THE modern magician specially prides himself on being able to produce with a borrowed pack effects which originally called for the use of specially prepared cards or forcing packs. This is a brilliant example of the solution of one of these problems. The ‘Stop’ effect is here produced with a borrowed pack. Two hats and a length of wide ribbon are the only accessories required. Place the hats, crown downwards, on the seats of two chairs about four feet apart and stretch the ribbon between them, one end in each hat. A small weight should be attached to each end of the ribbon to hold it in position.

In placing the hats and adjusting the ribbon you have taken the opportunity to introduce into the right-hand hat some ten or twelve cards, previously palmed from the pack. Next have two or three cards freely selected, noted, replaced and brought to the top in whatever way you prefer. Thoroughly shuffle the cards and drop them into the left-hand hat. (more…)

The vanishing of a 747 Jumbo Jet while it rests on the tarmac has
become one of the most significant vanishes of all time. On many
occasions this illusion has been performed before a live television
audience, while a crowd of onlookers keep an eye on the real thing.
It is not an illusion most magicians can afford to perform, still I
will explain the most common way of performing this trick. (more…)

Any deck is well shuffled by a spectator who then cuts off about a third of the cards. He is
asked to look them over and finally settle his mind upon any one card in the packet lie is
holding.

You now take the packet, fan it, and appear to be trying to locate the thought-of card.
Actually you look for two spot cards of like value, preferably from 6 to 10. These are kept
together and are moved about in the fan, which is held face towards you, so that the
second of the two cards will occupy its own number from the top of the packet. Thus, if you
use two “nines,” one should be placed eighth and the other ninth from the top; if two
“eights,” one should be seventh and the other eighth. (more…)

In this story trick the four Jacks figure as burglars. It is advisable, though not absolutely necessary to have them in order of Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, from the top, and to have a few cards between each one. This may be done in a moment or two by spreading the pack fanwise, finding the Jacks by their indices, and altering their positions as may be necessary. (more…)

TRICK EFFECT & ROUTINE: The assistant is brought up to center stage. She is placed in a reclining position on a couch. Then covered with a large cloth. She is commanded to rise. Once she has risen to a height of one foot above the couch, the couch is taken away and the performer walks all around the floating woman. She continues to rise until she is well over the head of the performer. Then she slowly descends until she is level with the performer’s head. Again she begins to rise. This time, the performer takes hold of the cloth and while she is rising, the cloth is whisked away. The woman is gone, vanished right in front of the audience.

PREPARATION: (more…)