1
Shanghai2000

When I first walked down the street by the hotel called, “The Grand Hyatt Shanghai,” I found myself looking over towards the Oriental Pearl Tower; it reminded me of the tower in Kyoto, Japan [1999]. It was a marvelous looking citythis Shanghai, I thought at the time, with its modern architecture and western fashion. Thus, the old civilization I pictured had faded away like the movies of Charlie Chan; whom I watch in the 50s; although I think they made them in the 30s and 40s. Oh, my name is Milton Carpenter, and I write travel articles for a magazine.

As I was about to say, I ended up visiting the beautiful Shanghai Huangpu River a dozen times when I was in Shanghai. Reminds me when I was in San Antonio, Texas [1994], I visited the Alamo five times. I get this sense of wistfulness, or is it nostalgia in me and I go back to the places I love, many times; yes, I see it once, end up thinking about it often and feel it in my soul, and got to go back again and again, until my thirst is quenched. Like in Paris, I went back to Notre Dame several times, each and every time I’m in Paris, and I’m normally only in Paris for less than a week each time; but that’s the way it is for me.

Anyhow, I found myself going back to the river-walk, or front, along the banks of the river over and over in Shanghai. And I should add, rivers calm me, so it is second nature for me to do this, should I find a river, and should I need calming; for example, like in Cardiff, Wales, the river runs right through it, right by its Millennium Stadium, and the Seine in Paris, seems to run right through it, as does the Tames in London, and the Mississippi which runs through St. Paul, St. Louis and New OrleansI end up always in a daze walking by them, or along side of them I should say; as if they were hypnotic.

So I found myself at the riverside watching all the cars go by, like in any big city of eight-million I suppose, such as Lima, or Cairo, but I think the worse traffic is in Madrid, and the worse air pollution is in Quito, Equator, yet I love the city and its people in Quito. As I was about to say, Shanghai has all the electrical gadgets any big city has also, like New York City, or Chicago, Rome or San Francisco. And let me add, Mai has not been forgotten in Shanghai either, his picture is everyplace, like in Habana where Che’s picture is all over.

2
The Huangpu

But it is the river front I wanted to tell you about, the Huangpu River, that is where it all started, and ended. It was most recently I experienced this mishap, which is the best I can call it. The year was, the year of the new century, 2000 AD. I left Beijing, did an article on ‘The Forbidden City,’ I traveled a lot back then. Now they wanted me (The Travel Magazine, Editor) to go to Shanghai and do a travel article on ‘The Dogbianmen Watchtower;’ which I really never got to do.

When I arrived the riverfront was sparkling with reflections from the gold, red, blue, yellow and green neon lights that covered the city riverwalk area. The red Chinese flag was waving in the wind, as a mist filled the port regionit was a whimsical day.

For the most part it was a cool day in late September, and capitalism seemed to be exploding, and free expression likewise. Kids on bikes, art centers open, rolls of lights along the streets patrolling the river, like in Malta, akin to policemen. So I stood leaning against a solid stone divider between the sidewalk, street and the river itself, waiting for the ferryboat to take me down the river on a short tour, it was near dusk.

3
Murder In

He departed the bank of the river along with a crowed of others whom went directly into the dinning hall, which was on the first of the three floors of the huge ferry. He was left alone on the lower deck and paced back and forth in the front of the vesselclose to the bow, watching a dog run loose and listening to a man and women argue some twenty-five feet to his left, they were somewhat covered, better put, camouflaged by a winding white stairway that lead to the second and third decks.

It wasn’t long before the boat and passengers were headed down river. As he looked into the water leaning over the edge of the vessel a giggle of music came out from the loud speakersfading back and forth with some static attached to it, as if the airwaves were being disrupted from a radio antenna; at the same time waves within the river were picking up he noticed, a storm was brewing. He started to fall, to sway a bit here and there as the vessel seemed to wobble with the influence of the torrent waters, consequently creating sluggishness to its forward thrust. Then he fellI should say crashed into moving objects, and he found himself getting wet from the waves, and then the rains came pouring down.

As the storm started to increase so did the waves and everything on the deck become more slippery, icy, slimy, everything started to slide, or tried to slide that could slide: chairs, tables, ropes, lifeboats twisted, lifejackets tied down, all moved about with the rocking of the boat. He looked to the dinning hall, and many folks had gathered by the secured tables, holding on tightlyas others were hanging onto railings overhead.

There, over on the other side of the boat was the couple, in-between two small safety boats, and some lifevests. And that dog, the dog he seen before, he was now slipping and sliding trying to get to the lower deck door and each time he made it, he slide back to the edge of the ship, almost becoming airborne into the water. But a more serious matter seemed to dawn on Milton, the man and woman were actually fighting, in fact pushing and grabbing each other, as the black clouds of Hades-water filled the sky overhead. He seemed as if he wanted to [he being the alleged assailant], trying to throw the woman overboard; she looked at Milton as if in desperation, her attacker was an elder man in his 40s, she a younger woman in her 30s. He was much larger than her, he could see. And should he throw her over, who would know but him. She looked at Milton again: bellowed out,

“Save me, save me, please, he wants to throw me overboard!”

The man looked briefly towards Miltonalmost an indifferent look and went back into a guarded position

he had time for one quick thought, and that was all’save the woman,’ his mind said, ‘it’s now or never.’

Even though he was having trouble saving himself he managed to hurdle himself to their side, and although hethe other manwas more muscular, Milton was quicker with his hands and feet and kneed him in the groin, and as he bent over he throw him overboardwith a quick thrust, landing him into the hammering river. He got his senses back and went to throw a lifejacket to him, yet he could not see him; hence, he bent over to get one and slipped a bit, grabbing onto the cold wet railing and as he did; the woman to the side of him took a hold, a solid grabbing onto the small boat and pushed it against Milton’s side, and he flew head first through the railings into the water with the lifejacket in his hands. As he found himself in the water he had come to the conclusion it was her trying to throw her so called husband in the waters, and he ended up doing the dirty work for her.

4
The water

It was classical he told himself, kicking his shoes off and undressing to his flesh and underclothes in the bogy-cold water; he told himself, ‘where now!’ He was feeling more like a glacier by the minute. She was calling over the railing, “Murder, murder,’ yelling it into the wild storm, into the river in somewhat of a frantic warning. Sure enough he thought, ‘now she’ll tell them all I was the murderer, yet she does not have my name, matter of fact, if I can make it to the shore before the storm lets up, before they come looking for me, whose to say I was even on the boat [?]‘ he asked himself, he told himself, which of course was a rhetorical question.

His knees seemed to melt and bend along with his lower body, everything collapsing in the slapping winds and waves of the water; his neck-muscles cramped, his forehead bumped into his lifejacket several times which was halfway on him, but the waves slapped his head so bad he couldn’t tie the strings properly. For the moment the wind was free, and so it seemed to make his eyes evaporate into the thick of the fog; he could only see but a foot or two in front of him.

He had the foretaste of drowning. He put his arms out so he could get more floating buoyancy with his armpits. Yet he knew he had to make it to shore quick or die within these waters, no one was coming back looking for him. What a predicament he had gotten himself into, he admitted. His brain was slipping, he felt like a fossil of a murder. He had killed a man for her, and airily he thought, ‘who was she, nobody but a stranger’ (his heart was still hammering; it told him he was still alive though).

Just then, just when he felt all the earth was dead and its grave was this water, something alive moving by his side touched him a few times, he looked, it was the dog, the dog on the ship, and he was a good size mutt. His big dog eyes looked up to him, barked at him and started paddling to the shoreline. He grabbed his tail and padded with his feet as much as he couldit took all his energy, and every once of hope, and he prayed and prayed, and within fifteen minutes they found themselves laying on the shore, he was still hanging onto the dog’s tail.

The last time I heard, Milton had taken the dog to Lima, Peru, and he is guarding his friend’s house, he lives on top of the roof in a little wooden house, but he never uses the damn house he just sleeps outside and guards the premises; Milton named the dog Tomasa [he died recently].

Author Dennis Siluk, this is his third new short story recently completed you can vist his website: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

When the Twentieth Century Pictures company had their expensive merger with the Fox Film Corporation in 1935, studio head Daryl Zanuck was depending on two contract stars to pull the new company through its money troubles. Tragedy struck the same year when Will Rogers died in a plane crash in Alaska. Zanuck turned his financial burden on the shoulders of six year old Shirley Temple (she was actually seven but wouldn’t find that out till she was twelve).

Fox had signed her in 1933, a bad year for Hollywood with record numbers of movie theaters closing throughout the country. Her ability to sing and dance was off-putting to some scouts at the studio who called her,”a precocious little monster”. Later when she became their chief financial asset the attitude around the lot changed. One time little Shirley walked into the commissary and was picked up by a friendly executive,” How are you doing sweetheart?” The room went quiet. Everyone was staring. If he dropped her, everyone there could lose their job. Very gently he put her down and backed away.

In real life Shirley the actress longed to have a normal existence, so Zanuck made her yearn for the same on the big screen. Depression era audiences fell in love with her determination and optimism. Because her films required no great special effects, locations or famous co-stars, they made enormous profits making her perhaps the most valuable movie star a studio ever had, which occasionally caused resentment. She once had a scene with Lionel Barrymore who flubbed a line then screamed bloody murder when she corrected him. Another time she worked with Adolph Menjou who left the set cursing,” That little blankety blank is making a monkey out of me.” Not everyone felt that way. Her dancing partner in The Little Colonel (1935), Bill “Bojangles” Robinson often held hands with Shirley as they walked together through the Fox lot. And John Ford who resented Daryl Zanuck assigning him to direct Shirley in Wee Willie Winkie (1937) came to respect the child’s work ethic. Zanuck rightly blamed Ford’s bad influence when Shirley started to address the short mogul as “Uncle Pipsqueak.”

She was a highly merchandised fad. She could have retired on the sales of Shirley Temple dolls alone. Once Director Alan Dwan was speeding to Twentieth Century Fox when he was pulled over by a policeman. “Ok buddy where’s the fi– Say! Is that one of those Shirley Temple police badges on your passenger seat? My daughter would kill for one of those. OK buddy, give me one of those badges and we’ll forget the whole thing.”

Shirley’s career was guided largely by her over protective mother Gertrude who would grab her by the shoulders before each scene and say,” Sparkle Shirley, sparkle.” Zanuck frustrated Mrs. Temple by not allowing Shirley to play more varied parts (not realizing she was a child, George Bernard Shaw offered her the lead in his stage version of Caesar and Cleopatra). Zanuck felt Shirley’s spunky movie character had to be repeated for her to stay popular. Gertrude would demand that the studio cut any scene where another child looked better than her daughter. This caused great distress for other parents who retaliated by starting a rumor that Shirley was actually a midget.

Shirley’s conservative banker father George had a difficult time dealing with the trappings of fame. One time he requested a meeting with Zanuck. “Mr. Zanuck, I want your advice about this fan mail I’ve been getting. I haven’t shown them to Gertrude and I’m tempted.” Zanuck was startled to read letters from women across the country wishing for George to father their children. Zanuck, who was famous for his own womanizing ways gave simple advice,”If you can’t promise them a little girl, stay loyal to your wife.”

Zanuck kept spies to inform him of the child’s activities at the studio. One time he interrupted a meeting with John Steinbeck to tend to her after hearing she had fallen and broke a tooth. On another occasion she was visited by HG Wells. Shirley was polite and after the famous author left, the little moppet was told she had just met the most important man in the world. “Uh uh. President Roosevelt is the most important man. And Governor Merriam is second.” Later Zanuck heard this report while furiously puffing on a cigar. “Who did she say is third?”

No matter how much Zanuck hid it on screen Shirley aged. When World War II broke out movie goers turned away from sentiment. Twentieth Century Fox began to make weightier films like Steinbeck’s The Grapes Of Wrath (1940). Shirley was declared over the hill at the age of ten. As a teen she became more independent. Without her mother to push her she never achieved the same acting success as an adolescent that she had as a child. But her grit and determination represented the American spirit to the world. A false report of her death in Hirohito’s Japan in 1943 set off a wild celebration in the streets.

About The Author

Stephen Schochet is the author and narrator of the audiobooks Fascinating Walt Disney and Tales Of Hollywood. The Saint Louis Post Dispatch says,” these two elaborate productions are exceptionally entertaining.” Hear realaudio samples of these great, unique gifts at www.hollywoodstories.com.

orgofhlly@aol.com

For a lot of people the last time they wanted a magician at their party was when they were 8 years old but magicians don’t just work for children. Adults have always been a great audience for magic because they have defined critical thinking. They “know” it isn’t “real magic” but if the performer does his job right he can bring about the childlike state of wonder in an adult. A good magician can bring you right back to experience the fuzzy feeling you had as a kid when your grandfather pulled a coin out of your ear.

There are 3 styles of magic that are most often hired for events where adults are in the majority.

Close-up magic (the most popular choice for people hiring magicians)

Cabaret shows

Drawing room shows

Close-up magic is often seen at cocktail parties where the magician mingles amongst the guests performing miracles with borrowed objects and simple objects he has on him. He works without a table and uses people hands when he needs to. This is an excellent choice if all the guests will be standing with drinks and eating finger food.

Another type of close-up magic that is closely related to strolling magic is table magic. Table magic is performed between the courses at dinners, wedding breakfasts, balls and banquets. You are more likely to see a short (between 3 – 8 minutes) mini cabaret act that has a structured feel to it. The magician may use the table but it will be as unobtrusive as possible because at banquets there is a premium on table real estate.

Close-up magicians are being hired more and more for Trade Shows to draw people to the stand with customised magic presentations. Presentations are designed to showcase the features and benefits of the stand they are representing but with amazing magic and not just dry sales pitches.

Cabaret Shows are a great way for a lot of people to see some great magic in a relatively short space of time. Often a close-up magician who has performed strolling/table magic before hand will also do a 20 minute cabaret act after dinner.

There are many different styles of cabaret magician – comedy, traditional manipulation act to music, mind reading etc. The type of event you are organizing will dictate the type of cabaret magician you will require. If you would like lots of audience participation and laughter go for a comedy magician, if there will be lots of non-English speakers present then go for a visual act like the manipulator and if it is a very business orientated environed maybe a mind reader would be more suited.

You also see cabaret magicians at comedy clubs, cruise ships and also occasionally at motivational events where the magic is combined with a motivational speech.

Drawing room shows were almost a dead art for nearly a 100 years. They were immensely popular with the Victorians where the gentry would all gather to watch a conjurer perform magic. In recent years it is coming back into fashion at private parties where a magician may perform after dinner for 30 minutes or so. This is a taste of days gone by and is close enough for apparently no shenanigans to be going on yet far enough away to use larger effects for everyone to see. This kind of show is most related to a cabaret show but the effects are smaller and it is more interactive as the audience in only a few feet away.

When choosing a professional magician it is important to choose wisely as in any industry there are “cowboys”.

Questions you may like to ask any prospective performer you are engaging are…

How long have you been a professional?
Some magicians may seem great on paper but as all know paper doesn’t refuse ink. Experience is the key in this industry so make sure they have cut their teeth.

Can I see you perform?
The answer depends on the type of performer you are considering engaging. If it’s a cabaret magician he may well work at comedy clubs where you can go and see him perform and close-up magicians often work at hotels, restaurants and bars as the resident entertainer several times a week. If it’s open to the public then go and see them work. However if the performer works mainly at corporate events, weddings and/or trade shows you may find it impossible to see him work live as these are closed events.

Have you got a brochure/video I can see?

Most professional performers will have promotional kits including photographs, video and brochure. A good promo kit doesn’t mean they are a good magician, it may just mean they know somebody who works at a printing press. A cheap and tatty looking promo kit doesn’t definitely mean the performer is bad, but it does show a lack of professionalism and that is a warning sign. In this day and age some performers have no hard copy for promotional use as it dates so quickly so there website acts as the brochure. If the website looks like it was made from cut outs of magazines then they are not interested in making a good first impression. Would you trust somebody who didn’t make a good first impression at your event?

Does the price include VAT and any other charges?

When in negotiations don’t forget to clarify if there as any other expense other than fee quoted.

What magic tricks do you do?

You should be able to gain a good idea of the style of the magician from any online or hardcopy brochure but if you want to know what kind of effects he/she performs – go ahead and ask!

Are you a member of any magic societies or performer bodies?

Many magicians will be members of different magic clubs around the world. In the UK the most prestigious is the The Magic Circle where there are only 1500 hundred members world wide and you have to perform in front of experienced peers to gain membership. Again in the UK you will find many magicians are members of Equity the performs union which is another sign of their professionalism.

Have you got any referees I could phone?

This may seem like a reasonable question but a lot of magician’s work mainly in the corporate area and are not permitted to pass out the contact details of their bookers. You should be able to see testimonials and letters from clients on the websites/brochures. Of course the best way is personal recommendation; ask friends if they have ever hired a magician.

Have you got public liability insurance?

This is crucial. The magician will be in close contact to your guests and maybe borrowing objects from them for effects. You don’t want to end up with a magician who isn’t covered!

I hope this all helps to give you a better idea of the different types of magic that are available for you to hire for your next event and what to look out for when hiring.

I’m a 28 year old full time professional close-up magician in London, UK. Magic has been my life since I was a young child and I am delighted to be able to make money from something I love. I have been a full time magician for 5 years and I work at corporate events, banquets, balls, private parties and weddings performing sleight of hand magic. I work all over the Uk and internationally. If you’d like to know anything more about me you can find out more at my website London Table Magician