The Big Production
NEAMDE
Gary Brown's provocative thread on "The Big Vanish" leads me to think
about its converse: "The Big Production." My personal favorite is "Tally
Ho," an illusion created by Charles Morritt (who also gave us The
Vanishing Donkey) in which an entire fox hunt including horses, riders,
dogs, huntsmen, and even a fox were apparently produced from nowhere.
Other suggestions?
Michael Edwards
TWLadshaw
How about "The Million Dollar Mystery"? I forget the
inventor....W.C. Jeans, maybe?
Tom.....
P.S. - There also used to be a vaudeville act called the "Devil's
Hat"....or something to that effect. Sounds essentially the same as the
Morritt thing....a whole ton of stuff produced from a hat. As a matter of
fact, I think Dick Zimmerman even did a variation of this act at some
point about 25 years ago.
VicFarelli
>Subject: Re: The Big Production
>From: tri...@aol.com (TricRic)
>Date: 24 Jan 1997 14:47:34 GMT
>Message-ID: <19970124144...@ladder01.news.aol.com>
>Another version of the Million Dollar Mystery can be seen in S&R's show.
>It is called SARMOTE (Spelling?).
"SARMOTI". It's an acronym for "Siefried And Roy, Masters Of The
Impossible."
(Interesting humourous sidelight - In Tom Ladshaw's delightful "The
FEKE", he mentions some of the current "celebrity billings;" Siegfried &
Roy's "Sarmoti" and Bruce Cervon's "Superstar of Magic" in particular. He
mentions that while "Sarmoti" is perhaps a trifle nebulous, it is every
bit as effective as "Superstar..." whilst trying to secure a seat at a
busy lunchcounter.
Hmmm...I've just re-read the above. It's funnier when Mr. Ladshaw
relates it.)
VMF
Gary Brown
For those of you who might be interested in actually seeing "The Million
Dollar Mystery," please be advised that Joseph Gabriel has re-revived it
for his current show *Magic On Broadway.* It was something to see.
Gary Brown
MWishner
>> Some may recall Doug Henning's resurrection of this illusion, which he
called
"Things that Go Bump in the Night."
Sorry, but I never saw it. Couldn't find it on the Henning website. Can
you describe it?
NEAMDE
mwis...@aol.com (MWishner) wrote:
My recollection is that Doug Henning often closed his full illusion show
-- Doug Henning's World of Magic -- with this illusion. A box (perhaps
three feet wide by three feet high) was rolled onto the stage and shown
empty. Henning stepped inside. A blue cloth was draped in front of the
box and a form materialized beneath it. Slowly the cloth-covered form
moved away from the box toward the front of the stage. Another cloth --
green I think -- was held in front of the box and another ghostly shape
appeared and moved away from the box. A red cloth was then draped in
front of the box and the effect was repeated again. Henning was then
enclosed in the box and its doors shut. The three figures came to the edge
of the stage. The first two cloths were removed, revealing two female
assistants. The third cloth was removed...and there was Henning. The box
was then wheeled forward. As it neared the front of the stage, its sides
suddenly fell...freeing a very large Bengal tiger.
BTW, Tracy Evans has done a wonderful job in creating the Doug Henning
website. If you haven't had a chance to visit it, you really should.
Michael Edwards
TricRic
Another version of the Million Dollar Mystery can be seen in S&R's show.
things that go Bump that do not use the same method. Rick Thomas is
currently doing a million dollar mystery type effect here on Guam. It is
going great!
Gary Brown
One additional point of interest concerning the "Million Dollar Mystery "
is the origin of its name. Although it may seem obvious that the name is
intended to refer to the illusion's cost, or its value, that is not, in
fact, the source of the illusion's title.
Rather, the reference is to a breakfast cereal called "Million Dollar
Cereal" that was popular at the time -- and I believe the box used for the
production was supposed to resemble a large version of the ceral box.
(Whether Thurston was paid for the advertising tie-in would make an
interesting research project). The demise of "Million Dollar Cereal"
makes the reference somewhat obscure.
Gary Brown
NEAMDE
In another thread, Mark Roberts inquired about Joseph Michael Hartz to
which Gary Hunt <gary...@mindspring.com> responded with a most complete
and helpful posting. In that article, Gary references Hartz 18 minute
vaudeville act "The Devil of a Hat (Le Chapeau du Diable)." Gary notes
that
> His most famous effect is "Devil of a Hat", were from a stage set with
only
>thin tables and a top hat he produced hundreds of items. He even had a
>skull rise out of the hat. (See Hoffmann's Later Magic (revised edition)
>for a complete discussion of Hartz's effects and his career).
This certainly was one of "The Big Productions" of the last century. Hartz
would borrow a top hat from which he would produce scores upon scores of
playing cards, a hundred yards of ribbon, a dozen large silk scarves,
seemingly countless handkerchiefs, cigar boxes, wigs, hats, two dozen
silverplated beer mugs, a large number of glass tumblers, a dozen bottles
of champagne, a birdcage (with canary) or two, seven lamps (all lighted),
a bowl of water (with goldfish), a cannonball, a baby and -- as Gary notes
-- even a skull which would rise unassisted from the hat!!!
Michael Edwards
Bob Loomis
nea...@aol.com (NEAMDE) wrote:
>Gary Brown's provocative thread on "The Big Vanish" leads me to think
>about its converse: "The Big Production." .......
So far, my favourite big production has not been mentioned in reply to
Michael Edwards' question (at least not on my browser's version of the
Deja News AMH listing).
As a very, very young lad I had the pleasure of watching Doug Henning
perform one of the few presentations of Jarrett's 21 Person Cabinet.
Jarrett called it the greatest of all illusions. Jim Steinmeyer called
it a wonderful illusion.
Probably the greatest part of presenting the illusion was producing
the salary for the 21 assistants!
--
Bob Loomis
Pres, Sec, Treas, Scribe and Tea boy.
Association of International Magical Spectators ( A.I.M.S.)
http://www.aims-magic.org/aims/