I have been thinking a lot recently about what I want to use for my final loads in cups and balls, and then today it hit me. I know this idea is not too practical, but I thought that using at least one bird as a final load would be a great visual ending to my cups and balls routine. So, when I came home I did a quick search on the café and only one post was about someone who used birds as a final load. This is the link:

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......forum=27

Anyway, does anyone use birds as a final load? Even if this were plausible, I doubt I would have the time or patience to keep a bird as a pet.

Someone in the past was well known for ending his cups and balls routine with chicks being produced as final loads.

Yes, His name is Johnny Ace Palmer. He is well known for his opener and his cups and balls. Both can be seen here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6wzb7amY78

Pete

I also believe Luxor Gali-Gali used chicks instead of balls for this effect. I remember seeing a video of his performance in Penn and Teller's Magic and Mystery Tour.

Yes yes, please don't think that it's just Ace Palmer that does it. There have been many, many professionals to do this. Johnny Ace Palmer I believe it the most notable recent magician to do it. Perhaps our own Bill Palmer will help with this one.

Pete

Actually Johnny used to produce two doves as a kicker after the revelation of the chicks.There was a time when I prodece three large hermit crabs . I would whistle and they would come out of the shells. They can't stand the vibration so they pop there heads out . I had some folks freak out when they found out that those were just shells but had critters inside of them. I used to do this outside one of the largest fish markets in california. They loved it. but the crabs became my pets and when one would die I was reluctant to replace it (how do you replace friend )so I went back to producing fruit . Crabs are easir to maintain than birds .Just an idea.

Several performers have used birds as final loads. Gali-Gali was notorious for his use of the birds. He was banned from the Rice Hotel in Houston in 1957, after he stopped up the toilets with the chicks, which he flushed away after the show. He had a horrible reputation for breaking the legs of the chicks. In fact, a couple of years ago, Mario Carrandi told me that he hated the cups and balls, because when he was a kid in Cuba, he saw Gali-Gali do his routine and learned that he had killed the chicks.

Ross Bertram produced chicks from his cups, as well as from the pockets of his volunteers. Ross was much more gentle with the chicks than Gali-Gali was. I never heard of Ross injuring a chick. He designed his cups to be heavy enough that they wouldn't move around on the table when the chicks were underneath them.

Johnny Ace Palmer is also very careful about the care of the chicks. He never injures them, he handles them with care, and has some really great bits of business with them. I went on a "chick finding mission" with Johnny one time when he was appearing at Magic Island. We found a place that had the chicks. Johnny bought several of them. When they got too big to work with, he took them back and exchanged them for smaller ones. The feed store didn't mind doing this. The older chicks sold just as well to people who used baby chicks for "other purposes" as the small ones. So, basically, Johnny rented the chicks from the feed store.

Baby chicks are good for about a week. Then they need to be replaced.

One thing to bear in mind, though, is the attitude a large percentage of people have towards use of animals in a magic act. Unless your treatment of the chicks is absolutely above reproach, you will catch a lot of flak from the people who consider this exploitation.

I don't understand why they consider this exploitation. After all, they wouldn't survive more than an hour or two in the wild.

I'm not sure what search term you used, but here are some other threads:

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......;forum=6

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......forum=13

If you do a search on Final Loads, rather than Birds, you will find more options. Also, using specific kinds of birds makes a difference.

Geez, you know a lot about magic don't you

;)

No, but I know how and where to look it up!

Actually, I was in Houston when the incident with Gali-Gali took place. It was shameful. You don't forget stuff like that.

ack, was that a baby chicken leg that got caught under the cup after he loaded it?

Also, I love his routine. I like how he works so low to the mat. His cup through cup is very clean and there is very little movement.

-todd

that is appalling.

-todd

Mark Raffles also uses chicks. His routine can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0XSGbEKE_0 and is also taught on his DVD.

-todd

Ughh! Intentionally or through carelessness? Was he really that crude? "Ignore those feet extending from under the otherwise empty cups..." Makes me wonder


.

Unfortunately in magicdom, animals and birds have been to known to be injured badly or killed during magic shows. How sad?

Mark Raffles preferred using chicks that were a couple of weeks old. He said that the older chicks were more visible and were also more active - so they look more impressive coming out of the cups.

I would agree. Also a good reason to use bigger more visible cups!

-todd

I saw Gali Gali on tape and didn't much care at all for his acts...saw two different ones.
His cups and balls material was not deceptive at all. I always wondered why all the hype about it?
Johnny Ace was one of my teachers early on in magic and I always enjoy his cups act.
Ross Bertram had a gentle touch with the chicks he used in his act. I have him on tape doing his cups act and it is good to watch ...hard to see his loading the chicks even when you know when to look.

Mobius

Gali-Gali's work was careless. I don't think he intentionally broke the chicks' legs. He had a great reputation among magicians, though, except for that one little foible.

He and Scarne challenged one another to a "cup off."

I should add that Danny Dew invented a loading device for chicks. Only a few sets were made.

I had one on loan and had to give it back. Simple too. Was thinking of making/selling them, but figure the market is too small.

Do it. I know a lot of people who have the cups but not the loaders.