Willmarth, Philip Reed: The Magic of Matt Schulien
Chicago's Biggest Magical Entertainer
©1959 Ireland Magic Co (First Edition), Softcover
©1976, 1994 Magic Inc. Hardcover,
184 pages

Comments: A great tribute to magician Matt Schulien with lots of magic, anecdotes, and tons of photos

Contents:

3 Foreword: Harry Blackstone, NYC 23 June 1959
7 Introduction: P.R. Willmarth, May 1959
9 Not the Best, But the Biggest (Frances Ireland Marshall): an autobiography of Matt Schulien

16 Basic Sleights
16 Matt's Fan Location: a card control during the return of a card to the deck
17 The Crimp Location and Steal: another card control
18 The Palm: Matt style
20 Matt's Hideaway: the advantages of being rather large...

21 Quick Discoveries
22 Cut the Cards: Spectator cuts to the face up selection
22 The Card in the Hat: with a flick of the finger the selection jumps out of a hat
23 Air Pressure: the deck is dropped on the table and the selection appears face up
23 The Card in the Cuff: chosen card is found in the sleeve cuff of the magician
24 The Card in the Card Case: selection is found back in the case
24 One Hand Discovery One Card: With a one hand cut, the selection is removed
25 One Hand Discovery Two Cards: as above but two cards are found
26 Spell It: the spectator's name is spelled to the selection
27 Three Reversed: Three selections reverse themselves in the deck
28 The Invisible Hair: the chosen card emerges from the deck with the aid of an invisible hair
29 The Slap Discovery: deck is slapped from the spectator's hand, and they are left holding their selection
32 Letter to Matt Schulien

33 Tricks With the Change
34 The Change: Matt's way, and additional references by the editor
34 The Professional Touch: a wrong card is sat upon by a spectator. The magician seems to take the card from under her, but it turns out the card she is sitting on is the selection
35 Put It Back in the Deck: Spectator takes wrong card, but it then changes into the right one
37 The Slam and Flip Over: another wrong card turned right
37 That's Your Card: A Sucker Trick
39 Matt's Ribbon Spread Trick: an indifferent card seems to leap and change into the selection while a ribbon spread is flipped over. Two approaches.
43 Sphinx Picture

44 Tricks With the Force
45 The Face-Up Spread Force: doesn't always work
46 The Fan Force: almost 100% effective
46 Matt's Call a Card Force: a card called out is the one selected (accomplice)
48 Matt's Face-Down Spread Force: spectator takes any card from a face down spread, yet it is forced
52 Find the Five: a Seven is pulled out of the pocket as the selection, but is thought to be wrong. It turns out to be right!
53 The Lie Test: Magician directs spectator's finger to the right card
53 The X-Ray Eyes: by looking down the spectator's throat, the magician can tell what card she is sitting on

54 Miscellaneous Magic and Gags
55 The Vanishing Deck: the deck is thrown into the air, but only a single card floats down
55 Testing a Half Dollar: a gag
56 Bending a Spoon: an illusion and then a gag if you have cheap silverware handy
57 Bending the Arm: an apparent bending of the arm that hurts
57 Twister: pulling one match through another
58 Matt's Match Magic: a clever variation on two in the hand, one in the pocket with match sticks
59 The Jumping Match: a matchstick jumps far away when a spectator blows it out
61 Matt's Goldfish Eating: Matt's approach

66 Card Routines
67 Where Do You Want Your Card?: Top, middle, or bottom of the deck?
69 The Mental Fan Force Routine: actually a card location that can be used for multiple routines
73 A Sample Routine: using the above
73 Counting the Cards: a comedy bit with the spectator and magician trying to count how many cards they have (a seven phase trick)
87 Matt's Crazy Poker Deal: a gambling demonstration
87 The Cards and the Cigarette: a Chink-A-Chink effect with cigarette pieces and cards

93 Tricks With Gimmicks
94 The Pea Can: Matt's routine for this commercial effect, though he uses a custom Pea Can that has two extra compartments rather than one
95 The Half In the Bottle: Using a folder and routined so all is examinable at the end
99 The Fifty Sponge Balls: Two in the hand and one in the pocket with sponges and a multi-ball climax
101 Matt's Color Changing Knife Routine: a four knife routine - W, B, WB, BR. With audience participation in six phases

110 Smash Discoveries
111 The Card In the Sugar: torn corner ends up in a sugar cube wrapper, and then the rest of the card appears from the deck
113 The Corner in the Glass: an alternate ending if you don't have sugar cubes handy
113 Card In the Matchbook: lit match is waved around the deck, and the selection ends up in the matchbook. Teaches a card fold.
115 The Card Under the Tablecloth: Chosen card is tapped through the deck and the tablecloth
121 Here Comes Kelly: The Card in the Glass Effect
123 The Card on the Wall: Matt's classic approach

125 The Real Secrets of Matt Schulien: The Matt Schulien philosophy of magic
130 A Summary of Matt's Advice on Magic
132 About Matt (Philip Willmarth): a short autobiography
138 Schuliana: Matt and the children
144 Bibliography
144 Articles or Books Which Mention Matt
144 Books Referred to In the Text
147 Puzzle Picture: a "Where's Waldo" photo for Matt

148 Matt's Kind of Magic: a tribute
148 Matt's Card in the Matchbook - Two: another approach
149 Card and Glass (Larry West): two cards change places one on top of a glass and one under
149 The Card on the Forehead (Johnny Platt): a comedy effect
150 The Vanishing Match (Jim Ryan): an appearingly impromptu vanish of a burnt match (TT)
150 Card Under the Lapel (Eddie Fechter): card is visible to the audience but not the spectator
161 Which Is Which (Johnny Platt): Spectator holds his card, but it is then changes places with the magician's selection. The magician's selection is now on the deck, and he card the spectator is holding has a funny message on it
152 Air Pressure Turnover (Chuck Morris): the deck is dropped and the spectator's selection appears face up
152 The Sugar Cube Trick (Heba Haba Al): Heba Al's approach to the mark transfer from sugar cube to spectator's palm
154 The Sponge Rabbits (Frank Everhart): a simple but direct presentation of the sponge rabbits
155 Frank Everhart Does Paper Hats and Pants: Frank's approach to this paper tear
155 A Trick You Can Write Home About! (Don Alan): Postage stamps change color and position in the hands and on an envelope

161 Chicago Restaurateur Matt Schulien Dies: Obituary
162 About the Author: one page autobiography of Phil Willmarth
163 Schuliens' Today: a quick look at the restaurant
166 Editor's Note 1992: Update on many more magic legends who have passed away since the original writing of this book
174 Schulien Update 1994: An update on the restaurant, Matt's children, and more.

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A great big wonderful book about a great big wonderful performer and his tricks - the late great restauranteur, Matt Schulien. Many Chicago magic notables honed their skills while working tables at Schuliens or were influence by Matt's magic style. Among them you have such magic stars as Eugene Burger, Jim Krzak, Al James, Heba Haba Al, Bert Allerton, Don Alan, and many many others.

Schuliens Restaurant, the legendary and favorite eatery of local Chicagoans and visitors from abroad was a family owned enterprise for 113 years. Matt grew up in the family business and a lifetime of fooling patrons at his saloon made Matt one of the world's finest close-up men. His goldfish trick made him famous. His gags and quick tricks are a bartender's delight. This fascinating 8 1/2 x 11 inch hardbound edition with dust-jacket is filled with photographs, illustrations, interesting historical and biographical documents and accounts and includes over fifty effects that Matt performed for his patrons.