I don't normally purchase DVDs that feature just one trick, but in the case of Bill Malone's "Sam
the Bellhop" DVD it was a really great purchase.
Malone first provides a performance in
front of a lay audience of his version of "Sam the Bellhop". Then he explains the history of this
kind of story-telling card trick in which each card has a meaning in the story as it is dealt off
the top of the deck. This kind of trick has special meaning for me personally because when I was in
grade school, a school chum showed me a very similar trick and I have never forgotten how
entertaining it was. (This was in the 1950's!)
Then, and this is probably the best part of
the DVD, Malone gives instructions for quite a few sleights and flourishes that make "Sam the
Bellhop" not only entertaining, but extremely baffling. These include fundamental card sleights
such as the Zarrow Shuffle, the Erndase Running Cut and many, many more. All of these sleights are
essential to the basic skill set of card magic sleight of hand. These sleights are not easy to do
at first and they will need lots of practice. But that practice will pay off!
Malone says
very clearly that it is necessary to practice these moves hundreds of times. In fact, I would
recommend that they be practiced a thousand times before doing them in front of an audience. The
obvious reason for this is that a card magician's handling of the deck must be done mostly by feel
while interacting with the audience. This kind of total nonchalance, ease and grace is what makes
for the very highest sort of card magic. Just watching five to ten youtube videos of Bill Malone
performing card magic will demonstrate what mastery of this caliber of card magic really means.
In the near future I plan to invest in the other Bill Malone instructional DVDs - "On the Loose"
and "Malone Meets Marlo".
Sam the Bellhop
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