Jim Critchlow’s WHITE STAR

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What The Audience Experiences:

“After Jamie performed a card trick with a card on his head, he asked if he could show us something more serious. We eagerly agreed, and he revealed a Ziploc bag filled with old photographs. He handed me the photos and instructed me to deal them into piles on the table. To our astonishment, he claimed these were actual images of Titanic passengers. When we turned them over, the backs revealed either ‘SURVIVED’ or ‘DIED.’ Remarkably, all the ‘DIED’ photos were in one pile, while the ‘SURVIVED’ were in another—it was incredibly eerie!”

Performance Insights:

White Star quickly became my favorite effect of 2008! I kicked off the evening with Matthew Johnson’s “Card On Head,” then completely captivated the audience with White Star. It was so impactful that I might start saying, “I White Starred them!” instead of “I killed them!”

Following the provided instructions, I had the audience sort the photos before launching into my narrative:

“These are pictures of Titanic passengers. My wife and I visited a flea market on Main Street, you know the one?”

-I encouraged discussions about the flea market (every city has one).

“Each week has a different theme. This week’s was ‘crap,’ apparently. Amidst the junk, I met a guy whose ancestor survived the Titanic. He became obsessed with it, collecting photographs and documenting details on the backs.”

-A brief pause for effect.

“I had no idea that some people survived the Titanic. I just assumed everyone perished.”

-Someone would typically ask if I had seen the movie.

“Lol, I know! I thought they all died. Like this one here…”

-I began sorting through the photos in my hand.

“Mr. John Borebank. He died…”

-I revealed the back, showing “DIED.”

“But some did survive. Like…”

-Continuing to sort.

“…Mr. Frederic Spedden. He lived.”

-I displayed the back, which read “SURVIVED.”

“So, who decides who lives and who dies on the Titanic?”

-I showcased more photos from my hand.

“Was it Fate? Luck? Or perhaps the hands…”

-I gestured towards the participants.

“…of a Higher Power? Please turn over your photos.”

-At this moment, the audience began to genuinely freak out. It was a flawless effect. Conversations about the Titanic ensued. This trick alone could carry an entire evening if you went out to dinner or visited friends. I loved it, and so did they.

Memorable Lines:

“SHOUT…YOUR…MOUTH!”

“HOW did I do THAT?!”

Angry Bob Rating:

For those unfamiliar, Angry Bob is a colleague who has some magic knowledge due to his uncle being a magician. He understands that tricks exist but has no desire to perform himself. He also has a short fuse when he can’t figure out a trick. A high rating means he’s completely baffled.

“Hunh…You’re a total dou&**^%&&.”5/5.

My Rating:

10/10. When a single effect can spark an entire evening of storytelling and discussion, it’s truly remarkable. That speaks volumes.

The JDG Tip:

I encountered an issue early on where the person with the DIED pile would often lament, “Awwww. My people died…” and it was clear they were disappointed. However, later in the day, one spectator freaked out after the effect, telling her co-worker, “Everyone I felt good about survived, and everyone I felt bad about died!”

This wasn’t the case, but her perception was more compelling. So, I adjusted my presentation.

Instead of saying, “If you have a special feeling,” I began with the first spectator:

“If you have a BAD feeling about the person, place the photo on the table. If you have a GOOD feeling, please hand it to me.”

For the second participant, I would say:

“Now we’ll switch it up. If you have a GOOD feeling, place it on a separate spot on the table. If you have a BAD feeling, please hand it to me.”

This shift transformed the effect, allowing the first person to feel they simply knew who wouldn’t make it, clarifying the mix in my hand.

It also enabled me to perform it clearly for a single participant, creating a BAD pile first, then asking them to start a GOOD pile.

This approach worked wonderfully!

Final Thoughts:

It’s been a long time since an effect has truly amazed me. The additional insights Jim provides in his book are invaluable.