Impromptu
Hat Coils
I suppose
I must have been around eleven when I first
saw the phenomena I am about to relate. Edgar
Benyon performed a massive production from a
bowler hat which one could see and borrow in
those days. Back-stage, a minion staggered in
with a huge armful of toilet rolls. Various
solutions for this peculiar addition to the
Benyon magicana did suggest themselves, but
I was quite shaken to find Edgar bearing down
on the load with a hack-saw. He took one of
the rolls and sawed it into four, sideways.
The subsequent four rolls were laid, one by
one, for each show at the bottom of the hat
load. The cardboard centre was removed and the
first few inches of the centre of the coil was
lifted so that it could be grasped in the fingers
easily.
After
the first couple of tugs, a stick was taken
from an assistant and the coil was developed
by whipping the stick up and down. Until then,
I don't remember ever seeing a hat-coil produced
in this, the classic fashion.
I was
most impressed with the host of paper produced
and the speed generated by the action of the
stick. It always got a really wonderful round
of applause. I recognize now that the Tambo
production we were always apt to look down on
and pass back and forth in magic auctions at
lowish prices was actually a terrific applause-pulling
finale to an act. Supposedly due to the shortage
of paper during the last War, it got sort of
lost and forgotten.
Resurrected!
You'll
probably think I'm off my rocker when I mention
this following gag because everybody knows it.
But strangely, nobody ever seems to do it.
You must
recall that old stunt where you run a needle
with some white thread through your coat just
under your shoulder. Leaving about two inches
exposed, you put the rest of the reel into your
inside coat pocket. The screams you get from
people who casually go to remove the "small
bit of thread" and find they are tugging out
a few yards!!!
Over
the years, there are several lines one can use...
I suppose I've used them all and had various
reactions from different people. Things like...
"You do realize you have unraveled my vest.
What are you trying to do? Last time anyone
did that, the sleeve fell off my suit" or, to
a magician, "You've just wrecked my Rising Cards,
old son!"
When
it was set-up and the person had pulled the
thread, I'd break it off, leaving about a quarter
of an inch. Then, if I wanted to use the gag
again at a later time, I only had to pull the
thread out a bit more and we were all set. I
found threading the needle to go all through
the coat bit again was inconvenient.
Sorry
for mentioning such an old oldie but, if you
haven't tried it, please do. You'll get a laugh
out of all proportion to what you expect.
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