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Ever since I saw Eugene Burger perform the Acrobatic Matchbox I've loved the trick. The problem is I can't think of how I can use it as a prelude to something else. I'm looking for inspiration on how to incorporate this into something else. Any suggestions would be welcome. Its just a nice little effect that looks so magical!

I used to demonstrate this trick when I worked for Tony Corinda. In actual fact I used to do a much more elaborate and superior routine to the one Eugene Burger does. It was devised (I think) by Jon Tremaine and is an old Harry Stanley publication called "Tricks of the Televison Stars" (or it might have been in the sequel "More Tricks of the Televison Stars)

Corinda owned the Magic Shop in Tottenham Court Road run by Dick Chavel his co-owner. They had a recording blaring outside to the passing throngs to entice them into the shop. It went, "Have you seen the acrobatic matchbox? It's Weird, it's Wonderful, it's one and sixpence!"

We used to sell a lot of them. The box would do all sorts of gyrations that are not in the Burger routine. It really was a far better routine.

Thank you for the information. It sound quite intriguing. Amazon has the booklets so I will be sure to pick them up. I'm sure there are a lot of interesting effects tucked away in booklets like those.

They are great little books. I got the Dutch Looper trick and my Spooky Pencil trick from there. Ken Brooke told me he actually used to pitch and sell these books in Petticoat Lane. He would do the spooky pencil to sell the book!

Threads like this are most irritating! Excellent sharing of information but inevitably I end up buying the things under discussion - my copies are due later this week!

Jon Tremaine's routine is in his "Amazing Book of Magic Tricks" (available second-hand in a combined volume with his book of card tricks). Recommended.

Barry

Yes. I forgot that! I think it is exactly the same routine in the Tricks of the Television Stars.

'More Tricks' arrived today with 28 super routines - although I don't think the one featuring a packet of 10 Craven A cigarettes, with one being given to a spec even if they didn't smoke, would go down too well these days! Plenty of food for thought in this slim volume, can't wait for the first volume to arrive.....

Mandrake wrote:'More Tricks' arrived today with 28 super routines - although I don't think the one featuring a packet of 10 Craven A cigarettes, with one being given to a spec even if they didn't smoke, would go down too well these days! Plenty of food for thought in this slim volume, can't wait for the first volume to arrive.....

Craven A cigarettes, ah the memories of cheap ciggies- you knew it was the end of the month when you resorted to rolling from the unsmoked butts of the Craven As!

And just to compound the situation the first book arrived on Friday with several more ciggy routines. Also some using ciggy papers which may find a niche audience these days!

I really love reading those old effects even if they are totally impractical today, they give a nice little glimpse of the past. That reminds me of a lovely paragraph in an issue of the Jinx in which Annemann talks about an effect but warns that it'd only be possible in some of the bigger cities that had dial phones.

magicofthemind wrote:Jon Tremaine's routine is in his "Amazing Book of Magic Tricks" (available second-hand in a combined volume with his book of card tricks). Recommended.

Barry

I agree, this is such an overlooked book. It has many gems in it. Superman is my go-to impromptu effect. It's so memorable.