CARDOPOLIS 50

DIALS, DIARIES & DODGES

Welcome to Cardopolis 50. Cardopolis is devoted to the craft and history of card magic and if you haven’t already subscribed, you can do so below. It’s $5 a month or just $35 a year for 12 issues. All premium subscribers get access to the entire archive comprising a couple of hundred videos, can take part in the Comments section where you’ll often find further information on the various tricks, sleights, and routines, and access some downloadable pdf bonuses.

This issue features Almaniac. The routine uses the diary described in Cardopolis 48. One diary, three very different routines. Almaniac is a very direct effect self-working routine in which you don’t need to know the spectator’s birthday but he’ll find his chosen card written against that date in the diary.

Little White Lies is a lie detector routine with a kicker. The spectator answers questions about their card. They can lie or tell the truth. But you always find it.

We’ll be looking at Bob Hummer’s Think-A-Word. The trick was never released perhaps because it wasn’t entirely practical. But it used a unique idea that allowed the performer to divine a freely chosen word and playing card. I worked on an online version of this twenty years ago and have returned to it and created a new version that you can try out. It’s an experiment, for various reasons, but you might find some inspiration in it.

Talking of experiments, I was experimenting with a revised version of Paul Curry’s Touch, which we will touch upon in the next issue, and came across a trick by Gordon Prunty which he called Touch with a Borrowed Pack. With a little polish, it’s surprisingly good. If you can’t wait for the solutions, you’ll find it in (Abracadabra 29th March 1975).

But first, let’s talk about Rovi.

ROVI’S RUSE

Ivor Parry, who worked as Rovi, was born in Caernarfon and sometimes referred to as the Wizard of Wales. He was a great entertainer with a deck of cards, always the first to show a trick to anyone who’d watch. I first saw him perform for a regular audience at a British Ring convention in the 70s.

I was there with my friend John Brown. The British Ring conventions always took place at seaside resorts at the end of the season. We were at the convention hotel the day before the convention began. Some holiday makers remained, hanging about, possibly waiting for their coach home. Rovi approached a group at a table and offered to show them some card magic. They’d heard that there was to be a magic convention in town and were delighted.

Rovi’s techniques weren’t especially sophisticated, but Rovi knew how to put a trick over. I’ve always admired magicians like that. Mick Chardo, of Manchester, one of the first to have a residency at a restaurant in the UK, was another born entertainer when it came to card magic.

Though we hadn’t met, Rovi could tell that John and I were magicians. I guess we had that geeky nervy look about us. At one point Rovi stole a spectator’s selection from the deck. He handed the deck to the spectator, then gave John and me a crafty nod and directed our attention to the card’s real location. He even raised his hand to expose it palmed in his hand. I could tell he was very pleased with this little dodge.

Rovi entertained the people at the table with one trick after another. And they loved him. I’ll tell you more about Rovi later, but first here is the technique Rovi used. I’ve paired it with another technique that makes for a very good reproduction of the card. Hope you enjoy it.

There are a couple of books on Rovi’s magic, and you’ll find them at Lybrary.com. Solid practical material.