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The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » What happened, was this... » » On the lighter side – Magic’s Urban Legends (0 Likes) Printer Friendly Version

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Attilio
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Toronto Canada
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Hi everyone, I’m not sure if this post belongs in the card forum or not, but my example deals with cards, so I thought I’d put it here. Anyhow, I’ve noticed that everyone seems to be extremely serious and into some very heavy topics regarding things such as assigning proper credit to magic tricks, and slights; perfecting a particular effect/move; or where can I learn this and that. As a result I would like to lighten things up a bit by discussing some magical urban legends. People or events that we’ve all heard about but their validity is highly suspect. I want everyone to have fun with this, so please contribute freely Smile I’ll start it off...

A couple of days ago I was reading through some posts here on the Magic Café and came across a very interesting story regarding the practice of sliding a double (two cards together as one) across a bar or table and the cards staying perfectly aligned giving the illusion of being only one card. In this post, the member mentioned that it was the great magician Persi Diaconis who demonstrated this move to a group of people and when he did, it appeared as though he “messed up” because the double separated. Upon closer inspection, it was noticed that he did not mess up. In fact he slid TWO doubles from the bottom of his deck of cards across the table.

After reading this post I remembered hearing the exact same story a few times, but Persi’s name was never mentioned. Someone else in the café also heard the same story, but it was a different magician every time he heard it as well. So I started thinking to myself that this could be an urban legend. They always start the same way…. You see, it happened to a guy my brother works with best friend’s neighbor type of thing.

As I mentioned before, please have fun with this, I’m very interested to hear some of the stories other members have.

Regards,
Attilio
Elwood
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I think the biggest legend in Magic must be that of John Scarne, and his amazing ability to follow the four aces through the deck as a spectator shuffled the cards, and cut exactly to an ace every time.

Apparently Scarne was that skilled with cards, a "law" was passed in all casinos forbidding him from dealing cards, or even handling a deck that was not securely held with a rubber band.

Far fetched, or a real display of skill?
christopher carter
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I can't say whether Persi Diaconis ever slid two doubles like you describe, but just the other day I saw that exact stunt demonstrated at Midwest Magic in Franklin Park, Illinois. It was pretty impressive.

--Chris
Jonathan Townsend
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Ossining, NY
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Someone told me there is a version of the cylinder and coins with really clean looking vanishes and where what appears under the cylinder and under the cork bit are four real coins.

Also, there was a manuscript for a 'perfect coin vanish' on shelf at Tannen's. It was a limited edition run and sold out in a week. It has not been reprinted and no copies have show up on ebay.
...to all the coins I've dropped here
Craig Krisulevicz
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Philadelphia, PA
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Can somoone post a link to this thread? This sliding doubles thing sounds interesting. Thanks
Who is John Galt?
wsduncan
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If it was indeed Persi Diaconis I wouldnt' be suprised. It's not a name many in magic know well and it wouldnt' be one that's easy to remember.

Given the number of times someone here on the Café has called Fechter's "Be Honest What Is It?", David Blaine's "Two Card Monte" it's not suprising that Professor Diaconis's name would be lost in the telling.
danny
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On the Scarne story. I watched a show where Bill Malone performed Scarne's Aces trick but was blindfolded on the third ace. Was this a copy or the original trick? Does anyone know?
Wolfgang
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Quote:
On 2003-07-27 10:50, Attilio wrote:
After reading this post I remembered hearing the exact same story a few times, but Persi’s name was never mentioned. Someone else in the café also heard the same story, but it was a different magician every time he heard it as well. So I started thinking to myself that this could be an urban legend. They always start the same way…. You see, it happened to a guy my brother works with best friend’s neighbor type of thing.
This really happened. My aunt's hairdresser saw it. Unfortunately, he ate Pop Rocks and drank a Pepsi after performing it and died. They found his body wearing a scuba suit in a burnt forest by the ocean. And they had to pump his and Rod Stewart's stomach. I swear it's true.
"Sure, I do Scotch and Soda in every show. What? You mean there's a trick by that name?"
landmark
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within a triangle
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Quote:
On 2003-07-27 22:34, Wolfgang wrote:
Quote:
On 2003-07-27 10:50, Attilio wrote:
After reading this post I remembered hearing the exact same story a few times, but Persi’s name was never mentioned. Someone else in the café also heard the same story, but it was a different magician every time he heard it as well. So I started thinking to myself that this could be an urban legend. They always start the same way…. You see, it happened to a guy my brother works with best friend’s neighbor type of thing.
This really happened. My aunt's hairdresser saw it. Unfortunately, he ate Pop Rocks and drank a Pepsi after performing it and died. They found his body wearing a scuba suit in a burnt forest by the ocean. And they had to pump his and Rod Stewart's stomach. I swear it's true.
Uhh. . . wasn't he also missing a kidney?

landmark
Attilio
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Toronto Canada
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Hi financedragon,

You were asking about the thread about sliding out doubles. Here is a link to the thread where I read it.

Click Here!

It was posted by Pete Biro. If you are interested in this move, he might be able to help you out.
Geoff Latta
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New York
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Attilio,

It's called "The Impeccable Double" and is in Cliff Green's "Professional Card Magic". The gag with two doubles (apparently you blow it and they split) was floating around in the 1970's. I used to do it. Probably still can. It's by no means a myth.

Best,
Geoff
"There is a thin line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line." --Oscar Levant
RiffClown
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Yorktown, Virginia (Previously Germany)
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The Ultimate Urban Legend Smile
I know this guy whose neighbor, a young man, was home recovering from having been served a rat in his bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

So anyway, one day he went to sleep and when he awoke he was in his bathtub and it was full of ice and he was sore all over. When he got out of the tub he realized that HIS KIDNEYS HAD BEEN STOLEN and he saw a note on his mirror that said "Call 911!"

But he was afraid to use his phone because it was connected to his computer, and there was a virus on his computer that would destroy his hard drive if he opened an e-mail entitled "Join the crew!" He knew it wasn't a hoax because he himself was a computer programmer who was working on software to save us from Armageddon when the year 2000 rolls around. His program will prevent a global disaster in which all the computers get together and distribute Gates. (It's true-I read it all last week in a mass e-mail from BILL GATES HIMSELF, who was also promising me a free Disney world vacation and $5,000 if I would forward the e-mail to everyone I know.)

The poor man then tried to call 911 from a pay phone to report his missing kidneys, but reaching into the coin-return slot he got jabbed with an HIV-infected needle around which was wrapped a note that said, "Welcome to the world of AIDS." Luckily he was only a few blocks from the hospital-the one, actually, where that little boy who is dying of cancer is, the one whose last wish is for everyone in the world to send him an e-mail and the American Cancer Society has agreed to pay him a nickel for every e-mail he receives.

I sent him two e-mails and one of them was a bunch of x's and o's in the shape of an angel (if you get it and forward it to twenty people you will have good luck but ten people will only have OK luck and if you send it to less than ten people you will have BAD LUCK FOR SEVEN YEARS).

So anyway the poor guy tried to drive himself to the hospital, but on the way he noticed another car driving along without his lights on. To be helpful, he flashed his lights at him and was promptly shot as part of a gang initiation. And it's a little-known fact that the Y1K problem caused the Dark Ages.
Rob "Riff, the Magical Clown" Eubank aka RiffClown
<BR>http://www.riffclown.com
<BR>Magic is not the method, but the presentation.
Wolfgang
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Quote:
So anyway the poor guy tried to drive himself to the hospital, but on the way he noticed another car driving along without his lights on. To be helpful, he flashed his lights at him and was promptly shot as part of a gang initiation. And it's a little-known fact that the Y1K problem caused the Dark Ages.
You forgot to mention that he crashed because of the JATO rocket attached to the top of his car. Really, my sister did a report about it at school.
"Sure, I do Scotch and Soda in every show. What? You mean there's a trick by that name?"
Attilio
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Toronto Canada
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Hahahahahaha, very nice story Rob!!!! that completely made my day!!!!!


Attilio
jmm1303
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Tennessee
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That's a tad Hokey.
Neale Bacon
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I think the biggest Urban Legend in magic is the story of Houdini doing a chain escape being dropped through a hole in a frozen river and getting swept downstream while breathing in air pockets under the ice.

I saw Jamy Ian Swiss comment on this once and he said that Houdini was doing the number one job of a magician...fooling the public...some 60+ years after his death!
Neale Bacon and his Crazy Critters
Burnaby BC
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www.baconandfriends.com
RoyHolidayMagic
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I'm pretty sure that magic's most famous urban legend is that of the Indian Rope trick being performed in the middle of a desert.
Reis O'Brien
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I recently heard a story where a friend of Harry Houdini took Harry for a ride in his new "motor car". As he pulled up to the theater to drop Harry off, Harry started tugging and struggling with the handle and then turns to his friend and says "Say, how do you get out of this thing?"

Imagine the world's greatest escape artist stuck in a Ford convertable!

Just thought I'd share that. Who knows how true it is.
Smile
Homo vult decipi; decipiatur

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Lee Darrow
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Once upon a time, a group of Chicago magicians decided to play one on Ed Marlo. At a magic meeting, they started talking about this monkey at the Brookfield Zoo that could deal impeccable seconds.

Marlo's reply was, "Strike? or push offs?"

Coule be true.

Lee Darrow, C.Ht.
http://www.leedarrow.com
<BR>"Because NICE Matters!"
ursusminor
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Norway
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We need more "urban legends" in magic!
It starts people thinking: "Can it be done?"
Next, they start experimenting.
And before you know it, someone finds a way!

Bjørn
"Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them
pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened."
- Winston Churchill"
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