Description

In his introduction to this unusual book, which bears the subtitle “A Novelty-Serio-Comic-Magic-Ologue”, Dr. T. C. Bonney praises it as “one of the best works on conjuring that has appeared in recent years.” The author, Werner C. Dornfield, begins with a selection of comic introductions to a magic show, before offering serious monologues, all of which are sure to prove inspiring to any modern performers seeking to replicate the charm of early twentieth-century magical entertainment. Why bill yourself as a magician when, taking your cue from “Dorny”, you could be a “Delineator of Deceptive Dexterity” instead? The author goes on to provide full patter suggestions for twenty-five tricks, many of which, including the Miser’s Dream, Multiplying Billiard Balls, Rising Cards and Torn-and-Restored Napkins, are still used today. The central hundred pages of Trix and Chatter will be of interest to any students of the history of magic, as two-page biographies of some of the biggest names of the era, and some of their lesser-known colleagues, are given. A final section sees each of the profiled magicians provide explanations of effects from their repertoires, with contributions from such luminaries as Harry Blackstone, Charles Jordan and Jean Hugard.