THE MAGICIAN

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 139, 2 September 1927, Page 15

THE MAGICIAN

CARTER THE GREAT AT HIS MAJESTY’S All the fascination of “black magic” without the dire results of the practice is provided by the famous magician, Carter the Great, at His Majesty’s Theatre. A successful season comes to a conclusion to-morrow night and there will be a matinee to-morrow afternoon. “The art of the magician is an ageold one,” says “Carter the Great.” “It was practised before the Pharaohs and there is every reason to believe that it had attained considerable vogue in the civilisation of the East long before Western man had emerged from his elementary barbarism.” “In one respect do ancient and modern magic differ; it was the custom in the past to attempt to infuse into the minds of the audienece the belief that supernatural agencies were at the root of the most puzzling manifestations; to-day, while the tricks and illusions are just as confusing and clever, no attempt is made to claim superhuman powers and the illusionist admits that deception is accountable for all the inexplicable things which are made to occur.” This is what Carter does!

Mr. Carter’s most amazing thrill is sawing through a woman. After hypnotising Miss Ethel Wayne he places her in two boxes with her head protruding from one end and her feet from the other. After sawing through the boxes (or at least part of them) and to all intents and purposes through Miss Wayne’s body, the receptacles are moved to either side of the stage. However, when the boxes are placed together again Miss Wayno assumes her natural proportions. The only outward sign of her ordeal was an expression of astonishment. The same little lady is the central figure in another weird illusion, “Cheating the Gallows.” which is much too involved to attempt an explanation.