I agree with James Harrison: P&T's version of cups and balls using clear plastic cups and tin foil balls killed! Extremely magical and in no real way expository. It's been at least 13 or 14 years since I had the chance to see them perform in New York and the C&B routine was a real highlight of the show. Now, of course, MOFO stole the show as far as I'm concerned, but that's another story...

The loads are as follows:

Large balls under the end cups, then the cupful of smallest balls under the middle cup, and as the finale, the largest ball out of the same middle cup.

Terry

If I'm not mistaken Penn and Tellar didn't expose the way the trick worked because they were loading lemons, and potatoes and al kinds of things, then stealing them out and lapping them. It's been a loooooooong time since I've seen it but I remember enjoying it because it was one of those routines where they tell you they are going to expose it, but they actually fool the audience. I could be way off base but it was a skillfull bit of misdirection by Penn and some good slieght of hand by Tellar. I could be wrong but remember it's not the trick they saw, it's the trick they remember.

Thanks, Terry. Have you ever published the routine?

I haven't published a routine because the unique aspect to the effect is really the cups, balls, loads, and wand (all "crystal") - not the routine. The routine (moves) can go in diffrent directions.

I do hope that no other magician has "borrowed" the concept. Another magician and I worked out this effect in the mid-70's, and I believe we should be the only ones performing it.

Back around 1985 I had the opportunity to present it to a well-known name in magic who wanted to see it for possible inclusion in his shows, but he never used it for various reasons.

Terry

This is such a beautiful concept. I hope noone rips it off. Of course, it would be costly.

OK Terry, I'll bite. Who was it?

Jeffrey Campbell, of the Waukesha, Wisconsin, Jest For Fun Joke Shop, has a manuscript for Crystal Cups. I believe he is also it's author. Contact him through his website.

http://www.jokeshop.us/index.html

Crystal Cups ($9.95) Campbell - This was my first published book (Micky Hades International 1983). It began as a challenge from good buddy Don Lamb to do the cups and balls with clear cups. The challenge was accepted by Ron Dayton and myself. This book is the result. (autographed on request)

It's a completely different concept from Terry's or from Jason Latimer's. It is a good book, though.

Latimer's routine is simply amazing. It looks like he just slides the cups and balls disappear and reappear elsewhere. It is rumored that he will be marketing the cups with Porper I believe and he said he also may have a DvD with something like 140 moves because all of the moves for his clear cups are original. He will not be giving away his routine though.

Try using a single clear glass, doing a vanish and load quickly. It looks like an instant appearence. If any one thinks they've got it, you then proceed to chop the cup with a gimmick under a paper cover disproving their theory. After a couple of goes shove in a large load and while they're goggling at that, it's excellent misdirection for the vanish of the glass a la the old salt shaker through the table routine where you smash the paper flat on the table. Non of it's particularly original but it's very effective dining table magic.

I thought P&T routine was excellent by the way.

Can anyone tell me if the Cups And Balls by LATIMER on FISM 2003 are gimicked???
Are they special balls???
Will Latimer put his routine on the market???

That cups and balls was AMAZING!!!
And so BEAUTIFUL!!!

I've not seen Latimers routine using clear glass, but many, many years back, the in Holland living, stage and close-up performer Phoa Yan Tiong did a such routine using clear glasscups.

It was great and solely based on misdircetion..beautiful work.
-
Unfortunately Phoa is now in his early 80s, had two strokes and isn't at all interested in magic anymore -strange as this might sound taking into consideration he all his life was a working pro with a very beautiful act..but that's life

PS. Some might remember Phoa for his creation of the cut and restored silk..the one using no gimmicks, where the silk really is cut and the restauration is a *fake*..quite a concept in magic , to fake the restauration and really do what you show and tell 'em..
I think, somehow this principle might not be fully explored yet..to *fake* the magic...

Do a search via google under his name and some amazing info might pop up re Phoa..he really was a great performer in his time!

Phoa Yan Tiong has had a severe stroke, but Eddy Taytelbaum sees him often. He certainly was one of the great acts. I booked him as often as I could. He wrote three of four planned books, titled "The four seasons" Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. I don't recall exact titles but they are priceless.

He was a Marshal Arts instructor in The Netherlands. I think he was originally from what was known as the "Dutch East Indies." (What would that be now?)

That would probably be Indonesia and the surrounding area.

It was probably broken up into several different countries.

I'm not sure, but Eddy is from Surinam...
BTW it was Eddy who told me a couple of weeks back, that Phoa totally lost all interest in magic, could hardly talk, aso. so he really is badly hit
Eddy himself too has probs with the earlier *OK* leg and doesn't get out very often, he gets in pain when walking...

Please, can anyone answer my question? Thanks in advance!

Mesquita,
Perhaps the reason you didn't get an immediate answer is that it's been answered many times before. Jason Latimer's routine is his and not on the market... yet.

Whether it's gimmicked or not will be revealed when he chooses to sell it. I personally believe it's not gimmicked, but that Jason is taking advantage of a unique property of the cups.

Did Penn and Teller ever publish their routine with the clear dixie cups? It would be interesting to read.

Thanks Dave VanVranken!