Dunninger at work!

Instead of mentally projecting your mentalism thoughts, type them here.
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Dunninger at work!

Postby Tarotist » February 15th, 2022, 12:31 am


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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Jack Shalom » February 15th, 2022, 9:31 am

The credits at the end say Lighting Designer: Bob Cassidy.
Coincidence?

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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Tarotist » February 15th, 2022, 1:03 pm

I noticed that too! I do think it was sheer coincidence.

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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Barefoot Boy » February 16th, 2022, 12:26 am

Seeing Dunninger perform like this really drives home how much of an influence he had on Kreskin's work; particularly his TV show.

The format seemed almost identical. From the opening sequence, to the audience reading (Q&A), to the rest of the program. Each segment seems to be the formula Kreskin used for his "Amazing World of Kreskin" shows.

When Dunninger (and Walter Gibson) wrote about the "mental marvel" in the "Dunninger's Secrets" book, it was clear that Dunninger was upset that Kreskin had apparently lifted so much of Dunninger's material. Not only his effects, but his mannerisms as well. Kreskin was (to use his own terminology) a "flakey" version of Dunninger.

But Kreskin was truly inspired by Dunninger, as indeed I was by Kreskin.

Plenty is said about today's modern young mindreaders but whether it's nostalgia, or his hyperactive goofy personality, or the fact that he was the first mindreader that I ever saw, in any case my favourite mentalist will always be Kreskin.
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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Tarotist » February 16th, 2022, 11:58 am

I have always said that Kreskin is far more interesting doing his tricks wrong than the average mentalist is doing their tricks right! The difference is that he has an interesting character and personality. That is FAR more important than the trick and far too many "magicians" (and mentalists ARE magicians) don't seem to realise that. At best they pay lip service to it and at worst don't even consider it.

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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Joe Mckay » February 16th, 2022, 2:30 pm

Kreskin is goofy and fun.

And a master magician.

Nobody sells mindreading like him. He is the Harry Lorayne of mentalism.

Here is Kreskin performing the Ambitious Card. It is interesting to note that he does a better job of selling this trick than most card magicians (even though his sleight of hand is quite poor).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onLjvqP1EU4

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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Richard Kaufman » February 16th, 2022, 3:54 pm

It IS a lot easier if you use a duplicate card! :)
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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Tarotist » February 16th, 2022, 5:36 pm

He must be in his eighties by now. Not bad for an old timer!

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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Jack Shalom » February 16th, 2022, 7:43 pm

I am a Kreskin fan, but that was painful to watch.

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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Tarotist » February 16th, 2022, 10:14 pm

If you are looking for technical proficiency in sleight of hand and you happen to know something about magic then it may perhaps be painful to watch. (I don't think a layman would notice the deficiencies though). However, if you are astute enough you will realise that the sleight of hand is the least important part of the equation. The trouble is that magicians tend to look for the wrong things. That is why their opinions don't count. The only opinions of any consequence are those of LAYMEN. Nobody else....................

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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby katterfelt0 » February 16th, 2022, 11:15 pm

Tarotist wrote:The trouble is that magicians tend to look for the wrong things. That is why their opinions don't count. The only opinions of any consequence are those of LAYMEN. Nobody else....................

I suppose this means your opinion posted above doesn't count and is of no consequence. :)
Effect and method are inextricably linked.

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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Tarotist » February 17th, 2022, 12:12 am

I am no ordinary magician so of course I am an obvious exception! However, I will concede that my opinion is of no consequence either if laymen like the performer I dislike. Luckily, I trained myself to think like a layman when i first read in the presentation section of Expert Card Technique that it was essential to see things from the spectator's perspective.

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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Curtis The Mentalist » February 19th, 2022, 8:33 pm

Thanks for sharing this. Love seeing some of this old stuff.
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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Tarotist » February 19th, 2022, 8:37 pm

Curtis The Mentalist wrote:Thanks for sharing this. Love seeing some of this old stuff.


You are welcome especially since nobody else seems to be particularly interested except Barefoot Boy.

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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Barefoot Boy » February 20th, 2022, 10:39 am

It's a shame there isn't more footage of his show to be seen.
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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Tarotist » February 21st, 2022, 12:56 am

I think there is somewhere. In fact I think I recently saw a whole ton of them on You Tube although I didn't have the time to watch them. I do have his audiotape put out by Martin Breese where he did a lecture for magicians. I suspect it was the only lecture he ever did. He was an old man at the time but I found the lecture incredibly motivational especially when he emphasized that the trick was unimportant and that the showmanship and presentation was the vital part of things. I find most magicians nod approvingly at this sentiment and pay lip service to it but don't actually do a damn thing about it. That is why most of them have the personality of a dial tone.

However, the greatest mentalist I have ever seen was Maurice Fogel who DID know something about showmanship! I understand Dunninger was nervous about Fogel being in competition with him when he visited America. Unfortunately, video of Maurice is very sparse indeed. Still, here is a little something. I am so happy to find it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmY9cGsn8XE

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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Jack Shalom » February 21st, 2022, 12:20 pm


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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Jack Shalom » February 21st, 2022, 12:24 pm

Dunninger busting medium methods expose here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBX7xxQ5sjg

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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Tarotist » February 21st, 2022, 1:06 pm

Here is another one of Fogel! I think he was equal to Dunninger!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuAEzY5zVVk

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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Diego » February 21st, 2022, 1:21 pm

What Mark says about Kreskin is real-world true. I have heard lay people remark they remember Kreskin's skill with cards, as well as David Blaine's but no one else. Little has changed: magicians used to make fun of Dunninger's simple and obvious methods, and Dunninger would reply, "If what I do is THAT simple, why doesn't anyone else do it?" Robert Nelson noted it was because no one had the fortitude (or gall) to try it. But Kreskin did do just that. As Mark correctly notes, because of his character/personality was attractive to the talent bookers on TV shows, and because of his location in New Jersey, the bookers knew if Carson, Griffin, Douglas, etc. needed to fill in a segment, they could call Kreskin and he would be there in an hour with his character/personality for the hosts/guests to play off of...and whatever choose to perform as well.
Last edited by Diego on February 21st, 2022, 1:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Diego » February 21st, 2022, 1:28 pm

I can remember Kreskin doing a similar card routine on The Mike Douglas show, bringing in slow-motion cameras to show how great his skill was, that the slow/mo replay wouldn't reveal anything.
While magicians were complaining about his double lift, Douglas would rave/refer back to it in Kreskin's (80+) return appearances.

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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Tarotist » February 21st, 2022, 2:37 pm

I remember years and years and years ago there was a magician on Scottish television named Max Raskin. He was on regularly and I did meet him a couple of times but never did see him perform since I was not resident in Glasgow and was only visiting on business. However, I did hear a lot of local magicians criticising him and tearing him to pieces. I have no idea whether the criticism was justified or not but I did mention it to my Scottish cousin who had indeed seen him on TV. I have always remembered his response, "In that case how come he is on television and they aren't?".

This conversation reminds me of that somehow.

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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby jplibby » August 4th, 2022, 11:46 pm

I'm late to the party, but thanks for sharing that. It was great to see Dunninger in action!

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Re: Dunninger at work!

Postby Tarotist » August 5th, 2022, 7:42 pm

He was good wasn't he?


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