MAGICAL PUBLICATIONS

by Paul Harris

The Magic of Paul Harris

Paul Harris Reveals Some of His Most Intimate Secrets

Super-Swindle

Cardboard Connection

SuperMagic

Las Vegas Close-Up

The Close- Up Entertainer

Twiilght

Distributed by

Chuck Martinez Productions

3780-30th Street

San Diego, CA 92104

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Edited by: Chuck Martinez

Proofed by: Dan McClean

Artwork & Design by: Dwight Dunaway

Typesetting by: Camera Ready Graphics

Special thanks to Laurie Ross

Copyright © 1979 by Chuck Martinez Productions

All rights reserved

Twilight

PROPS — One vinyl envelope, one mirror, and four half dollars.
"Twilight" must be performed on a close-up pad or similar soft
surface.

SET-UP — Place two coins in an easily accessible right-hand
pocket. Insert the mirror and a coin into the envelope. The coin
should be heads-up against the mirror's surface. Place the set-up
envelope into a left-hand pocket along with the fourth half
dollar.

STEP ONE:

EFFECT — "A small hand mirror and a half dollar are placed
on the table."

PERFORMANCE — Just before introducing the routine, secretly
obtain the two half dollars from your right pocket and conceal
them in the right-hand finger palm. See Figure 1.

1

Fig. 1 P.V.

The right hand rests on the table in a relaxed manner. See

Figure 2.

Fig. 2 A.V.

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Bring the mirror assembly out with your left hand so that

the coin is concealed beneath the mirror. Your left thumb is on

top of the mirror w h i l e your fingers press up from below.

Press down with your left thumb so t h a t the mirror squirts

out of t h e envelope about h a l f a n inch to the right, as shown in

Figure 3.

Fig. 3 A.V.

T i l t the right end of the mirror onto the table and press down

on the exposed upper right corner with your right forefinger.

Pull the envelope back to t h e l e f t on an angle which allows the

mirror and i t s concealed coin to silently s l i d e onto the table.

See Figure 4.

3

Fig. 4 A.V.

Transfer the empty envelope to your r i g h t hand which

places it aside to the right.

STEP TWO:

EFFECT - "An image of the h a l f d o l l a r is »lowly seen to appear

upon the mirror's surface. The r e f l e c t i o n is openly slid off the

mirror and v i s u a l l y m a t e r i a l i z e d i n t o a real c o i n . "

P E R F O R M A N C E - R e m o v e t h e h a l f d o l l a r f r o m y o u r l e f t

p o c k e t w i t h y o u r l e f t f i n g e r s a n d p l a c e i t h e a d s u p o n t h e

m i r r o r . P r e s s t h e f o r e f i n g e r s o f b o t h h a n d s o n t o t h e t wo o u t e r

corners o( the mirror e n a b l i n g your thumbs to s l i d e under t h e

m i r r o r . S e e F i g u r e 5 .

4

Fig. 5 P.V.

Slowly lever the mirror up on its front edge, as shown in

Figure 6.

Fig. 6 A.V.

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As the mirror is levered up, ease i t s back toward yourself

allowing the v i s i b l e coin to slide off the mirror — positioning

i ts el f flat on the table. Care must be taken to prevent the mirror

from "talking" as i t ' s pulled back against the concealed coin.

Close your l e f t hand into a fist except for your thumb and

forefinger. Place your left forefinger on the v i s i b l e coin and your

left thumb on the coin concealed behind the mirror. Slowly

drag the two coins to the left. See Figure 7.

Fig. 7 A.V.

The reflection of your forefinger appears to be your l e f t

thumb, so the illusion of having pulled the c o i n ' s reflection off

the mirror is perfect.

STEP THREE:

EFFECT -"Both half dollars are on the table heads up. The

mirror is held on edge between the two coins. Although one

coin is out of view behind the mirror, the reflected image of the

visible coin creates the illusion that both coins can be seen - as

though the two coins were separated by a transparent pane of

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glass. The visible coin is openly turned tails up. Naturally, the

coin's reflection turns tails up. Supernaturally, the second h a l f

dollar is also seen to have turned tails u p !"

PERFORMANCE — The mirror is used to push the two coins

back to t h e i r original positions as follows: Grasp the mirror by

its left end with your left fingers, removing the mirror from the

right hand (which remains in a relaxed position on the table).

Turn the mirror down toward the audience so that the original

back side is now visible. See Figure 8.

Fig. 8 A.V.

Use the right end of the mirror to push the two coins (as

one unit) to the right — back to t h e i r original positions. See

Figure 9.

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Fig. 9

Along with repositioning the coins, you've subtlely shown

both sides of the mirror to be okay. Stand the mirror up on
edge between the two heads-up coins, as shown in Figure 10.

Fig. 10 A.V.

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Move the mirror toward yourself until the back surface of

the mirror comes in contact with the rear coin.

As you grasp the right end of the mirror with your right

thumb and forefinger, your right thumb secretly presses down

on the back edge of the rear coin. See Figure 11.

Fig.11 P.V.

In a continuing action, the raised coin is silently pressed flat

against the mirror. (The s i l e n t part w i l l take some practice.)

As your right thumb and forefinger grasp the mirror (and

stand up the rear coin), your left fingers release t h e i r hold and

openly turn t h e v i s i b l e coin t a i l s up. The left thumb ,and fore-

finger then re- g r i p t h e left end of the mirror. Slide your right

thumb to the l i g h t - releasing i t s hold on the coin, as shown in

Figure 12.

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Fig. 12 P.V.

Tilt the mirror (using both hands) toward yourself just

enough to a l l o w the stood-up coin to s i l e n t l y f a l l back on t h e

table. Straighten the mirror, then l i f t it up with your l e f t fingers

to reveal that the second coin has mysteriously turned t a i l s up

to match the first coin's reflection.

STEP FOUR:

EFFECT — "The mirror is replaced. The two t a b l e d coins are

squeezed between your thumb and forefinger. As the mirror is

l i f t e d , the two coins v i s i b l y melt into one. The reflection of the

single remaining coin is then slid off the mirror — reproducing

the second coin."

PERFORMANCE — Your left hand replaces the mirror on edge

between the two tai l s -up coins — the back of the mirror touching

the edge of the rear coin. As you grasp the right end of the mir-

ror with your right thumb and forefinger, repeat the technique

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described in STEP THREE to position the rear coin flat against

the mirror. Openly turn the front coin heads up with your left

fingers. (The audience wi l l think you're about to repeat the last

effect.)

Place your left forefinger on the table against the front edge

of the coin and place your left thumb behind the mirror. See

Figure 13.

Fig. 13 A.V.

When the fingers are properly positioned, it will appear in

the mirror's reflection as if two coins are pressed between the

left thumb and forefinger. Since there really is a second coin

behind the mirror, your audience w i l l accept the reflected illu-

sion as r e a l i t y - leaving them for the deception that follows.

Slowly squeeze the "two coins" together. As the real coin

(the one against your forefinger) is about to touch the mirror,

raise the mirror about half an inch off the table with your right

fingers. As the mirror is lifted, squeeze your right thumb and

forefinger together, trapping the single tabled coin between

them. See Figure 14.

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Fig. 14 A.V.

It will appear to your audience exactly as if two coins were

instantly squeezed into one!

Release the tabled coin with your left fingers, then bring

the bottom edge of the mirror (the mirror being held with the

right hand) down onto the coin, s l i ghtl y off center, as shown in

Figure 15.

Fig. 15 A.V.

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The "half coin" combined with the half reflection will

appear as a single coin. Grasp the left side of the mirror between
your left thumb and forefinger (the mirror now being held with
both hands). Slowly drag the mirror of the coin toward your-
self. This creates the reflected illusion of the single coin being
stretched into two. See Figure 16.

Fig. 16 A.V.

Stop the mirror's movement as soon as its bottom edge

clears the coin and is in full contact with the table, as shown in
Figure 1 7.

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F i g . 1 7 A . V .

S l i d e yo u r r i g h t t h u m b o f f t h e c o i n b a c k o n t o t h e r i g h t e n d

o f t h e m i r r o r . T i l t t h e t o p o f t h e m i r r o r t o w a r d y o u r s e l f t h e

s h o r t d i s t a n c e n e c e s s a r y t o t i p t h e l e a n i n g c o i n o ve r o n t o t h e

t a b l e . S t r a i g h t e n t h e m i r r o r - t h e n l i f t i t u p w i t h y o u r l e f t

h a n d — c a u s i n g t h e c o i n ' s r e f l e c t i o n t o r e - m a t e r i a l i z e o n t h e

table. See Figure 1 8.

F i g . 1 8 A . V .

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STEP FIVE:

EFFECT — "For a spectacular finale, the reflected image of the
two coins is transformed into two more coins — leaving four
genuine half dollars on the table!"

PERFORMANCE - Your left hand places the upright mirror
behind the two coins, pushing the two half dollars against each
other. See Figure 19.

Fig. 19 A.V.

These two coins will be reflected in the mirror, creating the

illusion of four coins.

Place your right fingers (which have patiently concealed two

coins throughout the routine) in front of the mirror. Position
your right thumb behind the mirror. See Figure 20.

15

Fig. 20 A.V.

Slowly squeeze the two coins, and their two reflections,

into your right hand. See Figure 21.

Fig. 21 A.V.

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As the right hand is closed, it slides away to the right

disengaging from the mirror. After you've closed your right
hand into a fist, lift the mirror up off the table with your left
hand. Finish by dramatically dumping the four coins from your
right hand onto the table. See Figure 22.

Fig. 22 A.V.

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Looy's Fancy Putdown

(Mostly in his own words)

This is Looy's alternate handling for the initial placement of

the mirror and its concealed coin onto the table.

PREPARATION - Place one coin in the left side pocket. In a
pocket convenient to your right hand, position the case mouth
upward; in it are the mirror and one coin, the mirror is between
the coin and your body. The head's face of the coin is against
the mirror. The remaining two coins are finger palmed in your
right hand.

PERFORMANCE - With your left hand reach into the pocket
and finger palm one coin. Apparently not finding anything,
withdraw your left hand as you put your right hand into
another pocket where it grabs the case by the open end between
the forefinger, curled against the outer face, and the thumb on
the inner.

Raise up the case for all to see as your right thumb and

middle knuckle of your right forefinger point heavenward.
Shake the case, if necessary, so that the coin in the case slides
down to rest on your knuckle.

Bend your right wrist to point the closed end of the case to

the left. With fingers in front and thumb behind, all pointing to
the right, take the case in your left hand — secretly pressing the
finger-palmed coin against the outer side of the case. The coin
in the case remains visible just beyond your finger tips.

Lower your left hand to the table, turning it palm up so

that both coins are concealed beneath the mirror. The fingers
and thumb point forward and diagonally to the right.

With the help of your right forefinger, unload the mirror

and coin from the case onto the mat in the manner described in
the original directions; it appears that you are only setting down

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the mirror, but in reality one coin is secretly placed under it.
The now visible coin on your left fingers appears to be the
original coin still "inside" the case.

Place this coin with its case on the table, pressing down with

your left thumb so the case does not separate from the coin.
Draw back the case as though whisking it away from around the
coin — and toss the obviously empty case aside.

Pick up the visible coin and set it heads up on the mirror.

Proceed with the original "twilight" routine.

HISTORICAL NOTE - At the 1977 Ramsey Reunion, David
Roth introduced a coin effect which made use of a mirror. The
"Twilight" routine is of an entirely different nature and was
developed without previous knowledge of David's unpublished
effect. The publisher and author are grateful to David Roth for
his understanding in the matter.

If you'd like to share your random reflections concerning
"Twilight" with Paul Harris, he may be contacted at:

1405 Vegas Valley Drive #263

Las Vegas, Nevada 89109

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