Cy Endfield

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Mr. Charming

Cy Endfield

Postby Mr. Charming » January 14th, 2018, 1:04 pm

Hello,

I received a few weeks ago Entertaining Card Magic. I was also hearing in the Skinner Tapes the high regard they had of Mr. Enfield. I wanted to learn more about him. I already did the standard internet searches, etc.

Any additional information I'll appreciate it.

Thanks!

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lybrary
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Re: Cy Enfield

Postby lybrary » January 14th, 2018, 2:08 pm

Cy Endfield was also a film director and inventor. Here is a bit about one of his inventions https://www.lybrary.com/cy-endfields-ch ... -a-19.html
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Richard Hatch
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Re: Cy Enfield

Postby Richard Hatch » January 14th, 2018, 2:18 pm

This is a good book about him, which includes references to his magic:
https://www.amazon.com/Many-Lives-Endfield-Blacklist-Wisconsin/dp/0299303748/

Bob Farmer
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Re: Cy Enfield

Postby Bob Farmer » January 14th, 2018, 3:28 pm


Mr. Charming

Re: Cy Enfield

Postby Mr. Charming » January 14th, 2018, 4:04 pm

Thank you!

Mr. Charming

Re: Cy Enfield

Postby Mr. Charming » January 14th, 2018, 4:13 pm

lybrary wrote:Cy Endfield was also a film director and inventor. Here is a bit about one of his inventions https://www.lybrary.com/cy-endfields-ch ... -a-19.html


This is very, very interesting. Thanks for sharing. Seems that Mr. Enfield was a very reserved person and extremely talented at the same time.

Lewis Ganson brings impressive praises about him from the great.

Sadly it seems his introduction to ECM was never printed. Is that correct?

Jack Shalom
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Re: Cy Enfield

Postby Jack Shalom » January 14th, 2018, 7:19 pm

On the Pat Page Archive recordings, there are about 2 hours of Cy Endfield being interviewed; much of it is not about magic, but his career as an inventor.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Cy Enfield

Postby Richard Kaufman » January 14th, 2018, 9:17 pm

I knew Cy. He wanted to do a book on card magic (all the things he'd come up with since the Entertaining Card Magic books). He died before we could get to it.
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Re: Cy Enfield

Postby Bill Mullins » January 14th, 2018, 9:50 pm

Just ran across this. I knew he had been caught up in the blacklist -- it will be interesting to see what the details of that were.

Persi Diaconis and Alan Alan are listed in the acknowledgements, so it presumably spends some time on his magic interests.

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Re: Cy Enfield

Postby Leonard Hevia » January 14th, 2018, 10:13 pm

I had no idea Cy directed Jules Verne's The Mysterious Island. This film enchanted me as a child, and it still does. There are some movies that transport you out of the TV room and into another world. This is one of them.

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Re: Cy Enfield

Postby performer » January 15th, 2018, 5:30 pm

Years and years and years and years ago I went into an agents office trying to get work. Starving magicians do that you know. Or at least they used to before they became computer geeks and lousy performers instead. The agent discussed card tricks and specifically Chan Canasta. And then out of the blue he said, "there is a guy who is really good at card tricks and I keep offering him work and he keeps turning it down. He is too busy being a film director. I can't remember his name" I said "Is it Cy Endfield?" He immediately responded, "Yes, that't the man"

That is all I know about Cy Endfield I am afraid. A great book though. Ganson wrote up some really terrific stuff in his time.

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Re: Cy Enfield

Postby Edwin Corrie » January 16th, 2018, 4:52 am


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Q. Kumber
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Re: Cy Enfield

Postby Q. Kumber » January 18th, 2018, 2:21 pm

I must be getting OHD because every time I see this topic, I start to twitch and tremble. Please Mr. Moderator, change the title of this topic so it is spelt correctly.

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AJM
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Re: Cy Endfield

Postby AJM » January 18th, 2018, 2:33 pm

Those in the UK of a certain vintage may recall that Robert Harbin had a series on TV teaching origami to 'the viewer'.
I recall these episodes as being fairly short in duration, broadcast almost to 'fill the gap' between the main TV shows.
Anyone else remember these?

Andrew

P.S. Quentin - I'm not a moderator however how does that look?

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Q. Kumber
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Re: Cy Endfield

Postby Q. Kumber » January 18th, 2018, 3:08 pm

AJM wrote:
P.S. Quentin - I'm not a moderator however how does that look?


Now if you could change them all! :)

Incidentally Entertaining Card Magic was first serialised in The Gen magazine.

Ken Brooke told a story that Cy Endfield had a party at his home with many celebrities present. Slydini, Vernon and Ken Brooke performed. Later Ken was talking to a man (whose name I forget) who was married to a famous singer. Ken asked what he thought of Slydini.
"Which one is he?" he asked and Ken pointed him out.
"Oh, the funny foreign chap who kept dropping things in his lap."

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AJM
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Re: Cy Endfield

Postby AJM » January 18th, 2018, 4:13 pm

The Genii grants all wishes.

;-)

Mr. Charming

Re: Cy Enfield

Postby Mr. Charming » February 8th, 2018, 3:10 pm

lybrary wrote:Cy Endfield was also a film director and inventor. Here is a bit about one of his inventions https://www.lybrary.com/cy-endfields-ch ... -a-19.html


Dear Chris and everyone,

In the introduction of the book "Versatile Card Magic Revisited" by Frank Simon, Cy ENDfield writes the history of how he came up with the idea for this chess set. It came from a remark made by Frank Simon. Very funny story. Check it out.

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Re: Cy Endfield

Postby performer » February 8th, 2018, 3:46 pm

I just realised that I have been performing a Cy Endfield trick for decades on a reasonably frequent basis. It is not a card trick so that is probably why I didn't remember where I learned it or who invented it. However, the other day I rediscovered the source. It is in a tiny Ganson book called "A Magician Explains". The trick is the "Torn and Restored Treasury Note" by Cy Endfield. I have gotten very good reactions from it.

Alas it doesn't work with the new Canadian plastic money so I will just have to get some American bills or old Canadian bills just for this trick if I ever want to do it again.

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Matthew Field
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Re: Cy Endfield

Postby Matthew Field » February 9th, 2018, 3:21 am

Ask Michael Vincent.

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Brad Jeffers
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Re: Cy Endfield

Postby Brad Jeffers » January 31st, 2020, 2:42 am

If you are able to access TCM on demand, they have available the Cy Endfield directed movie Try and Get Me. This week was the first time that this film has ever been aired on TCM. Eddie Muller gives a great deal of information about Endfield in his introduction to the movie and in his post movie closing remarks.

Among other things, Muller says,

"Cyril Raker Endfield was coming into his own as a director in 1950 having just made the terrific thriller The Underworld Story, after years of churning out Joe Palooka movies and clever B pitcures like The Argyle Secrets.
He had been part of Orson Welles's Mercury Theater, brought on board after he'd dazzled Welles with card tricks.

Yes, Endfield was also a world class magician. His 1955 book, Cy Endfield's Entertaining Card Magic, is considered one of the seminal books on the art of close up magic.

The late Ricky Jay, world's greatest slight of hand magician was a protege of Endfield.
In fact the three times I screened Try and Get Me in Los Angles, Ricky Jay was always there in an aisle seat, paying respect to his mentor."

Muller goes on to give a lot more information about Endfield's career. Very interesting commentary and a pretty good movie to boot!

Unfortunately, you will only be able to access this up until midnight tonight. After that, it's gone.

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Re: Cy Endfield

Postby Leo Garet » January 31st, 2020, 2:02 pm

In 1957 he directed "Hell Drivers," starring his "Zulu" partner Stanley Baker. There's a whole raft of British actors in this including Connery, Peggy Cummins (Gun Crazy) Patrick McGoohan and the first Doctor Who, William Hartnell.

It's currently on regular(ish) repeat in the UK on the Talking Pictures channel. Freeview 81

It's a bit rough and ready, but enjoyable enough.

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Re: Cy Endfield

Postby Leo Garet » January 31st, 2020, 2:14 pm

Can't find the edit button.

Anyway, I forgot to add this:

It's probably my fault, but the link says there is no article on "Hell Drivers," but then offers a link to the film.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell_Drivers_(film)

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Re: Cy Endfield

Postby Diego » January 31st, 2020, 3:20 pm

Fascinating that he directed, "Try and Get Me", which was a remake of, "Fury", (with Spencer Tracy), based on an actual crime and lynching that took place in San Jose in 1933. Always liked it...Lloyd Bridges is great as the criminal psycho and the mob scene, leading up to the lynching, very compelling.
The movie is on youtube and if you go to 50:50, you will see Joe E. Ross, (Car 54 Where Are You?) as a nite club M.C./Comic doing color changing silks...then some business with Frank Lovejoy, as he pulls sausages and other production items out of his pockets, etc.

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Re: Cy Endfield

Postby Richard Kaufman » January 31st, 2020, 6:31 pm

I like Joe E. Ross, particularly as a caveman!
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Re: Cy Endfield

Postby Bob Farmer » February 1st, 2020, 9:47 am

His books are available on Lybrary.com

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Re: Cy Endfield

Postby Andy Galloway » February 2nd, 2020, 9:26 pm

Cy Endfield was a regular member of the London circle of card and close up magicians which included Alex Elmsley, Jack Avis, Roy Walton, Bobby Bernard, John Derris and Ted Danson in the 1950s and 60`s. After meeting in Davenport`s magic shop they would retire to Gino`s Cafe just off Shaftesbury Avenue where I met Cy for the only time sad to say, but Roy in particular has some great stories about him. Its unfortunate that Richard never got to record his later creations as who knows what we have missed.

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Re: Cy Endfield

Postby Andy Galloway » February 4th, 2020, 6:54 am

It is with great sadness that I have just heard that my close friend of over sixty years Roy Walton has passed away after a short illness. His wife telephoned to say it happened peacefully in the night and my thoughts are with her and family.

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Re: Cy Endfield

Postby performer » February 4th, 2020, 7:01 am

Andy Galloway wrote:It is with great sadness that I have just heard that my close friend of over sixty years Roy Walton has passed away after a short illness. His wife telephoned to say it happened peacefully in the night and my thoughts are with her and family.


I am really, really sorry to hear that. He was a real gentleman.


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