Chapter 17
FLOURISHESThere has long been controversy within the ranks as to the advisability of including flourishes in a regular card routine, many magicians contending that it is the conjuror's job to mystify his audience and not just to please the eye through mere juggling, The other school of thought maintains that flourishes help to build up the mpression of a performer's cleverness with the cards and should on that account be encouraged.
Personally, I feel that flourishes in a card act can be of definite advantage provided that they are presented properly. By this I mean that they should most definitely not be paraded as feats in themselves, but used as attractive bits of by-play to decorate one's regular card effects. They should be performed casually "en passant" to add to the general amusement and entertainment value of the act. Treated in this way they cannot fail to enhance the magician's reputation as a performer of merit.
The main flourishes in general use today are described below.
1. THE AERIAL RIFFLE SHUFFLE.
When an ordinary person shuffles cards by the riffle method, he usually riffles them down on to a table or some other flat surface. Not so the magician. His method is much more fanciful and attractive, as he dispenses with the table and riffles the cards into each other whilst holding them in the air. The flourish is a familiar one amongst magicians and is performed as follows:—
(a) The complete pack is picked up by the right hand between the thumb at the inner end and the second, third and fourth fingers at the outer end. The right index finger is bent so that the nail side of its top joint presses against the centre of the top card. The position is shown in Fig. 1.
(b) The left hand now approaches and divides the pack about half way down with the left thumb, the left fingers resting on the face of the bottom card. The left hand tilts the lower portion of the pack to the left, pivoting it on the right fingertips (Fig. 2), and finally adopts a position holding its cards in exactly the same way as the right hand holds the upper portion. The bottom cards of each pile face inwards towards each other (Fig. 3).
(c) The index finger of each hand is now extended and presses against the back of the cards on the side nearest the audience, thus bending them inwards towards the centre. Both hands are now tilted inwards and downwards so that the bottom card of each packet faces the floor, and the cards are held about a quarter to half an inch away from each other at the inner ends (Pig. 4).
(d) With the index fingers pressing gently on the backs of the cards, the thumbs release the inner ends, allowing the bottom card of one pile to fall just a fraction of a second before that of the other. The cards thus released interleave as they fall. The interleaved cards can now be pushed home at the outer ends to form a properly boxed pack, or the performer can continue with the Cascade Flourish described below.
2. THE CASCADE.
It is assumed that the cards are correctly interleaved as at the conclusion of the previous flourish. From this position the cascade is performed as follows :—
(a) Hold the cards between the hands as in Fig. 1, the left and right fingertips touching on top of the cards, and the left and right thumb-tips touching beneath the cards, the outer ends of the cards resting in the right and left thumb crotches.
(b) The hands are now bent slightly inwards arching the pack as in Fig. 2.
(c) The thumbs now quit their position immediately beneath the cards, and adopt a position where they form a baseline to the arch made by the cards. This causes the cards to cascade down forming a boxed pack which rests on the platform made by the thumbs.
An alternative method of doing the cascade flourish is as follows:—
(a) Holding the cards as in Fig. 1, tilt both hands downwards towards the audience so that the thumbs are above the cards and the fingers below. Remove the right hand and replace it so that the right edges of the cards lie across the roots of the right fingers. Press downwards and inwards with. the right band thus arching the cards downwards (Fig. 3). Release pressure with the left fingertips, lowering them on to the right fingertips. Once again the cards will cascade downwards forming a complete pack on the platform thus formed (Fig. 4).
3. INTERWEAVING.
This is an ingenious flourish shuffle which if performed correctly should result in a perfect shuffle of the pack with the cards correctly interleaved one after the other right throughout the pack. The method is as follows:—
(a) The pack is held in the left hand and about half of it is undercut with the right hand. The two portions are now held in the right and left hands as in Fig. 1., with the thumbs on the inner (performer's) side of the cards, the second, third and fourth fingers diagonally across the outer side, and the index fingers bent over the ends and pressing down on the top of the cards making them very slightly convex as seen from above.
(b) The two inner ends are now tapped together at right angles, thus diagonalising the edges of the cards.
(c) The inner ends are now placed together as in Fig. 2, and rubbed gently along their inner edges. This causes the bottom cards of each packet to interweave into each other. Once this interweaving movement has started, push the packets inwards towards each other and the remainder of the cards will interweave automatically one by one right through the pack. Complete the flourish by performing the Cascade Flourish described abow. The flourish is not an easy one to acquire. Practice alone can bring the necessary knack, but it will be time well spend. Not only will you have a flourish which will cause a favourable audience reaction, but you will have a move which will be invaluable when you wish to make the Giant Card Fan described in Chapter 19. Always use well powdered cards when performing the Interweaving Flourish, as this will prevent the cards from becoming sticky and facilitate smooth working.
4. SPRINGING THE CARDS.
This is the name given to the flourish in which the cards are sprung from hand to hand in concertina fashion. It is probably the most popular of all the card flourishes. Done well it looks most effective and conveys the impression of great skill. In actual fact it is not particularly difficult to do, being mainly a question of knack and practice.
The best way to learn the flourish is as follows:—
(a) Hold the pack face downwards diagonally across the left hand. The left thumb lies along the left side of the cards, the left index finger is extended, and the second, third and fourth fingers are curled slightly over the right edge of the cards. The upper right corner of the pack lies between the top joints of the left first and second fingers (Fig. 1). Study this position. It is important.
(b) The right hand now approaches and holds the pack between the right thumb at the inner end and the right second and third fingers at the outer end, and without lifting the cards from the left hand, presses inwards against the ends of the cards with the right thumb and second and third fingers, so that the pack is bent inwards to the right palm, i.e., convex to the performer as he looks on the pack from above. (It is a curious fact that laymen attempting to perform this flourish almost invariably bend the cards outwards from the right palm, always of course with the most devastating results. However, perhaps it is as well that we cannot all be magicians.) This bending action diagonalises the inner and outer edges of the pack.
(c) The cards are now sprung from between the right thumb and second and third fingers, releasing them from the bottom of the pack first. At first you will probably find that the cards have a habit of jumping from the right hand in batches and that the whole action is jerky and spasmodic. Practice assiduously until you can spring the cards in one continuous move.
(d) Once you have accomplished this. repeat the move, this time lifting the cards an inch or two up from the left hand (Fig. 2). It will now be seen why emphasis was laid on the position described in paragraph (a) and illustrated in Fig. 1. The cards must be caught cleanly as they fall and this is the correct position of the left hand for catching them. As you gradually attain proficiency, increase the distance of the lift until you can do the move cleanly with the right hand about a foot above the left. From this purely vertical downwards spring it is now a comparatively easy matter to gradually work into a horizontal spring by constant practice and the gradual tilting of the right and left hands so that the cards travel across horizontally (Fig. 3).
Nothing but continual practice will give you complete mastery of this flourish which basically is not difficult. You should eventually be able to spring the cards from. a foot to eighteen inches across in comfort and still catch them neatly. When performing at any distance from your audience the length of the spring can be made to appear considerably greater than it really is by-commencing the flourish with your left side to the audience and turning round as you actually perform it so that you finish with your right side to the audience. The flourish gains effect it it it done casually and without apparent effort or thought on the part of the performer.
5. THE WATERFALL.
The effect is that the right hand, shoulder high, holds the pack vertically and facing left between the thumb at its inner end and the middle joints of the second and third fingers at its outer end. The first finger rests lightly across the upper side of the pack and the little finger is free and clear of the cards.
Pressure is now exerted between the thumb and the second and third fingers and then gently relaxed so that a certain amount of air gets in between the cards. The left hand is held palm upwards about a foot below the right which now releases its cards from the front of the pack to the rear and follows them down as they fall to the left hand, closing the pack vertically on the left hand. The effect to an audience is that of a ribbon of cards extending momentarily between the two hands as they are held apart.
6. THE ARM SPREAD.
This is another popular and extremely effective flourish which has the virtue of being easy to do provided the performer is able to execute the "Springing the Cards Flourish" described above.
The effect is that the cards are rapidly spread ribbon-wise up the extended left arm, their backs forming an attractive pattern as this is done. The position is held for an instant and then as the left hand drops down the cards fall neatly into a pack again in the left hand. The method is as follows: —
(a) The left arm is extended with the palm of the left hand uppermost. The right hand takes about twenty cards and holds them between the thumb at the inner end and the second and third fingers at the outer end in the position for springing, the backs of the cards facing upwards towards the right palm.
(b) Commencing at the root of the left fingers, the cards are now spread up the left arm to a point just below the bend of the elbow. The action is as follows: Holding the cards about one inch above the left hand the right hand springs them downwards, moving up the left arm as the cards are sprung. Done correctly the result should be a perfectly even ribbon of cards extending up the left arm (Fig. 1).
(c) The ribbon position is held for a moment and then the left arm drops down, the left fingers curling upwards to catch the cards which fall from the arm and reforming them into a pack in the left hand.
A more effective method of reforming the pack is to keep the left arm extended rigidly, and then to give it a sudden backward jerk. If the cards are properly spread and the left fingers in the correct catching position, the cards will be catapulted back into the left hand, boxing up into a complete pack as they strike the left fingers.
7. THE ARM SPREAD AND CATCH.
This is another effective flourish, which although rather more difficult than the two preceding ones, will certainly repay the extra time spent in practice upon it. The effect is that the cards are spread ribbonwise up the left arm and in this state are thrown upwards. The right hand is lunged forward from behind the card ribbon in the air and catches the cards smartly, the action automatically boxing the cards as they strike the hand. The method is as follows:—
(a) The cards are sprung along the left arm as in the previous effect, not more than twenty cards being used. Great care must be taken to ensure that the cards are spread evenly. This is most important, as unless the cards are even the flourish will probably be a failure. Therefore, if there is a noticeable gap or break in the spread, hold the left arm rigid and jerk the cards into the left hand again and start afresh.
(b) Once you have obtained a nice even spread (Fig. 1) hold the arm rigid from the elbow downwards and give it a quick upward jerk. This will cause the cards to shoot into the air still retaining their ribbon formation.
(c) The right hand thrusts forward from immediately behind the card ribbon, fingers above and thumb beneath (Fig. 2), and the cards are caught and boxed simultaneously.
The flourish is most effective if it is performed with the right side of the body to the audience.
8. THE ARM SPREAD AND TURNOVER.
The cards are spread face downwards along the left arm. The left fingers flick inward and the entire spread turns over card by card to a face upwards position. A most effective flourish. The method is as follows:—
(a) Extend the left arm as in the previous flourish. Extend left fingers.
(b) The right hand now takes about 30 cards, holding them by their sides (not ends) between the thumb at one side and the second and third fingers on the other. The cards held thus are bent lengthways and spread up the left arm, commencing at the fingertips (Fig. 1). It is suggested that well powdered cards be used for this flourish as it is essential that the cards are evenly spread. Check also that the sides of the card ribbon so formed are as straight as possible and that the cards do not show any tendency to fall over to either side.
(c) With the arm held rigid, tilt the left fingers upwards. This turns over the bottom card of the ribbon, i.e., the one immediately against the left fingertips and all the rest of the cards follow suit (Fig. 2). The effect of the coloured backs of the cards changing up the ribbon to the white card faces is extremely pretty to watch. To box the cards, place the right hand at the elbow end of the ribbon, thumb beneath and fingers above the rearmost card, and thrust it forward down the arm to the fingertips. The cards are thus scooped up and boxed in the right hand.
Perform this flourish directly facing the audience and with the left arm extended towards them.
9. THE DOUBLE ARM SPREAD AND TURNOVER.
This is very similar to the previous flourish and makes a good "follow on" to it. The flourish is performed with an interwoven pack, i.e., one in which the two halves of the pack have been riffle shuffled or interwoven and pushed home about an inch at their inner ends. This outsize pack is spread by its sides up the left arm commencing at the fingertips as in the previous flourish. It is then flicked over and boxed in the same way. The cards are then taken between the two hands and "Cascaded" into a normal pack. The flourish is an extremely pretty one to watch. It is illustrated in Fig. 1.
10. TURNOVER AND CATCH FROM TABLE.
This is an extremely easy but nevertheless effective flourish used when it is required to pick up a pack of cards from the table, turn it over and hand it to someone. The flourish performs the three functions in one coordinated move. Proceed as follows:—
(a) Place the cards on the edge of the table nearest you and slightly to your right. The cards should overlap the table edge by about an inch.
(b) The right hand is held palm downwards with the fingertips in a position about two to three inches below the protruding end of the pack (Fig. 1).
(c) Jerk the right hand sharply upwards. The backs of the right fingertips strike the cards from underneath and turn them over in the air. As soon as the pack has turned over the right hand catches the cards between the thumb (below) and the fingers (above) simply by thrusting forward from the striking position (Pig. 2).
11. THE BOOMERANG CARD.
A card is taken in the right hand and flicked gracefully into the air where it describes a perfect arc, returning once more to the performer's hand. The method is as follows:—
(a) Hold the card face downwards in the right hand with the right thumb on the centre of the card, the tip of the right index finger resting on the outer right corner, and the second, third and fourth fingers stepped beneath the card (Fig. 1).
(b) The card is now skimmed upwards and outwards, the index finger exerting an inwards pull as the hand throws it outwards. This causes the card to spin in the air and to return boomerang fashion to the performer's hand where it is caught on its return. Well done the flourish looks most effective, though some of our more expert performers prefer to make it even more so by neatly cutting the card in half with a pair of scissors as it returns to the hand.
12. THE ONE HAND CUT.
Here is a most effective method of cutting a pack of cards held in the left hand. The right hand does not touch the cards at all. The method is as follows:—
(a) The cards are held in the left hand between the left thumb on the inner (performer's) side and the first, second and third fingers on the audience side; the little finger is pointed upwards across the right hand end of the pack. All the left fingers are pointing upwards.
(b) Relax the pressure of the left thumb across the inner side of the cards so that about half of the pack falls at this side down on to the left palm (Fig. 1).
(c) The index finger now bends to a position immediately beneath the outer left corner of the dropped packet and pushes these cards upwards pivoting them in the crotch of the left thumb until they lie alongside and parallel to the thumb.
(d) Continue to push up with the index finger until the packet it is pushing clears the other packet so that the latter drops down and rests on the back of the top joint of the curled index finger (Fig. 2).
(e) The index finger is now removed and the packet which was resting on it falls down on to the left palm. The left thumb pushes the other pile in register over it. This completes the single cut.
Study the position of the left hand at the beginning of the move as it is most important. Remember to keep the little finger in position as this prevents the cards from sliding about during the move. To continue the one hand cut so that the cards are once more returned to their original position, proceed as follows:—
(a) Perform the various moves detailed above until you reach the point where the thumb pushes the upper packet in register over the other one. As it does so insert the third finger between the two packets, holding a break. Curl the second and fourth fingers inwards over the top of the upper portion (Fig. 3),
(b) Extend the second, third and fourth fingers which take with them the upper packet gripped between the second and fourth fingers above it and the third finger below (Fig. 4). The index finger now tilts the remaining packet upwards against the thumb as before.
(c) Bend the second, third and fourth fingers inwards carrying back the upper packet into its former position and releasing it on to the palm of the hand. The index finger is now extended and the thumb pushes the cards lying up against it down on top of the pile just deposited on the palm. This action completes the pack once more (Fig. 5).
The one hand cut just described is the simplest version of the flourish. There are other more elaborate, threefold, fourfold, and fivefold cuts for the attention of anyone who is interested in pursuing the subject further. These will be found in Volume 4 of Jean Hugard's "Card Manipulations."
13. THE SIMPLE COLOUR CHANGE.
The expression "Colour Change" which is generally used to describe this flourish is a misnomer, as the flourish actually embraces the magical changing of any card placed on the face of a pack for any other card, not necessarily one of a different colour, merely by passing the hand over the face of the pack. The flourish is a very effective one and is popular amongst the magical fraternity, many elaborate variations on it having been evolved and published. Performed correctly, however. the simple version as described below is as attractive to watch as any other and quite as mystifying. The method is as follows:—
(a) The pack is held in the left hand with its face to the audience. The left thumb rests on the upper side of the pack, the second, third and fourth fingers are on the under side, and the index finger is placed at the centre of the left hand end with its nail engaging the rear card and drawing it back ever so slightly from the rest of the pack (Fig. 1.
(b) The right hand with its back to the audience approaches the left from the right hand side and its fingers pass across the face of the pack lengthways to a position about half way across. At the same moment the left index finger bends inwards pushing the rear card engaged in its finger-nail over to the right and into the right thumb crotch (Fig. 3). This move is completely hidden from the audience's view by the right fingers extended over the face of the pack.
(c) The right hand now withdraws to the right carrying with it the rear card held in the thumb crotch. The right fingers curl slightly over the left edge of this card so that it is now held in the correct palm position.
(d) The right hand, still with its back to the audience and holding the concealed card, is now brought over to a position about three inches over the left hand cards and is passed downwards over the face card of this packet, depositing the palmed card on top of it, this being neatly registered by the left fingers which act as a buffer.
The right hand should be casually shown empty immediately before and after the colour change. This, and the fact that obviously no cards have been taken from the face of the pack makes the feat appear particularly baffling to the spectators.
The following is an interesting variation on the simple change described above. The card is changed twice instead of once. Proceed as follows:—
(a) Hold the pack as in (a) above. This time. however. the left index finger adopts a position so that it can push off a small pile of cards from the rear of the pack instead of just one card.
(b) These cards are pushed over to the right and palmed as before. This time the cards in the right hand are brought to a position about three inches below the left hand packet and passed upwards, about half of them being deposited over the face card en route. Allow sufficient time for this change to register with the audience and then pass the right hand down over the face of the left packet once more, leaving the balance of the cards and thus accomplishing the second change.
FLOURISHES
FLOURISHES, in magical parlance, are those attractive little bits of card juggling which so often adorn the card worker's act.
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