Genii from days gone by

[000]

Ive been fortunate to get hold of a bunch of old Genii's dating 1963/4 and they make for fascinating reading!

Take December 1964 for example............

Subscription is $6 per year, a fullpage ad sets you back $60.
Genii Speaks reports that The Academy of Magical Arts held their first annual membership meeting.
There are quite a few effects as well as an interesting series of articles, translated from German by Irene Larson on Kalanag, an autobiography.

Lloyd E Jones reviews the books and thereafter sells them from Magic Limited.

Gene Gordon has some unkind words for Al Goshman in his column Without the Shuffle,

"Mr Goshman was also at the NYCAN Conclave and set up a booth selling sponges and booklets and at the last news heard, the committee is still lookig for him to pay his registration"
Without shame, Gordon advertises for sale Gene Gordons Magician's Nightmare routine for the royal sum of 50 cents.

Trick of the year seems to be coin thru sheet of rubber, which Gordon calls 'the best coin trick the world of magic has ever known', for sale at $1,50. Holdens Magic Studio calls it Coin-tration and sells it for $2. Other prominent advertisers are Richard Himber and Tannens.

[000]

One of the columns from years gone by is entitled Twenty-Five Years ago in Genii- a 1964 issue refers to a 1939 issue, saying Dai Vernon's Brainwave was one of the items reviewed.

Question: Did Mr Vernon ever make a dime out of this effect?

[David Alexander]

See: http://www.geniimagazine.com/wiki/index ... _Wave_Deck

Paul Fox contributed the idea of different colors.

It is my recollection that Vernon told Annemann about the Brainwave but did not give permission to publish.

If I remember correctly Vernon used small dabs of wax to hold the cards together. Roughing fluid came along later.

I don't know if Vernon sold the idea to Max Holden or if dealers just knocked it off. Joe Berg reworked the idea into the Ultra-Mental Deck that was easier to use.

Lots of magic creators see little or no money from their creations. Al Wheatley wasn't dead ten minutes before knock offs of the Chop Cup started appearing on the market. Al's widow didn't make a dime from any of them.

[Philippe Billot]

I don't know if Vernon win money with the Brainwave because it was first explained in 1938 in The Jinx no. 49, october and an ad in The Linking Ring appears only in november 1938.

[000]

Thanks.
Anybody have an idea of who came up with the idea of applying roughing fluid to the pasteboards? and when commercial effects like Brainwave were sold with it applied?

[Philippe Billot]

I known it's difficult to find it, but you have to read :

A History of the Brainwave Principle written by Karl Fulves (1983)

[Matthew Field]

Remember, you can subscribe to the Genii Archive by going to the link at the very top of this page. I find it invaluable.

[000]

In a 1963 issue it refers to a gentleman selling roughing fluid at a $ a pop.
Getting hold of the book you refer to Philippe is just about impossible.

[000]

A few final observations from the 63/64 issues.....

Editor Bill Larsen comes across as a very pleasant gentleman.
He writes the one Genii Speaks 90 minutes before getting married, another after his wife miscarried, and one can sense his sadness.

One of the issues also refers to a certain David Alexander as having performed for a group of 35 people all of whom were blind. Tell us more...

Finally one of the dealers apparently had his name changed to Lucifer Satan. Ive read elsewhere that he was an amiable figure.
Anyone know what happend to him? Also amazed Uncle Sam allowed such a name change.

[David Alexander]

Chris,

That was me when I was in my early 20s. I thought it an interesting challenge to work for blind people. Sponge balls and the Vanishing Birdcage were two effects that I remember doing.

I worked one-on-one with each person putting their hands on mine as I worked. I told them at the beginning that I "wouldn't take advantage of them if they didn't take advantage of me." That got a good laugh and everyone had a good time.

There were two pictures that made the paper: a woman holding the bird cage and then a second later with the cage gone and delight registering on her face. It was a wonderful moment.

It was an interesting experience for both the audience and me.

[000]

An interesting few comments from days gone by:

Feb 74, Genii, Magicians Guild News:

"The Wild Card" is one of the many effects developed by Frank Garcia. In jest he remarked that the marketing success of it bought Lou Tannen his Cadillac.

In an advertisement Tannen asks:

How does Frank Garcia manage to come up with these gems of magic, one right after the other?

The answer is provided by Ricky Jay in the Jan 78 issue of Genii when he placed an ad which stated:

In Frank Garcia's new book of "Wild Card" tricks, my name is mentioned in both the Table of Contents and in the text.

I have never been asked for, nor have I granted permission for the use of my name. In fact I have never performed nor even seen the trick with which my name is linked.

I wish to categorically state that I in no way condone such actions and do not in any way want my name associated with a man whose ethics, I feel, are below those necessary for the advancement of the arts of magic.'

Ouch!

[000]

Anyone have an opinion ( re his work legacy) of Frank Garcia?

[Matthew Field]

Frank Garcia was a wonderful performer who was very helpful to me in my early days trying to learn card magic. He was an open and generous man.

Frank had his faults, recounted by Richard Kaufmnan in an obit he wrote which was very honest in his appraisal, but for which he was roundly criticized.

Garcia's "Super Subtle Card Miracles" and "Million Dollar Card Secrets" are classics. They do have crediting faults.

Matt Field

[Richard Kaufman]

Frank was a charming guy, a lot of fun to be with, and a good magician--he had a real presence. He had some unfortunate habits, however, which included printing other people's tricks and Fred Kaps press notices as his own. I think we all miss Frank, he died too young (65, I think) from drink and being in an overheated room with no ventilation during a hot New York Summer. If you can find the David Suskind show with Frank, where he performed close-up for the entire hour, you'll get a sense of him as a performer.

[erdnasephile]

I think what is telling is that despite the faults that Matt mentions, many people still remember Mr. Garcia fondly. He must've been a really good guy in a lot of other ways. If he had only been more fastidious with his publishing ethics, he would have been perceived in a different light by the magic community at large who didn't have a chance to know him personally.

In contrast, JC Wagner once told me that he had considered putting his bowl routine in his book becuase it had important differences, but he didn't want people to think he was trying to take credit for Don Alan's version of the routine. Another great guy, but a totally different approach to the provenance of material.

[Ted M]

recounted by Richard Kaufman in an obit he wrote which was very honest in his appraisal

Where was the obit published?

[000]

And does 'The Wild Card' deserve a pemanent mention in the pantheon of card magic?

[Jonathan Townsend]

And does 'The Wild Card' deserve a permanent mention in the pantheon of card magic?

Not sure about permanent - but as card tricks go in its base form it has a good deal to offer:
it's a strong example of magic by contagion.
each change can be very strong and without use of much more than the Hofzinser turnover.
the changes are un-ecological for audiences as they are usually unable to handle the cards after each one is changed.
it's a strong example of a non-ecological card trick as no ordinary pack has so many dupes nor should it.

The strong points and weakpoints make the trick appealing to the puzzle solver mentality of our group as they focus on the middle of the performance and the significant challenges when one seeks to get the trick into and out of play in a larger routine as did Tommy Wonder, Derek Dingle and Fred Kaps - each with their own solutions to the problems.

[erdnasephile]

recounted by Richard Kaufman in an obit he wrote which was very honest in his appraisal

Where was the obit published?

Richard's personal remembrance of Frank Garcia appeared in MAGIC, Sept 1993, starting on page 51.

Richard's piece details some of the highs and lows of Mr. Garcia's magic/publishing life, including some of the more controversial aspects. He does recount that Mr. Garcia "decided to begin dialogues with many people whom he had earlier alienated by printing their material", including Richard himself. Richard sums up by saying that "He was a unique character...he is irreplaceable and we shall not see anyone quite like him again. He would be pleased that he will be so badly missed by so many."

This issue of MAGIC also includes a heartfelt letter from Jon Racherbaumer, recounting their last session together.

[Richard Kaufman]

I suppose it's worth point out yet again that Wild Card goes back to Hofzinser (having a single card and touching a row of cards one at a time to change them into duplicates of the original card).

Brother Hamman had a trick, The Mystic Nine, that predated Peter Kane's Watch the Ace which had most of the attributes of Wild Card.

Finally, the version marketed by Frank is very different from the Kane handling and is, in fact, generally what we think of as Wild Card today.

Peter Kane gave no credit to his predecessors, and neither did Frank. Both are equally guilty of whatever transgression you want to claim. The tricks are pretty different, and Frank's handling is the one everyone does because it's near perfect. Draw your own conclusion.

[000]

Thanks. I notice there was also (subsequently marketed) The Wild Card plus. Was this an improvement or a marketing ploy?

[Jonathan Townsend]

Is that the one with the holes in the cards, the tube and the cord?