I come across his name from time to time and wonder if you anyone here has met him? Any stories about this magician and his magic?

S

I met John Murray years ago. I think it was at a MagiFest in Ohio. Dan Block and I were sessioning at a table when John walked over and asked if he could watch. We did some tricks and he seemed to like them. We asked if he was a magician and he said that he was. Our take was that he was an old "f*rt" who was probably not very good. He had me shuffle my deck. I put it down on the table and he reached over with his right hand and turned over the top card. It was the six of hearts. He flipped it over on the tabled deck and told me to bury it in the middle. He then said that I should snap my fingers over the deck and turn over the top card. It was the six of heart!

We were totally and utterly fooled by his flawless "gin pick." He could turn over a perfect double on a tabled deck with one hand. We saw nothing. I did get to see him again at Fechters some years ago. I'm pretty sure that he died a while back.

There are a couple of sets of lecture notes from John Murray.

Mike

There is also a book available...Inside John Murray.

Thanks for sharing the story Mike. Sounds like a character for sure. I got an email from a guy on the Café years ago who shared a version of coincidence trick where you find a four of a kind which was very good. I have since lost the email but always remembered it. I currently am doing a Ramon Rioboo variation of a four card coincidence from his book Thinking the impossible that made me remember his effect.

Anyone else see John Murray work?

S

John was a dear and close friend of mine. I initially met him 40 years ago at his Up The Stairs Magic Shop in Greenville, SC. He was a clever and skilled card man. His ambitious card routine was always a pleaser. He had a move he called The Move (in his book Inside John Murray) where he caused a card fairly inserted into the center of the deck to be moved to the top of the deck with a simple riffle of the cards. The Mark is a fabulous marked card to keychain (made up in half dollar and more popularly quarter size. Al Cohen was given the right to sell that at one time. John was a mentor to many young magicians who gravitated to his shop and were tutored by him in all phases of magic (Young Steve beam is an example who comes immediately to mind.). He was a principled owner of his shop and would not sell tricks to customers who he felt couldn’t master the trick or weren’t ready for it. (Not necessarily good business but the right thing to do.) John died in Charleston, SC a good number of years ago but his memory and influences are still felt by those who were fortunate enough to know and study with him.

Rhett, What a wonderful tribute. I love hearing about magicians we WISH we would have met.

Thanks so much John, very much appreciated.

Sean

Did you mean Rhett?

I saw John Murray lecture at Al's Magic Shop in D.C. in the mid '70's. A very nice guy and a likable performer. A few of us went to dinner with him and his lady friend after the lecture. Besides his 4 card coincidence trick which was a real hit back then and still stands up today as a great trick, he performed a version of CSB using a purse which was also a hit with everyone. The shame of it is that I can't remember the full routine. All I remember is that he used a Goshman type purse and that at one point he placed the copper in the purse and hung the Chinese coin on the clasp of the open purse. I have lecture notes and pamphlets and it's not there. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, I'd love to know more.

John’s “Super Silver-Copper-Brass” is in his underground book, Inside John Murray. I don’t recall the hanging of the brass (which would be the Oriental coin) coin on the clasp - that was likely a subtle improvement he added after writing the book. Incidentally, the book was published in HB and paperback - the paperback being the most common edition. They do show up from time to time on eBay.

I posted a link to the book above.

John was at Fechter's way back. I remember him performing something with an Okito Box I think. He may have also performed the CSB routine mentioned above. He was a very clever magician and a nice guy to boot.

Mike

Thank you. As it turns out, I have the book and I found the routine.

Yes, I meant Rhett. Excuse me.

S

What about his four card coincidence routine. Which notes is that routine in?

I have lecture notes by Jerry Mentzer titled Second Lecture (1976). It's the last effect in the notes. It was originally published in Card Cavalcade 3 also by Jerry Mentzer.

Thanks Nicholas.

S

BTW - John would have been very flattered that users of this forum had an interest in his work and inventions. Speaking of those, there is one of his “The Mark” - coin in key fob tricks being offered on eBay.

I remember buying On the Mark when Al demoed it at a convention I was at a long time ago. Very good trick.

Of possible interest. John’s lecture notes: “Mostly Openers” is now being offered on eBay. I think this was the only lecture notes he published.