My Best

A collection of the best originations conceived by eminent creators in the inventive field of twentieth century magic.

Written by James G. Thompson Jr.

1945
Work of Various

384 pages (Hardcover), published by D. Robbins & Co., Inc.
Illustrated with drawings by Tom Fitzgerald.
Language: English

(204 entries)

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Creators Title Comments & References Page Categories
J. B. Bobo The Card Between 9
John Booth Cards of Cairo 10
R. C. Buff The Middle Deal middle deal bluff, selected card dealt at named number 11
Clyde Cairy Dick Tracy Card Trick almost the same as Fingerprint Card TrickRelated to 11
Milbourne Christopher Tap Force card is touched by spectator, moving the fan slightly 12
Arnold L. Grubin Under Cover not flap type case, flat box with cover 13
Hathaway As You Desire a stand with 6 different color cards, spectator choses a color, spectator's card is behind 14
Charles Hopkins So That's the Way You Want It! card behind back, performer knows selected card 16
Joe Karson Kindred Spirits two selected cards found together in the deck 18
Wilbur T. Kattner The Timed Turnover two cards reverse one by one, see also Orville Meyer's "Timed Turnover" 18
Unknown Card Reverse from the middle to the bottom, out of "Farelli's Card Magic" page 63 19
Dr. Howard B. Kayton Magneto-Box small cards in transparent case, after the box is shaken, the selected card sticks to one side 20
Joseph J. Kolar The Kolar Card Trick wrong card is attached to ribbon with a sticker and put in deck, when pulled out it is now selection 20
Art Lyle My Clutch Slips (Or Reverso with No Breaks) 21
Tenkai Ishida Optical Reverse 22
William H. McCaffrey Bill McCaffrey's Prize Winner two decks, premonition, card is found in hat 23
Harry Mendoza Card on the Wall chosen card tacked to the wall 24
Paul Morris Are You Sure? instead of the chosen card, four Jacks are found. Chosen card appears in the endAlso published here 25
Unknown Slip Cut bottom slip cut while cutting four packets 26
Charles Nyquist The Principle of Alternative Terminations - And Its Applications When the Spectator Shuffles stratagem for controlling a card while spectator shuffles the deck, several outs 27
Dolf Rudin Just Think of One two cards are found 30
Herb Runge Here's Your Card card is selected, deck put behind magician's back and the card put at a selected number 30
Ned Rutledge Well, Well! face up ace should find spectator's cardRelated to 31
Jerry Sorensen That's the Way They're Done four cards are found, one with Martin Gardner's "Lie Detector Test" 33
Dr. Raymond L. Beebe Insto-Transpo Perfected spectator and magician sign the cardsInspired by 35
Sigmar K. Hofeller There'll Be Some Change Made! red cards change places with black cards, in the pockets of two spectators 37
Greer Marechal Jr. Technicolor Transpose cards transpose from two different colored decks 38
Harlan Tarbell Saturn's Card Transposition Visible transposition, cards under rubber bands change 39
William H. Wilson Guess It with folder 41
Franklin M. Chapman Again - The Card In the Wallet no palming 42
Bruce Elliott Parade of the Lamas with three jokers
 43
R. M. Jamison Up My Sleeve with jumbo cardsAlso published here 45
C. A. George Newmann Effective Passee-Passee Card Melange with envelopes and two different colored backs 46
George H. Pittman Card Thru Hank through case and handkerchief 49
Audley Walsh Six Cards to Pocket with Extras with a bag, a paper crown and six folding boxes (!) as a climax 53
Robert Weill Here, There and Everywhere with card to pocket ending 54
Michael F. Zens The Improved "Zens" Cards & Envelopes Related to 55
Charles Arbuthnot Rising Cards From Houlette 59
Verne Chesbro Mechanico Rising Cards 60
Sid Fleischman, Robert "Bob" J. Gunther The Impromptu Floating Card card floats over palm up handsVariations 63
Jack McMillen The J.M. Rising Card with handkerchief, plunger 64
Peter Warlock My Best Rising Cards chair thread set-up 66
Theodore Annemann The Master Mind stack, billet index 69
Sylvan Barnet At a Mentally Chosen Number 71
Eugene Bernstein Sensitive Fingers five selected cards are found by touch alone 72
Mystic Craig Four Ace Memory Test Mental force of an ace based on luck 73
John J. Crimmins Jr. Extra Joker Prediction Related to 74
Paul Curry Next! the selected card is found next to a card with the message "Your Card Will be next"Related to 75
Henry Christ Christ Force 76
Paul Curry Follow Me two decks, several versions 78
Ronald B. Edwards Bi-Mentalism card is pushed in a deck, named card is found next to it, two versions:
1. Stack and nail writer
2. Svengali		 80
Professor El-Tab Silent Stob think stop with two cards 82
Val Evans Digivision card is selected behind the back, clever 83
Hen Fetsch In the Mind reprintRelated to 84
Unknown Hindu Force mentioned as " The Fetsch Force" 88
Martin Gardner Spread, Shuffle, Spread one to ten cards are removed from a spread and replaced in the other half, after a shuffle all cards are found 89
Teral Garrett Dark Eyes four Aces in enveloppes are ascertained behind the back, unusual method involving sugar, salt and Aspirin 91
Walter B. Gibson Turnabout two decks, two cards are exchanged and match 92
Nelson Hahne The Blue Intruder 94
George G. Kaplan Coincidence? No. Prevision? Yes three decks, two shuffled and dealt face up, at one point same card appears at same position, this card is reversed in the third deckVariations 94
T. Page Wright, William Larsen The L.W. Stop Mystery 95
L. Vosburgh Lyons Mental Rescue two spectators have five cards each and exchange one, performer divines itAlso published here 96
Richard F. Madden Two Be or Not Two Be - That Was the Question two decks, second deck has selected cards reversed 97
George McAthy My Best Trick clever 99
Orville Wayne Meyer Predictopack 101
Frederick Mosteller, Frederick Braue, Orville Wayne Meyer Encore Spelling to the thought of card, gaffed deck, three versions, count-spellRelated to 103
Julian J. Proskauer Carbo daub from carbon paper 106
Clayton Rawson The Mental Broadcast waxVariations 108
Franklin V. Taylor, Warner Perry, James G. Thompson Jr., R. C. Buff Peek Deck with several ideas and handlings 111
James G. Thompson Jr. Out of These Hands 115
Lin Searles The "So Simple Force" 116
Jack Vosburgh The Future Deck one card prediction 117
Audley Walsh The Magician's Dream 119
Herman L. Weber Victoria psychological card force with percentage 120
Roger Barkann One Plus One Equals Three Related to 122
John Braun A Two-Tired Blank Fan and some Variations 124
Lu Brent Flighty Aces Related to 127
Eddie Clever Hallucination Also published here 128
Stanley Collins The Alpha Four Ace Trick 131
Del Monte New Color Change of a Giant Card Fan with fanning cards 132
Dariel Fitzkee I Won't Play Cards With You 134
Unknown The Milk Build Shuffle 135
Royal Vale Heath One In Millions! interesting 138
"Maury" Kains Telepathic Routine card is telegraphed to the audience written on a tray 140
Gerald Lynton Kaufman The Canfield Set-Up set-up to win solitaire or canfield 141
Gerald Lynton Kaufman The King Can Do No Wrong 142
Gerald Kosky Vanishing Aces aces to spectators pocket, duplicates VariationsAlso published here 144
Sid Lorraine The Four Burglars two parts 144
Unknown Top Change Paket Switch 146
Orville Wayne Meyer The Greatest Four Ace Trick McDonalds Aces 147
Howard D. Wise A New "Find the Lady" Illusion with board, black art and shell 150
E. D. Wolff Mind Testing Deck Variations 152
Joe Barnett St(R)ung Related to 155
J. B. Bobo The Ghost Coin and Key Related to 156
R. C. Buff Paper Napkin Vanish Related to 157
Clyde Cairy Ribbon Release ribbon and scissors 158
Jack Chanin Gone! in breastpocket 160
Milbourne Christopher Paper Money piece of newspaper to bill 161
Paul Curry I.O.U dime is wrapped with paper and in a flash the paper vanishes, coin transforms to a penny. Under the npenny is a little circle of paper "IOU 9ct"Related to 161
Dr. E. G. Ervin Impromptu Bill Reading 163
Val Evans Four Coin Transposition four coins travel from hand to hand, extra 164
Tom Fitzgerald The Ring On Pencil 165
Martin Gardner Pop Through Cigarette cigarette through handkerchief 166
Nelson Hahne The Ring of Thoth Variations 167
Mark Jacobs A Cubical Curiosity spot vanishes from cube with card and glas 169
R. M. Jamison Jamison's Spot Sticks Also published here 170
George Karger Karger's Bent Coin switch 172
L. Vosburgh Lyons A Hole In One hole punched through four pieces of paper, three of them restore 173
William H. McCaffrey The Pedagogue's Nightmare three paddles, with coins 174
Chester Morris A Shot of Scotch appearing glas of Scotch, handkerchief 179
Paul Morris Three In One Inspired byAlso published here 181
Robert A. Nelson Peter Rabbit Goes to Town Sponge rabbit routine, with offspring climax 182
Charles Nyquist Sefalaljia III ring tied on string, without coverVariations 183
Ralph W. Read Tapping Pencil spectator feels "impulses" that still pencil makes 184
Jimmy Sanders Perpetual Pencil bullet-type pencil with disk rolls on table until order is given 185
Jerry Sorensen Poor Man's Bank Night with one chewing gum and three pieces of cardboard, all wrapped 186
Willard J. Smith The Philanthropic Poker Chip seal appears on poker chip, as a pitch, see Sphinx "Victory Poker Chip" 186
George Starke The Ghost Coins handful of coins vanish, soldered coinsAlso published here 188
George Starke Hornswoggled bills change total value several timesRelated toVariationsAlso published here 189
Franklin V. Taylor Materialization Coin appears with the help of a spring clothes-pin and a handkerchief 195
James G. Thompson Jr. Double or Nothing Coin disappears with the help of a spring clothes-pin and a handkerchief 195
John Booth Pen-Plexity code a number to a medium with a fountain pen 197
Jack Chanin Vanishing Salt Trick salt vanishes from hand and appears in handkerchief, tube 197
Stanley Collins Marbles And Marvels marbles reappear in hand and turn to potatoes in the endRelated to 199
T.J. Crawford Under the Pan four balls travel from under four plastic pans under one 200
Bruce Elliott Finger Finger Related to 202
Bruce Elliott On the Cuff handcuffed under the cover of a cloth a solid ring penetrates the chain, it has to be cut off to be removed 204
Sid Fleischman The Trick Without a Name signed page of a Reader's Digest is burned and reappears bound in the magazine, cleverRelated to 205
Wilbur T. Kattner The Perfect Pitch Test chords are transmitted, people hold fingers on piano keys and think of the sound 206
Joseph J. Kolar Kolar's Magic Shears clippo 208
Orville Wayne Meyer Dead! 209
Chester Morris The Morris Plan Coin in handkerchief secured by a ring, penetrates the ring 210
Jack Trepel Telephone Book Trick two versions, second as two person telepathy 211
M. Van Reese Assisted by the Dead name appears on arm, ashes 213
Unknown The Finger Switch 215
Jack Vosburgh Trinking Test objects placed in hat, medium knows which were removed 217
Roger Barkann Multiple Slate Writing several slates, on every slate appears a messageRelated to 219
Sylvan Barnet Wuxtra! 220
John Booth Egyptian X-Ray Scope cards with symbols, card is revealed with the aid of a mysterious tube, juiced deck 221
Lu Brent A Paper Cone, Silk N' Water red silk put in cone, water is added, red water an white silk result 222
Loring Campbell The Spirit Mirror card appears in Mirror, flap 223
Eddie Clever A Ring In Transit from hand to hand, hand wrapped in handkerchief 224
John J. Crimmins Jr. Humpty Dumpty Gets Around story trick for children 225
Harry Dobrin Double Locking Slate Related to 228
Harry Dobrin Double Locking Periscope Slate with mirror, design duplication 229
Professor El-Tab Cut Post Card Mystery a piece of a post card vanishes and appears at a selected page 230
Dr. Henry R. Evans The Watch, Glass and Handkerchief watch, glass and handkerchief disappear and appear again one by one in a tophat 232
Tom Fitzgerald Hand(y) Magic - removing thumb and forefinger
- the pendulum (arm swing)
- arm control
- stretching arm and palms up
- hitting hand on the edge of a table, gag		 234
Joseph H. Fries Big Money torn and restored bill with false explanation 239
Joseph H. Fries Physician's Rope three part rope routine
- the mystic necktie
- a sailor's rope
- rope riting		 240
Royal Vale Heath DY-Cyphering Trick method of quickly calculating five three digit numbers, second method with dice 242
Verne Chesbro Chesbro On Heath's "Dy-Cyphering" coding numbers with dice 244
Royal Vale Heath Take a Number from 1 to 30 number on cards, numbers in column add on 246
Jean Hugard Hugard's Butterflies snow storm, with paper butterliesAlso published here 247
Mark Jacobs Magnetic Spheres four rubber balls with holes stick together 250
Mark Jacobs A Silk Production several handkerchiefs appear from a paper tube 250
Dr. Howard B. Kayton The Bewitched Paper clippo with spectator, spectator fails 251
Gerald Kosky Dollar Bill in Lemon one half of a bill is burnt, other half found in chosen lemon 252
Art Lyle The Rise and Fall of Paul Mall rising cigarette from packet 253
Greer Marechal Jr. Linking Rings four rings, and handkerchief through ring 254
Harry Mendoza Torn and Restored Strip of Paper thumb tip method 256
Robert A. Nelson Psychic Impressions Q&A 257
Dell O'Dell Mystic Sewing Machine paper to panties 259
Tom Osborne The Ring from a Rope with extra 261
Herb Runge Tomorrow's News headline predictions, nested in three tubes 263
Dr. Raymond V. Stone (RAMO) The Invisible Mischievous Genii flatten tin can 264
James G. Thompson Jr. Moonlight Madness with flashlight bulb attached to the performer's rearRelated to 265
Howard D. Wise Tear Supreme 275
E. D. Wolff Refund milk poured in paper cone transforms into coins and bills 277
Theodore Annemann The Telephone Drama name and telephone number 279
Theodore Annemann The Test of the Tiber Related to 280
George E. Arrowsmith The Arrowsmith Glass Penetration objects penetrate large sheet of glass 283
Dr. Raymond L. Beebe Hat'n Bunny living rabbit from folded opera hat (chapeau claque) 286
Tom Bowyer The Color-Changing Hat and Gloves 288
Vynn Boyar An Amusing Interlude wine visibly vanishes from glass, when it is raised to the lipsVariations 291
Joan Brandon The Flaming Punch flame from liquid, piece for a magic bar routine 292
Franklin M. Chapman Fountain of Silks silk production routineVariations 293
Verne Chesbro The Silver Shower miser's dream with bucket and gimmick 298
Mystic Craig The Elusive Canary canary vanishes and appears in a frame 301
Hen Fetsch "My Best" Club Laugh beer vanishes from paper cone, multum in parvo, gag ending 301
Hen Fetsch "My Best" Flash Opening milk in paper cone transforms into a doveAlso published here 303
Dariel Fitzkee My Favorite Trunk Routine magicians disappears from inside a bag in a box and appears in the audience 305
Walter B. Gibson The Four Door Production Cabinet objects appear from a box with four doors 308
Hathaway The Magic Sewing Cabinet shirt is restored in a box, children trick 311
Sigmar K. Hofeller Magic of the Wand wand vanishes from newspaper and appears in wand cabinet 313
F. H. Jeudevine "Pop's" Opener ribbon is cut and becomes circle which is cut in half in two circles, clippo variation 314
Joe Karson Karson's A La Die Box Illusion woman appears in box 315
Abril Lamarque The Lamarque Rabbit Vanish rabbit appears and vanishes in a boxAlso published here 316
William Larsen Fatima cane penetrates handkerchief and vice versa, handkerchief is twisted into ballerina 319
Sid Lorraine A "Flash" Opener flash paper bill vanish 320
Dick Madden "Just Raising Cane" sticks to hand and rises 321
Harry Mendoza Modern Crystal Coin Jar coins to crystal glass, all at once, with helper 324
Doc Mifflin Nite Club Teaser bra and panties on a woman change places with the cover of an umbrella, version of Hofzinser's "Mutilated Parasol" 325
Grady S. Nicholson Thought Projection Test named city in envelope, multiple out 326
Dr. Cecil E. Nixon Odloscope mind reading machine 328
Dolf Rudin The Secret of the Maharajah three borrowed rings vanish and appear attached to roses inside a bottle, strange 332
Lucille Saxon Patter for the Egg Bag 334
Dr. Raymond V. Stone (RAMO) The Escape-Ologist guinea-pig is produced from a bag, put into the bag and the bag is sealed with wax, the guinea-pig escapes 334
Herman L. Weber Namreh's "Electrick" handkerchief and bill are shot into a light bulb, apparatus 337
Bob Weill Cig to Pipe 338
William H. Wilson Watch and Nest of Boxes Without Assistent watch in present (nest of boxes) 339
Tommy Windsor Windsor's Egg Bag Routine routine with a lot of jokes 341
Michael F. Zens The M. F. Zens Magic Table And Walking Through Ribbon Illusion plans for a table 345
James G. Thompson Jr. Biographical Sketches of Contributors - Theo. Annemann
- Charles Arbuthnot
- George E. Arrowsmith
- Roger Barkann
- Sylvan Barnet
- Joseph L. Barnett
- Raymond L. Beebe
- Eugene Bernstein
- J. B. Bobo
- John N. Booth
- Tom Bowyer
- Vynn Boyar
- Joan Brandon
- Fred Braue
- John Braun
- Lu Brent
- R. C. Buff
- Clyde F. Cairy
- Loring Campbell
- Jack Chanin
- Frank Chapman
- Forest V. Chesbro
- Milbourne Christopher
- Eddie Clever
- Stanley Collins
- Mystic Craig
- Thomas J. Crawford
- John J. Crimmins, JR.
- Paul J. Curry
- Del Monte
- Harry Dobrin
- Ronald B. Edwards
- Bruce Elliot
- Professor El-Tab
- Dr. E. G. Ervin
- Dr. Henry Ridgely Evans
- Val Evans
- "Hen" Fetsch
- Thomas B. Fitzgerald
- Dariel Fitzkee
- Sid Fleischman
- Joseph Harman Fries
- Martin Gardner
- Teral Garrett
- Walter B. Gibson
- Arnold L. Grubin
- Nelson C. Hahne
- Hathaway
- Royal V. Heath
- Charles H. Hopkins
- Jean Hugard
- Mark Jacobs
- R. M. Jamison
- F. H. Jeudevine
- Maurice Kains
- George G. Kaplan
- George Karger
- Joseph A. Karson
- Wilbur Kattner
- Gerald Lynton Kaufman
- Howard B. Kayton, M.D.
- The Great Kolar
- Gerald Kosky
- Abril Lamarque
- William W. Larsen
- Sid Lorraine
- Art Lyle
- L. Vosburgh Lyons
- Richard F. Madden
- Greer Marechal, JR.
- George McAthy
- William H. McCaffrey
- Jack McMillen
- Harry Mendoza
- Orville Meyer
- John W. Mifflin
- Chester Morris
- Paul Morris
- Frederick Mosteller
- Robert A. Nelson
- C. A. George Newmann
- Grady S. Nicholson
- Dr. Cecil E. Nixon
- Charles Walter Nyquist
- Dell O'Dell
- Tom Osborne
- George Harrison Pittman
- Julien J. Proskauer
- Clayton Rawson
- Ralph W. Read
- Dolf Rudin
- Herb Rungie
- Ned Rutledge
- James J. Sanders
- Lucille Pierce Saxon
- Sigmar - The Magician
- Jerry Sorensen
- Willard S. Smith
- George Starke
- Dr. Raymond V. Stone, SR. (RAMO)
- Harlan Tarbell
- DR. Franklin Taylor
- J. G. Thompson, JR.
- Jack F. Trebel
- M. Van Reese
- Jack Vosburgh
- Audley Valentine Walsh
- Peter Warlock
- Herman L. Weber
- Bob Weill
- William H. Wilson
- Tommy Windsor
- Howard H. Wise
- Ed. Wolff
- Michael F. Zens		 347
Data entered by Lorenz Schär.