Looking for Fred Kaps routine

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Pete McCabe
Posts: 2332
Joined: January 18th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Simi Valley, CA

Looking for Fred Kaps routine

Postby Pete McCabe » January 3rd, 2015, 3:33 am

I was reading Henry Hay's Amateur Magician's Handbook and he mentions a Fred Kaps routine that I've never heard of. The basic idea is that Kaps is wearing a hand puppet of a little boy. Kaps produces a cigarette and lights it, but the puppet starts coughing and hides under Kaps' coat. So Fred vanishes the cigarette.

Is there a video of this anywhere? I searched for a while but found nothing. Any info on this routine will be appreciated.

Rick Ruhl
Posts: 686
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Rialto, Ca

Re: Looking for Fred Kaps routine

Postby Rick Ruhl » January 4th, 2015, 12:28 pm

Bet Pete Biro knows about this..

Pete McCabe
Posts: 2332
Joined: January 18th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Simi Valley, CA

Re: Looking for Fred Kaps routine

Postby Pete McCabe » January 4th, 2015, 5:15 pm

I asked Pete before I posted here. He has not heard of it. (!)

Dick Koornwinder
Posts: 170
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Re: Looking for Fred Kaps routine

Postby Dick Koornwinder » January 4th, 2015, 8:12 pm

Hi Pete,

I have access to the third edition of Henry Hay's book.....do you have a page number so I can see the context in which Mr. Hay is mentioning that routine. For sure I can tell you already it has never been a standard item in Mr. Kaps' repertoire and to my knowledge there are no recordings.

Kind regards,
Dick Koornwinder

Pete McCabe
Posts: 2332
Joined: January 18th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Simi Valley, CA

Re: Looking for Fred Kaps routine

Postby Pete McCabe » January 4th, 2015, 11:08 pm

Dick,

Thanks for jumping in.

I have the Fourth revised edition (paperback) of the book and the story occurs on page 199 in the "Hand Magic with Cigarettes" chapter. Here's what it says:


P.S. after a generation. Cigarettes are not what they were when this chapter first appeared. The best evidence I've seen was an enchanting number by the brilliant Dutch professional Fred Kaps. He had a glove puppet of a little boy on one hand. After a brief interchange, Kaps produced a cigarette. The puppet protested. Kaps argued, and got ready to light the cigarette. The puppet pleaded, Kaps used his lighter, the puppet hid under Kaps' coat, coughing. Kaps' better self won out, and the cigarette vanished.

I was so charmed by the story that I can't remember whether he produced the butt magically or from a pocket, nor how the vanish went. It wasn't a trick, it was a moral drama."


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