sand ause, ming \ands oread tal of wthe ees a 1975 DAZZLE Effect: Though the performer has removed several jokers from the pack during the previous effects, to his surprise he finds another. As a sudden inspiration, he does a trick with the five Jokers. The backs of the jokers are displayed and, as is expected, all are seen to be blue. A second group of jokers, one collected from various packs with different back designs, is introduced a card at a time as the trick proceeds. First, one of the blue-backed jokers is replaced with a red-backed joker. and the other blue-backed jokers magically change color to match the red stranger. When one of the red-backed jokers is removed and replaced with a green-backed joker, the other jokers in the packet turn green as well. This process is continued, as the packet of jokers is caused to go through a bewildering number of color changes, from green to orange to black, etc., finally culminating with a change to nothing but faces on all sides, leaving a packet of five double-faced jokers. Method: As the applause subsides and the audience's tension is released, quickly and neatly gather the cards and reassemble the deck. Then fan it, faces toward yourself, with an air of preparing for the next effect. Quickly locate the remaining joker and feign surprise: “Now...1'm sorry. I should have taken the joker out of the pack.” Divide the fan at the joker and set it on the table. In reassembling the two sections of the pack, place the original upper portion below the lower, thus subtly cutting the deck. Since the joker resided immediately below the five-card force bank, this cut brings the bank to the face of the pack. Set the deck face-down to one side as, with the right hand, you pick up the joker. Slip it into your shirt breast pocket with the others. Then, as if struck by a fresh thought, say, “I'll tell you what I will do, Ill show you some magic using jokers. [ can use jokers for what464 THE COLLECTED WORKS OF ALEX ELMSLEY Thave in mind because the values don't matter in this. Just the backs are important.” As you say this, move your right hand smoothly from the shirt pocket to the inner left breast pocket of the coat, and remove from there the prepared Dazzle packet. The audience should believe this, packet to be made up of the jokers that have been tucked into the shirt pocket throughout the act. “All the backs are blue.” To support this statement, you count the cards in single fashion from hand to hand. During the process five cards are seen: four blue-backed jokers with a fifth joker lying face- up at center; or so it appears. Mr. Elmsley’s everchange count makes possible this illusion. When he devised the everchange count around 1954, he used it to. transform a face-up center card in a face-down packet (see “The Great Pretender”, Volume I, pp. 69-76). It wasn't until the mid-1960s that he developed the following application. Take the packet “face-down" into left-hand pinch grip. The order of the packet is, from top downward, blue/red double-backed card (blue surface up}, blue/blue double-backed card and two double- faced jokers. Use the everchange count to show five cards: two blue backs, one face-up joker and two more blue backs. Since this count is taught in Volume I (pp. 74-76), it will not be redescribed here. However, for the “Dazzle” effect, Mr. Elmsley sug- gests an added fine touch to the performance of the count: When you are about to take the third card into the right hand, spread the left hand's two cards slightly (Figure 276); then, after the third card has been transferred to the right hand, spread the left-hand pair again before you take the fourth card. This further displays the backs of the cards, emphasizing their color. Having completed the first count, say, “I've turned the middle joker, face-up, but it has a blue back too..." Turn the packet over an perform a second everchange count. This shows four face-up jokers. : with one face-down blue-backed card in the center. This is as it should be. When you take the last two jokers into the right hand. injog them roughly half an inch. Then transfer the packet to left-hand.) dealing grip.shirt from this >the tthe + five face- sion. it to “The 960s order card able- blue ount aere. THE DAZZLE ACT 465 and it's that reversed card in the middle that's very important, because any card reversed in that position has an effect on the others. Suppose, for example, I remove the blue-backed center joker and replace it with a red-backed Joker.” In accordance with these statements, remove the blue double- backed card from the packet. To avoid exposing the red back below as you do this, execute the action of the push-in change. That is: With your right hand, grip the two bottom cards of the packet by their outer ends, thumb above, fingers below. Using the right fin- gertips, push the lower card of the pair inward slightly, and begin to draw the covering blue-backed card forward. At the same time contact the front end of the bottom card with the tip of your left fore- finger and push this card back until it is square with the injogged upper cards. Without hesitation, continue to pull the joker from the packet. Lay this card on the table to your right. With the right hand, remove the red/green double-backed card from the top of the packet in the outer left breast pocket of the coat. Take care not to expose the green surface. “Imight mention that I have accumulated quite a lot of jokers over the years from various packs, as you will shortly see.” Insert this card into the joker packet, from the inner end and third from the top. The action is aided by buckling the bottom card or by pulling it down slightly with the left fourth finger. The red back of the bottom card must not be seen as you do this. “If I put it into the middle, the backs of the other cards change to match.” Turn the packet face-down, and in this action reverse the lower two cards with a half pass in the following manner: When you insert the red-backed card into the packet, don't push it completely flush. Leave it slightly injogged. Then bring the right hand palm-down over the packet to grasp it by its ends. In doing this, press down with the tip of the thumb on the injogged card and push it flush, catching a break above it. Stretch the right fingers across the outer end of the cards, with the second, third and fourth fingers extending below the packet to provide cover for the forthcoming ma- neuver (Figure 277). Tilting the forward end of the packet down slightly further protects the sleight from view.