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Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
Does anyone know of any biographical material that exists for Tenkai? Young Eleazar Goodenough wants to mention the Tenkai Rope Through Neck in the book he is working on (Tear-able Magic - Paper Magic for Wizards) and wants to footnote where someone could find information about Tenkai. We have run into a blank wall, even on the Internet searches. We know he died in 1972, so perhaps there was an obituary in a magic magazine for that year?
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
Hideo Kato Inner circle Tokyo 5649 Posts |
Tenkai toured to US as a member of Tenkatsu troupe in 1924. (She was a superstar in that period). He remained in US until his return to Japan in 1958.
His feature acts were 'Production of Watches' and 'Cigarette Production'. He once competed with Cardini and won in cigarette manipulation. In commemoration of Tenkai, 'Tenkai Prize' was established and the prize was given to a remarkable creator of magic every year. Tenkai's Rope Thru Neck was published in August 1938 issue of Sphinx. Hideo Kato Posted: Jul 28, 2005 10:42am I add that Tenkai was born in 1889. Hideo Kato |
Clay Shevlin Elite user 497 Posts |
See "The Magic of Tenkai," compiled/edited by Gerald Kosky and Arnold Furst, 1974.
It's not a biography per se, but does have some biographical content. Clay |
Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
Thank you for your help, Hideo. I'd like to have Eleazar publish this as a footnote in his article:
“Tenkai toured the USA as a member of the world famous Japanese Tenkatsu troupe in 1924. Tenkai remained in the USA until his return to Japan in 1958. His feature acts were 'Production of Watches' and 'Cigarette Production.' Tenkai once competed against Cardini, and won in cigarette manipulation. In commemoration of Tenkai, the 'Tenkai Prize' was established and is considered the highest award of magic in Japan. Each year, the prize is given to a remarkable creator of magic. Tenkai's Rope Thru Neck was published in the August 1938 issue of Sphinx.” Contributed by Hideo Kato, member of The Magic Café Forum. Do I have your permission to include it in his book? Posted: Jul 28, 2005 1:40pm Thank you as well, Clay. Your information led to the following Web site where I found the biography you referred to, as well as a photo of Tenkai. http://astonishingasian.com/history.htm
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
Hideo Kato Inner circle Tokyo 5649 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-07-28 13:34, Spellbinder wrote: Yes you do. Hideo Kato |
David Charvet Special user www.charvetmagic.com 501 Posts |
I've never before heard of the "Cardini vs. Tenkai" Cigarette Manipulation Competition.
Anyone know when/where this took place? Cardini never entered any magic contests, to my knowledge. I know Tenkai and Okinu did appear on several PCAM conventions, both pre- and post-WWII. |
Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
So as not to hold up publication of the book, I will delete the following sentence in the credits: "Tenkai once competed against Cardini, and won in cigarette manipulation" until the matter is settled. Thanks again, Hideo and all.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
This is an OLD thread!, but, I would like to contribute a bit.
In 1946,I was 15, and met another teen, Robert Montgomery Blue, Bob had a copy of Ralph Hull's "Fifteen Minutes With A Piece Of Rope". He loaned it to me. One of the tricks that Hull explained, was a ROPE THRU NECK. I'm fairly certain that Hull mentioned the trick and credited it to TENKAI. I mastered it, and have used it since. I've seen many magicians do it, but they don't seem to know the complete routine. They just wrap the rope around the neck, and pull it thru. What "makes" the illusion, is the tying of the rope ends together, and pulling the rope thru the neck with the rope still tied and the rope is still in the two loops. Of course, I never met or knew Tenkai, I do remember hearing of him as I grew up. When I use the rope thru neck, I silently thank him for his fine bit of magic with such a basic prop.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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jimgerrish Inner circle East Orange, NJ 3209 Posts |
When you mention ending up with two loops of rope at the end, that makes me think you are talking about a double rope through neck, which is different from the Tenkai single rope through neck.
Jim Gerrish
magicnook@yahoo.com https://www.magicnook.com Home of The Wizards' Journals: https://magicnook.com/wizardsTOC.htm |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
It's done with ONE rope about 54" long.
Abbott's,many years ago, sold essentially the same thing, but used a narrow silk "sash". As I remember, the sash was not tied. It was simply wrapped around the neck, the ends grasped, and the sash pulled through. Graham Putnam (owner of FUN INC.) sold a rope routine about 18 years ago, called the BIG FEATURE ROPE ROUTIND, that combined a series of "classic" knot effects (the G.W. Hunter Impossible Knot, the Professor's Nightmare, the "loose half hitch principle in which the rope is coiled in open loops, one end is tucked through the loops,and a number of overhand knots appeara when one end of the rope is held and the loops dropped, and the ROPE THRU THE NECK. The PN is called the "Unequal Ropes" and the rope thru neck is not credited to anyone. I found the instructions for finger "placement" when pulling the ropes thru the neck, a bit unclear. G.W. Hunter is not credited for the Impossible Knot, and Bob Carver is not credited for the PN. My point was that the effect is much more convincing and stronger, if the rope ends are joined with a square knot after the rope is "wound" around the neck. When the rope is pulled thru the neck, its configuration is two loops. This is made possible by the manner in which the rope is grasped before pulling it thru, and a slight manipulation after it comes through the neck. The square knotting was described in both Hull's booklet, and the Fun Inc. instructions. I am very familiar with the "rope and/or tape principle" (in Tarbell) oftern called Grandmother's Necklace. It was in Scot's Discovery of Witchcraft! (A very nice "set" of thick, soft, yellow ropes were included with Fun's routine, plus a "knot". The rope thru the neck is essentially the same method, that I got from Ralph Hull's "Fifteen Minutes With A Piece Of Rope" in 1946. See my post just above. I wrote TEN KAI. (mis type!!!) I meant to write Ten Ichi. Ten Kai and Okinu came "along" much later thtn Ten Ichi who was part of a Japanese troupe of performers in vaudeville. (My knowledge of Japanese is mainly "Good Morning", "Hello", and "Thank you"!!! --courtesy of Bob Higa.) I never do the rope thru neck wnen little kids are present! I usually introduce it as my "LAST rope trick! Then I say, "If it doesn't work, it's my last TRICK.!" (hee hee)
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
OOOOOPS!!! I did it again!!!!! I just scrolled up to the OP and Hideo Kato's post! Mr.Kato mentions the whole story of Ten Kai. I figure that Mr. Kato, should know, much better than an ancient Occidental!!!!!!!!!!! --Excuse, please!!!
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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jimgerrish Inner circle East Orange, NJ 3209 Posts |
I found a copy of R.W. Hull's undated book "15 Minutes With a Rope." Some sources say the book was written in 1937, while the book sellers claim it was published by John Snyder, Jr., Norwood, Ohio, 1943. Hull does NOT give Tenkai credit, but calls it "Hull's Rope Thru Neck". Various sources including Hideo Kato above point to Tenkai having published and revealed his method in 1938. You can see where this is becoming a dilemma for someone trying to date it. At the start of Hull's book, he states that he did not invent most of the rope tricks in the book, but takes credit only for routining them into a 15 minute act.
Having said all of that, looking at the drawings of Hull's Rope Thru Neck, you can see that it is identical in method to the solution proposed by Tenkai EXCEPT for the last five steps where he ties the rope into a knot, changes it to a square knot, and shows how to pull off the two loops that supposedly penetrate the neck. That's definitely Hull's invention, while the first five steps still may be credited to Tenkai, especially if it turns out that Hull's book was published in 1943, the year that Hull died. We need someone with Conjuring Arts computer power to check the advertisements in the magic magazines between the years 1937 and 1943 and see when advertisements (if any) appear for Hull's book.
Jim Gerrish
magicnook@yahoo.com https://www.magicnook.com Home of The Wizards' Journals: https://magicnook.com/wizardsTOC.htm |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
THANK YOU, JIM!!!
It's a "little thing" but, the "devil is in the details"! I managed (!) to get Tenichi and Tenkai mixed up in my post. 1946 was a long time ago! I never owned Hull's book. We teens borrowed and loaned our resources. Robert Blue and I lost touch after 1950. He joined the Air Force, and I joined the Navy. I suspect he was killed in the war, or, "disappeared" from the magic scene. I almost memorized "15 Minutes" while I had it. Yes, I think that an important part of the rope thru neck is Hull's "last 5 steps". I had long ago forgotten Hull's mention of not having invented everything in his book. Tenkai's principle was a terrific idea. I did not remember that Hull added the knot tying and the finish with the two loops still visible. Anyway, I am glad that Tenkai did what he did, and also glad that Hull did what he did. I hope that someone with more computer "chops" than I have can give us more information. So many of the old magicians' names, (those who "tweaked tricks", and added those "little things" that we use today, have gotten lost). When I wrote my book, I tried to give credit to all those performers who "rounded the corners". My show is very "ECLECTIC". My C&R rope routine has had many "parents"! --Leon Maguire, Dr. Daley, Keith Lingley, Jack Chanin, and a long ago forgotten magician who wrote an idea for a "convincer count" to "prove" that there were two pieces, in the old "SPHINX". I'll PM you regarding the "Big Feature Rope Routine" that I mentioned in my first post, above.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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