I want to put together a "snake oil" salesman style routine. Do any of you do this style routine and are you willing to help? I need some ideas so I can begin framing the show. Thanks in advance!

Trey

A person recently put out a book on a medicine show act (Gootch?) and even showed how to use a keister (handy little thing that).

I bought the book and built a keister, but haven't done a lot with it yet. I liked the book though - it had a lot of potential as a routine development tool and an act and I will work on it until it's firmly in the repetoire. It'd probably go well with a flea circus too (there's a book/cd on that as well).

If you do a search, you'll probably find these items. I'd start there.

Regards,


Kevin Mc Lean.

If you've ever seen Sid Lorraine's routine, you'd have seen one of the best. I'm not sure if he ever published it, but was spectacular to an audience, literally had them eating out of his hands.
If you contact Micky Hades, he may have published something.

There are three fairly recent publications that might be of interest:

Medicine Show Know How by Doc Dazzal
The Medicine Show Manual by Tom Jorgenson
The Medicine Show by Bev Bergeron

Search the Café and/or Google.

Has anyone seen the Kickapoo Medicine Show Magic Manual?
by Magic Marketing Company

I have Doc Dazzals book. Good information, he gives ideas for some tricks, routining, and also does a bit with music, an organ of sorts.

I have scripted and performed a medicine show.

I have The Medicine Show Manual by Jorgenson. I think it is really good for getting you thinking. I highly recommend it. I also purchased the Kickapoo Medicine Show Manual off of eBay. Personally, I would pass on this one unless you just need some introduction patter. It feels to me like the start of a book that was given up on. There are a few good tips, but nothing that you couldn't pick up by just looking at some video on the internet of other medicine show routines. It isn't bad, just not great. I don't have the other sources mentioned.

Personally, I scripted most of my medicine show and THEN purchased the above two books. I like the idea of working independently of other sources but then fine tune my presentation with what I learn from the books.

My show is set up as a medicine show and the magic revolves around the product (i.e. how it is made, the power of the product, etc..), but in the middle, I say that in exchange for the opportunity selling them medicine, I have agreed to do part of my magic show from the successful European tour. (Pretty sure I picked this up from Jorgenson's book) This is relatively short and flashy. I do cups and balls, the square circle and some silk magic (with those I produced from the square circle).

However, I also have stories, a poem and jokes, not just magic. I shoot for entertainment as a whole. For full disclosure, I have only performed the entire routine a few times. I have performed parts of it many times over. I am waiting for a warm enough weekend to perform at a local flea market. Cold fingers and cups and balls are not good combinations. I have also thought about doing this at some nursing homes both for fine tuning the routine and for providing entertainment to people who could really use it.

There is a 1947 Black and white western movie named "Yankee Fakir" in it the actors do a plausible job of both pitching items such as snake oil and one performs some decent parlor effects.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040008/

I do a Medicine Show that I have worked on since 1995. If you go to my site you can see a view of my traveling wagon I use. If you care to see better photos e-mail me. I don't know how to post photos here. I put my show together without any books by performers although I have bought a couple mentioned. My show goes beyond magic, I try to incorporate the many shades of the Medicine Shows of old. It was a truly eventful form of entertainment.One of the many areas of Medicine Shows was the inclusion of scientific discoveries unknown to the masses "out West". It was not al about snake oil.

Dr. Solar

Take a look at Tommy Windsor medicine pitch show.

I have just bought the "Medicine Show Manual" by Tom Jorgenson. I hope it has some usable info. Dr. Solar, I really dig your site. I would like to talk sometime.


Trey

Dr. Solar,
That's a great wagon & bicycle thingy (what do you call that combo?). Did you build those yourself? Would you call that wagon a Vardo?

I got the "Medicine Show Manual" yesterday. There are a few good tidbits in there. Really quick read. (took all of and hour) The keister plans are good ideas. All in all. I am glad I got it. But I think its a bit spendy for what you get. It sure needed a good proof read. And to be printed on both sides of the page. Also some better pics would have been nice. Just my two cents....

Trey

Trey,

For fun, cast an eye on Dr. Cornelius Poindexter's Miracle Elixir: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45fIXb8qJHQ&feature=related.

Or watch the master, Pop Haydn, at work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7pz4AYf1Vo&feature=related. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r10oHjDaBdc.

Thanks Ms. Merizing. I agree with you Pop Haydn is the master.

Trey

Hello Trey and epoptika,

My wagon has been called a Vardo, I do not live in it but could I guess. I have slept many a nights in it at show sites. My system kicks out 850 watts in the sun. Enough power to power up my woodshop where I build my props and all. A famous ventriloquist figure maker, Quisto (1882-1960) lived and worked in a gypsy vardo, and word has it he fell off the roof during a storm and died. I have enough power to fire up bands for festivals well into the night. My Medicine Show is about family entertainment including magic that highlights my Wizard Oil's claims. The tricycle is solar charged as well. The motor goes up to 18 mph with about 15 mile range. I have now included a mock calliope on the rear complete with sound and bubbles for parade use and grounds act at fairs.
This is the World's First Solar Powered Theatre for sure! Others are making the claim but mine has been in use much longer and it provides all theatrical venues, live theater, motion pictures on a seven foot screen that pulls down, and at times, mutoscopes those Turn-of-the-Century coin operated flicker photo "films" that brought vaudeville to its end. It is 100% solar theater, AND, solar power is the source of night time production.
If the economy continues to dive, I will be living in it,ala Professor Marvel, Wizard of Oz.

Doc

Looks like a 1st class production Doc!

Doc, I'm awed and envious of that fine medicine show wagon! I'm going to be doing my little one-suitcase medicine show, the "Laughter is the Best Medicine Show" over three days at the Texas Folklife Festival in June. I pitched it as a street performance medicine show so I could keep it short and snappy, and so I could get the greatest exposure over the course of the festival. It's just me, my concertina, my wooden partner Henry Little, and his pet coyote Waylon. Not much magic, mostly vent and comedy. I work in a 'late era' 1930's-'40's style, because most people think the medicine shows died out at the end of the 19th century, but conversations with older folks have told me that they actually survived, traveling the small towns, especially in the south, until the 1950's!

For more about both historic & contemporary Snake Oil & Medicine Shows, have a go with this link: http://www.sideshowworld.com/SO&MS.html.

The very cure for what's troubling you. The price is right!

Website. Page not found.