Al Mann - The Fool

Tel. 304-947-7730

P.O. Box 155

Great Cacapon, WV 25422

The AME MAJOR ARCANA SERIES XXII

COPYRIGHT BY AL MANN EXCLUSIVES 1995

This is the last manuscript of the AME Major Arcana series. The series contains 22 manuscrips that has taken close to ten years to write. This is mns. number XXII. This last mns. introduces The OOS Writer. This is a new secret weapon for the Miracle Worker. Plus a good one dozen ways for getting one-ahead. These are the secrets of "the leading Mentalists including Houdini.

THE A"E ESTATE AT RIVJ:R RIDeE, W.VA.

Tel. 304-947·7730 P.O. Box 155 Great Cacapon, WV 25422

COPYRIGHT BY AL MANN EXCLUSIVES 1995

The AME Major Arcana Series

XXII

THE OOS WRITER! The very name of this secret tool infers mystery and arcane power. The OOS writer is worn betwen the fingeers so that it is Out Of Sight, OOS. The OOS WRITER is not meant to replace the swami or the boon writers. BUT it is a very special tool for some quick miracles.

1

The OOS writer is shown in Fig. 1. A is the side view and B the topview. It is one inch long by 3/l6th inch wide and is worn on the inside of the first finger of your writing hand, Fig. 2, and is attached to it by handi-tack glue or your favorite stickum as used with the Boon writer. The lead of the writer should be located next to the third joint of the first finger. The gimmick is narrow enough to be covered by the first finger.

• A • B Fig. 1

The reader may ask, "Why not use a Boon writer in the same fashion? The fact is that the average magician's first finger is not big enough to hide a boon writer. Please note Fig. 3 , which is an exact foto-copy of the right hand as it holds an index card. The OOS WRITER has just finished writing the three-digit number as a prediction as called by the audience. The OOS WRITER is in place but OUT-OF-SIGHT. NO! it is not hidding behind the thumb.

---e:-* Fig. 2

In fact the thumb can be raised to show the ball of the thumb devoid of gimmicks. In the actual performance the thumb is raised so as not to hide the writing on the card from the audience (Fig. 4). The hand can be be waved all around so that all can see the numbers. THE OOS WRITER can not be seen from the front or from the The wise back of the hand. ones in the audience can stare at your finger-tips all they want and see nothing.

Fig. 4

The OOS writer is not sold in magic shops so you will have to make your own. As you will see the OOS writer is quite easy to make. The tiny gimmick is shown in Fig. 1, as it lays on the table. It shows a Listo crayon lead attached to it. It is recommended that several types of OOS writers should be made. Red and black Listo crayon leads and red and black solid pencil leads. 2

To make the gimmicks you will need: 1. Some #3 trombone paper clips which are one inch long. 2. Apoxsy glue or any good cement. 3. Red and black pencil leads, both crayon and solid. 4. Some index cards or white business cards. 5. Flesh-color paint (optional). You probably have all of the above in your office. The clips: To make the gimmick a bit narrower I snip off a piece of the trombone clip it as shown in Fig. 5 B. Fig. 5A shows the whole cl ip. In fact you can snip off any part of the clip as needed. The clip gives the gimmick body and strength.

(

2)

A (--;;;;> )

B Fig. 5

Next I take a piece of lead and stick it into the loop of the clip as shown in Fig. 6. I use some lead from a Jet Black Ebony pencil. Fig. 6 This lead is extra thick and fits well into the loop of the clip. Then the clip is cemented to the index card with the lead pointing upwards, and cement is placed over the entire clip and around the lead. Allow this to dry and then place more glue on the exposed clip and cover it with a piece of index card. After you trim off the excess card and paint the gimmick flesh color, and place a bit of stickum glue on its back, the gimmick is ready. NOTE: If the reader is handy with tools he can cement a small piece of brass tubing into the loop of the clip. That should make it easier in inserting new leads. BUT I have found out by experience that the epoxy glue holds the lead firmly in place and it takes many shows to wear it out. I have had one swami gimmick for over twenty years and the lead is hardly worn. PRACTICE. A bit of practice is necessary. Use your favorite stickum glue and place the gimmick on your first finger so that the lead is positioned where the third joint of your finger is. The idea of the OOS writer is that it can be hidden between the fingers where it is not seen at the right angle. Actually you can hide tha gimmick by moving the first finger a bit. If the back of your hand is exposed, the gimmick is out of sight if you move your first finger towards you a tiny bit. If the palm of the hand is exposed, you move the first finger bak a bit. Try it. In actual practice the first finger is behind an index card and its movements are hidden. The movement of the first finger as

it writes is hidden by the card and the Fig. 7.

hand.

This is

shown in

Fig. 7 So! What can be done with the OOS WRITER? Let me count the ways. (1) The above effect using the gimmick as an opener predicting three digits is good. (2) You can have a prediction index card in a sealed letter envelope. Make a big to do of the fact that the envelope is sealed. Pass it around etc. Call for three digits. Cut the top of the letter envelope over the flap with scissors. Stick your first two fingers into the envelope to take out the card. Now! I ask. What sane person is going to suspect your two innocent fingers of anything. When you have your two fingers ready say, "This will surely shock you." and take out the card, write in the digits and show the card. OR if you wish you can write the three digits while your fingers are inside the envelope. (3) How about the old trick where five items are drawn on the back of a tablet and each item has a square where you put a check mark to indicate your prediction. You can place the mark there after the audience chooces the item. (4) THE MEDIUM ENTERS. A fine lady from high society comes for a reading. She is sitted at a small table. The Medium is still walking around in his pajamas and house shoes. Under the table is a clip board with a sheet of paper. It looks like the clip board just fell off the table. The lady has a love problem with a gent whose initials are JRP. After the Medium knows that, he takes his stinking foot out of his worn out and smelly house shoe and writes the initials on the paper on the clip board with a boon writer or the OOS writer which he wears under his callous toe. "Strange that you should say that. Please pick up my clipboard and read what is written. I wrote those initials last night." The fine lady is impressed of course, small and all. Eric Mason of boon writer fame, mentions the toe writing in That of course, is an his book, "A Boon for All Seasons." Medium's slate writi~g with their feet with improvement of the chalk.

4

THE AIlE E''I"'''1'E A'1' RIV.EJ: RIDGE, W.VA.

Tel. 304-947-7730 P.O. Box 155

Great Cacapon, WV 25422

War J

()rte

THE OLD STANDARD. One Sunday in 1952, I visited Chicago's flea market area called by some, The Thieves Market. This is a large area of many stores where you can buy almost anything. You can get a brand new suit for $15, primarily because the store owner payed $5 or much less for it. Most of the merchandize is either stolen or from a bankruptcy or fire sale. There are large crowds every where. Money seems to flow on the streets bringing out the beggars, pick-pockets, con artists and of course street clowns and magicians. I stopped to observe a mindreading demonstration by a black Mentalist that was raking in the harvest fast and getting rich on it. He worked out of his very expensive cadillac assisted by his wife. Plus he had several shiels in the audience. Every hour he gave a free demonstration by reading sealed questions. His secret was a first feke question that one of his stooges acknowleged with much pump and ceremony. After the question was answered he tore the envelope open under the pretence that he was going to give the writer a free hand writing analysis plus some tips for the future. He kept his two hands cupped over the message that was written by someone else and which he read carefully while telling the first person about his lucky number, day, etc. He was now one-ahead and answered several questions. Next, to show what a good guy the Mentalist was, he passed out free numbers for the good people to bet on and get big money. One of the shiels confessed that he had won $500 with the number he got from the Miracle Man. One would assume that someone in the lay audience would catch 5

on to the swindle, but no one did. So where did the money come in? After dazzling his audience with his arcane powers, the Mentalist offered small bottles of green oil to attract money. He sold these for 50 cents each and sold about 6 or more. Next he offered tiny bottles of red oil from a secret gypsy formula, he said, that would attract lovers. He sold several of these for 50 cents each to both black and white women. Next he offered a special incence made of a secret formula of 12 different powders that came from Egypt. These sold not for the $10 they were worth but for only one dollar. This secret formula of incence would protect the owner from his enemies, sicknesses, and bring good luck. He sold about 10 of these. He also sold other good luck charms etc. All together, the Mentalist made about $25 every hour which was big money in 1952. After making his day's pay of close to $500, the Mentalist drove off in his cadillac leaving his audience begging for more. EDDIE CLEVER AND THE FOLDING SWITCH

~

Eddie Clever has the inique distinction of being the first contributor to Annemann's Jinx. His effect "Hallucination" appears on page one of Jinx No.1, October 1934. Eddie Clever was one well experienced Mentalist who took many good secrets to the grave. He poured his heart out in his now famous booklet "Thought Wings Onward." This booklet containes some very fabulous ideas for the Q and A act. Most working (1920-1950) knew folding switch. who claimed the Folding Switch.

Mentalists of the time about and used the This included Annemann, invention to his own

To get one ahead in the Q and A act, Clever palmed a dummy blank billet at the start. Paper slips were passed to the audience for the secret writing of questions. Clever prefolded the papers 3-ways. After the secret writing the slips wbuld then be refolded and collected. Clever mananged to palm one of the question billets during the act of collecting and place it on top of the the dummy blank billet already in palm position. He now held two billets in palm position unknown to the audience. An easy way to palm the second billet is to take the question billet at the tip of the fingers and then sticking the hand into the collection container and pushing the billet into palm position

by touching the bottom or side of the container. This is done without moving the four visible fingers. A slight pull with the thumb, places the billet out of sight in palm position and on top of the dummy billet. After the collecting is done, Eddie would say that he needed one more question and approached some one for that purpose. He reached into his pocket and placed the question billet at the tips of his fingers while still holding the dummy billet out of sight in palm position. As he asked the one person to think of a question and write it on the paper, Eddie would demonstrate by opening out the paper, secretly reading the question and then refolding the billet, doing the folding switch and bringing out the blank dummy which was given to the person for the writing. Eddie was now one ahead. The Folding Switch was simply done by folding down on the visible billet and folding it again over the hidden dummy and then turning over both billets as one, one more time to bring the blank dummy billet on top and then pushing it into view with the thumb. As will be seen Eddie Clever used the Annemann 3-fold billets and the Folding switch. HOUDINI In his brief adventure as a Mentalist, Houdini put forward some brilliant moves for the Mentalist. He had been investigating the spook racket and knew much about it. To get one-ahead Houdini did it the easy way. He simply picked out a folded billet from the basket after the writings and pretended some divination. He would then callout a feke question that no one would dare acknowledge publicly.

:n"n-.,. -1

_1

~".",--.

+++ +

TIlE MODERN JACI SHEPPARD.

'*'

ALHAMBRA, LONDON. J.BSOLurEL r reE SENSJ.lION OF LONDON.

Ordinarily no one in the audience acknowledges a question that they did not write, but Houdini would take no chances. He called out a question that was so childish or rediculous that no one woyld claim it. Houdini might callout, "Is the moon made of cheese?" "Now, who wrote such a rediculous question?" asked Houdini. He would then open out the billet and pretend to read the same question, but actually getting the real question in the act. Since no one claimed the question that billet was discarded and another one picked. Houdini was now one ahead! Smart? You bet! (See Houdini's Paper Magic.) Let us say that some one in the question and acknowledged it. Houdini

8

audience did write such a was one ahead anyway. He

would answer the question and proceed. And let us further say that while answering the other questions Houdini carne upon the billet asking about the moon! Not to worry, Houdini simply started allover again and called out another rediculous feke question. ANNEMANN In his excellent booklet, "Annemann's Complete One Man Mental and Psychic Routine" (1935) , Annemann claims that the Folding Switch is his invention, page 3. It appears also that the 3-fold billet is also Annemann's invention. Please note that in 1932 Annemann put out his "Test of the Tiber" book test. In this effect Annemann used the 3-fold billet but not the Folding Switch. Apparently he had not discovered the Folding Switch yet. He used instead Al Baker's thumb tip switch. Annemann's 3-fold billet Billet workers. One cannot do 2-fold billet and the Umbrella And the center tear technique billet.

is not a popular item with most the Umbrella Move with it. The Move are needed for a fast read. becomes complicated with a 3-fold

Charles Foster, Bert Reese, Al Baker and others depended heavily on the Umbrella Move done with a 2-fold billet. In some cases the billet or card was folded only once or not at all. Bert Reese used the center-tear move only as a last resort when the sitter was watching too closely and refused to follow instructions. The 2-fold billet allowed for this. It appears that Annemann invented the 3-fold billet out of fear of exposure. Fig. A. The three fold billet could supposedly be hidden behind the middle finger, Fig.B, while the other fingers could be opened and used. Billet Kings have no such fears. The fingers of the hand should be kept closed always. A hand with the fingers opened looks most unnatural and can call attention to itself, while a hand with the fingers closed and motionless, as most Billet Kings prefer it, looks most

. Fig. A

Fig. B

9

natural and for that reason goes unnoticed. It is written that Annemann was so conscious of being exposed that he got rid of his nail writer while passing his hand through his hair and leaving the gimmick there. The 3-fold billet does have its uses. There are magicians that cannot close their fingers tight enough to hide a playing card or a billet THE FOLDING SWITCH It evolve into

was inevitable that Annemann's 3-fold his Folding Switch.

billet

would

Annemann's Folding Switch is unique especially for getting one-ahead as in the Eddie Clever routine. We do not know if Annemann was aware that the billet mediums also had a folding switch. The medium's folding switch is detalied in Dunninger's Mystic Series "F." This switch, although very easy to do, was merely an exchange of folded billets, while the Annemann Folding Switch was far superior in that the secret message was read in the act of opening and folding the billet and doing the Switch. Annemann had many ways of getting one ahead. The flapless window envelope which he probably also invented was one of his favorites. BERT REESE AND HIS POCKET SWITCH Bert Reese, the medium to the rich, had one of the most clever methods for getting one-ahead. First the sitter was asked to write five or more questions on pieces of paper. These papers were then folded into tiny wads or rolled into balls. The pellets were next mixed so that no one knew what question was on which wad of paper. Right away, Reese would say, "I want you to hide these papers in different places." So saying, Reese picked up one of the pellets and stuck it into the sitter's left coat pocket. What actually happened was that Reese switched the pellet for a dummy and left the dummy in the sitter's pocket and finger-palmed out the real pellet. Reese then instructed the sitter to place the other pellets in other pockets, in one shoe or in his pocketwatch case while Reese's back was turned during which time Reese opened the stolen pellet and read it and refolded it ready for switching. Reese was now one-ahead! 10

Reese with his many years of experience, knew and used several switches. It all depended on how the sitter folded or wadded the question papers. If Reese noticed that the sitter was rolling up the papers into a tiny ball, Reese would get ready by doing the same with the dummy billet which he then held ready between the tips of his fingers to do the 'pellet switch.' THE PELLET SWITCH is one of the easiest to do. The two pellets can be held as one and the hand can be flashed to show that it is otherwise empty. The dummy pellet is then given to the sitter to put in his pocket while the real pellet is held back. This routine is detailed in The Bert Reese Docimasy. THE UMBRELLA MOVE

AL BAKER

AND THE ONE-AHEAD

The Umbrella Move became public property among billet workers after Al Baker made it famous in his Book One. It also appears in Mental Magic and Pet Secrets. Before that it was exclusive to a small group of magicians who got it from Bert Reese. Whereas Bert Reese used the Umbrella Move to simply open the 2-way folded billet and read the question while his back was turned, other billet workers adopted it to get one-ahead by opening out the billet and throwing it into the basket. The one good feature of the Umbrella Move is that the billet can be opened fast and clean with one hand.

Some present day Mentalists use a deep opaque container to collect the billets in. One of these is opened out using the Umbrella Move when the hand is out of sight inside the container. This move is made without the Mentalist looking at his hands or at the opened billet. The open billet is left on top of the other billets and glimpse later. It was Al Baker who first applied his mastery of the magic art to Mentalism by using a thumb tip to switch billets and get one ahead. He taught these" secrets to Annemann. A well executed switch with a thumb tip leaves little to be desired. Unfortunately, the method given in Practical Mentl Effects is not correct. Al Baker~ private passion was billet work. He was master of it. 11

THE WOCUS LEGASY AND THE AZONIC FORCE Any trick billet that delivers the hidden thought to the Mentalist can be used for the one-ahead system. I have invented several. Both the Wocus Legasy billet and the Azonic force billet can be used to get one-ahead. You will only need to Wocus Legasy Billet for one billet opens out by itself!

prepare one show. This

If you use the Azonic Force from Acidus Plus to get one-ahead, the writer is instructed to write a name or a one word queation on the line which is in the correct position. THE MAG-EYE MOVE This is another excellent technique that can get the Mentalist one ahead in a most superior fashion. You pick up a 2-fold billet and get it into position to do the Mag-eye Move. Then you callout a feke question. If someone claims the question you simply give an answer to the claimant. Next you tear up the billet and discard it and reading the hidden message in the act. You are now one-ahead BUT the audience never sees you opening out the billet to read anything. Therein lies the superiror mystery. In the Nihon Venmture, the paper writen question is retained.

is torn up but

the entire

The squiffer billet from The Four-O'clock Incident opens out by itself when it is thrown into the basket of billets! There surely is another good dozen ways to get ahead within the AME mns. have fun, ~

i / fA i

l-

12

~/ /1{J;lh:: I I (

./r

,/,;"

POCKET MONEY Fig. 7A shows the OOS -w r iter.

a superior

use for

Note that the first finger with the OOS writer in place is under the top sheet (or the second sheet if you wish) of the paper pad. The face of the paper pad is shown to the audience as in Fig. 7A, saying that the top sheet is blank but the second (or third) sheet has a message that wil soon be shown. A person in the audience is asked to count the change in his pocket. Afte( the amount of change is known the OOS writer writes the amount then the top sheet (or two) are torn off the pad to expose the prediction. SCORPIO'S MOVE Here is a technique that uses the OOS writer as a double writer. Any design drawn on the front of a card appears also on the back of the card. Please note Fig. 7B. It shows the OOS writer attached to the inside of the litle finger. In effect a person is asked to callout an ESP design. A card is shown blank on one side and the chosen design is drawn on the card in view o~ the audience. At the same time the little finger has drawn the same design on the back of the card. The technique is angle-proof. OOS writer is well hidden.

PRACTICE

PRACTICE

4A

-

The

If you wish the same thing can be done with a Mason's boon writer or a finger tip with a piece of lead cemented to it. PRACTICE

Fig. 7B

Fig. 7C

- __. . . .

THE OSS WRITER THE BOOK MARK

(And

the medallion?)

EFFECT: A book is given to a specttor who is asked to flip the pages and to choose anyone. He is then to memorize the number of the page and the first word. A book mark is then placed into the book to ma rjc the chosen page and the book is closed. Performer takes the closed book and approaches another person who is asked to guess at the page number. He fails. "Dont' feel bad." says the performer, I do not know the chosen page either." "However we can find the page very easily because the book mark caO tell us the chosen page. But now we are going to remove the book mark." "Please take out the book mark." The spectstor is told. The book mark is removed. Performer tells the first spectto9r to think of the page number while he flips through the pages. "I'm at page 100. Is that your page?" "No!" says the spectator. Performer flips more pages. "Now I am at page 180. Is that your page?" "No!" again. Performer turns over think of the first word. page was 198. Right?"

some more par-es. "I've got it. Please The word is 'about' correct? and your "Right!"

The effect is strong enough at this point. If you wish ~o gild the lilly, tell the specttor that you kn~~ the page from the start ann call attention to the AL KORAN mecall+on hanging-around your neck. Take the medalion off and in the process write in the page number with the boon writer you managed to put on during the show. Or perhaps you had a boon writer 'hiding behind .the medallion. You write in the page number on ~he small circle of paper glued to the back of the medallion.' (pipe d r e a ms Z)

THE ass WRITER THE BOOK MARK THE GAFUS:

.You.. will need a Boon writer or an OSS writer.

THE BOOK MARK: GET a flexible book mark made of cloth or what have you. Get one with beautiful bright colors. Mas~be the audience will be distracted by the beautiful colors of the book mark and miss seeing the gafus ~ttached ~o your firat finger. (Actualy your secret writer qill never been seen. It is hiding and out of sight most of the time.) Wear the OSS writer or the Boon writer on your first finger as shown in Fig. 82. It need not be red in color. It is better that the lead be black. A red mark may be easily spotted by the audience. Handle th book mark as sh o e n in Fig. 11 11 d

w hell

Lh c

mn r k n n d hand page with the writer and also small group of pages at the top edge. top edges of the pages close to the page are not marked you will have time finding the chosen page.

hook

82

p n g e l s c h 0 :, c 11 Y () \I put 1 n t h c n t r h o n nm « ,- 1111'> 11111 r k r h o 1 (\ f I

mark a If the chosen a hard

After the book mark is placed into the book fold the book mark over towards' you. ( Fig. 83.) Th e boo k mar k hid e s t he marks that were made on the top edges of the book. Fig. The rest is showmansh~2' 83 NOTE; I no longer use trombone paper clips for making the OOS writers. Now I am using 7/8 inch long safety pins. Safety pins have a double loop of wire at the bottom end which make a tiny little well that takes pencil lead well. If you use thick leads then you may have to use larger pins. I just cut off the head and the point of the safety pin to form a b.as e , See. Fig. 84

~

,

.