Stuthard's Trilby Deck by Joe Stuthard

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Stuthard's Trilby Deck by Joe Stuthard

Postby .robb. » Dec 21st, '09, 23:35



The Effect:
There are many and I have listed them with my opinions on each.

Cost:
This 25 page booklet was published in 1948 and revised in 1949. To my knowledge there haven't been printings since. It may be that this is now in public domain and available online in .pdf for free but I doubt it. For an original copy I would inquire about it at any magic shop that deals in second hand books. Some may consider it to be a collectible of sorts so if/when you find a copy, it's condition may determine it's cost. Even with all of that it shouldn't cost much though.

Difficulty:
(1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)

All of the effects are either 1 or 2. Some of the flourish handlings are a little more difficult but are not required to perform the effects.

Overall:
If you enjoy Svengalis, buy it. If you enjoy Strippers (the decks...), buy it. If you enjoy constructing your own gimmicks, buy it. If you enjoy reading somewhat obscure improvements to two of the most common gimmicks in all of card magic, buy it. It's a fun read even if you have no intention of ever a Trilby Deck.

Review:
Stuthard's Trilby Deck
by Joe Stuthard "The Canadian Funatic"
A Complete Card Act For The Non Sleight Of Hand Performer

A Trilby Deck combines features of a Stripper Deck with those of a Svengali Deck. As far as I know, this is not an over the counter product so you will more than likely need to build your own deck with the directions that are provided. It's relatively easy to do but a little time consuming and can be "short-cutted" for lack of a better term.

It would be easiest for me to basically type the Table of Contents to give you an overall idea of what all is covered in the booklet and opine from there in italics. Get ready for a gut check, you'll soon be doing things you never thought possible with a gimmicked deck.

MECHANICS OF THE TRILBY DECK

EXPLANATION AND HANDLING SVENGALI PART
*Running of Cards General displaying of a Svengali allows you to show all the cards as being different and then flipping the deck over to show that they are all the same. Well, with the Trilby deck you can show all cards different then square up the deck and do it again while showing all cards as being the same- no deck flip. This section explains how to do this.
*Shuffling Deck This is an overhand shuffle done with the faces exposed to the audience with all cards being shown different.
*Spread An opportunity to display the deck with a lil' more flourish. Ribbon spread the cards face up and show them all different. Fancily flip your spread over and square the deck up. Spread the cards again and they're all the same. Very visual handling.
*DL
*Drop Perhaps the gutsiest of all. You're going to take this gimmicked deck into one hand, with the face out, and hold it a couple or three feet above the table. Then, "one" at a time, you'll drop them from the deck to fall onto the table face up. As with all of the other displays, this can then be done to show all of the cards as being the same.
*Fan

EXTRACTING KEY CARDS How to separate the deck in front of God and everybody.

METHODS OF SWITCHING

AN OPEN SWITCH
IMO, both methods are outdated.

HANDLING STRIPPER PART
*Card Selected and Returned

TRICKS WITH SVENGALI PART
*Any Number Called For The same effect you've seen a million times.
*Blindfold Effect Same effect as above only with the spec blindfolded. I have no idea why blindfolding the spec would add anything to the outcome in this situation.
*Blindfold Effect with Assistant Combines the prior two effects but now takes the deck out of the magician's hands.
*Pile Trick Card is selected and returned. Pack is divided in two. Top cards of both packs are shown to be indifferent. Spec picks a pile and their card is now at the top of the selected pile.
*Clock Trick A very, very fun trick. Card is selected and returned. Deck is cut into a number of piles and formed in a wide circle. A pencil/pen is put in the middle. The spec spins it. The selected card is shown to be at the top of whichever pile the pencil is pointing at once it stops spinning.
*Dice Trick Card is selected and returned to deck which is shuffled.Spec cuts deck and 6 cards are drawn from that point and placed face down on the table. Spec rolls a die and whatever number shows up is used to turn over the card in that position which is, of course, the specs card.
*Transformation You can figure this one out by the title.
*Knife Trick Card is selected and returned. Pack is wrapped with paper. Spec jabs a knife into the pack. Paper is torn off and the card is revealed stuck on the knife with what's left of the paper. Very visual.
*Thought Card You can figure this one out by the title.
*Telephone Trick Same as Any Number Called For... literally :)
*Publicity Prediction A mail ahead of time prediction effect.

TRICKS WITH STRIPPER PART
*Card in Hat Same as Kangaroo card from RRTCM.
*Cutting Selected Card Title says it all.
*Cutting Several Cards Title says it all, take 2.
*Cutting Aces Title says it all, take 3.
*Four Aces Same title and working from Complete Course in Magic.
*How did that Happen? Ya got me. This is one confusing explanation of both the end result and how to do it. Requires sleeving and behind the back work. Not for me.
*Card from Pocket Kind of a Card to Pocket effect only you use the specs pocket. "You go into this pocket..." Uh, no I don't.
*Burglar Trick An easy no-sleight version of the classic trick.
*With an Accomplice This effect calls for the magician to leave the room and the deck with the specs to pick a card, return it and shuffle. The magician returns to the room, looks at the cards and reveals the chosen card. You also have to use an accomplice. Not something that I would be comfortable doing.
*Star Item No. 1
*Star Item No. 2 Basically like the Knife Trick.
*A Good Twist Card is selected and returned to a mixed face up deck. (Faces and spots going both ways.) Magician puts the deck behind his back and when he returns the deck to the table all of the cards are now facing the same way, except for the chosen card.
*Blacks from Reds An OOTW-ish effect.

A TEN MINUTE ACT Routine using some of the aforementioned tricks. I have not publicly performed the routine but have ran through it a dozen or more times in practice and will say that it flows nicely.

EXTRA ROUTINE

TIPS The most important of which is to not use fanning powder.

GENERAL TIPS

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.robb.
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Postby Lenoir » Dec 21st, '09, 23:53

A brilliant booklet indeed.

"I want to do magic...but I don't want to be referred to as a magician." - A layman chatting to me about magic.
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Postby mark lewis » Dec 22nd, '09, 02:05

Much of the svengali part of that book is detailed in my own book-"The Long and the Short of it" Not surprising since many of the moves in my book came from Joe Stuthard in the first place. I saw him work when I was 14 years old and he was the best and most entertaining card magician I ever saw.

There is also an excellent Trilby Deck routine in the Ken Brooke book called the Unique Years although Ken doesn't call it the Trilby Deck, but Trilby Deck it is.

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