Description

With Unik Trix That Klik, Anthony “Nelmar” Albino, a celebrated magician and hypnotist in Chicago in the interwar years, offers a wide range of baffling effects and practical performing tips. He begins by explaining several methods for a powerful effect that sees the performer’s “medium” partner impossibly receive an impression of information secretly decided on by a committee miles away, and continues with a number of equally baffling feats of mentalism, most of which are described as taking place under “test conditions.” Some of the methods may now be a little outdated, but there’s still a lot that will interest and inspire modern mental performers here — not least the promise of allowing spectators to “see their own brain”, as the final effect of the chapter would have it.

Next comes card magic, and there’s plenty in this section for pasteboard enthusiasts to get to grips with, from a gimmicked “Slow-Motion Ace Vanish” to a disappearing thought-of card courtesy of Tenkai, as well as a variety of peeks. Three coin tricks follow, with miscellaneous tricks after them, teaching the reader how to do everything from appearing on stage in a puff of smoke to guessing the weight of any member of the audience. Nelmar concludes with patter suggestions and a final chapter of “money-making ideas” that even includes sample letters with which to win over potential clients.