Simplified the golden age history of closeup to Vernon and Marlo??

[Tom Dobrowolski]

New The Disclaimer blog post.

Your thoughts?


https://ko-fi.com/post/Simplified-the-g ... wPostModal

[Richard Kaufman]

Did you leave out Slydini? What about Horowitz and Daley? Sounds like you're overstating Marlo's influence and originality.

[Tom Dobrowolski]

Richard Im not making the case for it I'm debunking it in the blog post. All those and more should be included.

[Richard Kaufman]

Ah, well Vernon was certainly responsible for the golden age of close-up magic, for without Vernon there might not have been one.
Marlo inserted himself via both creativity (often of dubious value) and thievery, and was never a professional magician and, as we can see from the videos of him, could not present a trick in an engaging manner. Marlo shouldn't even be mentioned in this discussion.
But Slydini should. He and Vernon are the major influences of the 20th century. But there were many many other great close-up magicians. Too many, perhaps, to count. The golden age, if you want to call it that, came to an end with the deaths of Vernon, Slydini, Jennings, Cervon, Dingle, Jennings, Hamman, and Ascanio.

[Jonathan Townsend]

Where to begin? Remember Hofzinser was not the only working card guy in 1850. How about Will Goldstone and Stanley Collins? The Club entertainers such as Nate Leipzig, Doctor Jaks and Max Malini? The folks Scot mentions in passing in Discoverie?

[Richard Kaufman]

Hofizinser was a salon (that is, parlor) performer, not a close-up magician. Ditto Malini, who worked on a riser at the front of large rooms. As for those mentioned by Reginald Scot--there were no close-up workers until the late 1800s.

[Tarotist]

That grumpy old misery Albert Goshman should certainly be included. Best formal close up magic show I have ever seen. As should Johnny Paul, Eddie Tullock and others. As for Marlo I actually saw a video of him performing somewhere or other and he was actually quite good or at least nowhere near as bad I thought he would be. I suppose Charlie Miller should get a mention in there somewhere too. And from what I hear Matt Schulien was pretty good.

There were a LOT of good ones back then. All the best close up magicians are dead. Come to think of it I don't feel that well myself.

[Jeffrey Cowan]

Del Ray seems to have been overlooked.

[Tarotist]

Del Ray seems to have been overlooked.

Of course. And I keep remembering more all the time. John Scarne for example. Harry Lorayne certainly. Oh and someone who doesn't jump
readily to mind is Ken Brooke who was probably the greatest magic demonstrator of all time.

All past masters. Somehow the crop of present masters don't seem to grab me the same way. I just can't get excited over any of them.

[El Mystico]

I'm glad you are holding a torch for Jim Ryan. Someone should republish his booklets in a well-produced book.

[Tom Dobrowolski]

I'm glad you are holding a torch for Jim Ryan. Someone should republish his booklets in a well-produced book.

Thanks El Mystico. I agree they should be but really need to be rewritten along the way.It would be a big project and I'd love to see it done. Magic Methods currently owns the copyright.

FYI for those who may not know this is the Penguin Live Lecture I did a couple years aao about Jim Ryan and his material. They were great to work with and very supportive of the project. https://www.tomdobrowolski.com/product- ... trick-ryan

[BarryAllen]

Somehow the crop of present masters don't seem to grab me the same way. I just can't get excited over any of them.

Couldn't agree more.

Moreover, absolutely no new(?) tricks released these days 'float my boat' whatsoever. Indeed, if I see yet another version of a Rubik Cube trick released at any time during this decade, I might just scream.

I digress. A few names to perhaps add to the aforementioned list:

- Frank Garcia ('The Man With The Million Dollar Hands'......and half a million stolen tricks to go with 'em apparently).
- Al Leech (a name that seems to fly under the radar) - his written work, that I've studied recently, is very good.

[Jack Shalom]

In Tom's comments, Marty Jacobs mentioned Ross Bertram, and I'd second that.

[Tarotist]

In Tom's comments, Marty Jacobs mentioned Ross Bertram, and I'd second that.

I have never actually spoken to Ross Bertram but he was indeed in my illustrious presence once. It was at a lecture by Gary Kurtz who was doing a lot of advanced sleight of hand. He was talking to Bruce Posgate and I overheard him making an interesting comment after watching Gary work. He said, "I can't keep up with what these young guys are coming up with nowadays" I remember thinking "Bloody hell! If Ross Bertram can't keep up with all the new stuff nowadays what chance have I got!"

I did meet his wife once when I was selling svengali decks in a flea market. She told me who she was. I think Ross had passed away by that time. She told me she was trying to get the newspapers to give him some kind of memorial or tribute. She seemed irritated that it wasn't happening.

I do remember being quite surprised when a Toronto agent once told me that Ross did the Substitution Trunk since I only associated him with sleight of hand especially coin magic.

[Dzuckerbrot]

Ross Bertram was no doubt a master of sleight of hand with coins. As Vernon attested: "When I was a boy living in Canada, I met two of the most famous coin manipulators of the time—T. Nelson Downs and Allan Shaw. Twenty years passed before I ran across anyone who could be compared with these two. Then, in New York City, I met Manuel and the old-timer, Welsh Miller. Downs, however, towered over the others because he was the originator of this specialized type of act. Again, over twenty years elapsed before I encountered anyone who stood out form the crowd. Then, in Buffalo, I met Ross Bertram. Here was someone who had made a decided leap forward. His whole approach to the subject was refreshing. His effects were startling and his methods, unique."

But Bertram was much more than that. For more about him check this out, and make sure to look at the video archive.
https://www.magicana.com/exhibition/rossbertram

[Tarotist]

I never saw Ross Bertram perform until a few seconds ago! I have seen him on videos but never heard him speak. You can never judge a close up magician until you hear them talk. Now I have! Right here! Watch the video clip on this page!

https://www.magicana.com/exhibition/dis ... arly-years

[Dzuckerbrot]

Hi Mark.
So what did you think now that you've seen/heard him in action? If you follow the links in that exhibit to the video archive (or go here https://www.magicana.com/exhibition/ros ... eo-archive) you'll find him performing an interesting variety of things.

[Tarotist]

I have seen the other videos before. I had a quick look again just now and looked at one of them which only showed his hands and the cards. I was delighted to hear him talking and thought this was another one where he spoke that I had missed. His voice did sound a bit different but then the camera went to his face and I was quite startled to see that he looked and sounded just like David Ben.

Anyway on looking at the other videos where he did not resemble David Ben I realised that he was obviously a wonderful technician. Alas I was a bit disappointed to see him do the cups and balls with baby chicks. I have always hated seeing harmless little chickens going through that cruelty even though the effect is so strong.

With regard to the one minute or so video of him talking that I had never seen before it is of course not enough to judge him properly. One mere minute is not really fair. It seemed OK and of course the technique was good as was expected. I can see magicians criticising him for talking so fast but then they say the same thing about me. Anyway based on that one minute clip I would give him 9 out of 10 for technique and 7 out of 10 for presentation.

[Jonathan Townsend]

Stewart James?
Erdnase?