Leslie... thanks for the link. It had been a very long time since I had seen Rix do his routine.

I recently received a very nice set of these from an old friend, whom I saw perform this many years ago.

I won't mention his name, but he was kind enough to send these to me after he visited the cups and balls museum.

I had never seen Claude Rix before and have to say that I was slightly disappointed, my memory of Horace was that he had more flair and flourish and even though he too spoke in French, I more easily understood the story about the street performer and having his hand severed etc.

But both performers displayed amazing skills!

Leslie

The best presentation and performance I have seen of this effect came from a dutch magician by the name of Jean-Paul Mertens. He published the routine on tape many years back as well as in some of his lecture notes, I believe all productions were done through a local magic distributor called Mephisto. I don't know exactly how original his routine is technique wise, but the construction of the routine and the killer ending are, I believe, original.

I remember seeing him perform the routine for the first time. It was a very magical and well structured routine, but the success of the trick lies in the presentation, which in turn can only be done by a suitable character.

Much can be done with the effect in the right hands (and mouth). JP has been in the field for a very long time and the pearl routine is his pet effect. If you would like more details or have questions and can not contact him, send me a PM and I will dig out the old phone book...

Regards,

N

Hi Bill,

I think it was the Greek orator Demosthenes who, as the story goes, overcame a severe speech impediment by forcing himself to speak with stones in his mouth.

Has anyone to your knowledge used this historical story as the premise for such a routine?

It has a lot of human interest – overcoming a deficiency and becoming successful against all odds...

A more “modern” version comes from “My Fair Lady.”

For those unfamiliar with the story, a linguistics professor in London named Henry Higgins makes a wager with a friend that he can rid a working-class girl, Eliza Doolittle, of her Cockney accent and teach her to speak like a proper lady.

In one of his many drills, he insists that Eliza fill her mouth with marbles and then read a series of phrases.

This reference might be more familiar to our audiences.

Claude Rix and Horace routines are the Rezvani's one

The routine appeared in print for the first time in 1877 in Sleight of Hand by Edwin T. Sachs as The Chinese Marble Trick

Louis McCord "Silent Mora" became famous before the first world war with his "Silent Mora's 4 Ball and Net Trick" (and his Chinese sticks routine). Silent Mora was famous for this classic routine, in which four white balls miraculously appeared and disappeared, dropping from his hands into a net held by spectators. In the routine Louis McCord also introduced what is now known as the Vernon Wand spin vanish (in the Professor's C&Bs routine). He was also doing away with placing the balls in the performer's mouth.

Then in 1946, Mehjid Kahn Rezvani wrote "Les Billes d’Ivoire" on p 84 of his book La Magie du Sorcier written by Maurice Sardina. A slightly different description appeared in the mammoth work of the Dr Jules Dhotel, "La Prestidigitation sans Bagages"

Also in 1946 in Stars of Magie, Series 1, issue 1 appeared a “Classic Ball Routine” by John Scarne. The routine can also be seen in Johnny Thompson's as "3 Ball Routine" (John Scarne / Oscar Pladic) in his Volume 3 DVD, Johnny Thompson Commercial Classics of Magic.

Maurice Sardina also described John Ramsay's "Four little beans" in 1952

Then Lewis Ganson in 1955 described Charles Harrison's Marvelous Marbles in his book A Magician Explains

In 1956, J.G. Thompson, Jr. released Tops Secrets of Magic, Vol 1 with, page 57, “Spheroid Skullduggery”

In 1957, Lewis Ganson on p p 61 of The Dai Vernon Book of Magic wrote the Professor's "Three Ball Transposition" doing away with the placing of the balls in the mouth

In 1975, Horace Bennett's book Bennett’s Best p 3 released The Pearl using seven pearls: four white, a pink one, a green one and a very large one and a large shell

Then came, in 1978, with The Real Secrets of the Three Ball Routines by Frank Garcia was released p 45 Romaine's routine “The Perplexing Persian Pearls”.

Richard Kaufman then offered us in 1993 Secrets Draun From Underground - The wonderful magic of Steve Draun with p 140 Steve’s Marbles

Thus the fame of the effect was really established by Silent Mora and Rezvani and is known by the new generations thanks to Dai Vernon and Lewis Ganson and more recently by the superb performance of Johnny Thompson

It is now a true and beautiful classic of the Magic art

Lawrence O - How can we thank you for your most excellent historical perspective concerning a curiously devlish 'trick'? Well, I for one will say that the Magic Café owes it's fine reputation to individuals like you, Lawrence O, and so I send my appreciation in a most personal way.

I've been doing Claude Rix's Beggar's Pearls for some time, now, and it's a really beautiful trick, but I'm having trouble to think about a patter that really suits me. First of all, I'd like to find a nice justification for putting the pearls into the mouth (Claude Rix says something like "to count ivory, you have to moist it". Everybody seems happy with that, but I'd like something more "true").
Any idea is welcome.
For example, I'd love to know if Revzani's patter was close to the one used by Claude Rix.
Thanks a lot.

Many years ago I read that thieves will rub pearl necklaces across their teeth to determine whether they are genuine. According to the book, there is a texture difference that cannot be replicated by any artificial means. Patter about pearl merchants checking them this way or pearl thieves would possibly justify the mouth.

Just a thought.

Patrick

That's a very good idea!
Indeed, the "tooth test" seems to be a common method (not only among thieves) to tell if a pearl is real.
http://www.wikihow.com/Tell-if-a-Pearl-Is-Real
Love this idea.
Thanks a lot, Mr Woolery.

With the excellent film on George VI [the King Of England with a dignified reign during the WWII] called "the King's Speach" we now have some ground for a revived patter on Demosthene's tuition

The fact that the Romans where eating pearls dissolved in vinegar as a delight can also be used in creating a script away from Persia for as long as Iran will remain unpopular. These were part of the acetabula (the glass cups for vinegar preserves used by the Romans for the cups and balls). We could introduce the pearls in a light red liquid and test the "eating" of pearls of different ages and millesimes ... not appreciating the first one and spitting it out for comparison with a more recent one... just to find out that they all taste like vinegar but teach speaking honey to any audience's ears like Demosthene.

Also a very good idea. Very original.
Indeed, the Romans didn't eat pearls, it was Pliny the Elder who said that, once, Cleopatra dissolved a pearl into vinegar in order to make the most expensive meal possible and impress Antony (http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/6868).
Nonetheless, I think I can build a nice and funny patter around a gourmet meal of pearls in vinegar, then make them disappear & reappear explaining that it is just a legend coming from Pliny (and that, in reality, pearls in vinegar cannot dissolve so fast).
Thanks a lot!