Ultimate Uplift by Supreme Magic Company, Len Belcher, J.F. Orrin

The original Up, lift (not Uplift as it was subsequently spelled) was invented by the great British Inventor J.F Orrin and it appeared in The Magic Wand, March 1945. It was improved by Jack Hughes c. 1947 as Orrin’s Stream-Lined Uplift and is found in his World of Magic Vol. 2.

This version, perhaps the ultimate version, was invented by Len Belcher and released by Supreme Magic Company c. 1971.  It is a very nice outfit from Supreme at a time when they made real props made to last.

It really is a wonderful routine, easy to do, with multiple surprises and an unexpected final blending of all three silks into one.

Effect: Here’s the most beautiful of all uplift effects, a fantastic piece of modern magic with an unusual applause-compelling climax.’ Each of the ‘blocks’ used in the effect is of clear perspex.

Each has a hole in the top. Into each of these perspex containers is placed a contrasting coloured silk … one red, one yellow, one blue. A plastic, decorated tube and the neat circular raised base form the balance of the properties that the audience see.

THE ROUTINE: The magician explains that one of the colours, the blue, is heavier than the others; it is the stronger, darker colour and he proves that this is so by dropping the containers, one by one, into the tube, the one containing the blue silk going in last so it is at the top. When the tube is lifted, the one containing the blue silk is at the bottom! Magically, the colours have transposed!

The effect is repeated – this time the magician uncovers the containers “rather too quickly” and it is seen that the blue container is only half-way down; it is between the other two! However, all is put right by magic and the blue container continues its journey to the bottom of the stack!

Showing the amazing power (?) that the blue colour has, the red and yellow silks are now wrapped inside the blue one and the three silks are placed in one container. The two empty clear containers are dropped into the tube – the one containing the silks goes in on the top.

Again,magically, the containers transpose and now the one with the silks is at the bottom. The big surprise occurs when the silks are removed from the container for they have fused into one large 24″ silk, made up from the three coloured silks …. all the containers are empty!

THE APPARATUS WE SUPPLY is a quality production and consists of the following:

• One circular base raised on four ball feet. The four feet ensure stability and yet give the whole outfit an attractive appearance.
• One tall plastic tube decorated at the top and bottom. The purpose of this ‘blown-in’ decoration is to diminish the height of the tube.
• Four clear plastic containers which are specially fabricated from perspex. Each has a hole in the top.
• Three 12″ silks – one red, one yellow and one blue.
• One 24″ silk made up from the three colours of silks used.

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