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Boat Loyal user 255 Posts |
I've seen this trick around for a while and am thinking of getting it. Anyone know if it's good? Saw it on Mike Power's sight Mallofmagic.com
Many Thanks, Al |
niva Inner circle Malta (Europe) 2970 Posts |
It is great. While I don't have it I read another version of it in Doug Conn's book, Tricks of the Trade, which I also recommend.
Yours,
Ivan |
tdowell2007 Loyal user Springfield, IL 267 Posts |
The best advice I could give you is to find the Don England version. Mike Powers might be different I don't know, but the Don England version is absolutely stunning. People love it!
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kamus Veteran user Silver Spring, Md 369 Posts |
I use the Don England version. It's one of my favorite tricks- the ending kills them and they can examine briefly, though they're usually too stunned.
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Boat Loyal user 255 Posts |
Thanks guys it's sounds very good. I'm definitely going to get it.
Apparently it now comes with the two versions, the original Don England one and the newer version by Doug Conn. I saw the Doug Conn version on the Mike Power's Website. It starts with a normal three card monte effect that then goes into the plastic lady effect. Is the Don England version the same only without the begining monte effects? Thanks, Al |
niva Inner circle Malta (Europe) 2970 Posts |
That's what I think. The Don England version does not start as a three card monte routine. I don't know about the final shrink. Can somebody enlighten us on this?
Yours,
Ivan |
kamus Veteran user Silver Spring, Md 369 Posts |
Actually, Don's version can start with the three card monte sequence and he offers two versions, one dead easy and one slightly more involved handling. It is optional, but if you use the supplied patter/presentation, it is a nice logical followup and sets the trick up nicely.
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MagicMan1957 Inner circle 1445 Posts |
Plastic Lady is my favorite monte effect. The kicker Doug Conn ending is incredible.
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Boat Loyal user 255 Posts |
Is the kicker Don Conn ending, the fact that it becomes a small card? I thought that was the original.
best, Al |
tdowell2007 Loyal user Springfield, IL 267 Posts |
Hey All,
I spent many hours with Don back in the 80's. I have an original version with the split card, etc. The effect is this: You show three cards front and back. The middle card is turned over and then stretches both longways and sideways. It is then removed and shown to be normal. You then put all 3 cards together and then spread them and the card that stretched is shown to be a minature card. The other cards are shown front and back. That is the Don England handling. Is it stunning? You bet! A great effect? You bet again. Info to hopefully set the record straight. Thanks Tony |
runawayjag Inner circle 1085 Posts |
I knew Don very well since his Decatur, Illinois days (70's,) in fact, wrote a book for him, TKO's. I saw him do the Plastic Lady effect way back then. At the time he was not selling it. His original work did, in fact, begin as a Three Card Monte routine. He then explained various speculations about how the game could possibly work. "Was the card a little wider? A little longer? No, they had it all wrong. It was much smaller!" I think the marketed version does not begin with a real three card monte routine, but does suggest doing so at the end, and gives a nice handling.
Originally, Don made the mini-card gaff by splitting and splicing and it was perfect, absolutely invisible. But then, like the thumbtip goes unnoticed, it was discovered that with NO gaff, it went right by even astute spectators and that's what Mike Powers sells today. I'm sure Conn's work is not 30 years old. We really should not forget these early creators. Dimishing Returns, for example, was published by Wesley James as a face up version of Micro Macro. I can remember paying Neil Lester nearly $200 for a hand split and spliced deck for that trick and fooling everyone before it became commonly known. If you want to see "size" magic that is really magical, you should see Don England's "big Card Little Card." In his hands, you'll swear a card goes from regular size to mini-size by just turning it face up and face down, until it finally visibly grows to Jumbo size and is tossed to the audience. Unbelievable. It is truly a classic example of something that reads so lame, but executes so magically. |
kamus Veteran user Silver Spring, Md 369 Posts |
I think Don is one of the great creators in magic. Doing a search on the Café doesn't reveal a lot of discussions or interest in his magic and that's a real shame. Both "Gaffed to the Hilt" and "Paradox" are filled to the brim with great visual magic. He could probably take any one of those tricks in those books, make a video demo and have half the folks here begging for the trick to be released.
Unfortunately in our quest for the latest and greatest we often overlook gems right under our noses. I remermber reading the "New Phoenix" compilation and being shocked at how many ideas in that book later (often, much later) became marketed tricks. Don is a real casualty of this phenomenon and his work deserves more attention and he deserves more credit for being a first rate creator. |
Wesley James V.I.P. Hazlet, New Jersey 372 Posts |
Gentlemen,
For the record, the Elastic Lady card routine was originally Peter Kane's marketed effect. It was not Don England's. I came up with the width-wise stretch addition to the plot, which I showed to Richard Kaufman, who posed it as a problem to Don England, who esentially duplicated my method and the small card kicker, which I had developed and discarded. It is my understanding that Richard did not reveal my method to Don; I don't think Richard knew about my kicker, so I believe Don independently reinvented that aspect of the plot. In any case, I like Don and have a great deal of respect for his creative efforts. I simply think the history should be properly recorded. Regarding the origins of Diminishing Returns, while I did release a treatment of Micro-Macro, a John Hamman effect, in conjunction with Pat Cook, that allowed the change to occur without the deck being picked up from the table(see "Micro-Macro Handling," Kabbala, Vol 3, No 5 or the Magical Record and Thoughts of Wesley James--which includes my complete routine, 1997, pp. 33-38). My method was quite different from that used in Diminishing Returns. I'm pleased to take credit for those ideas I have developed, but not for those I haven't. Wesley James |
tdowell2007 Loyal user Springfield, IL 267 Posts |
Hello Mr James,
As a friend of Don's and a performer of the Plastic lady effect I appreciate you taking the time to share the history of the effect. I certainly didn't know the information you shared. Thank you again. Knowledge is power! Tony |
kamus Veteran user Silver Spring, Md 369 Posts |
Wesley is credited for the stretching phase in Don's booklet to the effect.
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