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prestidigitation New user 54 Posts |
Pulling a Malini is to go further into the preparation of a trick than your audience ever would expect.
Anyone truely into magic has probably heard of the exploits of Max Malini... the extensive lengths he would go to in order to perform simple, "impromptu" magic tricks. Examples include carrying around a massive block of ice around at a party for hours so that he could pull the ice out of someone's hat. He was known to hypnotize a chicken (very easy to do) and de-feather it alive. Then lay the bird on a dinner plate ready to be served at a royal banquet, complete with garnishes. When a guest went to cut into the chicken, it woke up and ran away in front of everyone at the table. Have you ever challenged yourself to go farther into setting up a trick than any laymen (or even magicians) would expect? |
magicfish Inner circle 7004 Posts |
Yes. Mike Ammar has a wonderful essay on this called Have No Mercy in his Magic of Michael Ammar. Excellent read.
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
I never knew Max. I was about 8 years old, and just getting started, when he died.
There are dozens of stories about him and his "exploits". He traveled the world, and made a living with TALENT, AND, CHUTZPAH!!!!! He carried a prop case about the size of an attache case. He rang the doorbell of a mansion in NYC where he was booked to perform at a party. The host answered the door. Max said, "I'm Max Malini." The host, seeing only the little case, asked, "Mr. Malini! Where is your show?" Max replied, "I am the show!" Regarding the ice trick: Max didn't carry around a "massive block of ice for hours. He would "tip" a waiter to sneak him a big ice cube, just before he was going to do the trick, and produce it at the first possible moment. Hypnotizing an animal is an ancient bit. The late Jim Perkins featured the hypnotizing of a rabbit in his school show. I saw him do it twice. It was very effective. I suspect that the chicken trick story is a bit exaggerated, but, if anyone could have done it, it was Max! I saw Talbot Emanuel Seaton (stage name: PRINCE NOTAES MAJAHARA) produce a quart of ice cream, which he served to the front row in cones. He killed with it! It was the ancient "bran vase". I was in the wings 6 feet away, and did not catch the load.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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funsway Inner circle old things in new ways - new things in old ways 9982 Posts |
I once produced Santa at the end of a magic show so that he could pass out gifts.
I had two minutes to teach the guy what to do. Swicthing in his bag of packages later was more difficult.
"the more one pretends at magic, the more awe and wonder will be found in real life." Arnold Furst
eBooks at https://www.lybrary.com/ken-muller-m-579928.html questions at ken@eversway.com |
bigfoot Special user 502 Posts |
I'm sure if you plucked a live chicken these days the animal life people would tar and feather you with them or worse and probably rightfully so.
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
A chicken feather overcoat with a tar lining!
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Kyoki_Sanitys_Eclipse Inner circle 1513 Posts |
I once hid a coin while talking to the teacher in her bag at the beginning of class and then at the end of class made a duplicate disappear and reappear there. Blew her mind
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Zipposrsa New user 41 Posts |
Fascinated with Malini and all his exploits. I think the ice cube production (and with Ricky Jay doing it) is just simply magical. I am hurting my brain trying to come up with something completely unexpected and going the extra mile in setting it up does not scare me in the slightest, unfortunately my brain is a void at the moment. Joshua Jay on Unreal do watch tie production - now that is great !
8 days a week !
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Just remember! Malini had ultimate Chuzpah, PLUs, Showmanship, and, Talent, too!
If you have the above, and have "done your homework" (i.e., learned the principles!:) who knows! MAYBE you could "top" Max!!!
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Zipposrsa New user 41 Posts |
I read the piece by Michael Ammar - Have No Mercy as suggested by magicfish. I like what he says and preparing a lemon on the tree for bill to lemon must have had a serious impact when he plucked it off the tree and gave to a spectator. Unfortunately it was a short piece and I would love to know if their is more out there that goes in-depth into pre-show preparation eg paying the waiter to put a prediction in the bread roll etc
8 days a week !
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plmqaz1243 Regular user Only has 141 Posts |
I quite enjoy covertly loading an entire sack's worth of clementines into every cup and bowl I can reach at a party for the kicker of a chop cup routine with a borrowed cup. (Clementines are heavy!) The trick is putting them where people won't reach for them. I've also prepared (at most a dozen at a time even) beer bottles for a prohibition- style penetration and left them out at parties. There's nothing quite like being ready when a string of 4 or 5 people ask "can you do that with ~my~ bottle?"
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biggerry New user 14 Posts |
The ice cube out of a paper sack that Malini did mesmerizes me. I thought about converting a regular paper sack ala a force bag, with water proof lining on one side. Show the non gimmicked bag WIDE open to layperson showing it empty. Show your hand completely empty then you reach in to the OTHER side of the bag producing an ice cube, and plop in in spectators bag and fold up the bag and put away... Just an idea Ellusionist has a new product where guy produces an ice cube bare handed...??? Hmmmm?
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