Finally got around to ordering the late Ron MacMillan's DVD from Penguin Magic. The quality is pour throw-out as it was shot live at a lecture in Spain I believe. There are several converted tape and film to DVD of his act. Again these are not "watching for enjoyment" quality. The price is good for the product, as I believe the information is more important then how good the picture is.

This covers one of Ron's Miser's Dream and Billiard Ball acts. Ron published a book on the Miser's Dream year ago in the 1980's and it is the best book on the subject ever written.

Now after all these years, I can watch what his excellent explanations were teaching. Ron also published a small booklet of his Billiard Ball routine, with the ejection loading of the balls. This is not shown in this DVD as he was using the Billiard Ball for variation to the coin productions.

If you want to know how to move on stage while doing manipulations, then get this DVD.
If you want to know how to steal loads of coins and a Billiard Ball then get this DVD.
If you want to witness the most convincing palm of a Billiard Ball and Stack of Coins, then get this DVD.

Ron MacMillan was a 2nd place FISM winner in his day. He is good and very natural in his moves. Ron was also the owner of the International Magic in London, England. His son now carries on the business.

The method in these steals can be conveyed to any type of object that one wishes to steal from the body.

This DVD is only for those that truly desire to better their manipulation and stage presence in magic.

Highly Recommended for sleight of hand artist!!

http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/S13878

Lecture was recorded live in Espinho, Portugal in 1991 and International magic sold it as a VHS lecture. I remember Ron gave me a copy in 1993 or 1994 on a dealer convention in Vienna. I watched it over and over again. As Bill said it was most convincing palm of a Billiard Ball and I don`t remember anyone else performing 4 ball catch behind his back as he did it.

I have the VHS , I love watching his hands , he had a pair of the most flexible and creepy hands in magic .

Ron and I were great friends until his death. He was one of the greatest human beings I have ever met. His skill was phenomenal and he still had incredible dexterity until the end. His digital flexibility was amazing - like a man 40 years younger!

He had an amazing method of stealing a ball, which no-one on the planet could do apart from him (and I really mean that!). Just for fun, see if you can guess - I'll let you in on the secret soon!

I incorporated his technique for retrieving a coin from back thumb palm into my own work (Moneypulation vol.1)...
Great magician and manipulator ! I would have liked to meet him...

As for the stealing of a ball, I'd say he would extent his pinky and ring finger inside the jacket while holding a fan of cards ?
:)

My adaptation of one of the moves I leared from the video
http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/4310/......hvfh.mp4

Hi Lawrens. Good guess, but wrong. Clue: Ron had a peculiar physical characteristic that he employed!

Best

Dave

Dave,

The sad part is that I once owned his book, but unfortunately during a moving, some water ruined the main part on the book...
I tried to save some pages, but I'm now unabled to read through it to try and figure out what his "peculiar physical characteristic" was !

Please, I give up !

:)

OK. I'll relent!

As a young man, Ron contracted a serious infection, which involved a medical operation to remove one of his ribs!

He found that the gap that was created was just big enough to jam a billiard ball into. It could be carried around during his act but, if he breathed out, it would pop out into his waiting hand, ready to produce!

I could be wrong, but I think he met his lovely wife, Teresa, while in hospital for treatment.

Ron really was a great bloke!

Wow haha ! That was a great story !
(I'm not going to try this though).

Thank you Dave