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McMillen is best known as the originator of the "Plunger Principle" for the [[Rising Cards]].  
McMillen is best known as the originator of the "Plunger Principle" for the [[Rising Cards]].  


Although there was some controversy surrounding the history of the idea<ref>[[Stephen Minch]], ''[[Genii]]'', Vol. 52 No. 11, [[Genii 1989 May|May 1989]], p. 704</ref>, [[William Larsen]] introduced "The J. M. Rising Card" in 1936 in ''[[Genii]]'' like this:
Although there was some controversy surrounding the history of the idea<ref>[[Stephen Minch]], "Dai Vernon - Deep Plunge," ''[[Genii]]'', Vol. 52 No. 11, [[Genii 1989 May|May 1989]], p. 704</ref>, [[William W. Larsen, Sr.|William Larsen]] introduced "The J. M. Rising Card" in 1936 in ''[[Genii]]'' like this:
<blockquote>However, we are certain that, although the method has been published elsewhere, and the effect is being used by several prominent club performers today, it is really the origination of Jack McMillen and the late [[T. Page Wright]]. We make the explanation merely in order that credit may go to those to whom credit is due. The basis of the idea was first conceived by Jack McMillen, who showed it to Page Wright and myself as early as 1928.</blockquote>
<blockquote>However, we are certain that, although the method has been published elsewhere, and the effect is being used by several prominent club performers today, it is really the origination of Jack McMillen and the late [[T. Page Wright]]. We make the explanation merely in order that credit may go to those to whom credit is due. The basis of the idea was first conceived by Jack McMillen, who showed it to Page Wright and myself as early as 1928.</blockquote>


Larsen was probably referring to the simple version published in 1931 in ''[[Seven Circles Magazine]]'',<ref>Lawrence Kam, ''[[Seven Circles Magazine]]'', Vol. 1, No. 6, September 1931, p. 8)</ref> or the version published by [[Burling Hall]] in his ''[[Stage Magic, No. 3]]'' in 1935.<ref>[[Burling Hull]], ''[[Stage Magic, No. 3]]'', 1935, pp. 79-82.</ref>
Larsen was probably referring to the simple version published in five years earlier in ''[[Seven Circles]]'' magazine,<ref>Lawrence Kam, ''[[Seven Circles]]'', Vol. 1, No. 6, September 1931, p. 8)</ref> or the version published by [[Burling Hull]] in his ''[[Stage Magic, No. 3]]'' just the year before.<ref>[[Burling Hull]], ''[[Stage Magic, No. 3]]'', 1935, pp. 79-82.</ref>


Since that time, a new description has been uncovered from 1924.<ref>David Britland, ''[[Genii]]'', Vol. 77 No. 1, [[Genii 2014 January|January 2014]], p. 21</ref> It's called "The Simplex Rising Cards," and was published under Walter B. Gibson's name in J. E. Pierce's ''[[The Magic World]]'' magazine.<ref>[[Walter Gibson]], ''[[The Magic World]]'', Vol. 7, No. 9, January 1924, p. 124</ref>
Recently, a new description of the same idea has been uncovered from 1924.<ref>[[David Britland]], "Cardopolis," ''[[Genii]]'', Vol. 77 No. 1, [[Genii 2014 January|January 2014]], p. 21</ref> It's called "The Simplex Rising Cards," and was published under Walter B. Gibson's name in J. E. Pierce's ''[[The Magic World]]'' magazine.<ref>[[Walter Gibson]], ''[[The Magic World]]'', Vol. 7, No. 9, January 1924, p. 124</ref>


'''"The J. M. Rising Card"''' has been published in various sources, among them:  
'''"The J. M. Rising Card"''' has been published in various sources, among them:  
* ''Genii'', Vol. 1 No. 1, [[Genii 1936 September|September 1936]], p. 10
* ''Genii'', Vol. 1 No. 1, [[Genii 1936 September|September 1936]], p. 10
* Encyclopedia of Card Tricks by Jean Hugard, 1937, 328-329
* ''[[Encyclopedia of Card Tricks]]'' by [[Jean Hugard]], 1937, 328-329
* ''[[Greater Magic]]'' by [[John Northern Hilliard]], 1938, pp. 400-402
* ''[[Greater Magic]]'' by [[John Northern Hilliard]], 1938, pp. 400-402
* ''[[My Best]]'' by [[J. G. Thompson]], 1945, pp. 64-66
* ''[[My Best]]'' by [[J. G. Thompson]], 1945, pp. 64-66

Revision as of 10:12, 29 December 2014

Jack McMillen
BornApril 19, 1911
Stockton,California
DiedFebruary 14, 1993 (age 81)
CategoriesBooks by Jack McMillen

Jack McMillen (1911-1993), an amateur magician, specialized in gambling demos and cards and coins.

Biography

In the 1940s, he was employed as a railroad agent as an undercover detective whose job it was to patrol the line for cardsharps and cheats.

In 1936 when Genii began publishing, he contributed many of his card effects.[1]

McMillen created the Plunger Principle for the Card Rise which along with other (credited and uncredited) items were published in Expert Card Technique.

He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Fellowship from the Academy of Magical Arts in 1991.[2]

Works

The Plunger Principle

McMillen is best known as the originator of the "Plunger Principle" for the Rising Cards.

Although there was some controversy surrounding the history of the idea[3], William Larsen introduced "The J. M. Rising Card" in 1936 in Genii like this:

However, we are certain that, although the method has been published elsewhere, and the effect is being used by several prominent club performers today, it is really the origination of Jack McMillen and the late T. Page Wright. We make the explanation merely in order that credit may go to those to whom credit is due. The basis of the idea was first conceived by Jack McMillen, who showed it to Page Wright and myself as early as 1928.

Larsen was probably referring to the simple version published in five years earlier in Seven Circles magazine,[4] or the version published by Burling Hull in his Stage Magic, No. 3 just the year before.[5]

Recently, a new description of the same idea has been uncovered from 1924.[6] It's called "The Simplex Rising Cards," and was published under Walter B. Gibson's name in J. E. Pierce's The Magic World magazine.[7]

"The J. M. Rising Card" has been published in various sources, among them:

An elaboration by McMillen, using the same principle, was published as "The Obedient Rising Cards."

Sleights & Swindles

Sleights & Swindles" is a set of lecture notes written by McMillen and self-published in 1981 for his lecture at The Magic Castle.

Contents:

  • "The Barbary Coast Scam"
  • "Shade Work"
  • "The Old Gambler"
  • "From Another Deck"
  • "The Voodoo Card Rise"
  • "Witchcraft Updated"
  • "Quicksilver"
  • "Coin, Ring, and Silk" (Senor Mardo)
  • "The San Francisco Shuffle"
  • "Don't Ever Bet On A Sure Thing" (Three Card Monte)

Take a Card

Take a Card was McMillen's first publication. It was a collaboration with Judson Brown, published in 1928 by Larsen and Wright.

Contents:

  • "A Retrieved Error"
  • "From Another Pack"
  • "The Joker Location"
  • "Another Joker Location"
  • "A New Reverse Location"

Page Wright's Manuscript

Page Wright's Manuscript: Sixty Years of Lost Secrets, a collection of material from T. Page Wright, was published in 1991.

It contained several contributions by McMillen:

Title Page(s)
Artistic touch for L.W. False Shuffle 91-92
"Spring Force" 98-99
"Improved Knife Force" 99-100
"McMillen Change" 109-112
"A Cut at Any Number Throughout The Deck" 167-168
"A Card Reversed At Any Number" 170-171
"A Quick Reverse" 204-205
"Instant Speller" 220-221
"J. M. Rising Card" 259-262
Psychological force 279-280
"A Simplified Five Card Problem" 292-293

Expert Card Technique

McMillen also contributed material to Hugard and Braue's Expert Card Technique, published in 1940:

Title Page(s)
Double Lift (uncredited) 5-6
"The Middle Deal" (uncredited) 23-24
"Emergency Card Stabbing" (uncredited) 120-121
"The Witchcraft Card Rise" 212-213
"Mind Mirror" 223-225
"Lazy Man's Card To Pocket" 313-315
"The Psychic Stop!" (uncredited) 330-331
"A Quick Reversal" (uncredited) 341-342

Items in Books

Title Book Title Author Year Page(s)
"Ghost Ring" The L.W. Pocket and Parlor Mysteries Larsen and Wright 1928 5
"The Prophesied Leaper" The L.W. Card Mysteries Larsen and Wright 1928 11-12
Card pushed through pack changes Page Wright's Notebook T. Page Wright 1933 9
"The Continuous Spelling Trick" More Card Manipulations No. 1 Jean Hugard 1938 16-17
"The Triple Discovery" (with Charlie Miller) More Card Manipulations No. 3 Jean Hugard 1941 29-30
"Ghost Ring" (uncredited) The Tarbell Course in Magic, Vol. 3 Harlan Tarbell 1943 306-309
"The Key To The Draw" (with Charlie Miller) Card Tricks Without Skill Paul Clive 1946 145-146
"Mirror of the Mind" The Royal Road to Card Magic Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue 1951 34-35
Edge Work The Secret of the Palmettos Jeff Busby 1998 31-32 "One-Way Glass" (with Jeff Busby) The Secret of the Palmettos Jeff Busby 1998 64-64

Items in Magazines

Title Magazine Title Vol. No. Date Page(s)
"The Mysterious Handkerchief" The Sphinx 25 5 July 1926 140
Needles from Mouth on Thread The Sphinx 27 4 June 1928 190
"X-Ray Vision" The Sphinx 27 12 February 1929 577-578
"The Transformer Card" The Sphinx 28 1 March 1929 25
"The Mystic Touch" The Sphinx 28 2 April 1929 65-66
"The Futuristic Camera" (with Judson Brown) The Sphinx 28 3 May 1929 97-98
"The Perplexing Penny" The Sphinx 28 6 August 1929 210-211
"Fathom" The Sphinx 28 7 September 1929 235
"Something For Slickers" (with Judson Brown) The Sphinx 29 7 September 1930 275
"Controlled Cubes" (with Judson Brown) The Sphinx 29 8 October 1930 308-309
"Typewriter Telepathy" The Sphinx 30 1 March 1931 42
"Mental Photography" The Sphinx 30 1 March 1931 42
"Sinister Vision" The Sphinx 30 1 March 1931 42-43
"Ghost Eyes" (with Judson Brown) The Sphinx 32 10 December 1933 297
"The Specter Envelope" (with Judson Brown) The Sphinx 32 11 January 1934 339
"Telltale Color" (with Judson Brown) The Sphinx 33 1 March 1934 12
"Poker Artistry" Genii 1 3 November 1936 17
"Mind Mirror" Genii 1 4 December 1936 12
"'Nth' Sense" Genii 1 5 January 1937 11
Artistic touch for L.W. False Shuffle Genii 1 6 February 1937 11-12
"Astral Vision" Genii 1 7 March 1937 7-8
"Ghost Eyes" (with Judson Brown) The Sphinx 36 1 March 1937 6
"The Spring Force" Genii 1 8 April 1937 8
"The Improved Knife Force" Genii 1 8 April 1937 8
"The McMillen Change" Genii 1 10 June 1937 11
"A Cut at Any Number" (uncredited) Genii 2 3 November 1937 80
"A Card Reversed At Any Number" Genii 2 6 February 1938 198
"The Diving Card" Genii 3 1 September 1938 12
"A Quick Reverse" Genii 3 7 March 1939 222
"Turnover Reverse" Genii 3 8 April 1939 254
"Tell Tale Color" (with Judson Brown) The Sphinx 39 10 December 1940 247
"Mental Photography" (with Judson Brown) The Sphinx 39 11 January 1941 292
"Tip-Over Change" (with Judson Brown) The Sphinx 39 11 January 1941 293
"I'll Match You" Genii 9 8 April 1945 290
"Impromptu Salt Vanish" Genii 9 8 April 1945 290
"A Twist On The Color Change" Genii 9 8 April 1945 290
"The Counterfeiter" Genii 9 12 August 1945 427
"Easy Openers" Genii 10 1 September 1945 12
"Spectral Envelope" (with Judson Brown) The Conjurors' Magazine 1 8 September 1945 28
Coin vanish Magicana (Woodfield) 2 June 1946 8
"The Ghost Ring" (uncredited) Genii 11 6 February 1947 182
"Gambler's Coin Vanish" The Conjurors' Magazine 3 7 September 1947 40
"The Inverted Aces" (with Charles Nyquist) Genii 14 2 October 1949 43
"The San Francisco Shuffle" (with Charles Nyquist) Genii 14 3 November 1949 12
"Slip Slide Sleight" Genii 33 5 Jan 1969 204-205
"Karate Kontrol" Genii 46 5 May 1982 308-309
Coin vanish Genii 56 5 March 1993 310

McMillen's "mental" items from the first year of Genii were compiled in a book by

William Larsen in 1942 called Mental Mysteries with Cards:

  • "Mind Mirror"
  • "'Nth' Sense"
  • "Astral Vision"

References

  1. ↑ Obit, Magic, April 1993
  2. ↑ William Larsen, Jr., "Genii Speaks," Genii, Vol. 54 No. 6, April 1991, p. 368
  3. ↑ Stephen Minch, "Dai Vernon - Deep Plunge," Genii, Vol. 52 No. 11, May 1989, p. 704
  4. ↑ Lawrence Kam, Seven Circles, Vol. 1, No. 6, September 1931, p. 8)
  5. ↑ Burling Hull, Stage Magic, No. 3, 1935, pp. 79-82.
  6. ↑ David Britland, "Cardopolis," Genii, Vol. 77 No. 1, January 2014, p. 21
  7. ↑ Walter Gibson, The Magic World, Vol. 7, No. 9, January 1924, p. 124
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