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Paul Harris
| Paul Harris | |
 Cover of Genii (1985) | |
| Born | Paul Thomas Harris 1954 |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Close-up Magic |
| Awards | Creative Fellowship |
| Categories | Books by Paul Harris |
Paul Harris (b.1954) is an inventor, magician, and writer. Described in Genii 1996 December as "the most innovative magic mind of our day" and listed in MAGIC Magazine (August 1999) as one of "the 100 magicians who shaped the art of magic in America."
Biography
Harris has invented many original tricks including: Linking playing cards, a solid deck, a torn and restored card effect, coins materializing from mirrors, a card that appears to turning ninety degrees when pushed into the pack, and a torn and restored quarter.
MAGIC magazine (August 1999) states that "the feats of astonishment that Paul creates and teaches are in the repertoires of a multitude of working pros."
Harris has performed at the Dunes Hotel and at other locations on the Las Vegas Strip and was a technical adviser for David Blaine's Magic Man and Street Magic TV shows. He also wrote the screenplay for the abysmal 1987 film Nice Girls Don't Explode.
Awards
- In 2006, Paul received the "Creative Fellowship" honor from The Board of Trustees of the Academy of Magical Arts.
- In 2009, Tannen's Magic awarded Harris the 27th "Louie Award".
Noted illusions
Amongst the magicians who are known to have presented Paul Harris creations are David Copperfield and Doug Henning. In the field of card and close-up magic, Paul Harris more or less re-innovated the genre during the 1970-80s, and is held in very high regard among magicians in the western world.
Doug Henning performed a routine called "Twilight" on his third TV special (December 17, 1977). An effect using a coin and a mirror where the mirror image of the coin becomes real. A surreal piece.
David Copperfield in a 1984 special (the one where he made the Statue of Liberty disappear) performed a linking card effect "The Immaculate Connection." In this routine, the magician tears holes in the center of three playing cards in order to create three "frames." The illusion consists in causing the frames to appear to link and unlink without damaging any of the cards. At the conclusion, the cards are sometimes passed for inspection; to all appearances no extra cards or gimmicks are employed.
Rudy Coby, in his English TV series, used Paul Harris' odd idea of letting the helium in a balloon magically change place with the air in the performer's lungs—-so, as the balloon slowly sunk to the floor, the performer simultaneously went up in the air with an all squeaky voice.
Paul Harris has been a technical adviser/magic consultant for David Blaine's TV Shows.
Features
Paul has been featured in:
- Genii 1985 September
- Tannen's Magic Manuscript Magazine - Nov/Dec 1984
- Genii December 1996
- Magic Magazine August 1999 Page 54 as one of the top influential magician of the century and a June 2007 cover issue.
- Reel Magic Quarterly DVD (Volume 1 Episode 1) 2007 which contained a Paul Harris Interview.
- Magic magazine June 2007 did a Paul Harris issue which contained the cover story "Living in Astonishment" by Eric Mead.
Bibliography
Books, Manuscripts and Notes
- Magic of Paul Harris (1976)
- Paul Harris Reveals Some of His Most Intimate Secrets (1976)
- Super Swindle (Manuscript) (1976)
- Inside/Close up (Lecture notes) (1976)
- Cardboard Connection (Manuscript) (1977)
- Supermagic (1977)
- Return of the Bizarre Shrink (manuscript) (1977)
- Las Vegas Close Up (1978)
- Close-Up Entertainer (1979)
- Twilight (1979)
- Close Up Fantasies Book One (1980)
- Close Up Fantasies Book Two (1980)
- The Inner Circle (Manuscript) (1980)
- Close Up Fantasies Finale (1981)
- P.H. Breakthrough (Manuscript) (1981)
- Immaculate Connection (Manuscript) (1983)
- A Close-Up Kinda Guy (1983)
- Brainstorm in the Bahamas (with Mike Ammar, Daryl) (1983)
- Close-Up Seductions (1984)
- Secrets of the Astonishing Executive with Bill Herz (1991)
- Art of Astonishment Vol 1-3 (1996)
- The P.H. Super Sampler Volume 1 - Flash Fold, Solid Deception, Seductive Switch Flap Jacks Bleached Black Jack, Vacuum Cleaner Cards (?)
- The P.H. Super Sampler Volume 2 - Super Swindle, Overkill, Ultimate Rip-off, Silver and Aces, Opern Revelation, Bizarre Twist. (?)
Products
- 1973 Vanishing Deck
- 1976 SIGNED CARD IN MATCH BOX (Flash Fold) GEM & JANA PRODUCTIONS
- 1979 Twilight
- 1980 Screwed Deck
- 1980 Hard Boiled Quarter / Half
- 1980 Solid Deception
- 1992? Portable Smoke, Viking Mfg. Co., was fashioned by Paul Harris, Charlie Hatchette, and George Robinson, Jr., with advice and aid from Eric Mead, Patrick Martin
- 1993? Night Shades
- 2000 Naked Angels on Bikes
- 2000 Reality Twister
- 2000 Lip Smacker
- 2000 Twilight Angels
- 2004 Deep Astonishment
- 2005 One and Only
- 2006 Deep Astonishment II
Videos
- Stars of Magic Video #3-Paul Harris One / A-1Multimedia
- Stars of Magic Video #4-Paul Harris Two / A-1Multimedia
- Stars of Magic Video #5-Paul Harris Three/A-1Multimedia
- Stars of Magic Video #6-Paul Harris Four/A-1Multimedia
- Stars of Magic Video #7-Paul Harris Five/A-1Multimedia
- (1983) PAUL HARRIS #1 – Tannen’s Video Tape Series No. 2 (Same as Stars of Magic Video #3)
- (1985) PAUL HARRIS #2 – Tannen’s Video Tape Series No. 5 (Same as Stars of Magic Video #4)
- (1987) PAUL HARRIS #3 – Tannen’s Video Tape Series No. 10 (Same as Stars of Magic Video #5)
- (1989) PAUL HARRIS #4 - Tannen’s Video Tape Series No. 12 (Same as Stars of Magic Video #6)
- (1991) PAUL HARRIS #5 - Tannen’s Video Tape Series No. 14 (Same as Stars of Magic Video#7)
- PAUL HARRIS IMMACULATE CLOSE-UP (Same as Stars of Magic Video #6)
- Art of Astonishment Video
- Cardian Angel Video Tips: Handlings and perfomance tips: Includes like "Double Animation". "Tug-Of-War", "Packet Cardian", "Foreign Cardian", "What About Girls?" Hosted by Mike Maxwell.
Published Effects
Paul has published hundreds of his effects in books, magazines, videos and manuscripts.
Paul Harris Presents
These are products developed by others, sometimes in coordination with Paul and marketed under the "Paul Harris Presents" product line.
- Darryl Vanamburg's "Black Widow" - The Black Widow enables you to invisibly exchange objects on a spectators hand
- Ultra Visual Nightshades by Mark Allen and Paul Harris - an update to Paul's Improv Nightshades. Includes Ultra Peeler, Mark Allen's up-grade of Paul's peeled and restored playing card from AOA.
- Ladybug by Paul Vigil, Paul Harris and Roy Kueppers - Placing the blade on bare flesh, you pierce a fingetip and squeeze out a single drop of blood. The drop of blood turns into a real ladybug.
- Linking Laces by Harris, Jockisch, and Goodwin - link someone's shoe laces
- The Incredible Shrinking Finger by Dan Hauss (Additional handling by Paul Harris) - Shrink your pinkie down to a weird stumpy thing
- Daniel Garcia Project DVDs
- Dis Jointed by Joe Russell - new method for "Shinko's classic Arm Twist"
- Escalator by Gaetan Bloom, Paul Harris, Rodney Whitlock
- Gut Buster by Andrew Mayne
- Juan Hundred Dollar Bill Switch (with Hundy 500 Bonus) by Doug McKenzie
- Puncture by Alex Linian
- Strange Travelers by David Blaine
- Warp One by David Jenkins
- Torn by Daniel Garcia
- UV Nightshades by Mark Allen and Paul Harris, includes Ultra Peeler, Mark Allen's up-grade of Paul's peeled and restored playing card from AOA.
- Flow by Dan Hauss
Contributions
Books, videos and products with contributions by Paul Harris:
- Cros Bones by Daniel Cros and Paul Harris. (1978) - a modified, miniaturized "Talking Skull".
- Encore III by Michael Ammar (book 1983) - Cards Into Case (Mark Lefler) Page 46: Cards are fanned when the magician suddenly realizes he forgot to take them from the case. Contains a Paul Harris' presentation and handling.
- Astonishing New Twists with Paul Harris’ Reality Twister by Pete McCabe (book): Includes new tips from Paul.
- Magic for Dummies by David Pogue (book): Paul is in the credits and includes a card tick called the shuffling Lesson by Chad Long which is from AoA.
- Robert Neale Folding Money Fooling (book 1997): Included in this book is Robert Neale’s famous “Bunny Bill,” long sold as a separate manuscript. (A bunny magically appears from a top hat folded from a bill. Paul Harris adds presentational tips.
- Mystery School by Eugene Burger and Jeff McBride book: chapter Orange/Bryce Kuhlman by Paul Harris
- Stars of Magic Video #01-Frank Garcia/A-1Multimedia: Contents includes Paul Harris’ Overkill (performance only on this effect).
- Stars of Magic Video #11-All Stars/ Garcia, Roth, Harris, Dingle/ A-1 Multimedia: Paul Harris (Cards Across, 4 Ace Revelation),
- Stars of Magic Video #16-Sampler / Garcia/Harris/Dingle/Roth/Bilis& DeCamps / A-1 Multimedia: contains Harris’ Super Swindle
- The Exciting World of Magic Video/Videotape / Ammar, Michael / L&LPublishing : Coproduced by Michael Ammar and Paul Harris.
- Learn to Levitate - Teaching Video Tape: Includes the 3 minutes from Paul Harris, Swiss Movement (Paul Harris’ Animated Pocket Knife)
- Self Levitation Video: Michael Maxwell teaches how to perform The Balducci Levitation. Also, tips from Paul Harris.
- Eye Exam by Danny Archer (product): Includes a page of additional tips and hints called Eye Exam Extras that give hints and tips, and a finish where the cards are examinable (thanks to a Paul Harris suggestion).
- Hole In The Head (product) by Ben Harris - Complete with bonus handlings and clever ideas by Paul Harris.
- Stockholder by Gregory Wilson (product): Includes a routine by Paul Harris.
- One In The Eye by Keith Charnley - Coin across effect with a glass-eye, routine consists of ideas by Paul Harris in Pabular, Vol. 7, no. 3, march 1982, page 1005
- Freakey by Gregory Wilson (product): contains additional approaches and ideas by Paul Harris
- Blister Book by Jack Kent Tillar: contributions by Paul Harris.
References
|
This page incorporated content from Paul_Harris_(magician),
a page hosted on Wikipedia. Please consult the history of the original page to see a list of its authors. Therefor, this article is also available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License |
- The Astonishment Project Website
- Denis Behr's Searchable Magic Book Contents
- The Ultimate Paul Harris fan page
- Paul Harris Reference Guide
- Jacky Kahan MagicBook listings
- Paul Harris discussion group
- Brief Biography at The Magic Nook
- [1] at All About Magicians.com
- [2]
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