Читать книгу Modern Coin Magic - J. B. Bobo - Страница 60

Effect: The performer shows a half dollar and apparently places it in his left hand, but the spectators see him remove it and carry it to his pocket. They waste no time in telling him where the coin is, but when he opens his hand the coin is still there. The same moves are repeated. This time the coin actually vanishes.

No better effect than this could be used to close a routine of coin tricks. It is a dandy for the wiseacre and perfect for the kids.

Method: Tell your audience that you will try to do the trick very slowly and that you will give them an opportunity to catch you. Warn them not to say anything, if they should see how it is done, until after it is over. It will be difficult for them to keep from speaking up when they think they know the answer. After that, it’s too late!

Show a half dollar and hold it clipped between the first and second fingers as you would to thumb palm it, Fig. 1. Place the coin in the left hand and close the fingers over it. Immediately remove it still clipped between the first and second fingers, allowing what you do to be seen, but not being too obvious about it. As soon as the spectators get a flash of the coin, bend the fingers inward as if to conceal it behind the hand. Place the right hand in the trousers pocket, palm the coin and remove the hand. The spectators will think you put the coin in your pocket. Your two hands should be fairly close together at this point; in fact, the extended fingers of the right hand al-most touch the closed left hand, Fig. 2. The spectators are sure that you slipped the coin into your pocket—they do not suspect that you removed it again and have it palmed. Say, “I will now strike the back of my left hand three times, like this.” At this instant swing both hands to the right so the palm of the right hand is toward the spectators, and drop the coin from the right palm, catching it in the left hand. The left fingers open slightly to admit the coin. (Fig. 3 shows the performer’s view of this action.) The depositing of the coin in the left hand and the showing of the right hand empty is all done in one move. The coin is actually thrown a distance of three or four inches. It is released from the right hand and caught in the left about midway in the swing from left to right. It cannot be seen if the transfer is made as described. There must be no stoppage or slowing down of action in this maneuver. The hands are brought over to the right in one continuous movement for the ostensible purpose of showing the right hand empty before striking the left hand. Allow the spectators to see the right hand empty then slowly tap the back of the left fist with the right fingers counting, “One, two, three!” Then say, “When I open my left hand the coin will be gone.” If someone doesn’t speak up at this point and say he saw you put it in your pocket, ask the spectators if they noticed where it went. They will, of course, say it is in your pocket. So you reply, “No, the coin is still here. It hasn’t disappeared yet.” This is a stunner and prepares you for the payoff!

The next time, you actually vanish it. State, “You know, a great many persons think that when I place a coin in my hand like this . . . (Pretend to place the coin in your left hand, but actually palm it in the right. This time you must fool them. The Bobo Vanish can be used to good advantage) . . . and then place my hand in my pocket, like this, that I put the coin there. (Place the hand in the right trousers pocket and keeping the coin palmed, turn the pocket wrong side out to show that it isn’t there. Push the pocket back and leave the palmed coin in the pocket.) However, that is not the case as you can see. All I need do to cause the coin to disappear is to blow on the hand.” Open the hand and show it empty. The coin has vanished completely.

At first it may not seem possible to transfer a coin undetectably from one hand to the other as the hands swing from one side of the body to the other, but it can be done. It is primarily a matter of timing and misdirection. Once the secret move is completely mastered it can be done without misdirection because the move is practically undetectable. I have performed it hundreds of times before magicians and not once has the move been detected. So what chance does a layman have?

But with the added advantage of timing and misdirection the effect is sure fire. Be sure to look directly at the spectators as you speak to them and make the secret transfer. Then you will have no trouble.

Timing and misdirection are important in performing any trick, so keep them constantly in mind. The illusion of complete disappearance must be perfect—make it so!