After reading the thin model thread, I thought I would bring up the cousin of that illusion, the Blade Box. The Owen's catalogue mentions that Selbit invented it,but I would like to see if someone can back that up or put forth other origins. My historian friend Al Stencell has found a mention of a "chinese torture box" in a sideshow back in the 1880s. It's not clear if this was a Blade Box. Burling Hull put out plans for it, but is he the father of this thing? So, where did it come from?

Good question, Todd... I know it is a great routine, having seen Marshall Brodien do it as well as someone years ago at a side show.

Maybe Jay or Aye Jaye knows. Will see Aye Jaye next week.

Thanks Pete. Jay gave me his Blade Box. It's the box Marshall gave him and it was built by Dip Loo. I don't think Aye Jaye will know. He's not sure where he was last week, let alone the history of this sideshow ding. I will have to check out the book on Burling Hull and see if it has any clues. By the way, the Hull plans are the same as the Abbott's plans. I wonder which came first?

I would guess the Hull plans came first but I would have to check the copyright on the book to see. But Hull was known to borrow freely from everyone.

I remember seeing Marshall Brodien working a trade show in the late 1960's (along with Mark Wilson, George Johnstone and a ton of other magicians.), I started to go onto the stage to look into the box. I was a dumb 12 year and didn't' know any better. I remember Marshall handling it with "That's alright kid..I work alone.)


Later when Jay and George Johnstone borrowed a box from a kid in the contest, than ran it at the Lions Matinee at Abbott's. Jay did the whole routine including the ding. The guy from Lions club almost fell over in disbelief as the dollars rolled in.

I think the "chinese torture box" as like the old cane cabinent.

I just had a thought that maybe it is in the Goldston books. I will have to give look tomorrow.

Did you know that my mentor, Horace Marshall, once worked in the circus as a contortonist? His grandfather (the first Horace Marshall) was a vaudeville juggler and his dad was a vaudeville magician.

Thanks Richard. The problem with tracking down the truth in the sideshow is that there is not much in the way of a paper trail. No programs and few newspaper articles. The press that is to be found is in theatrical papers and that is based upon what showmen stated. All of that is suspect. Still, I try to find out where the stuff I do has come from.

I've just spent a loooong time piecing together Al Flosso's Punch & Judy routine and the swazzle pitch he did at the Dreamland Sideshow in Coney Island back in 1915. I worked backwards from people that were "influenced" by Al's work (that is they stole bits and pieces) and then patched together what I found with contemporary accounts of Al's performance.

Several years ago I worked up his Aerial Treasury routine and polished it up by working it for a weekend at the sideshow in Coney Island. I was doing it one block and 85 years away from where Al did it. I liked the feel of that.

Here is some info about the Burling Hull book. I met Burling Hull in 1980 when I was on my way back home from the Largo Renaissance Festival. I stopped at his house and spent a couple of hours with him discussing magic and shows, etc. He was a delightful, funny, well-informed man. If I'd had a week to stay in DeLand, I would have done it. I actually got him to sign an autograph on a playing card for me. It wasn't easy, because he was almost totally blind, but he was glad to do it. It may have been the last autograph he ever signed.

Anyway, he wanted to sell me a copy of his big illusion book, but I couldn't afford it. I wish I'd bought it. He said that some of the plans in there were old Thayer plans that he had put in because he thought the copyrights had expired. Owen claimed that they owned the Thayer plans. That was the reason that there was such a battle over the book.

Maybe this clue will help.

Todd, I understand the problem with the accuracy of the press since they only usually (at least at that time) printed what they were told.

I will try to get into my files to see if I have any clues anywhere.

You know my dad (DeYip) would probably know.

Yes, Marshall, he would know a lot about the subject. He built the box I use! It's a beautiful thing and has been very profitable. I hope your Dad is doing well. I'd love to meet him one day.

I'm sure you WILL meet him.
He's the same guy as everyone
has known.
Still funny.
Still Chinese.
:)

I was really thrilled when Magic Magazine did the story on Chinese Louie... great guy, terrific craftsman and a good friend I have not seen for too long.

Louie...China's answer to Don Rickles. You would not believe what he can make out a trash compacter.

I guess this bring new meaning to the old phrase, "packs small, plays big."

I left out the word "of". Actually, he made a levitation.

Louie is still the only guy I ever seen do the Kuma Tubes though Owen's still sells a bunch of them.

This is one of the reasons I love this board! It's fantastic to learn the intricate and sometimes sorted histories of effects and amazing to see how old effects can return to life and become new again!

Of course you realize we all LIE...

Louie cracked me up when he worked the TAOM. Sure, some of the lines were a little corny, but they were also charming. I will never forget when he said, absolutely straight-faced, "Fu Manchu...Many Man Smoke."

And there he was, wearing those beautiful Chinese robes...and cowboy boots. I LOVED it!!!! I have to admit, cowboy boots did not really seem out of place to me. I'm a native Texan. We wear boots everywhere -- church, formal occasions, baptisms, Bar Mitzvahs.

And I, too, was truly pleased to see what a master can do with the Kuma tubes. I had always considered this a rather silly production. He made it look like real magic.

Aye Jaye just called from the Castle Friday Lunch. He wanted to know if I knew who invented the Blade Box! Round and round it goes, where it stops...

What day is it?

Todd: Funny, at the Castle lunch, Friday, I asked Aye Jaye "Who invented the Blade Box?" He thought Burling Hull was near the top of the list... so he calls you! Hah...