|
|
magicbymccauley Special user 830 Posts |
I Just got a book called "Programmes of famous Magicians."
In it, it tells you what tricks were in each famous magicians show, and everyone seemed to be doing U.F. Grant's rope routine! Louis Zingone John Mulholland Dante Anneman Chris Charlton Goldin So my question is: What is the U.F. Grant rope trick referring to? I know he had several. It seems like it might be Cut and Restored. Where can I find U.F. Grant's cut and restored routine? It was obviously good. Everyone was doing it.
"Tricks are about objects, Magic is about life."
-Max Maven |
jimgerrish Inner circle East Orange, NJ 3209 Posts |
You can learn it on the Wiz Kid "Rope Magic DVD", but we have just discovered that the DVD doesn't play on all the latest DVD players, so you might have to watch it on your computer, which you obviously have or you wouldn't be here in the Magic Café.
Jim Gerrish
magicnook@yahoo.com https://www.magicnook.com Home of The Wizards' Journals: https://magicnook.com/wizardsTOC.htm |
Bill Hegbli Eternal Order Fort Wayne, Indiana 22797 Posts |
I cannot answer your question, as I never heard of the U.F. Grant Rope Trick except in the booklet you referenced. I became interested in magic in the late 1950's and never seen this advertised as such. So it may only be a simple cut and restored rope trick. I no longer have my Grant Catalogs, so I cannot look it up, but it is not in the Mak Magic Catalogs.
Mak Magic has produced a 3 - DVD set on U.F. Grant, so you might want to contact them and see if it is in that material, as when it came out it was mention some tricks were included. http://www.makmagic.com/about.asp If you notice the time line in the web reference, it may be an Abbott's trick or something from his initial magic selling out of his house, as mentioned in the article. Don't be discouraged if Mak Magic does not respond, as they do not respond to their business dealers either. I looked up your references and none of them say the U.F. Grant's Cut and Restored Rope Trick. They all reference just the words Cut and Restored Rope; where you got the U.F. Grant listing is only in the Chris Charlton list, but it says it is only, "Similar to the U.F. Grant routine." |
Micha-el Regular user 123 Posts |
All
I have a copy of a manuscript (quite old) but the title of the manuscript is cut off. What is left of the title is "Sleight -Of-Hand Rope Trick." The last line of the manuscript is, "And thus ends the 'Grant Rope Mystery'." This is followed by, "Published and Protected by: Velmar." A web search turned up: http://www.magicnook.com/forum/abbottsrope02.htm. This lists a trick in Stewart James's "Encyclopedia of Rope Tricks" titled, "U.F. Grant's Sleight of Hand Rope Trick." There are also other U.F. Grant rope tricks listed and so I am not sure the one in my manuscript is the one listed in "Programmes of Famous Magicians." Does anyone know who Velmar was? (Perhaps U.F. Grant's stage name?) What is interesting about the rope trick in the manuscript is that it is exactly the one done by John Scarne in "Dark Magic." Although the manuscript suggest that when sliding the knot, it should be a hidden move as opposed to what Scarne did in the movie where it is apparent that he is sliding the knot. Seen on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeK-hD_g7eM . Hope this helps. Barry M Moran |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Micha-el OR Barry, as the case may be (and anyone else above!)
Thanks for the John Scarne item! I vaguely remember seeing that "many moons ago". McCauley's OP also reminded me of a Gen Grant C&R rope routine that I picked up when I was about 15 or 16. It was different than what Scarne did on the clip. I can't remember who showed it to me back then (!). I just did a quick check of Tarbell. It's not there either. I no longer have a copy of Stewart James Encyclopedia, so I can't check there--but, it MAY have been where I got the one I did. I've not used it in years, but, looking back, it MAY have been a forerunner to George Sands, '"Ropesational". I don't want to say anything more of that as this is an open forum. Brother Mccauley! You can PM if you can't find it in print,or you can't get the wiz kid DVD, and I'll describe what I remember. I liked it as there was NO PREP needed. I used it a lot in those days.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
|
Micha-el Regular user 123 Posts |
I confirmed with a friend that what I have is a U.F. Grant rope trick. Whether or not it is the one in Holden's Programme book is something I don't know. BTW, Dick I learned "Ropesational" many years ago in a Poughkeepsie NY, SAM meeting from George Sands. What a wonderful trick.
|
Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
The Scarne clip reminds me... some years ago they were shooting a movie with a scene in a magic shop and the magician they hired took sick and I was called in to be the guy behind the counter. I do not remember the name of the film and never did see it. Have any of you any recollection?
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
|
Micha-el Regular user 123 Posts |
Pete,
I don't have a recollection of this movie. Do you remember what year you shot it? |
John Long Inner circle New Jersey 2826 Posts |
I counted about 12 tricks in the Ency of Rope Tricks (which includes the one Jim G referred to, where a spectator cuts and restores the rope as the magic sits in the audience). There is also one labeled Grant's "1933 Rope Trick" (also has the spec cutting the rope and tossing it back to the Magi)
John
Breathtaking Magic;
Not Breath Taking |
motown Inner circle Atlanta by way of Detroit 6127 Posts |
I seem to recall this being sold in Magic Inc. catalog back in the 70's. I may have even bought it, no sure. If someone has an old catalog, maybe they could check.
"If you ever write anything about me after I'm gone, I will come back and haunt you."
– Karl Germain |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
I have most of those old INC. catalogs. As I remember, though, Frances never "departmentalized" her catalogs!, I would need to look page by page.
In the '70s, I was often a "guest" in the Charlie Miller Suite, and I don't specifically remember a Gen. Grant rope trick being in the catalog at the time. If I can find a "free" afternoon, I'll try to look. Gen. was a prolific "inventor"! of rope "stuff". I still think his "50/50" C&R rope waS one of his cleverest. Gen. sold it before he moved to Ohio! Doug Henning used it in his first TV Special (1975). It did "use up" a lot of rope, though. Karrell Fox "applied" the principle of "50/50" to the Professor's Nightmare "set up" (most of the pro's are using it now)and, IMO it was the first "real improvement" to Bob Carver's classic "PN". There have been a number of "fine tuning" bits, since, but Karrell's was the first that I can remm=ember.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
|
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Quote:
On Jul 11, 2014, Micha-el wrote: !!! I just reread the above quote, and I had a '"flashback"! VELMAR (with a "V")is a mistype or "?" of some sort. In the 30's (and possibly into the '40s, Nelmar (with an "N") sold a lot of mimeographed "secrets". If memory serves, N elmar was from Chicago. In the '30s, the DEPRESSION was causing many magicians to find ways to make a living! Frances once told of a magician who "lived" in his panel truck (van). He had a sponge rubber mattress. He would park under a street light at night,and cut pieces of his mattress into sponge balls. He sold the balls to Laurie Ireland, and made enough to buy groceries. (He saved a part of the money,each day, so he could buy a new mattress, when he used up the old one!) Yes! times were tough!
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
|
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Micha-el! Did you ask me (PM) about Harold ("Three Trick") Taylor's C&R? (Harold used a 3" ring knotted to the center of the rope to mark the place to cut)) I use this (occasionally). I even put it in a special lecture in New Orleans as a "memorial" to Harold. When I first saw Harold do it at Magic Inc. in the early '70s, I was flabbergasted. (It takes a lot, to gast my flabber!)
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
|
motown Inner circle Atlanta by way of Detroit 6127 Posts |
Dick , it's been a while since I saw a Magic Inc catalog, but for some reason I thought they did segment their catalog. Could be I'm thinking of Abbott's or Tannen's.
"If you ever write anything about me after I'm gone, I will come back and haunt you."
– Karl Germain |
magicbymccauley Special user 830 Posts |
I started this thread in 2012. Didn't check back. Was just looking through "Programnes of Famous Magicians" again and once again thought to myself "What was the UF grant cut and restored trick that all those magicians did?"
Looks like Dick Oslund had the keys. Just Checked and he passed away. Life is sometimes a sad, strange trip. Everyone strike while the iron is hot. My condolences to him and his loved ones. He even invited me to chat and I never returned the courtesy. I'm sorry my good man. Happy trails.
"Tricks are about objects, Magic is about life."
-Max Maven |
David Todd Inner circle 2328 Posts |
Interesting when these older discussion threads resurface. I'm a great admirer of U.F. Grant.
I wonder if this is the Grant rope trick referred to ? --- https://www.lybrary.com/sleight-of-hand-......105.html |
Terry Holley Inner circle 1805 Posts |
Quote:
On Apr 19, 2020, magicbymccauley wrote: Where in the program does it say that it was a cut and restored effect?
Co-author with illusionist Andre' Kole of "Astrology and Psychic Phenomena."
|
funsway Inner circle old things in new ways - new things in old ways 9981 Posts |
The UF Grant Rope trick I know (and discussed with Dick) was not a CR effect.
But, I don't know about the referenced manuscript either. I learned the effect from a printout I have hidden away somewhere. It involves two sets of three ropes knotted together so that one appears longer than that the. Later they change places in the hands of spectators. It was popular with Boy Scouts, hence Dick Oslund's involvement with Boys Life
"the more one pretends at magic, the more awe and wonder will be found in real life." Arnold Furst
eBooks at https://www.lybrary.com/ken-muller-m-579928.html questions at ken@eversway.com |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Knots and loops » » U.F. Grant's rope routine (1 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.04 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |