Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay (2012)

Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay: Directed by Molly Bernstein. With Ricky Jay, Winston Simone, Dick Cavett, David Mamet. Ricky Jay is a world-renowned magician, author, historian and actor (often a mischievous presence in the films of David Mamet and Paul Thomas Anderson) — and a performer who regularly provokes astonishment from even the most jaded audiences. Deceptive Practice traces Jay’s achievements and influences, from his apprenticeship at age 4 with his grandfather, to such now-forgotten legends as Al Flosso, Slydini, Cardini and his primary mentors, Dai Vernon and Charlie Miller. Featuring rare footage from his 1970s TV appearances (doing 3-card Monte with Steve Martin on The Dinah Shore Show) and told in Jay’s inimitable voice, this is a remarkable journey inside the secretive world of magic and the small circle of eccentrics who are its perpetual devotees.

“Ricky Jay is a world-renowned magician, author, historian and actor (often a mischievous presence in the films of David Mamet and Paul Thomas Anderson) — and a performer who regularly provokes astonishment from even the most jaded audiences.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI was not familiar with the magic of Ricky Jay, though his face was known to me. Now I am more than a little impressed, as he seems to have the card tricks down — especially the close-up sleight of hand that David Blaine brought to the streets. This is especially humorous when Steve Martin is shown losing a $50 bet (though he may have been in on it).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis is not a showcase of tricks as much as it is a brief story of Jayu0026#39;s life, which touches on his magician grandfather and those who influenced him. Magicians are a secretive lot, and rarely reveal their tricks… this makes it even more interesting to see their history and who was the mentor for who… there is a distinct line of descent.”