Welcome and thank you for your attention and interest in this presentation. The mentalism of Ted Annemann is one of the main cornerstones of our business. And yet, very few of our number actually do any of the vast amount of material that Annemann left behind for us. The potential reasons for this are many. Of course a great number of fascinating effects have come down the road since that time. Those that are most recent do tend to dominate our attention. Another pssible reason is the availability of the material in the first place. Well, of course, with Annemann's material that isn't a problem. His publications may be difficult to locate in first editions, but reprints and new formats abound. So, just what is the problem? I suspect that it probably stems from the fact that the material is perceived as 'old'. While it is true that Annemann was in his prime more than sixty years ago, the material is just as commercially vaible and entertaining now as it was then.
Why this lecture then? Certainly times have changed since Annemann's day and there have been numerous technological andsocietal changes. Some things that were commonplace then are very much out of place today and as a result tend to come across that way. The reason for this lecture is the beginning of a number of 'updates' to some of Annemann's material, either in handling, effect, materials used, or some other change. Some of the variations are minor, others are somewhat of a drastic departure from what Ted may have had in mind originally. In any event, it is hoped that you will find something you can use and enjoy.
There are some others' work you should check out if the material contained in this collection is of interest to you, most notalbly that of my very good friend, Docc Hilford. Docc has published some wonderful variations on Annemann material through his contributions to "Magick" and his own work as editor of the "New Invocation". The work that Docc has done with Annemann material is very strong and worth your attention.
I don't purport to be on that same level with this collection, but hopefully it is a start in getting some of this material resurrected. Thank you, again, for your interest in this work. I hope it 'plays' as well for you as it has for me. Enough said. Let's get down to it.
7 Keys...Etc...Etc...Etc...
Talk about an effect that has generated variation after
variation. There have been some pretty amazing versions of this effect
over the years. Methods abound ranging from gaffed to the hilt types to
the openly brazen. The version you will read about here falls somewhere
in between. My version literally occurred to me one afternoon while I was
pulling weeds in the backyard. But, before getting into it, here is Ted's
original version.
Seven Keys To Baldpate
The mentalist states that he has discovered such a force
as metallic sympathy which arises between any metal objects that must of
necessity come into repeated contact with each other. With rapidly moving
parts, this has been more or less catalogued as static electricity and
produced through friction. But with articles that merely come into close
contact through handling there exists a sympathy, even though they be inanimate.
In this case, the experiement shall be illustrated by a padlock and key.
A genuine Yale, Corbin, or other well known make of padlock is shown and
a reward offered if anyone can prove or show that the lock is not just
as it left the factory or has ever been tampered with. With the lock is
a key on which has been tied a piece of colored ribbon to identify it from
six other keys that are lying at hand. Announcing that the tagged key is
the only one that can open the lock, the other six being odd keys, a spectator
is asked to take the lock and try them one by one. As he tries each key
and it fails to work, he drops it into a small bag and upon the last one
actually fitting and opening the lock, the ribbon is removed and that dropped
in also amoung the others.
Shaking the bag and mixing the keys well inside, the performer steps to each of seven people and they reach in and take one key from the bag in their closed fist. Absolutely no one sees the key removed by each until all seven are out.
Taking the wrist of the party who is still holding the padlock, the performer passes to each closed fist in turn and merely holds his free hand near it. Suddenly he stops at one outstretched hand. "This hand holds the key that fits the lock"he exclaims. The spectator hands the key directly to the partywith the lock and holding the lock in full view the key is tried. The lock snaps open! And immediately the performer reoffers his reward if any of the other keys which are still being held, will open the lock. This can be built into a real astonishing effect for any lay audience and it is far from being hard.
The necessaries are one lock, six odd keys that will not fit and seven that will. The bag is a changing bag and the illustration is of the new P & L Spirit Bag which is the daintiest and nicest bit of such work ever produced. I have found no bag better for this effect. It looks rather silly to drop seven keys into a bag big enough to change a rabbit and this new type just fills the bill. Now follow this routine closely: prepare by dropping six of the duplicates into one side of the bag and then change over so the bag is now empty. You are ready. Have a ribbon tied to the other correct key to prevent its being mixed amoung the six odd ones. Show the lock and explain about the keys. The spectator comes up. Ask him to try the six odd keys one by one and as he finds they won't work he drops them singly into the empty side of the bag you are holding. He now tries the seventh and the lock opens. Just at that moment the lock opens you change hands with the bag and switch sides bringing the six duplicates up. The spectator then removes the ribbon and drops it in, ask to scoop them out and count them aloud again. Seven. And one of them fits the lock. Really all seven do the very thing!
The performer now passes amoung the spectators and asks a man to reach in and take any one he wishes and keep it in his closed fist. Your telling this first man what to do serves as a slight pause and the bag is switched side for side again. Now the performer passes to six other people in turn and each remove a key until the last is taken. I advise doing this haphazardly and not in a straight row. This is simply because the first selected key is always the right one and you should be able to eventually pass one or two duds before stopping at the correct one.
The selecting done, the tricky work is done and the finish is played up as strongly as desired to a climax as of course, the right party is known and the other six won't fit the lock.
Thus you start with seven unprepared keys and a lock and end the same way. The use of the bag is merely incidental and is never mentioned but just used and that's all.
It might be a good plan when passing from hand to hand at the finish in search of the key, to pass two duds and hit it the third time. Too much play is boresome. When you touch the first hand, shake your head and say, "No, there isn't a thing here. It can't be the key. Try it." The party with the lock tries and it doesn't fit. This occurs with the second in the same manner. But with the third one the performer becomes elated and declares that this must be the key itself. It is tried -- and works.
Various strong presentation points are in this and will be worked up by the enterprising perfromer. One is that during the entire effect from start to finish you need never so much as touch a key or the lock. They are lying in full view and are first picked up by the spectator. Thoughout the routine you only carry them and mix them. The trying of the keys and the opening of the lock is done by your audience and what could be more fair? Of course you can use five keys instead of seven but then I wouldn't have such a good title for this real little mystery.
My handling of this effect is based on my desire be able to perform it "close up" in a walk around or table hopping situation. One afternoon I was weeding the back yard and it suddenly hit me out of the blue. The entire handling and method for what has become a very practical way to accomplish the effect in place in amatter of seconds. Now after all of that, to the meat of the matter.
EFFECT -
A psychic game of chance is proposed with one of your spectators playing
the part of the psychic. You display a small padlock along with an envelope
containing 5 keys. The specators are invited to try the keys and discover
that only one key will open the lock. You ask your psychic spectator for
the loan of a finger ring. The lock is then placed through the ring and
locked.
The keys are replaced in the envelope and thoroughly mixed. Each of four other spectators are invited to select a key and can change their mind at any time. They can trade with another spectator or replace the key and select another from the envelope. The end result will be that whomever gets the key that opens the lock will win the "prize" (the ring which has been so graciously donated by the psychic spectator). Once enveryone is happy with their choice, the leftover key is given to your psychic spectator as their selection. They get no conscious choice of a key except what their psychic abilities will allow. When the keys are tried only the "psychics" key will open the lock, thus they get to keep their ring.
What a shock. Everything can now be examined completely for there is nothing whatever to find amiss.
METHOD -
The beauty of this is that when you put everything back in your pocket,
you are reset for another performance, making it ideal for the strolling
psychic entertainer. Everything is done in yours and the spectators hands,
so no working surface is required. Here's what you need: one regulation
padlock, any size that is convenient (I use a small one, about 1"
for out of pocket work); the two keys that come with the lock; five keys
that match the first two and fit the lock but do not open it; and three
manila coin envelopes (you need to be able to reach inside the envelope
and pull out a key, #5 coin seems to work best). There is some minor one
time preparation. Take two of the envelopes and construct a double envelope
(an envelope with a single partition in the middle creating two compartments).
Place one of the keys that works that lock in one side of the double envelopes,
place the five keys that do not work the lock in the other side of the
envelope. Place this AND the unprepared envelope in a shirt or breast pocket,
double envelope in front. The padlock is anywhere you can get to easily.
The extra key that works is put in a safe place just in case you lose the
good key in the envelope. You are all set.
I will leave the individual performance details up to you, but you should get the overall idea from the effect description that follows. Find a spectator who is wearing a suitable ring for this. By suitable, I mean no huge gems and delicate settings. While the ring never gets handled roughly, it's still best not to take a chance. It is also a good idea to select someone who seems to have a sense of humor, as they will be put somewhat on the spot since you are using their ring as the "prize". Discuss that you sense that they are inherently psychic and propose a psychic game of chance. Borrow the ring and produce the lock and envelope containing the keys. Shake the envelope to mix the keys. Open it and reach in and pull out one or two keys to place on the table or into the spectators hands. Repeat this until there is only one key left in the envelope. Switch to the opposite side of the envelope and reach in. You will probably have a small amount of difficulty removing the key, so tip the envelope up and dump it out with the others. This action comes into play later so be sure to do it even if you have no difficulty getting the key out. Have a couple of other spectators try the various keys until they come across the one that opens the lock. Be sure to keep track of that key once it is found. Leave the lock open, place the ring on and lock it up, leaving it with your "psychic". The "real" key is placed back into the envelope on the empty side where it was at the beginning. Switch the divider in the envelope over to the other side and put the other keys in one at a time. All of this needs to appear natural and without any thought when the switch of sides happens. Close the top of the envelope and shake it to mix the keys while explainig what the procedure will be for the selection of keys. Follow the outline in the presentation. Once all of the contestants have slected a key, choosing only from the "non-working" side of the envleope and leaving one key for your psychic, switch to the other side of the envelope and dump out the working key into their hand. This, of course, will leave the non-working key in the other side of the envelope. They can then try the key and discover that it works! They get to keep their own prize.
Of course you are now thinking that I said at the top that everything could be examined. This is very simply accomplished by nonchalantly placing the envelope into your breast pocket or shirt pocket behind the regular envelope already there. Once the denouement has been reached, you merely reach into your pocket and bring out the non-gimmicked envelope. All can now be examined. For a quick reset, palm the working key and keep itseparate from the others, all other keys going into the regular envelope. after you have left the group you are working for, take out the gimmicked envelope and drop the four non-working keys in with the one already there and drop the "real" key into the other side. Return all to the pocket and you are reset. If you are not going to be in a situation where you are concerned with audience inspection of the props, you leave out the regular envelope and just return everything where it needs to be for your next performance.
ADDITIONAL NOTES -
Those of you familiar with Larry Becker's wonderful spring purse that
is used for so many great routines by him and others will immediately see
the possibilities for this routine. While I am not at liberty to reveal
the workings of Larry's prop, I can tell you that this was the original
concept that I had for this routine and still use it frequently in this
manner. Be sure to contact Larry to obtain one of these amazing props.
You'll be glad you did. Incidently, Annemann figured out a second method
which involvoes a minor bit of sleight of hand in the handling and reduced
the number of keys involved to eight total. For those interested you can
find it in the Jinx #11 for August 1935 on page 58. It requires that the
performer handle the supposed working key right before the lock is opened.
It is a small trade off, but may be worth it for you. Check it out, you
may like it.
Annemann put an effect in print in an early Jinx entitled the New Nightmare Effect. What I have to offer here doesn't really have too much to do with that particular effect. But, it does use the same gimmick to accomplish an entirely different effect. Do check out the original by Annemann. It's really excellent and could easily be given a rather bizarre prsentational bend, for those of you who bend that way. What I have here is a memory presentation that I will give as "bare bones" to you and you can take it whatever direction you want.
EFFECT -
Basically this is a card deck memorization routine. "Pseudo-memory"
is probably the most accurate capsule description. A deck of cards is freely
shuffled and two spectators select cards without actually removing them
from the deck, each just sighting their selection in the deck. The deck
is shuffled once again.The cards are dealt singly face up on the table
and counted aloud. The spectators are requested to remember at which number
their cards lie as this count is done. The performer, meanwhile will be
memorizing the order of all the cards. The entire process takes maybe a
minute. Once the counting is done and the deck reassembled, the spectators
are each asked to give the number only of the position in the pack where
their cards were. After some concentration, the memory wiz gives each spectator
the name of their cards and the positions. The deck can be checked and
the results confirmed by the spectator.
METHOD -
This is just a double force using a fairly common gimmick in its' regular
fashion and in (I think) a brand new way that hasn't seen print before.
The gimmick is a form of double card. Your force card is glued on one end
(using rubber cement) to the back of an X card (I usually use a Joker as
the X card). The face card (X card) is also cut short just a trifle. This
is the normal way of setting this up, in that the short card is usually
the face card of the two. You can set this up in reverse if you wish once
you understand what's up. This is just the way I do it. It only affects
which way the deck is riffled later on. This gimmick has been used in any
number of ways, usually to cause a selected card to vanish from the pack
and appear somewhere else (card to wallet, the locked deck, etc.) A duplicate
of the short card is used for the reproduction. It's really very effective
in this scenario.But here it will be used in a slightly different manner.
The short card is still forced but the duplicate of the card stays in the
pack throughout the entire effect.
You start with the complete deck minus jokers, along with the gimmick. The deck can be freely overhand shuffled as much as your little heart desires. All that needs to happen at the end of this is to have the gimmick somewhat centrally located in the pack. Since there is a short card involved, it is very easy to find it either by sight or by a quick riffle of the pack and give it a quick cut. Hold the deck backs up in the left hand. You explained that the spectator is to call stop as you riffle the cards from the face towoards the backs. Perform the riffle force by timing the short card falling as they say stop. If they are holding out for later in the pack, simply riffle off quickly and start again. Eventually you will force your short card, let's say the 4H. Tell them to memorize their card. You can give the deck a quick cut to overhand shuffle if you want at this point, just make sure that the gimmick falls somewhere neard the center end, bringing the glued end of the gimmick to the front. What you now have is a "thick card". You now do exactly the same as you did before, only force the card directly above your thick card. Time your spectator saying stop to coincide with the "thump" of the thick card falling, forcing the card lying directly above it. Now, you don't know what this card is yet, but don't be concerned.You know where it is. Right above your gimmicked joker. The cards can be given a very casual overhand shuffle, keeping the area around the gimmick in a clump (good word!) so that the key card and the second spectators selection stay together.
All you need to do now is a casual spread face up and sight your key card while commenting about the mixed up conditionof the deck. The second spectators selection will be to the immediate left. Remember this card and immediately hand the deck out for shuffling. You now know the two selections. The rest is pure presentation.
Have the deck returned and deal the cards face up into a pile, counting out loud for each card dealt (you can have one of the spectators do the counting for you if you wish). Each spectator is to remember the number where their cards fall. You are apparently memorizing the deck. In realaity you are looking for the two selections and remembering the values (only!) of the cards on each side of those selections. When everything is done you have the spectators tell you the number where their cards lie. After the appropriate (apparent) mental gymnastics, you tell each spectator what their card is as well as the card on either side ("and just above you card is a four and below it is a jack") of their selection. You can throw in the colors of the cards on either side of the selections if you can remember them in the heat of battle. You can deal to each selected number to verify the correctness of your super power memory. Not bad for only having to really remember one card completely and the values of four other cards. I assume here that you will choose a force card for the gimmick that you can remember easily.
If you need to continue with the deck, just remove the Joker, saying that isn't needed and you have a completly normal deck to continue with. As a further aside, this combines very well with several other pseudo-memory demonstrations in print. Some of the better ones are found in Harry Lorayne's card books. When one of those is combined with this, it can be made into a killer demonstration. I will leave the logistics up to you, but do check out the possibilities if you have access to the Loraynebooks. Memory work can be some of the strongest stuff that we can do becasue of the simple fact that everone uses their memory every day. Give this a try. I think you'll like the simplicity as well as the end result.
"It is my theory that any effect to be successful must first be founded upon a simple method and then performed with a direct to-the-point presentation" Annemann
CONCLUSION
Well, there you have it. I hope you enjoyed the effects.
Hopefully you have found something you can use. For those of you who haven't
yet really discovered the work of Annemann, take some time and check it
out. You're in for a real treat.
And now for a brief commercial message. I have a few items that you may be interested in.
They are:
Annemann For The 90's - Lecture Notes ............................$15
6 effects and three slights for the psychic entertainer
7 Keys...Etc...Etc................................................$30
Everything you need to perform this trick
Paroptic Vision...................................................$15
Extra Sensory Perception..........................................$30
Annemann Encore Video.............................................$20
The video of me performing as Annemann
at the 1993 Weerd Weekend.
Very few left.
Chelliostro's Crystals...........................................$225
Everything you need to perform
Annemann's complete mastermind act
as updated by Docc Hilford.
Only 12 in existance and I only have a few left.
This lecture is copyright 1994 by Mark D. Strivings.
All rights reserved.