Max Malini Parlor Magic Contest

Max Malini (1873 - 1942) was born Max Katz Breit in the small town of Ostrov on the border of Poland and Austria. His family came to America when he was young, and settled in New York City. While waiting on patrons in a bar in the Bowery as a youth, he began to learn magic under the instruction of Professor Seiden, a magician, fire-eater, and ventriloquist.

Malini was very creative, and favored working with simple, common objects. He is noted for his tremendous skill at misdirection, his audacity, and for having given command performances for the crowned heads of Europe and several American Presidents. Ironically, Malini never took part in magic conventions, and only very rarely entered a magic shop. Nevertheless, Ring 362 salutes his skill via this contest.

The Max Malini Parlor Magic Contest shall be held according to the following rules.

Date of Contest. The Max Malini Parlor Magic Contest shall be held annually on a date set by the Board.

Contest Officials. There shall be at least one Contest Official who is a Ring member. This Contest Official shall not be a contestant. It shall be the responsibility of the Contest Official(s) to see that the rules of the Max Malini Parlor Magic Contest are correctly followed. Contest Official(s) shall be appointed by the President at least three months before the date of the competition.

Contestants. Those wishing to attempt the Max Malini Parlor Magic Contest shall be members in good standing of Ring 362 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. There shall be at least three contestants.

Registration. Contestants shall register no later than one week prior to the competition by contacting a Contest Official specifically charged with registration. Contestants shall communicate their technical requirements to the Contest Official according to public written guidelines provided to all potential registrants by the Contest Official(s). There shall be no registration fee.

Order of performance. The order of performance of the contestants shall be determined by chance.

Judging. The Max Malini Parlor Magic Contest shall be viewed by a panel of at least three judges appointed by the Contest Official(s). Contest Official(s) are encouraged to select judges with a background in theater or the visual arts rather than judges who are magicians. Judges will be asked to evaluate several aspects of each performance in order to provide feedback, if requested, to contestants. These aspects include, but are not limited to, appearance, stage craft, stage presence, audience appeal, technical mastery, and the unity of the presentation. There will be separate balloting for a People's Choice winner. All persons present with the exception of the judges, including contestants, may vote for the People's Choice.

Timer. There will be a timer, a Contest Official who is not a judge. The timer shall be responsible for recording the duration of each performance. Performances exceeding the maximum of ten minutes shall be disqualified from receiving an award, although they may still be evaluated by the judges.

Awards. If there are at least two contestants who have not been disqualified, the judges shall award a first place award. If there are at least three contestants who have not been disqualified, the judges shall award first and second place awards. If there are at least four contestants who have not been disqualified, the judges shall award first, second, and third place awards.

Awards for the Parlor Magic Contest shall be recognized by the awarding of a trophy for first place (the Max Malini Award), and awards for first, second, and third place. The exact nature and design of these awards shall be up to the Contest Official(s).

Award recipients shall be recognized in the Ring report to be published in The Linking Ring, and reported in the Ring newsletter and web site. A list of the winners of the awards shall be maintained on the Ring's web site, and shall be published annually in the Ring's newsletter.

Awards shall be funded by a special endowment, the Max Malini Endowment, rather than from the Ring's General Fund.