It was Friday night at a house somewhere near Asheville,North Carolina at a John Calvert lecture. For those of you who don't know John Calvert is now 97 years old and man does he still have the spark.The man had a wonderful lecture and even performed the dancing handkerchief in a living room. There were about 20 people there including Harry Anderson. John Calvert went to shake Harry's hand during the lecture and he came so close to performing a perfect watch steal.There was something on Harry's watch that got caught and wouldn't let him finish the steal.(it was cool because Harry had no Idea and John Calvert knew exactly when to stop and he knew if he continued that he would have been caught.)That is something you just learn from all of the years doing things like the watch steal.He later did do a watch steal and I didn't even catch it.You have to see this man do his watch steal if you haven't already. A watch steal with 80 years of practice is the best.Hope you enjoyed.

97 and still giving lectures? Now that's dedication. I'd love to see Calvert perform. That should give me plenty of inspiration for the rest of my life...

Lectures at ninety-seven. Just WOW.

WOW..

I know that I will not get very popular for this. If pick pocketing has always been associated with magic for the C&Bs players in the antic fairs were done to misdirect people passing by for pick pockets to cut their purses, up to this day I thought that this art was not magic but just a collateral damage of magic.

Now I saw a magician in France who would do a sort of scotch and soda effect and then trying to switch the coins very openly between his hand and the one of the spectator. He failed but the magic still had happened because, if the coins didn't travel, the spectator's watch had traveled to the performer's wrist and the performer's one had moved to the spectator's wrist: a real magical transfer.

So much for my prejudice...

John Calvert is the Greatest Living Magician.

I saw him when I was a kid and later got to know him as an adult.

Having seen him at his prime was a rare treat. At 97 he's still head and shoulders about most people.

John gave a lecture in Little Rock a few (4 maybe) years ago and he certainly did have panache. I have to admit though that I really got a kick out of him giving one of the young kids grooming tips. For some reason before the end of his lecture, John had made a wardrobe change. Seems like it was from a red tux jacket to a gold one. Anyway, he points out to a 17-years old kid who had his hair pulled back in a pony tail, that he needed to think about his appearance. He told him that in his day if a kid with hair like that showed up for a job with him, he wouldn't even hire him to work on his yacht. The kid took it well but ever since we rib him about not being able to work on John's boat.

Yes, but the magician watch is the most cheap and ugly watch I have ever seen...
Besides his watch steal technic are rather basic, more like an arm lock in aikido...
For me it's all except magic.
I prefer so far a real pickpocket artist like Gene Turner.
he exchanges the watch but it's so clean and smooth, the absolut opposite of this French Magician.

Just because you don't like the magician's technique, doesn't mean you can't learn from the idea.


I've seen this trick. I really like the idea behind it. Gene Turner can do it without the gimmick.


But he manhandles too much for my taste. Gene is great at what he does, I just found what works for me.


I don't think the trick is sold anymore.

The guy who makes David Stone's dvds used to sell it.

Maybe he still has some.

That is great, still performing and 3 years older then me. Thanks for sharing Matt.

Decomp

Saw him lecture and it was AMAZING he is so smooth with everything he does. I quit smoking so I can perform when I'm in my 90's still.

John is a classic!

I just hope to be alive when I'm that age!