Help us get to over 8,748 articles in 2024.

If you know of a magician not listed in MagicPedia, start a New Biography for them. Contact us at magicpediahelp@gmail.com

Paul Harris

From Magicpedia, the free online encyclopedia for magicians by magicians.
Revision as of 19:58, 25 October 2007 by Jpecore (Talk | contribs) (Was asked by Chief Genii to break this back out to it's own page)

Jump to: navigation, search

Paul Harris is an inventor, magician, and writer. Described by the magazine Genii Magazine (December 1996) as "the most innovative magic mind of our day" and is listed in MAGIC Magazine (August 1999) as one of "the 100 magicians who shaped the art of magic in America."

He 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 astonishments 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 advisor 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.

In 2007, his effect "LadyBug" won 3rd place in The Magic Woods Awards for Best Trick 2007.

MAGIC magazine did a Paul Harris cover issue for June 2007, which contained a great cover story "Living in Astonishment" by Eric Mead.

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 13, 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's 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 advisor/magic consultant for David Blaine's TV Shows.

Bibliography

Books

Products

  • 1973 Vanishing Deck
  • 1979 Twilight
  • 1980 Screwed Deck
  • 1980 Hard Boiled Quarter / Half
  • 1980 Nightshades
  • 1980 Solid Deception
  • 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

Contributions

Books, videos and products that Paul Harris has provided contributions:

  • Encore III by Michael Ammar (book) - 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.
  • 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 Neal Folding Money Fooling (book): 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.
  • 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
  • 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).
  • Stockholder by Gregory Wilson (product): Included with The Stockholder is a portfolio of more than 20 routines in a fully illustrated booklet with a routine by Paul Harris.

Effects by Paul Harris

Effects by Paul Harris

External links and references