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Roodsnavel
New user
the Netherlands
40 Posts
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Posted: Jan 2, 2004 5:24pm
I own this trick, but a weak point for me is the breaking of the egg. It doesn't look real. In the routine stands that you have to put the shells in (besides) the can. It seems for me not a good idea.
How can I make this trick, a little bit more exciting?
Thank You 
Greetings from Holland
Harry
God Bless You All!!!
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Tom Trix
New user
Copenhagen,Denmark
82 Posts
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Posted: Jan 2, 2004 7:49pm
Roodsnavel,
I also have Don Allen’s comedy can, but have never used it. I recommend that you take a look at http://www.magicinc.net find the trick that is called the Blooming Stooge, and buy yourself a good milk pitcher. It is much better, in short you bring out a cup, pouring milk into the cup, placing a cardboard on the mouth of the cup, and place the hole thing on the head of your assistant from the audience, remove the cardboard which is marked "Do not remove" When you finally lift the cup, your assistants head is filled with spring production flowers. That is entertainment, I have used it in over 20 years.
Good Luck
Tom Trix
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Bob Sanders
Grammar Supervisor
Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama
19260 Posts
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Posted: Jan 2, 2004 11:06pm
The Don Allen comedy can is something I have used off and on over about twenty-five or thirty years. It plays very well with grade school audiences. I have never had any problem with the egg part. I try to keep plenty of blown eggs around for other routines. So that dry blown eggs are nothing special here. As a side note, once blown, if anything, the eggs get harder and whiter. Defects that were very apparent at the store actually improve as the eggs age and become a uniform color.
The most fun I have had with the trick is to replace the candy in the glass with a live hamster. For a while my daughter Anna had a spotted hamster named Bo who was a real showoff. When the cylinder was removed the audience was the first to see what had happened and would really burst out laughing and screaming. Bo would come to the top of the glass and put his front legs over the sides like he was riding in the basket of a hot air balloon. That was as far as he would go. However, that allowed him to be passed around in the safety of his glass for the kids to see without being touched by smashing hands. In reality, Bo was a poor stage animal because there was no replacement available. When Bo’s time ran out, that part of the act was over. It was fun for a few years. Bo we miss you.
Bob
Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander / The Amazed Wiz
AmazedWiz@yahoo.com
SilkMagic@DoveLite.com
http://www.magicbysander.com/
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Pete Biro
V.I.P.
17755 Posts
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Posted: Jan 3, 2004 3:56pm
I agree "Blooming Stooge" is a better version. You don't need a LARGE milk pitcher, you could even use a "ventriloquist glass" (same principle).
Hey.. just hit me... SLUSH POWDER. Pour real liquid in.
STAY TOONED... @ www.petebiro.com
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Tate
Loyal user
NC
206 Posts
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Posted: Jan 4, 2004 5:11pm
I used to use this in my birthday party show for years. I eventually replaced it with something else, but have considered putting it back. I don't remember how much of my routine was straight out of the directions and how much I'd added over time.
I used a blown egg and sometimes, yes, kids would say that they didn't see any egg go in. I worked out some misdirection and using my hands to obscure the egg when opening it over the can. For a while, I did "Silk to Egg", using an opaque plastic cup to crack the egg into, then switch the cup for an empty one and leave it on the table to use it the "Egg on Head" trick. I just realized that if I had TWO of the metal cans I could just switch them and go straight into the "Egg on Head" routine.
To add more comedy and excitement, here's what I came up with. You're at the point where the can is on top of the child's head and the "Do Not Remove" sign has been removed. I say that there is only one way to get the can off the kid's head - use ONE OF THESE! (show eggbeater) I bring out the eggbeater (one handed because the other hand is holding the can on the kid's head) but I spin the beater with my thumb and when I say "ONE OF THESE" I act almost as if the eggbeater is dangerous. (like it's a running chainsaw) This gets the kids in the audience laughing. I have the helper hold the beater pointing it toward the audience and I say that when I pull the can off his head the egg will fall down and hit the spinning blades and SPRAY EVERYONE in the audience. Now the helper laughs at that and the audience is worried. I ask if there is anyone in particular the helper would like to aim at. (usually a brother or sister)
The load I used was a plastic fried egg and a "Happy Birthday" silk. When no egg falls out of the can, I show the glass and the kids can see through the glass that the egg has been cooked. I have everyone say the magic words, "Happy Birthday" and pull the silk out to show the message.
One other "bit" I used won't be of use to all of you. When I pulled the "Do Not Remove" sign off their heads, most of the kids pull the can down tighter on their heads. (to keep the egg from coming out, I guess) Anyway, I tell them to be careful, if they pull the can down too hard it cuts a hole out of their hair that won't ever grow back. Then I'd bend over and say "See?" and point at my bald spot. Sometimes I'd see Dad in the back row and say, "You too?"
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ChrisPilsworth
New user
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
34 Posts
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Posted: Jan 4, 2004 5:19pm
When I performed this trick many years ago, I didn't like blowing an egg for each show. Here is what I did.
Crack an egg. Be carefull that the shell breaks into two halves. Mix up a bit of plaster of paris and put a thin coating in each half of the shell. Plaster of paris is a white powder that when mixed with water becomes a paste. It is available at art supply stores. You could also use poly fila from the hardware store. (The purpose of the plaster is to make the shell more durable).
When the plaster is dry take a bit of clear tape and tape the two halves of the shell together just at one spot on the outside of the egg. This will become a hinge point.
The final step is to take a couple of pieces of non-cling saran wrap (or thin clear plastic sheeting from the hardware store)and tape them to the inside of each half of the shell. Cut the wrap so that it will look like the egg white dripping down. Tape them on the inside of each half on the side opposite your tape hinge.
To perform, put the saran wrap inside the egg. Close the egg up. Put it inside an egg carton (You can use the six pack as it is smaller than a twelve carton). Bring out the egg and pretend to crack it on the side of the can. When you hinge the egg open into the can the saran will drop out and look like the last part of the egg coming from the shell. Look in the can as you put the shell away. It will be ready for the next show. You don't need to show the egg too long after it has been cracked in the can.
One final detail is to have a small hand towel to wipe your hands off after cracking the egg into the can. This bit of business will go a long way to convince the audience that the egg was real.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Chris
www.borntoamaze.com
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Roodsnavel
New user
the Netherlands
40 Posts
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Posted: Jan 4, 2004 6:05pm
Hi fellows,
Thank you all for your advice, I give after I studied the tips a report.
greetings from Holland
Harry 
Greetings from Holland
Harry
God Bless You All!!!
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Tate
Loyal user
NC
206 Posts
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Posted: Jan 4, 2004 8:25pm
Once thing I just remembered. If you blow your eggs (that sounds weird, doesn't it?) you don't have to have tiny, nearly invisible holes on each end. The smaller the hole, the harder it is to blow the egg out through it. I finally got (a little) smarter and started putting a good sized hole in one end and blowing from a smaller hole in the other end. You could patch the hole up with some glue, but I never did and the kids never noticed it.
Tate
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eddieloughran
Special user
942 Posts
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Posted: Jan 5, 2004 11:41am
I read a routine using one, which sounds like the routine that we are talking about.
I didn't have the can, I live in England, so I use a tin can. Break the egg in it, then switch it for another when my assistant is comimg up.
It works really well, but the one time I used a blown egg the children thought something was not right.
Eddie
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Pete Biro
V.I.P.
17755 Posts
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Posted: Jan 5, 2004 2:37pm
Egg beater? No use a real chain saw!
Actually I have seen small "toy" chain saws that make a realistic sound... could be lots of fun.
STAY TOONED... @ www.petebiro.com
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Whit Haydn
V.I.P.
5442 Posts
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Posted: Jan 5, 2004 2:53pm
The blown egg works great if it is done with good acting skills. I used to do Don Alan's routine when I was fifteen (1966). No one ever suspected the egg was not ordinary. The impact was great when the card was removed. You should have seen Don Alan do it! It looked perfect.
It is essential that the actions are done boldly, slowly, and naturally, not tentatively as if hiding something.
The best way to get this is to acually break a number of eggs into a can, in front of a mirror. Try to keep all of the egg in the can, none dripping off the sides. Try to keep your fingers from getting wet. If they do get wet, notice how you handle it.
After breaking a number of eggs into a can, and studying carefully how it looks on video or in a mirror, then start trying to duplicate that with blown eggs. The more authoritative your actions are, the more believable the effect.
This is a seriously important lesson in the art of magic, that is worth doing as an exercise, even if you never attempt the trick. In fact, I don't believe you are really a good magician at all, if you can not create this simple illusion. Take the time to learn this simple thing, and you will have learned a great deal about the art of magic. I am serious about this.
Acting in magic is not just about performing and character; acting is very often the "method" for creating the illusion, and always an important element in the creation of the illusion.
As for making the blown egg, the best method is to make one hole in the egg, in the wide end. This hole should be made with a big needle, or small nail. The nail is pushed up into the egg, and stirred around to disintegrate the yolk. Now hold the egg over the sink, and take an ear syringe and place it into the hole.
As you slowly pump air into the egg, the yolk and white will be forced out. Once the egg is empty, fill the ear syringe with water and pump that into the egg and shake it around to clean the insides. Then pump a little more air into the egg to force out the water.
This creates a blown egg without the exhausting blowing usually associated with the process, and keeps your mouth away from any possible salmonella germs. The egg only has one hole, and this can be filled if you need to do so, say for an egg bag prop.
I have a special device that I made to blow eggs. It is a thin brass tube that is soldered to a thicker curved brass tube, which is attached to an ear syringe. This enables me to hold the egg in one hand, the syringe in the other, and put the hole in the egg, stir the yolk, and pump out the egg without getting anything on my hands.
--Pop Haydn
Pop Haydn's 21at Century Website
Pop's Soapbox
Pop's YouTube Channel
Sphere of Destiny
Los Angeles magician
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Bill Hegbli
Eternal Order
Bill and Bill in Fort Wayne Indiana
12890 Posts
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Posted: Jan 7, 2004 8:42am
I have used the comedy can and Blooming stooger for 50 years. They are both great.
I recommmend to use the blown egg, I set up a dozen in advance, use it for the egg bag then use it for the Alan trick. I don't remember where the instructions said to put the shells into the can. I never did! Just put them in a "paper towel" to wipe your fingers off. (acting)
These tricks are classics and as such, have proven themselves.
I once used a "foo glass" but found that to not make sense to me so I stopped it. Breaking the egg in a glass then pouring it into the can.
Lastly, us can use on of the plastic eggs that split in the middle, and pretend the rest. Of course it should be a white egg, not a colored easter egg.
Bill 
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Daniel Faith
Inner circle
Neenah, Wisconsin
1526 Posts
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Posted: Jan 14, 2004 12:36am
I keep lots of blown eggs in egg cartons ready to go. There is nothing wrong with using blown eggs. I don't have any problems doing so either. Whit covered that issue pretty well.
I use alot of comedy bits in my routine as well. You can PM me for more info if your interested.
I think a hampster is a cute idea or maybe a mouse. I have tried using a fish as well sealing the top of the glass. But it just didn't fit in right.
Daniel Faith
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James Fortune
Elite user
UK
455 Posts
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Posted: Jan 14, 2004 6:04am
I've done it for ages.
My routine is a 'Baking a Cake'-type routine. The premise is I've just bought this trick from Acme Magic Supplies - only just arrived today. The kids reads out the instructions as I perform them. Usual gags - nuts (snake tin), dates (calendar), egg (Vernet's Silk to Egg Gimmick - nice as it has a fake yolk) and finally 'a glass of milk'. I pour in from a sealed 'milk pitcher' glass (so no carrying of liquids).
My premise now is that the trick took three weeks to come from the States and the milk has gone off - smells - pweuuuu! I ACT, swishing the 'milk' around in the can and constantly sniffing it. I even put it under the nose of my helper and they go pweuuu (oh, the power of suggestion)!
Then, when they read "Step 6. Turn upside down on my head" the response is wonderful!! 
So, in my routine, it's become a Milk Can rather than an Egg Can - but who cares?
Warmest regards
James
James Fortune
Member of the Inner Magic Circle with Gold Star
Surrey Close Up Magic Champion 2001, 2008, 2012
www.magicfun.co.uk
james@magicfun.co.uk
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Dan Monroe
Loyal user
Indiana
209 Posts
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Posted: Jan 16, 2004 12:40am
I think the blown egg shells are the way to go. It looks real with a little acting and wiping your hands clean on a towel. I put a little glue over the holes and no one can even tell. I have in the past left the broken egg shells in a bowl on the end of my prop table and have had people touch the shells after my show while I'm packing up and yell back to their friends "yep they were real eggs" as I give them a sly grin. I also use the egg beater in my routine it goes over well. 
The power is within us all...I'm just a little more full of it.
danmonroe.bravehost.com
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Pete Biro
V.I.P.
17755 Posts
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Posted: Jan 20, 2004 1:15pm
I just saw a photo of someone doing the Ali Bongo version on ED SULLIVAN.
STAY TOONED... @ www.petebiro.com
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Vincent
Loyal user
New York Metro Area
270 Posts
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Posted: Feb 9, 2004 11:21am
You can also use a little spackling compound to cover the holes in the egg.
When dried it is faily easy to contour it to the rest of the egg since the holes are generally pretty small.
Also texture is about the same.
Other than that I think you guys have covered it all and quite well at that.
Take Care,
Vincent 
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Danny Diamond
Inner circle
Connecticut
1378 Posts
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Posted: Feb 11, 2004 10:43am
I use the Egg Can in my show, and it gets a great reaction. There is a good laugh when they read the Do Not Remove sign, and then another when I bring out the egg beater. I also give the volunteer a bowl to hold in their other hand and I tell them to "beat the whisk around really fast and I will move the can quickly off your head, causing the egg to slide harmlessly off your forehead, past your eyes, past your nose, down into the whisk where you will scramble up the eggs and they will land in the bowl as scrambled eggs!" This gets a laugh too. The I remove the can and produce the candy in the glass, which I pour into the plastic bowl they were holding and they keep the bowl and the candy.
The egg cracking is not an issue for me, I keep my Dirty Hands Towel nearby from a previous routine, and I wipe my hands after the cracking. The weak point for me is actually the production of the glass of goodies. It just doesn't seem magical to me. I am thinking of keeping a silk on hand, and maybe covering the can with a silk right before the production. Also, I don't know if candies are the best choice. Any ideas for a more magicl way of revealing the glass? And any ideas on a more fun or interesting item to produce?
You don't drown by falling in the water;
you drown by staying there.
- Edwin Louis Cole
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johnpert
Veteran user
Ontario, Canada
309 Posts
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Posted: Feb 13, 2004 9:48pm
I place funny glasses and a bib (which has stains on it) on the volunteer and say, not to worry, I've never had a problem in the past, but just in case we'll use these as a precaution.
note: The bib is actually a trianglur shaped hat made of fabric.
When I slide the can off the candy falls out, but the glass doesn't b/c I continue to hold it in place. The production of candy is placed in the hat for the child to hand out to his friends and hear "thank you".
The cascading candy can give the sensation of something running over them like (liquid). This is how I've always done it. I likely misread the instructions, but I prefer this method anyway.
cheers,
j.
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Woland
Special user
642 Posts
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Posted: Jun 4, 2012 5:22pm
Quote:
| I have a special device that I made to blow eggs. It is a thin brass tube that is soldered to a thicker curved brass tube, which is attached to an ear syringe. This enables me to hold the egg in one hand, the syringe in the other, and put the hole in the egg, stir the yolk, and pump out the egg without getting anything on my hands. |
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That, Mr. Haydn, is a great idea, and an illustration that genius is in part the capacity to take the extra steps needed to get the 20% of extra results that come from the 80% of extra effort required. I would cheerfully buy the plans for this device.
Chris Pilsworth's idea also prompted thinking:
Quote:
| Crack an egg. Be carefull that the shell breaks into two halves. Mix up a bit of plaster of paris and put a thin coating in each half of the shell. Plaster of paris is a white powder that when mixed with water becomes a paste. It is available at art supply stores. You could also use poly fila from the hardware store. (The purpose of the plaster is to make the shell more durable). |
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I had been thinking of sloshing a bit of dilute white glue around the inside of a blown egg in order to strengthen it a bit. Perhaps a bit of Plaster of Paris would work even better.
Thanks, gentlemen for the clever thinking. I'm glad they leave these threads up for later review and exagmination.
EDIT: Actually, I just discovered in another thread, here:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=146268&forum=8&24&start=0#23
that a variety of egg blowers are commercially available. They do not appear to be made of brass, however. Just plastic. But certainly worth a try.
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Pop Haydn
Inner circle
Los Angeles
1034 Posts
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Posted: Jun 4, 2012 5:51pm
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.egg-in-wrap.com/images/egg_dec_accessories_full.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.egg-in-wrap.com/accessories.asp&h=369&w=576&sz=25&tbnid=L-MRwYE1YSXfMM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=140&zoom=1&usg=__9AyODK3ws255ierqFZ3GdBmglZo=&docid=syIVDGShJaDmLM&sa=X&ei=di3NT7b2D-bc2QWL7KDVAg&ved=0CIwBEPUBMAU&dur=244
This is a similar shape to mine, but wtihout the ear syringe. This one is just for blowing with the mouth.
Here's another one. This could just be glued onto an earsyringe, perhaps with Goop or Gorilla Glue:
http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&rlz=1I7ADFA_en&biw=1466&bih=772&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=pqQzqb9I0Pf7sM:&imgrefurl=http://www.babasbeeswax.com/Catalogue.htm&docid=lCGl7k52P4BBOM&imgurl=http://www.babasbeeswax.com/X-BasicSupplies/images/Egg%252520Blower%252520One%252520Hole_jpg.jpg&w=648&h=440&ei=4i3NT_zHLaSV0QGT8enGAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1034&vpy=186&dur=546&hovh=185&hovw=273&tx=163&ty=105&sig=114453454558764578695&page=1&tbnh=111&tbnw=163&start=0&ndsp=32&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0,i:88
--Pop Haydn
The Sphere of Destiny
Pop's Soapbox
Pop Haydn in the 21st Century
Los Angeles magician
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Woland
Special user
642 Posts
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Posted: Jun 4, 2012 10:54pm
Thank you! Those are nicer than the plastic Blas-Fix kit. It would be easy enough to rig them with a bulb or a piston syringe.
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Decomposed
Eternal Order
Cannot See
10612 Posts
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Posted: Jun 11, 2012 4:52pm
Thanks Pop!
90 seconds of pure laughs without a standing ovation!
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