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Revision as of 05:46, 28 December 2014

Ron Bauer
BornRonald Raymond Bauer
1938
Portland, Oregon

CategoriesBooks by Ron Bauer

Ron Bauer (b. 1938) is a professional writer in the computer and video industries, and a semi-professional magician. He's the author of a series of 24 "annotated performance scripts" for magicians, called the Ron Bauer Private Studies Series. He's also well-known for his T.T.T. (Two-card Turnover Technique)[1] and R.A.P. (Riffle Action Palm).[2] He maintained longtime friendships with Milt Kort, Jack McMillen, Don Alan, Ed Marlo, Dai Vernon, Charlie Miller, "Senator" Clarke Crandall, Bruce Cervon, and many others.

Biography

The Mr. Trix MagicFun Time Mall Show, with Bauer as the MagicFun Man
The Mr. Trix MagicFun Time Mall Show, with Bauer as the MagicFun Man
After being intrigued by a sign in the window, Ron Bauer walked through the door of his first magic shop at age 11, and he was hooked. He trained in Portland, Oregon, under Ted and Marie Hall, R. Vernon Cook, and Stan Payne of Star Magic. He voraciously devoured every magic book he could get his hands on, and in 1952, he was the first one in town to get a copy of the brand-new Modern Coin Magic by Bobo.

Shortly thereafter, Bauer's family moved to Memphis, Tennessee. He met and began learning from Jack Dean and Charles Aste, Jr. He also started training in acting, and got involved in local radio, television, and live theater. In fact, Bauer was the first magician to appear on the first two television stations in Memphis.

In 1959, Bauer married and moved to Detroit, where he became the first full-time professional close-up magician working in the area. Several years later, he started his training in marketing at Maxon Advertising. In 1968, he founded Mr. Trix Enterprises, a children's entertainment company based in the prestigious Detroit-suburb Birmingham.[3] Employing magicians, clowns, puppeteers, and party planners, Mr. Trix's popularity grew and it became the largest and most successful children's entertainment company in the Midwest. Children couldn't get enough of the MagicFun Man, Elmo D. Clown, Professor B'loon (sometimes played by Milt Kort), Kelly the Klorophyll Klown, and of course, the group's rabbit-in-a-hat mascot, Mr. Trix. Their shows included the "Mr. Trix MagicFun Time" show, the "Elmo D. Clown Show," "The Instant Puppet Show," and the "B'loon Circus." During this time Bauer also produced several Mr. Trix television projects.

Vernon, Miller, Bauer, and Marlo in Santa Barbara, June 1983
Vernon, Miller, Bauer, and Marlo in Santa Barbara, June 1983
After almost a decade running Mr. Trix, Bauer turned his attention to television production. He was writer and producer for over 100 episodes of the Bozo the Clown show at WJBK-TV in the late seventies.[4] Then, with an eye on the emerging video industry, he wrote, produced, and marketed the first training course in non-broadcast video production. After seeing his video production course, Sony contracted Bauer in the early eighties for a new project, so he headed to California.[5]

In the summer of 1983, Bauer managed to persuade his friend Ed Marlo to venture out of Chicago and attend the Pacific Coast Association of Magicians' 51st annual magic convention in Santa Barbara, California, much to the delight of West Coast magicians, many of whom had never had a chance to see Marlo.[6] The convention was a huge hit, with Marlo, Dai Vernon, Charlie Miller, and Jack McMillen all in attendance. It was the only time Marlo and Vernon ever shared a stage.[7] A photograph of Vernon, Miller, Bauer, and Marlo, posing on a sunny Santa Barbara beach, appears in The Vernon Chronicles, Volume 2: More Lost Inner Secrets by Stephen Minch (1988, p. 216). It's inscribed by Ron Bauer to Bruce Cervon. The same photo without the inscription can be seen to the right.

Bauer with Milt Kort and Stephen Minch, c. 1998
Bauer with Milt Kort and Stephen Minch, c. 1998
Returning home to Detroit after finishing his work with Sony, Bauer turned his focus to a new technology: personal computers. He wrote the first book for the public on Microsoft DOS, called Easy DOS It! (1986), which went on to become one of the best-selling computer books of the 1980s. (It's also how Alex Elmsley learned DOS!)

In 1994, Bill Kalush held a private convention in New York City, inviting less than fifty of the top "workers" in the world to discuss and present ideas on a single card trick. Although Bauer was invited, he was unable to attend, but he sent his contribution for the benefit of everyone there.[8] When Lance Pierce published a private book containing all the material from the event in 1997, he described Bauer like this:

Ron Bauer is the underground legend. A strong creator of routines and effects, he is rarely seen by the cogniscenti and even lesser known among the majority of the fraternity. For those who know, though, Ron represents the type of artist many of us would aspire to be.[9]

The nickname caught on among magicians, and Bauer has often been known since as "THE Underground Legend."[10][11][12]

Private Studies Series

This is a series of 24 annotated performance scripts written by Ron Bauer and illustrated by Sandra Kort. The first 12 were originally published by John Luka's Magic by Mail in 1998-99. In late 1999, Sandra Kort began publishing the series at her Electronic Graphic Art Design Studio (E-GADS), and released expanded and revised editions of the first 12.

According to Bauer:

...each of the items in my series is an "annoted performance script." They're intended to help out those with aspirations to perform in front of the public and (now get this part) have something to say that is at least somewhat as clever and amusing as the trick. Sometimes, performing a trick for friends or doing a little show is a person's only chance to be clever in public. Having the words and some help on the technical details can (almost assuredly) make the difference between having some fun and volunteering for humiliation.[13]
# Title Creator Close-Up Parlor Platform Stage Luka E-GADS
1 Gadabout Coins Revisited Ron Bauer Green check.svg.png 1998 2000
2 Sudden Death Gypsy Curse Ron Bauer Green check.svg.png 1998 2000
3 Feminine Side (Out of This World) Tony Chaudhuri Green check.svg.png 1998 2000
4 Butch, Ringo, and the Sheep Ron Bauer Green check.svg.png 1998 2002
5 Hornswoggled Again! Ron Bauer Green check.svg.png Green check.svg.png 1998 2001
6 Owed to Poker Dan Ron Bauer Green check.svg.png 1998 2001
7 Dixie! (Cups and Balls) Ron Bauer Green check.svg.png 1998 2002
8 The Cursed Ring (Ring off Wand) Ron Bauer Green check.svg.png 1998 2000
9 Fair and Sloppy (Slop Shuffle) Ron Bauer Green check.svg.png 1998 2002
10 Left-Handed Hank Charlie Miller Green check.svg.png Green check.svg.png Green check.svg.png 1999 2001
11 Mechanical Deck (The Pack That Cuts Itself) Ron Bauer Green check.svg.png 1999 2001
12 Bar Bill Stunt (Bill Switch) Paul Chosse Green check.svg.png 1999 2001
13 Cut-Up Card Trick Senator Crandall Green check.svg.png ---- 2003
14 Four Squares and a Knot (Sympathetic Silks) Ron Bauer Green check.svg.png Green check.svg.png Green check.svg.png ---- 2003
15 The Siamese Goose Egg Bag Ron Bauer Green check.svg.png Green check.svg.png ---- 2003
16 Time Machine Ed Marlo Green check.svg.png ---- 2004
17 Second Finger Top Deal Ron Bauer Green check.svg.png ---- 2004
18 Xerox Money (Himber Wallet) Ron Bauer Green check.svg.png ---- 2000
19 All-Outs Think-of-a-Card Milt Kort Green check.svg.png ---- 2005
20 That's the Spirit! Ron Bauer Green check.svg.png Green check.svg.png ----
21 Final(ly) Aces (Ace Assembly) Brother Hamman Green check.svg.png ---- 2006
22 Hat Trick Jim Bergstrom Green check.svg.png Green check.svg.png Green check.svg.png ---- 2007
23 Worn Out Deck Bob Longe Green check.svg.png ----
24 Sneaky Nudist Rides Again Don Alan Green check.svg.png ----

Private Studies Special Editions

  • Don Alan's Devano Card Rise (1999)
  • The Chick Trick (2002)
  • Basic Cups & Balls Technique (2004)
  • The Complete Don Alan’s Chop Cup (2005)
  • The Ron Bauer 2008 Lecture: Notes from "THE Underground Legend" (2008)
  • The Revised Ron Bauer 2008 Lecture: Notes from "THE Underground Legend" (2009)

Contributions to Books

Title Book Title Author Year Page(s)
"Beanie Puppet Routines 1&2" (written by Oran Dent) Ireland Yearbook 1960 L. L. Ireland 1960 30-32
"Made in Japan" The New Modern Coin Magic J. B. Bobo 1966 485-486
"The O-Korto Box Routine" (with Milton Kort and Walter Wilson) The New Modern Coin Magic J. B. Bobo 1966 497-498
"Gag Penetration with an Okito Box" (with Milton Kort) The New Modern Coin Magic J. B. Bobo 1966 504
"Off Color Elevator" (with Milton Kort) Off Color Card Tricks Milton Kort 1970 5-6
"Off Color Prediction" Off Color Card Tricks Milton Kort 1970 49-51
"The Screened Leipzig Pass" Daryl's Ambitious Card Omnibus Stephen Minch 1987 73-77
"Peek, Look, & Think" Cardfixes Jon Racherbaumer 1990 142-147
"Bauer's Delusion" Secrets for the Part-time Magician John Luka 1992 17-20
"The Hofbauer Force" Card Finesse II Jon Racherbaumer 1992 116-120
"Screened Leipzig Card Pass" Card Finesse II Jon Racherbaumer 1992 190-200
"The Real Color Change" The Rainbow Deck Randy Wakeman 1995 7-9
"These Cards Are Marked" The Rainbow Deck Randy Wakeman 1995 30-32
"Sleightless Switches" The Rainbow Deck Randy Wakeman 1995 41-42
"Win at Gin!" Bill Kalush’s New York City Conference 1994 Lance Pierce 1996 104-117
"The Lie Detector" L.I.N.T.: Luka in New Tops John Luka 1997 1-8
"Key to the Draw" L.I.N.T.: Luka in New Tops John Luka 1997 20-26
"The Magic Coin" L.I.N.T.: Luka in New Tops John Luka 1997 65-69
"Second Sight" L.I.N.T.: Luka in New Tops John Luka 1997 77-82
"Devilish Trickery" L.I.N.T.: Luka in New Tops John Luka 1997 133-141
"Good Luck" Card Tricks Galore Bob Longe 1999 48-49
"The O-Korto Box Routine" (with Milton Kort and Walter Wilson) KORT: The Magic of Milton Kort Stephen Minch 1999 209-227
"Let Sleeping Dogs Lie" Clever Close-up Magic Bob Longe 2003 151-152
"Super Toothpick" (John Dowdy) Clever Close-up Magic Bob Longe 2003 152-153
"Slick Sticker Trick" Mystifying Card Tricks Bob Longe 2005 37-44
"Drawn Instead of Quartered" Switch: Unfolding the $100 Bill Change John Lovick 2006 293-294
"R.B.'s Delusion" Uncovered: Secrets for the Serious Magician John Luka 2006 73-76
"Let Sleeping Dogs Lie" Mind-Blowing Magic Tricks Bob Longe 2007 82-83

Contributions to Magazines

How to Perform Magic on Local TV - a series of nine articles, each on a different aspect of performing magic on television.

Title Magazine Vol. No. Date Page(s)
"How to Perform Magic on Local TV" The New Tops 22 2 February 1982 6-7
"Television Time" The New Tops 22 3 March 1982 19-20
"What is a Stereotype–Really?" The New Tops 22 5 May 1982 6-9
"Who’s Who in a TV Production" The New Tops 22 7 July 1982 31-32
"The Shot" The New Tops 22 8 August 1982 16-18
"Staging and Blocking, Part One" The New Tops 22 10 October 1982 41-43
"Staging and Blocking, Part Two – Subjective Close-Up Magic" The New Tops 22 11 November 1982 24-25
"Staging and Blocking, Part Three – Objective Close-Up Magic" The New Tops 22 12 December 1982 24-25, 30-31
"Preparing for Local TV Interviews" The New Tops 23 2 February 1983 8-10

Abbott's Jet Set - a series of three articles on ways to use Abbott's Jet Set, a portable backdrop hanger.

Title Magazine Vol. No. Date Page(s)
"Staging Ideas With Abbott’s Jet Set" The New Tops 21 9 September 1981 47
"More Staging Ideas With Abbott’s Jet Set" The New Tops 22 9 September 1982 45-46
"How to Porta-Drape Your Abbott’s Jet Set" The New Tops 22 9 September 1982 47-48

Card Technique - a series of three articles on card moves that, according to Bauer, "have been given my interest and attention over the years because they're 'ON THE PLOT-POINT' moves. That means they most usually must be done while the spectators are looking at the hands during all or part of the critical action. This means misdirection is extremely difficult. ...TECHNIQUE must be carefully devised and executed. And, details make all the difference."[14]

Title Magazine Vol. No. Date Page(s)
"T. T. T. (Two Card Turnover Technique)" Genii 46 11 November 1982 750-751
"Card Technique (Ovette Master Move)" Genii 46 12 December 1982 824-825
"The Screened Leipzig Pass" Genii 47 2 February 1983 113-114

The Key Ring Cycle - a series of four tricks revolving around a unique key ring with three different keys and a skull-shaped key chain. Each item on the key ring is used for a different trick.

Title Magazine Vol. No. Date Page(s)
"Lots O’ Lock" The New Tops 21 12 December 1981 30-32
"D-D-T!" The New Tops 22 2 February 1982 25-28
"Hoppy" The New Tops 22 3 March 1982 23-28
"A Timely Escape" The New Tops 22 7 July 1982 11-13

Other Tricks

Title Magazine Vol. No. Date Page(s)
"The Far East Far Out Coins" The New Tops 1 2 February 1961 8-9
"Gagbag Routine" The New Tops 1 12 December 1961 32
"Linking Pins Routine" The New Tops 2 2 February 1962 6-7
"Phony Cast Gag" The New Tops 3 3 March 1963 23
"Yogi Bear says... 'Thanks'" The New Tops 3 8 August 1963 13
"Silver Replacement" The New Tops 20 7 July 1980 49-50
"Susan B's Diminishing Dollar" The New Tops 20 8 August 1980 6-9
"Your Pencil – My Ring!" The New Tops 20 8 August 1980 24-26
"Tootsie!" The New Tops 21 8 August 1981 6-10
"The Big Bag of Tricks and the Little Black Hat" M-U-M 71 5 October 1981 41-45
"Pig Pad" The New Tops 21 11 November 1981 6-7
"Bauer's Delusion" Genii 46 3 March 1982 169-171
"The Jellis Ring" Genii 46 4 April 1982 237-239
"Instant Lunch" The New Tops 22 8 August 1982 6-8
"The Clones From Brazil" Genii 47 7 July 1983 464-466
"Spirits" Genii 47 9 September 1983 616-618
"The Presidential Production" (Dick Zimmerman) Genii 47 11 November 1983 773-775
"The Lie Detector" The New Tops 33 10 October 1993 6-10
"Key to the Draw" The New Tops 34 1 January 1994 22-25
"Second Sight" The New Tops 34 10 October 1994 10-13
"The Magic Coin" The New Tops 34 11 November 1994 26-28
"Sure-Fire Think of a Card" (Milt Kort) The Linking Ring 77 10 October 1997 113-115

Articles

Title Magazine Vol. No. Date Page(s)
"Diana, the Enchantress" (Profile of Diana Zimmerman) Genii 47 11 November 1983 760-762
"Milton Kort (1917–2003)" (Obituary for Milt Kort) The Linking Ring 83 10 October 2003 69-70

References

  1. The Ron Bauer 2008 Lecture, pp. 17-22
  2. The Ron Bauer 2008 Lecture, pp. 23-28
  3. Chuck Romano, The Art of Deception, 2008, p. 194
  4. The Revised Ron Bauer 2008 Lecture, 2009, p. 5
  5. E-GADS Press Release, "Now Through Sunday, Ron Bauer is the Featured Guest on England's Premier Web Forum!", MagicTimes, February 20, 2003
  6. Dai Vernon, Genii 1983 August, Vol. 47, No. 8, p. 25
  7. Jon Racherbaumer, "Vernon - Marlo, mutual respect?", The Genii Forum, November 5, 2004
  8. Bill Kalush's New York City Conference 1994 by Lance Pierce, 1997, pp. 11-12
  9. Bill Kalush's New York City Conference 1994 by Lance Pierce, 1997, p. 103
  10. John Luka, The Linking Ring, Vol. 77 No. 12, December 1997, p. 39
  11. Dennis Loomis, M-U-M, Vol. 100 No. 6, November 2010, p. 30
  12. Dennis Loomis, M-U-M, Vol. 101 No. 1, June 2011, p. 60
  13. Ron Bauer, "Special Guest Randy Wakeman: Scripting", The Magic Café, March 6, 2003
  14. Ron Bauer, "The Screened Leipzig Pass," Genii 1983 February, Vol. 47 No. 2, p. 114.

External Links