The William W. Larsen Memorial Library

Max Malini – King of Magicians, Magician of Kings

Author/Editor: Cohen, Steve

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

PART ONE: MALINI’S LIFE

CHAPTER ONE: YINGLISH

CHAPTER TWO: THE FOUR HUNDRED

CHAPTER THREE: MANAGING WITHOUT MANAGERS

CHAPTER FOUR: CHUTZPAH: TALES OF BOLDNESS
Tell Them Malini Did It
Miser’s Dream at Sunday Mass
A Royal Challenge
No Hook, No Problem
Cubans
Roast Pig Head
“My” National Anthem
An Eye for Art
Fisher Brothers Gala Show
Cancel My Appointments
Two Gun Cohen
Never Too Late
Free Passage to Manila
I Knew Max Malini – Eddie Joesph
Malini in Siam – Theodore Bamberg
Quotes from Notable Magicians

CHAPTER FIVE: EARLY MEDIA CONQUESTS
Washington, D.C.
London, England – “How I Mystified King Edward”
Peking, China

CHAPTER SIX: ONLY MALINI
Impressive in Bed
A Droll Trick Played with a Fowl
Kimura Malini
Suspected Spy
1700 Convicts Mystified
Four-Power Treaty Framed in a Hotel Room
Six Martinis and a Bowl of Soup
An Inventive Mind
On the House
Cane Sawing
Caruso as Conjuror

CHAPTER SEVEN: FAMILY MAN
A Letter from Charlie Miller

PART TWO: MALINI’S MAGIC

CHAPTER EIGHT: MAXIMUM MALINI
Something from Nothing

CHAPTER NINE: IMPROMPTU MAGIC
Vesting
Cross-Body Pocket Ditch
Slide Vanish
Lady or Eagle
Post-Vanish Dodges
Coin Fold Vanish
Spittoon Coin Vanish
Spectator Pocket Loads
Three from One
Cigar Production and Split
Copper-Silver Transposition
Banknote-Newspaper Transposition
Bill in Cigarette
Ring on Stick
Sugar Cube Assembly
Lump Sugar
Cups and Balls
Brick from Hat
The Block of Ice
Button Biting
The Mesmerized Watch
Cigarette, Tobacco, and Saucer
Torn and Restored Straw Wrapper
Cut and Restored String
Pants Leg Coin Vanish
Magnetic Cigarette Paper
Stretching a Handkerchief
Weeping Coin/Weeping Cane
Magnetic Cane
Broken and Restored Mirror
Mentalism Stunts
Billet Reading
Book Test
Matching Matches
Animation Effects
The Obedient Matchbox
The Rising Coin
The Dancing Handkerchief
Table Tricks
Coin in Bread Roll
Cutting the Menu
Paper Knife
The Dissolving Coin
Whisky Stunts
Billiard Ball Stunt
The Vanishing Glass Under Newspaper
Improvised Productions
Toss Vanish

CHAPTER TEN: CARD MAGIC
Daub Hide-Out
The Missing Link
Card Sewn in Jacket Lining
Challenge Card Calling
Hotel Clerk Revelation
Step Delay
The Malini Force
Table Spread Force
No, Don’t Look at It
Hypnotic Gaze Divination
Malini Side Steal
One-Phase Ambitious Card
Top, Bottom, or Number
Malini’s Own Color Change
Rear Palm
Psychological Riffle Force
Think-a-Card Secret
Peek and Glimpse
Malini’s Location
Thumb Riffle Open Index
One-Handed Top Change
Malini’s Invitation
Card to Mouth
Siamese Aces
General Card
Multiple-Selection Routine
Card on Ceiling/Card on Wall
Card-Scaling Stunt
Gutter Magic
Rising Cards
The Deck Vanishes

CHAPTER ELEVEN: PLATFORM MAGIC
Sample Programs
Malini’s Methods: The Stage Show
Lamp Chimney Silk Vanish
Color-Changing Silk
Magnetic Fingertips – Cigar & Knives
Tumbler Penetration and Vanish
Card Magic Sequence
Blindfolded Card Stab
Card Stab Commandments – Bob Sheets
Malini Egg Bag
Malini’s Egg Bag Routine – David Alexander
Cut and Restored Rope
Malini’s Rope Cut – Bob Stencel
The Coin Game
Bills in Lemon and Egg
Button Biting
Pocket Stitching a la Malini
Chinese Water Bowl Production
Chinese Linking Rings
Stage Coins Across
The Eggs in Glasses

CHAPTER TWELVE: MALINI THE STORYTELLER

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: FIVE MALINI LESSONS

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: YOU’LL WONDER WHEN I’M COMING, YOU’LL WONDER MORE WHEN I’M GONE

Yiddish and Japanese Obituaries

APPENDIX I: Oziar Malini Speech Transcript

APPENDIX II: Selected Newspaper Articles – 1902 to 1942

APPENDIX III: Malini Timeline

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS