Pre-Show

48 entries in Mental Magic / Principles / Pre-Show
Creators Title Comments & References Year Source Page AA Categories
Theodore Annemann Advance Information getting information before a show about the guests
 		1935 Complete One Man Mental and Psychic Routine 22
Al Baker Kiddie Party Slate name of two children appears on slates, preshow, flap slate contruction
 		1941 The Secret Ways of Al Baker (Issue Magical Ways and Means) 262
John Brown Cook, Arthur H. Buckley Second Sight at First Glance performer is blindfolded, accurate description of the people who put a personal object in an envelope
 		1947 Gems of Mental Magic 54
Ormond McGill Secrets of the "Theatre" Mentalist set up for Q&A before the show, in theatre setting, specifics of the audience in that venue
 		1951 Psychic Magic — Vol. 2 14
Bob Somerfeld Situation Wanted on hot reading, pre-show information
 		1952 Pieces of Mind 3
Gene "Phantini" Grant Million Dollar Sealed Message Test
1955 Phantini's Lost Book of Mental Secrets 8
Dr. Stanley Jaks One Is Face Up spectator reverses a card in the deck and seals it, another spectator divines it, clever pre-show wording
Related toAlso published here 1959 More Miracles in Mentalism 8
Dr. Stanley Jaks Omar's Prophecies treatise on the one-ahead triple prediction, sheets labeled with A, B & C
  • Part II (replacing force with known data)
  • Part III (on the selection of people, apparently random)
  • Part IV (staging the routine)
  • Part V (staging for Brainwave)
  • Part VI (handling for the Billet Knife)
  • Part VII (handling for Chuck Smith's M-T Pad)
Related toVariations 1960 Omar's Prophecies 1
James Auer Time Bombs on preparing tricks at friends' homes, book tests
 		1970 Ireland's Yearbooks (Issue Yearbook 1969-70) 41
North Bigbee, Dr. Stanley Jaks Dr. Jaks' Secret reading on stage, collecting information before the show, hot reading
 		1971 The Compleat Magick — Volume I (Issue 24) 118
Robert Schwarz Epic Projections triple divination on a slate
 		1971 The Compleat Magick - Volume 1 (Issue 33) 163
William Patterson A Detective on Obtaining Information on gathering information before the event, hot reading, investigating the audience
 		1973 The Compleat Magick - Volume 1 (Issue 69) 345
Christopher Rogers The Ultimate Presentation answers and signature of a spectator's friend appear on signed envelopes, envelopes in jar filled with water and pencil leads
 		1973 The Compleat Magick - Volume 1 (Issue 78) 387
Orville Wayne Meyer The Pineal Senses playing card, serial number of bill and a name are divined, clever pre-show handling
 		1976 The Compleat Magick — Volume II (Issue 144) 717
Philip T. Goldstein Four-sided Triangle card is thought of before the show, it matches prediction and selection of a second spectator
Variations 1977 The Red Book of Mentalism 5
Philip T. Goldstein Discretion zodiac discs, spectator finds performer's zodiac sign and vice versa
 		1977 The Green Book of Mentalism 16
Walter B. Gibson, Al Mann Walter's Letter prediction in nest of envelopes, sent to spectator by mail
 		1977 Break Through 10
Chip Cotton Sight Unseen! bluff design duplication
 		1977 The Compleat Magick — Volume II (Issue 192) 959
Karroll Priest Guest Shot mind reading on the radio, people call in
 		1979 The Compleat Magick — Volume III (Issue 241) 1203
Karroll Priest Sleep-Eez on combining mentalism and hypnotism
 		1981 The Compleat Magick — Volume III (Issue 290) 1448
Thomas Alan Waters Subsidiary Technique
  • Locating the Participants
  • The Last Two Items
  • Clipboard Readings
  • Combinations with other Effects
 		1981 Mind, Myth & Magick (Issue Psychometry) 143
Dr. Stanley Jaks Eine liegt verkehrt spectator reverses a card in the deck and seals it, another spectator divines it, clever pre-show wording
Also published here Dec. 1981 Intermagic (Vol. 8 No. 4) 137
Gene "Phantini" Grant Interlocked Minds climax for blindfold routine, symbol is divined
 		1981 Phantini's Incredible Mental Secrets Volume Two 87
Gene "Phantini" Grant Video Tape Miracle dream vacation prediction on video tape
Inspired by
  • a routine by Bob Dorian
 1981 Phantini's Incredible Mental Secrets Volume Two 91
Edward Marlo, Stephen Tucker It just don't add up? not really by Marlo?!, on casting out tens clocking, with pre-show application
 		1982 Spell-Binder (Vol. 2 No. 16) 306
James S. Harto The Chandra 20th Century Message Reading with question chart for pre-show
 		1983 Selected Sealed Message Reading Methods 8
Joseph Dunninger A Sensational Test methods for gaining information, with assistants
  • An Unusual Dramatic Interlude (pre-show)
  • Returning Marked Envelopes to Spectators During the Speciality (unopened, flashlight)
  • Another Method (gist written on envelope)
  • Another Ruse (gist on watch)
 		1983 A Simplified Crystal Gazing Speciality 6
Joseph Dunninger, Al Mann Methods of Gaining Information for Performer for the blindfold drive
A: The Impression Envelope
B: The Stuffed Pen
C: Stuffed Cigarette
D: Contact Mindreading
E: Impression Notebook
F: (publicity with VIPs)
G: A Confederate
H: Clip Boards, Etc.
I: Audience Participation (with changing bag)
 		1984 Publicity Secrets 3
Thomas Alan Waters Pierception with box, thought of card
 		1984 Mind, Myth & Magick (Issue Cardiact) 527
Rudolf Braunmüller Das 3-Pfeiler-Experiment card apparently only thought-of is predicted, Monte Cristo deck
Inspired by Dec. 1986 Intermagic (Vol. 12 No. 3&4) 170
Steve Beam Brained a card peeked, one remembered from looking at the fan, third one thought of, one by one performer reverses cards behind his back, see also p. 578 for ideas by Harry Levine
 		1990 The Trapdoor — Volume Two (Issue 32) 561
Joseph Dunninger Psycho Thought
1994 Rigmarole (Issue 8) 90
John Riggs A Bird of Different Feather bag with cards cut in quarters, performer finds pieces of thought of card
Inspired by
  • Robert Baker's "Birds of a Feather" in "Shared Thoughts"
 1995 The Magic of John Riggs 65
David Harkey, Eric Anderson Scatterbrain page of newspaper torn according to spectator's wishes until piece remains, word chosen on it, predicted, bluff
 		1997 Ah-ha! 15
Harry Lorayne Better Than A Clipboard using Himber wallet to get information from spectator
 		1998 The Himber Wallet Book 154
David Berglas Musical Mindreading several instruments on stage, performer divines thought of instruments and selected song by playing it, then some rhythms are written on cards and shuffled, performer divines the order by playing them on an instrument
 		2002 The Mind & Magic of David Berglas 86
David Berglas Pre-Show in TV
2002 The Mind & Magic of David Berglas 94
David Berglas Memory and Mathematics pseudo mental arithmetic routine, spectators write cards with numbers, ends with a huge number, clever presentation
 		2002 The Mind & Magic of David Berglas 261
Chuck Hickok Three Kinds of Pre-Show Work on pre-show and preparations before a gig
 		2002 Mentalism, Incorporated 45
David Berglas The Quizzing Glass selected time and object are predicted and engraved on sculpture
 		2002 The Mind & Magic of David Berglas 494
Chuck Hickok Demonstration Five: Anything Can Be Learned spectator divines symbol, number and word from other spectator, dotted information
 		2002 Mentalism, Incorporated 107
David Berglas Te Bah Pla and Name Discovery performer writes alphabet backwards while reciting it normally, then a name is divined
 		2002 The Mind & Magic of David Berglas 497
Eric Mead 52 on 1 to One fifty-two on one gag, then named card is actually predicted
Also published here 2003 Reflexions 13
Luke Jermay Pre Show Sripting
2004 The Coral Fang 24
Eric Mead Fifty-Two on One to One fifty-two on one gag, then all cards fall off except chosen one
Also published here 2006 Tangled Web 151
Dr. Stanley Jaks One is Face Up spectator reverses a card in the deck and seals it, another spectator divines it, clever pre-show wording
Also published here 2014 The Incredible Dr. Jaks 201
Vanni Bossi Pre-show within the Show "name your favorite card"
 		2016 Standup Card Magic 126
Zee J. Yan 花非花 Magician correctly divines name of spectator's lover
 		2017 暧昧 73