Harvey and The Soldier by Regow’s House of Enchantment

Description

This is a version of the Harry Stanley item: Harvey and The Soldier, beautifully made under license by Regow’s or Regow’s House of Enchantment or Regow’s Magic Co. or Regow’s Magic Studio – they seem to have placed ads under many names 🙂

It is a well made from wood and plastic that you will be happy with.  The switch requires a little finesse as there are no magnets and a fairly cramped space but it is certainly workable. I particularly like the patter below by Harry Stanley as it gets a lot of the prop and I think it will go down well with the the younger kids.

Effect: A cut-out shaped and. painted to represent a soldier stands on the performer s table. The soldier is seen to be wearing a red uniform and busby, and a cover decorated like a sentry box is placed over the soldier.

Unfolding an appropriate story, the magician, with the help of an “invisible” white rabbit, causes the uniform to change from red to blue several times. Eventually, an overwhelming demand from the spectators to see the rear of the soldier causes the magician to expose same, and the audience are confronted with a picture of the “white rabbit”! They realize with much laughter that they have been … well and truly “led up the garden path.”

“SAMMY AND THE SOLDIER” by Harry Stanley
One day there was a soldier standing on guard outside Buckingham Palace. There he was by his sentry box, resplendent in a lovely red uniform. But I am afraid that he wasn’t a very good soldier … for, seeing that there were not many people about he thought that it would be a fine opportunity for a nap, so he popped inside his box (place box over figure).

But, no sooner had he done that when he heard a knock (knock smartly on box). He was scared. He said, “Hello, who’s there?” (in frightened voice). A little voice replied, “It’s SAMMY.” “Sammy,” he said. “Who’s that?” “Oh, I’m a little magic rabbit,” was the reply. “Magic rabbit! Nonsense, there’s no such thing.” “Yes, there is; do you know if I were to say the magic words, Abracadabra you’d disappear?

“I don’t believe that,” said the soldier. “Abracadabra,” said the rabbit, and the soldier disappeared (look down into the box-look up again and say “So he had”).

“I don’t think much of that,” said the soldier. “I’ve got stronger magic words than that. If I were to say “Ooojarkapivvy, you’ll come back . . . OOOJAR-KAPIVVY!” and he came back. (Look down into the box, look up again and say “And so he had.”) (Look at the audience rather dubiously and say “You don’t seem to believe me” (lift up box). He really had come back!

(All this is the “cod” buildup arid is good for laughs.) But I’m afraid that the soldier wasn’t impressed at all. He said, “That’s not good magic, go on, you run along, I want my nap.” “Oh dear,” thought Sammy, I MUST do something; if I don’t keep this chap up to scratch, the Palace will be unguarded,” so he muttered an even more powerful magic word, “ONGO BONGO,” and do you know what happened (pick up apparatus complete) — it turned around THREE times (do so, then lift off box to reveal BLUE uniform), that’s what happened! Of course, this scared the soldier. “Oh, Mr. Sammy,” he wailed. “Please help me. My Sergeant Major will be furious.

If I promise to be a good soldier, will you help me, please?” “All right, then, if you promise,” said Sammy, “I’ll help you. ONGO BONGO,” and it turned around once, it turned twice, it turned around three times (do so, then lift box to reveal red uniform) and everything was just as it should be.

But I am afraid that the soldier wasn’t a very nice chap, for, as soon as he saw that he was all right, and that Sammy had trotted off, he sneaked back into his box again, but what he did not know was that Sammy had decided to keep his eye on him, so, no sooner had he done this than Sammy shouted “ONGO BONGO,” and once more it turned around three times (do so as before, lift box to show blue uniform). The soldier did weep and wail, he was so full of apologies, that soft-hearted Sammy took pity on him and said “ONGO BONGO” to restore him once again.

You can keep this up as long as you like but you will find that the audience will have by now more than “tumbled” to this turning around business and demand some satisfaction.

Play it up as much as possible. Finally , lay the box down and in response to the shouts of “turn it around” lift up the figure and turn it around, first one way and then another, then imagine you can here someone say “turn it right around.” Twist it completely around. “What? On the back–yes; of course.” Clasp figure to chest and turn yourself around so that they see YO„UR back! Finally cornered, say “You want to see the back of the soldier? Why didn’t you say so, of course, with pleasure. You see, there really was a magic rabbit. MEET SAMMY!” (Turn figure around to show Sammy.)

(Notice: Includes: Printed Instructions.)