Steve Beam Trapdoor N°01-05 (1983).pdf

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TIll: TI~APDOOI~ WRITTEN AND EDITED BY STEVE BEAM

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COPYRIGHT 1983 BY STEVEN L. BEAM

•••••• •••• STEVE

This is an itan which can be done close-up, on stage, preset, or impromptu. It t s based on Bev Bergeron t s handling of lttilbourne Christopher's Traffic Sign. In effect, the magician shoes a plaque with the word "up" on one side and "down" on the other. To confusing and amusing patter, the words jump in all directions. 'ID "fAKE. This can be made up in advance t.:¥ your printer/artist or can be done while your audience looks on. HOW'ever, for the sake of example, we'll say it t S made up in advance. Start with the plaque on the table in front of you. This can be a square piece of white PJster board. Take a magic marker and write the word "up" on the plaque. NcM turn the plaque over t.:¥ pivoting it diagonally on its 1000er right and upper left corners. NcM write the word "down" on this side. If you turn it nOW' so that you t re looking at the "up" side and if you had x-ray vision, the end result is sheen in figure one. A ::

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BASIC nNE. Hold the card (as in figure 2) around waist (also knOW'n as "waste") level with the "up" side shOW'ing to the audience. The "up" side is right side up. The right hand nOW' pivots the card t.:¥ turning the wrist counterclockwise. At the end of the turn, "B" and "c" will have switched places while "D" and" A" will remain in che same posrttons. See figures two and three. Repeat this turn several times at a brisk pace. To the onlookers it will appear that you are merely turning the card over. HOW'ever, this turn allOW's you to shOW' both words right side up. Whereas, if they were to knos the truth, roe word is right side up and the other is sideways• mE REVERSE KNE. NcM you t re going to try the same move with your left hand doing I the turning instead of your right. Start with the "up" side tOW'ard the audience. NcM make the move, rotating your left wrist in a clockwise direction. The "A" and "D"

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corners switch places while the ''B'' and "C" corners remain in the same relative poaitions. This is the exact reverse of what happened with the basic move. If you start with the "up" side right side up and facing the audience, at the conclusion of the reverse move the "down" word is upside down. Repeating the turn several tines will show the "up" side up and the "down" side upside down. See figures 3A and 4. CLOCKWISE _.1U.BN.... The clockwise turn ~. eeps the same face to'tlard the audience and just turns the face of card as a clock would turn. See figure five. CWNI'ER CLOCKWISE 'lUBN- This is the same as the clockwise turn, only in the opposite direction. See figure 6.

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'IDP '1URN=RIGHT BAND. Start with the "down" side sideways with the "D" at the top and the "N" at the bocton, The right hand takes the top edge of the card with the thumb on the down side and the fingers on the up side. 'IUrn the card over keeping the top at the top and the bottOOl at the bottxm, This will sho'tl the "up" side right side up. see figures seven and eight_

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"Here we have the "up" side of magic. A good example of one of the ups would be •••• When you're a kid starting out and you save up all your money for two years to buy a complete set of Tarbells-all seven volumes. That's one of the ups. Another example would be••• 011••• when saneone calls you on the phone and asks,' How much do you charge for a show?' You tell him $200 and he says, 'Great! That's exactly what we had budgeted.' That's another one of the ups." "Finally, another up would be when you receive a standing ovation. You'll probably see one of those in just a few minutes." Turn the card over so that the "down" side shows using The Basic Move with the right hand. "On the other side of the card we have the down side of magic. An example of the down side would be when someone calls you on the phone and asks you how much you charge for a show. You say $200. He says 'That's great, we had $1000 budgeted. We'll save $800.' . Another down side would be when you fmd out that Dover is putting out the entire Tarbell COurse in paperback for

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$1.98.

'!HE RrnTINE. Now we come to the meat of the routine. Don't try it without a card if you value your sanity. '!he patter is presented first followed by the accompanying actions in parentheses. "As I said, it's very i.mIx>rtant not to confuse the ups and downs. You'll notice that both the "up" side and "down" side are right side up. (Execute the Basic Move several times ending with the "down" side facing the aUdience.) "However, if I take the "down tI side and turn it upside down" (Do so using the Clockwise Turn), "yOU'll notice that the "up" side ranains right side up." (Execute tJ:1e Reverse ~ve se;reral times showing both S1deS and endi.nq W1th the "up" side facing the audience.) "That Is because we haven It turned the "up" side upside down." "However, if we turn the r ight-side-up "up" side upside down, you III notice that both the "up" side and the "down" side are now upside down. (Use the Clockwise lOOve to turn the "up" side upside down. Then use the Basic Move (right hand) to show both sides upside down. Stop with the "down" facing the audience.)

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'!hese turns can give you almost endless combinations, including the ones necessary to perform the following routine. ROUTINE. Now that you know the various moves, I'm going to give you the routine. The introductory lines should be custcm tailored to the group for which you're performing. As an example, I'll give you the lines I use in front of magic groups. "Magic has a lot of ups and downs. It's very i.mIx>rtant not to confuse the two. In order to help you understand than, I have spared all expense to bring you a detailed graph of the ups and downs." At this, pick up the card and hold it with the II up" side showing as in figure two.

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Finally. you can add a new side to""'1 this (sorry 1> by talking about the ins and outs of your topic. 'Iben turn the card inside out. It, of course, is actually two cards hinged together on one side. Just be careful not to make the routine too long or too fast. As it is, it's short and sweet.

"Now if we take the upside down "down" side and turn it right side up" (Use the clockwise turn to do so) and take the upside down "up" side and turn it right side up, you'll see that both the "up" side and the "down" side are now right side up." CAs soon as you show the "down" side right side up, use the Reverse Move-left hand to turn the card over showing the upside down "up" side. 'Iben use the Clockwise Turn to turn the "up" right side up. Finally, use the Basic Move-right hand to show both sides right side up. End with the "down" side showing to the audience.) SEXIJiID PHASE. "Now I'll turn the right side up "down" side sideways (using the Clockwise Turn to turn the card one quarter turn so that the "0" is at the top and the "N" is at the bottom) and turn the right side up "up" side sideways, you'll notice that both the "up" side and the "down" side are now sideways. (use the Top Turn to show the "up" side right side up. 'Ihen turn the "up"side sideways using the Counterclockwise Move. Now show that both sides are sideways using the Basic Move several tiDES, ending with the down side toward the audience.) "Now, if I give it a shake you'll notice that the "up" side turns right side up. (Give the card a quick shake followed by the Top Turn showing the "up" side right up.) If I give it another shake, you'll notice the down side magically turns right side up. (Give the card another quick shake followed by the Basic Move. 'Ibis shows the "up" side right side up. eattiooe executing the Basic Move a few IOOre tiDEs.) "Now both the "up" side and the "down" side are right side up." "Ranenber, it's i.nq;x>rtant not to get the two confused. Now, before you choose sides and ask me to put this.dawn (Show "down" side), I'm going to put it ~ (Show "up" side with the Basic Move). HINDSm~1 ~ 1 No wonder this is a quarterly. It seems like it took three months to describe this one trick. But-I feel it was worth it. 'Ibis is' one of the best p:>ssib1e tricks for a trade show. I have several variations of it, but this is one of my favori tea, For a trade show you can use the opening to give the ups and downs of ~ (Farm Machinery), driving (Chevy's) , or Housework (appliances or aluminum foil). You're only limited by ~ your own imagination.

STYLE 'Ibis column will be used to add style to what you perform and the way in which you perform it. It may consist of an idea, a theory, a detail. or a method. 'Ibis article's tip is going to be on a way to practice. It's one I developed when I first started practicing magic. It helped me to learn tricks quickly later when I worked at a magic shop. 'Ibis is .tb.e strongest piece of advice I can give when it comes to practice. This "secret" is to practice your routines quickly. As soon as you learn a routine from a book and are sure you understand what the author had in mind, speed the routine up to a lightning pace. 'Ibis serves three basic purposes, First, it gives me something to write about. Second, it helps you to learn the routine. You want the mechanics to become second nature to you. If you continue to practice at the regular pace, you will continue to have to think about each move before and during the move. This means that during a performance part of your Randall Access Memory will be concentrating on executing the moves. 'Ibis takes away from the amount of concentration you can spend on presentation and ad 1ibbing. If you run through the trick quickly. you force your hands to "learn" it. 'IbeyA

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will autanatically go to each successive JX)sition without you having to consciously pIacethan there. This same result can eventually be achieved through numerous performances, but this method is much faster. It also helps you to retain the trick in your manory longer since you actually learn the trick better in a shorter SPan of time. The third benefit of this method of practice is that it allows you to locate rough spots in a particular trick. These "slow" spots are areas where you III be forced to slow down the pace to allow you to accanplish a part of the routine. This S!X)t my or may not be a sleight or a move. say, for example, that you are running through a routine rapidly and notice that you have to pause for two seconds to execute a move or to get into poai.t.i.on to execute a move. You can be sure that this two second pause will expand several times when you slow the routine down-unless it is eliminated. Use this in all your tricks as you learn than. Then, use this in the practice for the complete show. This will help you to speed up the transitions between the tricks as well as help you to locate potential problem areas. Lest you think that this method is problan free, let me alert you to its only drawback. You need to be sure to slow the raxile back down when actually performing. At first this will be a conscious effort, rot soon it will become a habit • • • • • •To be Continued.

THE MAEB-Y COUNT (Pronounced "Maybe") STEVE

This is a version of the Elmsley Count I came up with in the mid-seventies. It was first p.lblished in Magic. The Vanishing Art or« Hqd To Turn A Trick For Fun and Profit. I am reprinting it here for several reasons-not the least of which is that it eats up half of a page. However, in addition to spreading myself thin, I want to be able to refer to it in future issues without having to explain it in detail. Finally, I use this and feel it suits far better than the Elmsley Count in the routine "Back to Aces" in this issue. I wonlt spend a lot of time elaborating on the benefits of this count over the Elmsley- I .want to save some conversation for when we meet in person. This way, weIII have something to look forward to. WeIll say you I re using four cards and want to count them as four, while hiding the third card fran the top. The hands are held almost in poaitdon for the Hamman Count. That is, the right hand holds the face down packet fran above at the short ends, The thumb is at the near end, while the seond finger is at the far end. The forefinger is curled on top. Make sure that the right second finger covers the front edge of the cards. The cards are held more from the side than in the Hamman Count. The right third finger (and this is imp:>rtant), rests along the front edge of the face of the cards, This finger can tnckle the bottan card toward the right thumb. This is the key move of the count.

There once was a magician named Steve Who had a peculiar pet peeve. That when his fellow hustler would perform a boring puzzler Steve would stick his finger down his throat and heave.

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BEAM

This is an impromptu all backs routine with a humorous patter story. A lot of magicians will be glad to see this finally hit print. I have received several requests for this routine over the last few years at conventions. It is easy to do and fun. I only have one suggestion. I'm going to describe this using the Elmsley Do yourself a favor-learn the Count. Maeb-y Count. It flows much smoother in this routine. However, you only do the count once, so suit yourself. In effect, you show four cards which have backs on both sides. Ole at a titre each one changes into an ace. SET UP Start with the four aces and an indifferent card arranged from top down as follows. Face down ace, face down indifferent card, face down ace, face up ace, and face up ace. Make sure you have 3 cards face down on top of 2 which are face up. The deck should be face down on the table. OPENOO REMARKS "Has anyone here ever been to a playing card oompany-a place that manufactures playing cards? No? Good! Then you'll believe what I'm about to tell you. I took a tour of one and I found out a lot of things that really surprised me. For example, you would think that when they get the cards in the factory, they would have backs on one side and be blank on the other. Then, all they would have to do is to stamp a four, a ten, a jack, king, or whatever on the blank face. "But actually what happens is this. When they get the cards in, they have backs on both sides. Then they have a guy there whose full titre job is to erase one of the backs. That's all he does all day long. He just sits there with a big eraser going at it. When he gets finished with it, it's blank on one side and they stamp a face on it. I've often wondered why they don't eliminate this middle step, rot I guess they know what they're doing." "Arrjway, I managed to get some of the cards before he erased them and I brought them along with me tonight. As you can see they have backs on both sides. " WE mRK Hold the packet at the short ends from above between the right thumb and third finger. Use the left thumb to PUll the top card over into the palm up left hand. See figure 1. Now rotate the right

To start the count , the face up left hand approaches the right hand packet. The left thumb is laid on top of the top card of the packet. The left fingers go underneath the packet. The left thumb drags the top card into the left hand. As soon as the card is free of the packet, the right third finger buckles the bottan card. The left hand again approaches the right hand. The card in the left hand is left on the face (bottan) of the packer, as the cards above the break (which was created by the buckLe) are taken into the left hand. The right hand holds the two cards on the face of the packet; back, as the left hand takes the top two cards. Both hands each hold two cards now. The left hand now pulls the two cards from the right hand one at' a titre. You have now counted four cards as four cards, while hiding the third.

BACK TO ACES STEVE

BEAM

As you can see by the illustration, this is a real jewel. This alone is worth the price of my personal subscription to this magazine.

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Do not flash the bottan card of the packet, \ When the palm up left hand meets the right hand packet., the left thumb drags the tq> card of the packet. into the left hand. Now raise the right hand packet to flash the bottan card. N card onto the two in the left hand, again slightly fanned. Finally rotate the right hand clockwise, again end for end, turning the right hand palm up. Take the right hand's ranaining 2 cards as one (fanned) onto the left hand cards. You have apparent.ly just shown backs on both sides off all the cards. This is a very strong display. The left hand is now holding 5 cards fanned in the left hand as four. Now take the top 2 cards as one between the right thumb on the bottan (face) and the right first and second fingers on the tq> of the double card. Turn this double card over end for end and place it beneath the other three cards which are then squared. DISPLAY 2. The next sequence is the Olran subtlety done quickly. Regrasp the packet; with the right hand between the right thumb at the inner short end and the right fingertips at the outside short end.

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FIRST ACE. Do an Elmsley (or l-1aeb-y) Count upjogging the third card, a face up ace. Pivot this card out and place it face up on the table. SE of the face down deck. HINPSIGlfI'. On occasions when I've done this a second time for magicians (on a separate occasion) I palm a small eraser in ~ right palm throughout the routine. At the conclusion of the effect, I ask, "You know how I did it, don't you?" Wait for a gnmt, then "I do it the same Wcrj the card company does it, with an eraser." At this I produce the eraser using one of the Slydini Coin moves. If you can steal a loa.d, you can produce 6 or 8 pencil-tq> erasers and really have a "smash-climax".

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THIRD ACE. Hold the packet in the left hand in dealing position. Use the left thumb to push the tq> two cards over to the right as one (rnul tiple posh) , Grasp the two cards with the right thumb underneath and the right fingers on tq> of the two cards. Turn the double card over and then place it underneath the left hand card. Square the packet. Now grasp the packet in the palm down right hand with the right thumb underneath and the right fingers above. Turn the right hand palm up by turning the right hand clockwise at the wrist. Now regrasp the packet deep in the palm down left hand thumb crotch and turn the hand palm up (thereby turning the packet over).

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CARD PROBLEMS For the more mentally agile, I have taken the liberty of including a few card problans in this issue. 1. If you already have 2 cards, and someone gives you 3 cards, how nany cards do you have? 2. If you have 5 cards (see last probl.em) and you lose 4 cards, how nany cards do you have left?

3. If you have one card and you tear it in half, how nany cards do you have?

The first correct answer postmarked before January 13, 1927 will receive a brand new, p:irtially used mouth coil.

Lock &:. Key STEVE

BEAM

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'Ibis is something for which you'll It will be especially helpful in spicing up mental predictions with humor. Specifically, you can use it in conjunction with "MA'lH" in this issue or "REWARD" which will be in an upcoming issue. Next time you display a prediction at the beginning of a trick and then place it out of the way until later, try this. Place the envelope somewhere in full view of the audience. "Just to be sure that it's safe, we'll put it under lock and key. " At this, reach into your pocket and produce a padl.ock with the key hanging from the shank. Place this on the envelope without saying anything. '!'hen proceed as if you haven't done anything unusual. Be sure that the lock you use is large enough to be recognized by all in the audience. Also, you want to make sure that the envelope can be seen at all times unless you want to use this as I have in conjunction with a switch. If so, as your left hand goes to the pocket for the lock, the right hand goes to the lap and makes the exchange. find a lot of uses.

There's a new salt and pepper magic duo touring South Africa that's causing quite a stir. They continue to make the headlines on a regular basis with their illusion show. '!'hey call themselves "Siegfried and Bay".

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LEFTOVERS David copperf ield continues to outdo himself and most others. His coneerctafs with Kodak have reached an all tirre high with the addition of the cOII1ITercial for the new Trimprint. The reason that the Trimprint is unique is what allows one of the better of the tricks to be accomplished. Kudos to David and all others involved. HOOle Box Off ice has started a new 5 minute spot; devoted to close-up magic. Dick cavett hosts this excellent series which has so far featured the talents of magicians such as Daryl and Darwin Ortiz. (Those who don't know better are now asking, "Who is Daryl Ortiz?") If you want to continue to see these spots between the movies, it might be a good idea to write HBO and let them know. No, it would not be a good idea to write the letter on the back of one of your ads. I saw an old George Burns/Gracie Allen show the other night that featured a magician named (Henry?) Mendoza. It showed Gracie Allen as a substitute magician's assistant and it was one of the funniest comedy magic acts I have ever seen. Harry Blackstone, Jr. has been on Larry King's late night talk show several times lately. '!he last tirre he said that magic is usually taken up by peopl.e with above average intelligence. While I would like to think that Harry's statanent is accurate, he has probably never been referred to the Game or Kiddie section of the book store for the magic books. As I write this, it's October 31, 1983. This is Halloween., It's also supposed to be National Magic Day. I say "supposed to be" because this morning I went around the office and conducted a survey. I asked everyone if they knew what

Important; day this way. You may not believe this, rot not one of them said this was National Magic Day. Fourteen peopl.e said it was Halloween, and one said it was PAYDAY- the most "important." day of all! I would like to know who suggested that we should celebrate our day on the same day we celebrate ~ople dressing up as idiots. As I see it, we have two choices. We can either change the date for National Magic Day••••• Or we can ask all the idiots to change the date for Halloween. Since they already have the calendars printed for next year which have Halloween on OCtober 31, may I suggest we do the honor able thing and change our date so that it doesn't conflict with arrj holidays or paydays. After all, magicians can easily get shows from October through the first of January. Why not use the day to promote magic during the slow season. Eliminating the OCtober 31 through January 2 season, I am taking the liberty of suggesting one of the following dates be made National Magic Day. July 4 October 12 February 14 First Monday in Septanber 3rd Sunday in June Last Monday in May I have checked 11¥ calendar to make sure that these dates don't conflict with any of 11¥ paydays. Also, we can make the holiday fall on the Monday closest to one of the dates above so that we can get a free three day weekend out of it. An:! of these dates are Okay with me. Which one do you want? This will be our first TRAPI:XX)R poll. I'm all aglow awaiting your responses,

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MOUTH

COIL

REWINDER

$2,850

IN THE NEXT ISSUE THE BIOGRAPHICAL m -A smart opening routine with a rope which can be used alone or to introduce your (soon to be second) favorite rope routine. 25

YEARS AGO BY

IN

DAWN

THE

'.WE 5 KItNS CARD 'IRICK -The only funny way to produce cards. I'm chuckling already!

TRAPDOOR

BEAM

PBACrrCE MIRRORS -How to make low cost tri-fold practice mirrors for under $3.50. STEAK HOUSE MAGIC -A complete "quickie" routine with a bottle of steak sauce. Comes complete with guaranteed hilariously "saucy" patter. IXE nmRIS'

IMPROOU

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those any-timers with one coin.

WAYNE KYZER'S "CAU3HT" -A "Handy" and humorous bit by the great Kyzini, AND MUO:I WEE!!!

(CONTINUED NEXT

COLUMN)

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have weight-loss centers to help you take off pounds. one of the more popular ways to make you lose weight is to make you wear smaller clothes. This keeps your mird on losing weight at all times." During the above pat.ter you should get the belt and the gimmick into the position shown in the picture.

RESTORED

BELT

STEVE

BEAM

For years I wanted to perform the Cut and Restored Tie. I thought the ultinate in humor would be the look in the spectator Is eye as he tried to refrain from killing me and even tried to laugh about it since he was in front of everyone. I could have so much fun with that trick rot I Ive never found a version I could use without a stooge or without having a stack of different colored materials available. ArX3 somehow, cutting nw own tie didn It sean nearly as funny as doing it to someone else. While still in college, I was asked to perform for one of those weight-loss groups. That Is when I came up with the next best thing-the cut and restored belt. After all. there are only so many different kinds of belts-natching shouldn ' t be any problan. In a group of 5 adult men, you can be sure that at least 3 of them are wearing a belt that is black, brown or white leather. ArX3 the sizes ranged from 1/2 to 1 inch. The really nice thing about it is that you use tape to form the gimmick-not leather. For example, for a black gimmick, take some electrical tape and fold it onto itself so that it will pass for a 4 inch section of a belt at a distance of 10 feet. Make a 4 inch X 1 inch, a 4 inch X 3/4 inch, and a 4 inch X 1/2 inch gimmick. These 3 gimmicks will cover you for almost all black belts. You can make up a hundred gimmicks while you Ire at it in just a half hour. The method used for cutting the belt is to add this gimmicks Loop of tape onto the middle of a borrowed belt. Then, cut the lo