Magi-Whirl 2009 on horizon...

page 8
Remembering Dr. Chang...page 4

MAGI-GRAM
Official Newsletter of IBM Ring 50 -- The National Capital Ring Volume 62 No. 12 December 2008

The Laflins appearing transferred to his daughter’s company,

Lock Family Magic, a popular magic mail-
order business that devotes an entire page
to Laflin’s unique creations, including his
at December meeting educational videos for magicians.
The Laflins offer a Vegas quality show
Duane Laflin, a noted magician, performer Mary Laflin. Their suitable for all age groups. They have
teacher and innovator, will lecture at the appearance and lecture are sure to performed in most of the U.S. and in
Ring 50 meeting in December. He will be a hit. The lecture is free to Ring 50 many countries. They can present
be accompanied by his wife and fellow members. Other everything from a large illusion show in a
non-member theater to a wonderful mix of magic and
R magicians are fun for children on the floor of a
I invited to attend gymnasium.
N the lecture for a
$10 fee.
G
Duane is a
50 sought-after
lecturer at magic The Laflins
International Brotherhood
of Magicians Ring 50 clubs throughout the United States.
The National Capital Ring He was a featured lecturer at the
President ClownFest 2004 convention and at
Louis Meyer the 2007 convention of The
(703) 765-1923 International Brotherhood of
president@ibmring50.org Magicians held in Reno. He
produced and starred in a popular
Vice President Duane Laflin’s lecture combines
Eric Redman four-volume series of instructional
(301) 927-7717 videos on silk magic. performance with practicalities
vp@ibmring50.org Duane has lectured for magicians
at such varied venues as the Magic
Secretary
Sam Brothers
Circle in London and at the Magic
Castle in Hollywood. His lecture is a
IBM savings deadline
(703) 550-9155 magical experience that inspires, close for convention
secretary@ibmring50.org instructs and entertains. He performs Members of Ring 50 are reminded to
routines just like he would for a register early for the 81st International
Treasurer regular show. Then he explains the Brotherhood of Magician convention to
Bob Patterson be held June 30 to July 4 in Nashville. IBM
methods and secrets in a clear and
(703) 490-1222 members can register on-line at the IBM
easily understood manner. Along
treasurer@ibmring50.org with trick explanations, there will be website www.Magician.Org. Check the
tips on showmanship and stage details on page 9.
Sergeant-at-Arms presence. His ideas apply to close-
Reggie Rice
(240) 298-6077 up work, kid show tricks, routines DECEMBER MEETING
sgtarms@ibmring50.org that are ideal for banquet shows and Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008
tricks that work great on stage or
HOLIDAY INN
Magi-Gram Editor elsewhere.
Duane initially marketed and sold IN ALEXANDRIA
Jim Flanigan
(202) 554-3775 his props, effects and accessories 2460 Eisenhower Avenue
magi-gram@ibmring50.org through his company, Laflin Magic, Alexandria, VA
but eventually closed his mail-order 6:00 Cocktails
Webmaster business to focus strictly on 6:45 Dinner
Eric Henning performing and lecturing. Ownership
(301) 369-0025 8:00 Meeting
and rights to his props were
eric@ibmring50.org

Coming Events
Barry’s Magic Shop, 5544 Nicholson
Lane, Rockville, Md.
Parties or special events at Barry’s
featuring magician Barry Taylor.
Place: The shop’s 40-seat magic theater
Dates: Magic Theater available on
Sundays, or Monday through Saturday
after 7 p.m.
Cost: Contact shop for details.
Contact: 301/933-0373 or email
magic@erols.com.
Visit Barry’s web site http://
www.barrysmagicshop.com for the latest
events.
Dr. Lawrence Hass listens to Eugene
Berger speak at popular symposium
The Second Theory and Art of Magic
Conference on Performing Magic
Place: Muhlenberg College in
Allentown, Pa.
Dates: March 19-21, 2009
Keynote presentations and full-evening
performances will be made by Eugene
Burger, Roberto Giobbi, Max Howard
and filmmaker Michael Caplan. Extra
events for magicians only will be held
on March 18 and March 22.
Contact: Conference Director Dr.
Lawrence Hass at his address
lhass@muhlenberg.edu or visit
www.lawrencehass.com.
The Comedy & Mystery Society
for uproarious participatory theater
and astounding sleight of hand.
Dates: Dec. 10 and 27.
Place: Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square
Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Cost: $15 for non-residents and $12
for Gaithersburg city residents.
Contact: 301-258-6394.
Glenn Gary Parlor Show in an
intimate 19th century setting
Dates: Wednesdays and Fridays
at 8 p.m.
Place: The Westin City Center Hotel,
1400 M Street NW, just off Thomas
Circle at 14th and M, in the Fireplace
Parlor adjacent to the dining room.
Cost: Pending available seating day of
performance, any IBM member can get
in at a discounted rate of $25 cash at
the door.
Contact: 703-963-0790 or
www.glenngary.com.
Society of American Magicians
(SAM) Larry West Assembly 23
Date: Dec. 17 at 7 p.m.
Theme: Transformations, Restorations,
Optical Illusions
Place: National Press Club, 529 14th
Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Contact: Ray Eyler at 410/798-0176
ceyler1026@aol.com
SAM Assembly 23’s Lecture
featuring Ted Brainard, a renowned
Boston-area based street magician, who
performs under the name Kozmo.
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009, at 8
p.m.
Cost: SAM members free. Others pay
fee at door.
Footnote: Kozmo has produced a line
of DVD’s for sale from
Kozmomagic.com, including the
quarterly DVD “magazine” known as
Reel Magic. Ted, or Kozmo, had a
dealer’s booth at Ring 50’s 2008 Magi-
Whirl convention.
First Night -- Fredericksburg, Va.
featuring the Michael Taggert Magic
Show
Date: Dec. 31 beginning at 6:30 p.m. and
ending with midnight celebration.
Place: Downtown Fredericksburg in
various locations.
RING 50 MAGI-WHIRL
April 17-18, 2009
Page 2
Lecture by the
legendary Howie
Schwarzman
Sponsor: The
C o l u m b i a
Conjurers, SAM
141, of which
Howie is a charter
member.
Schwarzman
Date: Jan 12, 2009, at 8 p.m.
Place: Faulkner Ridge Center, 10598
Marble Faun Court, Columbia, Md.,
Cost: Free to SAM and SYM 141
members, $10 for others.
Contact: Tom Paxton at (410) 381-6131
or email him at bigt943@aol.com
Lectures at Denny and Lee’s
Denny & Lee Magic Studio, 9004
Yellow Brick Road, Suite H
Rosedale, MD 21237
Lecture by Howie Schwarzman
Date: Saturday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free lecture to all who have
attended two or more lectures during
the year.
Lecture by Eric Evans
Eric Evans tours the world performing
street magic but also performs in a wide
variety of venues from restaurants to
theaters to Universal Studios in
California. He is co-author of The
Secret Art of Magic.
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $20
All-Day Seminar with Ice McDonald
and Eric Anderson
Date: Saturday, Jan. 10
Details being released soon.
Lecture by Shawn Farquhar
The lecture will be presented as a
professional performance.
Date: Friday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $20
Contact: Denny’s at 410-686-3914
or email dennymagic@aol.com.
http://www.dennymagic.com/cgi-bin/
hazel.cgi

THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER
Greetings everyone!
If you missed the last meeting then
you missed a great lecture. Chris
Capehart was absolutely amazing. I
loved how he was able to show our
group his kid show with actual young
people there -- and non-magician kids
at that.
We were able to rustle up more than
two dozen of the pre-teens and some
of their supervisors at the last minute.
They were staying at the Holiday Inn
where we hold our meetings and we
invited them to watch Chris in action.
Chris, who is a very funny guy with
his very own special sense of humor,
welcomed the last-minute audience
saying it made his lecture extra special.
I especially love to see Chris perform
his linking ring routine. He also had
some great tips on the Miser’s Dream.
This month we
have Duane Laflin
coming and he will
wrap up our
lectures for the
next few months.
Duane and his
wife own their own
Duane and Mary theater in Montana
Laflin and stay in
Tennessee during the winter months.
He normally does not do lectures
unless they are close to his home but
has agreed to come to our Ring. He is
a great performer and he will be talking
Ring 50 Schedule
Jan. 7....History of Magic mini lectures
Feb. 4...........................Magic Teach-in
March 4……...…...........................TBA
April 1......Auction, nomination of officers
April 17and 18…..…Magi-Whirl 2009
May 6………….Dan Lacey Contest
June 3.......................Winton Carroll “Most
Humorous Magician” Contest
July ………...…No Ring 50 meeting
July 1-4…….81st IBM Convention
Nashville, Tenn.
Stay up to date always
Between Ring 50 Magi-Gram issues,
check out the latest news events and
performances at the official Ring 50
blog site: IBMRing50.org.
to us about performance and some
holiday magic. Don’t miss the end of
our lecture year. I promise you will
enjoy Duane. In addition, I know he
will be bringing some of his own magic
supplies for us to look
at.
In January, we will
have a program of
Magic History
Lectures. I will be
doing a lecture that
Harry Houdini himself Louis Meyer
did about Spiritualism.
Please, if you are interested, contact me
if you would like to lecture on any
particular topic, whether it be about the
history of a particular trick, style, or
magician. We will keep the lectures to
about 20 minutes each.
In addition, February will be Magic
Teach-In month. We will have small mini
lectures going on at the same time
demonstrating different magic tricks
that you can learn. If you are interested
in teaching a particular magic trick
please contact me.
Meanwhile, keep in mind that Ring
50’s Magi-Whirl is fast approaching
and you need to sign up soon to
attend. We hope to see you all there!
Louis
Entertainers sought for
20th annual Toy Festival
Former Ring 50 President Michael
Taggert reports that entertainers are
being recruited for the 20th anniversary
Toy Lift: The Festival of the Toy in
Charlottesville, Va., on Friday, Dec. 5.
“Some members of Ring 50 might be
interested in this one,” Mike says. “This
is a high visibility venue. Even if this is
a free gig it could turn into some thing
more.” The location for the event is the
Fashion Square Mall parking lot. All
acts will be outside weather permitting.
The sponsors are hoping to produce a
carnival or fair type atmosphere.
“Anytime between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. is
fine,” according to Mike. “You can come
and do as much or little as you like.”
You can find more information at http:/
/www.kidslift.org/toylift.htm. The
event is being managed by Chris
Munson, 20 South Productions. You
can call 434-296-1600 or email
www.20south.net.
Page 3
Three new members
join Ring’s ranks
Three new members have been
voted into Ring 50 membership.
Kevin McGuire from Stafford, Va.,
started magic when he was 7 after
he saw a television special with
David Copperfield. Later in high
school he had a neighbor who was
a professional magician who showed
him some tricks and he was hooked
from then on.
Ed Pallas of Laytonsville, Md., is
a part-time children’s performer,
regular Magic Cafe contributor, and
criminal investigator for
Montgomery County PD.
George Woo, a widely known
closeup magic lecturer, was
nominated by TVP Jim Flanigan for
membership into Ring 50. He was
an officer for the Washington
Metropolitan Police Department. He
also used to draw caricatures. “I
havn’t done any recently. I’m rusty
but I’m sure I could start back up,”
he says. “I am retiring in January,
and hope to pursue my hobbies of
art and magic and possibly new
stuff.”
Ring dues due now,
pay by check or cash
Ring 50 dues for calendar year
2009 should be paid by February.
Treasurer Bob Patterson will be
happy to take your dues starting at
the Dec. 3 meeting. Dues are $15
for the year.
The Ring 50 treasurer requests
that you pay by check, as this eases
the record keeping. Make checks
payable to “IBM Ring 50”. Cash will
be accepted providing you have the
correct change ($15).
You can also send a check to Bob
Patterson’s home address at 3450
Wainscott Place, Lake Ridge, VA
22192-5263. Enjoy your Ring
activities throughout 2009 by paying
your dues
 Page 4

Remembering Dr. Chang

Russell Glover memorial remembers veteran Ring 50 member

Past International President Bill Wells (second from left) conducted a moving Broken
Wand ceremony for Russell Glover, a Ring 50 Honorary Lifetime member, at the
November meeting. Others taking part were George Woo, a close friend of the
deceased; Jim Flanigan, IBM territorial vice president; and Dick Christian, who
remembers Russ well.

George Woo snaps a wand in two in a symbolic

farewell. Bill Wells said in his eulogy that
“this wand, without Russ, is now useless.”

Russ was best-known for his performances as “The Amusing, But

Confusing, Dr. Chang” although he appeared as other magical
characters as well. He died on Oct. 20, 2008 in Valparaiso, Indiana,
just short of his 91st birthday. Ring 50 veteran member Dick Christian
observed, “His hilarious comedy magic act was a stable of the DC
magic scene spanning decades.”

Russ Glover: On the beat and
on a stage, he was magic
By Joe Holley
Washington Post Staff Writer
For the longest time, George Woo
thought he was the only D.C. cop
who also dabbled in the magical arts.
But then, he happened to be
attending a Policeman’s Benevolent
Association picnic years ago where
he saw a performance by a magician
billed as “the amusing but confusing
Dr. Chang.”
It took Woo a minute to realize that
beneath the shoe-polish-black fright
wig and long, Confucian-style robe was
a fellow officer named Russ Glover. The
two magician-detectives became the
best of friends.
Police work and magic are not as
disparate as they seem at first glance,
said Woo, who got interested in illusion
in the late 1960s after arresting a three-
card-monte scam artist who had bilked
a businessman out of $90,000.
“To be able to do magic you have to
be very clever,” Woo said. “To catch
criminals, you have to be clever.”
Russell Glover, who died of cancer
Oct. 20 in Valparaiso, Ind., was a member
of the D.C. police for more than 30 years.
He was a magician for even longer,
performing at Walter Reed Army
Medical Center and Children’s
Hospital and at clubs, fraternal
organizations, conventions and
restaurants in the Washington area and
beyond.
Al Cohen, owner for many years of
a downtown magic shop on
Pennsylvania Avenue, got to know
Mr. Glover in the late 1940s, when the
future “Dr. Chang” was a uniformed
officer on the beat. He dropped by
Al’s Magic Shop regularly.
“I remember when he first
developed the ‘Dr. Chang’ act,”
Cohen recalled. “He constantly
changed and honed it through the
years. Russ, in his time, was one of
the busiest performers in the
Washington area.”
As Dr. Chang, he played for laughs
as much as for the oohs and aahs of
illusion. Corny jokes and the
occasional planned stumble distracted
the audience before he picked the right
card, miraculously passed one metal
ring through another or plucked a
quarter from behind a kid’s ear.
“He was one heck of an entertainer,”
Woo recalled. “He’d have the whole
crowd in belly laughs, because what he
did was so outlandish. It was like the
Three Stooges right in front of you, but
it was just one guy.”
Dr. Chang was not exactly a model of
political correctness. When groups
objected to the pidgin English and the
silly ethnic stereotyping, Mr. Glover
called on his most enthusiastic
supporters — Washington-area
Chinese restaurateurs who clamored for
Dr. Chang’s appearance on Chinese
New Year.
Mr. Glover was born in Gary, Ind., and
grew up in Valparaiso. His interest in
magic began during World War II, when
a fellow sailor at flight school in Florida
got him hooked. He washed out of flight
school, even as his magician’s career
took off.
He joined the D.C police after the war,
serving first as a beat officer, then as a
detective and as part of a six-man bike
squad patrolling downtown
Washington.
Mr. Glover, a long-time Takoma Park
resident, retired from the force in the
late 1970s. Continuing his magic act into
the early 1990s, he hauled his
costumes, props and gags in a beat-up
station wagon to engagements as far
away as Michigan. He moved back
home to Indiana last year, after the
death of his wife, Jackie.
His fellow magicians paid him due
honor. One year, the Magicians’
Alliance of Eastern States named him
“female magician of the year” for his
role in a magic duo called Count and
Countess Elmsley. (He played the
countess.) He also was elected to the
New York-based Hall of Fame of Famous
Page 5
Family Photo
Area Chinese restaurateurs clamored
for Russell Glover’s act as Dr. Chang.
Unknown Magicians and Clowns.
One evening last week, members of
Ring 50, the local chapter of IBM —
that’s the International Brotherhood of
Magicians — acknowledged the
passing of their old friend with laughs,
stories and the traditional “broken
wand” ceremony.
With almost 70 area magicians and
their friends gathered in a Holiday Inn
meeting room in Alexandria, Woo -- who
participated in a Ring 50 eulogy for his
old friend -- stood before a red velvet
curtain and broke his old friend’s wand
in half in a symbolic gesture that his
magic on earth had ended and another
realm awaited him.
Recollections
“I saw Russ at the IBM convention
in Little Rock. He was really funny.
Because nobody knew him out of
costume, he walked around the
convention with his hand stuck in a lota.
-- Bill Palmer of Houston.
“It was a great act. Larry West, I
believe, assisted him on stage. I think
it was called Professor Baldini and
Witch Hazel. But the comedy Chinese
magician that Russ did was a classic. --
Richard Hughes of Hughes Magic in
Ohio.
“Russ teamed up with his long-time
friend and fellow DC area magician
Larry West (of Emerson and
West fame) to present their comedy
routine.” -- Dick Christian of Ring 50
 Page 6

Chris Capehart offers special magic

The monthly meeting of Ring 50 in
November featured a performance by
Chris Capehart for nearly two dozen
children and more than 100 audience
members. The children, who sat in front
for the hour-long show, were all given
a chance to participate in the hilarious
antics of this well-known professional
magician. He charmed them with
everything from a coloring book
routine to a floating table.
When the kids and adults
accompanying them left, Chris
delivered a well-received lecture
covering the importance of crowd
control and keeping everybody’s
attention. The Delaware-based
magician has been dubbed “The Ring
Master”—and for good reason. His
three-ring routine has been acclaimed
as “the best of the best” by some of
the world’s most renowned magicians.
He also demonstrated how to perform
the Miser’s Dream to get the best
interaction from the audience. A
comedy routine presented without
words using a lota vase and doll was
particularly funny.
A young assistant helps Chris Capehart perform floating table illusion.
“The easiest to perform for are
magicians,” Chris declared. “They appreciate it.”
Chris, who is featured on the front cover of Genii
magazine in the December issue, tells in the article
how he started his magic career with just a thumb tip
and a red scarf in Central Park in New York. He
grew up in Philadelphia. His 35-year career has
gone from doing street magic to Broadway and
TV.

Chris shows a Ring 50 member Chris coaxes his black-and-white pet rabbit
his handling for Miser’s Dream. to help perform a playing card prediction.

The National Capital Ring ready for Magi-Whirl ’09
Jeff McBride will headline Ring 50’s
Magi-Whirl 2009 in April. McBride, who
is known for his innovative and practical
approach to magic, will headline the
Saturday night public show on April 18.
He also will present his exclusive four-
hour “Secret Session Mini Master
Class” for magicians on Sunday, April
19, starting at noon. All the events
will be held at Bishop Ireton High
School in Alexandria, Va.
McBride, a three-time award winner
at the International Grand Prix of Magic
in Monte Carlo, is widely recognized as
both an innovator and performer. His
signature fusion of mask, myth, drama
and illusion reflects his lifelong study
of magic’s multi-cultural roots.
For several years, McBride headlined
at Caesars Magical Empire in Las
Vegas. His magic has been featured on
every major television network.
Paul Green, who is the Magic
Castle’s 2008 Close-up Magician of the
Year, will be a featured lecturer at Magi-
Whirl 2009. His magic is designed to be
performed for real people—not just for
Theory and Art of Magic founder moving
The Theory and Art of Magic
Program held annually at Muhlenberg
College in Pennsylvania will be staged
for the last time there March 18-22, 2009.
Larry Hass, the founder of the popular
program, is leaving Allentown, Pa.,
because his wife, Marjorie, has just been
named the 15 th president of Austin
College in Sherman, Texas—a position
she will assume in July 2009.
“This is very exciting news for our
family, but my heart is heavy to inform
you that it means that our spring 2009
events will be the final Theory and Art
of Magic events at Allentown,” Hass
said.
“This is both wonderful and sad:
Muhlenberg College has been a major
patron of the magical arts for 11 years,
and this is a rare and remarkable thing,”
he said. “I have been proud to be
associated with a college with such
vision and commitment to the magical
arts. But it is sad to report that this
program—which has meant so much to
the campus, to the Lehigh Valley
community, and to East Coast
Jeff McBride headlining show
members of a magic club. He has proven
his magical skills before audiences at
Hollywood’s famed Magic Castle to
Beverly Hills’ most exclusive
restaurants, the private homes of
celebrities and numerous trade shows
in North America, Europe and Asia.
magicians—will be leaving the region
for North Texas.
“I am sorry to bear such news, but I
sincerely hope that you will stay
connected with me, because I am
confident that the Theory and Art of
Magic will have a remarkable new life
in the years ahead.”
The second Theory and Art of
Magic Conference on Performing Magic
at Muhlenberg will be held in the spring.
There will be performances and
presentations by Eugene Burger,
filmmaker Michael Caplan, Roberto
Giobbi, and Max Howard. It will also
feature sessions about the history,
theory, and performance of magic.
Full details about the conference
itself, the magicians-only lecture by
Max Howard, the day-long workshop
by Roberto Giobbi, the full-evening
shows by the keynotes, travel to
Allentown, and how to purchase tickets
can be found by going to the Theory
and Art of Magic website at:
www.muhlenberg.edu/cultural/magic.
Page 7
A special session with IBM
International President Joan Caesar and
SAM National President Bruce Kalver
is on the convention agenda. There
will be 10 magic shops in the dealer
room. The Saturday night gala show will
be a knockout with the public invited.
You won’t want to miss this great
outing. Watch our www.Magi-
Whirl.Org website for details.
The early bird convention
registration rate is $50 through April 1,
2009. The cost goes up to $65 after April
1. The registration for one person
includes the convention and all lectures
on April 17 and 18, the dealer room,
close-up shows, question and answer
session, plus one ticket to the gala
public show.
A ticket for the public stage show is
only $12 in advance. One general
admission at the door on Saturday,
April 18, will be $15. Tickets for family,
friends and others must be purchased
separately. A public show family pack
can be purchased in advance for only
$45 for a family of four.
The special workshop on Sunday,
April 19, with Jeff McBride will cost an
additional $125.
MINISTER-MAGICIAN--William
Rauscher, a noted minister-magician, is
profiled by Ring 50 member Jason
Goldberg, an associate editor of
Linking Ring magazine, in the
November issue.

News Flashes
Ring 50 member
pens new mystery
Ring 50 member Alfred M. Albers has
been diligently writing in his spare time,
on weekends and holidays for the last
18 months. He finally has reached the
far end of the tunnel.
Al submitted his new manuscript to
the U.S. Copyright Office. He soon will
begin the process to format the file for
his publisher and submit the package
for publication. This process will take
up to 10 weeks at which time his new
book will be available through the
publisher and then about a month later
through Amazon or special order
through your neighborhood book store.
Here’s a 30-word blurb by Al of the
new story: “A detective reopens a 3-
year-old cold case file, hoping that
America’s Foremost Magician — John
Michaels — can see through the smoke
and mirrors to help solve a psychic’s
murder. This story, like my first book, is
purely fictional. Unlike my first book,
where the story was set in New York
City, this new story primarily takes place
in Virginia Beach.”
Al’s first book, “Of Ghosts and
Magic”, was released by Infinity
Publishing and sold for $15.95. The
fictional mystery involves a courier
whose world falls apart when his
parents are killed and then he
inexplicably disappears. America’s
Foremost Magician, John Michaels,
agrees to perform for his high school’s
30th anniversary reunion not knowing
it would also involve searching for his
friend. The book is set in both New York
City and Virginia Beach. It includes
entertaining descriptions of
professional magic acts.
Al is a technical writer for a major
defense contractor. He also is the author
of “The Complete Guide To Teaching
Magic” which tells you all you have
always wanted to know to teach a
magic class. It is a complete
professional presentation on planning,
scheduling, and marketing to
community colleges and universities.
Daniel Radcliffe stars in “Harry
Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”
Harry Potter film
opening delayed
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood
Prince,” the sixth movie in the most
popular film series ever, was supposed
to open the weekend before
Thanksgiving. However, Warner
Brothers Studios has moved the release
of the film to next summer instead.
While Potter fans are angry, other movie
studios are moving around opening
dates of their own movies realizing
they would not have to compete with
Harry Potter.
The best opening dates are around
holidays and during the summer. So
when Warner Brothers officials first set
Nov. 21 as the date to open “Half-Blood
Prince,” they knew that was one of the
busiest movie times of the year for a
sure hit. The previous five Harry Potter
movies have all been among the top 25
worldwide box-office moneymakers,
raking in about $4.5 billion. But when
Warner Brothers made its plans for the
sixth Potter film, it didn’t know that
another of its movies, “The Dark
Knight,” released July 17, would
become one of the biggest hits ever.
Studio officials said they realized
they were happy with one blockbuster
this year and wanted to try to make sure
they had one next year. So in mid-
August, they pushed back Harry Potter
— to July 17, 2009.
Page 8
Steve Martin gives
magical touch
The legendary comic Steve Martin
recently guest starred with Tina Fey in
the hit television series “30 Rock”
playing an eccentric billionaire who
hasn’t left his huge
Connecticut
compound in three
years, apparently
due to a bad case
of agoraphobia
and an aversion to
germs. But Liz
(Tina Fey) scores
Steve Martin
an invitation to
dinner at his house and sparks fly.
The actor-comedian also offers
another side to his personality. He is a
first-class magician. His comic character
The Great Flydini is classic humor
which now can be found on the
Internet. “The footage is very old but
still so funnnnnnnnnnnnnnny!,” says
retired magic dealer Al Cohen.
There’s also footage on You Tube in
which Steve Martin performs magic on
the old Smothers Brothers Show. A
young Steve Martin used Disneyland
and other landmarks as backdrops for
honing his stage and comic skills while
growing up in Orange County in
Southern California. His book, “Born
Standing Up“, is his memoir of the first
half of his life.
The comedian and writer grew up in
Garden Grove, worked at Disneyland in
a magic shop as a teenager. He also
worked at Knott’s Berry Farm and
began his career as a comic in folk clubs
40-plus years ago.
MAGIC DAYS--Steve Martin worked in
a magic shop at Disneyland as a teen.

Sign up now for IBM
convention in Nashville
Time is running out for the bargain
basement registration price for the 2009
convention of the International
Brotherhood of Magicians to be held
at the Opryland Resort and Convention
Center in Nashville. The cost for the
“Greatest Annual Magic Convention
on Earth” goes up on Jan. 1.
IBM members can register before
Dec. 31 for $210 and save. After that
date and through June 15 the price is
$250. After June 15 and at the door the
registration fee will be $275.
Ring 50’s own Bob Patterson is the
convention’s registration chairman. You
can register through the I.B.M website
www.Magician.Org, click the
“convention” tab in the upper right
corner, and then click on the Nashville
logo. Read the pricing matrix and begin
registration at the bottom. You will need
your IBM number. Be sure to check the
box for your spouse if you are bringing
one and give her name in the comments
section. If you have any questions,
contact Registration Chairman for the
IBM 2009 Nashville Convention at
Magic.Bob@Live.com.
When you register you also should
be thinking about the rate at the
Opryland Resort and Convention
Center. The lodging tab is $105 plus
taxes per night and a $10 a day resort
fee. You can make the hotel reservations
on-line through the IBM website until
Dec 31. You also may call them for room
reservations at 1-888-777-6779. Be sure
to tell them that you are with the
International Brotherhood of
Magicians. If you use the IBM website,
click on Convention (upper right
corner), then “Click Here to Reserve
Your Accommodations at The Gaylord
Opryland Hotel”. If asked for the
group code it is “Magic”.
If you are interested in being a
contestant for close-up or stage, be
sure to sign-up on the convention page
of the website.
Acts booked so far include a number
of world-class performers. Jason Byrnes
is coming from Las Vegas. An Ha-Lim
of South Korea, who won the stage
competition at the combined IBM/SAM
competition this year, also is scheduled
to be at the 2009 event. Another act will
be Yugi Yamamoto of Japan. And Kyle
Eschen, brilliant l5-year-old comedy
magician from Hollywood who has
been called the next Johnny Carson, will
be performing. Jason Latimer from Los
Angeles will offer his cutting edge
illusions. Rich Bloch from Washington,
D.C., will be the emcee.
Others scheduled at the convention
are Germany’s Timo Marc, who was a
stage competition finalist at the IBM/
SAM convention, and juggler Charlie
Frye. The beautiful Juliana Chen is
coming from Las Vegas to do her class
act. Scott Lamb of Los Angeles will do
his brilliant marionette parody of Carl
Ballantine. Oscar Muñoz will be at the
convention from his home base of
Texas. Shimada, direct from Japan, will
entertain with colorful parasols,
dragons and doves.
Other top-notch performers booked
so far are Shoot Ogawa of Japan and
Marc Oberon, of England, winner of
the IBM/SAM competition. Add to the
entertainment list Ed Ellis of South
Carolina, J.C. Wagner from Arizona and
Hayashi of Japan.
Lecturers will include Yugi
Yamamoto, Shoot Ogawa, Marc
Oberon, Ed Ellis and Hayashi.
As always, there will be a Gold
Medal Finalists Show held on Friday
night. This will consist of six finalists
who will compete for more than
$20,000 in cash, prizesl.
Here’s a convention cost breakdown:
Price until Dec. 31, 2008
I.B.M.members
Adult Member or Spouse: $210 each:
Youth: $120 each
Up to two non-magician parents with
youth member at $110 each.
First child 6 and under: Free; Second
child 6 and under: $75
Non-I.B.M. Members who would like
to join the I.B.M.
Adult: $210 + $65.00 (one year
membership in the I.B.M.)
Spouse: $210 Youth: $120 + $50 (one-
year membership in the I.B.M.)
Page 9
IBM President Joan Caesar
Up to two non-magician parents with
youth member at $110 each.
First child 6 and under: Free; Second
child 6 and under: $75
Non-I.B.M. Members who do not wish
to join at this time
Adult: $285; Spouse: $210; Youth: $180
Up to two non-magician parents with
youth member at $110 each.
First child 6 and under: Free; Second
child 6 and under: $75
Jan 1 to June 15, 2009
I.B.M. Members
Adult or Spouse: $250 each; Youth:
$140 each
Up to two non-magician parents with
youth member at $110 each
First child 6 and under: Free; Second
child 6 and under: $75
Non-I.B.M. Members who would like
to join the I.B.M.
Adult: $250 + $65.00 (one year
membership in the I.B.M.)
Spouse: $250
Youth: $140 + $50 (one year membership
in the I.B.M.)
Up to two non-magician parents at
$110 each. First child 6 and under: Free;
Second child 6 and under: $75
Non-I.B.M. Members who do not wish
to join at this time
Adult: $325; Spouse: $250; Youth: $200
Up to two non-magician parents at
$110 each.
First child 6 and under: Free; Second
child 6 and under: $75
After June 15 (Walk-in) I.B.M. Members
Adult or Spouse: $275 each Youth: $165
each
Up to two non-magician parents with
youth member at $135 each
Children 6 and under: $100
Non-I.B.M. Members who would like
to join the I.B.M.
Adult: $275 + $65.00 (one year
membership in the I.B.M.)
Spouse: $275