Phantom Die (Improved) by Mel Babcock

The name of this effect, Phantom Die, is a little confusing because there is another Thayer item called the Phantom Die Cabinet and while they both have a similar effect the Phantom Die Cabinet is more startling because the die or block visually vanishes and appears inside the hat. Mel’s Phantom Die requires a cover to facilitate the vanish. I believe Mel’s version was originally called The Phantom Cube and created by Carl Williams c. 1915.

Effect: A five-sided box with a large hole in each of the five sides is displayed. A large die is placed in the box, completely filling it. The die can clearly be seen through the holes in the sides of the box. The box containing the die is held in one hand as an opaque silk is thrown over it with the other. The magician says that the die will vanish from the box and reappear in a hat. A corner of the silk is pulled up to give the audience one last look at the die. It can still be clearly seen through a hole in the side of the box. The box and die are again covered with the silk. The magician snaps his fingers. The silk is removed to reveal that the die has vanished. The audience can see clear through the box via the large holes in its sides. The die is subsequently reproduced from a hat.

In this improved version of an old trick, the box and die can be passed out for examination if desired, as there is nothing to be found.

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