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EFFECT: Magician patters about levitations and his latest
achievements along that line,
A sheet of newspaper is placed over a foot stool and then
the magician stands on the newspaper over the stool and calls on
two members of the audience to come on stage and pull on the
newspaper sheet. The sheet comes through. Next the magician
levitates his whole body off the stool for about 2 or 3 inches.
THE METHOD: You need:
1 stool, 10 inches high. The seat piece should be about
3 inches thick. The stool must be strong enough
to support the magician standing on two feet or
one foot without toppling over. Painted a shiny
silver colour.
1 cloth curtain, about if. by 6 feet depending on the size
of the magician. Opaque white colour fitted with
an extension arm and a top rod to hold the curtain
square.
1 shopping bag, specially constructed. Size 12 inches
AN AL MANN EXCLUSIVE
PSYCHO-MSNTISIS
LIMITATIONS ... cont.
wide, 14 inches long and 20 inches high. The bag
is re-enforced on the inside with cardboard so
that it remains open like a box. The bag is
painted a bright colour on the front only and
black on the other three sides.
1 sheet of newspaper, and one assistant (optional).
1 pair dummy shoes with pant legs (optional)
THE PRESENTATION: During the patter the assistant comes out
with the shopping bag (bright colour side to audience) and takes
out the stool and places it behind the magician, Then he unrolls
the cloth curtain to inspect it and under cover of the curtain turns
the shopping bag around so that the black colour from the sides
and back of the bag meld with the black back drop (stage curtail).
The shopping bag is placed just a few inches, say four, behind
the stool.
Magician next places the newspaper sheet over the
stool and stands on it. He then calls on two volunteer members
of the audience ( one should be a confederate and the other a
lady) and instructs them on how to pull the paper.
Magician covers himself with the curtain and then steps back
and into the shopping bag while the newspaper sheet is pulled away
with a lot of mystic fanfare. Magician steps back onto the stool
and raises the cloth, thanks the assistants and dismisses the
lady.
Next the magician states he is going to try for a few more
inches as the time seems to be apropos. He covers himself with the
curtain again, steps back into the shopping bag and this time
raises the cloth so that the stool is seen.
The assistant passes a hoop or sword between the bottom of the
curtain and top of the stool to prove that the magician is really
floating. If the dummy shoes are used they can now be shown as
hanging just under the cloth. The magician then removes the dummy
shoes and places them behind the shopping bag and then steps onto
the stool so that the audience can actually see his shoes
descending anew. He then removes the curtain and takes his bow.
End of miracle.
The reader may surmise that he will not fool anyone with
the trick. Let me say that you do not need to. Some members of the
audience will say (kidding maybe) that they saw you levitate. The
story will spread. The newspapers will pick it up (as a lark perhaps)
and print it.
That, Gentlemen, is what levitations are all about.
Publicity.'
PSYCHO-MENTISIS
All AL MANN EXCLUSIVE
LEVITATIONS ... cont.
When Houdini made an elephant disappear in New York
City's Hippodrome he did not expect anyone to believe that the
elephant had actually vanished into thin air but he knew it would
create a sensation. It became the most talked about feat of
straight magic and made the headlines and that is all Houdini
wanted,
further Notes
The stool: The top piece or seat of the stool is 3 inches
thick. The reason for that is that part of it can be seen when the
magician hides behind the curtain and gives the illusion that it
was in sight at all times,
When the magician steps back into the shopping bag to do
the newspaper stunt, he only places one leg into the bag and rests
his other foot on top of the newspaper. That way when the
spectators pull on the newspaper they will feel some resistance
as the foot or shoe drag on it. Once the newspaper is pulled clear
the magician jumps back on the stool, an easy matter since he
already has one foot on it,
A false hand can be used for apparently holding the
curtain from the top edge. Actually the magician is manipulating
the curtain by the aid of the extension rod. The curtain of course
must remain motionless as much as possible,
For the second try at levitation, the performer pulls the
curtain a bit higher so that it is about 3 or four inches above
the top of the stool. Since the bag is ten inches higher than the
stool, the magician has some leeway.
If the dummy shoes and pant legs are to be used, be sure
to use real shoes of the exact duplicate of theories you are wearing
and also real pant legs. This dummy only needs about 3 inches of
pant leg. Many expensive illusions have failed to impress an
audience because the substituted dummy parts do not at all
resemble the real thing,
Thanks to U. F. Grant, the author feels that this
inexpensive illusion is one of the best that can be presented by
a magician without having to resort to the well known levitation
that the public has seen over and over,
The illusion must be practiced many times before pre-
senting it,
22
PSYCHO-MEITTISIS AN AL MANN EXCLUSIVE
NOTES
THE BENDS: A small key can be used instead of a coin.
The Magician's Table: Some close-up table performers have their
own custom built table. These tables are just a few inches
higher than the regular table, The extra inches gives the
magician a comfortable room for moving their legs and hands
under it.
Permutation of Matter: In Part II it is assumed that the
performer will first do the Jerry Andrus routine with the
safety pins.
The Nail Act: The nail-up-the-nose bit was mentioned only for
the sake of completeness. The novice must proceed with
this stunt at his own risk. The nail enters into the head
only for about 3 inches. Care must be taken against
injury and infection.
TIP: When a bent nail like the one shown in Pig. 9"B" is held
with the curved plain parallel to the line of sight of the
audience, the bend cannot be seen. If the magician then very
slowly rotates the nail with the tips of his first finger and
thumb, the nail will appear to bend visibly!
Merlin's Marionettes: Throw a handkerchief over the doll first
for a spooky start and then uncover the dolls.
The following items are available from Al Mann Exclusives:
Emerson and West magnetic finger ring and book
Corinda's billet pencil
The Linking Pins with the Jerry Andrus routine
"Psi-Flexion" the nail act by Doc Dougherty
The Frankenstein Affair: Have some test tubes or glass
boxes with some large insects like a praying mantis and say
that you revived it two weeks ago and it is still living!
THE BENDS: figure out how to bend a horseshoe by psi power
and then make sure the news media hears about it. A
changing tray is a good start.
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