Magic & Conjuring: page 15

During a very exclusive lecture for about one hundred magicians Karl demonstrated the impact and the value of his routines. That day he was nearly 75 years old and at about the same time, David Copperfield received standing ovations at his opening performance in the Deutsche Theater in München, only a few miles away from that place Karl received standing ovations for his commercial and entertaining close-up magic.

Magicians who are seeking that evanescent "something new" which, like the Family Ghost, is very often talked about but seldom seen, will, I venture to prophesy, find "something new" in Original Magical Creations.

In penning this volume my aim has been twofold. In the first place, I have set out to describe in detail the methods by which certain experiments originated by myself are performed, and secondly my endeavour has been to teach how to perform them, which is a totally different proposition.

To carry out this plan in its entirety, the inclusion of the covering...

People always ask me, "Where do you get those wacky ideas?". I'm finally going to reveal just where they do come from. It turns out that there is a whole town where future magic is invented. They are way ahead of us. It is called Magicville and it exists in a parallel dimension as it were. And it just so happens, I invented a phone with which I can call Magicville directly! It is a direct line to Magicville! In Chapter 1 I'll show and tell how...

This is my first book on Magic, and it will probably be my last, because its contents are the result of my life’s work.

All the sleights and tricks explained in this book have been worked by me; therefore I know they are practical. One often hears of tricks which seem to be very good theoretically, but which turn out to be anything but good when one tests them by a private rehearsal.

The Author of Magic For the Millions is a retired magician of many years experience as a professional showman, entertainer, writer, compiler and creator of humor. He lets us peek into the mysteries of magic; he regales us with a lot of new party stunts; he tells us what to do to amuse guests at the dinner table.

The welcome accorded to Design for Magic has given me the necessary encouragement to present this present volume. I hope that among the score of original ideas and effects, there may be something of use for every type of magician. Some of the effects rely in part upon mechanism for their accomplishment. My views on mechanism in Magic agree with those well expressed by John Mulholland, who a few years ago wrote the following in The Sphinx.

"When mechanics are used in Magic, they must be so designed and constructed that they are infallible. When a trick depends on mechanism and the mechanism fails...

But, there has always been a dearth of practical routines, probably due to the difficulty encountered by most magicians in linking tricks into a smoothly flowing series of mysteries and, perhaps, because of some innate trait of laziness found in most of us. That is why I am so impressed and pleased with the text of Jim’s book. It truly helps to fill an unfortunate gap in magical...

I first heard of Jim Thompson in the pages of Ted Annemann's Jinx. Then his main interest was mental magic. I have never seen him perform but I have seen many magicians use the tricks he has put into print. I always visualize him as a mild mannered man who would make an excellent beacon in a blackout. See his "Moonlight Madness," page 301 in Annemann's Practical Mental Effects, or page 265 in My Best.

This current volume of "Top Secrets" is the second in a planned trilogy. You have most of the objects needed for the feats described. If something special is required, Jim will tell you how to make it, or where to buy it....

With this distinguished background it is little wonder that his latest series of books, Top Secrets of Magic, of which this is the third, is a veritable treasure trove of material, clearly and simply explained, and displaying a remarkable knowledge of what has been done and is being done today in every branch of conjuring. The large clear photographs make the text delightfully easy to follow. Magicians throughout the world will look forward now to volume 4, then 5, and as many more as Jim will find time to write, for he is putting together a series of such scope...

The following chapters will be found to be practical lessons in conjuring. Many people have the erroneous idea that if they know how a trick is done they are quite capable of presenting it to an audience. I have always found that a very little experience will show such persons that the mere knowledge of the secret of a trick is not of much value to a beginner unless it is accompanied by some simple instructions showing him the best way of using his knowledge. Therefore, I shall not merely give...

I will introduce this book by a little story told to me by a certain well-known conjurer. It concerns an experience of his while on tour in the north. By some mischance his luggage, including all the elaborate apparatus used by him in his tricks and illusions, went astray on the railway. He telegraphed for it up and down the line, but without result. For the time being it was hopelessly lost. What was to be done? The position was as awkward as it well could be. The bills announcing his performance had been out several days. Most of the reserved seats had already been...

A few sporadic contributions to magical journals here and abroad followed The Art of Magic. The most important of these stray papers was the first account, in The Sphinx, of a thought-reading card trick of my own invention that has since enjoyed considerable popularity. I refer to the experiment commonly known as "The Telephone Trick." No one was more surprised than myself at the immediate and widespread popularity of this trick. That its success was not ephemeral, I judge from the fact that Mr. Thayer still keeps it in stock, and that many writers,...

The ideal way of learning magic is, it almost goes without saying, to obtain lessons from a magician who is not only a skilful performer but who has also the gift of teaching. The number of such magicians is small. Skilful performers there are in plenty; but the gift of teaching is a rare one. Many a man knows his subject thoroughly, yet cannot impart his knowledge to others.

This ideal way is therefore a difficult one. The learner has first to find an efficient instructor. He may be able to do so if he lives in or near one of the great cities. But if not he will...

Before the young conjurer sets out to try and entertain his friends he should first devote a little time every day to practice. I always believe in a little practice every day. Every trick that one is going to present should be rehearsed over and over again until one is practically tired of it. When the conjurer knows a trick in that way he finds, when he is presenting it to an audience, that he is by no means tired of it, because the trick goes so well that he is bound to like it and it probably becomes one of his favourite tricks.