Since the search function isn't around I thought I'd just post this...anyone have any suggestions for putting together a Georgia Magnet Act?

--Tony

Yes.

http://www.google.com/search?q=georgia+m......e=active

The Jorganson booklet is very good.
Have used odd effects slotted into the normal act to good response.Not presented a complete show as such.

Ken.

Lulu Hearst wrote an autobiography that could provide inspiration straight from the source.

Here, coincidently enough, is a revised edition edited by Jorgenson:
http://www.amazon.com/Abbreviated-Autobi......1&sr=8-1

Thanks...just contacted Jorgenson and ordered his book....also got the Wiley book as well....

How have the effects worked for you, Ken? Not thinking of using these for a complete show, but, rather, as a smaller piece to a much larger one...

--T

They worked extremely well and had the same effect on the speckies as the jumping chairs routine.

Nice to put these gags in as they are not widely seen or known, a pleasant change for you and of a different tempo to the norm.

Ken.

The search function is around! Top right of the page under the "private message" tab.

Will now go and look at the links you guys posted (should be working so I am going to do that instead of working!)

Google for video of Brian Gillis and Sisuepahn doing their version fairly successfully.

John Bundy and Bob Friedhoffer are two good resources with firsthand performance experience.

Chris

On a side note, a lot of these and similar stunts are part of the arcana of Asian folk theater. There was a time when you could see a whole show. You still see bits and pieces, particularly at Taichi and Aikido demonstrations and on You Tube.

It's not Georgia Magnet, but there's two videos on here of "Miss Resista,"
http://www.britishpathe.com/results.php?search=miss+resista
Just for fun.

Critter, that is great, Eepecially where Miss Resista gets heavier in mid air!

Thought I'd chime in here.

First, thanks for the compliments on my monographs on the subject.

Barry Wiley's book is the best resource there is on the subject. It prints her complete autobiography, which is in two parts: The history and her travels, and the Secrets. All are clear and he did a great job cleaning up the photos, etc. This book is still available and is very reasonable, about $35-$40. It also contains almost all the separately published pamphlets and exposes on the subject...stuff we'd never have found on our own. This is THE book to get on the subject. None better.

I put out 2 manuscripts on her before the Wiley book came out. The first was the 'Abbreviated Autobiography'. I tried to leave out of the book all the repetitious work (who was in the audience, What they did onstage, what they said to the press,press clippings, what happened when, etc.), and tried to leave in everything that was of interest to the performer (did you know there is an indication that Anna Eva Fay's hubby got arrested for fraudulently trying to book themselves AS Lulu?).

Between the above two books, I'd get Wiley's.

There is a very nice article from Cassier's magazine, 1885 (I think), available online that gives several more stunts that are not listed in the Wiley book. I printed that one out as a courtesy, for several years. It retailed at $5. You can search for it online tho.

The second manuscript "The New Georgia Magnet Act" had the premise of mounting the act using contemporary magic instead of slinging spekkies around stage and getting sued. Basically it was a compendium of ideas under the Magnet Mitox. Might save you a bit of thinking. This Mss. has the No-Lift stunt and how to do it. Guys can't lift your petite assistant off the ground, no gaffs or gimmicks. Since Lulu never did this stunt, it is missing in the Wiley book. This one retails for $20 when I print them up.

I'll be putting this last one up on Lulu by the end of next month, along with the Medicine Show manual and a few others, btw.

All the best in mounting this show.

This is truly amazing! I never heard of this before.

With the recent talk of strongman acts, could this be used in that context? I've never actually seen this act before and have no idea of the workings of it, but to me it seems that this could fit in well with it.

Also, could this be performed by a child rather than an adult? This would create a real David and Goliath feel to the act. Massive guy from the audience unable to shift a small kid.

Again, no idea of the methodology that makes this work so could (and probably am) talking rubbish

I wish I could tell you...I've never taught the No-Lift to a kid , and I was 125# when I was doing it. I rather doubt it would work with a child, but it may well do so. The general Lulu stuff was performed when she was 14-16 yrs old (as I recall) but she was a hefty little farmgirl who could probably wring the top off a fencepost if she tried.

I think it might work for a young teenager, if that's what you had in mind, but a 10 yr old? I doubt it.

As you study this,if you do, you might keep in mind an interesting puzzle, something I've always found fascinating. She claimed this true even after she exposed all the secret's methods:

She could not do any of it unless she waited, on stage, until she giggled. Before that, the power, 'The Great Unknown', wasn't there. After the giggle, she was good to go. And sometimes she waited a looong time for the giggle to come upon her. The audience waited with her.

I don't know what that means or implies, but the sentence is usually ignored or unnoticed by everyone commenting about her, and it seems that it was crucial to her function.

Tom

It sounds like she had to recognize that she was pulling the wool over everybody's eyes, and the giggle allowed her to blow off the stress.

You might have hit it dead on!

If I correctly remember that she was somewhat religious, she would've felt guilty about the fraud. It would also provide a motivation for exposing all of her work.

BTW Tom, thanks for having done the Lulu Hearst Society. It was one of the great unknown series of publications, and had wonderful content.

This is all very interesting