Inzani-Henley

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Re: Inzani-Henley

Postby MagicFan72 » Aug 2nd, '12, 12:54



I certainly will!

For now, here are a couple of images I've uploaded. Should bring back warm memories for a few people.

Http://jasonarnopp.tumblr.com

I'd love to find some of these old Mad Hatter tricks, sealed in their bags, but I can't see that happening...

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Re: Inzani-Henley

Postby Allen Tipton » Aug 2nd, '12, 14:08

You never know Magic Fan 72

Magicians sent me old Ellisdon stuff when I was researching the History of E & S and several items from The Boy's Magic Service(Rhyl) who first advertised in boys' comics in the 50's.

For Inzani Henley it might be worth a try to e mail my friend, Dave Charles.

dave@hocuspocusmagic.com

Dave bought up the Inzani Henley from John Henley in the mid 70's

He MIGHT still have some odds and ends around

Allen Tipton

Began magic at 9 in 1942. Joined Staffs M.S at 13. Nottm.Guild of M. (8 times President. Prog Director 20years)IBM. Awarded Magician of Month 1980 By Intern. Pres. IBM for reproducing Dante's Sim Sala Bim. Writes Dear Magician column for Abra. Mag.
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Re: Inzani-Henley

Postby MagicFan72 » Aug 2nd, '12, 22:57

Thank you Allen - much appreciated! Will certainly try. :)

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Re: Inzani-Henley

Postby Rudi Rabbit » Jan 24th, '13, 03:00

Interesting to see that this thread on my old company has been revived.

According to one entry I apparently sold off the company in the 1970's. That is news to me as it was still going strong in the early 1980's before I closed the operation and moved to Canada, where I set up a similar rack merchandising offer with magic tricks for kids (Rudi Rabbit was still the logo and "spokesman") plus the range of Mad Hatter Jokes and Tricks.

I returned on a visit to the U.K. in 2006 and met up with Remo Inzani and Ali Bongo at the Magic Circle headquarters. That was the last time I saw Ali alive, but we had always stayed in touch. I have an original colour drawing that he made of the new costume he had designed for the "Shriek of Araby" act. The picture shows the outfit he eventually made.

It is gratifying to see how many on this BBS who have fond memories of the Mad Hatter Magic Club, the badges and posters we provided and the tricks that we used to sell. Many were standard beginner's tricks, but I always made a point of writing decent instructions that a child could understand.

Rudi had his moment in the spotlight for a couple of years as a full page in the TV COMIC and one of the highlights was when we put together the Mad Hatter Magic Convention at the Polka Children's Theatre in Wimbledon. That was in October 1981. A fantastic day with an amazing Gala Show.

From this Bulletin Board, it appears there are a number of people who have questions about Inzani - Henley Magic Company Ltd and the Mad Hatter era. If you want to email me at rudi.rabbit@gmail.com I will try to provide suitable responses to your questions. If you want to see what I have been up to in the meantime, you can check me out at http://www.john-henley.com

Thanks for the interest you have all shown. It is appreciated.

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Re: Inzani-Henley

Postby Mandrake » Jan 24th, '13, 12:58

Thanks for the update John!

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Re: Inzani-Henley

Postby MagicFan72 » Jan 27th, '17, 13:53

Hello again, all! It was great to see John Henley's response to this thread and get a little more info on Mad Hatter. I continue to be surprised at how few search results come up when you Google for 'Mad Hatter Magic Inzani Henley'. And of course, many of those search results are the modern Mad Hatter Magic shop.

Since last posting, I've managed to buy quite a few old boxed Mad Hatter tricks and thought a few members might enjoy a heady nostalgia rush upon seeing them. So here they are, along with a poster for MH's tricks and jokes ranges.

Image

Image

I'm always on the look out for more of these - and would also like to get my hands on the jokes range - so if any members would like to pass these on, do drop me a line! I'd also love to find the packet versions of these tricks, as seen hanging on the rack in the poster.

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Re: Inzani-Henley

Postby Mandrake » Jan 27th, '17, 14:51

I'm positively drooling!!!!! :D

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Re: Inzani-Henley

Postby Mandrake » Feb 3rd, '17, 14:29

Sadly the images seem to have been deleted.

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Re: Inzani-Henley

Postby MagicFan72 » Feb 14th, '17, 19:06

How weird - I think Photobucket's been having issues. Let's try to repost one...

Image

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Re: Inzani-Henley

Postby Mandrake » Feb 14th, '17, 22:01

I'm drooling again!!!

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Re: Inzani-Henley

Postby Rudi Rabbit » Jul 17th, '21, 21:49

Here we are in 2021 with Covid-19 ravaging the world, and I am just checking back on this site. In the past few years I have been contacted by a number of (then) young magicians who attended our "Mad Hatter 1-day Magic Convention" which was held at the Polka Children's Theatre in Wimbledon in October 1981. It is somewhat gratifying to realise that we had a positive impact on the lives of some of those who attended the convention or became members of the Mad Hatter Magic Club.

Some contributors here have mentioned the enamel badges that we had. One was a club member badge and the other was a black and white one of Rudi Rabbit. One item I particularly liked in the starter pack was the membership card. We had those made by a credit card manufacturer so that the kids had something of credit card size, in plastic, and which was streets ahead of the usual cardboard card. Ours were made to last!

Thankyou to all of the contributors here who have kept the name of Rudi Rabbit, Mad Hatter Magic and Inzani-Henley alive. I do appreciate the ongoing interest. RR

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Re: Inzani-Henley

Postby Mandrake » Jul 18th, '21, 11:55

Good to see you back again!

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Re: Inzani-Henley

Postby Barry Allen » Jul 22nd, '21, 17:25

I wasn't a Member on here when this thread first came to light. However, when I started out in Magic, Hamleys was my first port of call. I therefore got weaned on Inzani Henley products!

Sitting here now, around 45 years later, I've been exercising what few remaining brain-cells still work, to remember those tricks that I started off with; all of which (I believe) would have been Inzani Henley products. I wonder who else here had the following?

- Red plastic Cups & Balls
- The Floating Disc in glass of water - you switched in the lighter disc as you dried the heavier one (that didn't float).
- X-Dial? A small black plastic clockface, with yellow hand pointer. Someone selected a hour and returned the hand back to 12; before you revealed their chosen hour.
- Gozinta - the old classic coin penetration through rubber.
- Baffling Bunnies - full 16 card set. There was also a basic 4 card version in either Jumbo or smaller size, if memory serves me right?
- Multiplying Cubes(?) - 4 small hard sponge cubes for 2 in the hand, 1 in the pocket. Finale with a large sponge cube.
- Sneaky Snake - 'Out to Lunch' principle with a green snake that tied itself in a knot, when the spectator tied a knot in an accompnaying green cord - good thinking!
- Spot the Spots - the timeless spot paddles. Such an overlooked trick that I still carry to this day. This trick gets overlooked by current-day Magicians. It's a shame - because its 2 minutes of solid entertainment and continues to register so well with all age groups.
- Chinese Wallet - a simple switch booklet.
- Jailbreak - an effect with small white cards; whereby the convict escapes from his cell - leaving him 'legging it' and broken bars behind. I remember the magic words in the instructions - "Alcatraz and all that jazz"! As it required a DL, the necessary card(s) was cut shorter - great thinking, given the age of the performers that these tricks were aimed at selling to.
- Professor's Nightmare - the classic Bob Carver/Hen Fetsch equal/unequal ropes effect.
- Torn & Restored Newspaper - using a rubber band to switch/dispose of the necessary.
- Colour Vision - coloured cube divination in black box - superb!

I do remember that before the Zodiac design of cards (1980?) and the newly introduced Zodiac gaffed deck range - which included Brainwave, Split Deck and Nudist Deck (plus possibly others?), the Stripper Decks that I remember from the 1970's were the lovely Alf Cooke blue back design - I think it was called Geometric? These would, I believe, have been printed by Waddingtons? I'm not sure if Inzani Henley bought a job-lot from International Magic at some stage, as I'm sure the Ace of Spades showed R McMillan Holborn?

The pre-Zodiac Svengali Decks were available with gorgeous Red or Blue backs - plain within a gold-coloured line frame and white borders. What I'd give to be able to buy these Svens now!

Now, into my two favourite Inzani Henley tricks from Hamleys!

- Wild Card
- Elmsley's 4 Card Trick (supplied with a brilliantly written instruction booklet; that enabled a 14yo lad to learn how to perform the Elmsley Count with relative ease).

The above two tricks were the foundation blocks of my love of card magic; a passion that I've retained to this day.

The demmers at Hamleys were always presented well; blue velvet jackets, red shirts and blue bow ties. Duncan Trillo worked there as we know. There was another guy I remember - Brian Berry? Also, another helpful guy - I cannot remember his name right now; but he was from Scandinavia and used to sometimes work his act some evenings on the Thames pleasure-trip boats. I think I remember reading that Walt Lees worked there as well, when he moved from Lincoln?

So summing up, thank you so much Inzani Henley for inspiring a kid to become a Magician. The aformentioned effects provided me with a fantastic opportunity to learn so many principles across the Art of Magic; methods and ideas that held me in good stead through later years.

Also, thank you for pricing your tricks within the pocket-money range of a poor East End kid. From 40p to £1.50 enabled me to pursue the greatest hobby known to mankind!

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Re: Inzani-Henley

Postby mark lewis » Jul 23rd, '21, 00:13

Rudi Rabbit wrote:Here we are in 2021 with Covid-19 ravaging the world, and I am just checking back on this site. In the past few years I have been contacted by a number of (then) young magicians who attended our "Mad Hatter 1-day Magic Convention" which was held at the Polka Children's Theatre in Wimbledon in October 1981. It is somewhat gratifying to realise that we had a positive impact on the lives of some of those who attended the convention or became members of the Mad Hatter Magic Club.

Some contributors here have mentioned the enamel badges that we had. One was a club member badge and the other was a black and white one of Rudi Rabbit. One item I particularly liked in the starter pack was the membership card. We had those made by a credit card manufacturer so that the kids had something of credit card size, in plastic, and which was streets ahead of the usual cardboard card. Ours were made to last!

Thankyou to all of the contributors here who have kept the name of Rudi Rabbit, Mad Hatter Magic and Inzani-Henley alive. I do appreciate the ongoing interest. RR


I am pretty sure I met you in Fenwicks of Newcastle some decades ago. However, in an old post on this thread I noticed you stated that you moved to Canada. I must have missed that statement when you posted it in 2013. Anyway, I went to the website that you posted and it still seems active. Your agent seems to be in Toronto. That is where I am! Do you still live in Canada and Toronto specifically? I have been here since 1992!

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