The second issue of the Phoenix arrived on February 14, 1942. According to the Backroom, the editors were still trying to determine the frequency of publication. They eventually settled on bi-weekly – meaning every two weeks. (The confusion with bi-weekly versus bi-monthly has always been a pet peeve.)
The lead effect was Bruce Elliott’s Hard Boiled Mystery. The title is a play on the fact that the magic involved eggs and Elliott, like Gibson, was a mystery writer. The performer has a hard boiled egg selected. Then the performer borrows a coin, has it noted and then vanishes it. It reappears in the selected egg. As one could imagine, there’s quite a bit of preparation. Today the effect would be pricey and problematic. In 2025, eggs are expensive due to an outbreak of avian flu and many people don’t carry change.
A short review of the Blackstone show follows. First there’s a trick by trick description followed by some behind the scenes information. Hopefully this format will continue as it’s an interesting approach and one that I wish today’s magazine would follow.
Gibson’s Lost in the Shuffle is a two person mentalism effect where the “medium” leaves the room while three people select cards. They’re shuffled into the deck. The “medium” returns and after looking through the deck, names the selection. The technique was new to me as it uses pocket writing. This goes back to the early 1900’s. Both Annemann and Al Baker as well as more contemporary artists, like Bob Cassidy and Ben Hart, have published effects using the technique.
Clip Color is another Gibson effect. Different color papers are cut up and placed in small envelopes. The performer finds the selected color. It’s very procedural for my tastes.
The Backroom discusses the loss of the big illusion show and the passing of two magicians. It includes a follow up on the previous issue’s Grade-A-Vanish. There’s a brief discussion of a Clayton Rawson mystery being turned into a film and the strange choices Hollywood makes in story editing and casting. A puzzle that continues to plague movie goers today.
