BEER AND MILK

BEER AND MILK

Pouring several different drinks from one container is a feat of magic known to be several hundred years old. The first description of the effect tells about using a beer keg having several compartments each connected with the one spigot so that, in turn, one after another of the drinks could be drawn by the magician. Later a bottle was used instead of a beer keg and the mechanism was made much more simple to
operate. There were several air vents which could be covered or opened by the fingers of the hand in which the magician held the bottle, very much in the way a musician plays a flute.

This bottle trick was a feature in the programs of John Henry Anderson and Signor Blitz, as well as Alexander Herrmann and Harry Kellar. In fact most of the leading magicians of the past century and the early part of this one had the trick in their shows. I had always liked the idea of the trick and therefore based my entire act upon the idea, but with an entirely different set of principles and actually giving the audience a genuine choice of any drink they wished. In the time of Anderson, he seemed to give the same choice but a hundred years ago there were few mixed drinks and there were but a limited number of any kind for which a gentleman would ask.

Another change I made in the act was to announce that I would produce the chosen beverages if the various spectators each would "Think-a-Drink." In line with this think a drink idea, I modernized and perfected another old effect which I used in my act during a time when I wanted to make the act longer. The effect is that of drawing a picture on a paper and then producing the actual article from the drawing.

Pictures of rabbits and girls have been drawn on sheets of paper and the live rabbit or the living girl produced from the drawing. There was even an old effect of drawing a beer keg upon a piece of paper and drawing beer from the keg. This is the basis as far as idea goes of the effect I am about to describe. It has been modernized and elaborated as with the rest of my act. I know the effect upon the audience and the practicability of the apparatus. Naturally I presented it in line with the "Think-a-Drink" patter but other magicians will find it just as effective using patter fitting in with their own shows.

I suggested that some people had difficulty thinking of something unless they visualized it. I saw there was such a person in my audience and asked for paper and crayon. My assistant immediately brought forward a drawing board upon which there was a piece of drawing paper thumb tacked to the board at the four corners. I took the board and spun it around to show both back and front and handed it back to the assistant. She held it up against her chest and I took the crayon and started in to draw a picture. It was soon apparent that the picture was that of a beer keg.

I then took an ordinary beer spigot and pushed it into the head of the picture of the keg. Then one after another I filled four beer glasses by turning on the spigot. When the fourth glass was about half full, I pretended to hear the question, "What about milk?" "It is just as easy to visualize milk as beer," So saying I jerked the spigot from the picture and took the board from the girl and gave it a quarter turn. With a few strokes of the crayon the beer keg was transformed into a cow--a cartoonist's idea of a cow--but a cow.

I immediately started in to milk that cow and the milk went into the glass with the same strong, but intermittent, streams that it comes from the more genuine variety. The secret of the trick is the construction of the board. It looks like an ordinary drawing board of medium size. Actually the board is only a shell of very thin veneer. Inside this hollow board is a tank made of copper which has been chromium plated to make it easier to clean.

The tank is approximately ten by sixteen inches by one inch in thickness. Such a size tank will have the capacity to fill four beer glasses. At the top of the drawing board is a small thumb screw which will open the air vent in the tank, and which can be opened by the girl who holds the board during the trick. At the bottom of the tank is a valve held shut normally by a spring. When the spigot is pressed against that valve, it is opened. The valve diameter is exactly the same as that of the end of the spigot.

It will be seen essential that there be no fumbling when the magician pushes the spigot into the "beer keg" and into the valve hole. In order to find this hole immediately, the spot previously has been marked on the paper. As a matter of fact the entire picture of the barrel and the additional lines turning the barrel into a cow have been drawn on the paper with a fine pencil. The only other point to know about the beer compartment is that it is filled through the air vent by using a funnel.

The milk is held in a rubber tube with a bulbous end, which is put out by medical supply houses. It is made of quite light rubber. This rubber tube is fastened to one side of the beer tank, and in just the position that the bulb end will come at that spot in the cartoon of the cow where the udder has been drawn. There is a vent at the top of this tube such as for the beer tank and the milk is poured into the tube in that way. The tip of the bulb has a small hole cut in it--large enough to permit the milk to be forced out but too small for the milk to run out.

When the tube is being filled the bulb is squeezed shut and as the milk runs into the tube, the pressure on the bulb is released. This fills the bulb with milk. When the magician comes to the milking effect, he takes hold of this bulb and by squeezing it, he will squirt the milk out in a stream. Repeating this several times will give an exact copy of milking a real cow. It should be pointed out that both at the hole for the spigot and at the udder of the cow, the paper has been cut with a razor blade before the performance.

At the spigot hole, a cross is cut and the udder is outlined by the razor just inside the pencil line which is to be traced with the crayon. The first cut permits the spigot to go in easily without having to put on enough pressure to burst the paper. The second cut permits the bulbous end of the rubber to be taken in the hand as if it were the teat of the cow.

The trick is a comedy item and as such will be found very amusing; however it is also a good trick because it does not seem possible to have so much liquid hidden anywhere. The drawing board looks so fair and the five glasses of liquid look so much bigger than they are actually. It also adds immensely to the trick having the change in liquid not only because of the tricky change in the drawing in making a cow out of a barrel, but because beer is so entirely different from milk. I sincerely hope that you will like the trick as it is, but even if it will not fit in your show, I hope that it will lead you to think of ways to modernize and elaborate some tricks which you have always wanted to do but felt were pretty dated. Old ideas and modern methods make a wonderful combination.

DUOFLIGHT

DUOFLIGHT

Effect. A spectator counts ten cards from a red backed deck and they are sealed in a marked envelope. A second spectator counts ten cards from a blue backed deck. Two spectators each select one of these ten cards and after they are replaced with the other cards all ten cards are sealed in a second marked envelope. The two selected cards travel into the first envelope among the red cards, leaving only eight blue cards in the second envelope.

Special requirements. Two decks of cards are needed; one pack having red backs, one pack having blue backs. It is also necessary to have ten extra cards with backs matching the blue pack. Four of these cards are of one value and four of another. In other words there are two sets of four identical cards. The other two extra blue backed cards must be different but it does not matter what they are. The magician must also have a packet of envelopes, one of which has had the flap cut off, and a pencil. The best envelopes to use are those with long flaps. I suggest using a pencil which has red lead at one end and blue lead at the other.

Preparation. From the blue backed deck remove duplicates of the two indifferent extra cards mentioned above and any six other cards. These eight cards are all put in one envelope and the envelope without the flap is slipped under its flap. These two envelopes are held together as one envelope and placed at the bottom of the stack of envelopes. Also remove from the same deck the two cards to correspond to the extra forcing cards. These are placed face up between the two ordinary envelopes at the top of the stack. On top of the blue deck place the two sets of our identical cards, arranged alternately, and the two indifferent cards making the top and bottom card of the stack of ten. Put this blue back deck back into the case. The red deck remains unprepared.. If you have the pencil handy, you are
ready to perform.

Performance. With the stack of envelopes in the left hand, or nearby on a table, give the red backed deck to a spectator to remove from the case and shuffle. Have him count ten cards on your extended right hand. Have him repeat the count, one by one, so that there can be no mistake. Place these ten cards face up on top of the envelopes, and immediately over the two hidden red cards, while you pick up the pencil with which you mark his initials on the top envelope. As this envelope is to hold the red cards, you use the red end of the pencil.

Now draw this top envelope out from between the ten red cards on top of it and the two blue cards beneath it, thereby adding the two blue cards to the ten red cards. This is done as if showing everyone the initialled envelope. Then cut the cards to bring the two blue cards to the center of the pack of "ten" cards and put them into the marked envelope. The envelope is then sealed.

Having put the stack of envelopes aside for the moment, pick up the blue backed cards and remove them from the case. This deck is then shuffled by the magician. Actually a false shuffle is used which will retain the top ten cards in position. A second spectator is given the cards and asked to count ten cards, naturally from the top of the deck, face down upon your right hand. Square the cards and without in any way calling attention to the act, give the audience a flash of the bottom card which is one of the two indifferent cards.

Hand the cards back to the spectator and have the count repeated slowly, one by one, so that there can be no mistake in the count. Again give the audience a flash of the bottom card which will be the other ordinary card. The audience have now seen two of the cards, which is unspoken evidence that all ten are ordinary. Fan these ten blue cards and have a spectator select a card. As he goes to remove one tell him to select two cards, one for his neighbour.

Take care that the two cards are removed together, as this will insure, due to the arrangements of the cards, that he will select one each of the cards which have duplicates already sealed in the first envelope. After these cards are noted they are returned to the packet of cards. The pack of envelopes is, picked up, and in doing this the stack is reversed, bringing the loaded double envelope to the top. With the blue end of the pencil the initials of the second assistant are marked upon the flap of the top envelope. Of course, really this is the flap of the second envelope, which already is loaded with the eight blue cards. Now lift the flap and insert the ten blue cards into the top (flapless) envelope. By grasping the marked flap draw out the envelope to which it is attached and leave the flapless envelope on top of the stack.

As this is done the hand and wrist are bent so that the envelopes are on edge and the envelope with the marked flap is lifted up away from the rest. The flapless envelope is towards the performer and the extra envelopes of the stack are towards the audience. Thus the two packets of blue cards are subtly and simply exchanged--the forcing packet of ten cards is exchanged for the packet of eight indifferent cards, and yet the cards were "put" into a marked envelope. The second spectator seals and retains his marked envelope.

Finale. The work is now done and it only remains to have the spectators name the two chosen cards, command them to pass from the one envelope to the other, and to have the envelopes opened to prove that this has been accomplished. The details of showmanship are, after all, up to the individual magician.

However as each point of trickery is completely covered I suggest that too much emphasis cannot be given to the marking of the envelopes, the fairness of the counting of the cards, nor, after the two cards have been chosen, to the fairness of the selection of the cards. I also suggest emphasizing the fact that the one envelope has been in the possession of the one assistant before the blue pack was touched, and that both packs were held by the assistants before you were informed as to which cards had been chosen.

The trick has long been a favorite of mine and experience has shown me that it is both convincing and astounding to audiences. In closing let me call your attention to the fact that when the cards, held by the spectators at the finale, are returned to their respective decks, both decks are complete and "clean" for use in other tricks.

THE PIERCED CARDS

THE PIERCED CARDS

All that is needed for this trick is a deck of cards, a bodkin, a length of
ribbon and a paper bag. With that equipment you will have an effect
which may be performed impromptu and which I am sure that you will
like because it is so effective. There are so few card tricks which are big
in effect that I am certain that you will welcome this one.

The effect is not new but previous methods for performing the trick have
always needed special cards, or a prepared bag, and having the cards
forced. In this case you use any bag, any cards, and any ribbon, as well
as any bodkin.

Two cards are freely selected from the deck and returned and the cards
are shuffled. The cards are then dropped into an examined paper bag. A
ribbon is threaded through the bag with a sharp bodkin. The bodkin is
removed and the ends of the ribbon are handed to spectators to hold.
The bag is opened and the center of the ribbon is pulled up so that the
audience can see that it actually goes through the bag. The ribbon is
pulled back into the bag. The bag is shaken so that the cards further are
mixed inside the bag. The paper bag is torn away and the two chosen
cards are found to be threaded on the ribbon.

The pack is first shuffled and two cards are chosen. The choice is
entirely free for it does not make the least difference what the cards are.
The paper bag is passed for examination and left in the bands of the
spectator.

When the cards are returned to the deck they are both passed to the
top. The deck is shuffled so that the two selected cards are not
disturbed. Finally in the shuffle, slip one of the cards to the bottom of
the deck. At this moment, a chosen card will be found at both the top
and the bottom of the deck.

The paper bag is picked up with the left hand grasping one side of the
mouth of the bag. The cards, which have been held in the right hand,
are dropped into the bag. That is, all the cards are dropped into the bag
but the top and bottom cards which are retained between the fingers
and thumb. You have done this sleight before in other tricks. It depends
upon the friction of the fingers to hold the two outside cards as the grip
on the pack is loosened. This is shown in illustration number 1.

The two chosen cards are passed between the lingers of the left hand.
Illustration 2. The cards are shaken about. The bodkin is then pushed
through the bag and through the cards as is shown in illustration 3. The
ribbon is then drawn right through so that the bag is at the middle of the
ribbon. The center of the ribbon is pulled up out of the mouth of the bag.
Remember at this point that the left hand still grasps the chosen cards.

The ends of the ribbon are given to two spectators--one on either side of
the bag. By this time the cards have been released by the left hand. The
mouth of the bag is gathered together and the cards shaken again. Then
the bag is torn off the ribbon and the two chosen cards are found to be
strung on the ribbon.

Too much emphasis cannot be given to the fact that the cards finally
found on the ribbon actually are the cards which a moment before were
so freely chosen. You may wish to have the cards marked by those
choosing them. In order that the freedom of selection may better be
noted, you may wish to give the deck to each person to hold in his own
hands as he makes his selection.

At such times as you show the trick as an impromptu effect, you will find
it very easy to get the cards, ribbon, and paper bag. You may not find it
quite so easy to borrow a bodkin. On such occasions you will find it
perfectly possible to make a hole through bag and cards with the small
blade of a penknife and then use the point of the knife to push the
ribbon through the hole.

When you do the trick, having brought your own materials, you will find
it advisable to use a fairly strong ribbon, though not more than threequarters
of an inch wide, and a fair size paper bag. The bodkin, which
should have a sharp point the more easy to impale the cards, will, of
course, be threaded by the ribbon before the performance.

With proper presentation the effect can be built into magic which will
long be talked about. As everything which may be seen is so fair, the
patter should stress right up to the end that the magician "has done
nothing." When the bag has been threaded on the ribbon and the
spectators have hold of the ends and actually the trick is all over--then is
the time for the magician to say, as strongly as possible, just what he
plans to do. That, by the way, is the best time for a magician to make his
promises--after he has reached a point where it is impossible for
anything to go wrong.

SEVEN COINS

To start, it is not necessary to use seven coins in this trick. It is perfectly
possible to do the trick with either three coins or five. Seven coins are
most effective but sometimes I like to do the trick with borrowed coins
and it is not always easy to find seven half-dollars. Half-dollars, I hadn't
got around to mentioning, are the best size coins to use.

Here is the effect. The magician counts out seven coins--or five, or three,
at any rate an odd number of coins--on to the hand of a spectator. He
then puts out his left hand and asks that four coins be counted upon his
left palm. When that is done he puts out his right hand and has the
remaining three coins put, one at a time, on that palm. He then calls
attention to the fact that he has four coins on his left palm and three on
his right.

He takes one away from his left hand and drops it with the rest
in his right. He closes both hands into fists and calls attention once more
to the number of coins in each hand. Now he has the four in the right
and only the three in the left. He jingles the coins and asks the
spectators how many coins in each hand. No matter what they say, he
opens his right hand to show that he has all seven coins in that hand,
and then opens his left to show it empty. Then, if the coins are borrowed
he hands back the money.

The comedy in the trick depends upon the magician's trying seemingly
to get the audience confused as to which hand has the odd coin. Getting
them worried over the location of that one coin is the business which
gives the magician a chance to steal the three coins without their being
any the wiser.

There is nothing to get ready and all that you have to have is the
knowledge of the routine and the way to transfer the coins. Remember
you can borrow the money--anyway you can try. If you can't, you can
always use palming coins. As a trick by itself it is good, particularly
because you can do it any time--any where, and as a part of the miser's
dream, or some other coin routine, it is also good.

When you start in the first business of four coins on the left hand and
three on the right, it is just to get the people thinking about their being a
different number of coins in the two hands. When the thumb and first
finger of the right hand--the other three fingers are closed to hold the
three coins in that hand--go over to the left hand to pick up the coin,
everyone's eyes follow that coin.

The moment that the right hand moves away from the left, the left hand
is closed and turned over back up. On this turnover, and the closing and
turnover are one move, the fingertips slide the coins to the heel of the
palm, so that they extend down edgeways between the tips of the
fingers and the palm. In other words, the edges of the coins point
towards the floor and stick out of the closed fist.

The right hand is then turned palm up and the third, fourth, and little
fingers opened. The fourth coin is then dropped from between the
thumb and first finger so that it falls on the rest. This is a perfectly
natural move, even if it doesn't read like it. The right hand is then closed
and the fist turned over, as had been done with the left hand. Both
hands are now closed and are back up.

Then the magician goes on talking about where the coins are--how many
in each hand. His right hand moves toward the left in talking and he
points either with the first finger, which he opens, or with the thumb.
Sometimes I do it one way, sometimes the other. Then he announces
the number of coins in the right hand. In doing that his left hand moves
over to the right and it looks like the right hand moved at the same
speed away from the left. Actually the hands meet, and in a sort of
rolling motion, so that the coins sticking out of the left hand are caught
in the same grip by the fingers of the right hand.

The left hand then
points with the extended first finger, or the thumb, at the right hand, as
the magician tells the number of coins in the right hand. The changeover
is really easy to do when you get the timing down and the patter
timed to go with the moves. The sleight itself is easy.

At this point the coins stick down below the right hand; that is the extra
three coins do, the other four are still in the right fist. The magician then
starts to shake the coins and on the first shake the right hand opens
enough to get the outside coins in the hand with the others. Both hands
are shaken at the same time and the audience believe that they hear
coins in each hand.

Once again the hands are held still and the spectators asked to name the number of coins in each hand. When they have finished the magician says, "Chams cha la ta ax ba, which means I hope you like this trick. Come my boy hold out your hand. And here are seven coins--and here absolutely nothing." Of course, as has been suggested, the magician also talks during the rest of the trick. He says: "Listen to the money jingle," when he shakes the coins. He also tells the number of coins in each hand several times to build up the idea that he is going to have something happen to that odd coin. He never suggests that idea, but the audience don't need the suggestion for they will get the idea all by themselves.

I have a lot of bigger tricks which haven't made the impression that this one has made on audiences. It fools people and they like it and what more do you want in a trick.

THE GLASS TRICK

This trick has been titled by my audiences. It is as popular an effect with
them as anything I do. They always ask for "The Glass Trick." It will be
found equally effective as an opening trick close-up, on the night club
floor, or on the stage. In fact it can be shown under any, and all,
conditions. Basically the trick is not new but the changes made in it have
enhanced its audience appeal to an enormous extent.

The magician enters, holding in one hand two men's size silk
handkerchiefs by their corners. One of the handkerchiefs is red and the
other is white. Those colors are not essential, but the handkerchiefs
must be of different colors. He announces that he wants one of these
handkerchiefs chosen--the one selected will be the one used in the trick.

The handkerchief not chosen is pulled away from the other and thrown
over his arm. He picks up a highball glass with his empty hand and
pushes the chosen handkerchief down into the glass. It will fill about half
the glass. The magician then takes the other handkerchief and pushes it
into the glass, as he explains, to act as a stopper. He then calls attention
to the fact that the selected handkerchief is in the glass and cannot
come out the bottom because of the glass and the other handkerchief
closes the mouth of the glass. He takes the glass between the palms of
his two hands. One hand covers the bottom of the glass and the other
the mouth of the glass. The fingers of the hands are held straight out so
that every one plainly can see the glass and both handkerchiefs. He
waves the glass a very little and the chosen handkerchief instantly
disappears. Instantly the glass may be handed for examination. Not only
will it be found intact, but the second handkerchief will be wedged in the
mouth of the glass like a stopper.

To prepare for the trick, all that is needed is a length of braided silk
cord. It probably can be found in a store selling material for ladies'
dresses, but I know that such cord also is carried in upholsterers' shops.
It needs to be quite strong and mine is about an eighth inch in diameter.
Incidentally, this silk cord is much more flexible, and therefore better,
than fish line. A one inch loop is made at one end and the cords at the
end of the loop bound with thread. This fastening of the loop must be
most secure. That loop is for the handkerchief as will be explained later.

I also make the same size and kind of loop at the other end, for I slip it
on to the strap of my wrist watch. The length of the cord depends upon
the length of one's arms and the width of one's back. The cord must be
just long enough to go from the fingers of one hand to the opposite
wrist-up one sleeve across the back and down the other sleeve when the
arms are bent and the elbows held flat at the sides.

When the magician walks on the stage, the ends of both handkerchiefs
are through the loop of the cord. This not only makes it easy and natural
to hold the cord but it takes away the fumbling which would be required
to thread the loop with a handkerchief in front of an audience. When the
choice of handkerchief is made, the left hand (I hold the handkerchiefs
in my right) takes hold of the bottom corner of the other handkerchief.

The right hand is raised, seemingly the better to show the chosen
handkerchief, and the left band pulls the other handkerchief free. That
silk is immediately thrown over the right arm. The left band then takes
the top corner of the chosen handkerchief and the right hand--loop and
all--moves to the centre of the silk. Apparently, this is done merely
because it is easier to push the handkerchief into the glass when it is
held by the centre, and this is quite true, but at the same time the loop
is put in the position where it will do the most good.

The glass is picked up by the left band. In night clubs, I pick up a glass
from one of the tables. The ends of the handkerchief are dropped first
into the glass and the rest of the silk pushed down on top. The
handkerchief is pushed down until it is a bundle filling the bottom half of
the glass. The glass is then taken by the right hand while the left takes
the second handkerchief again. That silk is pushed down on top of the
first. There is nothing special to know about putting in the second
handkerchief. Do it just as you ordinarily would push a handkerchief into
a glass.

The glass is held between the two palms. The pressure is made with the
base of the fingers rather than the heel of the palms. A slight forward
movement of the arms and the chosen handkerchief will be jerked, past
the second handkerchief and up the right sleeve. In doing this move, the
heel of the right hand is lifted out about a quarter inch. Instead of jerking
the second handkerchief out, as would seem to be the natural thing to
happen, all that pulling the silk out by the cord does is to wedge the
other handkerchief into the mouth of the glass. When the glass is
handed out for examination the remaining handkerchief is a ball of silk
which stays in position corking the mouth of the glass.

It is perfectly possible to do the trick with a milk, or cream bottle, or with
a comparatively small necked glass vase. In either case the selected
handkerchief will slide out past the other handkerchief without the least
difficulty. Personally I have always preferred using a high ball glass,
because it seems to be more convincing to an audience. However, for
certain acts a bottle or vase may be found more effective.

The fact that the handkerchief vanishes instantly while the attention of
the audience is focused on it, and the added fact that a glass with both
ends closed surrounds the handkerchief, makes the effect particularly
appealing to audiences. That it is so striking a trick, and yet is a short
one, makes it an excellent trick with which to open a magic program.
The best patter to use with the trick is a mere explanation of what is
happening. The trick is strong enough so that the little fairy story plot is
not needed.