Magician Ricky Jay in a guest spot on Doug Henning's World of Magic from 1976. Card throwing and close-up magic. From The MagicWeek Video Archive www.magicweek.c...
It is to Doug Henning's great credit that he introduced such a great performer. It shows he had no fear of being overshadowed by an up-and-comer. Doug Henning had a reputation for generosity.
I seen him do this exact performance at a much later time in a different RU-vid video. People like this guy and George Carlin are amazing. They have a craft and they perfect it. I never knew who Ricky Jay was until this morning. Literally past midnight. Didn't know he died either. Rip man. You were one of the greats
1976 was about the time I became seriously interested in magic. Seeing Doug, Ricky and Michael really takes me back. RIP to all three. They were all excellent in their art and craft.
First time I've seen this footage. My mum would have swooned over Michael Landon for sure; she adored him. I digress. Seeing Ricky though, as a quite handsome rock god of magic, was indeed something else. I've only ever seen that 4 queens routine on the 52 Assistants Special that he did from that grainy footage, so this more youthful and energetic version was a real treat. Is it me or did Ricky become a little morose as he got older? To be honest, that's what would have drawn me to him. He never lost his artifice as he grew older. I believe he is up there with the greats of sleights of hand. RIP Ricky, The Raconteur Of Magic.
This was exceptionally cool. The card s turning all the beautiful antique toys from his collection had Me laughing, the boomerang card being cut had me aaaahhhhhiiiiiing, and the Four Queens had Me huh?ing. An Absolute Master
15 years later he did every one of these tricks at The Old Vic for his David Mamet directed RICKY JAY AND 52 ASSISTANTS. I must say, they're exciting to see over and over. If you have time, look up that show on RU-vid... it's brilliant! (Just like this performance! )
Ricky Jay was a true master showman and perfectionist. Even in his younger age seen here, his card moves were still more refined and flawless than what someone decades his superior could manage. I don't think you'll find any other who could do the "pop-out" move he does with the queens so instantaneous - compare to David Copperfield's "Grandfather's Aces" for instance.
His tricks were always great but the biggest difference for me was that his 70's patter was so incredibly annoying. From the 80's onward he was much better at it.
The first 30 seconds of this video immediately remind me of Penn Jillette in one of Penn & Teller’s SNL acts saying, “Doug, it’s 1986, get a haircut!” Haha! The era of the most entertaining magicians.
I remember watching this on TV as a kid. Doug was from my city of Hamilton , Ontario and we were excited for him to gain so much notoriety. This show was a typical 70s style variety style show. I remember enjoying the heck out of it. Ricky Jay went on to become a legend.... Doug got weird into the TM stuff and tried to get a political party elected full of flying yogis.
Yea Doug got a bit metaphysical. At one point didn’t he say something along the lines that he believed certain types of magic could be real and achieved? Of course he didn’t define that but it was quite a statement
one fascinating thing about this trick is that every version of him doing it that I've seen, from this early 1976, through late night talk shows, and the HBO released version of 52 Assistants, the other 12 cards are always between 6 and 10, usually 6, 9, and 10. That he's always controlled the deck so that at the end of the 2nd Queens routine he's cut specifically that range of card numbers to the top every single time. dang...
I like seeing this as a kind of prototype for the act he does in 52 Assistants. 52 Assistants adds more drama and the moments of queens disappearing have much more impact. Here, he kind of breezes through it a little too fast and the audience seems unsure of what has happened, impressive as it is. In 52 he had so mastered his patter and pacing that every moment feels like a minor miracle.
Love these old clips of him with long hair. I was 6 when this aired. I can remember seeing specials w Doug henning but probably saw this one. I can't remember Ricky
In the first minute was that Little House actor Michael Landon co-hosting with Doug Henning?? My Dad and I saw Doug perform when I was a kid. It was beyond magical!
He was also in Boogie Nights in ‘97 also and Magnolia in ‘99, along with The Prestige in 2006 where he played the magician Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Borden (Christian Bale) work for during the drowning incident and was also a consultant on the film!
Anyone able to help explain his show from season 2 of SNL? I tried finding a clip online but couldn't. Just wondering if anyone had seen it and could explain it. I'm wondering if his final trick was just guessing most people answer "seven".
Ricky Jay must have had good taste in music (from his earliest days at McCabes, I assume) because he always mentions The Meters. He was a master of his craft as are The Meters.
DID HE TAKE ON AN APPRENTICE? the two elderly men who taught him- these were all well guarded tricks. I don't know if Ricky took them with him when he left
Sad to learn that Ricky Jay the man, the myth has passed away today of natural cause, he was 72.. He was the card magician guy that fooled everyone including fellow magicians. RIP Jay.
I noticed the move with the four queens too. It's the only time after he counts out the three cards that he returns them to his other hand briefly before putting them down. He does it here just a split second slower than in the Ricky Jay and his 52 Assistants special. I never noticed it in the 52 Assistants special. That was the only part I figured out, clueless how he did the rest.
