Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

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Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby Guest » February 1st, 2006, 11:04 am

Hi all,

I have previously posted this on another forum, but I am just wondering whether anyone has seen the special edition of Larry Jennings' Thoughts on Cards DVD? There are 3 bonus card effects (not on the standard copy most of us have) that Jennings states are "three of his most effective tricks". Seems these effects on the DVD are some of his latest publications (in addition to the bonus effects just recently published in "Up in Smoke")and because Larry mentions that they are exclusive to the DVD and will never be republished elsewhere, I am assuming they must be hidden gems most of us do not know about.

May anyone who has seen this special edition be kind enough to share some thoughts on how good these effects really are? I am a huge fan of Larry Jennings' magic. I think he is a true genius. Thanks in advance.

Benny Lau

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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby Richard Kaufman » February 1st, 2006, 11:30 am

The original deluxe edition of Thoughts on Cards was a two VHS-tape set in a black slipcase. It was limited to 100 copies. The labels of both tapes were initialled by Jennings, and a photo-card with his portrait was also included and it was signed by him.

The three bonus tricks, which are NOT on the DVD, are:
1) An ungaffed handling of Don England's Collectors from Gaffed to the Hilt. (This is in Mr. Jennings Takes it Easy.)
2) "Culling the Mark" (Can't recall what this is.)
3) "Thunderstruck," based on a Joe Berg item
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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby Guest » February 4th, 2006, 10:02 am

Mr. Kaufman,

Thanks for your input. These signed special editions would sure be a great, rare collectors items to have.

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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby flynn » March 22nd, 2008, 2:57 am

Him flooring Earl Nelson with card up spectators sleeve was classic. The Private Lesson DVD he also got Louis Falanga pretty good with that coins thru hand bit he did. I bet he fooled alot of magicians.

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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby Richard Kaufman » March 22nd, 2008, 11:01 am

Jennings was an expert at fooling magicians. I just hit 260,000 words in Mr. Jennings Takes it Easy, having added 10,000 words worth of material in the past week and a half. It's a pleasure to write material that's so pleasingly constructed and clever.
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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby flynn » March 22nd, 2008, 2:22 pm

When do u suppose you'll be done with that Mr. Kaufman?

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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby Richard Kaufman » March 22nd, 2008, 4:27 pm

Hopefully in a few weeks. Then time to take the photos. But, I'll have to stop and work on the June and July issues of Genii--this always happens. It's hard to get any momentum going.
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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby flynn » May 15th, 2008, 5:46 pm

Richard Kaufman sir, wanted to ask about Larry Jennings "thought card to pocket" that was in his lecture notes I think you wrote. You know where I could get that? Will it be in the new book maybe or is there a way I could get a hold of one of them lecture notes somewhere? It would be cool if you put that in Genii sometime. I didnt know where else to post this I figured this would be the place without starting a new thread.
Flynn

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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 15th, 2008, 7:21 pm

The Genii grants all wishes. The following explanation is excerpted from Mr. Jennings Takes It Easy (and it hasn't been edited yet).


Simple Thought Card to Pocket

The effect sounds miraculous, even more so when you know theres only simple sleight of hand required. This originally appeared in a set of lecture notes which Larry sold at only one or two lectures in 1992.

Effect: The spectator merely thinks of one card in a small packet. His card vanishes from the packet, then from the deck, and reappears in the performers pocket.

Performance: Allow the spectator to shuffle the deck. After hes finished, take it back and deal the top five cards, face down, to the table. Say, You mixed those cards thoroughly, correct? Is there any way you or I could know what five cards are on the table? No. Continue, Good, please shuffle those cards, as you gesture toward the five cards.

Say, Now that those five cards are thoroughly mixed, please look at the top card and remember it. Once hes done that, tell him to put it back on top of the packet.

You should still be holding the deck. Say, Im going to have you mix those cards in such a way that no one, not even you, knows where your card is. Because you have a small packet its difficult to mix it without knowing where the card is, but Ill show you a method where even you wont know. Take the top card and place it on the bottom (demonstrate), then deal the next card on the table (demonstrate). Take the top card and place it on the bottom (demonstrate), then deal the next card on the table (demonstrate). Take the top card and place it on the bottom (demonstrate), then deal the next card on the table (demonstrate). Continue doing that until theres nothing left in your hand.

After youve demonstrated this twice, use the third card which you are dealing to the table to scoop up the first two. Place all three on top of the deck, obtaining a left pinky break beneath them as you square the cards.

After the spectator follows your directions to duck and deal, his selection will be in the center of the packet (third from the top). Take his packet in right-hand Biddle Grip and do the Hofzinser/Leech Packet Switch: as your left thumb apparently peels off the top card, the entire right-hand packet is actually left on top of the deck. The three cards above the break are drawn to the right by the right thumb and third finger (as if they were the original right-hand cards). As the right hand pulls the lower packet out, the left thumb immediately shoves over the top card (fig.1). It is flipped face up by the right-hand cards as they finish moving out from beneath the upper packet. Say, Is that your card? No. Deal the face-up card to the table.

The left thumb, in an action superficially identical to the previous packet switch, peels the next card off the packet, and it is flipped face up as you repeat the question. Deal it to the table. Repeat this twice more so all four cards have been shown one at a time and all receive negative responses. As with The Princess Card Trick, these are all different cards that the spectator has never seen before, but he does not realize this.
Spread the top card of the deck with your left thumb, and the second card a bit, getting a break beneath the second card as the top card is tipped face up onto the deck. Say, Your card is not on top. Pick up both cards above the break (face-down selection beneath face-up indifferent card) by their right long sides; Jennings uses the right-hand grip from his Pushoff Double Lift to ensure that the cards stay square. Use this double card to scoop up the cards on the table. Use that packet to tip the deck face up into the left hand, saying, ... and its not on bottom, either. Place the right hands packet beneath the deck. This positions the reversed selection at the rear of the face-up deck.

Say, In fact, your card no longer exists! Begin spreading slowly through the deck so the spectator can see that his chosen card is not there. When you reach the center, pause and ask him if he has seen his card. He will say, No. Flip all the cards in the right hand face down and place them under the cards in the left hand. Continue spreading until you come to the first face-down card. Take all the face-up cards in the right hand, flip them face down, and place them under the deck. While the spectators are thoroughly convinced that the card has vanished, it is actually on top of the deck.

The following ingenious sleight was demonstrated by a magician who lectured at The Magic Castle years ago. Larry was unable to remember his name, however Bill Goodwin eventually traced the item to Dave Rumfield (Signed Card from Pocket in Paul Diamonds Mr. Humble and Friends, c.1970s). While the lecturer injogged the card, LJ merely obtains a break between it and the rest of the deck.

Obtain a break beneath the top card by inserting the entire tip of the left pinky under it. The left hand ascends to the outer left breast pocket of the jacket and pulls it open with the thumb (fig.1). The right hand apparently pulls the thought-of card out of the pocket. Actually, only the right thumb is inserted into the pocket (the actual top edge of the pocket is shaded from the audience by the back of the left hand and the deck). The right first and second fingers move outside the pocket and clip the upper left corner of the top, separated card, second finger on the outer side and first finger on the inner side (fig.2). The right hand lifts the card straight up, causing it to pivot upright around the left thumb base (fig.3). It looks as if the card has come out of the pocket (fig.4 is an audience view).

Moves of this type normally fail to convince. This sleight, however, has several points in its favor: the card, as it apparently emerges from the pocket, is at right angles to the deck; there is absolutely no movement of the left hand; and there is minimal preparation (a pinky break).

After youve removed the card from the pocket, pause for a few moments to allow suspense to build. Ask the spectator to announce the card he has been thinking of, then slowly turn around your card to reveal it.
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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby flynn » May 15th, 2008, 8:43 pm

Awesome! That was very nice and generous of you Mr. Kaufman. I owe you one! Thanks.
Flynn

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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby Justin Fraser » May 16th, 2008, 3:29 pm

Thanks alot for the effect Richard!! I completely forgot about that method of producing a card from pocket. I'm going to have to try this effect out.

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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby Philippe Noël » May 17th, 2008, 4:06 am

Hi Richard,
If I follow your description well, the card goes out of the pocket face to the audience.
I suppose the card must be at the bottom of the packet to come from the pocket back to the audience with the deck face up in left hand?

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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 17th, 2008, 11:10 am

The deck is face down in the left hand. The card is on top of the deck. It comes out face toward audience.
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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby Scott Fridinger » May 18th, 2008, 4:16 am

If the card comes our face toward the audience, this last part is slightly off.

"After youve removed the card from the pocket, pause for a few moments to allow suspense to build. Ask the spectator to announce the card he has been thinking of, then slowly turn around your card to reveal it."

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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 18th, 2008, 11:00 am

Now you can see why I added the words "it hasn't been edited yet." This is something that would be caught in editing (which I'm doing now), and by one or more of the four proof readers!

I would have caught this when taking the photos.

At least someone's paying attention. :)
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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby flynn » May 18th, 2008, 12:48 pm

I was just going to change that part the other way around without saying out of respect.

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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 18th, 2008, 1:17 pm

It's better to have the mistakes discovered now, before the book is printed.
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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby Scott Fridinger » May 19th, 2008, 1:07 am

So, you could just put ALL the routines here for our review.

OK, maybe not.

I only mentioned it, just for the reason Richard mentioned, he said it wasn't edited yet, so I thought if it was brought up it would save a few minutes of proofreading later.

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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 19th, 2008, 10:13 pm

Very funny.

I just listened to a tape Jennings made for me of corrections to those lecture notes which contained this Thought-Card to Pocket, and he also missed the fact that the card did not have to be turned over at the end. I feel slightly better now.
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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby Jason England » May 19th, 2008, 11:50 pm

I realize that the "Deluxe Video" segment of this thread is 2 years old, but I have a set of the signed Jennings' video set (in the slipcase).

I might be willing to sell it if I could get an idea of what it's worth. Any ideas?

Jason

PS: Spare me the usual "it's worth whatever anyone will buy it for" drivel. If you've bought or sold a similar set recently or are considered an authority on such things I'm interested in your opinion.

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Re: Question: Larry Jennings - Thoughts on Cards (Special Edition)

Postby Mike Vincent » August 8th, 2008, 1:10 pm

I first saw Larry perform this effect in 1989 on my first visit to The Magic Castle.

It was beautiful in his hands.

After my performance, he came back to my hotel and we talked card magic into the wee hours of the morning. Some of this session including this effect was caught on camera and transferred to video by friend Trevor Liley.

It's great record of Larry Jennings in his prime.
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