I took my ex girlfriend to a magic show where the performer did the Baby Gag Trick. After the show, my then girlfried said, "I didn't get the trick with the baby photo. How do I know that the baby picture was really Tom Cruise?"

MagicRay

I've used this trick for a few years now. I just make up my own cards by printing off pictures of babies that I find online. I don't bother with the "NO", "ON" of 4 of hearts portion of this trick... just the famous person prediction.

I remember the first time I saw anyone perform this was a scatterbrained and strung out magician named Warren (who reminded me of Groucho Marx on narcotics). He and I were both visiting Gazzo in Florida learning Gazzo's Street Cups routine. It was Warren's turn to show what he'd learned and was in the middle of the cups and balls when he went off on a "warren tangent" and among some of the incredibly funny things he said or did was the baby photo gag.

The funniest part was him saying "Now I know what you're thinking... what if you'd chosen Sammi Davis Junior?" at which point he turns the card around and shows the black baby photo... And another student piped up... "Oh yeah? What if I'd said Michael Jackson?"

We were all on the floor laughing.

Since then I carry another photo with the baby photos. It's a photo of an alien baby and I sometimes use the line "I know what you're thinking, what if you'd said Michael Jackson" and I reveal the alien baby. I find it gets more laughs if I only reveal the one extra baby as opposed to both. 3 pictures tends to be one two many and the audience is bored by the 3rd picture.

Those who have my Secret Notebook 1, will have the 2 versions I have for this effect. Both are kickers that come after the 2 gags.

Version 1 - you turn the card around, and there is a recognisable photo of the person named on the back of the gag card.

Version 2 - you reach into your pocket and wallet and pull out a prediction that names the person called out. ( I don't know the Malone version mentioned above, I imagine it's a similar approach.)

Danny's routine mentioned above is also a great premise.

Timothy

I think this photo gag is really good.. Better than the ones you guys are talking about:

http://www.trickshopmagic.com/extracredit.html

Here is a video of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2wRw86zB......index=34

I got mine from google images

It seems to me any marketed version, OTHER THAN KEN PERKS' (MADE BY KEN BROOKE AND SOLD IN THE USA BY STEVEN MAGIC) is a rip off. If you buy the original and want to make you own later, fine. If you made your own without buying the original you should buy it.

Pete: You are absolutely right. I mistakenly thought it was an old gag in the public domain. I've placed my order with Stevens Magic for it.

Joe Libby
San Antonio, TX

And now there is another "new" baby gag routine. "Deluxe Baby Gag Routine" by Devin Knight.
I´m very keen to see what makes this routine so different from all the others.

With the recent news, would it be appropriate to include the Michael Jackson part, or omit it?...

Currently I'm telling people to leave out the Michael Jackson part at, at least for a few months.

It can be performed with the baby pictures only, Jim.

I am looking for an actual baby photo to use on TV, so if anyone knows of stage size baby photos for commercial royalty free use, please advise. Thanks.

Decomposing Into Baby

PS: I made some nice ones and had them laminated but cannot use because of legalities.

Check out Mike Maiones version. You wont be disappointed.

Just checked out Mike Maiones version.

It has a few things about it that are interesting but in order to turn the gag into a trick the selection process was handled in a cramped way that didn't make it look clean or slick. In the end I don't think the 'work' warrants the pay off.

Just my opinion though.

Bought mine at stevens magic too. this effect kills at my adult shows.
todd

Took my ex girlfriend to a magic show where the performer did the Baby Gag Trick. After the show, my then girlfried said, "I didn't get the trick with the baby photo. How do I know that the baby picture was really Tom Cruise?"
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Reply: Now we know why she's your EX!
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Being an Al Jolson fan (kids, ask your great grandmother)..as a joke I'd say: "Sometimes people would yell out "Al Jolson"...and I wouldn't know which side to show! (black or white baby photo).

..probably goes best with the Senior crowd.

Took my ex girlfriend to a magic show where the performer did the Baby Gag Trick. After the show, my then girlfried said, "I didn't get the trick with the baby photo. How do I know that the baby picture was really Tom Cruise?"
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Reply: Now we know why she's your EX!
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Being an Al Jolson fan (kids, ask your great grandmother)..as a joke I'd say: "Sometimes people would yell out "Al Jolson"...and I wouldn't know which side to show! (black or white baby photo).

..probably goes best with the Senior crowd.