I recently purchased an unusual object, a dark red metallic handkerchief ball. I was told that it was designed to be used for a version of the 20th Century silks effect via the mouth. In addition, my fellow magician also told me that this version of the 20th Century silks is found in the Tarbell Course in Magic. Yet, I have been unsuccessful at locating this version of this classic silk effect anywhere in the Tarbell books.

Have any of you ever heard of this version? Essentially, the Hank Ball already contains the “vanished" or duplicate silk and is pre-tied to one of the primary silks. During the trick the second primary silk is tied to the duplicate. The knotted silks (handkerchief ball) is then placed in the mouth and a different colored silk is displayed and then made to vanish. After the vanish is complete, the performer having previously placed the silks between his lips, proceeds to pull the silks out displaying the vanished silk hand kerchief tied between the primary to silks.

Of course, I am attracted to this unique version of the 20th Century silks and anxious to road test it in front of a live audience. If you have heard of this effect, what comments, suggestions, ideas or feedback would you have in reference to getting rid of the Hank Ball in one's mouth? If you have ever performed this version I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts about it.

Thanks,
Tim Mannix, Los Angeles

http://www.silkkingmagic.com/Rice%27s%20......tury.htm


like this?

That's the one....thanks!

Al DeLage would do this all the time. He would do the 20th century. Then produce another ball and apparantly push it into his stomach and it would reappear in his mouth. Al is only guy I ever saw do this version of the effect. Al used a golf ball fake. He explained it in his lecture notes.

Richard

I guess I'm old fashioned but I think doing tricks with stuff going in and out of ones mouth is gross.

The persona of the performer determines whether objects placed in or produced from the mouth is acceptable. The perpetual balls or eggs from the mouth is a classic effect in magic. The paper mouth coil is a staple of many acts. Pretending to take a billiard ball, place it in the mouth (using the tongue in cheek dodge), and swallow it is a staple of a beginner's billiard ball routine because it allows one to perform the one-to-four ball multiplication without needing to wear a suit or sports coat. I sold many billiard ball sets to beginners using that routine. Houdini's Needle Swallowing Effect and Mr. Electric's Light Bulbs from Mouth are other examples of "mouth magic" that have earned a spot among the legendary routines in magic history. Then we have the production of a stream of cards from the mouth that is used by many card manipulators.

Speaking of Houdini's needle trick, make a visit to Robert R. King's Houdini Tribute Page at
http://www.houdinitribute.com/anecdotes.html
for a funny anecdote about Houdini performing the needle trick

----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez

I have a hank ball method that uses the gimmick for the production and vanish. I didn't use my mouth, but it could be adapted easily to pulling the silks out of the mouth. PM me if you'd like the instructions.