I’m betting that you probably don’t know how Jim Steinmeyer is.
But if you’ve ever ridden through Disneyland’s “Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin” and marveled at that Portable Hole gag toward the end of the attraction, you’ve seen Jim’s work. Or if you’ve ever attended a performance of the stage musical version of Disney’s “Beauty and Beast” and wondered how the hell they actually pulled off the Beast’s mid-air transformation, you have Steinmeyer to thank too.
Yeah, during his stint at Walt Disney Imagineering, Jim Steinmeyer is the guy who crafted both of those amazing illusions. (He also helped write some of the songs featured in Epcot’s “Food Rocks!” show … Er … Um … Well, two out of three ain’t bad.)
Anyway … The reason that I’m bringing up Mr. Steinmeyer today in this particular column is that Jim’s written a great new book: “Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear” (Carroll and Graf Publishers, October 2003). A volume that’s so entertaining, so intriguing that I’m almost willing to forgive Jim for having anything to do with “Food Rocks!”
Almost.
If you’re familiar with the stuff that I regular churn out for this website, you know that I’m a real of the why-did-they-do-that story. Why did they make that attraction that way? Why did that movie turn out the way that it did? Etc, etc.
Well, with “Hiding the Elephant,” Steinmeyer has put together the ultimate why-did-they-do-that book. A volume that takes you backstage and introduces you to some gentlemen who — in their time — pulled off some truly amazing illusions. People who (just like Jim) you’ve also probably never heard of — like Ira and William Davenport, Professor John Henry Pepper, Harry Kellar, Nevil Maskelyne and Charles Morritt. Oh … and one guy that you probably have heard of. Harry Houdini. Who Jim describes as being a great escape artist but “a terrible magician.”
That’s what I really loved about reading “Hiding the Elephant.” As an entertainment historian, I thought that I already knew the history of Harry Houdini. But Jim Steinmeyer’s book allowed me to view Houdini from a brand new, completely different angle. Through the eyes of his contemporaries. Who saw Harry as this brash, rough-around-the-edges guy who used bravado to mask his obvious lack of skills.
I have to admit that I have a real weakness for these sorts of books. Where you hear a story that you thought you knew told in a whole new way. Where previously dry historic figures vividly come to life in all their neurotic glory. Well, “Hiding the Elephant” has these sorts of stories in spades.
Of course, with a title like “Hiding the Elephant,” you’d have to assume that — somewhere along the line in this 362 page book — Steinmeyer will reveal how some of the greatest illusions of all time were pulled off. Well, Jim does do that. Sort of.
Why just sort of? Well, please remember that I previously described “Hiding the Elephant” as being a great why-did-they-do-that book. Rather than a great how-did-they-do-that book.
So what’s the key difference between these two sorts of books? Rather than just a nuts-and-bolts they-used-a-mirror-as-well-as-a-hidden-panel sort of expose, Jim also makes us aware of the personalities of the performers who actually created these illusions. Their quirks. Their petty jealousies. The personal and professional animosities that caused some of these amazing illusions to be created.
That’s what I found to be truly fun about Jim Steinmeyer’s “Hiding the Elephant.” That this was this really magical book. By that I mean: While you were watching Jim’s right hand — I.E. reading this volume which was supposed to reveal how some of the greatest magical tricks of all time were done — it was Steinmeyer’s left hand that was really doing the extraordinary stuff. As in: Crafting this great read which is full of all these wonderful stories which were populated with all these incredibly colorful characters.
So don’t make the mistake that I almost made, folks. Which was thinking that the guy who helped write “Food Rocks!” couldn’t possibly be a very good storyteller. Well, I was obviously wrong on that account, guys. Just like so many of the memorable men that Jim describes in this book, Steinmeyer clearly has a few tricks hidden up his writer-ly sleeve.
So forget all about those “Harry Potter”-seque witches and warlocks. You want to experience something truly magical over the Halloween weekend? Then go pick up a copy of ‘Hiding the Elephant.”
A book that’s so good that it can almost make you forget that its author had anything to do with “Food Rocks!”
Almost.
|
If you’re planning on picking up a copy of “Hiding the Elephant” you can help support JimHillMedia.com by ordering your copy from Amazon.com by clicking the link to the right. Your cost will (unfortunately) remain the same (though it is currently 30% off!) But — if you go there through us — we get a tiny cut of what you spend. So help keep Jim Hill behind the computer where he belongs and and pick up your copy of “Hiding the Elephant” through the link to the right. |
|
