Willmarth, Philip Reed: The Magic of Matt Schulien Chicago's Biggest Magical Entertainer ©1959 Ireland Magic Co (First Edition) Softcover, comb-bound, 8.5x11", 165 pages ©1994 Magic Inc. Hardcover, 178 pages

1959 First Edition Softcover Image courtesy eBay seller MackiesAttic

1994 Edition Hardcover Image courtesy Magicref

Comments: A great tribute to magician Matt Schulien with lots of magic, anecdotes, and tons of photos

Contents: (From 1994 Edition book):

3 Foreword: Harry Blackstone, NYC 23 June 1959
7 Introduction: P.R. Willmarth, May 1959
9 Not the Best, But the Biggest (Frances Ireland Marshall): an autobiography of Matt Schulien

16 Basic Sleights
16 Matt's Fan Location: a card control during the return of a card to the deck
17 The Crimp Location and Steal: another card control
18 The Palm: Matt style
20 Matt's Hideaway: the advantages of being rather large...

21 Quick Discoveries
22 Cut the Cards: Spectator cuts to the face up selection
22 The Card in the Hat: with a flick of the finger the selection jumps out of a hat
23 Air Pressure: the deck is dropped on the table and the selection appears face up
23 The Card in the Cuff: chosen card is found in the sleeve cuff of the magician
24 The Card in the Card Case: selection is found back in the case
24 One Hand Discovery One Card: With a one hand cut, the selection is removed
25 One Hand Discovery Two Cards: as above but two cards are found
26 Spell It: the spectator's name is spelled to the selection
27 Three Reversed: Three selections reverse themselves in the deck
28 The Invisible Hair: the chosen card emerges from the deck with the aid of an invisible hair
29 The Slap Discovery: deck is slapped from the spectator's hand, and they are left holding their selection
32 Letter to Matt Schulien

33 Tricks With the Change
34 The Change: Matt's way, and additional references by the editor
34 The Professional Touch: a wrong card is sat upon by a spectator. The magician seems to take the card from under her, but it turns out the card she is sitting on is the selection
35 Put It Back in the Deck: Spectator takes wrong card, but it then changes into the right one
37 The Slam and Flip Over: another wrong card turned right
37 That's Your Card: A Sucker Trick
39 Matt's Ribbon Spread Trick: an indifferent card seems to leap and change into the selection while a ribbon spread is flipped over. Two approaches.
43 Sphinx Picture

44 Tricks With the Force
45 The Face-Up Spread Force: doesn't always work
46 The Fan Force: almost 100% effective
46 Matt's Call a Card Force: a card called out is the one selected (accomplice)
48 Matt's Face-Down Spread Force: spectator takes any card from a face down spread, yet it is forced
52 Find the Five: a Seven is pulled out of the pocket as the selection, but is thought to be wrong. It turns out to be right!
53 The Lie Test: Magician directs spectator's finger to the right card
53 The X-Ray Eyes: by looking down the spectator's throat, the magician can tell what card she is sitting on

54 Miscellaneous Magic and Gags
55 The Vanishing Deck: the deck is thrown into the air, but only a single card floats down
55 Testing a Half Dollar: a gag
56 Bending a Spoon: an illusion and then a gag if you have cheap silverware handy
57 Bending the Arm: an apparent bending of the arm that hurts
57 Twister: pulling one match through another
58 Matt's Match Magic: a clever variation on two in the hand, one in the pocket with match sticks
59 The Jumping Match: a matchstick jumps far away when a spectator blows it out
61 Matt's Goldfish Eating: Matt's approach

66 Card Routines
67 Where Do You Want Your Card?: Top, middle, or bottom of the deck?
69 The Mental Fan Force Routine: actually a card location that can be used for multiple routines
73 A Sample Routine: using the above
73 Counting the Cards: a comedy bit with the spectator and magician trying to count how many cards they have (a seven phase trick)
87 Matt's Crazy Poker Deal: a gambling demonstration
87 The Cards and the Cigarette: a Chink-A-Chink effect with cigarette pieces and cards

93 Tricks With Gimmicks
94 The Pea Can: Matt's routine for this commercial effect, though he uses a custom Pea Can that has two extra compartments rather than one
95 The Half In the Bottle: Using a folder and routined so all is examinable at the end
99 The Fifty Sponge Balls: Two in the hand and one in the pocket with sponges and a multi-ball climax
101 Matt's Color Changing Knife Routine: a four knife routine - W, B, WB, BR. With audience participation in six phases

110 Smash Discoveries
111 The Card In the Sugar: torn corner ends up in a sugar cube wrapper, and then the rest of the card appears from the deck
113 The Corner in the Glass: an alternate ending if you don't have sugar cubes handy
113 Card In the Matchbook: lit match is waved around the deck, and the selection ends up in the matchbook. Teaches a card fold.
115 The Card Under the Tablecloth: Chosen card is tapped through the deck and the tablecloth
121 Here Comes Kelly: The Card in the Glass Effect
123 The Card on the Wall: Matt's classic approach

125 The Real Secrets of Matt Schulien: The Matt Schulien philosophy of magic
130 A Summary of Matt's Advice on Magic
132 About Matt (Philip Willmarth): a short autobiography
138 Schuliana: Matt and the children
144 Bibliography
144 Articles or Books Which Mention Matt
144 Books Referred to In the Text
147 Puzzle Picture: a "Where's Waldo" photo for Matt

148 Matt's Kind of Magic: a tribute
148 Matt's Card in the Matchbook - Two: another approach
149 Card and Glass (Larry West): two cards change places one on top of a glass and one under
149 The Card on the Forehead (Johnny Platt): a comedy effect
150 The Vanishing Match (Jim Ryan): an appearingly impromptu vanish of a burnt match (TT)
150 Card Under the Lapel (Eddie Fechter): card is visible to the audience but not the spectator
161 Which Is Which (Johnny Platt): Spectator holds his card, but it is then changes places with the magician's selection. The magician's selection is now on the deck, and he card the spectator is holding has a funny message on it
152 Air Pressure Turnover (Chuck Morris): the deck is dropped and the spectator's selection appears face up
152 The Sugar Cube Trick (Heba Haba Al): Heba Al's approach to the mark transfer from sugar cube to spectator's palm
154 The Sponge Rabbits (Frank Everhart): a simple but direct presentation of the sponge rabbits
155 Frank Everhart Does Paper Hats and Pants: Frank's approach to this paper tear
155 A Trick You Can Write Home About! (Don Alan): Postage stamps change color and position in the hands and on an envelope

161 Chicago Restaurateur Matt Schulien Dies: Obituary
162 About the Author: one page autobiography of Phil Willmarth
163 Schuliens' Today: a quick look at the restaurant
166 Editor's Note 1992: Update on many more magic legends who have passed away since the original writing of this book
174 Schulien Update 1994: An update on the restaurant, Matt's children, and more.