YES, Linking rings is a great old effect everyone including children can enjoy! And it has LOT's of audience participation.

The lazy magician

As performed by Dante and John Calvert?

Die Box
Sympathetic Silks
Cords of Phantasia
Zombie

I think for stage work Asrah is pretty much the perfect illusion. It starts of magical then ends with an amazing, more magical and extremely powerful surprise.

Cheers

Chris

Don't forget Triumph, OOTW, Oil & Water and McDonald's Aces -- I believe that all of them could be considered classics at this point

Bill - I'm sure you're right about the centre tear but what do you think made walters attribute it to Kismet - Martin L Sunshine?

Any thoughts?

I have always seen the C T attributed to Annemann, but I don't know if he claimed priority with it.

T&R Newspaper
Cut and restored rope
Linking Rings
Chop Cup
SPonge Balls

Gypsy Thread
20th Century Silks
AJ

My favorite classics:

Stodare Egg Effect
Billy Mccomb's Half Dyed Hank
Theo. Bamberg's Vanishing Wand
Abbott's Vanishing Bird & Cage
Arnold Furst's "Fresh Fish Sold Here Today"
U.F. Grant's Cow Trick
Malini Egg Bag
Gene Anderson's Newspaper Trick

All have gotten a great audience response (I know I'll get some raised eyebrows on the Cow Trick, but I'm listing what has worked for me personally) and most have at least several decades of locatable resources that can be studied and developed to help one fit each trick into one's own individual character or stage persona, thus making each routine their own.


For that matter, I just answered my own question regarding what I would list in answer to David Devant's "I know Eight Tricks" quote. I'd list Duke's Dye Version, but I don't yet own it, and though I have all the parts to Harrison's Silk Blow, another choice, I've yet to actually perform it in public).

Posted: Jan 30, 2007 5:42pm
Almost forgot the old standby, "Ink To Goldfish", with nods to the Bambergs and Ed Reno.

Silk to Egg is still the most "classic" classic to me. I love to perform it many different ways.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Who is "walters"?

Classic Close Up trick= French Drop
Classic Stand-Up/Parlor Trick=Cups and Balls
Classic Stage-Magic Trick= Linking Rings and SnowStorm
Classic Grand Illusion= Zig-Zag

The French Drop is not a trick. It is a technique. As a vanish, a good retention vanish beats a French Drop hands down.

Quick 3 Way routine ala Dingle, Marlo, Kort, Riser, Saal, Thompson, etc

For me it has to be The Chop Cup I remember seeing Paul Daniels performing this way back and his routine still gets me every time I see it. I love performing the effect I think because it gets such an amazing reaction every single time. I love so many others as well, but this is my number one choice.
Cheers Phil

Anything involing the Pepper's Ghost or The Blue Room Illusion. I love to think how the audience would have reacted to such an event.

I also love Robert Houdin's Orange tree as performed by Paul Daniels. Again, this must have been incredible back during his time.

As for a close-up I would go wit hthe Ambitious Card.

Whenever I hear the word "classic", my mind goes back to the 19th century and prior. Two classics that I personally admire (and one of which I do every show) are the 'rising cards' and De Kolta's "Vanishing Lady". Alexander Herrmann himself said that the Vanishing Lady was the greatest illusion ever created!

Recently, I added Robert-Houdin's "Protean Pack" to my repertoire. It took a while to work out the handling I'm using, but it is a very powerful routine as well!

Rick

Cups
Rings
Rope

When they can be explained that simply then they are classics in my mind. The cups and balls is the most complete effect in all of magic. The sound of the rings. The rope such a common item, and restoration is the divine effect.