Hauntend matchbox

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C. Hampton
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Hauntend matchbox

Postby C. Hampton » October 28th, 2004, 10:53 pm

I was wondering if anyone can provide some light about the origins and variations on this effect. I am aware that Kennedy got an improved version where a matchstick jumps out of the box to stand on top of it.... but who invented the effect? Maybe the same person that invented tha haunted pack? Does Al Baker has anything to do with it?

Thanks in advance to all in the knowledge.

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Jacky Kahan
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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby Jacky Kahan » October 28th, 2004, 11:54 pm

Check the folowing books :

Eugene Burger,
Chicago Visions
Edited by Todd Karr
Copyright (c) 2004 by The Miracle Factory
page ?? The Haunted Matchbox

Burger, Eugene: The Performance of Close-Up Magic Copyright 1987 by Richard Kaufman and Eugene Burger
Published by Kaufman and Greenberg
Page 70 The Animated Matchbox

Friedhoffer, Bob: Magic Tricks, Science Facts
1990 Franklin Watts. Illustrated by Richard Kaufman
Page 25 : Haunted Matchbox

Hope this helps,

Jacky
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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby Richard Kaufman » October 29th, 2004, 11:04 am

I do not know who invented it, but the master of The Haunted Matchbox when I was a kid (1970s) was Amadeo, who was regularly up at Tannen's. It was incredible when he did it.
I believe his routine is included in the book Continental Magic written by George Schindler.
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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby Jim Maloney_dup1 » October 29th, 2004, 11:14 am

There are some interesting variations on the effect by John Carney (in Carneycopia) and Ben Harris (The Creeps).

I believe the effect might go back to G.W. Hunter, but I'm not certain.

-Jim

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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby Tabman » October 29th, 2004, 12:09 pm

Yes, don't forget about Amedeo Vacca's matchbox routine and hookup. I used it for years until everybody started doing it!!! The book is called Amedeo's Continental Magic. It's an excellent resource. I see it on ebay for dirt. Worth much more. It's got a bunch of usable routines in it. I wish I could have met this man.
-=tabman

Dale Shrimpton
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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby Dale Shrimpton » October 29th, 2004, 1:16 pm

I have a variation of my own in which the box may be borrowed, it is totally un gimmicked, and may be returned straight away with no evidence of the method.
Pat Conway came out with a few variations on the rising matchbox using a thread less method, I have a couple described in magic sets from the 1920s that use the standard fit up.
I am guessing that the effect is probably as old as the disposable match box . However old that may be…
:)

Dale

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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby oliver twist » October 29th, 2004, 1:29 pm

Doesnt John ramsay have a version of this? In some of his books you see him doing some match box trick. I would love to get a hold of the method. Any suggestions?

Edwin Corrie
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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby Edwin Corrie » October 29th, 2004, 3:27 pm

The entry for Acrobatic Matchbox in T.A. Waters' Encyclopedia of Magic and Magicians cites G.W. Hunter as the creator. Eugene Burger refers to the Amadeo routine.

Basic routines with a threaded box involving a few gyrations on the hand followed by a rising drawer are described in various books, usually without any credit. Martin Gardner gives a simple version in "Match-ic" and says there are other more complicated set-ups. The same thing appears attributed to Bev Bergeron in "Matchbox Delights" by David Ginn. Jon Tremaine's routine for the Acrobatic Matchbox is quite well known and is still available very cheaply from Magic Books by Post.

"Magic with Small Apparatus" by Jules Dhotel describes three set-ups, all with thread. The original French was published around 1935, though we're told that some of the material had appeared previously in French magic magazines. The names he mentions are Robelly, Caroly II and M.O. Scolari.

Somewhere amongst all my stuff I have what I think was sold as the Devano Rising Matchbox (by Harry Devano of rising cards fame). This was a completely different method without thread, but it's just the rising drawer effect. An impromptu version using the same principle was published in a French magic magazine (probably from the 1980's).

I also have another superb self-contained rising matchbox by Ireland's Pat Conway. I'm not certain, but it may be described in "The Pat Way to Con" by Walt Lees (also available from Magic Books by Post - and no, I don't work for them).

Ben Harris' "The Creeps" is in his book "Mad Fax and Other Mysteries", and he now sells a streamlined version called "Creeps 2".

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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby David Alexander » October 29th, 2004, 8:05 pm

An old Hindu street magician's trick is the moving coin, done with a hair, some wax and clever hands. The coin is more or less stationary, with the hands providing the illusion of movement.

Hunter may have been inspired by seeing a street magician do this, adapting it to a matchbox, which were readily available in his audiences at the time. Today, unless you were in front of an audience of pipe or cigar smokers, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone with matches or a lighter, let alone a box of matches.

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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby Guest » October 30th, 2004, 1:39 pm

Howie Schwarzman (sp?) sold a similar effect - in the '80's, I believe - called Mephisto's Matches or Matchbox. I still have mine. A neat routine where the box is ingeniously constructed to be self-opening but many open and fair looking moves will show no gaff. --Asrah

John Pezzullo
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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby John Pezzullo » October 30th, 2004, 10:59 pm

A version of the Haunted Matchbox, developed by Michael Weber, was published in "Genii" several years ago.

If my memory serves me correctly, Weber's version was published sometime during Jim Patton's tenure as editor of the 'Magicana' section of the magazine.

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Q. Kumber
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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby Q. Kumber » December 18th, 2021, 12:31 pm

Here's the gen on it's origination from Conjuring Credits
https://www.conjuringcredits.com/doku.p ... d_matchbox

BTW Jon Tremaine's routine for the Acrobatic Matchbox, mentioned above, originally appeared in The Gen magazine.

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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby katterfelt0 » December 18th, 2021, 1:34 pm

John Pezzullo wrote:A version of the Haunted Matchbox, developed by Michael Weber, was published in "Genii" several years ago.


The Weber routine is in the September, 1996 issue starting on page 920. That issue is a tribute to the 60th anniversary of Genii and has tricks from each decade of the magazine's existence up to the 1990s.
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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby MagicbyAlfred » December 18th, 2021, 1:47 pm

A First Edition, in very good to fine condition, of Amadeo's Continental Magic (Schindler & Garcia, 1974), in which Amadeo Vacca's routine for the Acrobatic Matchbox is published, is currently available on Ebay for $50 and Free Shipping.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/274559742201
A sweet deal!

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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby Q. Kumber » December 18th, 2021, 4:19 pm

Let's not confuse the Acrobatic Matchbox with other matchbox effects. The Arcobatic Matchbox uses one box that moves around, turns over and the drawer opens.

The Sympathetic Matchboxes, invented by Pat Conway, uses two boxes and is more like the Chinese Sticks. The Weber version from Genii, mentioned above is in this category. Andy Martin has a section on it. https://www.martinsmagic.com/allmagic/c ... -swadling/

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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby Tarotist » December 18th, 2021, 7:28 pm

I strongly suspect that Jon Tremaine and Corinda had a lot to do with it. When I worked for Corinda I remember demonstrating it all the time. I was using Jon Tremaine's routine. I haven't done it for years but it was very effective.

Outside Corinda's shop in Tottenham Court Road (he was in partnership with Dick Chavel at the time) they had a loudspeaker blaring non stop for passer's by to hear and draw them into the shop . It went like this: "HAVE YOU SEEN THE ACROBATIC MATCHBOX? IT'S WEIRD, IT'S WONDERFUL, IT'S ONE AND SIXPENCE!" I forget the rest of the spiel but it did tell the people to "COME INSIDE!"

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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby Jonathan Townsend » December 18th, 2021, 10:48 pm

I get the feeling the trick dates back about as far as the thread-diving duck item.

@Andrew Galloway - did John Ramsay show you a routine for the animated matchbox?
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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby jason156 » December 20th, 2021, 8:36 am

I recall Art Emerson selling a version several years ago ...

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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby Andy Galloway » December 23rd, 2021, 9:22 pm

Jonathan,
When I saw the photograph I asked John about the method and he said he used the standard thread hook up with a heavy key on the other end of the thread which was the motive power and went in the waistband of his trousers then down a trouser leg, but never saw it performed.

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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby Richard Kaufman » December 24th, 2021, 10:36 am

Andy, is that considered a standard way of anchoring the end of the thread? I've never seen that before.
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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby Q. Kumber » December 24th, 2021, 12:04 pm

It was May 1973 when I first met Pat Conway at the Irish convention. His lecture included his handling for the Coin From Glass of Beer, and the hook up is as described by Mr. Galloway. Pat recommended a house key because if the thread broke, a key falling on the floor wouldn't look suspicious. It's also described in his book, The Pat Way to Con. Also bear in mind that men's trousers were looser fitting back then.

I've never heard of the hook-up being used for the Acrobatic Matchbox though.

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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby Richard Kaufman » December 24th, 2021, 1:23 pm

Quentin, what is "coin from glass of beer"?
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Q. Kumber
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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby Q. Kumber » December 24th, 2021, 1:38 pm

It is a close-up trick, normally performed in a bar. You borrow a coin, secretly attaching a thread to it via a piece of wax. Then you drop the coin in a pint of beer and it crawls back out. It's similar to a rising pencil as done with a thread as opposed to the pins in the palm or even the squirmy worm or pitch mouse.

I recall Pat saying that most hook-ups (similar to his) had a weight instead of a key. He preferred the key for the reason mentioned previously. The basic idea for the thread going to a weight in the trousers may have been well known in the UK back in the day.

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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby Jonathan Townsend » December 24th, 2021, 2:14 pm

Glad to read the item is being performed and folks like it :)
Q. Kumber wrote:It is a close-up trick, normally performed in a bar. You borrow a coin, secretly attaching a thread to it via a piece of wax. Then you drop the coin in a pint of beer and it crawls back out.

The Nate Leipzig version using a penny in a glass of beer (dropped it - it floats back up to the top) is in the Vernon Tribute to Leipzig by Ganson page 171.
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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby Andy Galloway » December 24th, 2021, 7:18 pm

Richard,
I had never heard of this before, but interesting to know from Quentin that Pat Conway also used it and possibly it is an old idea.

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Re: Hauntend matchbox

Postby Jonathan Townsend » December 24th, 2021, 8:03 pm

Thanks Andy,
and Happy Christmas
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