Cascade

Discuss your favorite close-up tricks and methods.
Philippe Noël
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Cascade

Postby Philippe Noël » January 2nd, 2002, 1:02 pm

Where is it possible to buy or find a description of the Roy Walton's card trick named Cascade?

Philippe Nol

Guest

Re: Cascade

Postby Guest » January 3rd, 2002, 3:09 am

Davenports in London used to sell it a few years ago but may still carry it. :)

Guest

Re: Cascade

Postby Guest » January 3rd, 2002, 3:55 am

Davenports certainly still sell Rainbow Cascade, by Terri Rogers. And Roy Walton runs their Glasgow branch, I believe.

They have recently created a website, www.davenportsmagic.co.uk, so you could e-mail them.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Cascade

Postby Richard Kaufman » January 3rd, 2002, 9:06 am

The best version of "Cascade" is just now coming on the market: it's called "Mutanz" by Bob Farmer. There are ads in both Genii and MAGIC.
Also, Roy Walton's shop, Tam Shepard's, is no longer connected to Davenports and has not been for years. Roy IS married to one of the Davenport family.
Subscribe today to Genii Magazine

Guest

Re: Cascade

Postby Guest » January 3rd, 2002, 12:53 pm

Just a thought but surely the best version of "Cascade" is "Cascade" itself......LOL!!!!

I am sure Bob Farmers variation will be superb!

Regards,

Gavin

Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:
The best version of "Cascade" is just now coming on the market

steve
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Re: Cascade

Postby steve » January 3rd, 2002, 4:20 pm

Hank Lee's sell it $3.50.

Click Here for the Description

Bill Duncan
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Re: Cascade

Postby Bill Duncan » January 3rd, 2002, 5:51 pm

Fixed broken link posted by Dave Le Fevre:

www.davenportsmagic.co.uk

Guest

Re: Cascade

Postby Guest » January 3rd, 2002, 8:00 pm

The Bob Farmer Mutanz ad fails to describe the effect, substituting instead goofy fonts and adolescent hyperbole to appeal to the boy scout magicians. I'll save my fifteen scoots and rely upon my incredible turn on Jumpin' Gemini, my Skinner's All The Non-Conformists, and all my tricks from Goldstein's "Focus"

Bill Duncan
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Re: Cascade

Postby Bill Duncan » January 3rd, 2002, 8:13 pm



My goodness. Is the trick really that bad? It sounds like the description of what you'd create if you were trying to show what's wrong with packet tricks. It reminded me of the parody effect description in the back of
Wenii.

Guest

Re: Cascade

Postby Guest » January 3rd, 2002, 8:47 pm

Re Bill Duncans comments about Cascade. I must take up the case here and state that Cascade is a brilliantly constructed routime and has a devastating effect on both laymen and magicians.

I recall Peter Duffie doing this effect in his home for a mutual friend of ours once and I had not seen the effect for many years. The friend was blown away as he had never seen it. I was dumfounded as I suddenly remembered what was so good about the effect.

Anyone who knows the Quality of Roy Waltons work will agree that this effect is superb.

Regards,

Gavin Ross

Bill Duncan
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Re: Cascade

Postby Bill Duncan » January 3rd, 2002, 9:47 pm

Anyone who knows the Quality of Roy Waltons work will agree that this effect is superb.


Well I love Card Warp but from the description linked above I can't even tell what the effect is...

Is there a script or theme that ties it all together?

Guest

Re: Cascade

Postby Guest » January 4th, 2002, 7:38 am

Originally posted by Bill Duncan:

Is there a script or theme that ties it all together?


There most certainly is a script and theme that ties it all together. Spend a few dollars and buy one of the best packet tricks ever marketed.

I cannot recommend it high enough.

Regards,

Gavin

Jon Racherbaumer
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Re: Cascade

Postby Jon Racherbaumer » January 4th, 2002, 9:13 am

There are very few packet tricks along the lines of Cascade that are "clean" at the end and the principal cards may be examined. I rank Cascade in the top 5 of the 273 packet tricks in my files.

Even Don Alan performed Cascade. However, at the end, the four "changed" backs were blank with a letter printed on each card, spelling out A - L - A- N.

There are of course many possibilities. Simply alter the identities of the five cards.

Onward...

Bruce Arnold
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Re: Cascade

Postby Bruce Arnold » January 4th, 2002, 3:10 pm

Hey Jon,
What are the other 5?

Thanks,
Bruce Arnold

Bruce Arnold
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Re: Cascade

Postby Bruce Arnold » January 4th, 2002, 3:11 pm

Ooops... I mean other 4.

Bruce Arnold

steve
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Re: Cascade

Postby steve » January 4th, 2002, 4:32 pm

Bill, as you were quoting me regarding the issue with the "click here for the description" bit, it was taken the wrong way by you.

I did not copy the description and paste it because I didn't write the text, and I don't like copying things from other web sites and posting them. Hank Lee went through the trouble to create the site and type in the description and I think it's only fair for him to benefit from the traffic to his site. In my opinion (and I'm sure this isn't everyone's), that it would be wrong for me to copy anything directly from any site and post it on another site without the permisson of the person who wrote it, or owns the site.

I think it's disrespectful at least, and in many cases, against the law (though probably not in this case).

Sorry to have taken you down the wrong path. Wait, I didn't take you- you took yourself :)

Steve

Bill Duncan
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Re: Cascade

Postby Bill Duncan » January 4th, 2002, 5:06 pm

Originally posted by Steve S.:
Sorry to have taken you down the wrong path. Wait, I didn't take you- you took yourself :)


Well, I followed a 'map' to what I assumed was a valid description of the effect. Based on that I offered the opinion that it read like a nonsense effect and wondered (because others had praised the trick) if there wasn't some aspect (such as a script) that gave the effect a reason for living...

I'm sort of old fashioned in that I like effects that an audience member can describe the day AFTER they've seen them: 'My card was in his wallet' ... 'the aces jumped out of the deck'... 'he read my mind'.

I guess I'll just have to wait until I happen by a magic shop or find someone who does the effect.

:confused: :confused:

steve
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Re: Cascade

Postby steve » January 4th, 2002, 5:25 pm

Or, you could click on the words and read the description like everyone else.

I can't describe it because I don't own it. If I did, I would gladly give you my version of the effect. I only know it's there because I want to purchase it, but am not willing to pay $7 shipping for a $3 trick. Once I place a bigger order, and get the trick, I will write a description for you.

Until then, click on the link and read the description.

What's so hard about that? :confused:

And the orginal question asked was "where can I find a description or buy it". Therefore, I answered the question as asked. No one asked for a description.Perhaps you misread the original question and thought he asked for a description. He didn't. He asked where to find the description or buy it. Where? Hank Lee's has both the description and they sell it.

Bill Duncan
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Re: Cascade

Postby Bill Duncan » January 4th, 2002, 6:46 pm

Originally posted by Steve S.:
Or, you could click on the words and read the description like everyone else.


Steve,
I did click on and read the description of the effect on Hank Lee's site. After doing so I posted indicating that I had read it and that I thought the description might be lacking something since what I read gave no indication of a plot that an audience might follow, but rather a series of seemingly unrelated effects. As people who's opinion I respect (such as Jon Racherbaumer) had indicated this was a worthwhile trick I was hoping someone could speak to that.

Gavin wrote that he "suddenly remembered what was so good about the effect." but didn't say what that was. I was hoping that he (or someone who'd actually seen the trick) might offer some explaination indicating what the point of all those magical events alluded to in the description was.

The description on Hank Lee's web sight does not describe a trick I'd like to see let alone one I'd like to perform. Since Mr. Kaufman seems to like the effect and Mr. Racherbaumer rates it highly I have to assume that there's more to the trick the the description indicates.

As the original poster asked, in part, what the effect was I thought a meaningful discussion of that might be worthwhile.

cheers

Guest

Re: Cascade

Postby Guest » January 5th, 2002, 1:24 pm

There is also a supposed improvement to Cascade called "Vertigo" by Jerry Somerdin, marketed by Tannens, the ending doesn't sound bad, being a little reminiscent of Mackenzie's "Tipsy Cards." It can be found on the card section of their website, along with a crappy variant by Tony Spina called "Turn Around Cards."

Where is Bob Farmer's variant advertised please?

Paul Hallas

Guest

Re: Cascade

Postby Guest » January 5th, 2002, 1:26 pm

Ignore my request for Farmer ad, seen the reference to it, slight mental aberation there lol

Bob Farmer
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Re: Cascade

Postby Bob Farmer » January 7th, 2002, 2:35 pm

Originally posted by crimper:
The Bob Farmer Mutanz ad fails to describe the effect, substituting instead goofy fonts and adolescent hyperbole to appeal to the boy scout magicians."


Damn you're right -- I just re-read the ad. This is just another example of the shoddy way this guy treats his cusomters.

Bob Farmer
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Re: Cascade

Postby Bob Farmer » January 7th, 2002, 3:49 pm

Originally posted by Bill Duncan:


Well, I followed a 'map' to what I assumed was a valid description of the effect. Based on that I offered the opinion that it read like a nonsense effect and wondered (because others had praised the trick) if there wasn't some aspect (such as a script) that gave the effect a reason for living...

I'm sort of old fashioned in that I like effects that an audience member can describe the day AFTER they've seen them: 'My card was in his wallet' ... 'the aces jumped out of the deck'... 'he read my mind'.

I guess I'll just have to wait until I happen by a magic shop or find someone who does the effect.

:confused: :confused:


Bill is right: the Hank Lee description of "Cascade" doesn't do the trick justice and he's also right that if the spectator can't easily describe the effect, it's a lousy trick.

A spectator would describe the effect like this:

"The cards kept turning over and over all by themselves and then changed into completely different cards RIGHT IN MY HANDS!"

As anyone who has performed Vernon's "Twisting The Aces," "Triumph" or "Cascade" knows, the twist/turn effect, because it is so visual and easily understood to be magical, is one of the strongest things you can do.

"Cascade" has all those elements, but then piles on a slam-bang, out-of-the-blue climax, where the cards are suddenly and radically transformed.

There are other packet effects that sound similar (and a spectator might even describe their effects in the same way as "Cascade"), but the reason "Cascade" is the champ is two-fold:

1. The method is elegant and efficient (a lot of the pretenders to the throne use 6 cards pretending to be 4 cards).

2. The final transformations happen completely in the spectator's hands and he is left with the cards to examine. The rival effects don't allow for this either because there's too many extra "secret" cards left, or because the cards are gaffed.

I've done "Cascade" for hundreds of years -- the real challenge was to come up with a presentational hook that made sense of what's happens. You just can't pull out the packet, have the cards turn over and then change -- that's stupid.

I used a patter theme built around the three laws of magic, sympathy, attraction and surprise. Each "law" was illustrated with a different effect.

I also shortened the routine considerably. The original routine started with a twisitng sequence, then a card vanished and appeared, then there was another twisting sequence and then the transformations occurred.

I thought it made more sense to go from twisting, to card appearance to transformation (in other words, why go back to a twisitng sequence after a card vanishes and appears just because you can).

"Cascade" had a handling problem shared by a lot of the packet tricks of the era: you had to extract a card from the center of the packet and place it on top at the end of each twisting sequence. Given how good the effect was, this was a small problem, but it can be eliminated with some planning.

"Cascade" has been ripped off by many people and Roy Walton has never received a dime from them -- Hell, they never even asked his permission. Usually, the rip-off versions make some minor and obvious change (like sticking mirrors on the cards) or using different cards (doing a card trick with red cards rather than blue cards doesn't mean it's a new trick).

To date, no one, other than myself and Roy Walton (with "MUTANZ"), haS made any significant improvements to the effect.

If you know"Cascade," if you do "Cascade," there are elements of the "MUTANZ" version that will fool you completely.

Bob Farmer
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Re: Cascade

Postby Bob Farmer » January 7th, 2002, 3:59 pm

Originally posted by crimper:
The Bob Farmer Mutanz ad fails to describe the effect ...


Crimper: you're wrong about this. I guess your lips must have gotten tired before you got to the line that reads:

A Cascade of Alchemikal Conundrums ... Strange and supernatural forces twist and possess ordinary cards until they become GROTESQUE MUTANTS IN THE HANDS OF THE SPECTATOR!

When you been in magic for more than a week, you'll recognize what the words, "Cascade," "Twist" and "become ... Mutants ..." mean.

I'm impressed you've read "Focus" -- but isn't your jaw tired?

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thecardman
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Re: Cascade

Postby thecardman » January 10th, 2002, 10:27 am

I thought I might put my 2 cents worth in here and catagorically state that the "Cascade" effect that has been discussed above (and, no doubt, below) is one of THE STRONGEST PACKET TRICKS - PERIOD!!!

Anyone who is trying to make up their mind about the trick should not worry about trying to find a written description of the effect and just buy it!!! You WILL NOT be dissapointed.

what makes me say this? Well, I, along with Gavin, make regular trips into Roy Walton's shop, Tam Shepher's, in Glasgow and have seen it sitting under the glass in the counter. Upon seeing it being performed, I bought it instantly. That was some 7 or 8 years ago - I STILL PERFORM IT, THE EFFECT IS THAT STRONG! It is, genuinely, one of the only packet effects that I will consider doing.

Sorry if that sounds like a sales pitch, but I had to get that off my chest. Take care folks and I'll be in touch soon.

thecardman
:)

Jon Racherbaumer
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Re: Cascade

Postby Jon Racherbaumer » January 10th, 2002, 11:35 am

If you are interested in fooling--REALLY fooling-- Fast-Company men, well-posted, blase cardmen, Twist fanatics, smarty-pants lay people, laid-off rocket scientists, mathematicians with and without "beautiful minds," "undergrounders" (who haven't seen the sun since 1962), grumps who want to put Jeff Busby's brain in a jar, and card cheats on the run...then buy, borrow, or steal BOB FARMER's version of Roy Walton's CASCADE...In fact, it is MORE than a "version;" it has drifted into another realm...

BTW, I was even fooled by Bob's explanation of this trick when he graciously "tipped" it over the phone many months ago...

Although he has not said so, he is also the only guy who contacted Roy Walton and asked for permission to do anything with this effect. Bob is a standup guy.

Onward...

Guest

Re: Cascade

Postby Guest » January 10th, 2002, 11:59 am

Sounds good enough for me Jon, I'll be stocking it lol.

Guest

Re: Cascade

Postby Guest » January 10th, 2002, 12:33 pm

O.K. O.K. Now I know YOU'RE not Bob's parole officer Jon.

Now I just have to sift through 260,579,999 other possibilities (assuming he lives here in the states)and get a hold of this guy. Unless he's part of the X-MEN too. (But I doubt it, I've never seen them do card tricks.)


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