by mrandish | 2025-06-11 19:07:24+00:00
> even when you know how the effect was done are more stunned by the precision in the work.

This is indeed true. Those who look at magic as merely a puzzle to be solved are really missing out on the beauty and wonder of it. After a lifetime of studying magic, I know how almost every effect I see is done. Sadly, knowing how they are all done is the worst part of studying magic deeply. The best part is being able to appreciate really great magic on deeper levels.

Growing up near the Magic Castle and traveling to magic conferences over several decades I've had the privilege of seeing some of the greatest magicians in the world perform live. At the highest levels, great close-up sleight of hand transcends finger flinging dexterity and becomes all about timing, tone, pace, body language and other subtle cues which combined control the focus of the audience in stunning ways. One of the best I ever saw live was the legendary Albert Goshman, who died in 1991. By the time I met him, Al was in his late 60s and his hands were so arthritic he could barely grip his cane. Yet, somehow, it didn't matter. I watched Goshman perform at the Magic Castle dozens of times. I knew his entire act by heart, beat by beat - and it fooled me silly every time.

Al's signature routine was the Salt Shaker trick. A coin would magically appear underneath a salt shaker sitting on the table. That was the entire trick. But it kept happening. Over and over. Nothing else was on the table, no cover, nothing. And you never saw him put the coin there. The entire audience would just be burning that damn salt shaker with unblinking stares. There was no trick to it. It was just a normal salt shaker. The table was a normal green felt-covered poker table sitting under a bright spotlight with the audience at the table right alongside Al. The shaker, coin and table could all be borrowed. It didn't matter where you were or how close. You could even stand behind him.

Al's gnarled, shaking hands clearly weren't doing any sophisticated slight of hand. The only magic on display was Goshman's Jedi-like ability to control the attention of the entire audience, which he honed over decades of performing this one routine. I heard from older magicians that there was a time decades earlier when Goshman relied more on sleight of hand but he got so good at mind control, the trick still worked even when Al's hands no longer did. Toward the end of the trick he'd point out that maybe all that salt was keeping you from seeing when the coin arrived under the shaker, so he would replace the salt shaker with a clear water glass placed upside down in the middle of the empty table. Then he'd warn you he was going to put the coin under the glass. And, somehow, he managed to still do it when you weren't looking. Which was freaky because everyone in the audience would realize the coin had appeared under the glass at different moments. Then he'd proceed to do it again. And again. For the finale, a giant 3-inch coin bigger than the glass appeared under the glass. The coin was so big, the glass was actually sitting on the coin! The stunned silence usually lasted a good 15 seconds before the standing ovation.

Unfortunately, the effect of the unique misdirection ability Goshman developed over decades is largely muted in videos of him performing, So, sadly, the sheer mind-fucking visceral impact of that trick died with Goshman. A lot of good sleight of hand specialists could do every move in Goshman's act, probably better than Goshman could, but the clear glass - others could do the trick - but it only fooled people when Al himself did it. I've seen a lot of world-class close-up magic over the years, but that... that was special.