Illusions, Escape & Stage in Magic & Conjuring: page 1

A mind-boggling illusion that you can do without having to buy expensive props or building stuff yourself. Do it with any two screens at the venue you are performing at. This trick can be done almost anywhere and under almost all conditions.

They know it can't be done and so do you. However, you do it anyhow. This creates the perfect illusion that you have actually squeezed a lady from the audience into a tiny doll house and carried her across the room or stage! Unbelievable, but true.

This is a new and improved version of an old U. F. Grant idea. You have two folding screens on stage...

This is called the Marvelous Devil Illusion because you will marvel at its cleverness. Imagine producing the Devil, surrounded by a committee from the audiences, under test conditions. This is an almost forgotten U. F. Grant idea that has been revised and updated for today's magicians by Devin Knight.

Here is the original Grant ad copy:

At last, here is a new illusion effect and one that any performer may own. Yet, here is an illusion which will compete with the best of them and it will not cost you several hundred dollars to own it or even a tenth of that. In my opinion this is more effective than the Interlude Illusion at a fraction of the cost.

EFFECT: Setting at the center of the stage are four chairs, in a row facing the audience. There is a space between the two center chairs wide enough for the performer to walk through. A girl assistant is then placed in a reclining position across the seats of the four chairs....

A rare insight into Al Mann's least-known manuscript, The Sensational Boiler Escape. In 1987, Mann revised this effect and sold the exclusive rights to Devin Knight as a unique demonstration of psychic powers to be used on a TV show. The effect was as follows:

The performer is visibly locked into an examined metal boiler, which is then filled with boiling water! The performer claims he will be able to survive the scalding waters because of his psychic powers. The level of the water is seen rising on the indicators and the temperature is recorded on the boiler's thermometer.

The boiler...

If you haven't heard of Retro-Gravity, it was a self-levitation that Al Mann and Devin Knight created over 20 years ago. It has been kept under wraps all these years. Whispered about on the underground, and hinted that it would be released someday... That day is NOW.

Retro-Gravity allows you to levitate 2 to 4 inches in the air. It is a special gimmick you attach to your shoe and once done is completely invisible. Any time you wear your shoes, you are ready to levitate. Anywhere, anytime under any conditions! This means you can walk around in a restaurant, party or out door festival and levitate...

This is not your typical grandma's (ala Grandma's necklace) version of rope through body. Instead, this is ropes through body on steroids. It uses no gimmick rope either and everything can be examined. This is an illusion that fits into a briefcase and yet fills the stage with three spectators and yourself. Talk about playing big and packing small, this is the ultimate. It's based on an historical fact that pirates use to torture people for both information and for the entertainment of the crew. This is a historical fact that makes this version of the trick not only logical, but historically...

THIS ILLUSION IS 100% SAFE AND NOBODY CAN BE HARMED. IT IS JUST AN ILLUSION, BUT ONE OF THE MOST CONVINCING YOU WILL EVER SEE.

"The method is brilliant! It is important to realize that in this trick, like in the buzz saw illusion, no one is hurt, injured or killed. Also, no state or federal laws are broken." - Ron Levy

Every magician should know how to escape from any pair of regulation handcuffs at any time. You can even challenge people to bring cuffs from home to your show and yet, you escape. You can challenge any police department and yet escape from their cuffs.

Imagine you could do this without carrying lots of picks, keys, shims and without years of practice and study! Imagine you could do this for less than a dollar! Well, it's true. In this PDF you will learn two easy ways to escape from any cuffs within a few minutes. A secret source gives you everything you need for less than a dollar. This...

All my secrets of how to become invisible when I was performing as Jason Michaels and more. Never before revealed. You get invisibility secrets you can use on stage or outdoors. Methods by Al Mann, UF Grant, Tony Shields, Bill Neff, and myself. Methods for everyone. Learn how Bill Neff would become invisible while addressing the audience, how psychics walk thru the audience invisible. They can hear you but not see you. Disappear while walking down the street. Secrets behind my invisibility stunts that made the front page. No pipe dreams. All methods have been used. Visibly turn into a cardboard cut-out on...

Jack Hughes was a master builder and craftsman who created and built props for some of the biggest names in magic for decades. Most of the items he built were his own inventions. The few that were not he most often improved significantly.

Every item is carefully described in terms of its effect, apparatus, and performance. Nevertheless, the emphasis is on the prop with detailed drawings and dimensions to allow anybody handy to replicate these wonderful magic tricks. (The drawings are not blue-print type construction drawings, but rather sketches and illustrations with the main dimensions...

The following illusions and apparatus are described in this volume:

• Auto-Rise
• Break-A Way Box
• Buttons
• Sydney Sterk's Patter Routine For Buttons
• Camera Dove
• Can Can Polka
• The Cardometer
• Card - Ring
• Card Rising Box
• Change-Over Ring
• Jack Hughes Clatter Box
• The Comedy Clock
• The Crown Jewel
• Jack Hughes' Crystal Screen
• More Crystal Screen Suggestions
• Dolls House Illusion
• Dovenus
• Doves To Dog
• Doves: Training and Breeding
• Drooping Daisy
• Evacuee Doll
• Fantastic Figures Of Foo
• Four Wrongs - Make A Right
• Ghost Glass
• Giant Dwarf
• Gloves To Dove
• Hats Off! The King!
• Improved Tele-Flash ...

The following illusions and apparatus are described in this volume:

• The Chinese Rising Cards
• The Wrist Spiker Illusion
• Needle Thru' Body
• Doves To Poodle
• The Sword Maiden Illusion
• Visibly Sawing Thru' A Person
• The Girl Through Glass Illusion
• The Buzz Saw Illusion
• The Card Target
• Edwin's Sponge Ball Routine 'Roger The, Lodger'
• Beado
• Knife Thru' Girl Illusion
• The Middle For Diddle Illusion
• The Modern Cabinet Illusion
• The Vanishing Cage And Girl Illusion
• Slicing A Slave Illusion
• Cabaret Girl Vanish
• The Striptease Illusion
• The Girl's Gone Illusion
• The Revolving Broomstick Suspension ...

The trilogy contains all of Jack Hughes creations, a staggering amount of illusions, apparatus and props. Each illusion comes with drawings that depict its construction and its main dimensions. While the drawings and sketches do show all the pertinent details, these are not blueprints that have every little dimension spelled out. Nevertheless, anybody who has built a box before will have no problem in building any of these apparatus. It is a tremendous source book for ideas for any prop builder and illusion builder.

If you are planning to add an illusion to your show this is required reading.

Is this ebook for me? Here is David in his own words:

From the preface:

This is the first volume in Chris Stolz's Theatre Illusions series. This series is meant to provide theatre productions with solutions to those special effects so often called for in the story or script. These can be illusions, special theatre props, transformations and much more. Each ebook in the series focuses on a different popular show. In this first installment, Chris focuses on the magical props and effects for Beauty and the Beast.

Audiences are always prepared to suspend their disbelief. It's when they don't have to that you have something truly special.

Beauty and the Beast is...

The art of rope tying and methods of obtaining releases from ropes, chains and shackles. New cut and restored rope effects including a number of original ties and releases.

• Houdini Did Not Steal This Book!
• Introduction
• Special Instructions For Beginners Suggestion As To Arrangement And Application
• Handling Committee
• Rope Tying And Release Methods
  • The Mysterious Knots
  • The Kellar Tie
  • The Improved Kellar Tie
  • The Figure 8 Tie
  • The Mysterious Tie
  • B. H. Strangle Rope Tie
  • Important Points
  • "New Spirit Tape Tie"
  • The Twentieth Century Tie
  • B. H. Triumph Tie
  • The Ten Ichi Thumb Tie
  • The Excelsior...

The house is packed. Standing room only! Your music starts and you walk out to begin the show and everything goes wrong. The music fails, you forgot to load some of the magic. Your favorite routine comes apart and you are standing in front of a large audience with no clue what do to next.

Speak with any entertainer and they will confirm that mistakes and problems are part of the performance. These situations are not reserved for any specific magician. Young or old, just beginning or seasoned veteran, we all experience problems at some time or another.

This ebook helps identify ways to...

This is not an ebook of illusion blueprints, and it is not intended to be complete. As the title suggests, it is a book of "secrets", illustrating how each levitation is performed. The illustrations and descriptions are sufficient for an experienced builder to translate into finished illusions. This ebook also satisfies the merely curious who would like to know how some of these illusions are accomplished.

Featured are:

• INDIAN LEVITATION
• FLOATING GIRL
• MYSTERY OF LHASA
• AGA
• SWORD AERIAL
• BED OF ARROWS
• FAN ILLUSION
• WALKING ON SWORDS
• FLYING CARPET
• ONE MAN LEVITATION
• CHAIR SUSPENSION ...

This is not an ebook of illusion blueprints, and it is not intended to be complete. As the title suggests, it is a book of "secrets", illustrating how each sawing is performed. The illustrations and descriptions are sufficient for an experienced builder to translate into finished illusions. This ebook also satisfies the merely curious who would like to know how some of these illusions are accomplished.

Illusions featured:

• Sawing a woman in halves (Selbit's Method)
• Horace Goldin's Method
• Horace Goldin's method (Using one girl)
• Abott's Method
• Using circular saw and a plank
• Vertical Sawing Illusion ...

Magic with choppers, guillotines, cutters, knives, etc., found a place in the programs of famous magicians like Virgil, Dr. Satan, Sorcar, Kalanag, Blackstone, and many others. In this compilation, we give you the secrets of more than ten such tricks. With some magical sense, you can get your illusions of decapitation or beheading made by a good carpenter, or else you can buy one ready-made for your show.

Illusions featured:

• Just A Few Words
• Cigarette Cutter
• Finger Chopper
• Wrist Chopper
• Mino Hand Wrist Guillotine
• Goodliffe's Leg Chopper
• Will Ayling's Leg/Head Chopper
• Virgil's Head Chopper
• Lester Lake...

A massive collection of information with a huge amount of beautiful illustrations mostly compiled from the pages of Scientific American magazine. The introduction is by Henry Ridgely Evans.

During the 1890s, Scientific American magazine published detailed explanations of magic illusions. The informant for the magazine was no other than William E. Robinson, aka Chung Ling Soo, who at that time was the stage manager for Harry Kellar. Kellar was upset once he found out that he had a mole in his company who would feed the descriptions of some of his most popular illusions to the magazine, including the rope tie that formed the basis of his Spirit...

Two volumes and amongst the most valuable to the young performer who wants really practical professional advice right from the start. Alan Alan is one of the world's most highly paid escapologists and without revealing his very closest secrets he explains how the simplest stunt or effect can be built up into a great money-making act.

An extract from Alan Alan's death defying escape from a burning rope hanging over a cage of fierce lions is also included and completely analysed detail by detail by Alan Alan. Slightly muffled sound quality but the content is worth its weight in gold for anyone...

If you are looking for a detailed and informative plan to fabricate a deceptive base then Base Planning is the right ebook for you. On 25 pages with over 70 detailed diagrams and photos Aaron Chee describes everything clearly. Base Planning is suitable for beginner builders or professional builders. Even if you are not a builder Base Planning will guide you from scratch to the end product. The ebook covers: safety issues, positions and conditions, design and measurement, type of base, construction and finishes.

"The base planning ebook by Aaron Chee is one of the finest ebooks on illusion...