Tarbell, Harlan: The Tarbell Course in Magic Volume 3 (Lessons 34 to 45)
©1927 Tarbell System, Inc.,
©1943 Louis Tannen,
©1973 Louis Tannen
Hardcover, 416 pages

Comment:Volume 3 of 8 in this great series.

Contents:

xiii Introduction: On practice, secrets, patter, etc.

21 Lesson 34 Routining a Magic Show
26 Smart Openers: essay
30 The Closing: essay
31 Balancing the Show: essay

35 Lesson 35 How to Make People Laugh
36 Value of an Opening, Psychology of Laughter
37 Nonsensical Denouement
38 Magic Plots and Play Plots, Alike
39 The Unexpected: Basis of Magic and Laughter
40 Magic Should Never Offend or Embarrass
41 Suspense And Expectancy
42 Repetition
43 Jokes on the Performer
44 Fact, Funnier Than Fiction
45 Meeting Emergencies
47 Unexpected Opportunities for Unexpected Miracles
49 Sucker Tricks
50 Much Ado About Nothing

53 Lesson 36 Intimate Magic
53 Christopher's Double Cross: Paper torn into 8 pieces and placed in two piles. Spectator selects one pile, magician draws crosses on each of the other papers. These are burnt. Spectator's papers now have crosses.
56 Joe Berg's Double Cross: Palm is shown empty, cardboard is placed on top and two crosses are marked on the cardboard and erased. When removed, the crosses have transferred to the palm.
58 Tarbell's Sugar Mark: A mark made on a sugar lump transfers to a plate.
61 Christopher's Match Book and Coin: A coin is produced from a paper match book *
63 Christopher's Match Stickler: Matches in book are counted. One is removed and burnt. It is found back in the book, but burnt!
65 Audley Walsh Match Routine: A sort of multiplying match sticks routine
68 Match Through Safety Pin: A match penetrates the metal of a safety pin
70 Match on Edge: Bar bet to have a match stand on its edge
71 Rising and Falling Match: Match rises and falls at will in pop bottle of water
72 A Button Off the Vest: An impromptu tearing off and restoration of a spectator's button
75 Tavern Trickery: A card is revealed by the inside of a bottle cap previously shown empty
76 Christopher's Finger Tip Telepathy: A spectator predicts another spectator's card
79 The Phantom Safety Pin: A safety pin is torn along a handkerchief without harming it.
81 Ring Rope and Pin: A ring is placed on a rope under a handkerchief while the ends are in view.
83 Tom Osborne's Ring and Spirit Knot: As above, without using a safety pin.
86 The Ring in the Knot: A ring is threaded on a rope, and instantly becomes knotted upon it
88 A Fountain Pen Nifty: The cap of a fountain pen disappears, to reappear back on the pen
89 Joe Berg's Criss-Cross Paper Napkin: Napkin torn into four. Two are torn and rolled, other two are just rolled. Two torn exchange with two untorn pieces. Torn pieces then restore themselves. Finally, all are rolled and restore into the original napkin.
94 Psychometric Crayons: A Crayon is placed in tube and placed behind performer's back. The performer detects the color. This is repeated.
96 Nifty Knots: Knots instantly appear in a rope
99 Vanishing Knot Flourishes: 5 methods to untie a knot in a flourish
101 G.W. Hunter's Puzzle Knot: Tying a knot without letting go of the ends
102 Bachelor's Needle: A rope is threaded through a loop without letting go of the end


105 Lesson 37 Conjuring With Currency. Discussion
106 John Scarne's Bill Change: A bill switch
109 Grant's Slow Motion Bill Transposition: Nice $1 & $5 change
112 Grant's Million Dollar Bill Mystery: Two bills torn, one half of each given to two spectators. Other halves are vanished, and envelope produced. Envelope is opened, and two halves match the ones held by the spectators.
115 Persnickety Pinochle Player: Comedy version of Million Dollar Bill Mystery using two Aces of Diamonds.
116 Novel Burned and Restored Bill: Bill is burned on top of overturned saucer. When saucer is lifted, the restored bill is found.
118 Half and Half: Bill is placed in envelope, envelope is signed inside and out and sealed. Envelope is cut into two, and so is the bill, as demonstrated when two half dollars are poured from the envelope!
122 The Life Saver: Vanished bill found inside Life Savers candy pack. Two versions.
126 Le Paul's Torn Bill: Dollar is borrowed and torn in two. Magician gives spectator half, which turns out to be a half dollar coin. Magician takes half dollar back and restores the bill.
127 A Dollar Makes a Break: A dollar bill is used to strike and break a pencil, but the dollar breaks instead and drops change on the floor. Finally, another dollar is tried using a stunt and breaks the pencil.
129 The Topsy Turvy Bill: A bill is shown and folded cleanly. When unfolded, the bill has turned upside down.
130 Bereland's One to Four: A dollar bill is cut into four, and four full dollars are produced, one from each piece. (uses 5 bills)
133 Making Money to Order: Similar to One to Four using Newspaper
134 Instant Number Memorization: How to quickly memorize dollar serial number for a quick stunt
135 Sign A Bill: A stunt. New bills are "torn" from a checkbook style cover.
136 A Roll of Bills: Another stunt. Bills are joined at the ends in a "roll" of bills.


137 Lesson 38 Modern Coin Effects
137 Manuel's Coin Star: flourish
139 The Four Coin Flourish: Stack of 4 coins opens between the fingers
140 The Coin Roll: Flourish with one coin
142 Al Zink's Coin Production: dime, nickle, quarter, and half rapidly produced
145 Nelson Hahne's Dime Through Hand: Dime placed on back of magician's hand and covered with a Half Dollar. Half is removed and dime has vanished, to be found inside the hand. Only one dime and half used.
146 Joe Berg's Coin Change: Copper/Silver transposition using one copper and one silver
147 Harry Bernstein's Dollar and Dime: Silver dollar and dime transform repeatedly at the fingertips
151 Paul Morris' Coin Vanish: Coin vanish using sleeving
153 Paul Morris' Color Changing Coin: variation of above used as coin change
153 Paul Morris' Ubiquitous Coin: Impromptu 2 coin routine. Can be combined with Back and Forth or used alone. Uses sleeving and French Drop. With rhyming patter.
155 Back and Forth. A continuation of the above, or can be used alone.
159 Coin Through the Handkerchief: half penetrates handkerchief
160 French Pill Box Coin Mystery: Three coins vanish from a pill box and wind up inside a bag in a box in another box all sealed by rubber bands.
164 Coins in a Loaf of Bread: Similar to above.
166 Okito Coin Box: Three methods of performing a vanishing coin
170 Coin Through the Hat: Coin penetrates hat repeatedly.
171 Dime Delusion: Dime is tossed into two whiskey glasses held mouth to mouth
173 Tom Osborne's Five Coin Routine: A mini-Miser's Dream routine, uses bottomless glass
176 The Throw Away Coin Vanish: employs front thumb palm and flat palm
177 The Chameleon Poker Chips: Poker chips repeatedly change color. Dealer item. (?)


181 Lesson 39 Fundamental Card Sleights
181 Le Paul's Pass: bring card from center to top
183 Side Bottom Pass: card from center to bottom
184 Frank Kelly's Bottom Placement: cards selected by riffle end up on bottom
187 Card Through the Magazine: Card appears in magazine, uses Kelly's Bottom Placement
188 Tommy Dowd's Card in the Pocket: another use of Bottom Placement
191 Simplex Card in Pocket: Jacket pocket is shown empty but secretly loaded
192 Multiple Card Pass (Dai Vernon): method to bring variety of cards to top or bottom
195 False Cuts
195 Direct False Cut
196 Himber's False Cut
197 Under-Cut False Cut
197 Paul Rosini's False Cut
199 E-Z Three Way False Cut
201 False Counting
201 Direct False Count: audible. Count several cards as many
203 Slip Over False Count: sliding card back. As above.
204 Put Back False Count: Count of many, really remove few
205 Pick Up False Count: Count of less than dealt
206 Palm Over False Count: Deal fewer cards than counted
207 Glide False Count: As above
209 Overhand False Count: runoff makes small packet seem large
210 Novelty Straight Count: not a false count, but a flourishy way to count
211 Card Fans
212 Simple Card Fan
212 Simple Reversed Fan
213 Blank Deck to Regular Deck (needs one blank card)
214 Modern Card Fan
216 Enlarging a Card Fan
216 Modern Reversed Card Fan
217 John Scarne's Master Change: exchange of one card for another in an envelope (standard envelope)
219 Change About Cards and Envelopes: use of Master Change principle
219 Change About Torn Corner Card: variation of above
222 Application of Scarne's Master Change: suggestions


223 Lesson 40 Card Mysteries
223 John Booth's Repeat Card Mystery: Two cards are repeatedly discarded from pack of five, but keep coming back. Comedy routine, no gimmicks.
227 Repeat Card Mystery: Three of Six cards are repeatedly discarded but keep coming back
231 Tack It: Ed Reno's version of Card on the Wall, using a board instead.
235 Card on the Ceiling
236 Improved Card on the Ceiling: simplified
238 Card on the Wall: requires palming
240 The Card, Card Case, and Board: variation of Tack It and Card on Ceiling
242 Card Through the Handkerchief: impromptu
244 New Era Card Through Handkerchief: improved version
247 Three Cards Through the Handkerchief: as above, cards penetrate one at a time
251 Rising Cards Through Handkerchief: uses finger
252 The Black Ace and Card Through Handkerchief: Card is selected and returned to deck. Ace is shown, and penetrates handkerchief. When turned over, Ace has become selected card.
255 Nate Leipzig's Card Through Handkerchief: Selected card appears inside folded handkerchief
257 Mystery of the Glass House: Card is selected and magician reveals the selection, but is wrong. The wrong card is placed in a glass. Spectator is given an empty envelope. The magician tries again, but is wrong again. Card in glass turns out to be selection, card placed in glass is now in envelope
261 Cards, Envelope, and Hat: Several spectators select cards and write the values on pieces of paper. The cards are sealed in an envelope. One paper is read, and the selected card has vanished from the envelope and appears in a previously empty hat
265 The Reversed Card: a spectator's selection becomes reversed in the deck
265 Nate Leipzig's Double Reverse: Deck is split into two, spectator reverses one card and places it in magician's half, magician reverses one card and places it in spectator's half. Deck is cut, and spread: both selections have reversed themselves!


269 Lesson 41: Card Stabbing
269 The Two Card Stab: Two selected cards are found by spectator inserting knife in deck
274 The X-Ray Knife: Single selection
277 The Magnetic Knife: Deck is not wrapped this time
279 Simplified Stabbing Trick: another knife location: uses gimmick
282 The Flash Card Stab: uses flash paper, deck falls away and selected card remains on knife blade
284 Card Stab Through Newspaper: Cards are spread on table and newspaper covers them. Knife is stabbed through paper, locating selection. Several methods.
289 The End Stab: deck not wrapped.
291 Boston's Stabbed Card: uses stripper deck


295 Lesson 42: Novelty Handkerchief Magic
295 The Snap Away Silk and Knot: Spectator double knots handkerchief onto rope. Rope is held by spectator. Performer ties another rope through the handkerchief, yanks, and steals handkerchief onto his rope.
298 Follow Up for Snap Away Silk and Knot: rope through handkerchief
299 Tabor Double Dissolving Silk Release: instant release of silk tied to chair
302 Horowitz Knot Transposition: Knots transfer from one silk to another covered by handkerchief
305 Tarbell Simplified Instantaneous Knot: silk tossed develops instant knot
306 Larsen and Wright's Ghost Ring: Silk tied into loop. Ring is vanished, and appears on loop
309 Square Knot Release: How to tie and release
310 Pull Apart Silks: Two silks are tied together in two loops and dropped into a hat. Magician pulls out each loop separate.
311 Tarbell Hat and Silk Combination: Two silks dropped into a hat, third is vanished. Silks are removed from hat tied together, vanished silk in middle. Silks are untied and vanished, to be found back in the hat.
314 Tarbell's Silks and Aces: Two silks shown in glasses. One is removed and covers the other. Four Aces are placed in the pocket. On command, the Aces appear on the covered glass, the silk appears in the pocket.
317 Blending The Colors: Three silks blend into a flag. Uses vesting
320 The Perfection Flag Trick: Blendo, self hiding
323 The Mystic Ribbons: Three tissues: green, orange, and black are crumpled up and burned, and thrown to the audience where they become long ribbons. Ribbons change into silk
326 The Penetrating Pocket Knife: handkerchief held at sides, knife is pushed up against middle. Piece of paper is held over the center and the knife penetrates the paper, leaving the handkerchief unharmed.
329 The Indestructible Handkerchief: A handkerchief is stretched across a wooden frame and placed inside a paper envelope. Butcher knife is thrust through and handkerchief is still stretched across and unharmed. How to make the frame.


335 Lesson 43 Color Changing Silks
335 Tarbell's Color Changing Handkerchief: how to make it.
337 Double Handkerchief Color Change: Two handkerchiefs change color as the hand is passed over.
338 Flash Color Change: simple two sided silk
340 Flash Color Change Through Cardboard: variation of above
340 Tarbell Clean Cut Color Changing Handkerchief: ungimmicked silk color change, using dye tube like device
345 The Vice Versa Color Changing Silks: impromptu color change
447 The Dyeing Handkerchiefs: dyeing handkerchiefs in a paper tube with variations
357 Yo! Ho! Ho! And a Bottle of Rum!: Chinese mystery with color changing silks and a bottle production
361 Music and Silks: Silks change color as pushed through tube made of a music sheet
363 Selfcon Dye Tube: Self contained
365 Carlyle's Evolution of a Rabbit in a Hat: variation of mismade flag using a rabbit in the hat silk and a real rabbit climax!
372 Chirstopher's Snappy Silk Production and Color Change: using magic wand


377 Lesson 44 Rabbit and Dove Magic
377 Ed Reno's Dove Production: using dove production box
381 Modern Rabbit Box Production: full routine
386 Sucker Rabbit Box Vanish: Rabbit is vanished in special box, but audience believes they see a hidden partition. Partition is opened, and no rabbit!
390 Milady's Hat Box Production: producing a rabbit from a hat box
394 Unique Rabbit Vanish: variation of above
396 Spee Dee Rabbit Production (Jack Gwynne). Special box
398 Jim Sherman's Rabbit Production from a Hat: loading a bag into the hat

405 Lesson 45 Illusions
405 The Farmer and the Witch: a quick change effect
408 The Man in the Box: a man fits inside a small box
412 A Ghost Show Routine: Ghosts, faces, and bells fly about the stage using luminous paint




The most respected course in magic! The classic volumes cover every aspect and interest in the art of magic performance. A must have for every magic library!

THIS VOLUME INCLUDES: Routining a Magic Show, How to Make People Laugh, Intimate Magic, Conjuring with Currency, Modern Coin Effects, Fundamental Card Sleights, Card Mysteries, Card Stabbing, Novelty Handkerchief Magic, Color Changing Silks, Rabbit and Dove Magic, Illusions.

12 lessons. 418 pages (hardbound). 1116 illustrations