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[Guest]

I've collected all the questions to which I haven't received answers. The other thread had become diffiuclt to read and understand.

4. There's a popular sequence often used in sandwich effects which I'd like to know the source of. The Marlo sandwich loading procedure is used to get a selected card between the two sandwich cards. The deck is then riffled on the table and the sandwich cards are passed through the tabled cards as they are riffled. You spread the sandwich cards as this occurs to give the illusion that you plucked the selected card from the middle of the pack. To whom does this technique belong?

7. Where was Jim Swain's variation of the optical shuffle, with the runs before and after, published?

10. Is there a known creator of the following one-handed cut: holding the deck in mechanic's grip, reach your thumb over to the right side of the pack and grip the upper portion. Now move the lower portion up and over the upper portion, using an action similar to that of a half pass or turnover pass. It is demonstrated on DARYL'S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CARD SLEIGHTS and is called "The Reach-across Cut".

15. There is an excellent triple false cut described in Bannon's SMOKE AND MIRRORS (1991, p. 95). There, he credits Frank Thompson, and says that he doesn't think the cut has been published. It has been published, though, because Reinhard Mueller tracked down the cut to a book of Frank Garcia's called SUPER SUBTLE CARD MIRACLES (1973, p. 143), where it is attributed to Frank Thompson. From the appendix, "F.T. Cut: This is so named for Frank Thompson who was kind enough to allow me to include it here. I have added only the final cut to the table."

I've heard, however, on one of the Malone tapes, that this same cut belonged to Ed Marlo. On BILL MALONE'S ON THE LOOSE, VOL. 1, he says, "...false cut belongs to Ed Marlo. I think it must have been his favorite false cut, cause everytime I was with him, he would always sit there and he'd be doing this cut over and over again, and it took me a really long time to relize he was doing a false cut." On BILL MALONE TIPS SAM THE BELLHOP, he refers to the cut as "Marlo's favorite false cut."

I was just wondering if anyone knew whose creation this fabulous cut actually is.

16. Any idea where Marlo's book break technique first made its appearance?

17. Any information on the history of the classic force?

18. In JENNINGS '67 (1997, pp. 109, 164, 167), Richard Kaufman credits a technique for attaining a break below the top card of the deck to Robert-Houdin. You simply push the card over a fraction of an inch, just enough to allow your pinky to slip below the card. Where was the first published (in English)?

19. There is a nice ace production in Earl Nelson's VARIATIONS (1978, pp. 30-31) in the routine "Exploding Aces." Does anyone know to whom this belongs?

[Sean Piper]

I applaud you for being inquisitive enough to want to find out all the original credits for these idea.

It's a refreshing change from the current trend of attributing EVERYTHING to being "Ammar's routine from ETMCM" ;)

[Guest]

20. In SANKEY'S SECRET FILES, VOL. 1, Jay uses an interesting switch in an effect called, "Selective Memory." He credits the Garcia topper move, to which his switch his clearly related. Any idea on the provenance of the switch? Does it belong to Sankey, and, has it seen print?

Thanks again.

[Ian Kendall]

Hi Cameron,

Point 10: I've been doing this ever since I've been holding cards. I mention this not to claim credit, but to point out that if someone can work this out before seeing any magic books then it's probably something that many people have stumbled across. I doubt you can find an 'authentic' creator who can prove first use.

Having said that, if noone steps forward before the late seventies, feel free to rename it the 'Kendall Kut' :)

Take care, Ian

[Guest]

Any idea on the provenance of the switch? Does it belong to Sankey, and, has it seen print?

The move was published in "When Creators Collide" (Sankey, Sanders, 1987)

[Richard Kaufman]

One hesitates to credit Frank Garcia with anything without a lot of research first, however the Sankey sleight "Topper Tack" (if that's the title) is definitely the Garcia sleight.

Regarding the Frank Thompson cut--it is indeed Frank Thompson's and not Ed Marlo's from everything I have heard.

The so-called Marlo "Book Break" is in fact not Marlo's at all. It is a much older sleight used as a Glimpse when the deck is turned face up. Marlo simply stripped the sleight of its intended use (the Glimpse) and was left with a method of causing a step when the deck was turned over. This was part of the original mechanics of the Glimpse and Marlo neither added nor changed anything. This application of the mechanics of the Glimpse in this manner were also made by Dai Vernon and Tenkai.

[Jon Racherbaumer]

RE THE SO-CALLED BOOK BREAK

RK is quite right that this technique was used as a glimpse in the early days. The basic mechanics are the same. Application is another matter. Tenkai used the mechanics to obtain a break. So did Vernon, Marlo, and others.

I was the one to give it a name because like other techniques, which I call Prequel Moves, it is used to set up for something else. These techniques seldom have a title. Since writers often used the trope (like turning the page of a book) to describe the lateral, rotating mechanics, I chose the alliterative name, Book Break.

Marlo frequently used these mechanics in various ways and each time I referred to it as the Book Break. Over time, since the named move was part of a Marlo trick, the association resulted in the name, Marlos Book Break.


RE F.T. FALSE CUT:

It is indeed Frank Thompson's False Cut.
During a session with Frank Garcia I demonstrated several things (then unpublished). Two of the items were Thompson's False Cut and a subtle Injogged Add-On (Marlo), which also whizzed by Darwin Ortiz.

Both items appeared in Garcia's books, although Frank credited Thompson.

Onward...

[Guest]

Thanks for the help. Here's two more which have been irking me.

21. There's a nice force where you riffle down the side of the cards with your thumb, and, when the spectator calls stop, you revolve the upper packet over twice so it lands face down in the right hand. You now offer the top card of this packet to the spectator. Does anybody know to whom this belongs?

22. I saw a nice control sequence using Marlo's convincing control a while back. The control is done with a card from the upper portion of the deck. The card is brought to the bottom and the deck is cut into two. The selection is supposedly sticking out of one portion, but is actually on the bottom of the other portion. Any idea on whom I should credit for this?

[Craig Matsuoka]

Re: #21

Horace Goldin.

[Jacky Kahan]

7. optical shuffle, Fred Kaps... i think...

[Jacky Kahan]

Hi Cameron,

7. Optical Shuffle in :

Greater Magic
page.189 III. The Optical (Overhand) Shuffle

and in

The Amazing Miracles Of Shigeo Takagi (published by RK)

Total Triumph - Includes Takagi's handling of Larry Jenning's Convincing Control, Tenkai's Optical False Shuffle and Daryl's Triumph Cutting Display.

sorry don't know the page...

and also on page 143 in Royal Road to Card Magic

143 Optical Shuffle, but unfortunately not credited...

cheers

Jacky

[Jacky Kahan]

Just saw in
Card College II
Controlling the Entire Deck: the Optical Shuffle ,
page 260, Roberto is mentioning Fred Kaps used this shuffle a lot... there goes my confusion..
It's apparantly, the G.W.Hunter Shuffle and dates back to the 1930's.

You know what? I use this all the time and it's a real fooler!

cheers

Jacky
www.magie.be