Judson Cole's Long-Lost Comedy Act

By Todd Karr Judson Cole, a top comedy performer of the 1920s      Judson Cole paved a comedy path for humorous magic acts with his wisecracking style in top vaudeville houses, and his Kling-Klang routine with an American flag echoes in the ubiquitous Silk to Egg routine found in the standard repertoire of magic acts even today. His real name was Milton Greishaber and he lived from December 27, 1894 to October 2, 1943. The following record of his act is unsigned but we thank the unknown author for his diligence in preserving the words of this trendsetting performer! — Todd Karr      Cole makes appearance in “one” in snappy suit. “It’s customary for all high-class magicians — for all high-class magicians — to roll up their sleeves before commencing their tricks, proving there is nothing concealed in the sleeves, such as elephants, cannon balls, and other objects. You can see there is nothing con¬cealed in my sleeves except my arms, and I’ve had them ever since I’ve been a little boy and would not like to part with them. Laughter — none whatever.      “For my first experiment this evening, I will use this deck of cards, showing you a few passes in card manipulation. The waterfall (drops a few cards, saying) — I always do that so you can see the spray. (Runs cards along left arm, tosses in air, and catches in right hand without dropping any, at same time saying) I could have done that the first time, but I would not have received so much applause.”      Sometimes Cole varies first part of act, though using cards just the same, fakes five of them, vanishing by front-and-back palm, then producing one at a time. Also uses in either routine the reproduction of cards from fingertips, using the “snap” method sold by Gilbert. In addition, he also works one or two color-changes, finally doing the “Nonpariel” for a finish — this, too, as sold by Gilbert.      “I wish to call your attention to the nature of the next experiment. First of all, I shall have a gentleman remove, secretly, a card from this deck. (Steps down in audience and addresses some gent as follows) Do you know anything about cards? No? Well, you are just the man I am looking for. Please remove a card and place it in your inside coat pocket. Thanks, just hold onto it for good, for I will come back in a couple of hours.      “I wish to call your attention to the next object used. It is the hand of an Egyptian princess who lived three thousand years ago. It is supposed to have been taken from beneath the pyramids of Egypt. If you will excuse me a moment, I will bring it out. (Leaves stage and finally comes back with Thayer board and rapping hand. All the time orchestra plays a slow, Oriental number.) This is the hand of the Egyptian princess, said to be 3000 years old. The princess was supposed to have been a spiritualist, and the hand still retains some supernatural power. For instance, it will answer questions by rapping.      “Before going any further, however, I am going to pass the hand out for exam¬ination. Some say the hand is petrified, while others say it is made of wood. Personally, I wouldn’t argue the matter. Just pass the hand around. It’s a lady’s hand, so you can hold it as long as you wish. Now the board has nothing to do with the experiment — it simply acts as a sounding board for the hand to rap on. I will pass it out, too. Just pass it around and kill a couple of hours, also a couple of customers. That’s enough — you’ll wear out the board. Pass it back, please. Say, don’t look at that hand all night. I looked at a hand last night and it cost me $1.60. It was a different kind of hand — it was a poker hand. (Cole, holding the hand, says) The Egyptian princess lived during the antiphlogestine period. Of course, it is impossible to know much about the antiphlogestine period unless you have studied monotony.      “How, then, the hand will tell us the name of the card selected by the gentleman. Keep your mind on your card, sir. You see, the hand reads your mind, so if you lose your mind, you’ll spoil the whole works. This is a good show we are having here this week. Of course, the show hasn’t started yet. Was the gentleman’s card a red card? (Hand raps Yes.) Was the card a Heart? (Hand raps No.) Then it must have been a Diamond. (Hand raps out number of pips on card.) The hand will now accept a little applause. Thanks — that’s little enough.      “Some people say that I move the board, which causes the hand to rap. Now I am coming down among you and the hand will answer any questions you care to ask it, after which I’ll sell the medicine. This gentlemen here in the observ¬ation row — would you care to ask the hand a question? No? It looks like I will have to make a house-to-house canvass. Sorry I woke you up, sir.      “The young lady here — wouldn’t you like to ask a question? Sure! Well, just make a wish and the hand will tell you whether or not you will get your wish.      “This is crazy, but it’s a living. Are you concentrating? Now hold your right hand on this corner and your left hand on this corner. That prevents the board falling to the floor. (Hand raps Yes.) The hand says that you will get your wish. Does that make you happy? I’m glad to hear that.      “Ah, the gentleman here — just hold the board with me. (Cole picks out a couple sitting together but feeling sure that they are not together — this is a wow.) Is the young lady married? (Hand raps No.) Ah, that brings a broad smile to the gentleman’s face. Is the young man in love with the young lady? (Hand says Yes.) Is the young lady in love with the young man? (Hand raps No.) That’s too bad. Well, if the young man tales the young lady out to dinner after the show, do you think that the young lady could learn to love the young man? (Hand raps Yes.) Yes, that sometimes helps a lot. Has the young lady any more sweet¬hearts? (Hand starts to rap.) Please keep track and see if the answer is correct. (Hand continues rapping until Cole takes it off board.) While the applause is going on, I shall return to the stage.      “Now, is there anyone else who would like the hand to answer any questions regarding oil stocks or other mysteries? The hand will be glad to misinform you. (Man — plant — in balcony says, “When will I get my watch back?” Hand raps Yes.) You will get your watch back — provided you haven’t lost the ticket. (Cole now turns board over and places hand on it in a standing position. Pretends to mesmerize hand.) Will some gentleman call out, aloud, the word GO? (Someone in audience says “Go.” Cole says “All right” and he exits. Gets rid of hand and board in wing end at once returns for final trick.)      “This life is hard on us actors. I’m not exactly an actor, but I was on the stage once. I played in a show called Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp. I was the wick. It was a good part — I had to be all oiled up.      “The next trick that I am about to present was invented by my friend Hook. Hook and I — were fast friends. First of all, I shall take this glass — better known as a tumbler, although it never does any stunts. In the glass I place one day’s work for a hen — an egg — cover it with this hanky and place it over on this one-night stand (hank pedestal). The reason I place it on this stand is for fear someone might accuse the glass of having no visible means of support. I got that joke out of the almanac. I think I had better put it back.       A sketch of Judson Cole during his flag to egg routine “The next important character in this experiment is the American flag. It is not good policy to use the flag on the stage because the folks think you are trying to force applause. It is said that if one will wave an American flag, it will SURELY bring applause. (Waves flag slowly but no applause is forthcoming.) But of course, not always! I now wave the flag gently up and down until I get it into a small ball, give it a gentle squeeze, and in place of the flag, we have the egg, while in the glass is the flag, thereby causing much excitement and loud cheers of quiet.      “I am now going to explain just how the trick is done, after which I’ll sing “The Rosary.” To begin with, the egg is hollow. In the egg is the flag that I vanished. There are two flags used. They are not the same, although they look alike. You see, you take the flag like this, working it into the hole in the egg until it is completely in. (While explaining and talking as above, his right hand goes into right trousers pocket several times to get audience accustomed to it, and on last time, he palms out of this pocket the good egg. Left hand is holding hollow egg with exposed hole to front.) This is really a good trick — in fact, it is a 36 cent trick. How then, in order to prevent the audience from seeing the hole in the egg, you turn the egg around until the hole is in the back, the celluloid from the front having the appearance of a genuine egg. Of course, if you should be accused of having a phony egg, you can easily convince them that the egg is an honest-to-goodness hen’s egg. (During the patter and turning of hole in front to back, the right hand assists left in turning the egg, but actually the good egg is left in right hand and fake egg palmed off in right. He now picks up a little glass dish from table with right hand, at same time getting rid of fake egg in black art well.) You now take the egg and pronounce two magic words in Greek — burr toast — and there you are!” (Breaks egg in dish and proves it genuine. Makes exit to much applause.)      Sometimes Cole varies the finale by using the old pudding in the hat instead of the egg trick as given above. In using this, he first borrows a “soft gentleman’s hat” and a lady’s hanky. He gets a boy and a girl to assist. When boy is introduced to girl, the boy is prompted to straighten his tie, push back his hair and act a little flustered. Hands egg to girl to examine. Prompts her to smell it (a laugh). Passes it to boy and prompts him to shake it and smell it. Takes it from boy and apparently hands it back to him but really palms it in right. Boy reaches for egg — it is gone. Produces egg from behind boy’s ear (a laugh). Sometimes he has boy search for egg. Boy can’t find it and finally Cole has him open his mouth. Palmed egg produced from his mouth — this is very good. Boy scratches head. Cole then places lady’s hank in hat. Puts ingredients in pan and gets lots of laughs out of it. Lights lady’s hank(?) for oven to bake pudding, finally producing kitten. He then presents boy and girl with tickets for next show and excuses them.

All materials in Magical Past-Times: The On-Line Journal of Magic History are copyright © 2004. Editor: Todd Karr. Advisor Emeritus: Gary Hunt. We welcome your comments and writings.