Bullet catch: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 01:23, 4 July 2005

Revision as of 22:29, 4 July 2005

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The trick usually involves a gun which is loaded and operated by someone with a knowledge of firearms to give the illusion that no deception is being used. In most instances, the bullet is marked by an audience member so that it can be identified later. Great efforts are made to show that the person firing the gun does not come in contact with the person catching the bullet. When magicians [[Penn and Teller]] perform the bullet catch, a line is drawn down the center of the [[stage]], demonstrating that neither will cross to the other side.

The gun is then fired through a target (usually a pane of [[glass]] which shatters) to add to the illusion that the gun has actually fired a bullet. The performer catching the bullet collapses, apparently as a result of performing such a feat, and then rises to produce the bullet which is most often [[spit|spat]] onto a plate or tray. Historical accounts of the bullet catch describe the bullet being caught in a [[handkerchief]], in a bottle, or even on the tip of a [[sword]]. The gun that Penn and Teller use in their effect is fitted with a [[laser sight]] to add to the suspense and drama of the trick. The duo performs a double bullet catch where each one will fire a gun and catch the other's bullet at the same time.

==History==

One of the earliest documentations of the bullet catch appeared in the book ''Threats of God's Judgments'' by Reverend [[Thomas Beard]] in [[1631]]. EscapeIn artisthis and[[1785]] daredevilbook, ''Natural Magic or Physical Amusements Revealed'', [[HarryPhilip HoudiniAstley]] fallaciously wrote athat historicalhe accounthimself ofhad invented the trick in [[1762]]. However, two books published in [[1761]] mentioned the the bullet catch andas considereddescribed addingby itBeard, to''The hisConjuror repertoire,Unmasked'' butby is[[Thomas saidDenton]], toand have''La beenMagie afraidblanche todévoilée'' actuallyby perform[[Henri itDecremps]].

The bullet catch is arguably one of the most dangerous and daring illusions that a magician can attempt, even when performed in a controlled situation. Legends surrounding the trick claim that more than twelve magicians have been killed while performing it, although only a few are documented and several of those cases are suspect. [[Thomas Frost]] in his [[1876]] book ''The Lives of the Conjurors'' wrote of two separate performers in the [[1820s]] named GiovanniTorrini deGrisyDe Grisy and deLinskyDe Linsky who were responsible for the death of their son and wife, respectively. TheIn best documented instance of[[1869]], a performer beingby killedthe whilename performingof theDr. gunEpstein trickwas iskilled when the casetip of [[Chungthe Lingwand Soo]] whohe was shotusing deadto byram a malfunctioning firearm in London inthe [[1918charge]]. into Thisthe eventgun endedbroke theoff popularityinside ofand thewas bulletsubsequently catchfired trickat forhim nearlywhen 70the yearsgun went off.

The best documented instance of a performer being killed while performing the gun trick is the case of [[Chung Ling Soo]] who was shot dead by a malfunctioning firearm in London in [[1918]]. This event ended the popularity of the bullet catch trick for nearly 70 years. Escape artist and daredevil [[Harry Houdini]] wrote a historical account of the illusion and considered adding it to his repertoire but is said to have been afraid to actually perform it, talked out of it by friend and collegue [[Harry Kellar]].

A successful performer of the bullet catch was [[Britian|British]] magician [[John Henry Anderson]] in the [[1860s]]. At least four of his rivals and adapted and imitated Anderson's trick in their own performances. [[United States|American]] [[mentalism|mentalist]] [[Theodore Annemann]] presented an outdoor version of the bullet catch throughout his career in the [[1930s]].

In the [[1950s]], [[Australia|Australian]] magician [[Maurice Rooklyn]] survived being hit in the shoulder by a bullet while performing the bullet catch. After this event, he wore a [[chain maille]] vest under his shirt for safety. When he was later hit in the scalp by another bullet, he decided to completely remove the trick from his repertoire. Magician [[Jean Hugard]] demonstrated the bullet catch for his retirement performance in [[New Zealand]]. He survived after taking three bullets in the chest when a spectator dropped them into the gun as a joke.

In [[1988]], magician [[Dorothy Dietrich]] revived the bullet trick in [[Atlantic City]]. She advertised that she was the first woman to perform the illusion, although this was not technically true. Dietrich advertised a $10,000 reward to anyone who could prove that the gunfire was not [[gimmick]]ed. Most recently, Penn and Teller demonstrate a bullet catch in their stage show in [[Las Vegas]].

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==Famous performers==

*Coulew ([[France]], [[1500s]])

*Kia Khan Khruse ([[England]], aroundshot by spectator in [[1818]])

*GiovanniDe deGrisyLinsky ([[Germany]], killed his sonwife in [[1820]])

*deLinsky"Torrini" ([[Germany]],De Grisy (killed his wifeson Giovanni in [[18201826]])

*Annie Vernone (England, [[1850s]])

*[[John Henry Anderson]] ([[Britain]], [[1860s]])

*[[Robert Houdin]] (France, 1860s)

*Dr. Epstein ([[Paris]], killed in [[1869]])

*De Line (killed his son in [[1890]])

*The Great Herrmann and, wife, Adelaide ([[United States]], [[1890s]])

*Michael Hatal (United States, shot by audience member in [[1899]])

*"Bosco" Blumenfeld ([[Switzerland]], shot by audience member in [[1906]])

*Chung Ling Soo ([[London]], killed in 1918)

*[[Theodore Annemann]] (United States, [[1930s]])

*Jean Hugard ([[New Zealand]], [[1940s]])

*Maurice Fogel (England, 1940s-[[1960s]])

*Maurice Rooklyn ([[Australia]], [[1950s]])

*Dorothy Dietrich (United States, [[1980s]])

*Penn and[[Paul TellerDaniels]] (United States, [[2000s1990s]])

*[[Penn and Teller]] (United States, [[2000s]])

==Method==

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The gun that Soo used was set to fire a blank in an adjacent [[Barrel (firearms)|barrel]]. When the gun malfunctioned, the bullet that had been loaded into the main barrel was accidentally fired into Soo's [[lung]].

==References==

*Poundstone, William. ''Biggest Secrets''. ISBN 068813792X

*[[James Randi|Randi, James]]. ''Conjuring''. ISBN 0312097719

==External links==