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The Haunted Key

The Haunted Key
Haunted Key Tips - Williams
Super Haunted Key - Robinson
Book & Key Oracle - Cremer

The Haunted Key is (c) 2001 by Robinson Wizard, Inc. New York City.
Portions (c) 2001 by Dick Williams.
Photographs by Ellen Lebwoitz.
All rights are reserved. This document is for the personal use of the reader and may not be altered, sold,
reprinted, copied and/or distributed without the written permission of the copyright holder.
http://allmagicreader.com

The Book And Key Oracle

By W. H. Cremer
Cremer's Book And Key Oracle
Place a key in a book, then tie the book with a strong string, so that the key will not slip out. The key is
held by two persons, on the index fingers of the left hands, care being taken to allow space enough for
the key to turn.
In the choice of a book, one must be guided by weight. Any book will do, such as a large dictionary. A
thick octavo will do well for a moderate sized door key.
Held as in the illustrations for a short time, the key turns half round, that is, it will become at right angles
to its former position.
Our readers must not suppose we think it to be magic, or anything else hut a new andprobably magnetic
fluid emitted from the persons, and influenced by their will; if it be not the involuntary muscular
action of the holders, as suggested by more than one savant.
It is influenced by the will, as will be proved by the following experiments:
Fix on a name which both parties know, say Eliza; repeat the letters of the alphabet at intervals, by the
watch, of five seconds; the key will turn at the letter E.
Replace the key, and by the same process the key will move at the letter T, the name Thomas being fixed
on; the difference of time employed in the experiments being seventy-five seconds.
If one of the persons only knows the name, the key will turn, but more slowly and hesitatingly, proving
that the influence of the will of two is more powerful than that of one; where neither, but a third person
present knows the name, the key will not turn with certainty, thus proving that it is merely a scientific

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experiment, and, as every one but the most credulous must at once perceive, useless for purposes of
soothsaying.
Our readers will find some amusement in trying this, and especially in testing the strength of one person's
will over another.

The deck or book must be enclosed by one or more rubber bands so that it will clamp the key in place when the key is
inserted into it.

Two spectators hold the key suspended by their finger tips. The cards or book act as a counter balance.

Modifications To Cremer's Presentation

This variation of the 'Magic Pendulum' principle requires a large key with enough area to rest on the
finger tips of the participants. In addition, a reasonably heavy weight must be used as the counter
balance.
While a book can be used as in Cremer's original description, the effect can also be created with a deck
of playing cards, tarot cards or even jumbo playing cards. In using cards, the deck must be banded
tightly using a thick rubber band.
Whether a book or cards are used as the counter balance, the focus of the effect should be on the
revelation of a secretly selected card or word in the book.
From 'The Secret Our; Or, One Thousand Tricks With Cards, And other Recreations,' New York, 1859, Dick And
Fitzgerald. This book, along with at least two companion volumes, were originally published in London. Although no
author is listed, it is generally believe to be W. H. Cremer, a British performer and magic dealer. The American editions
of the books seem to have be re-written, at least in part, by Wyman, a professional of the time. Where Professor
Hoffmann's 'Modern Magic' series are often considered the first 'modern' books on the subject, it is interesting to note
that Cremer proceeded Hoffmann by a few years and that in an uncharacteristic outburst, the genial Professor
Hoffmann had rather harsh words for Cremer's explanatory style although Hoffmann did not identify the competition
by name.

The Haunted Key

A skeleton key is placed across the magician's palm. While the hand never moves, the key itself suddenly
animates, revolving on the hand in an eire manner as if opening an unseen lock.
Haunted Key Tips
Dick Williams explains handling and variations to make the haunted key more effective as a close-up
illusion.

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The Super Haunted Key

Richard Robinson creates an uncanny sequence of events involving the spectator, the key and the
magician.
Book And Key Oracle
W. H. Cremer uses the key and an old book to read two spectators' minds in this intriguing key mystery.
P hotographs by Ellen Lebowitz.

The Super Haunted Key

By Richard Robinson
The magician unfolds an antique looking felt cloth to reveal an old fashioned key lying in the center of the
cloth. The key is attached to a length of polished black cord. The magician lifts the cord so that the key
hangs just above the cloth.
Explaining that old keys have memories of a sort, the magician asks a spectator to hold the cord. Now
the spectator is told to imagine she is walking down the corridors of an old house, searching back and
forth for a particular door. As the spectator imagines this the key starts swaying back and forth at the end
of the cord.
The magician tells the spectator to imagine she has found a particular door which she thinks the key will
unlock. The spectator is told to imagine that she has stopped in front of that door and is staring at the
round key hole. As the spectator does this the key begins to swing in a circle at the end of the cord.
The magician informs the spectator that she has indeed found the right door. The magician then asks the
spectator to remove the key from the cord and place it on the center of the cloth. The magician picks up
the key and lays it across his open palm. With a mysterious gesture of his other hand, the magician
commands the key to open the lock. In an eerie fashion the key slowly revolves on the magician's open
palm.
The magician places the key back on the center of the cloth. The spectators can examine the cloth, cord
and key. They will find only those three objects.
This Super Haunted Key routine can be performed in any situation at any time. There are no hidden
gimmicks. No advance preparation is required. The objects used can be examined by the spectators who
will find nothing out of order.
Props
A 'haunted key.' This prop is available from many magic dealers. The version currently distributed by
Fun, Inc. is modestly priced and appears to be nothing more than an old fashioned steel skeleton key. It
is possible to find a larger and more elaborate key, although a good deal of searching around and testing
of keys will be involved.
A performance mat. While a close-up pad could certainly be used, something less mundane and more
theatrical is recommended.

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The cord from which is key hangs can be anything from a long shoe lace to a length of velvet cord. A
good, durable cord is called 'ratstail' in dress making circles and has an attractive satin finish. The cord
should be about three feet long, resulting in the doubled length being about 18 inches.
Setup
Place the cord through the handle of the key so the cord is half way through and, when the ends of the
cord are held, the key will hang from the center of the cord. Fold the cloth around the key and cord.
Performance
Bring out the cloth and open it out on the table to reveal the key and cord. The cloth is your performing
surface and adds atmosphere to the effect.
The first segment of the effect uses the 'Magic Pendulum' principle: a person holding a string with a weight
at the end will unconsciously cause the weight to swing left to right or in a circle depending on what
they're thinking of.
Before proceeding, learn to do this yourself. Hold the two ends of the cord about an inch from the end
between the tips of your right thumb and index finger. Concentrate on the key rather than the cord, then
think of making a line or a circle. You can cause the key to sway back and forth or in a circle without any
perceptible movement of your fingers or hand.

The cord is held two or three inches down from the tied end by just the index finger and thumb. The magician moves
the spectator's hand so that the key hangs at the end of the cord over the center of the mat.

If you encounter a spectator who is unable to imagine these two states, and so does not cause the key to
sway, ask if he or she is right or left handed. Then ask him or her to switch hands. If this fails, simply take
the cord back and do the action yourself. Since there is no visible movement of the hand as the key
sways at the end of the cord, the illusion is just as mysterious whether you create it or a spectator does.
Causing the key to revolve as it lies on your open hand is a matter learning to work with the haunted key
prop. Once you get the knack of doing it the action will seem obvious. Note that the hand is kept level
and does not move as the key revolves.
Open the hand out, palm up, so the hand is parallel to the floor. The fingers can be touching or spread
apart slightly, whichever is more comfortable.
Place the key across the palm so that the end of the key lies on the area below the base of the thumb.
The handle of the key must be off the hand far enough so that it will not strike the palm as the key
revolves.
The haunted key is specially gaffed to make the effect easy to perform. Having gotten the knack of
manipulating the key, practice controlling the revolution of the key so it revolves as slowly as possible.

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With practice you will be able to make the key stop as it revolves and then start again.
Presentation Notes
With no gimmicks, except for the design of the key, this effect lends itself to a spooky presentation. Take
your time unwrapping the cloth, displaying the key and cord and having the spectator participate in the
story you tell. Although several seemingly magical events occur, the overall presentation should be
centered around the key as a weird object, the magic itself being nothing more than what you seem to
expect because of the key.

Haunted Key Tips

By Dick Williams
If you have the Haunted Key and have read the instructions but need some help in learning or perfecting
this classic, here are some tips that may do the trick.
Your hand should be relaxed, not stretched tight. This results in a normal, slightly curved hand as if you
were ready to catch a raindrop.The hand is parallel to the floor and is neither tipped to the left or right.
Place the key on hand making a slight adjustment if necessary so the ward only lightly touches the hand.
Tell the key to begin turning.
From this moment on, younever tilt your hand but instead hold it perfectly steady. This makes the key
work properly.
Some of my early students had a problem: the key would perform correctly until it reached midpoint with
the ward pointing straight up. Then it would quickly flop over ruining the effect. It was a puzzling
problem.
On average it takes the key about 90 seconds to roll over from one side to the other. Some beginners
become nervous at the slow pace and try to speed matters along by tilting the hand slightly forward. This
speeds up the key's turning at first but results in disaster when the zenith is reached and the key flops
over.
Remember the rule: Once the key begins to turn, never tilt your hand. You can even have the spectator
hold your fingertips and wrist while the key turns. This adds to the mystery.

The hand must remain motionless as the key revolves.

Several students had difficulty if their hands were cold. The key must make perfect contact with the hand
if it is to perform correctly. One performer has the spectator hold the key in her closed hand over her
heart which incidentally warms the key.

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The performer rubs his hands together vigorously as he emphasizes the wonders about to be seen. His
hands are now warmed! I don't use this warming method but many swear by it even claiming it is the heat
of the hand that turns the key. The real secret is much more esoteric as key owners know but if heat
helps you do the key moves, then warm your hands!
A valuable idea for table workers: The spectators are sitting while the magician stands at the edge of
table, bending over enough to rest the back of his hand on the table. That's how it looks to the viewers.
Actually it is mainly the back of the wrist that makes contact with the table surface, the hand lightly
curved as usual. This position allows the performer to keep his hand obviously still as the haunted key
completes it slow rollover performance. This is the ideal close-up handling of a classic. It looks
impossible.
You can even cause the key to turn while a spectator holds it on his or her hand. This really astonishes
the onlookers. It is more difficult to perform but worth the effort.
The Haunted Key is performed by many leading magicians. David Copperfield has a masterful
presentation as does Tony Brent (Dr.Tony) at Disney's Epcot Center in Florida. Tony secured his Epcot
gig by bowling over the Disney execs with his impromptu presentation of the key. Tony and I always
carry the key on our person. After over 50 years in magic it is my favorite close-up effect. It's the closest
thing to real magic I have ever performed.
Keep 'em turning and have fun!
Dick Williams
2001 by Dick Williams.
For more info on Dick Williams' work with the haunted key, his booklet, 'Presenting the Haunted Key,' published by
Fun Inc. of Chicago is available from many magic dealers, as is the Fun Inc. version of the 'Haunted Key.' Included in
Williams' booklet are several scripts which effectively cover the slowness of the turning key plus tips on learning and
performing the key.