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The Effect

A sealed envelope is placed on the table. It contains a prediction. Also on the table is a board game which depicts the names of famous movie stars. The names are arranged in a circle on the board.

The spectator is now handed two markers and invited to place them on any two of the movie star names. The performer now asks the spectator to move the markers a number of times clockwise around the board, in fact twelve times. But exactly how the two markers are moved is entirely up to the spectator. He may move one marker twelve times, or both of them six times or one nine times and the other three times. It's all entirely in the hands of the spectator.

When this has been done the performer asks for the prediction to be opened. It reads, 'You have found the Comedy Mates.'

And the prediction is absolutely correct because one of the spectator's markers now lies on Stan Laurel while the other one resides on Oliver Hardy. A perfect match.

The Secret

This is another application of The Gemini Factor. While the names on the board are not overtly numbered it is easy to think of them as being numbered one to ten. When the spectator places his markers on the board you note the numbers of the names he has placed the markers against. You make The Gemini Factor calculation (as described in Chess Mate) and tell the spectator to move the markers a certain number of times. The markers will always end up on a comedy duo.

Preparation

The board bears the names of ten movie stars taken from five well known double acts.

Reading around the board you can see that Tom Cat represents number 1, Stan Laurel number 2 and so on to Oliver Hardy at number 10. It is the equivalent of the clock used in Chess Mate. You don't need to mark the numbers on the board. Just keep them in mind.

The markers can be coins, counters or anything else you feel is appropriate to the routine. The prediction simply says, 'You have found the Comedy Mates.' Again, it can be varied to suit your own tastes.

Presentation

Hand the prediction to a spectator for safe keeping. Introduce the board and point out the famous names it has upon it. Hand the two markers to one of the spectators and ask him to place them on any two of the names at random.

He may place them on a comedy duo, e.g. Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, in which case you can immediately go to the opening of the prediction. But usually he won't. You make a mental note of the numbers associated with the names he has marked. Let's assume he has placed markers on Bud Abbot (number 3) and Jerry Mouse (number 10).

Using The Gemini Factor you total the numbers to arrive at 13. Deduct 10 to give you a remainder of 3.

But you stress that it is entirely up to him whether he wants to move one marker eighteen times, or both markers nine times, or one ten times and one eight times etc. I find it is best to ask him to divide the number first, say into 10 and 8, and then move the markers one at a time.

When he has finished moving the markers call out the names they are resting upon. They will be the partners of a famous movie duo. All that remains is to have the prediction read out and shown to be correct.

StarGate

The Effect

The performer shows two jumbo playing cards, unusual in that they are glued back to back. In addition there is a square window cut right through their centres.

'You're probably wondering what the window is for,' says the performer, 'watch.' Slowly the top card of the pair is folded through the window and seems to turn over as it pops out the other side. It's like a strange version of Card Warp. When the card is unfolded the pair of cards are still glued firmly together but now instead of being back to back, they are glued face to face.

No extra flaps, tears or gimmicks. The cards really are glued together. In an instant the performer repeats the effect, again popping the card through the window until once more the cards are glued back to back just as they were when the effect began.

The Secret

This effect, which was released commercially by Martin Breese, was developed from Bob Neale's Trapdoor Card which was published in a booklet of the same name by Karl Fulves.

The effect is purely topological. One card really does fold through the window and end up seemingly glued in a different position from where it started. It seems impossible even when you do it but it will work every time if you just follow the directions.

When this effect was marketed by Martin Breese the cards were made up by Patrick Page who used a special (and still secret) glue to fix the cards together. But the invisible tape will work just as well as the gluing agent. Just make sure the cards are prepared properly and you will have no trouble.

Preparation

Two cards are used, each with a square window cut through the centre (i). One of the cards is scored in preparation for folding. The score lines must be made in a particular way otherwise the trick won't work. The heavy lines indicate on which side of card the scoring is made (ii). The other card - the 'rigid' card - is unprepared except for the window.

You don't have to be too exact about the location of the window in the cards but there is one vital measurement. The length of the sides of the window (measurement C) must be greater than the distance from the edge of the window to the narrow end of the card (A and B). The reason will become obvious if you play about with the cards. You will see that the card will have to fold through the window and so any part of the card passing through must be smaller than the window itself. Okay?

scoring made from the face of the card. The dotted lines represent score lines made from the back of the card. The score lines follow, and are extensions of, the edges of the square window. It is a simple matter to make a new card and takes only a few minutes.

I have found that the European cards are best for this effect perhaps because most of them are plastic coated. The cards popular with cardicians (Tally Ho, Bicycle, Aviator) tend to fall apart after a few performances.

Use tape to join the cards back to back. The tape is fixed around the inside edges of the square window (iii). As well as securing the cards together the tape acts as a hinge. That's it. Now you're ready to begin.

Handling

1: Take the cards in your left hand, folded card uppermost (1). The score lines on the card will only enable you to fold the card in one particular way. Test it by trying to fold the section marked A in the diagrams towards the window (2). if it doesn't fold then turn the card around end for end and use the opposite side.

2: Fold that section inwards (3).

3: Next fold in one side section followed by the remaining section (4 and 5).

4: If you now press on the centre section of the cards (5) an amazing thing happens. Part of the upper card folds through the window and emerges under the second, rigid, card. 6 shows an exposed view of the fingers unfolding the section as it pops through the window. The spectators, however, view this from above and the first thing they see when it pops back into view is what appears to be the face of the card (7). It seems to be warping and looks very peculiar because they can see the back of the card above the window but the face of the same card below the window. Don't turn the card over at this stage. It looks very mysterious so keep it that way.

5: Now fold the upper section until it is flush with the rigid card (8).

6: Working from underneath the rigid card you open the side sections of the folded card with your fingers (9).

7: This leaves you free to push the window with your thumbs so that your fingers below the rigid card can unfold the top section of the scored card. The cards are now face to face (10).

8: Turn the cards over bring the scored card back to the top. By repeating the moves you will be able to reverse the positions so that the cards are once again back to back.

I have gone into detail about the moves but really it is very simple. Never force the card to fold. It folds easily where it is supposed to. You'll have the thing working in a matter of minutes, the various folds being logical rather than something you will have to memorise. Once learned you will never forget it.

Presentation

To present this take out the cards so that they are set up back to back. Hand them to a spectator saying, 'Let me show you something I don't quite understand. Will you just check these cards and confirm they are stuck back to back. They are aren't they? And that's what I don't understand.'

Take the cards back and hold them ready for folding. 'There's also a window in the middle of the cards but it's not an ordinary window. You see if I fold this here, and this, and this...a curious thing happens.' This brings you to stage 4 diagram 7 of the handling.

You say, 'I can't understand how the card is face down here and yet face up here. It's as if it's twisted inside out or something.' You point out the face up/face down nature of the card as it passes through the window.

'What's even more amazing is if you fold this part,' complete the folding until the two cards are face to face (10), 'the cards are no long back to back looking out but face to face looking in.' Show the cards on both sides and then hand them to the spectator, saying, 'And they are still stuck together aren't they?'

Do not let the spectator have the cards too long. Take them from him before he starts to do any folding. Fortunately because the card only folds in a certain sequence he is unlikely to stumble on the method accidentally. 'Some people think they must have been mistaken the first time, that the cards were never back to back to start with. Just for them, I always do it twice.' Repeat the folding procedure until you reach stage 4 diagram 7.

At this point the card is seen face up and face down. You comment on it and say, 'Now I know what you're thinking because I thought the same when I first saw it. If only I could see the other side of the card as it goes through the window because then I'd see how it's done. But it doesn't make any difference because it looks just the same on the other side.'

You continue folding, this time working the folds from below and pushing the card up through the window instead of down through it. It is just as easy to do.

Finish by displaying the cards in their back to back condition and giving them a slight tug as you say, 'And that's what I can't understand. They are still stuck together.'

Notes

David Britland made up a Star Gate with which you couldn't do the trick. The intention was to switch the cards at the end so that the spectators could play with them but be none the wiser. All you need do is make a second set of cards but make the square window too small. It need only be fractionally smaller than the working set but that's enough to make the trick impossible to do. A dab of glue between the cards themselves, as opposed to just being around the edges of the window, also produces a spectator-proof set of cards. The problem now is how to switch them.

My solution is as follows. After performing the trick you take the cards from the spectator and say, 'Well of course that was easy, but what I would really like to do is try the same trick with a person, a human being. So do we have a volunteer?' The spectators will laugh a little and no doubt put forward one of their number to be experimented on.

You continue,. 'Excellent but before I do anything I would just like you to confirm that you don't mind me pushing you through the hole in this card.' If he says anything funny you can top him by saying, 'I can see I'm going to have trouble getting your head through.'

Eventually you get the response you want which is that he doesn't mind at all. You now address all those present in a somewhat grandiose manner, saying, 'Ladies and gentlemen watch closely as I push a full grown man through the hole in these cards.' Holding the cards with one hand you put them close to the volunteer. Hold them there for a moment as you look through the window at him. Then with the other hand you slowly reach through the window and give him a hefty poke against his shoulder. Just in case the spectators have not realised the implication of this, you say, 'And there you are ... pushing a man through a hole ... thank you very much.' This old gag will get a reaction from the spectators. They may laugh or they may groan. The point is that they have been temporarily distracted from the main trick. You can now put the cards away in the same pocket as the duplicate. Later someone will ask if they can look at the cards and you say, 'Of course,' and bring out the duplicate.