Genii Speaks Richard Kaufman Contact us by calling 301-652-5800, e-mailing [email protected] or surfing our website at www.geniimagazine.com

I’M DOWN IN MIAMI BEACH, Florida time friend, has not only profiled this fascinating man, but right now, attending the I.B.M. annual conven- compiled an accompanying “” tribute to Allan tion. Attendance is lower than usual (and it’s with from: Aaron Fisher, Bill Goodwin, Nate Kranzo, looking like S.A.M. in Louisville will also be shy , Steve Beam, Gordon Bean, , and its usual number) because of F.I.S.M in Stock- more. • As promised, this month we bring you some rem- holm at the end of July. While some might think iniscences about the late Billy McComb. Leading off is that’s a bad thing, I find the intimacy of a slight- compiler Gordon Bean, who not only shares some of his ly smaller convention enjoyable. The highlight memories of Billy, but introduces contributions from Mac of the first evening show was Arden James. But King, Terry Seabrooke, Max Maven, , Milt then, Arden is always the highlight of whatever show he’s Larsen, and others, concluding with a particularly fine in. He’s wonderfully emotive and his work is consistently memorial by . • Pierre Meyer, who created good. After this, I’m off to the S.A.M. convention in “The Remarkable Little Man,” an automaton I wrote about Louisville, then onto Stockholm for FISM. some months ago, has produced a female cup and ball Two days before leaving Washington I received the news performer known as The Geisha. Her trick is even better that died just short of than her male predecessor and you his 53rd birthday. It’s been a damn can see her on p.30. • “Moodini” is not lousy nine months—I can’t remember a the name of a new chocolate drink, but year in recent memory when so many the moniker of a cow made to vanish notable people in our field have died on stage by Tom Yurasits to open the within so short a time. Tommy was cer- Allentown Fair in Pennsylvania last tainly one of the greats. From the mo- year. Paul Osborne introduces, then ment I first saw him lecture when I was Tom Yurasits explains, on p.16. 14, in 1972 in New York City, my mem- Mooooooooooo. • We’re pleased this ory is vivid: he was still Jos Bema then, issue to present a new monthly column and he performed the most astound- by Dustin Stinett: 100 Years Ago in the ing “Diminishing Card” I’ve ever seen. Sphinx, sponsored by Lybrary.com • He fanned the deck and the fan visibly This month Eric Mead, David Oliver, shrank—like a special effect in a film, and Joe M. Turner bring you the finest but done live in front of us. He also product reviews—flip to the back of performed a remarkable routine some- the book and learn what the experts thing like billiard-ball manipulations, think. • You’ll have noticed something but he was actually using flattened new attached to Genii this month; it’s spheres and doing amazing color what we call the “Genii Wrap” and it changes. Then he did a two-cup and Tommy Wonder enables us to bring your attention to a ball routine which fooled everyone in second story before you even open the room. I’ve known for many months that Tommy was ill the magazine—the first one features Billy McComb. • Next with lung cancer, but you always hope that perhaps the month Genii will contain a DVD with some surprises. odds will be overcome … though it rarely seems to happen. Watch for it. Who can forget his stage act set to classical music with his renditions of the classic “Orange, Lemon, and Egg,” Walking around here in the dealer room at the I.B.M. con- Floating birdcage, and Cups and Balls? It’s hard to imagine vention, I’ve found some fun things. There is a new maga- we’ll never see it again. Next month we’ll have an article zine out, but the twist is that it’s on DVD and comes out bi- about Tommy by Stephen Minch, one of Tommy’s closest monthly from Sandercrest Entertainment. Titled Enigma, friends and co-author of The Books of Wonder. the electronic periodical contains mini-lectures, interviews, and features with Dan Stapleton, Harry Allen, George When you meet our cover subject this month, , Schindler, Steve Hart, Vince Carmen, Brandon Thomas, who for many years has been an amateur magician and and more. It runs two and a quarter hours and is available creator of some very clever magic, you may not know from www.enigmathedvd.com. I watched about 30 min- exactly who this Canadian entrepreneur is … one of the utes, sampling the different clips, and enjoyed it. • wealthiest men in Canada, to be precise. But Allan is, Creative Magic, the folks who make the nifty “Shadow remarkably, someone who still found time for magic in his Tent” and “Victory Cubes” illusions have branched out life and has managed to co-author and publish two of the into close-up magic with a whole new line of products. The largest books ever produced in our field about the cre- very first, Daniel Martin’s “Bruised,” has premiered in a ations of his hero . David Ben, Slaight’s long- “Spoiler Edition,” which is a limited run preview of the

10 GENII Now Performing THE LAS VEGAS actual item which will appear in September. Briefly, it’s a set JULY 31 TO AUGUST 6 Compiled by David Neubauer Close-Up Gallery (www.dnmagic.com) of temporary tattoos that, when applied, appear to be gen- Amazing Johnathan uine bruises—the magical twist is that they reveal chosen Future Stars Week Early: 7:00, 7:45, 8:30, 9:15 10 pm, (Dark Thurs.), Sahara cards. There are lots of tattoos that allow you to create Late: 10, 10:45,11:30, 12:00 Jason Bird numerous different cards for the revelations (so you can A. Simon, R. Goodwin, E. Chiu, The Shops in Desert Passage— repeat it) in various permutations. My favorite is the “bruise” M. Locker, N. Gibson, B. Proudfoot, Aladdin. Main stage, near the “V” that has a full-size Five of Spades in it: you could force the A. Rakin, K. Viner Theater, Thurs.-Mon. Various times The Parlour of Prestidigitation from 1:15 pm to 8:15, Free Five, have it shuffled back into the deck, and let the spec- Early: 7:30, 8:45, 9:30 Buck Wild tator throw the deck at you and whack you in the arm. Roll Matt Marcy Nathan Burton (as a redneck up your sleeve and show the bruise. When “Bruised” has Late: 9:45, 11:15, 12 magician), 7 pm covered shows its official release in September you’ll get a wide assortment David Regal Mon.-Wed. & Sat. 9 pm Topless of bruises and DVD instructions Palace Of Mystery shows (Over 18), Sahara (Dark Fri.) Nathan Burton Comedy Magic Show for $30. Check it out at www.cre- 8:30, 10, 11:15 Joel Ward, Jessica Phillips, 2 pm, (Dark Fri. & Sun.), V Theater ativemagic.org. • Japanese magi- Krystyn Lambert, Kyle Echen, in the Desert Passage, Aladdin cian Fukai brought a brand new Farrah Siegel, Jonathan Neal , Master Magician effect from the creative wizard W.C. Fields Bar 7 pm Tues.-Sat., Masuda and sold out instantly. Allan Hayden 10 pm Tues. & Sat., Monte Carlo Called “Wow” (named by Lance AUGUST 7 TO 13 David Copperfield Burton—that’s the first thing he Close-Up Gallery 7:30 & 10 pm, 4:30 Sat. & some said after seeing it), this is one of Early: Martin A. Nash Sun. MGM Grand Late: TBA Aug. 3-9, Aug. 24-Sept. 20 the most amazing card changes I The Parlour of Prestidigitation Collin Foster—Quicker Than The Eye have ever seen. Words cannot Early: 4 & 6 p.m. (Dark Mon.) convey how astounding this looks, Late: Comedy Zone, Plaza but with John Ekin’s handy cam- Palace Of Mystery Tyas Frantz, Chris Karpiak, era we’ll attempt to show you Harry Maurer, David Zirbel, & Seth Grabel what happens. The spectator Ice McDonald Beacher's Madhouse 10 pm, Hard Rock selects a card, signs it, and it’s lost W.C. Fields Bar Gerry McCambridge—The Mentalist in the deck. You “attempt” to Tony Picasso AUGUST 14 TO 20 Hypnotic Lounge, Stardust reveal the card and show the Close-Up Gallery Mon-Tues 8 pm, Wed-Sun 5 pm wrong card—the Six of Hearts. It’s Early: TBA Haunted Vegas Tour & Show turned face down and placed into Late: Lou Serrano Robert Allen & Jac Hayden & a transparent plastic sleeve that The Parlour of Prestidigitation Zamora, 9 pm tour and show has a black pattern on it. You turn Early: (Dark Fri.), Greek Isle Illusionary Magic of Rick Thomas the sleeve face up and the Six of Late: Fernando Keops 2 & 4 pm, Stardust (Dark Wed.) Hearts can be clearly seen inside. Palace Of Mystery Aye Jaye, Stoil & Ekaterina, La Femme While holding the sleeve Joseph Tran Stephan Vanel, 8 & 10:30 pm between the thumb and first fin- W.C. Fields Bar (Dark Tues.), MGM Grand ger, you rest the sleeve on a spectator’s palm. The Six of Glenn Farrington Comedy Magic Show Hearts slowly and visibly changes into the signed selection. I AUGUST 21 TO 27 1 & 3 pm, (Dark Sun. & Mon.) can’t emphasize how slowly and magically this happens— Close-Up Gallery Harrah's Clint Holmes Theater then you slide the signed card out of the sleeve and hand it Early: Mark Matsumoto Penn & Teller to the spectator and you can show the sleeve on both sides— Late: Fernando Keops 9 pm, (Dark Tues.), Rio it’s transparent. I immediately plunked down $55 for it and The Parlour of Prestidigitation Bite (Vampire Strip Revue) Early: Chazz Antonio Restivo (magic & fire have been doing it all weekend. I don’t know when it will Late: Michael Hack manipulation) 10:30 pm (dark be available in the or who will be selling it, but Palace Of Mystery Thurs.) Stratosphere you’ll definitely want to get one. V, The Ultimate Variety Show W.C. Fields Bar Jeff Hobson, Nathan and Sarah, A new stamp was recently pro- Lorenzo Clark 7 pm and 9 pm, Aladdin duced by the post office in AUGUST 28 TO SEPTEMBER 3 World’s Greatest Magic Show Austria commemorating the Close-Up Gallery , Joseph Gabriel, The Majestixs, Kozak. Guest Stars: 200th anniversary of Johan Early: Aaron Fisher Late: Juliana Chen, Gaetan Bloom, Billy Nepomuk Hofzinser’s birth. Fergueson (pre-show). 6 pm Sat. - The Parlour of Prestidigitation Sheets of 20 stamps cost 50 Thurs., 8:15 Fri., Greek Isle. Early: Adam Grace Xtreme Magic Starring Dirk Arthur euros; single stamps run three Late: Fitzgerald euros. You can e-mail Magic 2 and 4 pm, (Dark Fri.) Palace Of Mystery Tiffany Theatre, Tropicana Christian regarding purchase at Larry Wilson, Mystina, Murray David Copperfield Tour Schedule [email protected]. You W.C. Fields Bar August 3-9, August 24-Sept. 20, might also find the website Jon Armstrong Nov 9-29, Dec 21-31: Hollywood www.hofzinser.com of interest. Updates to the performing schedule can Theatre, MGM Grand, Dec. 2-3: GENII SPEAKS, continued on page 13 be found at www.MagicCastle.com. Bucharest, Hungary

AUGUST 2006 11 Well known French magician Jacques by multiple spectators. The film featur- Delord died recently and his friend Jean- ing Devant was just like that. Richard’s Luc Miller sent the following: “The film was not. This is because the mod- French magician and poet Jacques ern film projector had not yet been Delord passed away on June 2. A re- invented. At best, Richard’s film could nowned cabaret artist in the 1960s, only be viewed by a system similar to notably for his rope routine, he would trand/ikona the Edison Kinetoscope, which was a always perform while reciting poems he hole in a box that only one person

wrote. He was chosen to play the role of a Ludovic Ber could use at a time. I’m very glad magician in François Truffaut’s film Stolen Jacques Delord Richard employed a 21st century tech- Kisses (Baisers Volés) in 1968. His trilogy nique to animate a 19th century film of books in the early 1970s, Sois le Magicien, Sois l’Enchanteur, strip so we could appreciate it, but perhaps Devant should and L’Eternel Magicien, was a landmark in magic literature, still get the modern “film” first, with Raynaly getting the notably for its use of poetic language to reach young read- first “film strip” award. Now, after all that, I have a quibble ers. He reached fame in French-speaking countries with his on my own quibble! In researching an article for my asso- TV show The Magician’s Workshops (les Ateliers du ciation’s newsletter, The Magical Spectator, I discovered an Magicien) between 1973 and 1978 using the same poetic Edgar Heyl article on the history of magicians in movies in eloquence. His was also a tireless traveler, spreading his the May 1968 Linking Ring. Edgar mentions a “motion pic- magic abroad. Several generations of magicians blossomed ture copyright” registration for an Edison Kinetoscope with his teachings and will miss his wisdom.” motion picture in the same year as Richard’s film. Did Heyl’s Hindoostan Fakir and Cotta Dwarf from Barnum & Bailey’s Bob Loomis writes: On behalf of the Association of Inter- ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ really contain the first magician on national Magical Spectators (AIMS), I want to thank Genii film? Can any magic nut/film buff please investigate this and for publishing Richard Wiseman’s excellent article on “The put us out of our misery? First Film of a Magician,” in your April 2006 issue. How- ever, I can’t resist one very minor quibble. My friend Department of Inevitable Corrections: Eagle-eyed reader Pete Richard said that Raynaly should now replace David McCabe couldn’t help but notice that Al Schneider’s Devant as being in “the earliest film of a conjurer.” My “Wedding Ring Thing” in our July issue was very similar to problem is with the modern definition of “film.” If I told an item of Michael Weber’s in his book Life Savers. Since you I’d been hired to perform in a “film,” I think you’d Al doesn’t own a copy of Life Savers, I’ll have to take the assume I was to appear in an animated movie to be viewed blame since I published it. •

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