Another one-of-a-kind marionette built by Ray Moore for Osborne shows. It’s, of course, Ben Franklin flying his kite with a key on it. When the wind comes up, Ben flies apart! Arms, head, legs and body all separate, then rejoin. A marvelous design and a beautiful puppet. Watch those Al Delage flowers close before they vanish!
A nice wide shot of one side of the front room.
This is the other side. Notice on the wall, Blackstone Sr.’s hoop. This was the hoop that was passed over the levitated princess. It was a gift to Aubrey for his participation in the This is Your Life TV show. I acquired it when I bought the entire Aubrey illusion show and collection. Visitors to our warehouse are advised to not “tug on Superman’s cape.” To the left of that is a nice note from Neil Patrick Harris. This talented guy can do everything!
Time for a bathroom break. Videos, custom soundtracks, DVDs and all audition tapes are stored in the bathroom along with some more magic collectibles as shown here.
When PeeWee Herman was popular, I commissioned Ray Moore to make a marionette of him for one of our theme park children’s shows. Before the show opened, PeeWee was caught enjoying himself in the movies, so PeeWee was booted out of my show and has been placed in our warehouse bathroom, looking at the toilet, of course. So that’s it for now. The warehouse tour will continue next month with photos of our office and art studio as well!
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART
The magician now explains that he would like to demonstrate the oldest form of magic - a card trick.
His demure assistant enters carrying a tray of regulation playing cards. The magician takes them, opens them and shows that they are regular in every way. He and the lady go into the audience to have an unrehearsed volunteer select a card, sign it and put it on top of the others that are spread out on the tray. This is done and the illusionist and the young lady return to the stage. The magician states that he will select the card without looking, “Please bring out the blindfold.”
There has been a mishap.
No blindfold…heads peek out from the curtains, music stops, the uplifting scene has changed to confusion. Ever the master of mystery, the illusionist announces that he will stand behind his trick and his girl! He will stand behind his assistant and still find the card without looking….
BOOM…
He reaches through her body. He holds the signed card. He grabs it with the other hand and takes it to the audience as a souvenir for the selected spectator to keep.
METHOD:
It’s an interesting idea for an illusion disguised as a card trick. This plan teaches you all you need to know.
The girl wears a dummy arm that holds the tray. The perfect disguise for an immobile arm. The other arm is free to move, but does hold the tray anyway and moves a few fingers to validate the concept. On the tray rests a deck of cards, a regular deck of cards. They are shown and the illusionist and the girl enter the audience to have a card selected. The card is signed, false shuffled to the top of the deck, the cards are spread around on the tray and the two return to the stage. As their backs are turned she takes the appropriate card off with her “secret real arm” and pulls it inside her costume.
They return to the stage and the nonsense with the blindfold makes everybody uneasy (the real secret to magic). No problem, “the magician is a genius”, he can do the trick anyway. He steps behind the girl, shuts his eyes, pretends a thrust as she pushes her arm through with the card, giving the illusion that he has violated her stomach. The correct card emerges signed. He reaches around and takes the card from her disguised arm.
As you have seen, her real arm is within her costume and does all the work. Naturally, costuming is important with her hidden arm matching the magician’s. Nail polish on a man’s hand won’t work, watch for that. Her dress can be as we have indicated in our plan/production sketch. It should have a blousy top that allows some room, but form fitting to flatter her body as it descends.
The key to this one is presenting it as a simple card trick. Don’t overplay it as an illusion-but for that reason it is, and it’s a big one!
Tear Apart Vanish
By Paul Osborne
This is a great dove vanish where the bird or birds are put into a small box with paper sides. A magical pass and the doves have vanished! And to prove it, the six newspaper-covered sides are removed one by one and punched through by the magician’s hand or broken over the assistant’s arms and head. The Tear Apart Vanish was first marketed in the 1950s in the United States by Abbott’s, and is not to be confused with the Take Apart (or Break-Apart) Dove Vanish, where the box is dismantled and the solid wood sides are shown on both sides to prove it empty, an effect in use as early as the1920s by S.S. Henry and con- structed by Thayer, among others. The entire Tear Apart Vanish can be built from quarter-inch thick plywood. Begin by building the bottom frame piece. Cut out a 10 by 15 inch piece, then with a jig-saw, saber saw, or band saw, cut out the 13 by 7 5/8 inch center hole. Brace this frame with 3/4 inch wide strips around the outer and inner edges as indicated in the drawing. This forms a 7/8 inch groove for all four of the side pieces to fit into.
Brace the top piece exactly the same way, and then hinge a 10 1/4 by 5 3/4 inch framework to the top of it. The front, back, and side frames are cut from the 1/4 inch ply in much the same manner, using the dimensions shown in the drawing.
To the front and back pieces only you will be applying 1/4 inch brace pieces, 1/4 inch from the edges. This gives the two side panels support. Before applying the two braces to the front panel, drill a 1/8 inch hole in each, 3 3/4 inches from the top. Now, apply all braces. Bend a wire (or coat hanger) to the configuration shown in the bottom left drawing. This will be the gimmick that holds a 3 3/4 inch cloth bag that holds (and hides) the doves. Ideally, this should be sewn and hemmed from newsprint fabric found at sewing supply stores. If you cannot find this print, make the bag from white cotton material, and with a black marker draw some headlines, columns of words, and scribbles to make the bag look like newspaper. Attach it to the inside top of the front panel. Now, slip the wire into the two 1/8 inch holes, and then apply a Velcro closure to the top of the bag and the frame. Seal all pieces with Krylon spray fix, and paint all frames your selected colors. Before the performance, cut out the six appropriate size newspaper pieces and, with masking tape, apply them to the inside of the frames, and assemble the box.
In performance, place the doves in the bag and pull the gimmick forward so the birds are secure in the bag. You begin to disassemble the box, removing the lid frame first and pushing it over your assistant’s arm, tearing through the paper. Remove the front panel next, being sure the bag that’s behind the upper four inches is held away from the audience, and push it over your assistant’s other hand and arm. Now in rapid succession the four side frames are broken over your assistant’s hands and left hanging on her arms. Lastly, the bottom paper frame is bro- ken over her head, leaving the frame and torn paper around her neck.
Copyright © 2007 Paul Osborne www.osborneillusionsystems.com
TEARING ‘EM UP ON SULLIVAN
On January 10, 1960, Kalanag performed the Tear Apart Vanish on The Ed Sullivan Show. “It was outstanding!” exclaimed the copy written for Abbott’s ads in the magic magazines the following months. “Kalanag used the Abbott-made product and we can supply you with this excellent trick, the same as we did Europe’s great illusionist. The price $18.50, we pay the postage.”
MIKE MOSHER
I first met Mike Mosher in the late eighties when he rescued me by stepping up to manage my shows at Rocky Point. Mike was hired as just a cast member but I soon realized his abilities far out weighed the young man I initially hired to be the magician and company manager. From those early days Mike went on to perform and manage our shows at Enchanted Village and Six Flags. He is a Renaissance man in every sense of the word. I could always count on him to bring the “extra cheese” to any theatrical production we worked on together. As an example, before I could get costumes and make up planned he showed up like this for our Six Flags Halloween show, Freaky Follies! A look that was better than I had planned!
From costumes to props to scripting to performance, Michael can do it all.
Although a marvelous performer is many ways, he has also turned his talents as a make-up artist into a full time profession with many movies and well known actors and actresses as clients. I am excited to announce his new magic manufacturing company, Wack-O Magic! His first two releases are terrific, and if you don’t mind a review, I can tell you his Topsy Turvey Soda bottles are the best I have seen,
and I have seen them all from P&L to Grant’s Black Cherry versions. His are better, current, realistic and improved over all the others, and the best news is the price. As a great audience participation trick, this one can’t be beat!
I love the Strat-o-spheres as a prop. I’ve never understood why it wasn’t called the stop light trick, but who cares, Mike made a new version that is totally logical. Remember in the movies how they assembled Frankenstein? Now you can, too. Yes, it’s the monster that can’t be assembled, or can he? Like the movie, which was not a Halloween release, this prop can be featured year round! The other cool thing is that this Frankenstein is a cute little guy so he’s perfect for kid shows. Another new and clever magical prop from Mike Mosher.
Finally, Mike has the capability to make up custom feet for your illusions.
I am sure you can look to more creative magic props from the fertile mind of Mike Mosher!
Visit our website at: www.osborneillusionsystems.com
Visit our website at: www.osborneillusionsystems.com
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