jap box

Discuss your favorite platform magic and illusions.
Jeff Hobson
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Joined: September 1st, 2008, 7:49 am

Re: jap box

Postby Jeff Hobson » July 11th, 2009, 5:04 pm

The ruffled feathers bit?. . . . don't think I'm familiar with it unless it goes by a different name.

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mai-ling
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Location: 60081
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Re: jap box

Postby mai-ling » July 11th, 2009, 11:30 pm

my dad used to do the
"hip sing & hop sing"
chinese men version of
the hippity hop rabbit.

its not offensive but
more or less on the edge
of your seat humourous
because you got a chinaman
dressed in chinese costume
performing the trick.

(i believe its the only
version Abbott's ever manufactured
or at least a handful)


Somewhere I have a notebook with a
magician dressed as an asian with
him holding a banner "Fu Ling Yu".

(not sure if it is the same thing you do Jeff)
Everytime time Marshall Brodien does
that routine with the yellow paper and the
Fu Ling Yu joke and dad is around, he always
points out to dad about that how the trick
worked or some kind of comment.

Dad gets a tickle out of it.

Ken Mate did that at the Wizard's Banquet
when they honoured Carl Ballantine a couple of
years ago.

Its probably one of the highlights of the entire
routine.

(Jeff when you coming back to the Chicago area
so we can spend time with you... we keep missing
each other).
you will remember my name
http://www.mai-ling.net
world's youngest illusionista


Doc Rogers
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Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Daryl, Michael Vincent ,David Regal
Location: Boston MA

Re: jap box

Postby Doc Rogers » July 14th, 2009, 1:04 pm

Since the topic is back
Does anyone know who invented the Jap Box and when?

From an old Billboard Aug 24 1918 W J Hillier's column
"Why not a revival of 'finger In the hole' box made famous by the late Ed Vernello, and more recently, used by Van Hoven? It is an excellent comedy trick in proper hands."

Is this 'finger in the hole' box the Jap Box? Did Vernello (co-founder with Hillier of the Sphinx) do the jap box?

Steve

Jeff Hobson
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Joined: September 1st, 2008, 7:49 am

Re: jap box

Postby Jeff Hobson » July 14th, 2009, 4:41 pm

So glad to hear from you and I'm very sorry to hear about your Mothers' passing. My sincerest sympathies.

Thank you for your input into the "Asian controversy".

I do hope to see you in Chicago. I'm not sure if I have a corporate booking there yet later this year (I always have agent "holds" - but ya never know about those!), but I will certainly let you know as I'd love to get together after many years.

Jeff

Bill Mullins
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Location: Huntsville, AL
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Re: jap box

Postby Bill Mullins » July 14th, 2009, 5:10 pm

Steve Rogers wrote:Since the topic is back
Does anyone know who invented the Jap Box and when?

From an old Billboard Aug 24 1918 W J Hillier's column
"Why not a revival of 'finger In the hole' box made famous by the late Ed Vernello, and more recently, used by Van Hoven? It is an excellent comedy trick in proper hands."

Is this 'finger in the hole' box the Jap Box? Did Vernello (co-founder with Hillier of the Sphinx) do the jap box?

Steve


See THIS POST upthread for background and history.

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Spellbinder
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Re: jap box

Postby Spellbinder » July 15th, 2009, 5:25 pm

Just an update for those interested; my e-Book entitled "The Handkerchief Box - Revisited" (see? I avoided all the ethnic controversy except for those who object to being called handkerchiefs) is available on my site in the Mini-Mysteries section. In it, I explore the history of the box (evidence is included in the e-Book) and my findings are that the 1911 date is correct, with the first description in print coming in Ellis Stanyon's "Magic" newspaper in March of that year under the title "The 'New' Inexhaustible Box." However, the box itself seems to have been in existence and in Stanyon's Catalog listed as "Inexhaustible Box - Japanese decorated" in a 1903 advertisement in Magic. The ad is for a half-price sale, indicating that the box dates a few years earlier than 1903 and that sales must have been sluggish because of the "that-big-box-produces-one-silk?" reputation it had already acquired despite the "inexhaustible" name.

The stuff about it appearing in Hoffman in 1876 is not correct; the box in "Modern Magic" is a "Tip-Over" box, no relation to our boy "Hank," but seen today most often in the Tip-Over Trunk illusion.

My e-Book goes into all that in detail (with evidence provided)for those who care about such things. But for those who just want the "Hank Box" (can we use its nickname without offending those who call themselves "Hank"?) to do what it has long been advertised to accomplish; namely produce a ton of silks, some doves, rabbits, guinea pigs and your beautiful assistant, I show how all that is possible even with a much smaller version of the usual box (a 4 inch cube) that I call a "Mini Hank Box," and then provide three other variations for those who are never satisfied with one.
Phineas Spellbinder
The Magic Nook

troublewit
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Joined: April 7th, 2008, 10:49 am

Re: jap box

Postby troublewit » July 16th, 2009, 1:07 am

In Robert Parrish's book,"great tricks revisited", there is a delightful routine with a jap/hank box called "the well of invisibility".
A wonderful premise, and may I suggest we don't forget about some of the smaller silk streamers when looking for a production (or disappearance) of an item which looks much more voluminous than it actually is.
The bouncing ball aspect of this routine (in the Parrish book) is a special treat. Have fun.
Christopher Klocek
337 N Wood St
Griffith, In 46319
219-765-7123
troublewit@aol.com

Jonathan Townsend
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Location: Westchester, NY
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Re: jap box

Postby Jonathan Townsend » July 16th, 2009, 8:00 am

? "Japanese origin" - as in a collective effort, a person's invention, an item described in a sroll found in a mountain cave by ...?

Any particular person from Japan?
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time

Jonathan Neal
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Joined: January 29th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Los Angeles

Re: jap box and the origins...

Postby Jonathan Neal » July 17th, 2009, 1:32 am

I asked Ton Onosaka about this years ago. In fact, I think I am the one who told T.A. Waters the story about the rice box which he incorporated into his encyl.

Ton said that it actually was based on a box that was stackable for steaming rice or keeping it hot. Hence the reason for the interchangeable top or bottom. Originally the lid was 'lipped' on both sides so that several boxes could be stacked.

Apparently even what we call "the finger hole" was part ofthe original appearance.
I'm sure I've got the spelling wrong but the japanese name was pronounced :Kenkai Bakko.

This would have been around 1980 -82 and I was doing two different box routines in a lecture in Japan (talk about taking coals to Newcastle!). For the interested, these were routines that were written up by me in Genii's "Magicana" for my late friend Charlie Miller.

On the tangential subject of stereotypes and acceptability in the Asian Community,
I will note that in the 5 seasons I spent in China, I noticed on several occasions when people would laugh during what I though were inappropriate situations, such as failure to secure room accomodtions and the like. It puzzled me for a long time until a Chinese friend told me that it is common in China to laugh when they feel embarrassed.

I would hope that what we as performers see as everyone having a good time, is not really people masking their discomfort.


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