The Moment: Part 2. Howard Hamburg shares another special moment he had one night at the Magic Castle at Dai Vernon's table, this time with Jimmy Grippo. The discussion was about "The Card in the Wallet" vs "The Card in the Sealed Envelope." High level considerations by great masters of magic!  

The magician holds in his hands a small packet made up only of picture cards: kings, queens and jacks. He displays them very clearly two by two, the pairs of cards are put together completely randomly, and are placed one on top of the other on the table; no suspicious gestures are made. The spectator squares the packet, and spreads it face up on the table. The mates are now together: the black kings are together, as well as the red jacks, etc…  

Dominique Duvivier's presentation of the famous Puzzle trick, in which a piece is added several times, and the puzzle is always the same size each time. In this version, the puzzle is placed in a template which proves that the dimensions have remained the same. And everything is handed out for examination at the end!  

The principle: a picture of a magician is shown, and the people present have a freewheeling discussion about what it evokes in them. Today, three protagonists: Gaetan Bloom, Alexandra and Dominique Duvivier, who share their memories, anecdotes and real-life stories about these great figures of magic. The pictures of the day: Dai Vernon, Howard Schwarzman, Walter Zaney Blaney and Gaetan Bloom. Not to be missed under any circumstances!  

Excerpts from an interview for Magic Castle Members, courtesy of Jonathan Levit.  

Howard Hamburg is a magical legend. Known to be particularly secretive, yet he now shares more than 60 years of magical experience with you. He experienced the golden age of the Magic Castle in Hollywood and was a personal friend of Dai Vernon and Charlie Miller, and now shares many fascinating anecdotes with you. As if you were there! In this episode, he tells you about the time Dai Vernon is supposed to have missed his trick, and against all odds, he succeeded! “I never miss!”  

The scenario and patter of this trick (a Duvivier/Bloom co-production!) are quite funny: they explain how the little peas are sorted, and put in cans according to their size. A completely automatic trick, very funny, and very intriguing!  

Here is Dominique Duvivier's magic videocast. To the rhythm of the episodes, recorded ON VIDEO in the form of interviews, this specialist close-up magician opens the doors of his universe to us. He reveals the secrets of what makes a magician’s life. A precious testimony of a life devoted to this visual art, this podcast will interest professionals, amateurs and laymen passionate about magic.  

Howard Hamburg shares with us a subtlety from Dai Vernon for the execution of this technique for "Triumph". The effect is greatly enhanced!  

You will share a privileged moment with Dominique Duvivier. In a questions/answers form, he reveals himself as never before: you will discover the secrets of his magic, his vision of life, as well as his art. You will benefit from precious advice to make your horizon grow and become more competent in your way of doing magic. A unique opportunity to discover the theoretical aspects behind the practice!  

Bertran Lotth is one of the best magicians of great illusions in Europe and he is French! He was awarded the "Baguette d'Or" in Monte-Carlo and twice the "Mandrake d'Or", and has twice received the award for best magic show of the year. He has been performing exclusively for the Futuroscope for almost 20 years and has been working for the Puy du Fou (voted best amusement park in the world) for 30 years. An exemplary career from which every magician can draw inspiration.  

The principle: a picture of a magician is shown, and the people present have a freewheeling discussion about what it evokes in them. Today, three protagonists: Gaetan Bloom, Alexandra and Dominique Duvivier, who share their memories, anecdotes and real-life stories about these great figures of magic. The pictures of the day: Philippe Fialho, André Mayette, Derek Dingle and Dominique Webb. Not to be missed under any circumstances!  

Laurent Beretta develops his approach to improve his performances by mixing the different existing artistic disciplines, allowing him to enrich the magical worlds he creates during his shows.  

Step into the wonderful world of this great magician. Fernando Keops lectured at the Double Fond on January 18, 1999. You can enjoy his magic in seven parts. You’re about to discover a fabulous artist who will share with you mainly his card secrets: automatic and semi-automatic tricks, and demonstrations of high-level cheating techniques! True artistry!  

Open discussion with Gaetan Bloom, Alexandra and Dominique Duvivier. The three protagonists will evoke their memories and anecdotes concerning great "Masters of Magic": Frank Garcia ("The Man With The Million Dollar Hands"), Freddy Fah, Fred Kaps and Philippe Fialho.  

Dominique answers his daughter Alexandra's question: "Why and how did you use video equipment (camera, VCR...) as soon as it came out for the general public in the early 1970s?"