Richard Turner’s colorful, often bizarre and always entertaining life is one a filmmaker could only dream to script, but this is not a story of fiction.

Tracing all the way back to Richard’s childhood as he struggled with losing his vision, to his discovery of magic and being mentored by Dai Vernon - known as "the only man to fool Houdini” - this film will explore Richard’s seemingly impossible journey of overcoming obstacles and the relentless dedication it took to achieve his dream.

Amongst magicians Richard is knows as a master “card mechanic” whose skills cannot be matched.  He can manipulate a deck of cards and control the outcome as he chooses without any detection.  When he was seven, Richard became infatuated with the TV show Maverick, starring James Garner as an old west poker-playing rounder. Richard knew in that moment he wanted to be a card mechanic, but instead of using his skills to cheat he would demonstrate them in the form of magic.  Today, his feel for a deck of cards is so incredible that The United States Playing Card Company employ his services as a "touch analyst" to evaluate the texture, flexibility and cut of dozens of decks of cards each year.

"This is one of the greatest stories never told. Turner's life story is too incredible for fiction.” 

-- CBS Producer, David Rubin.

Thematically akin to such inspirational documentaries like Jiro Dreams of Sushi and Buck, DEALT aims to entertain and inspire while at the same time delving into ups and downs of one man’s obsessive pursuit of perfection.

By combining rich archival material from Richard’s past with intimate footage of his present life as an entertainer, husband, and father - the film will be unpredictable and entertaining at every turn.  His story is accompanied by interviews with his family, friends, and many of magic’s greatest entertainers. Not only will the film appeal to those fascinated by magic and gambling but also anyone who've had to overcome adversity to accomplish something great.

Your donations will enable our film crew to continue following Richard as he performs in places such as Sweden, South Korea, and China. Unfortunately, this is out of our original budget, but it is a supremely important part of the story. We want to film Richard motivating and inspiring others throughout the world, and capture the joy and encouragement that he brings with his magic and his story. There is also a vast amount of archival footage, photos, and articles featuring Richard in the 80’s and 90’s as he appeared on TV specials and newspapers throughout the world.  This material is very expensive to license but paramount to making the film.  Your donations will enable us to make this film the best it can be.

Thank you for checking out our project. We are dedicated to creating an inspiring film that crosses all cultures and languages, just as magic has done for centuries. We appreciate any support that you can give by way of donation or by just sharing the Indiegogo campaign (http://igg.me/at/dealtmovie) and our website (http://www.dealtmovie.com) with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites. Tell your friends to check out Richard's amazing, almost magical, life story. They won’t believe their eyes!

LUKE KOREM - DIRECTOR / PRODUCER / WRITER

Luke Korem graduated from Texas A&M in 2005 with a degree in economics before pursuing a career in film. For several years, Korem directed and produced in commercial advertising and short films - including a short which won Austin’s Funniest Filmmaker Award. Korem’s directorial debut, LORD MONTAGU (2013), a feature documentary chronicling the life of one of England’s most controversial and iconic aristocrats, premiered in London at the prestigious BAFTA.  The film screened at numerous international film festivals and will be broadcast worldwide in 2015.

Korem’s next project, DEALT, is of particular interest to him because his own father performed for over twenty years, invented tricks, wrote books on magic and made appearances at the prestigious Magic Castle in LA. Having learned from his father, Korem practiced and performed shows until his late teens when he caught the filmmaking bug. His understanding for the art of magic combined with his zest and experience in documentary filmmaking makes Korem a great directorial fit for DEALT. 

RALPH SMYTH ENTERTAINMENT

RSE is an entertainment production company formed by four award-winning filmmakers: Andrew Lee, Russell Wayne Groves, Bradley Jackson, and David James Ward. Collectively, RSE has produced narrative and documentary films garnering over 50 film festival selections and 20 festival awards, including DMT: THE SPIRIT MOLECULE (hosted by Joe Rogan, boasts 475,000+ Facebook fans, released by Gravitas Ventures/Warner Bros Digital), LORD MONTAGU (featuring celebrity interviews, 2012 London premiere at the BAFTA Theatre), and INTRAMURAL (starring cast from Saturday Night Live, Twilight, The Office and premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival). INTRAMURAL is slated to release in 2015.

MONARCHS by theory11

They look like they belong in a palace. Gold foil surrounds the elegant, navy blue box design. The gold metallic foil is striking, with a vintage, timeless aesthetic. They're absolutely breathtaking - and they feel as good as they look.

Monarch Playing Cards are Made in the USA on FSC-certified paper derived from sustainable forests. Printed on Q1 quality stock with our signature Premium 909 Finish. "The feel is simply incredible." - Robin Carey, Reviewer

These decks are sponsored by theory11 to help support Richard Turner and his amazing story.

BICYCLE GOLD SEAL DECK

Each deck of Gold Seal Bicycle Cards is constructed using Bee stock, world renowned for its flexibility, yet long-lasting durability. They are stamped to a caliper/thickness that facilitates classic moves like bottom and center dealing and are embossed to a depth that does not break down the structural integrity of the card, yet still allows each card to breathe properly, thereby reducing the gum-up and hangers often caused by finger moisture. 

But, most importantly, since these cards were manufactured to Richard Turner's demanding personal specifications, they are Traditionally Cut! - Bruce Samboy

THE GAMBLERS DECK

Richard spared no details in preparing for the Gambler's Playing Cards. He chose the top of the line paper produced by the USPCC, the Bee stock; used a thickness of paper that is designed to have lasting power, yet remain flexible; utilized a white border to make them magician friendly; checked by recognized authorities for one-way issues; and most importantly, followed the casino dictate of having the cards done in a traditional cut.

INSPIRATIONAL PHOTO BOOK

A 30 page 12"x12" full color hard back photo book of high quality photos from Richard's life and documentary shoot. Designed by a professional graphic artist, Richard's inspirational quotes will be interspersed throughout the pages. Autographed by Richard Turner himself, this will be the perfect book to show off on your coffee table about the movie YOU helped make.

RICHARD TURNER'S NEW INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS

The Instructional Videos will be created with Richard Turner in a studio with high quality cameras that can shoot slow motion and HD footage - similar to the quality of our Studio Teaser (seen in the About The Film section). We've also created a glass table top to help grab rare footage from underneath the deck. We will be putting together a series of videos of techniques with instructional narration by Richard Turner. We hope to have these available in 2016.

DEALT T-SHIRTS

Design coming soon!