Mac King - Thumb Tie-Card in Cereal Box
Ballantine - Entire act
Tony Giorgio - Three Card Monte
Bob Sheets - Malini Card Stab
Ron Wilson - Chop Cup
Ron Wilson - Elmsley Newspaper Tear
Eugene Burger - Trick That Cannot Be Explained
Kevin James - It's Alive
Doc Eason - Card Under the Drink
Harry Anderson - Needle Through Arm

Guest

Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Guest » April 23rd, 2007, 12:02 am

A quick (highly un-scientific) stab at listing most frequently mentioned:

David Copperfield--Flying
Moretti's Cardboard Box
Richard Ross--Linking Rings
Fred Kaps--Salt Pour/Homing Card
Charlie Miller--Egg Bag
Blackstone Jr.--Floating Lightbulb/Dancing Handkerchief
Johnny Thompson--Comedy Dove Act
R. Harbin--Zig Zag
Don Alan--Chop Cup
Teller--Shadows

That is a pretty good lineup.

Guest

Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Guest » April 23rd, 2007, 12:13 am

Well at least no one was creepy enough to include them self on the list...

err never mind. :rolleyes:

Guest

Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Guest » April 23rd, 2007, 12:40 am

Thanks for your troubles in setting up a list of the TEN BEST, castawaydave !

Guest

Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Guest » April 23rd, 2007, 7:04 am

Hmmmmm...
No mention of Canasta...
Only one mention of Vernon.
None for the Pendragon's Sub Trunk.
Only one for Bob Read.
No Blaine.
Nonetheless, the lists were interesting--not for what they included but for what they did NOT include...
Choosing only 10 is tough...

Onward...

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Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 23rd, 2007, 7:14 am

Well, regarding Jon's note:

1. Very few of us who post here saw Chan Canasta do anything.

2. In Vernon's case, of the people who post here, the only thing most would have seen him do would be the Linking Rings or Cups and Balls on TV. I'm sorry to say that there are lots of people who perform those two effects better than the Professor did in the latter part of his life.

3. It wasn't any single thing Bob Read did--but his entire persona. (I know I cited Del Ray's act, and perhaps Bob would fit into the same category.)
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Guest

Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Guest » April 23rd, 2007, 8:14 am

Dai Vernon - Three card monte (I saw him do it live at a lecture).

Buddy Farnan - Three card monte.

Mark Willson - Backstage with a magician.

Billy Bishop - Coins through table, his jumping jacks card routine.

Paul Lee - Broomstick suspension.

There is more but this is what comes to mind at the moment.

Onward and upward!

Guest

Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Guest » May 7th, 2007, 7:13 pm

"The lists were interesting..."

Well, thank you! :p

Flash: Esteemed Mr. Racherbaumer---It seems as if your post should be followed up by a further post in-which, as well as sniffing at the grievous-omissions from the good-faith (albeit uninformed) efforts of previous posters, you actually deigned to list your top 10 as well.

Guest

Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Guest » May 7th, 2007, 7:24 pm

:( sorry that was so obnoxious, Sir...it's just that I have a fiery-temper, and you left us hanging, dammit! :)

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Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby NCMarsh » May 7th, 2007, 8:50 pm

Del Ray -- Blackjack and Gin demos

Tommy Wonder -- Cups and Balls

Channing Pollock -- Doves

Richiardi -- Levitation

Roy Benson -- Chinese Sticks, Billiards, Salt Pour, Linking Rings, "Banished"

Alan Wakeling -- The Wakeling Sawing, Billiards

Al Goshman -- The Saltshaker

Barrie Richardson -- One in a Half Million

John Ramsay -- Cylinder and Coins

Bob Stencel -- Stencel's Aces

John Kennedy -- The Floating Dollar

Bob White -- Cups and Balls

Denny Haney -- T and R Newspaper, Egg Bag, Multiplying Bottles

Ascanio -- Oil and Water

Jack Miller -- Cut and Restored Rope

Don Alan -- Chop Cup

Bill Malone -- Sam the Bellhop

Larry Jennings -- The Invisible Palm

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Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby NCMarsh » May 7th, 2007, 9:00 pm

Glenn Bishop said:

Billy Bishop - Misers Dream, His Rope Tie, Canvas covered box escape, Bow sawing routine.

Fred Kaps - Salt Pour.

Dai Vernon - Linking Rings, Cups and balls, The Travelers and triumph.

Jack Pyle - Punch Bridge Deal.

Glenn Bishop - The Shell Game and punch "cull" deals.

Al Schnider - Zombie Ball - Matrix.

David Roth - Chop cup - Portable Hole.

Bill Malone - Sam the bellhop.

Jim Ryan - Ryans ring rope and wand, cups and balls.

Rolland Hamblen - Jailed Card.

That is the first ten that came to me when I read the thread.
Glenn,

I was prepared to write a snarky reply to this but held back...I thought I would say though -- and this may just be me -- it makes me much less likely to look at your work objectively when you are the one placing yourself in the company of Kaps, Ryan, Vernon, Malone et al. Frankly, it makes it very hard for me to take you seriously...if your work is of that quality, it is for others to recognize it as such...and if it is at that level, they will...

Best Wishes,

N.

Guest

Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Guest » May 7th, 2007, 9:15 pm

WHOA! --You can list yourself!?

In that case: every-single crap-ass trick I can do is better than any- and every-thing that any legendary magician ever did.

"Wonder Show of the Universe?"
HA!

Guest

Re: 10 Best Tricks & The Magicians Who perfromed Them

Postby Guest » May 7th, 2007, 11:12 pm

castawaydave wrote:
WHOA! --You can list yourself!?

In that case: every-single crap-ass trick I can do is better than any- and every-thing that any legendary magician ever did.

"Wonder Show of the Universe?"
HA!
____________________________________________

Given your honorary gender re-assignment, I believe you.


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