Thompson, J.G. Jr. : My Best
The Best Tricks from the best brains in magic
©1945 Charles H. Hopkins & Co.
©1945/1959 D.Robbins & Co., Inc.
Hardcover, 384 pages
Comments (Magicref): A great book! Includes 193 contributions from over 115 magicians including Annemann, Bobo, Booth, Curry, Fitzkee, Gardner, Gibson, Hugard, Kaplan, Lorraine, Osborne, Tarbell, Warlock, Windsor, and many, many more. I really like Mr. Thompson's style.
Contents:
iv Preface: J.G. Thompson, Jr. Pennsylvania 1945
vi Introduction: Bruce Elliot
vii Contents
9 Chapter 1: Discoveries & Revelations
9 The Card Between (Bobo the Magician): A card is selected and returned. Two are are turned face up, the selected card appears between them.
10 Cards of Cairo (John Booth): magician deals two piles until spectator says stop. Cards in one pile are taken, other pile is returned to deck. The number of cards in the pile is used to count down in the deck, and the selection is found
11 The Middle Deal (R.C. Buff): selection is found at a number selected by the spectator
11 Dick Tracy Card Trick (Clyde Carny): A card is selected and returned. Five cards are pulled off, the third card appears to be the selected card, but it turns out to be the fifth.
12 Tap Force (Milbourne Christopher): a sort of classic force
13 Under Cover (Arnold L. Grubin): selection appears in the card case
14 As You Desire (Hathaway): a card trick for the stage
16 So That's the Way You Want It! (Charles H. Hopkins): a card is revealed in an attempt to calm a heckler
18 Kindred Spirits (Joe Karson): two selections come together in the pack
18 The Timed Turnover (Wilbur Kattner): two cards reverse in the pack one at a time
20 Magneto Box (Dr. Howard B. Kayton): card with lots of pips is shown; the pips drop off except the one matching a selection
20 The Kolar Card Trick (J.J. Kolar): Fake card with 1/2 circle, tape and ribbon pulls card out of middle of deck.
21 My Clutch Slips - Or Reverso with No Brakes (Art Lyle): selection becomes reversed in the deck
23 Bill McCaffrey's Prize Winner (William H. McCaffrey): a card is chosen from one deck and found to be missing in the other deck. The missing card is found in a hat
24 Card on the Wall (Harry Mendoza): Deck is thrown against wall, and the selection sticks there
25 Are You Sure? (Paul Morris): Four jacks are found, but not selected. Then it is discovered among the Jacks.
27 The Principle of Alternative Terminations And Its Application When the Spectator Shuffles (Charles Nyquist): putting the odds in your favor; a detailed article
30 Just Think of One (Dolf Rudin): two selections appear face out in two glasses
30 Here's Your Card (Herb Rungie): magician counts to the selection
31 Well, Well! (Ned Rutledge): Ace of spades locates a card after an apparent miss.Uses 1 rough & smooth, 1 double side
33 That's The Way They're Done: four selections are revealed in different methods, including Martin Gardner's Lie Detector Test
35 Chapter II: Cards in Motion
35 A. Transpositions
35 Insto-Transpo Perfected (Dr. Raymond Beebe): Two signed cards held by two spectators transpose. An improvement on Annemann's Insto-Transpo
37 There'll Be Some Changes Made! (Sigmar K. Hofeller): Magician uses a tray to handle the deck. Spectator separates reds from black. One half is given to one spectator, the other half to the other. Each takes the top card to show who has reds and who has blacks. Instantly the rest of the packs change color (or places)
38 Technicolor Transpose (Greer Marechal, Jr.): several named cards transpose from red deck to blue deck in the hands of the spectators
39 Saturn's Card Transposition (Dr. Harlan Tarbell): One card is visibly placed in a hat. The deck is wrapped in rubber bands from top to bottom and side to side. The magician passes his hand over the deck, and the face card changes to the value of the card in the hat, which is shown to have transposed with the face card. This is repeated as the card is turned back.
41 Guess It (William H.Wilson): two cards in two folders transpose even though they can be seen through a small hole in the folders
42 B. Flying Pasteboards
42 Again, The Card In the Wallet (Franklin M. Chapman): ungimmicked wallet, but should open at the end, not like a book. Feature is that when you reach for the wallet at the end, your hands are clearly empty.
43 Parade of the Lamas (Bruce Elliot). 3 Jokers placed down, tapped with others. They move one at a time to other pile
45 Up My Sleeve (R.M. Jamison): a Jumbo card effect
46 Effective Passee-Passee Card Melange (C.A. George Newmann): a pocket to pocket routine
49 Card Thru Hank (George H. Pittman): the selection slowly emerges from a deck encased by a handkerchief. An improvement of Hoffman's technique.
53 Six Cards to Pocket with Extras (Audley V. Walsh): cards move from a paper bag to your pocket, with comedy
54 Here, There and Everywhere (Bob Weill): magician needs 3 chances out of 52 to find the card
55 The Improved "Zens" Cards & Envelopes (M.F. Zens): The Miracle Pocket to Pocket trick (cards and envelopes)
59 C. Rising Cards
59 Rising Cards From Houlette (Charles Arbuthnot, III): rising cards from a mechanical apparatus
60 Mechanico Rising Cards (Verne Chesbro): in glass, with another mechanical rising mechanism
63 The Impromptu Floating Card (Sid Fleischman and Bob Gunther): a card is laid on the palms and seems to float without aid
64 The JM Rising Card (Jack McMIllen): a deck is wrapped in a handkerchief and a card rises out
66 My Best Rising Cards (Peter Warlock): using thread and a platform display
69 Chapter III: Meeting of the Minds
69 The Master Mind (Theo. Annemann): a mental card trick with multiple sub-effects
71 At a Mentally Chosen Number (Sylvan Barnet): Spectator thinks of a card and a number. Performer fans through deck and does some arranging. Spectator names card and number, number is counted to and the chosen card is shown
72 Sensitive Fingers (Eugene Bernstein): 5 cards chosen by 3 spectators from 3 piles are revealed by the backs
73 Four Ace Memory Test (Mystic Craig): a verbal force
74 Extra Joker Prediction (John Crimmins Jr): a prediction is written on a Joker card, and 12 other cards are spread on the table an one chosen. It matches the prediction.Uses specially printed cards
75 Next! (Paul Curry): Selection is made and lost in the deck. A prediction card is inserted in the deck. When the deck is gone through, the prediction card is found to say "yours is the next card", and proves to be correct
78 Follow Me (Paul Curry): a do as i do with two decks
80 Bi-Mentalism (Ronald Edwards): A double-barreled effect, the first approach using a Si-Stebbins stack, the 2nd using a Svengali Deck. Written card winds up next to selected card
82 Silent Stop (Professor El-Tab): Two spectators each handle half the deck and exchange one selection. Magician locates both selections.
83 DigiVision (Val Evans): One card is removed from the deck. The deck stays behind the magician's back, but the card is named.
84 In The Mind ("Hen" Fetsch): Selections are determined in three different, dramatic methods. Teaches the The Fetsch Force.
89 Spread, Shuffle, Spread (Martin Gardner): spectator takes a card from one end of the deck and places it in the other end, yet it can be determined even though the deck was shuffled. This can be repeated multiple times.
91 Dark Eyes (Teral Garrett): Magician can reveal the Ace in an envelope, even in the dark
92 Turnabout (Walter B. Gibson): Two spectators come up with a match in two decks. Good prelude to a Do As I Do effect
94 The Blue Intruder (Nelson C. Hahne): Spectator names a card, and it is the only blue backed card in a red deck. Requires some skill, and is not for close up
94 Coincidence? No. Prevision? Yes (George Kaplan): a clever use of the Brainwave deck
95 The L.W. Stop Mystery (T. Page Wright and William W. Larsen): a "Stop" effect using a cleverly gimmicked deck
96 Mental Rescue (L. Vosburgh Lyons): Magician is able to determine two cards exchanged, even though the spectators can't.
97 Two Be or Not Two Be That Was the Question (Richard F. Madden): Two freely chosen cards (one selected mentally) are reversed in a deck. Another deck is spread and the same cards are found reversed
99 My Best Trick (George McAthy): a mental card effect in which the magician doesn't touch the deck
101 PredictoPack (Orville Meyer): Selections are made after performer has made individual written predictions. Uses a clever deck prepared from blank back, blank doubles, a couple of blank face cards, and a regular deck. Uses rough & smooth. Two decks can be made.
103 Encore (Frederick Mosteller): Part I - a clever speller
104 Encore Part II (Frederick Braue): another version
106 Part III (Orville W. Meyer): another approach
106 Carbo (Julien J. Proskauer): a location effect with a clever use of daub
108 The Mental Broadcast (Clayton Rawson): A card is selected in another room, the magician is blindfolded, and the deck is placed in his pocket. Cards are removed one at a time as the magician names the card and asks some questions about it relating to the selection. Then the selection is found.
111 Peek Deck (Dr. Franklin V. Taylor): this specially gimmicked deck described along with nine different ideas for its use
115 Out of these Hands (J.G. Thompson Jr.): magician determines two cards and which of two spectators hold them
117 The Future Deck (Jack Vosburgh): a prediction is written on a card and tossed in a hat. The deck is spread and a card selected and matches the prediction
119 The Magician's Dream (Audley V. Walsh): a thought of card is located
120 Victoria (Herman L. Weber): a psychological choice effect not to be passed by
122 Chapter IV Potpourri Unclassified Gems
122 One Plus One Equals Three (Roger Barkann): a four Ace trick with a difference
124 A Two-Tiered Blank Fan and Some Variations (John Braun): some flourishes
127 Flighty Aces (Lu Brent): another four Ace routine
128 Hallucination (Eddie Clever): a test in observation
131 The Alpha Four Ace Trick (Stanley Collins): for platform presentation
132 New Color Change of a Giant Card Fan (Del Monte): a very visual effect
134 I Won't Play Cards With You (Dariel Fitzkee): a gambling demonstration
138 One in Millions! (Royal V. Heath): mathematical card effect
140 Telepathic Routine (Maury Kains): application for the Brainwave Deck
141 The Canfield Set-up (Gerald L. Kaufman): a stacked deck that let's you win every time at this solitaire game
142 The King Can Do No Wrong (Gerald L. Kaufman): a relationship story between the Kings and the Queens
144 Vanishing Aces (Gerald Kosky): the missing Ace is removed from the pocket
144 The Four Burglars (Sid Lorraine): an adaptation of this classic puzzler
147 Greatest Four Ace Trick (Orville Meyer): Ace effect using three double facers
150 A New Find the Lady Illusion (Howard D. Wise): using Black Art and Shell principles for platform
152 Mind Testing Deck (Ed Wolff): a gag (be careful who you use it for)
154 Chapter V Pocket Tricks
154 ST(R)UNG! (Joseph L. Barnett): a cut and restored string with the aid of a finger ring
156 The Ghost Coin and Key (Bobo, The Magician): a half dollar to Key transformation
157 Paper Napkin Vanish (R.C. Buff): without the need for a TT
158 Ribbon Release (Clyde F. Cairy): Scissor handles are threaded onto a ribbon and released first in a puzzle manner, then in a magical manner
160 Gone! (Jack Chanin): a complete vanish of a coin (must wear a jacket)
161 Paper Money (Melbourne Christopher): a rolled up newspaper ball is held in the hand and tapped with a coin, the ball turns into a rolled up bill
161 I.O.U. (Paul Curry): a dime changes into a penny in a flash, along with an IOU
163 Impromptu Bill Reading (Dr.E. G. Ervin): a quick way to mind read the value of a dollar bill serial number
164 Four Coin Transposition (Val Evans): four coins vanish and are found in the other hand (one at a time)
165 The Ring on Pencil (Tom Fitzgerald): finger ring makes it way onto the pencil, the latter held by a spectator
166 Pop Through Cigarette (Martin Gardner): cigarette pops through the center of a handkerchief
167 The Ring of Thoth (Nelson C. Hahne): a finger ring passes onto the center of a handkerchief while the ends are held by a spectator
169 A Cubical Curiosity (Mark Jacobs): the spot on a cube changes places
170 Jamison's Spot Sticks (R.M. Jamison): a paddle trick with a two bar set like Jumping Gems
172 Karger's Bent Coin (George Karger): a coin bending illusion
173 A Hole In One (L. Vosburgh Lyons): a hole is punched in three pieces of cardboard, the magician restores three of them
174 The Pedagogue's Nightmare (Bill McCaffrey): a paddle trick with three paddles that are designed to hold three pennies each
179 A Shot of Scotch (Chester Morris): a shot of Scotch produced from a handkerchief
180 Three In One (Paul Morris): trick with wooden matches and thimbles
182 Peter Rabbit Goes to Town! (Robert A. Nelson): sponge rabbit presentation
183 Sefalaljia III (Charles W. Nyquist): a ring is threaded onto a string in an apparently impossible manner
184 Tapping Pencil (Ralph W. Read): a pencil can rap messages
185 Perpetual Pencil (Jimmy Sanders): a bullet pencil adapted to the old "snapper" effect and also rolls on the table unaided
186 Poor Man's Bank Knight (Jerry Sorensen): only the magician gets the real stick of gum
186 The Philathropic Poker Chip (Willard S. Smith): a poker chip gains a sticker with the aid of the spectator's quarter
188 The Ghost Coins (George Starke): a handful of coins vanishes
189 Hornswoggled (George Starke): a packet of bills keeps changing value
195 Materialization (Franklin V. Taylor): a handkerchief is placed over the hand and a clothespin in dipped into the cloth where it comes out with a half dollar
195 Double or Nothing (J.G. Thompson, Jr.): a follow up for the above
197 Chapter VI Tricks for the Home
197 Pen-Plexity (John Booth): a code for a two person mentalist act
197 Vanishing Salt Trick (Jack Chanin): Salt poured into fist vanishes to be found in a silk handkerchief
199 Marbles and Marvels (Stanley Collins): two marbles change to two potatoes and then to four
200 Under the Pan (T.J. Crawford): a sort of cups and balls with four shallow dishes and four rubber balls
202 Finger Finger (Bruce Elliott): some approaches to a mentalist effect in which the magician always knows how many fingers a couple of spectators are holding up (requires a confederate)
204 On the Cuff (Bruce Elliott): a live goldfish trick is briefly described by the editor, then a ring on handcuffs stunt
205 The Trick Without a Name (Sid Fleischman): Spectator prints his name in red in a magazine, the page is ripped out an burned, but then returns to the magazine, with the signature intact
206 The Perfect Pitch Test (Wilbu Kattner): magician is able to tell which notes are being thought of without hearing them
208 Kolar's Magic Shears (J.J. Kolar): an approach to the Clippo cut and restored newspaper strip
209 Dead! (Orville Meyer): living and dead test
210 The Morris Plan (Chester Morris): a coin goes through a finger ring with the aid of a handkerchief
211 Telephone Book Test (Jack Trepel): one and two person versions
213 Assisted by the Dead (M. Van Reese): A Miniature Seance with four psychic feats
217 Trinket Test (Jack Vosburgh): magician can determine which articles were placed in a hat
219 Chapter VII Tricks for Home and Stage
219 Multiple Slate Writing (Roger Barkann): a message appears on several slates that were previously shown blank
220 Wuxtra! (Sylvan Barnet): newspaper headline effect
221 Egyptian X-Ray Scope (John N. Booth): with the aid of a magic tube, the magician duplicates a design on a selected card
222 A Paper Cone, Silk N' Water (Lu Brent): Red silk and water are put in the cone, a white silk and red water are poured out
223 The Spirit Mirror (Loring Campbell): the ghostly image of a card appears on a mirror that was previously shown blank
224 A Ring In Transit (Eddie Clever): borrowed finger ring jumps from right hand to left, even though both hands were covered with handkerchiefs and enclosed in rubber bands
225 Humpty Dumpty Gets Around (John J. Crimmins, Jr.): A Fantasy for Children with mechanical apparatus
228 Double Locking Slate (Harry Dobrin): A numerical prediction with a gimmicked slate
229 Double Locking Periscope Slate (Harry Dobrin): magician duplicates drawing on a slate
230 Cut Post Card Mystery (Professor El-Tab): one of 60 postcards is selected and torn into four pieces, all but one piece vanish. A book of postcards is opened and the card at a predicted page number has only one piece that matches the other three
232 The Watch, Glass and Handkerchief (Dr. Henry R. Evans): a watch is apparently accidentally destroyed but then recovered
234 Hand(y) Magic (Tom Fitzgerald): finger and hand stunts - thumb and forefinger, pendulum, arm control, etc.
239 Big Money (Dr. Joseph H. Fries): torn and restored(?) jumbo money
240 Physician's Ropes (J.H. Fries): Multi part rope trick - Part I The Mystic Necktie, Part II A Sailor's Rope (cut and restored), Part III Rope Riting (clever ending for any rope routine)
242 Chapter VII: Tricks for Home and Stage
242 Dy-Cyphering Trick (Royal V. Heath): mathematical dice mentalism
244 Chesbro on Heath's Dy-Cyphering (Verne Chesbro): further approaches
246 Take a Number from 1 to 30 (Royal V. Heath): another mathematical trick
247 Hugard's Butterflies (Jean Hugard): tissue paper is torn, wet, and danced on a fan, where dry tissue butterflies seem to fly forth
250 Magnetic Spheres (Mark Jacobs): balls seem to cling to a wand without support
250 A Silk Production (Mark Jacobs): silks are produced from a sheet of paper rolled into a tube
251 The Bewitched Paper (Dr. Howard B. Kayton): a do as I do with a cut and restored paper strip
252 Dollar Bill in Lemon (Gerald Kosky): torn bill is restored inside a lemon
253 The Rise and Fall of Paul Mall (Art Lyle): cigarette pack is dropped in a glass, and a cigarette rises from the case
254 Linking Rings (Greer Marechal, Jr.): A 4 (5) ring routine using one oversized ring.
256 Torn and Restored Strip of Paper (Harry Mendoza): using a TT
247 Psychic Impressions (Bob Nelson): using the U.P Clip Boards
259 Mystic Sewing Machine (Dell O'Dell): paper is torn and turns into a hat and some pants. Includes poems to go along with it!
261 The Ring from the Rope (Tom Osborne): a ring drops off a loop of rope
263 Tomorrow's News (Herb Rungie): a future headline prediction
264 The Invisible Mischievous Genii (Dr. Raymond V. Stone, Sr. - RAMO): a metal can collapses into a shriveled mess
265 Moonlight Madness (J.G. Thompson Jr.): two-person mental act fully explained with apparatus and suggestions
273 Tear Supreme (Howard D. Wice): Torn & Restored magazine papers
277 Refund (Ed Wolff): Milk is poured into a paper cone, and money is retrieved!
279 Chapter VIII Stage Effects
279 The Telephone Drama (Theo Annemann, Courtesy Max Holden): a telephone, a friend, a deceased friend and some mentalism
280 The Test of the Tiber (Theo Annemann): mindreading with the telephone book
283 The Arrowsmith Glass Penetration (G.E. Arrowsmith): passing objects through glass
286 Hat'N Bunny (Dr. Raymond Beebe): the rabbit from the hat!
288 The Color Changing Hat and Gloves (Tom Bowyer): performers hat and gloves change from black and white to white and black
291 An Amusing Interlude (Vynn Boyar): a glass of wine keeps emptying before the performer can drink it
292 The Flaming Punch (Joan Brandon): a comedy gag
293 Fountain of Silks (Franklin M. Chapman): Bare Hand Silk Production Act
298 The Silver Shower (Verne Chesbro): an approach to the Midas Dream coin production act
301 The Elusive Canary (Mystic Craig): canary vanishes from the hand and appears on a stand
301 My Best Club Laugh ("Hen" Fetsch): beer is poured into a paper cone where it vanishes, the paper now has a picture of a happy man on it
303 My Best Flash Opening ("Hen" Fetsch): bouquet from paper cone, milk into paper cone, turns into a dove
305 My Favorite Trunk Routine (Dariel Fitzkee): for stage
308 The Four Door Production Cabinet (Walter B. Gibson): a stage illusion
311 The Magic Sewing Cabinet (Hathaway): a kid's show stage illusion with comedy
313 Magic of the Wand (Sigmar K. Hofeller): a wand vanishes and reappears in its box
314 Pop's Opener (F.H. Jeudevine): a approach to the cut and restored ribbon
315 Karson's A La Die Box Illusion (Joe Karson): a stage size die box that uses an assistant rather than the die
316 The Lamarque Rabbit Vanish (Abril LaMarque): for the magician's table
319 Fatima (William Larsen): a Fatima doll is constructed from a handkerchief and dances
320 A Flash Opener (Sid Lorraine): a comedy bit with a flash bill
321 Just Raising Cane (Dick Madden): a cane clings to the hand
324 Modern Crystal Coin Jar (Harry Mendoza): Three coins are produced and end up in a glass (gimmicked, but examinable at end)
325 Nite Club Teaser (Doc Mifflin): a club routine with a bathing beauty (ends clean)
326 Thought Projection Test (Grady S. Nicholson): an experiment in "thought projection"
328 Oldoscope (Dr. Cecil E. Nixon): a mind reading machine for stage
332 The Secret of the Maharajah (Dolf Rudin): three borrowed rings end up in a bottle attached to miniature roses and miniature duplicates of selected cards
334 Patter for the Egg Bag (Lucille Saxon): a poem for use with the egg bag
334 The Escape-Ologist (Dr. Raymond V. Stone - RAMO): a guinea pig escapes from a sack
337 Namreh's Electrick (Herman L. Weber): handkerchief and banknote are loaded into a gun, a light is shot, and the handkerchief and note are found in the broken bulb
338 Cig to Pipe (Bob Weill): instant change
339 Watch and Nest of Boxes Without Assistant (William H. Wilson): a borrowed watch ends up in a nest of boxes
341 Windsor's Egg Bag Routine (Tommy Windsor): Tommy's routine for an egg bag fully described, adding in a real egg, a lemon, and gags
345 The M.F. Zens Magic Table and Walking Through Ribbon Illusion (M.F. Zens): portable table converts into Walking Thru Ribbon illusion
347 Chapter IX Biographical Sketches of Contributors
347 Theo. Annemann: 1907 - 1942
347 Charles Arbuthnot III
348 George Ernest Arrowsmith
348 Roger Barkahn
348 Sylvan Barnet
348 Joseph L. Barnett
349 Raymond L. Beebe
349 Eugene Bernstein
349 J.B. Bobo
349 John Nicholls Booth
350 Tom Bowyer
350 Vynn Boyar
350 Joan Brandon
350 Fred Braue
351 John Braun
351 Lu Brent
351 R.C. Buff
351 Clyde F. Cairy
352 Loring Campbell
352 Jack Chanin
352 Frank Chapman
352 Forest V. Chesbro
353 Milbourne Christopher
353 Eddie Clever
353 Stanley Collins
353 Mystic Craig
354 Thomas J. Crawford
354 John J. Crimmins, Jr.
354 Paul J. Curry
354 Del Monte (Charles Reagan)
355 Harry Dobrin
355 Ronald B. Edwards
355 Bruce Elliott
355 Professor El-Tab (Alfred J. Battle)
356 Dr. E.G. Ervin
356 Dr. Henry Ridgely Evans
356 Val Evans
357 "Hen" Fetsch (Henry)
357 Thomas B. Fitzgerald
357 Dariel Fitzkee
358 Sid Fleischman
358 Joseph Harman Fries
358 Martin Gardner
358 Teral Garrett
359 Walter B. Gibson
359 Arnold L. Grubin
359 Nelson C. Hahne
359 Hathaway (John)
359 Royal V. Heath
360 Charles H. Hopkins
360 Jean Hugard
360 Mark Jacobs
361 R.M. Jamison
361 F.H. Jeudevine
361 Maurice Kains
361 George G. Kaplan
362 George Karger
362 Joseph A. Karson
362 Wilbur Kattner
362 Gerald Lynton Kaufman
363 Howard B. Kayton, M.D.
363 The Great Kolar (J.J.)
363 Gerald Kosky
364 Abril Lamarque
364 William W. Larsen
364 Sid Lorraine
364 Art Lyle
365 L. Vosburgh Lyons
365 Richard F. Madden
365 Greer Marechal, Jr.
365 George McAthy
365 William H. McCaffrey
366 Jack McMillen
366 Harry Mendoza
366 Orville Meyer
367 John W. Mifflin
367 Chester Morris
367 Paul Morris
368 Frederick Mosteller
368 Robert A. Nelson
368 C.A. George Newmann
368 Grady S. Nicholson
369 Cr. Cecil E. Nixon
369 Charles Walter Nyquist
369 Dell O'Dell
370 Tom Osborne
370 George Harrison Pittman
370 Julien J. Proskauer
371 Clayton Rawson
371 Ralph W. Read
371 Dolf Rudin
372 Herb Rungie
372 Ned Rutledge
372 James J. Sanders
372 Lucille Pierce Saxon
373 Sigmar - The Magician (Sigmar K. Hofeller)
373 Jerry Sorensen
373 Williard S. Smith
373 George Starke
374 Dr. Raymond V. Stone, Sr. (RAMO)
374 Harlan Tarbell
374 Dr. Franklin V. Taylor
375 J.G. Thompson, Jr.
375 Jack F. Trepel
375 M. Van Reese
375 Jack Vosburgh
376 Audley Valentine Walsh
376 Peter Warlock
376 Herman L. Weber
377 Bob Weill
377 William H. Wilson (Will de Seive)
377 Tommy Windsor
377 Howard D. Wise
378 Ed. Wolff
378 Michael F. Zens
379 Catalog of selected magic bokos
381 General Index
|
Read It |
No |
Location |
Magic Library (Home) Shelf Top |
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Very Good |
Owner |
Bryan-Keith Taylor |
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|
Contents:
iv Preface: J.G. Thompson, Jr. Pennsylvania 1945
vi Introduction: Bruce Elliot
vii Contents
9 Chapter 1: Discoveries & Revelations
9 The Card Between (Bobo the Magician): A card is selected and returned. Two are are turned face up, the selected card appears between them.
10 Cards of Cairo (John Booth): magician deals two piles until spectator says stop. Cards in one pile are taken, other pile is returned to deck. The number of cards in the pile is used to count down in the deck, and the selection is found
11 The Middle Deal (R.C. Buff): selection is found at a number selected by the spectator
11 Dick Tracy Card Trick (Clyde Carny): A card is selected and returned. Five cards are pulled off, the third card appears to be the selected card, but it turns out to be the fifth.
12 Tap Force (Milbourne Christopher): a sort of classic force
13 Under Cover (Arnold L. Grubin): selection appears in the card case
14 As You Desire (Hathaway): a card trick for the stage
16 So That's the Way You Want It! (Charles H. Hopkins): a card is revealed in an attempt to calm a heckler
18 Kindred Spirits (Joe Karson): two selections come together in the pack
18 The Timed Turnover (Wilbur Kattner): two cards reverse in the pack one at a time
20 Magneto Box (Dr. Howard B. Kayton): card with lots of pips is shown; the pips drop off except the one matching a selection
20 The Kolar Card Trick (J.J. Kolar): Fake card with 1/2 circle, tape and ribbon pulls card out of middle of deck.
21 My Clutch Slips - Or Reverso with No Brakes (Art Lyle): selection becomes reversed in the deck
23 Bill McCaffrey's Prize Winner (William H. McCaffrey): a card is chosen from one deck and found to be missing in the other deck. The missing card is found in a hat
24 Card on the Wall (Harry Mendoza): Deck is thrown against wall, and the selection sticks there
25 Are You Sure? (Paul Morris): Four jacks are found, but not selected. Then it is discovered among the Jacks.
27 The Principle of Alternative Terminations And Its Application When the Spectator Shuffles (Charles Nyquist): putting the odds in your favor; a detailed article
30 Just Think of One (Dolf Rudin): two selections appear face out in two glasses
30 Here's Your Card (Herb Rungie): magician counts to the selection
31 Well, Well! (Ned Rutledge): Ace of spades locats a card after an apparent miss.Uses 1 rough & smooth, 1 double side
33 That's The Way They're Done: four selections are revealed in different methods, including Martin Gardner's Lie Detector Test
35 Chapter II: Cards in Motion
35 A. Transpositions
35 Insto-Transpo Perfected (Dr. Raymond Beebe): Two signed cards held by two spectators transpose. An improvment on Annemann's Insto-Transpo
37 There'll Be Some Changes Made! (Sigmar K. Hofeller): Magician uses a tray to handle the deck. Spectator separates reds from black. One half is given to one spectator, the other half to the other. Each takes the top card to show who has reds and who has blacks. Instantly the rest of the packs change color (or places)
38 Technicolor Transpose (Greer Marechal, Jr.): several named cards transpose from red deck to blue dec in the hands of the spectators
39 Saturn's Card Transposition (Dr. Harlan Tarbell): One card is visibly placed in a hat. The deck is wrapped in rubber bands from top to bottom and side to side. The magician passes his hand over the deck, and the face card changes to the value of the card in the hat, which is shown to have tranposed with the face card. This is repeated as the card is turned back.
41 Guess It (William H.Wilson): two cards in two folders transpose even though they can be seen through a small hole in the folders
42 B. Flying Pasteboards
42 Again, The Card In the Wallet (Franklin M. Chapman): ungimmicked wallet, but should open at the end, not like a book. Feature is that when you reach for the wallet at the end, your hands are clearly empty.
43 Parade of the Lamas (Bruce Elliot). 3 Jokers placed down, tapped with others. They move one at a time to other pile
45 Up My Sleeve (R.M. Jamison): a Jumbo card effect
46 Effective Passee-Passee Card Melange (C.A. George Newmann): a pocket to pocket routine
49 Card Thru Hank (George H. Pittman): the selection slowly emerges from a deck encased by a handkerchief. An improvment of Hoffman's technique.
53 Six Cards to Pocket with Extras (Audley V. Walsh): cards move from a paper bag to your pocket, with comedy
54 Here, There and Everywhere (Bob Weill): magician needs 3 chances out of 52 to find the card
55 The Improved "Zens" Cards & Envelopes (M.F. Zens): The Miracle Pocket to Pocket trick (cards and envelopes)
A great book! Includes 193 contributions from over 115 magicians including Annemann, Bobo, Booth, Curry, Fitzkee, Gardner, Gibson, Hugard, Kaplan, Lorraine, Osborne, Tarbell, Warlock, Windsor, and many, many more.I really like Mr. Thompson's style.
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Thompson, Jr., J.G.
(1910-1975)
Thompson was President of the First National Bank of Middleburg, Pennsylvania where he grew up. Thompson became interested in magic after seeing Ed Reno perform. His main interests in magic were close-up magic, card magic and mentalism.
By the 1930s, he was inventing and writing magic as a Jinx contributor. He also would do the indexes for the JINX. By 1934, Thompson was working as a semi-professional, presenting a full evening show. In 1938, he was presenting a forty-five minute two-person act of telepathy. Thompson was a frequent contributor to The Jinx, Phoenix, The Linking Ring, M-U-M, The Sphinx and Genii. Several of his books were printed serially in M-U-M before being produced as books under the titles of Top Secrets of Magic (Volumes 1 to 3). )
Wrote: My Best (edited by Thompson c 1954), Top Secrets of Magic (c 1950),Magic To Delight (c 1970), Between Two Minds - By J.G.Thompson Jr. & Ned Rutledqe, Card Party - By J.G.Thompson Jr. & Ned Rutledqe (1965), The Miracle Makers (1975).