The Genii Forum

BarryAllen

Wow - talk about overreact.

I didn't intend to insult anyone.

It was a genuine question, firstly because:

a) I honestly didn't know

b) clearly Tenyo did supply other companies - such as Dubreq in the late 70's.

Anyway, if I was you, I'd ask for my money back from the charm school.

BarryAllen

My favourites, that I remember as a teenager, probably have to be: 1. Diminishing Cards - okay, perhaps not the greatest modus operandi ever created - but it accomplished the effect; and peaked my interest enough to save my pennies up to buy the Nemo version from Ken Brooke. 2. Occult Board - probab...

BarryAllen

I only saw Paul Potassy perform once - it was on the Paul Daniels Show, around the early 80's? He only performed two tricks - the razor blades and the sympathetic silks. The point is that over 35+ years later, his style and presentation performing these tricks, are still locked into my mind. That's ...

BarryAllen

You've expressed my feelings to the letter. 'Framing' is fine - but there's a difference between pattering whilst actually DOING something; and framing simply by standing there talking, as if you are giving a lecture. For many years, I've performed the Torn & Restored Cigarette Paper (still poss...

BarryAllen

Given the spectator's reactions, you certainly can't fault that performance!

What was most noticeable for me?

He was using THE CLASSICS! Visual, easy to follow, angle-proof, no reset.

Not a Rubik Cube or a Sharpie anywhere to be seen. The newbies today could learn a valuable lesson here.

BarryAllen

Interesting to note from the article, that he spent some time in the East End of London (including performing at The Bridge House at Canning Town, a former well-known London music venue where many bands cut their teeth). The East End really does seem to be the place where some of the very best Magic...

BarryAllen

Hopefully, that link has put the record straight! As for juggling, you appear to have at least progressed further than I ever did Mark. For some reason, I just couldn't get my head around even the basics of the move. In fact, it was even more woeful than my pathetic attempts at balloon modelling. I'...

BarryAllen

Similarly Edward, I've seen a guy juggling fire sticks and doing fire-eating, at traffic lights in Colombia. As it was a relatively short act, it was entertaining - and he collected quite a few Pesos for his performance. However, given the age and poor condition of many cars/vans in Colombia, potent...

BarryAllen

A faultless performance indeed - just like a bloke I know whenever he has a pack of Svens in his mitts!

BarryAllen

Wonderfully eccentric indeed - but us British adore eccentricity, don't we. Her juggling skills are more than passable in my humble opinion - and that performance was just long enough. Passable why? Because when she dropped a club, at least it had me thinking "oh gawd, I wonder if she's going t...

BarryAllen

Bear one thing in mind - particularly with older Queen Victoria Pennies. The browner (more patina) that they get, the more that they tend to smell! 130+ years of copper oxidisation is hardly a pleasant fragrance. If you are performing a routine whereby you use the spectators hands (as I do with my c...

BarryAllen

I first encountered Card Counting in 1982; from Joe Riding's manuscript - 'My routine with a borrowed pack'. The initial three phases (which could be used independently) used a similar system as outlined within Harry's Epitome Location booklet - albeit Joe (whilst acknowledging Harry) outlined two a...

BarryAllen

Bob - excuse my ignorance but is this what's known as 'The Dudeny Principle' (first released by Henry Ernest Dudeney in 1917)?

If so, Paul Gordon covers some extremely commercial ideas within his superb 2009 publication - 'The Unplanned Card Book'.

BarryAllen

X-Marks The Spot' looks very effective.

However, if I'm going to be brutally honest, it smacks of a card 'magic trick', rather than a pure Mentalism Plot - to my way of thinking anyway.

Just my view Jim - no offence intended mate.

BarryAllen

I've got a gaffed pack from Haines - clearly a forcing pack of some kind - but I haven't got a clue how it's used - nor indeed why anyone would particularly want to use it. All of the card faces are 2 of Clubs - but there's a third(!) index showing all cards (when reverse-fanned) to be different. It...

BarryAllen

I suppose these could take off at the gaming tables - if they come with chips!

Just realised, that line will probably die on its arse - as you call them French fries.

Oh well.

BarryAllen

I don't want to take things off track. Suffice to say that I first met Paul when I was 15. We were waiting outside International Magic, back around 1979. In those days, it didn't open until around 10.30pm - well not the downstairs studio anyway. He said "shall we go to the cafe for a cup of tea...

BarryAllen

[/b] Same thing with the Paul Daniels Dubreq tricks. I never demonstrated them but they made a good flash on the table and I sold a lot of them because of course everyone knew who Paul Daniels was. That's such a poignant remark actually Mark. The Dubreq range came in eye-catching, brightly coloured ...

BarryAllen

the 'Dual Control' gimmick I bought one from him. It's still fitted in oene of my suits. It was forty (or more) years ago, and I knew hardly anything about magic. When I asked about some little box that vanished a coin, he told me that I didn't need it 'cos I could do a coin vanish. So he talked hi...

BarryAllen

Back in the day, I can't remember a New Year's Eve when I didn't work! The simple reason being that you could demand, at the minimum, 'double bubble' wage-wise for your efforts. As most decent venues charged an extortionate price for admission tickets, venues/bookers were willing to pay it. Moreover...

BarryAllen

I looked at the schedule. I seem to remember they had much stronger names in years past. Anyway I am intrigued by the reference by Barry of Harry Robson. The name rings a bell to me but I can't quite place it. What on earth did they do to the poor chap? The opening gambit to this interview will giv...

BarryAllen

I adore Blackpool and I'd go there at any time. 'She who must be obeyed' was suggesting just a few days ago about a quick weekend break there in March. Primarily, this is because we enjoy long coastal walks; but now living slap bang in the middle of England - well sadly, there's not much chance of t...

BarryAllen

I think Salvano's act was on one of the two tapes he made for Joe Stevens. Joe was such a well-respected guy, wasn't he Richard. As you'll know, Ken Brooke (and Paul Stone) had no hesitation appointing Joe/Stevens Magic to be the sole U.S. Agent for the Ken Brooke Magic Range - I think this would h...

BarryAllen

Wonderful and sustaining enough to get a room full of layman and magicians standing on their feet and hollering and cheering like we were watching a bull fighter or attending a church revival. I think Tamariz is the exemplar in this wholesome holistic immersive live experience. The only time that I...

BarryAllen

I always liked the story of when Howie Schwarzman visited a trade show and told Eddie Tullock (the famous trade show magician) he wouldn't get anywhere in the trade show business because he had stubby fingers and used bridge cards. He also said Eddie had no idea how to do the top change properly. O...

BarryAllen

Murray the famous escapologist told me that if he ever had his time over again he would only work in the circus. I asked him why. He responded "Because circus people are so down to earth" Apart from the bloke who used to get fired from the cannon. Apparently, he used to look down on peopl...

BarryAllen

I find poker size cards a bloody nuisance! In the UK I hardly ever saw them so I worked with bridge cards most of my life. Now over here in Canada I hardly ever see bridge cards so I am forced to use poker cards. I like to do some fancy one hand cuts but they are nigh on impossible to do with poker...

BarryAllen

'In a single sentence'? This would pose quite a predicament in England, given that most younger people these days appear to have great difficulty in stringing a single sentence together. Remove the seemingly obligatory "So", "like", "oh my god", "and I was like&quo...

BarryAllen

There's an inflateable ATM just been installed at my local bank. A sign says 'Do not enter PIN'. I was wondering why the ball was getting bigger. Then it hit me. The police have just rang to inform me that they’ve recovered my stolen sofa. That was nice of them, it was starting to look a bit tatty. ...

BarryAllen

Here's another one - this flies over barmaids heads: You: "Large Jamesons please love". Them: "Do you want ice in it"? You: "Is it real ice.........or that frozen rubbish"? You get a blank look more often than you get a laugh - but as I've used it for years, I'm not abo...

BarryAllen

So, here’s an effect. And some audience feedback. How would you present it? https://fb.watch/hUKMQ37bus/?mibextid=v7YzmG To be perfectly honest Jonathan, that is the last type of effect that I'd ever want to present to an audience, at a paid show. It's very clever - but it's a puzzle. Moreover, its...

BarryAllen

As I've probably said earlier (I can't be bothered reading back over the pages), the idea of learning and reciting patter; or indeed that ridiculously poncey word 'script'; just leaves me absolutely cold. If I'm getting it right here, some people are saying that, word for word (or as near as makes n...

BarryAllen

I wish them every success in their quest to keep two bricks and mortar outlets in business. However, as Mark correctly points out, the type of Magic tricks that the average (non-magician) punter buys is far removed from what a more experienced Magician would be interested in. I'm sure that they've g...

BarryAllen

When you buy a magic book and perform the magic tricks you learn from it, are you copying the author? Or just performing the author's trick? I think that's a ridiculous comparison to be honest Paco. That's like saying "well now that I've been to the garage to fill my car with petrol, I won't d...

BarryAllen

13 Steps To Mentalism - Corinda

BarryAllen

I do remember the book written by Val Andrews on Bobby's work. I was never overly impressed with it. That's the one I'm referring to Mark. It's a hardback book; released in 1982, The Coin & Card Magic of Bobby Bernard: https://www.qualitymagicbooks.com/product/coin-and-card-magic-of-bobby-berna...

BarryAllen

Fully take on board what you are saying Mark. However, with reference to the Himber move within the aforementioned book, a significant, major step is completely omitted from within the instruction. That said, I also have to put some ownership for the failure upon Bobby. Surely, he should have read t...

BarryAllen

I have often thought that Murray's biography could have been better. Incredible adventures were described in 3 or 4 lines and the book lacked detail in some ways. I mentioned this to Bobby Bernard once who got irritated as only Bobby could be and defended his friend Val Andrews the biographer by sa...

BarryAllen

Hi Mark, Many thanks for the additional references. From the TalkMagic forum, Allen Tipton alludes to Paul's place on Central Pier being 'a round booth'. The place I went was definitely a shop - albeit more of a limited standing area in front of a long counter - a bit like the set-up of an old-style...

BarryAllen

Incidentally, do you remember if the shop was near the entrance to the pier? If it was then you were on North Pier rather than Central Pier. To the best of my memory Mark, if you walked on towards the left hand side of the pier, the shop was then on your right; not very far down; and towards the ba...

Search found 185 matches