presents SLYDINYIS “FLIGHT OF THE PAPER BALLS” (4 DELIGHTFUL COMEDY ROUTINE) Phutogeaphic Interpretation by GEORGE KARGER Faited by GEORGE STARKE EFFECT ‘An audience enjoys participating in a magical ant who is profoundly mystified by the entire pro- effect particularly when che performer takes the ceeding, spectators inte his confidence. This routine provides Im this routine the performer repeatedly chal- hilarious entertainment beesuse the entire audience lenges a spectator to gues what happens to paper iw aware of the modus operundi except the assist. alls which mysteriously vanish. 12aINSTRUCTIONS, Invite a spectator tu assist you. Seat him so that he feces the audience. Ask him, “How many miler ean you see on clear day?” Regardless of his an- wer, aay, “You are not sure, Well, Fam xoing to teat your eyes.” Now turn to the audience and say, Ladies and Centlemen. Fam going Wo show you a lite experiment, All of you sill see it, He (point to assistant) is the only one who will not see it. But pleuse do not any anything and do not givo away our fecret, Otherwise I cannot finish the experiment. So, let him find out for himsel{.” Now turn to the spectator and aay, “And you try t0 cateh me, 2h?” Fold up a paper napkin at a distance of ahout four feet fram spectator’s exes and say, “Of course you see the paper now.” Bring it clocer and say, Naturally, the closer it is the beiter you can see.” Say, “I am gving to roll it up like this ant make a amall ball (Big. 2). Roll up the paper napkin, lower your left hand and say, “Come a little closer,” in order tu get the xpectator to lean forward and lower hhis head (Fix. 3)- Say, “Tam going to put the ball in my hand... squeeze... open my hand .. .” Suit the words with appropriate aclivn. Continue, “And you sill see the ball disappear.” Refore you vtter the word “disap- pear”, the right hand takes the ball out of the left palm in an are movement towards the spertater’s forehead (Fig. 4). As you say “disappear”, touch the left palin again with the bali but do not close the left palm. Here ia where the crucial move comes in. Im- mediutely after touching the left palm, again lift the hall in exactly the same are movement toward the apectator’s eyes (Fig. 4) and with an upward flick of the right weist, let go of the ball. (It should go over the spectator's head. We empharize that the hall is nut thrown ar tossed. There iy ne movement fof the arm or elbow. When the hind reaches the top df the are the bull is simply released. At the very moment that you flick the wrist, nay “Look.” Fig, 4 Shows the exuet position just hefore the ball is re eaved. Notice that the elbow ix below eye level, the wrist ie turned upward and the fingertips are aborr eye level)-Immediately after saying “Look”, pretend to re- place the hall in the left palm (Fig. 5). Make a few magical gestures by passing the right hand over the cloned left hand. Open the left hand and show that the ball has vanished. Ask the spertator, “Do you nose sehere the ball is?” Miclead the assistant hy looking up your sleeves, inside your coat and his cont, pretending to look for the ball. Say “1 will do it again for you, but this time 1 will do it very slowly. In fact, so slowly that you sure: ly must see it thix time.” Roll up another paper napkin and repeat the vanish deserihed above. Again ask “Do you know where the ball is? You didn’t sea how it was done? 1 will show you axactly how it is done.” Make certain that the spectator leans forward hy saying to hima “Come a little closer. a in Fig. 3, Roll up another hall and openly pluce it in the hea roll it up a little more (Fig. 6). fand in doing 80 palm it in the right hund and close the ieft hand. Turn the left hand down and spread the hands apart, holding the right hand close to the apectator’s body. ‘Then turn both hands ward, but only open the left hond (Fig, 7). (The eft hund is opened completely but the right bund remains mostly closed. Remember to draw attention to the left hand by keeping your eyes constantly on the left hand. Re sure not to Ivok at the right hand. ‘eapecially when it is brought to the spectator's chest.) Immediately turn hoth hands patm downward — Fig. 8 (observe that the fingers of both hands are now open).Ask, “Do you know where the ball ix?” Produce the ball from under the spertator’s chin (Fig. 9). We call your attention to the fact that Slydint purposely uses the vanish just described and the production from the chin to anisdirect and mislead the msistant an to the true modas operandi, At this ‘point, Slydini feela the time is peychologically per- feet to go hack ugain to the “Over.thettead Vanish’, Say, “You mean t0 say you still don't know how as done? Pm sa surprised, Tam going ty make a very big ball ay you can really see how # ts dune.” ‘Take three or four napkins and roll them up into a big hell but do not erush it yet. Say, “I certainty cannot hide this ball. It ix 20 big, you can’t help see it.” Now crush the hall 20 that it fits in both hands (Fig. 10), Say, “This time Fam going to do it a litle different. 1 am going to place the ball in my left hand and close the hands entirely and ask you to blew.” Close the bands around the ball as shown ier Fig. 17. Open the hunds amt sas, “Sometimes it disap pears and sometimes it dvcsn’t. Do you knox why?” (The anawer ix always “No.") Reply, “Because it's too BG.” Now repeat the ‘Overthe-Head? Vanish, When you flick the right wrist and release the ball, and then pretend to pluce the ball in the left hand, hold the hands in the manner indicated in Fig. 1) and ask the apecimtor to blow. Then apen by lifting the Fight hand ae shown in Fig. 12, Say, “You still don't know? Well, ail 1 can sey is that everyone else in the audience knows. Let there tall you." 1s‘When Sirdini, comparative newcomer 10 this country from South Amerien, hegan to exhibit hie magic here, few magicians reeagnized his ability. Gradually they began to realie that here wan aw artist who not only had exceptional ability and skill but 9 very wausual and logical approach aa well. He has really achieved # rare thing — shocking the ma country oul of their complacency. Because Siydini tus heon wnhampered by tradition, hiv inventive mind has evolved many new and intrigning methods in magic. His vleighls are Alanlessly executed am) perfectly mashed by superb misdirection coupled with » perfect sense of timing, Stydint’s personality is pleasant, ingratiating ond completely disarm ing. More thun most magicians he is a sestoned actor who pretends #0 tharoughly that what is happening in hie hands is real magic that hiv audi. ences ean do nothing but be eunvinced. He it a perfectionist who incor Porates his sleights into natural logical artions that camouflage them com- pletely, and he docs all this with a grace of action that maken fiis magic beautiful to watch, He has introduced 4 new kind of misdirection and hag actually reduced it so a science. So that, today, he is unanimously acclaimed by the experts ay a master of misdirertion, on which ambject Dai Vernon rotes him in a loss with Molini— whose name has become a symbol of the art ot mie direetion..