THINKING AND DIRECTION IN CARD MAGIC

DORIAN RHODELL

History & Credits

by Dorian Rhodell

George Pughes Pass

TOOLS

George Pughes Pass can be found on pg. 1053 of the 1994 edition of Greater Magic (Kaufmann &
Greenberg). It is explained in a letter to John Northern Hilliard dated January 21, 1933, where it is described as being a one card version of the Houdini-Elliot Shift. It was originally used to control a selection
to the top of the deck.

In the same year (1933), a very similar move appeared in print in a book entitled, Tricks for the Few
pgs. 8-9 under the title, Passing up the Pass.


Steranko was the first to publish the move as more than just a control. His applications and ideas
were published under the title of, Shadow Steal in his book, Steranko on Cards (1960).

The mechanics of this sleight are also found in The Rooklyn Top Palm which can be found on pg.
161 of Dai Vernons Ultimate Secrets of Card Magic.

Ray Kosby also independently invented the move along with others such as Oliver Macia and Daniel Garcia. Ray Kosby published The Coffin Change on pg. 45 of Spectacle by Stephen Minch in 1990.
Oliver Macias independent invention is called the Wow Control and can be found on his DVD, Control
Freak. Daniel Garcias handling is called the Ego Change, and can by found on his DVD, The Daniel
Garcia Project, vol. 1.

The Shift

This shift is an independent invention of both Paul David and Carlo Ramirez. It appears to be a hybrid of the Lennart Green and Guy Hollingworth shifts. A detailed description can be found in Guys book
Drawing Room Deceptions on pgs. 122-128.

Mexican Monte Move

As far as I know, The Mexican Monte Move belongs to Karl Fulves and was originally published in a
pamphlet entitled Mexican Monte in 1972 pg. 32.

Grease Lightning

EFFECTS

Version One:


This effect first saw print in Tom Cutts now defunct A.M. / P.M. magazine, vol. 1 issue 1.

The addition and subsequent switch basically belong to Ernest Earick. A detailed description can be
found on pgs. 31-34 of his book, By Forces Unseen by Stephen Minch. Charles T. Jordan appears to be the
innovator of the concept of adding cards in this manner.

The Vernon Strip-Out Addition first saw print in Ten Card Problems (1932). Arguably the best
description and refined handling of the move can be found in The Vernon Chronicles, vol. 1, pgs. 79-85.
Version Two:

The idea of using a duplicate card in a transposition goes back at least to 1740 where GillesEdme Guyot published it in Nouvelles Recreations, Physiques et Mathematiques.

The Novrec Turnover belongs to Bruce Cervon and can be found in The Black & White Trick
and Other Assorted Mysteries on pgs. 47-53.

Snap Exchange

Snap Exchange is based on Bill Goodwins effect, Slap Exchange which can be found in his notes,
At the Expense of Grey Matter.

See Grease Lightning, version two, for additional credits.

Joyride

The method of controlling a card to the bottom in this effect belongs to Enrest Earick and can be
found in By Forces Unseen The Innovative Card Magic of Ernest Earick pgs. 83-85. This move is a one
handed version of the Hofzinser Spread Pass. See works by Edward Victor, Allan Ackerman, Larry Jennings,
Ed Marlo and Frank Simon for more explorations with this move.

The Secret Subtraction Move is an idea by J.K. Hartman and can be found in Card Craft on pg. 53.

The pip mis-show sequence can be found in The Classic Magic of Larry Jennings on pg. 208. It
originally saw print in Alton Sharpes book, Expert Card Mysteries.

Recon

EFFECTS

The side steal was possibly invented by Nate Leipzig. Ed Marlo has some amazing work with the
side steal in his pamphlet named The Side Steal.

The add-on used in this effect belongs to Larry Jennings and is called The Optical Add-On. A
detailed description can be found in The Classic Magic of Larry Jennings on pgs. 4-5.

The diminishing lift sequence is Ed Marlos and can be found in Ibidem, no. 21.

The Flushstration count belongs to Bro. John Hamman was originally marketed as an effect under
the same name by DeVoes Magic Den in the mid-sixties. An in depth description of the count can be found
on pgs. 43-44 of The Secrets of Brother John Hamman.

Sidetracked

The idea of setting up the 4 of a kind to transpose with the three selections in this fashion can be
found in Bill Goodwins lecture notes entitled, Notes From the Bat Cave on pg. 1.

The displacing of the four cards belongs to P. Howard Lyons. See Slipduc in Ibidem, No. 9
(March 1957).

The idea of taking a copped card, turning the hand palm down and adding it to a packet was shown
to me by Larry Jennings, however, I believe it is an idea of Dai Varnons.

A.F.I.

The Le Paul Spread Pass can be found in The Card Magic of Le Paul under the title of A Flourish
and a Pass on pgs. 35-37.

The Invisible Turnover Pass can be found on pg. 37 of Expert Card Technique (1st ed.).

The Novrec Turnover (see Grease Lightning, version two)

The idea of using George Pughes Pass in context of an Inversion type of effect, I believe belongs to
Bill Goodwin. Bill first used this handling in an effect called, Pack Flip and can be found in his notes The
Ancient Empty Street pg. 5.

Finders Keepers

EFFECTS

The spin cut belongs to Nate Leipzig.

The opening production sequence belongs to Jack Avis and originally appeared in an effect of his
entitled, Spin Cut Aces. The effect first saw print in the Pentagram. A detailed description can be found
in Dai Vernons Ultimate Secrets of Card Magic on pgs. 135-136 under the effect, Slippery Aces.

The method of forcing the card belongs to Henry Christ. It first saw print as, The 203rd Force
from Annemanns SH-H-H--! Its a Secret in 1934. For the record, Lin Searles and Ed Balducci had similar
ideas.

The inspiration for making the first Ace vanish came from Larry Jenningss Optical Toss. This
move saw print in The Classic Magic of Larry Jennings on pgs. 12-13.

The idea of shooting a card out off the bottom of the deck can not be new. Anyone who has ever
played with the first method of Erdnases bottom palm has potentially had something similar happen. Unfortunately, I dont know who to attribute this production to.

The method I use for obtaining a break under one card is very similar, if not identical to Back
Breaker from The Vernon Chronicles, vol. 3 on pg. 37. The idea of pushing over the top card to get a break
goes back at least to The Secrets of Conjuring and Magic by Robert-Houdin, where it is mentioned in The
Ladies Looking Glass.

The Collectors plot belongs to Roy Walton and can be found in The Complete Walton, vol. 2 on
pgs. 31-34.