9.4 - In Town Tonight: Shek Ben Ali
This performer appeared at the Tivoli Theatre, Hull in England, on a number of occasions; each time with the same act of small magic. .He was born, an Indian Moslem, in Calcutta on 26th August 1906, his real name was Mohari Ali. I watched Shek Ben Ali’s act at the Tivoli on 6th.August 1945. On stage he wore a traditional costume and turban. He had a catch-phrase which he repeated every time he had to show a prop empty – “Nobody inside, Nobody Outside”. He used the catch-phrase as his bill matter in his directory entries as you can see in the picture of his entry in The Performer in September, 1948. By the way at the Tivoli that week in September Naughty Girls of 1948 were playing!
He entered stage right, carrying a large, empty Nutall’s Mintoes (sweets) tin to which he drew attention saying, “Nobody inside, Nobody outside”, and then plucked a coin from the air and dropped
it in the tin, occasionally repeating his catch-phrase, “Nobody inside, Nobody outside”. Taking a coin he did a few coin sleights which were well received by the audience. Then followed a comedy
routine in which a small boy from the audience assisted. After removing more coins from the air the magician began plucking coins from various parts of the boy’s anatomy. One of the biggest
laughs was when he produced a stream of coins from the boy’s nose (the Miser’s Dream remained the trick for which he was best known). Thanking the boy for his help, the magician took a pack of cards and showed more sleight of hand culminating in the production of fans of cards. As he dropped the last fan of cards something coloured appeared in his hand, a billiard ball. Again he showed some sleights with it, and then produced another ball. These were followed by two more which were deposited between the fi ngers of his left hand. Shek Ben Ali signalled that this was the conclusion of the magic with billiard balls by dropping the balls into a container, then standing perfectly still, and receiving his applause which was generous.
After this ovation Shek Ben Ali showed a stand on which was displayed anumber of razor blades. Removing one of them, he took a thin card and sliced off a piece, showing the sharpness of the
blade. He placed the blade on his tongue and apparently swallowed it. This same procedure was carried out with the remainder of the blades. He took a glass of water, drank the water, and in placing the glass on the table showed it to be empty. Taking a reel of thread he broke off a length which he put in his mouth, making sure that the audience could see that his hands were empty at all times. About an inch of thread was left hanging over his lower lip. Turning sideways to the audience and making sure that the spot-light was focussed on him, he took the piece of hanging thread and slowly pulled, drawing the thread from his mouth. The audience were amazed to see that the razor blades were tied at intervals along the thread. Having drawn them from his mouth the magician held the glittering pieces of metal between his outstretched arms, bringing more applause.
For his concluding effect Shek Ben Ali took three eighteen-inch silks and placed them in a velvet bag, and with a, “Nobody Inside, Nobody Outside,” he waved his hand over the bag and withdrew the contents showing that they had changed into a Union Flag, which he displayed. Instead of bowing at the end of his act he stood at attention and gave a left handed salute. Roy Hudd, in Roy Hudd’s Cavalcade of Variety Acts, has Shek Ben Ali’s birth date as 1912 and says that in 1936 he produced and appeared in an all-Indian show at Yarmouth which he toured all over the world. But he is best remembered as a solo act that played all the leading UK venues. According to Bart Whaley’s Who’s Who in Magic this professional variety performer died in March 1978 – this information, his birth date of 1906 and name is annotated ‘Daw2’ which means its source is HMC President Eddie Dawes, so it must be right! Coincindentally – in The Linking Ring (Vol 85 No1 January 2005) Eddie Burke has contributed Ezee Miser’s Dream to the British Ring Parade inspired by Shek Ben Ali’s own Miser’s Dream routine.
He entered stage right, carrying a large, empty Nutall’s Mintoes (sweets) tin to which he drew attention saying, “Nobody inside, Nobody outside”, and then plucked a coin from the air and dropped
it in the tin, occasionally repeating his catch-phrase, “Nobody inside, Nobody outside”. Taking a coin he did a few coin sleights which were well received by the audience. Then followed a comedy
routine in which a small boy from the audience assisted. After removing more coins from the air the magician began plucking coins from various parts of the boy’s anatomy. One of the biggest
laughs was when he produced a stream of coins from the boy’s nose (the Miser’s Dream remained the trick for which he was best known). Thanking the boy for his help, the magician took a pack of cards and showed more sleight of hand culminating in the production of fans of cards. As he dropped the last fan of cards something coloured appeared in his hand, a billiard ball. Again he showed some sleights with it, and then produced another ball. These were followed by two more which were deposited between the fi ngers of his left hand. Shek Ben Ali signalled that this was the conclusion of the magic with billiard balls by dropping the balls into a container, then standing perfectly still, and receiving his applause which was generous.
After this ovation Shek Ben Ali showed a stand on which was displayed anumber of razor blades. Removing one of them, he took a thin card and sliced off a piece, showing the sharpness of the
blade. He placed the blade on his tongue and apparently swallowed it. This same procedure was carried out with the remainder of the blades. He took a glass of water, drank the water, and in placing the glass on the table showed it to be empty. Taking a reel of thread he broke off a length which he put in his mouth, making sure that the audience could see that his hands were empty at all times. About an inch of thread was left hanging over his lower lip. Turning sideways to the audience and making sure that the spot-light was focussed on him, he took the piece of hanging thread and slowly pulled, drawing the thread from his mouth. The audience were amazed to see that the razor blades were tied at intervals along the thread. Having drawn them from his mouth the magician held the glittering pieces of metal between his outstretched arms, bringing more applause.
For his concluding effect Shek Ben Ali took three eighteen-inch silks and placed them in a velvet bag, and with a, “Nobody Inside, Nobody Outside,” he waved his hand over the bag and withdrew the contents showing that they had changed into a Union Flag, which he displayed. Instead of bowing at the end of his act he stood at attention and gave a left handed salute. Roy Hudd, in Roy Hudd’s Cavalcade of Variety Acts, has Shek Ben Ali’s birth date as 1912 and says that in 1936 he produced and appeared in an all-Indian show at Yarmouth which he toured all over the world. But he is best remembered as a solo act that played all the leading UK venues. According to Bart Whaley’s Who’s Who in Magic this professional variety performer died in March 1978 – this information, his birth date of 1906 and name is annotated ‘Daw2’ which means its source is HMC President Eddie Dawes, so it must be right! Coincindentally – in The Linking Ring (Vol 85 No1 January 2005) Eddie Burke has contributed Ezee Miser’s Dream to the British Ring Parade inspired by Shek Ben Ali’s own Miser’s Dream routine.
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