Re:“Cards as Weapons” by Ricky Jay (1977)
by gowld on Tuesday August 01, 2023 @01:51PM
(#36959660)
I don't understand what this passage is trying to say.
There's an obvious possible intent, but the wording seems to not match it.
Quote:
"
A Sad Footnote to a Sad Footnote
Famous Bullet-Catching Trick
Annemann was considered a strange figure in
magic and, by all but a few, he was thought a
genius in the methods of duplicating psychic
or mental phenomena; he was a creative thinker but always a reluctant and nervous
performer. It was big news when advertise-
ments for his full evening show appeared in
the New York press. Annemann was to ap-
pear at "The Little Theatre in the Sky" atop
the Chanin Building on New York's 42nd
Street on January 26th and 27th, 1942.
The feature of the show was to be the
famous Bullet-Catching Trick. A committee
purchased, examined and marked a bullet
which was then loaded into a rifle belonging
to a spectator, a marksman, who had never
met the performer, The marksman hoisted the
rifle to his shoulder and took aim at the mouth
of the performer who stood blindfolded on
the opposite side of the stage with his hands
behind his back. The commands, "Ready —
Aim — Fire!" were given. A shot rang out and
the performer dropped to his knees; there was
a trickle of blood from the comer of his mouth
and then miraculously the marked bullet was
seen to emerge from between his lips.
Over the years twelve magicians had lost
their lives presenting this spectacular effect,
and the magic fraternity spoke of the upcoming Annemann attempt with strained antici-
pation.
It is easy to speculate that Annemann, too,
felt the strain, not only of this trick and this
show but of the other confused pieces of his
life. He did not do the performance. On
January 12th, a few miles away from the
theatre, he locked himself in his room and
committed suicide.
"
It skips the part where there's an attempt to "magic" the bullet?
Quote:
" A Sad Footnote to a Sad Footnote
Famous Bullet-Catching Trick
Annemann was considered a strange figure in magic and, by all but a few, he was thought a genius in the methods of duplicating psychic or mental phenomena; he was a creative thinker but always a reluctant and nervous performer. It was big news when advertise- ments for his full evening show appeared in the New York press. Annemann was to ap- pear at "The Little Theatre in the Sky" atop the Chanin Building on New York's 42nd Street on January 26th and 27th, 1942.
The feature of the show was to be the famous Bullet-Catching Trick. A committee purchased, examined and marked a bullet which was then loaded into a rifle belonging to a spectator, a marksman, who had never met the performer, The marksman hoisted the rifle to his shoulder and took aim at the mouth of the performer who stood blindfolded on the opposite side of the stage with his hands behind his back. The commands, "Ready — Aim — Fire!" were given. A shot rang out and the performer dropped to his knees; there was a trickle of blood from the comer of his mouth and then miraculously the marked bullet was seen to emerge from between his lips.
Over the years twelve magicians had lost their lives presenting this spectacular effect, and the magic fraternity spoke of the upcoming Annemann attempt with strained antici- pation.
It is easy to speculate that Annemann, too, felt the strain, not only of this trick and this show but of the other confused pieces of his life. He did not do the performance. On January 12th, a few miles away from the theatre, he locked himself in his room and committed suicide. "
It skips the part where there's an attempt to "magic" the bullet?