Where do they come from?

That out of the magic books that I own I rarely do any magic effect the same way that they do it in the book.

I learned most of the moves I do from books. But as far as routines go I like to work out my way of doing things. I read books now for insperation. Revilations by Erdnase and Dai Vernon was and is the back bone of my card work.

With this book alone the reader can become an advanced cardician. I read and reread it all the time. I have been reading it for around 20 years Erdnase still inspires me.

Take the John Scarne book on card magic. I love reading that book because it inspires me to. In it are great plots for routines. Just add a little slieght of hand and the effects can be great.

I have had an explosion of creativity this week by reading the old Rufus Steel books. In these books are routines by people like Bert Allerton, Marlo, Al Leach, Paul Rosini and others.

I don't do the routines just as they say to do it in the book but I got three ideas out of them that I have added to effects that I already do. And the effects are now better.

These effects may end up being on my next DVD on card magic.

But I feel I must say at this time. I never got into magic to become a magicians magician. Or to do lectures. All I wanted out of magic was to become a good magician and do shows.

I find it interesting that in forums people say - get this DVD - get that DVD... I think that most of the DVD's like the Ortiz, Ammar, and others are great. And a great way to learn.

But where did they learn it?

From books like Erdnase, The Card Magic of LePaul and others. My best advice to any young people just tting into magic. And I know that many in this group already know this and most would agree - Read the classic books in magic...

DVD's are great - get them - but books are gret too!

Great question Glenn.

Just today I received Double Deception from Robert Swadling. I read the instructions and wondered about how to justify the use of two coins when only one goes anywhere. Then I recalled a note about a card sleight the writer could only do correctly half of the time. And then it struck me...

If I had a way of making something special happen but it only worked half the time, I could guarantee a successful performance by using two objects instead of one. Not knowing which one of the coins will experience the magic transportation or penetration couldincrease the effect from audience perspective.

Okay, then I opened the package and was pleasantly surprised by the care in packaging and workmanship of ALL the materials supplied.

And now here is a story element for you;

What happens when a magician receives something that is so well packaged and clever that using it as intended seems to hide most of the beauty of the thing?

PS, I don't look to magic texts for stories. There are other places to find stories. IMHO most magic books are like cook books, they tell you how to get a result and are not focused on the process of entertaining.

I can only agree with everything you said..

But thing is, it CAN be really difficult to *judge* the pretential of a trick/routine just by reading it.(and probably having a short go)

Also, sometimes the writer -even when being an expert in doing his own stuff- isn't able to explain his thoughts clearly enough..

I have several examples of outstandingly great magicians, that couldn't express/explain their routines understandable..

Reminds me of the old story of some gambler wo was asked, *how do you do your second deal*
His answer was:
*Just place the deck in your hand and deal*
I'm sure you know that story..

I give you another example and I hope I don't offend anybody with this.

Johnny Paul..about the greatest entertainer ever who did exeptional deceptive and entertaining stuff had, IMHO difficulties in explaing understandable exactly what he did..

Maybe this was due to he had used all his stuff for so long, he just did it automatically and simply didn't know *how* he did it..

I know this sounds crazy, but as you know some routines are not in the mind, they are in the hands..and when trying to think about exactly how one does them one gets stuck, but there is no prob taking the pops and just running through the routine..doing it in ones fantasie might be more difficult..

So, as you said, books are the barebones!

BUT, we live in a time where ppl want fast results,..they want to learn and do it all, as fast as possible..and those DVDs are a shortcut to this goal, weather we like it or not...still the books are the barebones..

Jonathan I enjoy reading your posting very much for quite a long time - and they always make me think. I love the way you talk about magic - and cook books.

That is a real truth...

Yhe whole post is great. Please keep it up.

I'd like to follow up my earlier posting up re *books*, and what ppl get out of it, a little more..

A little story from personal experience..

I too had, and sometimes still have, problems in visualizing the pretentional of an effect by just reading it..my fault!

Most (not all) of the stuff I do is due to I have seen somebody doing a routine and immediately grasped it's pretentional.

I'll give you an example..

Years back, when some of Frank Garcias books re *Super Subtle* aso cardmagic just had came out..and I hadn't read any of them at that time, my father in law got a visit from a swedish magician.

I was inveted too and that guy did some cardroutines..

He did *Red Hot Mama* and he didn't it at all well.

The *double* was bad, his presentation sucked, aso..
BUT, I immediately got HIT by the effect and it's impact on an audience..

I also immediately grasped the entire *how to* of the handling.

I went home and did the routine/practised..aso.

I later also got Frank Garcias book and read the variations..

Anyway, slowly, during the years, I developped my own presentation.

Now, let me say, I ALWAYs open any cardroutine by use of *Red Hot Mama*

There are several reasons for this..

First of all, it -by now- is a routine I can do whilst almost asleep, but that is not the important point..the important point is,that THIS *opener*
gives me a chance for 2 things.

1. To prepare the audience what kind of magic they can expect to se

2. and that is more important, to establish the needed contact.

..meaning getting them used to, I do ask questions, I do look straight in their eyes, I simply start to establish right from the beginning -by using an
almost selfworking trick- the contact, which is later used for misdirection!

That is very important..they get used to me asking/they respond to questions, during this, I'm looking them straight into the eyes, they get used to do so too and that is creating a pattern for the later needed and used *misdirection*
in other routines.

The lesson here is to start the use of misdirection, when NOT needed - as pointed out by many authorities like f.ex. Andrew Galloway- and I do use *Red Hot Mama* for doing this.

Now, also I don't just pull out a deck of cards in its case, but I present that deck in some flourishy way (to call their attention), can't decribe the way..

Anyway, my presentation re *Red Hot Mama* goes something like this.
(I don't like story tricks -apart from the very few that ensure entertainment, like Dai Vernons Cutting the aces, or Jim Cellini's slot machine patter, when justified and presented the RIGHT way -I don't do though any of this, just wanted to give an example for GOOD story tricks)

I prefer straight forward patter without any fuzz..

Anyway, after the display and taking out of the deck the patter is something like this..

*52 cards...52 friends.. you probably know them too*

Whilst displaying the cards, moving them in bunches from left to right, faces towards the specs.. *You might even know their names*..

After the card is freely selected, I very slowly let them place it on the top of the botom half.
(by a simple cut to get the red crd -I use a blue deck- on top of the blue selected one)

Now the fun starts..
I very deliberately show, that I do NOTHING!! just replacing the top package on the bottom one, having their selected card on top.

Thereafter I explain, that I do nothing, no moves, *I don't even touch the deck*.
Now, this is a silly remark, as I do -of course- have the deck in my hands..

*All I do, all I do, is this*..

I hold the deck by its long sides in each hand and move it up and down a little..

*And you have to blow*..

Next q.:

*Do you know why I do this?*

They most certainly answer with a *No*..

I look disapointed..

*I don't know either, but the instruction to this trick says it has to be done*..

Now after this by-play the deck is spread from left to right to show that a red back has appeared..pausing for a split second there, then going all the way through the deck spreading it..

Gathering the crds again in the left as a *bunch*, the spread is done ones again, this time
I devide the deck at the red card..

After revealing that it is their selected card, I immediately push it off, letting it *float* either to the floor or to the tabletop and place the cardcase PARTLY over it,
so nobody grasps it.

Immediately my next line is:

*How did you do that??? Can' you do that again*

This is my way to give them credit for what happend and to have a reason to do the second part of the routine..

I do exactly the same, as the second card is selected (?)..

Holding the sides of the deck, up and down move, they blow and now my remark is * NOW, I know why I Have to do this..it makes the trick work*

Continuing with the routine I act surprised when no red crd is found in the deck..
I do a hone hand fan face up, looking at the cards aso.
and fianally the remark:

*There is only one single card with a red back..please turn it over yourself*.
Pointing at the card partly under the cardcase.

That is how I do *Red Hot Mama* and it never fails to give a good reaction and it does prepare them for what they can expect from me, makes them interested and has
established the needed contact so they have gotten used to, to look at me, whenever I want
and to respond to my questions..simply building up the basis of misdirection
needed later..

I also have to mention, that the deck I use has a set-up for producing the aces by a florish,
so the bottom 18 cards of the deck are set-up for the routines (VERY few) to follow and after Red Hot Mama I do a falsh shuffle retaining the bottom stock..

My speech is: *Do you know what ppl do the first when playing cards?? They shuffle*

Aso, aso.

Please forgive the long description, I just wanted to make a point..

How diff. it is to get the pretentionals by reading a book and how long the way is to find a personal presentation to a certain routine..

My approach is -unintentional- somehow *Kapsianish*, the slighly playing silly re the questions of *Do you know why I have to do this* aso. aso.

Also, giving THEM credit for the miracle that happened, after the first change of
the backside of the selected crds, hooks them and mmakes them interested to follow what I do.. aso. aso..

Just my five cents re one of the greatest openers of all time.
RED HOT MAMA !

PS.
I don't mind anybody using that presentation if they like it..mind you, I'm located on the other side of the atlantic..

Finally some one has made the connection between cooking and magic! Thanks Johnathan. Both are skills based art forms. You use your skills to create a pleasing outcome to your audience. My recipes and routines come from the same processes. I have a dish I call " Cups and Balls" and a routine called "Flapjacks". I came up with both while doing the other. In defense of visual media, we all got started by seeing magic performed, not by reading about it. Watching visual media should inspire these things not dictate them. Reading should reveal new skills and refine existing skills. Having said all that, nothing beats a competent, enthusiastic mentor for learning skills based arts.

One more..

Just printed out a great article re one of the greatest interpreters of Red Hot Mama, Frank Everhart..
Se:
http://www.magicmagazine.com/september04......tra.html

Great posting Werner G. Seitz. You post some great ideas. Please keep it up.

Thanx Glenn, coming form you, I consider it quite a compliment..
Note I've seen you working (GREAT stuff) YOU haven't seen me

Back to topics..
as you know, patter -even when scripted- varies depending on several things, like if one for some reason has to work *fast*/in a hurry or getting slower through ones routine.

Re *Red Hot Mamma* there are a couple of options..

I mentioned:

*52 cards...52 friends.. you probably know them too*

This is often replaced by:

*52 cards...52 friends, let me introduce them to you*

then instead of

*You might even know their names*..

is replaced by:

*Some of them you even might know..this here f.ex is the..aso. *

You know what I mean..

When displaying those cards, the deck is basically face down in the left hand bevelled slightly to the right (normal dealers/mechanics grip), carefull not to flash the bottom crd and a little bunch of crds is pushed off to the right, taken by the right and the right is raised to display the crds face up..the same is repeated with more cards..

That handling does substidude the need for a shuffle (it could be easily done, but at that stage it is not needed IMHO- deck is shuffled -false- later).

Well, no doubt you understand what I mean..

Again, sorry for all the long postings..you might recognise I'm used to do descriptions of routines and always strive to make them understandable and that takes far too many words..

Keep your site running it contains GREAT stuff!!

The clips re Don Alan are great, also I do have the very same routines, even in multiple form from different appearances of his on tape, I still enjoy each new one popping up..

As you know, Don Alans performances are that polished that they are soooo alike, the only difference mostly are the specs involved..

For Jonathan:

One day a man was walking down a beach with his nagging, shrewish wife when he came upon a bottle washed up on the shore. He was going to let it lie, but his wife forced him to retrieve it from the sand it was half buried in.

The man picked it up and started rubbing the sand off the bottle. As often happens in these tales, a genii appeared.

"Thank you Master for releasing me from my bottle. For this, you may have three wishes."

"What about me?" the wife said, "I found the bottle and made him pick it up. If it wasn't for my initiative you'd still be rotting on the beach..."

The genii considered for a moment. Then he spoke, "It is true that you discovered my bottle, and for that I am most grateful, but rules are rules and I must allow the bearer of the bottle to make the actual wishes. However, I can allow for your contribution, so whatever he asks for, you shall receive twice as many..."

The woman looked at her husband, "Wish for a million dollars." The husband shrugged and made his wish. POOF! One the sand at his feet lay one million dollars in a briefcase. POOF! POOF! Beside his wife appeared two briefcases loaded with cash.

"Now," the wife continued, "you've been a lousy good-for-nothing husband, so I think the least you can do is wish me a replacement! Wish for the sexiest mate alive to appear and fall hopelessly in love with you."

The husband shrugged again, and made the request. Instantly, a gorgeous woman appeared and nestled up againt him. Almost immediately, two hunky men appeared beside his wife and began falling all over her.

"You've gotten to make two of the wishes, shouldn't I get to choose the last one?" The man asked his wife.

The woman, already preoccupied by the two men and the money replied, "Sure, whatever. What do I need you for now anyway?!?"

"Fine," replied her husband with a grin slowly spreading across his face. "Genii, for my third and final wish I simply ask that you beat me half to death."

ajp

One more re *Red Hot Mamma*..

I hate to give inaccurate descriptions and have to correct this..

As I didn't have the cards in hands when explaning/describing, it was all out of memory and as earlier mentioned it is harder to visualize a handling in mind, easier to just let the hands do it..

It's actually just a smal point, but anyway..

I don't give the deck a straight cut -as I described earlier- when the -let's concentrate on the first card-is replaced..
Of course I do a Hindu-shuffle and let them say *Stop* at some point.

Reason also is, to get that ol' line included that plays well here in DK, surely useless in the USA.

*Do you speak english?* is the question thrown at them.

The usual answer is :
*Just a litte*..
and the immediate feed-back is :
*That's enough..please say stop whenever you like *..

All this during executing the hindu-shuffle.
Sometimes, with a bit of luck, it gets a laugh...

That was all, no more from me re *Red Hot Mamma*..