The G.M. Dice Box (2nd Run) by Bob Gunther, John Mendoza

(From the instruction sheet:)
Original Idea By: Bob Gunther
Mechanical Improvements By: John Mendoza
Manufactured By: Terry Starwalt (2nd RunNos. 37-72)

Effect: The magician shows two large dice and spins them on the table to show all sides. He then displays a box with two side-by-side compartments, one for each die. Both dice are openly placed into the box, one in each compartment. The magician now claims he will make one die vanish from the box and reappear in an empty hat or behind a screen. After the usual “…visibly or invisibly..” byplay, one die is openly removed and dropped into the hat. The audience moans in disappointment.

To make up for this, the magician offers to make•the die in the hat reappear back in the box invisibly. He says the magic word and then opens one of the doors showing the die to have reappeared. The audience shouts that they are seeing the other die. The magician tilts the box and opens the other door showing the “other” die still in its compartment. This “reverse sucker bit” is milked awhile and then the magician finally opens both doors showing one die in each compartment. After the audience reaction subsides, the magician closes both doors and says, “.. .but, that’s not the real trick. …this is the real trick!” As he says this he totally surprises the audience by opening all four doors and turning the box upside down to show both dice have instantly vanished! This will shock magicians, too, as turning the box upside down clearly shows there are no shells of any kind in the box (and there really are not!) Finally, both dice are removed from the hat and openly returned to the empty box, one in each compartment!

History: In the May 1966 issue of Genii Magazine, Charlie Miller in his “Magicana” section described a great routine by Bob Gunther entitled, “The Dice Box.” Gunther’s idea was clever and logical. The classic Die Box has two compartments so it just makes sense to laymen that it was designed to carry two dice. Only “magician’s logic” could possibly see a box like this carrying only one die! Mr. Gunther’s idea was to reverse the usual sucker sliding bit and to use it to prove the box held two dice rather than to prove it was empty. Then, at the end of the garden path, he really hit the audience with the sprinkler when both dice vanish and reappear elsewhere.

I wanted to take the routine further. I wanted both dice to give the appearance of being genuinely solid. Then, I wanted both dice to clearly be seen to definitely go into the box, so audiences would be truly convinced that two solid blocks were really placed into the compartments. Achieving that would make the climax totally unexpected and hit the audience right between the eyes! Lastly, I wanted the box to be made correctly and in a very high quality. The intent was to make 100 boxes and absolutely no more. We never got that far. Mel Babcock made the first run of 36 boxes and no more have ever been made until now. There will be 36 more plus three special units as mentioned at then end of this instruction. The edition will absolutely end at #75.

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