Out of This World

PAUL CURRY

OUT OF THIS WORLD with a face down skuffUd pack, in his possession d spectator succeeds in separating the red and black cards — looking at the f a c e of a card / / anij deckused. Recommended bij experts AS one of the most sensational c a r d effects ever conceived//

Printing with extra added instructions expJaining variations and improvements by feading performers throughout the Country:'.

"OUT OF T H I S

WORLD"

(COPYRIGHT 19U2)

Since it is often difficult to determine the effectiveness and practicability of an effect by merely reading its instructions, I wish to assure the reader that "OUT OF THIS WORLD is not only remarkably effective, but, in addition, has puzzled some of the leading card experts of New York. This is not said boastfully, but, rather, to encourage the reader to put it to the test of actual performance and, in that manner, determine for himself the truly different effect offered. EFFECT The performer shuffles a pack of cards and starts to deal them into two piles - the red cards in one pile, the blacks in the other. After a few cards have been dealt into each pile the deal is stopped and the performer explains that were he to continue to deal in this manner it would merely be a question of time until all the red and black cards in the pack were segregated. The cards just dealt, with the exception of two, one red and one black, which are left face up on the table at some distance from each other, are shuffled back into the pack. Handing the deck to a spectator the performer instructs him to deal the cards into red and black piles, as demonstrated,, but to do so with the cards FACE DOWN - WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE FACE OF A SINGLE CARD.1 "Since, under those conditions, you won't know the red cards from the blacks" he continues, "You will have to guess at the colors. On this card" he explains, pointing at the face up red card on the table, "You are to deal all those cards you believe to be red - while on the black card you are to deal those cards you think are black". The only stipulation the performer makes is that the cards be dealt singly. After about half the cards have been dealt in this manner by the spectator the performer stops the deal and places a red card face up on the supposedly black pile and a black card face up on the red pile. The performer explains that to prove conclusively that the spectator is being unconsciously controlled the deal will now be guided by the two new face up cards. In other words the spectator will now deal those cards he believes to be red onto the pile previously reserved for the cards he believed to be black - while the cards he believes to be black will be dealt onto the "red" pile. The spectator.shuffles the cards yet to be dealt and completes the deal. We don't believe we are exaggerating when we say that up to this point the spectators will be skeptical as to the outcome of tbi? rather fantastic undertaking. The surprise then, when the two halves are dealt thru to disclose that the spectator has actually separated the two colors, is astounding to say the least.1 For each of the two face up "guide cards in each half is found to have above it a group of cards of the corresponding color.1.1 METHOD Remove three red and four black cards from a deck and mix them together. Separate the reds from the blacks in the remainder of the deck and with the face down reds on the face down blacks drop the mixed seven on top of all. To perform start shuffling the cards, singly, into the left hand. After you have run the top seven (Mixed) shuffle freely until the

center point is approached. Shuffle singly again until you have passed the middle(the juncture of the red and black halves)and shuffle the remainder freely. This shuffle, vhile apparently genuine, will not separate the segregated colors. The seven mixed cards will now be at the bottom while red and black halves will be above them in that order. Turn the pack face up and begin dealing the reds and blacks in separate piles on the table. Stop after the mixed seven have been dealt, pick up two of the red cards leaving the third face up on the table, turn the pack face down and pu3h these two red cards into the lower, or red, half of the packk Leave one face up black card on the table and push the rest into the upper black half. Give the pack another over-hand shuffle running the cards singly around the center point. This second shuffle merely reverses the two halves as the red half will now be on top of the blacks. Hand the pack £ace down to a spectator with the request that he use the two face up cards as guides and that he deal onto them the cards he believes will be of a corresponding color. Emphasize that he is to deal the cards singly. As the spectator deals count the cards to yourself and stop him after twenty-four have been dealt. The twenty-four cards just dealt into two fairly equal piles on the table(depending on the manner in which the spectator dealt) will be made up entirely of red cards. The cards in the spectator's possession will all be black with the exception of the top red card. Go into the patter about the "unconscious control", remove this top card(red)from the half to be dealt, turn it face up and drop it on top of the half which, up to this point, had been reserved for the black cards. Take the next card from the half in the spectator's hands, look at its face without allowing the spectators to see it3 color, place it back on top and remove the card beneath it, which, after you observe its color you turn face up to show black. This card is dropped face up onto the remaining pile on the table. The spectators will assume from this action that the card you looked at and replaced was red and, since you wanted a black card, you could not use it. This of course, is not so since all the cards in this group are black. Remark that the spectator might have an idea of the color of the top card and for that reason ask him to give the cards an additional shuffle. The shuffle accomplishes nothing as far as the spectator is concerned since all the cards are the same color. Have the deal continued. This second part of the deal, since It is governed by the two new face up cards, causes the spectator to deal the cards he assumes to be red or black on opposite piles. The reader should by this time have a fairly good idea of the actual workings of trie trick and will, for that reason, understand why this reverse procedure is made necessary. It is interesting to note, however, that although this action is necessary it is actually the strongest point at the climax.1 Stop the deal at any point after this reversal, remark that you believe the spectator is getting careless and pick up the Ia3t card dealt as red. Since all the cards being dealt at this time are black it is a simple matter to detect an error (?) on the spectator's part as far as dealing a black card on the red pile is concerned. Turn the card you removed face up to show black and drop it on the black pile. This is an amusing and mystifying little interlude and should not be omitted. II

At the completion of the deal pick up and square the pile onto vhich the spectator had just finished dealing those cards he believed to be red. Have the spectator do the same with the remaining pile. THE HALF NOW IN THE SPECTATOR'S POSSESSION, THE PILE WHICH ORIGINALLY STARTED OFF AS RED AND WAS LATER CHANGED TO BLACK, IS ALREADY IN THE CORRECT ORDER AS FAR AS THE COLOR OF THE CARDS IN RELATION TO THE COLOR OF THE "GUIDE" CARDS IS CONCERNED. Fan your half face down to show the two face up guide cards. Review what has been done and close the fan inserting, as you do so, the little finger of the left hand directly below the center guide card. Have the spectator fan his half, point out the two guide cards and have him square the cards once more. With the pack face down have him deal the cards from the top one at a time turning them face up as he does so. The surprise caused by the repeated appearance of black cards in the proper group will be more than enough to cover the one undercover act in the entire trick. It can't be classed as a sleight because it consists of merely cutting the pile you hold at the break held by the little finger. It may not be something that will cause small boys to ask for your autograph in magic stores, but, in this case, it goes unnoticed and accomplishes its purpose. After the spectator has dean; off about ten cards stop him and remark that you will see how he made out in the other half. Holding your half well squared so as not to expose the face up guide cards, deal about six cards from the top face up. Due to the out these cards will all be red. Stop dealing and have the spectator to continue until he has dealt all the cards. He finds, of course, that all the cards above the guide cards match in color. The remaining half is turned face up by the performer and sprea along the table to show their red-black condition. Since a close examination would reveal that the two guide cards are in opposite positions remove them from the spread and flip them out onto the table so that they become mixed and cannot be traced back to their original positions. # • * *

A little twist you will find useful to work into this stunt is to have the spectator place one card aside at any time during the deal.. At the finish of the effect the performer remarks that there is one card which could not be classed in either a red or a black category - that one card, of course, is the Joker. Saying this the performer turns up the one card the spectator placed aside earlier in the trick and it proves to be the Joker.' The. method is simple since the joker was never in the pack to begin with, but was hidden in the outside breast pocket of the performer's coat. When the spectator puts one card aside the performer places this card in the breast pocket of his coat. It's a simple matter to push the selected card down Into the pocket and bring up the Joker (back to audience) where it remains in full view until the time comes to show.

Ill

Since the early part of 1942 when OUT OP THIS WORLD first appeared on the market, magicians throughout the country have brought to our attention many improvements or suggestions. In view of this it was felt that this, the fifth printing, should include those changes which we believed improved or simplified the trick. In order that the reader may be in a position to judge the merits of these variations, however, it is suggested that he first acquaint himself thoroughly with the original method.

1 - Quite often brought up was the possibility of using a STRIPPER DECK. Use of this special pack permits the cards to be shuffled freely and shown to be mixed. A simple cut, however, will indetectably separate the red cards from the black. We have been told that Blackstone and several other performers use this method and the freedom of handling permitted by this special pack leaves little or no possibility that even the most astute spectator will arrive at a solution. 2 - In this presentation the performer starts with a mixed pack and states that he is going to arrange the cards in the order he knows (?) the spectator will deal. Saying this and with the backs of the cards towards the spectators, the performer quickly sepa:~ rates the reds from the blacks. (For the sake of completeness we should like to mention that an excellent method of openly, but indetectably, separating the two colors may be found on page 115 of EXPERT CARD TECHNIQUE) 3 - This variation is our own and, we believe, is more logical than the original. The trick is performed as originally explained up to the point at which it is necessary to introduce the second set of "guide" cards. When the count has reached twenty-four stop the deal, pick up the last card dealt on the "black" pile and show it to be red. Remark that the influence is wearing off and request a second spectator to continue the deal. Before this second spectator begins to deal, however, r.emark (as an after-thought) that two new guide cards will be used to indicate the point at which the first spectator left off. ^ - From Melbourne Christopher comes this idea of using a marked Joker. During the deal watch for this marked card and when it is sighted stop the spectator with the joker in his hand. Ask the spectator if he is certain of the color of the card in his hand. Naturally he will say "No". "You see" you remark as he turns up the card at your request, "You weren't SURE of that card". Mr, Christopher also suggests that a marked card be used at the center point to eliminate the necessity for counting as the spectator deals.

IV

5 - Tommy Dowd of New York City was the first of many to point out this method of handling the "wrong" half at the finish. Have the spectator deal thru the correct pile to show the red and black cards properly separated. Pick up the other, or "wrong" half yourself and quickly spread it face up on the table to show the cards separated. Don't worry about the spectators noticing that the "guide" cards are not in the proper positions - they won't! 6 - Mr. Ralph Read conceived a platform presentation by having the performer deal the cards onto a slightly tilted table. As the performer dealt various members of the audience called out the colors. 7 - To Mr. Sam Horowitz goes credit for this improvement which should have been the original method. We curse ourselves for not having thought of it. In this method the change in "Guide" cards is made after the eighteenth card. The spectator continues the deal and, when the J54th card has been dealt (18 cards remain in the specator's possession) the performer requests that the spectator stop dealing whenever he pleases. The spectator deals a few more cards and stopso The performer takes the remaining cards and dealing them face up illustrates how easy it would be to separate the two colors, if the cards had been dealt face up. The subtle point in this method is that those remaining cards are mixed1 The method should be apparent. Prior to performance twelve mixed cards are at the bottom of the pack while the red and black cards above this group are separated. When the spectator is told he may stop dealing at any point he has eighteen cards left - or six cards of one color above the mixed group. He will of course deal more cards, perhaps four or five. In any event you take the remaining cards from him - turn them face up, and illustrate how simple it is to separate the colors by dealing the cards face up.

PAUL CURRY P.O. Box 173 Grand Central Annex New York 17, N. Y.

( C o p y r i g h t

b y PAUL

CURRr

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