The Magic of Alan Wakeling

1993
Written by Jim Steinmeyer
Work of Alan Wakeling
345 pages (Hardcover), published by Hahne
Illustrated with photographs and drawings by Jim Steinmeyer
Language: English
87 entries
This publication has been reviewed by
Cover photograph
Creators Title Comments & References Page Categories
Jim Steinmeyer Acknowledgements
  • Photographic credits
 		4
Jim Steinmeyer The Author's Preface
11
Mark Wilson Introduction
17
Steve Dick Steve Dick on Alan Wakeling
 		19
Don Bice Don Bice on Alan Wakeling
 		21
Mike Caveney Mike Caveney on Alan Wakeling
 		22
Norm Nielsen Norm Nielsen on Alan Wakeling
 		24
Earl Nelson Earl Nelson on Alan Wakeling
 		25
Ricky Jay Ricky Jay on Alan Wakeling
 		25
Channing Pollock Channing Pollock on Alan Wakeling
 		26
Jim Steinmeyer The Billiard Balls chapter intro on Alan Wakeling's routine and Roy Benson's influence
  • With Benson in Hollywood
  • The Apparatus
  • The Philosophy
 		29
Alan Wakeling The Routine
  • Two Balls and the Flourishes
  • From Two to Three
  • The Third to the Pocket, and the Fourth Ball
  • Vanish of Ball Four, Production of Number Five
  • The Display and Clean-up
 		36
Walk-Up Flourish two balls squeezed upwards between the palms
 		40
Walking Ball Flourish à la Cardini
 		41
Tenkai Ishida Shell Display showing both sides
 		44
Jim Steinmeyer With Vernon and Frakson Alan Wakeling performance in 1971 at "It's Magic"
 		53
Jim Steinmeyer Nightclub Specialties chapter intro, Alan Wakeling seeing Cardini
 		57
Jim Steinmeyer Wakeling and Roy on Alan Wakeling and Marvyn Roy performing together
 		58
Jim Steinmeyer The Rhapsody and the Cowboy on Alan Wakeling's acts "Rhapsody in Blue" and "Manhattan Cowboy"
 		62
Jim Steinmeyer Winnemucca to Ciro's on an unusual gig of Alan Wakeling
 		63
Alan Wakeling The Phantom Cigarette
66
Alan Wakeling The Color Changing Gloves
Inspired by 69
Alan Wakeling The Wakeling Top Hat changing top hat, foo can
 		72
Alan Wakeling The Double Action Pull
74
Alan Wakeling The Liquid Sand Routine beer, milk and red wine are mixed in a champagne bucket, then glasses are used to take out the liquids separately again
Inspired by
  • William Larsen idea inspired by Jack Gwynne's Sands of Egypt, Genii, Dec. 1941
Also published here 		77
Alan Wakeling Magical Fishing aerial fishing
  • The Routine and Apparatus
 		81
Jim Steinmeyer Helen Wakeling Alan Wakeling's wife
 		81
Alan Wakeling The Goldfish in the Light Bulb liquid vanishes from shaker, appears in light bulb with gold fish
 		86
Jim Steinmeyer The Fan Act introduction and effect description of Alan Wakeling's act
  • A Fantasy in Fans
 		89
Alan Wakeling The Barehanded Fan Production multiple fans, choreography with assistant
 		93
Alan Wakeling The Egg on the Fan
101
Alan Wakeling The Fan in the Bag egg bag type routine with fan
 		102
Alan Wakeling The Mutilated Fan mutilated parasol routine with fan
 		104
Alan Wakeling The Billiard Balls and Finale: An Additional Ending giant fan production
 		108
Alan Wakeling Variations on the Fan Act and Illusions several optional components of the Fan Act, briefly described
 		109
Alan Wakeling The Traveling Fan fan vanishes under silk, is found on table, vanishes again, found in inside pocket, second fan produced, both tossed up and one vanishes and is found in table, repeat, change into giant fan
 		110
Jim Steinmeyer Claivoyance chapter intro
Also published here 117
Alan Wakeling Psychic Blackjack cards are named by assistant, used in a blackjack game, John Mulholland code
VariationsAlso published here 117
Alan Wakeling The Wakeling Egg Bag with billiard ball
  • John Daniel
  • The Bag and the Billiard Ball
  • The Patter and Handling
 		125
Jim Steinmeyer The Magical Traveler on Alan Wakeling's Genii series from Nov. 1951 to Oct. 1952
Related to 135
Alan Wakeling China: The Egg on Fan with comments by Jim Steinmeyer
Related to 136
Alan Wakeling France: The Original Hip Steal silks appear from holes in painting palette, wine glass appears on palette as finale (Hip Steal), "Silks from Newspaper" gimmick, with comments by Jim Steinmeyer
Related to 137
Jim Steinmeyer An Introduction to Illusions Alan Wakeling and illusions
  • With the Great Dante
  • The Dantes and the Art of Illusion
  • A Magic Circus
 		141
Alan Wakeling The Magical Puppet Theater Doll's House version
Inspired by 154
Alan Wakeling The Elusive Clown traveling person in clown make-up, with double, tip-over trunk
 		158
Jim Steinmeyer A New Grand Finale intro on The Gorilla Crushing Illusion, see next item
 		164
Alan Wakeling The Wakeling Crushing "The Gorilla Crushing"
gorilla in cage crushing girl underneath
  • The Secret and Apparatus
Also published here 166
Alan Wakeling The Bar Act
  • Opening: Flaming Wine and The Jumping Grasshopper
  • Drinks for the Audience
  • The Challenge of a Modern Bar Act
  • The Flaming Glass of Wine
  • The Grasshopper in the Light Bulb
  • The Series of Drinks
  • Variations on the Bar Act
 		181
Jim Steinmeyer Numerology: A Close-Up Act intro
  • The Numerologist Entertains
 		203
Alan Wakeling Phase One: The Number Tiles digits on plastic tiles are added down to one digit which matches the spectator's number
 		205
Alan Wakeling Phase Two:. The Dice two dice rolled, with some calculation process one arrives at a predicted number
 		206
Alan Wakeling Phase Three: A Subconscious Impression paper card with a number written on it is mixed with other cards, spectator locates his number card
 		209
Alan Wakeling Additional Effect: The Numeral Cubes dice with larger numbers on them rolled, reduced to base number by adding digits, total predicted
 		211
Alan Wakeling Additional Effect: The Name Matrix five cards from twenty-five number cards chosen, total added, it's predicted and letters on the back of the cards predict the spectator's first name, matrix force
 		213
Alan Wakeling The Final Phase: The Color Matrix 5x5 matrix with card of different colors, instructions on tape for elimination process, remaining color predicted
 		216
Jim Steinmeyer Close-Up Specialties intro
 		223
Alan Wakeling Cords and Coins close-up version of Grandmother's Necklace with coins with holes
 		224
Alan Wakeling Card in Wallet: An Autograph Exchange cards signed by spectator and performer, performer's card put in pocket, it shows up in the deck again, spectator's card found in wallet
VariationsAlso published here 227
Alan Wakeling, Earl Nelson Aces Front Aces appear at face of deck in wine glass one by one, routined by Earl Nelson
 		230
Jim Steinmeyer Stage Specialties
237
Alan Wakeling The Handcuff Escape inside cloth bag that is hanging on stage as cover
 		237
Alan Wakeling The S-Chain Handcuff escape
 		243
Alan Wakeling Joker Poker five jumbo cards clipped together in ladder condition, with bulldog clip, in the end all have changed to Jokers
Inspired by
  • marketed trick by Don Lawton
 244
Alan Wakeling The Cotton Ball Routine
247
Alan Wakeling The Wakeling Sawing
  • The Wakeling Routine
  • A Lady Divided
  • The Secret
Variations 253
Jim Steinmeyer A Career in Illusion intro about Alan Wakeling's stage illusions
  • With Mark Wilson
  • Inspirations and Originations
 		271
Alan Wakeling The Split Barrel Cannon opening the barrel to show it empty by using one with hinged sides, method not described
 		275
Alan Wakeling The Giant Rising Cards two cards selected from normal deck, a giant card case is on the stage, first card rises after some side-effects, the second selection (a Queen) does not rise, but a lady appears from the giant case
 		277
Alan Wakeling The Flitter Girl Protean Cabinet variation
 		282
Alan Wakeling The Wringer Box and Cannon lady vanishes from box (Tip-Over Trunk variation) and appears in drum
 		285
Alan Wakeling The Modern Backstage credit information
 		288
Alan Wakeling The Parisian Costume Trunk in trunk a woman appears wearing a chosen dress
 		293
Alan Wakeling The Double Substitution Trunk two ladies on top transpose with magician on top, two nested trunks with inner one made from clear plastic
 		297
Alan Wakeling The Aquarian Substitution Trunk with clear water tank, method not described
 		300
Alan Wakeling Excalibur Substitution Trunk combined with sword cabinet, method not described
 		302
Alan Wakeling The Atomization Stack of Boxes illusion combined with Dante/Selbit's Broadcasting a Woman, woman travels from one stack of four stacked boxes to another, method not described
 		304
Alan Wakeling Cineillusion interaction with movie screen, modernized Film to Life, method not described
 		307
Alan Wakeling, MacDonald Birch Divided in Four kind of sawing into four pieces, method not described
 		308
Alan Wakeling The Girl Through Glass lying woman is pushed through glass sheet, method not described
 		310
Alan Wakeling The Hindu Rope rope rises out of basket, then woman floats on it à la Broom Suspension, method not described
 		313
Alan Wakeling The Spiker modernized sword basked with vanishing and reappearing woman, method not described
 		314
Alan Wakeling The Mark Wilson Spirit Cabinet description of effects, method not described
 		316
Alan Wakeling The Spirits Return
319
Alan Wakeling The Take-Apart-Flip-Over break-a-way type
Inspired by 323
Alan Wakeling The Seance Post woman bound to post for spirit cabinet type effects
 		326
Alan Wakeling The Electric Maiden modernized Iron Maiden, penetration by many spikes
 		329
Jim Steinmeyer Appendix commented reproduction of some of Alan Wakeling's sketches for illusion ideas
  • Pure Energy
  • Costume Trunk
  • Stack of Boxes (Okito)
  • The Tea Canister (Okito)
  • Find the Lady
  • Giant Rising Cards version
  • Black and White (Dante)
  • Floating and sinking ball on water
  • Crushing Illusion with two tigers
 		335
Data entered by Denis Behr, July 2022.