Fred/Oscar/Phil History

Discuss your favorite close-up tricks and methods.
JHostler
Posts: 755
Joined: September 27th, 2008, 8:34 pm

Fred/Oscar/Phil History

Postby JHostler » June 16th, 2012, 9:51 pm

Greetings -

I'm hoping folks a bit more steeped in magical history and minutia might be willing to shed additional light/context/accuracy on the below-documented evolution of "Fred." Any and all information appreciated - particularly dates and original sources. Seems to be a tangled mess, and earlier attempts by others to sketch the family tree have been less than pristine. Feel free to email me at john [at] johnhostler.com. Many thanks in advance!

A Card Named Bill by Paul Marcus (from Hex! by Bill Madsen, 1969)
Christened Reverse by Fred Lowe (19xx) - Lowe co-credited Paul Marcus due to somewhat concurrent development, despite a different method and presentation.
Fred the Card by Dave Campbell (1971) - Named in dedication to Fred Lowe.
I'll Name Your Card by ??? (marketed by Magic City, 1973) - Per Gerald Kirchner, Aldini and Nick Trost collaborated on the original version of this effect in the late sixties or early seventies.
Clyde and Fido by Don Alan (19xx) - Both variations of prior handlings.
Fred by Joe Riding (19xx) - I suspect this is the version heavily exposed on the Web.
Oscar by Nick Trost (1980)
A Card Named Fred /Christened Reverse the Second by Ali Bongo (from Abracadabra Vol. 73, 1981)
Final Fred (later renamed Phil) by Phil Goldstein (198x) - Goldstein presented at a 1985 FISM convention lecture in Madrid. Independently created by Trevor Duffy as Phil (19xx).
The Dream by Denny Laub and Gary Inglese (from Smagorad, 1983) - Reportedly inspired by Say It Again Sam (marketed by Stoner's Magic Shop). Card mentally selected by woman from a deck with different names written on backs. Selection had woman's name.
Female by Ed Marlo (from Thirty Five Years Later, 1986) - Selected card features spectators name. John Mendozas vastly simplified version featured on his My Best videos.
Name It by Gary Kurtz (from Unexplainable Acts, 1990)
Name That Card by Bob Solari (1994) - I'll Name Your Card redux?
Appellation by Stephen Tucker (19xx)
Grandpa's Deck by Danny Archer (19xx) - Based on Appellation?
Nomen Omen by David Acer (Camirand Academy, 1990)
Krueger's Revenge by Peter Duffie (from Hidden Agenda, 1992) - Blank deck kicker.
Erma La Force by Mike Close (19xx)
X-Deck by David Forrest (2005) - Same method as previous version of Fred, but with an X rather than a predicted name.
Wish Upon a Star by Matthew Johnson (from Secret Art Of Monkey Business Vol. 2 DVD, 2009) - Based on Nick Trosts Oscar Deck.
"The gnomes' ambition is handicapped by laziness." Adapted from Charles Bukowski, and clearly evident at http://www.gnominal.com

User avatar
Joe Pecore
Posts: 1914
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Paul Harris
Location: Northern Virginia

Re: Fred/Oscar/Phil History

Postby Joe Pecore » June 16th, 2012, 10:05 pm

Share your knowledge on the MagicPedia wiki.

JHostler
Posts: 755
Joined: September 27th, 2008, 8:34 pm

Re: Fred/Oscar/Phil History

Postby JHostler » June 16th, 2012, 10:14 pm

Joe Pecore wrote:http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Fred_Trick


Thanks, Joe - that was one of my first stops. Lots more out there...
"The gnomes' ambition is handicapped by laziness." Adapted from Charles Bukowski, and clearly evident at http://www.gnominal.com

User avatar
Joe Pecore
Posts: 1914
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Paul Harris
Location: Northern Virginia

Re: Fred/Oscar/Phil History

Postby Joe Pecore » June 16th, 2012, 10:19 pm

I updated it with your list above. Thanks!
Share your knowledge on the MagicPedia wiki.


Return to “Close-Up Magic”