The Essential Stewart James

2007
Written by Allan Slaight
Work of Stewart James
215 pages (Hardcover), published by Magicana
Illustrated with drawings by Joseph K. Schmidt
Language: English
65 entries
This publication has been reviewed by
Cover photograph
Creators Title Comments & References Page AA Categories
Allan Slaight Introduction
ix
Allan Slaight Stewart James: An Appreciation
xi
Philip T. Goldstein Jamesosophy
xiv
Stewart James The Boy's World Stewart describing how he started in magic and how he started creating magic
 		1
The Knot of Enchantment Each end of a rope tied to each wrist, magician manages to tie a knot in the rope
Also published here
  • "The Knot of Enchantment" (Boy's World, 1915-16)
 3
Stewart James A Match for Gravity Bar bet, looping pendulum, heavy expensive object tied on a string is dropped, but the string loops around a pencil just before object fall on floor
Related toVariationsAlso published here
  • Linking Ring, Sep 1926
 5
Stewart James Murder by Suggestion Using sum of two cards to determine a number, which corresponds to a list of body parts where a victim is to be stabbed, magician predicts the body part correctly
Also published here
  • Typewritten instructions, 1928
 8
Stewart James Spell of Mystery spectator cuts the deck anywhere, top two cards are used to form a card (value and suit), magician then spells to find the card
Related toAlso published here
  • Marketed by SJ, June 1929
 11
Stewart James Balldown Small metal ball penetrates through larger wooden ball held snugly inside a tube
Also published here
  • Handwritten notes, November 10 1929
 13
Stewart James Freedom of the Sieze Magician divines card that was placed face to face with another card in the middle of the deck, deck held behind the back the whole time
Also published here
  • marketed by Abbott's 1937
 16
Stewart James Simplicity Four Ace Trick Standard Ace Assembly effect, no sleights
Also published here 19
Stewart James Miraskill Magician can predict number of red and black cards in two piles
Also published here
  • Marketed by SJ, July 1935
 22
Stewart James Face-Up Prediction Similar to The Trick That Cannot Be Explained
 		24
Stewart James The Book Of The Dead Two spectators select a page each from a loose-leaf book, magician makes the two pages transpose
Also published here
  • marketed by Abbott's, 1939
 28
Stewart James Sefalaljia One-man miniature spirit cabinet

Phase one: ball and glass placed in cabinet. When cabinet opened, ball is magically inside the glass now
Phase two: Handkerchief tossed inside the cabinet knots itself
Phase three: Finger ring of spectator magically threads onto a piece of rope that has both ends outside of the cabinet
Phase four: cigar placed inside the cabinet lights up and smokes itself
Phase five: Bottle of milk placed inside cabinet, liquid slowly disappears
Related toAlso published here 31
Stewart James Sefalaljia Jr. Just the ring and string portion of Sefalaljia, but done under a handkerchief
Related toAlso published here 36
Stewart James, Allan Slaight The Man in Aberystwyth
38
Stewart James The Love-Sick Tennis Ball Tennis ball inside a box rolls out by itself, apparently on command
Related toVariationsAlso published here
  • Tops, Dec 1940
 40
Stewart James Remembering the Future first spectator chooses a card, second spectator cuts the deck and adds some numbers until single digit is arrived at, which matches the value of the first selection
VariationsAlso published here
  • marketed by SJ, 1941-42 and 1947
 43
Stewart James Further Than That production of selection, Royal Flush, and other stuff
Also published here 47
Stewart James Half and Half Word randomly formed by combining two lists of letters, magician predicts the word correctly
Also published here 50
Stewart James The Robot Deck Stack that allows you to do seven routines in a row

Mental Spell, Straight Poker, Stud Poker, Blackjack, Bridge, Scrambled Spelling Bee, Prophetic Card Discovery
 		53
Stewart James Silkscreen (1991) Handkerchief levitates with a folded screen as a backdrop
Also published here 59
Stewart James Vocalculate Lie detector plot, three people select a card each, magician divines each card by detecting lies
Inspired byAlso published here
  • handwritten notes, 1945
 62
Stewart James The Prophet's Choice Card at a number predicted by magician, two decks used, two cards
Also published here
  • Typewritten instructions, Oct 6, 1946
 64
Stewart James Go Go Vanisher Handkerchief used to vanish small objects
Also published here
  • marketed by Harold Sterling, 1947
 67
Stewart James The Clincher Spelling to thought of cards with a poker theme
Also published here
  • typewritten instructions, Aug 1947
 71
Stewart James, Allan Slaight The Other Place Stewart's ideas on the creative process
 		74
Stewart James First Class Passage A ring is threaded onto a rope, in between two rings that are knotted onto the rope
Related toAlso published here
  • Marketed by Sterling, 1947
 78
Stewart James Jamesway Poker Deal Deal a winning hand after shuffling a packet of cards any number of times, includes a version for a Five Aces deal
VariationsAlso published here
  • Marketed by SJ, 1948
 81
Stewart James Ten Nights In A Cardroom Multiple phase routine with ten tricks

  • 1. Shuffled deck, you deal and win a game of draw poker
  • 2. Four spectators name a number each, the cards at those positions have the same value
  • 3. You are able to name every card in a hand of poker as it is being dealt
  • 4. Card to pocket, card is lost in the deck by spectator, then card appears in your previously empty pocket. Effect is repeated.
  • 5. Challenge card location
  • 6. Prediction trick
  • 7. You deal yourself good cards for poker
  • 8. You can predict what cards you will receive for poker
  • 9. Blackjack deal, spectator can name any number of hands and you will always win with a blackjack
  • 10. Shuffled deck, you blindfold yourself, you deal for poker and win once again
VariationsAlso published here
  • Marketed by SJ, 1948
 84
Stewart James Pokericulum Poker routine, spectators are allowed to switch hands with you before you deal the final card to everyone, but you still win
VariationsAlso published here
  • "Pokericulum" (Stewart James, marketed 1948)
 93
Stewart James So-Fair Poker Deal Multi phase poker deal, you always get a winning hand despite spectator getting to choose which card is dealt to you
Also published here
  • Marketed by SJ, 1948
 96
Stewart James Gobak Card Mystery Selected card vanishes from packet, then returns and located by spectator spelling name
Also published here
  • Marketed by SJ, 1948
 98
Stewart James The Purloined Letters A poem that predicts a selected card, has three different outs to predict three different cards
Also published here
  • Marketed by SJ, 1948
 102
Stewart James Pocket of Persistence Deck is placed in pocket unseen, magician can be blindfolded, but is able to extract winning poker hands, and even the mate to a previously selected card
Also published here
  • Typewritten instructions, Apr 1949 and Aug 1958
 105
Stewart James Essay by SJ Essay on creativity
 		108
Stewart James Ring Leader Two rings on a magic wand, covered by handkerchief. One of the rings is made to penetrate off the wand
Also published here
  • Handwritten notes, 1950
 111
Stewart James Falling Card Five cards are clipped onto bulldog clips and threaded on a rope, when pulled taut, the selected card falls off the clip while the other four remain clipped
Also published here
  • Letter to Francis Haxton, Sep 1951
 114
Stewart James Micawber Card is freely named, deck is removed from box and to show one card is reversed in the deck. This reversed card is used to locate the named card.
Also published here
  • Linking Ring Oct 1952
 116
Stewart James Baker's Dozen System Stack that forces the number thirteen, no matter where the audience stops dealing
Also published here
  • Handwritten notes, 1953
 119
Stewart James The Doozer Cards chosen by spectator and performer magically reverses in the deck. Freely named card then appears to be the only card with a different back
Also published here
  • Linking Ring Oct 1953
 121
Stewart James Matchimera
Also published here 125
Stewart James Lejun prediction placed in clear tumbler, in full view, card is chosen fairly and found to match prediction
Also published here
  • Linking Ring, Aug 1954
 127
Stewart James The Gofar Ball Ball disappears from a tube, travels to under an inverted tumbler under a second tube
Also published here 131
Stewart James The Tenth Variation Two cards chosen in red pack found to match two cards previously reversed in blue pack. Then the back colors of the selections change places.
Also published here
  • Letter to Francis Haxton, Feb 28 1961
 134
Stewart James My Father's House Stewart talks about his unbearable father and the house he built
 		137
Stewart James Card V Four cards in a group of five will secretly code the identity of the fifth card, done over telephone
Inspired byAlso published here
  • New Tops, Dec 1961
 139
Stewart James The AAG Principle Five by five square filled with numbers generated by adding numbers up, magician can predict the total
Also published here
  • New Tops, Oct 1962
 142
Stewart James Split Second Packet of cards are torn in two, two spectators choose a half of a card, found to match
Also published here
  • New Tops, Dec 1962
 144
Stewart James Strangers From Two Worlds Five photos, one of them being a celebrity. Spectator mixes them up and place them in a row, magician is able to eliminate all the four random photos
Inspired byVariationsAlso published here
  • New Tops, April 1963
 147
Stewart James Double Boomerang Two cards chosen, one is divined by magician, one is found in a sealed envelope. Cards are chosen via mathematical procedure
Related to
  • New Tops, Dec 1964
 150
Stewart James Incantations 20 card force, different ways of presenting it
Related toAlso published here
  • Handwritten notes, 1964
 153
Stewart James Oraclew Magician divines a thought of number, predicts the card at the position of the number, and spells spectator's name to locate another selected card
Also published here
  • New Tops, Jan 1967
 156
Stewart James Dollars and (6th) Sense Three coins are pocketed by three spectators, performer divines them (uses bills instead of coins)
Inspired byAlso published here
  • Linking Ring, Oct 1971
 159
Stewart James, Allan Slaight Parent-Thesis An article about Stewart's experience of child abuse, sad childhood, and horrible family
 		162
Stewart James The Secret Partner Poker routine, with a story
Also published here
  • Typewritten instructions, Feb 14 1979
 167
Stewart James TRY aNother FIELD Magician predicts a number, a card, and a picture from a picture deck
Inspired byAlso published here
  • Letter to Allan Slaught, Dec 1979
 171
Stewart James Ontene Prediction sixteen cards dealt into four by four square, magician predicts the sum of any chosen row or column
Also published here
  • Handwritten notes, June 1983
 175
Stewart James The Dream Goes On Two spectators each name a card freely, cards are found by counting and spelling in two different decks, includes version for a larger setting
Also published here
  • Letter to Howard Lyons, March 15 1984
 180
Stewart James A Class By Itself Off-beat prediction by lexicon deck, which was also used to determine page number
Also published here 184
Stewart James Anger With a 'D' Slip of paper with words THENTEAR is used to predict TEN HEART and THREATEN, card trick and book test together
Inspired byAlso published here
  • Letter to Allan Slaight, Dec 12 1984
 186
Stewart James Package Deal Card is inserted into a packet of nineteen cards at random spot by spectator, will form four hands of poker for four straights
Variations 189
Stewart James, Allan Slaight While At The Talking Table Stewart James talking about his imaginary friends that help him create tricks
 		192
Allan Slaight Acknowledgements
199
Data entered by Harapan Ong, April 2019.