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JayF Regular user 160 Posts |
I posted the following in another thread, but someone suggested I post it in this sections as well.
When I perform the PN for adults, I use essentially James Lewis' presentation. My patter/script has to do with hypnotizing the audience. I usually give them three hypnotic suggestions. The first two come straight from James Lewis, but the third is to "live long and prosper" as I hold up the "Vulcan hand-sign." Many times people will respond in kind. If they don't, I say, "Star Trek? It was a TV show?" That usually generates some laughter. Another "hypnotic suggestion" that I used in the past was "when I'm finished, you will all throw money, jewels, and rose petals at my feet." I like the "live long and prosper" line better, but I thought I'd mention this one too. After I first introduce the idea of hypnotizing the audience, I hand out all three ropes to be examined. I make sure a lady examines the medium or long rope. When I get back the short rope, which is 10", I ask her how long she'd say the short piece of rope is, in inches (I think that is from James Lewis). She guesses (usually around 7 or 8), and I give her hints so that she'll say 10". I then say, "your first guess was actually a pretty good one. One night I showed this to a group of hair dressers, and one said she thought that this [I point to the short piece of rope] was three inches long. [Pause until the laughter subsides.] She had been drinking. [Pause.] But, still, that's scary! And that's a true story; I could not make that up." Sometimes if the audience has been laughing pretty hard, I'll add, "you know that might account for some our haircuts." And then I go on with the rest of the routine. That really is a true story, by the way. I was performing at a restaurant, and I was doing the PN for a table of hair dressers who were there for a holiday party. They had all been drinking in the bar before being seated, and they were drinking more at their table. I asked one of them to guess how long the 10" piece of rope was, and she said three inches. All of her coworkers burst into laughter. At first I had thought maybe she was joking, but I could tell from the look on her face that she wasn't joking! If anyone can use any of this, feel free! Jay |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
If I remember correctly James Lewis wrote up a routine for the PN (about 25 or 30 years ago) in which he held the various pieces of rope at the base of his fingers. If it's the man that I'm thinking of, he published a pamphlet on psychology in magic. It looked to me like a master's "essay" for his degree, or a short doctoral thesis.
Gene Anderson spent an entire afternoon "playing" with his PN idea, and finally decided that we would stay with Bob Carver's concept. The only thing we do differently is the set up which Karrell Fox thought up, when he was playing with Gen Grant's 50/50 C&R. Henning did THAT on his first TV Special in '75. Karrell's finish (returning the ropes to odd lengths) is better, too. I've been using it since it since Karrell gave it to me about 20 years ago.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
OOps I left "myself" our of the Gene Anderson note! I should have typed: Gene Anderson and I.......
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
If I remember correctly James Lewis wrote up a routine for the PN (about 25 or 30 years ago) in which he held the various pieces of rope at the base of his fingers. If it's the man that I'm thinking of, he published a pamphlet on psychology in magic. It looked to me like a master's "essay" for his degree, or a short doctoral thesis.
Gene Anderson spent an entire afternoon "playing" with his PN idea, and finally decided that we would stay with Bob Carver's concept. The only thing we do differently is the set up which Karrell Fox thought up, when he was playing with Gen Grant's 50/50 C&R. Henning did THAT on his first TV Special in '75. Karrell's finish (returning the ropes to odd lengths) is better, too. I've been using it since it since Karrell gave it to me about 20 years ago.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
EEEEK! Now I screwed up again, and my eraser doesn't work!
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Bill Hegbli Eternal Order Fort Wayne, Indiana 22797 Posts |
Dick, you have 15 minutest to edit you post, or are you just trying to get your number of post up. You can't catch up to me.
After your posts is submitted, it will then say, "edit" between the word edit and Report This Post. Just click on "edit" and may any correction you wish. |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Thanks Bill!
Every day, it seems, I learn a new "thing" about this infernal electrisch peckenclacker! Heqq! It has taken two years to to accumulate 2800. I don't think I'll live long enough to hit 10K! heehee O P.S. I just tried the "edit" --and it works!
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Bill Thompson Elite user Mississippi 422 Posts |
ACHTUNG! ALLES LOOKENSPEEPERS!
Das computermachine ist nicht fuer gefingerpoken und mitten grabben. Ist easy schnappen der springen werk, blowenfusen und poppencorken mit spitzensparken. Ist nicht fuer gewerken bei das dumpkopfen. Das rubbernecken sichtseeren keepen das cotten-pickenen hans in das pockets muss; relaxen und watchen das blinkenlichten.
"To let understanding stop at what cannot be understood is a high attainment.
Those who cannot do it will be destroyed on the lathe of heaven." - Chuang Tse |
JayF Regular user 160 Posts |
Quote:
On Jan 2, 2015, Dick Oslund wrote: Hi Mr. Oslund, I believe that James Lewis' method for beginning the PN by holding the ropes at the base of your fingers was published in a set of lecture notes and on a VHS video titled "Million Dollar Mysteries." I'm pretty sure that the original version of setting up the PN that way was created by my friend Roger Sylwester and was called The Professor's Incubus. Roger is a retired Lutheran pastor who does a fantastic second deal. Roger lived here in Eugene, OR for a number of years before he retired and moved to Seattle. To be clear, unless I'm mistaken, Roger's approach came first. James' method was a version of Roger's idea. I have performed the PN using both Roger's and James' set-up. However, Daryl's set-up from his rope routine seemed to fit my style better, so that is how I usually perform it. Jay |
foolsnobody Special user Buffalo, NY 843 Posts |
Dick, Jon Racherbaumer wrote up Professor's Incubus in a Kabbala. Or Hierophant. One of those. So for confirmation of provenance (A Racherbaumer word!)ask Jon!
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Kabbalah Inner circle 1621 Posts |
Quote:
On Jan 3, 2015, foolsnobody wrote: Hierophant ~ Volume 3. See also Paul Green's The Rope Routine on his In the Trenches DVD - where credit is given to Roger Sylwester, Bruce Cervon and James Lewis.
"Long may magicians fascinate and continue to be fascinated by the mystery potential in a pack of cards."
~Cliff Green "The greatest tricks ever performed are not done at all. The audience simply think they see them." ~ John Northern Hilliard |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Ja wohl, HERR WILHELM!!!!!
Ich bin looken fur das ACHTUNG ALLES LOOKENPEEPERS! Mein grossfader's FABLE TELLEN VAS MEIN FAVORITTISCH READE IN DER "SATURDAY ABEN POST"! DANKE SCHOEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Hey! Jay F, "nobody's fool", Kabbalah, and, Herr Wilhelm, too!
At 13, when I first obtained a CATALOG from the "Magic Capitol or the World", I never dreamed that some day, I would actually live there! I had visited Abbott's a time or two, and a few years later, I had attended a couple GTGs. When I started booking talent for the School Assembly Service in the southern half of Lower Michigan, and also playing dates down there,I would get through Colon many times. In the late 70s, I started spending summers there. I parked the RV in Jerry Conklin's back yard. I registered to vote! I was a citizen in the MCotW! I had met Gene Anderson in the early 1970s when we were both "inhabitants" of the Charlie Miller Suite, in Magic Inc.'s second floor. Gene had "settled" (kind of) in Midland, Michigan. So, when I needed intellectual stimulus, I would drive up to Midlnd for long weekends. Gene and I worked on many varied concepts. So, one weekend, he or me (that rhymes nicely) had gotten this INCUBUS NIGHTMARE, from somewhere. I think it was he, and not me, because I had never subscribed to "Kabbala" or "Hierophnt". I was busy on the road, and had enough problem skimming thru LR and MUM! (I'm happy that this thread found me,(huh!) because, now I have a little more history to "My Favorite Rope Trick" (as it has been called!). Gene and Me (I'm now stuck in the objective case!) spent an entire afternoon (I think, in the mid 1970s) experimenting, playing with, discussing, & cussing this new approach to the PN. We quit at supper time, and agreed that it was vey interesting, but, we would maintain the status quo! I was particularly interested, as I had invested one dollar in the PN when I stopped in another old friend, Gene Gordon'a shop in Buffalo, in 1959. I really liked the EFFECT, when Gene showed it to me, but, I wasn't thrilled with the necessary set up moves. To me, it was somewhat contrived. Karrell Fox later realized that Gen. Grant's 50/50 C&R move could be used in the PN. He had passed it to me, I think in 1970. (Later he published it in one of his books.) Before the book, he had passed it "around", and now, it's fairly widely known, and used. I had waited until 1971 before doing the PN in my "PUZZLING ENVIRONMENT" progran. It has become a solid 3 minutes in my repertoire. It fits ALL of my nine criteria! (It's a "keeper"! When I met Joe Harrison at at an Abbott's GTG and told him I would be touring the deep south the following year, he invited me to park the RV in his side yard when I was in the NOLA area. That's when I met "The Wordsmith", Jon Racherbaumer. We became instant "old friends". Whenever I was in town, we would have lunch or dinner together about 3-5 times a week. As with Gene Anderson, we discussed philosophy, psychology, techniques and other "ephemera" (!~ ? ~ !) et cetera. It's Jon's "fault" that I spent five years writing "the" book. He even made me buy this "infernal electrisch peckenclacker" to write the 175,000 words on. (Dam! I just did another "Charlie Miller". So, that's (by a rather circuitous route)how I met up with Roger Sylvester's, Bruce Cervon's, and James Lewis' INCUBUS! Read Scot's "Discovery of Witchcraft" and in it you'll find, "how to untie a knot with words". 500 years (+/-) later,an Italian tailor named Quintino Marucci made it into a modern masterpiece. I'm sure that Bob Carver, who is said to have adapted Hen Fetsch's "Rope Epic" and produced what Gene Gordon named "The Professor's Nightmare", never imagimed how many "variations" would ensue. Well, egomemetipse (I) have invented a comedy bit with a boy from the audience! So there!
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
P.S. Look up in Funk & Wagnalls "book" the meaning of incubus and sucubus.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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