#max malini

We continue our extended conversation with Steve Cohen in this second of two episodes. Much of this week’s chat is about the 500+ page book authored by Steve which is currently still with the printer but will include Max Malini’s life story and a multitude of tricks in a section of explanations. Max Malini was a guiding influence in Steve’s life and career though he died in 1942, nearly 30 years before Steve was born. Malini’s life is rife with stories that have become legends. Steve’s book will try to decipher and weed out the truths from fiction and follow where the stories lead.

This week we pick up where we left off last week with Steve talking about his performances at the Waldorf Astoria before he moved to the Palace Hotel in New York. But the bulk of this episode focuses on Max Malini and the book Steve has written about this legendary magician from the early 20th century. Steve shares stories about Malini that will be enjoyed by magic historians and collectors alike.

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THE LEGEND OF MAX MALINI

AS TOLD BY DAVID BLAINE

One of my favorite magicians was Max Malini, he was an immigrant from Poland.

He came to America over a hundred years ago with nothing.

He decides that in order to become successful he has to find really powerful people so that he can blow their minds.

So he gets on a train and goes to Washington, D.C. and he finds one of the senators and he runs up to the senator and says,

"Can I show you something?"

and he grabs the guy's jacket and he bites a button off of the senator's coat. And he has the button in his mouth and there's just some threads hanging off of the coat.

And Malini says,

"Watch!"

and he holds the button in his mouth and goes *poof* and he spits it right back on to the guy's jacket and the senator goes crazy.

Eventually he ends up being invited to do magic at the White House, and they prepared a duck, and Malini, as they're about to cut the duck and serve it says,

"Wait!"

and he walks up to the duck and just snaps his fingers over it.

And the duck jumps up to life and runs off of the table!

...and the Legend of Max Malini was born.

And after that he was famous for performing for Kings, and Presidents, and Emperors all over the world.

America is a place where anyone can achieve the impossible.

- David Blaine

WHAT IS THE STORY?

You MUST ask yourself this question unceasingly.

Magic doesn't only happen in the moment.

The story matters.

People live to be witness.

People want nothing more to be part of a story, to be able to say,

"I WAS THERE!"

The greatest magicians were consumed with spreading their magic and there is no better way to do that than word of mouth.

The key is to create moments that are worth sharing.

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION to the stories you tell and the stories you hear. THINK about the greatest and most fantastic stories in the history of magic and you will find a common thread.

They are stories that people want to share and want to hear.

Depp as Houdini in New Film

Houdini as Johnny Depp is how some of the snarky trade journals are setting the story from here in Hollywood that the famed actor is in negotiations to lead The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America’s First Superhero.

We have gone on record as liking Johnny Depp and disliking almost all snark about anything always. Accordingly we are looking forward to the film based on William Kalush…

It's called The Apple May Fall and it is amazing. It's by the lovely and talented Wtchcool, who deserves lots of accolades for an awesome story.

The story is a crossover betweenGood OmensandThe Cape. Here's a handy summary:  "Max, do you recall the first amendment we made to the rules of our competition? How did that go? Oh, yes, that's right—no more summoning demons!" André fumed. In which Max doesn't actually summon a demon, Scales turns out to be half-demonic, and the apple may or may not have fallen far from the tree.

(Technically, there's a third part to this crossover, from a forgettable but somewhat enjoyable movie calledDark Relic, which starred James Frain--who's also inThe Cape. But you don't need to see the movie to understand this story.)

If you haven't seen Cape, well... *shrugs* The story's understandable anyways. Check the story out, leave a review, etc. It's awesome.

Spoilers

Just got to the moment where it looks like Max Malini is dead. I was thinking: No! You can't do that! 95% of why I checked this show out is because Malini is played by Keith David! You kill him the first episode and I will never forgive you.