LESSON 14

I hope you are progressing well with your review. Keep referring back to Lesson 13 as your guide in your study.

Today we take up the study of several other important principles employed in card effects. These are: 1 -- The Force.

2 -- The Jog.

3 -- The Thumb Palm.

Mechanical arrangements are:

1 -- Handkerchief for Torn Card Vanish.

2 -- Double envelope (Explained in Lesson 8).

3 -- The False Pip.

4 -- Cloth Changing Bag.

THE FORCE

The Force is one of the essential principles of Card Magic. It is a means by which you can influence a spectator to take from a deck of cards any card that you want him to take, yet giving him the impression that he has a free choice.

We will assume that the Queen of Hearts is the card you are going to force. To begin with you must have the Queen on top of the pack, holding pack in your hands with backs of cards up. Insert little finger of left hand about half way in the deck and make the REGULAR PASS (Lesson 13). This brings the Queen to the middle of the deck.

1. THE JOG:

The bottom section of cards with the Queen on top of it is left projecting about one-quarter to threeeighths of an inch to the left of the top section. This is called the JOG and is the means of keeping track of the selected card which you are going to FORCE. Left thumb is on top of deck and four fingers under it. Figure 1.

You ask spectator to select a card from the deck. Begin spreading cards fanwise to the right, starting with the top card. Figure 2.

Keep on spreading cards until spectator is just about ready to take a card, always keeping track of the Queen at the Jog. Figure 3.

As spectator reaches for a card, expose the Queen more than the others and push it slightly, not obviously, forward towards his fingers. Most people will take that card automatically for it is easiest and most convenient to get. It will not occur to them that you caused them to take that particular card. Figure 4.

In the FORCE you use silent suggestion. You do not suggest with words, but with motion. You control the card with your fingers and spread the deck so that the desired card is brought to a point directly in front of the spectator's fingers just as he is ready to take a card. It appears that the spectator freely selects a card and that you are merely being polite in exposing it and helping him to get it more easily.

Forcing seems difficult to the uninitiated, but in reality it is very easy. The Jog is a very simple device for keeping track of the card to be forced, and you will have no trouble with the rest of the Force. Practice it.

At times you will want to Force a card from the bottom of the deck instead of the top. Perform the REGULAR PASS. This brings the card to the bottom of the upper section of deck. JOG your deck as before explained. The card on top of the lower section of deck acts as a key card to show that the card above it is the one to be FORCED.

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY:

When you have members of your audience assist you in an effect, select those who seem to be best educated and refined and those who seem to respond to suggestion. You will seldom encounter difficulties.

There may be occasions, however, when your assistants will prove to be contrary and you must be prepared for the emergency when the spectator will not take the card you are trying to force.

In this case, let this spectator have his free choice of a card. Then force the card on the next person. If you fail again this time, do not be disturbed. Just keep on trying your Force until a spectator takes the selected card.

Say to the first spectator who drew a card, "Pardon me, but what card did you select?" Gentleman names card, for instance, the King of Hearts. You say, "The King of Hearts?" Look at card. "That's Right." Take card from gentleman.

In case more than one spectator has failed to take the forced card, request each one to name his card. You look at the card and say, "That's right," in each case and take the cards from the spectator.

This is a bit of byplay which gets you out of the difficulty, yet the audience thinks you did this on purpose just to have some fun. Now take the forced card and continue with your experiment.

Always be prepared to get out of difficulties. When the wrong card is taken, sometimes you can do another trick with it -- just a short, snappy one — and then continue with the effect you intended to do.

Another excellent means of forcing a card is the method used in the last effect of Lesson 13, THE MAGNETIC KNIFE. Have a knife run into the pack. Then perform the SLIP CHANGE (Lesson 9). In this way you get the selected card to the top of the bottom section of the deck. Now slide it off and show it to be the selected card. Then continue with your experiment.

You can readily see the importance of knowing your principles thoroughly for each one may be used in many ways and in many effects.

2. PRODUCING A CARD FROM A WHOLE ORANGE

This is a very effective magical experiment. The beauty of it is that it can be worked under difficult conditions and will puzzle even the closest watcher who looks for suspicious moves.

EFFECT:

An orange is given out for examination and is then held by a spectator during the experiment. Performer has a card selected from a deck by a spectator, who then tears it into a number of pieces. Magician wraps torn pieces in a handkerchief, retaining one corner which is given to spectator. Another member of audience is given the handkerchief and is convinced that he holds the torn pieces of the card in it. Magician jerks the handkerchief and the pieces vanish. The orange is then cut open and there inside of the orange is found the card, completely restored except for the corner which the spectator holds. This corner is found to fit the card.

PARAPHERNALIA:

1--Two decks of cards, exactly alike.

2--A large orange.

3--A knife.

4--A prepared pocket handkerchief.

5--A tube of glue.

6--A sharp pencil.

SECRET AND PATTER:

To Prepare:

Select a card which you intend to use in the effect -- say, the Queen of Hearts. Remove this card from both decks. You may then put one deck aside as you will not need it again.

The Card:

Take one of the Queens and tear a corner carefully from the card. Figure 5.

Place this corner in your lower right-hand vest pocket or some other place which you can get at easily. Do not carry it around too long for it may get soiled and mussed in your pocket. Roll the card up as tightly as possible. Figure 6.

The Orange:

Take your orange and carefully remove the little pip at its top. Figure 7, next page.

Push the pencil into the orange where the pip was, making a hole the depth of the card. Be very careful not to break the skin of the orange any more than necessary while inserting the pencil. Figure 8.

Remove the pencil and into the hole push the rolled up Queen well into the orange so that it does not show.

There is just a little star-shaped opening which will press together easily. Figure 9.

Drop a bit of glue into the opening in the orange and then replace the little pip. Let it dry thoroughly. If this is done properly the keenest eye cannot detect that the orange has been tampered with. Figure 10.

It is surprising how little the skin need be disturbed to get a tightly rolled card into an orange. If there are any slits in the skin caused by pushing the card in, the pip will cover them.

3. The Torn Card Handkerchief:

Take any card from the deck you have placed aside and tear it into eight pieces. Sew these pieces into one corner of a heavy white handkerchief, using another piece of white cloth to cover them and form a pocket. Sew all around the edges of this little pocket so that there is no danger of pieces of the card falling out. Figure 11.

Place the handkerchief in your pocket or have it nearby ready for the effect.

Place the other QUEEN OF HEARTS on top of the deck of cards from which the first Queen was removed -- and you are ready.

To Perform:

Corner of card is in lower right-hand vest pocket, handkerchief in coat or trousers' pocket, and deck of cards, knife, and orange on table nearby.

Pick up the orange.

"I will ask you, sir, to hold this orange for me. You might just look it over carefully to see that it is an orange and pass it around to a friend or two who might like to see it at close view. Please don't eat it — at least, not just yet. After such a critical examination which you have given it, you might hold it up so that the audience can watch it all the time."

Pick up deck of cards and remove from case. You may give them a riffle shuffle, but be sure to allow the Queen to remain on top. (False Shuffle) Practice riffle shuffling in your hands without laying the cards down on anything. Or hold the cards against right thigh while riffling. You may also use an ordinary shuffle without disturbing the Queen.

Insert your little finger about halfway down the pack, and do the REGULAR PASS, thus bringing the Queen to the middle of the deck. Keep two sections of deck JOGGED so that you can easily keep track of the Queen.

"And you, Madam, will you just select any one of these cards."

FORCE the QUEEN OF HEARTS.

"Show it to a friend or two and remember it. Better yet, tear the card in two."

Turn slightly to right and place deck on table with left hand. At same time, reach into vest pocket with right hand and remove the corner of card which you have there. Finger palm it (Lesson 1) "Place the two pieces together and tear in half again. Place them all together and tear again." The card is now in eight pieces.

"I will take the pieces."

Take pieces with left hand and place them on left palm. With right hand spread pieces out and then let the corner of card which you have finger palmed drop onto palm with other pieces. Then hold right hand up a little so that audience can see empty palm.

"Remember your card. To be sure that you will remember it, perhaps you had better keep a piece of the card."

Finger two or three pieces of the card and then pick up the torn corner that you placed in your palm. Make it appear, of course, that it doesn't make any difference which piece you pick up. Figure 12.

"This will be fine. Just keep this corner. It has the index of the Queen of Hearts."

Give corner to spectator who selected card. She thinks that it is a corner of the card she tore up and is not aware that it is a corner of another Queen of Hearts.

Transfer pieces to right hand, holding them close together with tips of right fingers. Figure 13.

Pick up prepared handkerchief with left hand.

"For the time being, I will just place the pieces of the card in this handkerchief and give them to this gentleman to hold."

Spread the handkerchief over your left palm. Keep the faked corner nearest you and hidden from audience. Place the pieces of the card in center of handkerchief and grip them tightly through the handkerchief with the thumb and fingers of left hand. Figure 14, next page.

STUDY THESE IMPORTANT MOVES CAREFULLY.

Pick up the fake corner between the third and fourth fingers of right hand and bring it up in back of and

just a little below the torn pieces. Grasp torn pieces between the thumb and first and second fingers of right hand. Figure 15.

With left hand throw handkerchief completely over right hand. It appears to the audience that you have merely taken torn pieces in right finger tips and have thrown the handkerchief over them.

With left fingers take hold of the pieces in the fake corner of handkerchief through the handkerchief. Figure 16.

THE THUMB PALM:

With right hand still under handkerchief, you Thumb Palm the torn pieces. Curve the fingers of right hand downward and place the pieces at base of thumb. Hold them tightly in place by pressing thumb against base of first finger. Straighten first and second fingers and you have accomplished the Thumb Palm. Figure 17.

Practice this move until you can do it easily and perfectly. Practice it first without the handkerchief, then with it.

Be careful to hold pieces of card exposed to palm of hand, but gripped only by the edges so that they do not show between thumb and first finger when back of hand is toward audience. Figure 18.

Practice the THUMB PALM with a half dollar. It is an important move in coin and thimble work which comes later in the course, and you should master it now.

To spectator to whom you are going to give handkerchief with fake corner containing torn pieces, you then say:

"I will just leave these torn pieces in your care."

Remove right hand from handkerchief. Be careful not to expose pieces that are thumb palmed. With left hand give handkerchief to spectator and have him hold the pieces in the fake corner which are now in the center of the handkerchief. He thinks, of course, that he is holding the pieces of the selected card.

"Hold them tightly. You can feel them all right? Just be sure you have them and do not let them get away. Now, I need a knife."

Reach into right coat pocket for knife, and as you do so, leave the pieces of card there. Bring out pocket knife. If you are using another kind of knife and have it on the table, say:

"Oh, here is one on the table that will do."

The audience thinks that you started to look for a knife in your pocket and then just happened to discover one over on the table.

In Magic you can rid of many articles by placing your hand in your pocket, apparently looking for some object.

Hold knife in right hand and use it as a pointer in explaining what you are going to do.

"When the magicians perform this magical experiment in China they do it differently from the way we do it here. There is quite a bit of difference between the psychology of the Oriental and the Occidental or Western World. Perhaps you would like to have me perform this in Chinese style. Very well. When I perform it according to our custom, I never tell what I am going to do. The Chinaman, however, takes special pains to tell you just what is going to happen. He wants you to be sure that you know it will happen and then he convinces you that it has really happened. Now then, what I intend to do is to cause the torn pieces of card to fly suddenly from the gentleman's fingers here and jump over into the orange which the gentleman here is holding."

Hold knife in left hand. Grasp a corner of the handkerchief which the spectator is holding. Turn to man holding the orange and say: Figure 19.

"You are holding the orange tightly, are you, sir? (To other spectator.) And you still have the torn pieces in your fingers? All right. (To audience.) Keep one eye on the orange, one eye on the torn pieces, and one eye on me."

Jerk handkerchief quickly from spectator's hand. Then open handkerchief and run fingers along one edge so that you can hold it up and show it empty. Turn it quickly and show other side, then take handkerchief by a corner and let it drop again. If you can get fake corner easily into one of your hands while showing handkerchief, so much the better. If you cannot, however, make your moves quickly and the audience will not detect it. Figure 20. Or you can place handkerchief aside immediately after jerking it from spectator's hands.

"Gone. Away they go."

Turn to left and with left hand gesture toward audience.

Place handkerchief in pocket or lay it aside on table.

"Now, if you will let me have the orange please."

Take orange in left hand and hold it so that audience can see it. Revolve it to show all sides and prove that it is just an ordinary orange. Figure 21.

While doing this and while performing the rest of the experiment, hold your hands so that audience can see at all times that you have nothing concealed. They will be looking for a concealed card in your hands which they expect you to get into the orange somehow.

You must convince them by your actions, not words, that you have no card concealed in your hands.

You are now working up to your CLIMAX and you must SELL your effect to the limit. You are a magical salesman and you are about to sell the idea that the selected card really got into the orange by magical means.

If you are playing in vaudeville or performing where music is available, this is the cue for the orchestra to play. I shall discuss the use of music in snapping up climaxes in detail later in the course.

With orange held in left hand, pip upwards, and knife in right hand, cut orange around the middle into two pieces. Figure 22.

When orange is completely cut through, place knife down without taking your eyes off the orange. Carefully lift up top half of the orange so that it frees itself from the card and leaves card in lower half. Figure 23.

Focus your attention on the cut orange and card. Hold your audience tense and full of expectancy. You are about to expose the card and this is the great climax of your effect.

Lay upper half of orange on table, keeping your eyes on the card all the time. Remove card from lower half of orange with right hand. Place second half on table with left. KEEP CARD ALWAYS IN AUDIENCE'S SIGHT AND DO NOT TAKE YOUR EYES OFF IT, until orange is on table. Then look at audience. Unroll card and flatten it out. Figure 24.

"THE QUEEN OF HEARTS. Fully restored by the orange juice -- that is, except for this corner, which the lady here is holding."

Walk up to spectator holding corner of card.

"Will you, madam, please take this card, place the corner against it, and see whether it fits?" The lady does this, and, of course, the corner fits.

Then take the card and corner yourself. Hold them up fitted together so that everyone in audience can see them. Figure 25.

Look at audience.

"They fit perfectly."

Bow slightly, and you will get your applause.

"Strange people, these Chinese."

NOTE:

After performance is over, be sure to get rid of upper part of orange so that no one can examine it. Or you may destroy the evidence at the time of performing by breaking the orange into two or three pieces.

3. THE CARD AND THE BANANA

This is a comedy effect. It fits nicely into a program and it may used to advantage after the preceding effect. This is an effect which you can tell your audience explains the working of the preceding trick. When you have finished, however, your spectators are more mystified than ever.

If magician is working with a comedy assistant, this may be performed by the assistant while magician goes off stage to prepare for a final effect. Or it may be used just as an excellent piece of magic mixed with a conjurer's troubles of a comedy nature.

EFFECT:

Performer has a banana examined and gives it to spectator to hold. He has a card selected from a deck, causes the card to vanish, and then says he will make it appear in the banana. Spectator peels banana but fails to find the card. Performer is apparently embarrassed and at a loss to know what has happened. He takes an empty envelope from his pocket and places a yellow card therein, upon which he says is written a letter to the Devil. He holds the envelope for a while and then opens it again. The yellow card has vanished and in its place is a red tissue paper letter from the Devil. The Devil gives his reason for failing to help the performer with his trick and returns the card with his letter. Magician asks spectator whether this was the card he selected and learns that it is the wrong card. Upon request, spectator tells the card he selected. Magician then snaps his finger against the card and it changes to the selected card.

PARAPHERNALIA:

1 -- A banana.

2 -- Deck of cards.

3 -- An extra Four of Hearts.

4 -- Five Court Cards from the deck.

5 -- A double envelope.

6 -- Yellow card with writing on it (2 1/2 x 4 inches).

7 -- A piece of red tissue paper (9 x 12 inches).

SECRET AND PATTER:

To Prepare:

Have a double envelope prepared. (Lesson 8.) Seal flap of envelope down tight. Then tear off end just as you would do in opening a letter. This gives you a new form for using the double envelope. You will note that envelope looks like an ordinary one. Only you know that it has a middle partition which can be held against either side so that envelope may be shown to be apparently empty on either side. Figure 26.

Fix up the piece of red tissue paper to look like a letter from the Devil. With water color or black ink, make a letter-head which can readily be seen by the audience. Under this write the special message, which may be something especially fitted for the occasion or something general which you may use at any time, changing it to suit the occasion as you read it. Figure 27.

Your message may read something like this:

My dear ..... (your name):

Sorry I had to disappoint you by not causing the selected card to appear in the banana, but because of the shortage of pineapples in Greenland it was impossible for me to help you at this time.

I am, however, returning the selected card to you. Regards to Mr.......... and the rest of the boys. Your sincere friend, THE DEVIL.

Fold this red tissue very carefully, two folds each way to make it about 3 x 4 inches. Push this letter well down to closed end of envelope so that it is hidden.

Take 5 Court Cards, Jacks and Kings, from the deck and place them on top. Then remove the Four of Hearts and place it on top of the Court Cards for Forcing.

Take the extra Four of Hearts which you need from the extra pack which we used in the first effect of this lesson. Also take an extra Two of Hearts or any heart card.

FALSE PIP:

With sharp scissors carefully out out a heart pip. On the back of it put a small piece of magician's wax. (You have a box of it in your outfit) and fasten pip in the center of the Four of Hearts card to make it look like a Five of Hearts. You may paste the pip on in another way also. Rub it on a wet cake of soap and stick it on the card, letting it dry on thoroughly. Either method is good. Figure 28.

Place the prepared card in the envelope with the red tissue paper letter, both on the same side of the middle partition. Place envelope, open end upward, in inner coat pocket on right side.

If you prepare your envelope to look like one which you received through the mails, your effect will be even better. Put a canceled stamp on, your name and address. I often have a real letter in the envelope on the side opposite the red tissue letter and the card.

When I take the envelope from my pocket, I pull out the letter and discard it. It appears to the audience that I just took an envelope at random from my pocket and they suspect nothing unusual about it. Little angles of working like this give the NATURAL touch to magic.

To Perform:

Prepared envelope is in pocket, and banana and cards are on table.

If using this effect to follow the preceding experiment in this lesson, you can start your patter in this way:

"I shall explain just how the card disappeared from the gentleman's hand and got over into the orange. First, I must have a BANANA." Pick up banana.

Or if you are using this experiment without the Card Production from the Orange, you can begin in this way:

"In far-away Bermuda, many miles from Shanghai, lived an old Oriental conjurer who performed an odd effect called 'The Mystery of Three Oranges.' To perform this odd mystery you must first have a BANANA." Pick up the banana.

"Because of the banana, the effect is called 'The Mystery of Three Oranges.' I shall ask my good friend here to act as guardian over this banana -- to examine it carefully and then to hold it up so that all may see it." Give banana to spectator.

Pick up deck of cards. The Four of Hearts is on top. Fan cards to show that it is a regular deck.

Insert little finger at about the middle of deck and make the REGULAR PASS, thus bringing the Four of Hearts to the middle. Make the JOG to keep track of this card.

To another spectator:

"Kindly select one of the cards." FORCE the Four of Hearts.

"Thank you. Look at the card, remember it, and if you care to, show it to a few people around you." Count (but not aloud) the five Court Cards from the top of the deck. Place the deck on table.

Fan the cards in your right hand. Turn your right side toward audience so that your right hand is over at the left side.

"These five cards are called the Five Wise Men of Bermuda. Will you, please, place the card you selected among the Five Wise Men of Bermuda?"

Hold the five cards out fan shape, faces up, and have spectator place the card in with the rest, also face up.

Separate cards into two parts with selected card on the bottom of right-hand cards. Then place cards in left hand on top of the others. This brings the selected card on the bottom of the little pack of cards. (Same moves as in Lesson 9, Figures 23 and 24.)

Square up cards and hold them in left hand, faces toward audience.

"The card was the Four of Hearts, I believe. A Four Spot among five wise men."

Hold cards in left hand. Figure 29, A.

Place fingers of right hand in back of cards and thumb in front. Figure 29, B.

With right hand pull down first card, holding it between thumb and first and second fingers. Now reach up again. Allow this first card to come behind the rest in the left hand, and then pull down the next card. Continue in the same way to count two more cards. Fig. 30. As you pull down each card, say:

"One wise man -- two wise men -- three wise men -- four wise men..."

When counting the fifth card, take the last two -- a court card and the Four of Hearts -- as one. As you put it on the rest of the cards that have been counted, grip it with right thumb. Bend upper edge forward a little with third finger of left hand. When it is in place, remove finger and let card snap down on the others. This snap is used to show that it is one card. (This is the SELF-CONTAINED CARD VANISH: Lesson 12, Figure 30.) Figure 31.

"Five wise men -- but no Four of Hearts.

Oh, where is my wandering card tonight?

Hunting bananas in the bright moonlight.

From college to a banana stand. Please, sir, peel the banana and break it apart, and you will find the Four of Hearts."

Lay cards down on table.

Turn to spectator and say,

"Now, if you will please give me! the card...."

Of course, there will be no card forthcoming, for there is no card in the banana.

"No card? The card isn't in the banana? What did you do, hide it? I guess the joke is on me. Oh, well, never mind."

Reach into inside coat pocket and remove prepared double envelope. Take out the letter you have inside and put it down. It appears that you have an ordinary envelope from which you merely discarded the letter so that you could use it. Do not disturb the Devil's letter and card in the other section of the envelope.

"That is the first time I ever had that effect go wrong. I shall drop a card to the Devil and see what is the matter."

Take yellow card from pocket. Open envelope with tips of right fingers, pushing middle partition over against Devil's letter so that it is concealed. Bulge the envelope open and show it empty. Place yellow card therein. Figure 32.

Make it evident without saying anything that the envelope is empty and that only the yellow card is going into it.

"This card contains a special message when things go wrong. I'll just mail it to His Royal Highness."

Hold envelope in right hand with the open end up.

"Ah, we have an answer already."

Open envelope, this time pushing partition over against yellow card to conceal it and to expose the red tissue paper letter.

Reach in and remove the Devil's letter and the prepared card. Show envelope empty to prove that yellow card has disappeared. Drop envelope on table, opening to rear.

Open the tissue paper letter, letting the audience see the letter-head from the Devil. "A letter from the Devil.

'My dear (your name):

Sorry I had to disappoint you, (etc.)'"

You can put a great deal of humor into the letter by putting some local touches in it which will strike home with the audience.

"Well, that's that. Anyway, the card came back." Place Devil's letter on table.

Hold the card up so that all can see it. Figure 33

"That was your card, was it not -- the Five of Hearts?"

Spectator, of course, denies it.

"It was the Four of Hearts? Oh, well -- what's a spot between friends?"

With second finger of right hand, snap off the center pip which is pasted on with wax or soap. Figure 34. Be sure to hold the card so that all can see you snap the pip off.

This is the CLIMAX of your effect.

Herein is involved a feature of Showmanship which sometimes means great success with an effect. It is used when a performer encounters an unexpected difficulty and works his way out to a satisfactory ending.

In vaudeville acrobats or jugglers will sometimes fail on a trick on purpose to bring home to the audience the extreme difficulty of performing the trick. Then when they finish it right, they are greeted with an outburst of applause.

All the little features of Showmanship must be studied carefully and must be learned through experience to get from an effect the best that is in it.