Bullet catch

The bullet catch is a conjuring illusion in which a magician supposedly catches a bullet fired directly at him, often in the mouth but also occasionally in the hand. The trick is probably based on the 15th century legend of William Tell, an expert marksman capable of shooting an apple off his son's head. The bullet catch is also referred to as the bullet trick or occasionally the gun trick.

In performance

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 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. In his 1785 book, Natural Magic or Physical Amusements Revealed, Philip Astley fallaciously wrote that he himself had invented the trick in 1762. However, two books published in 1761 mentioned the the bullet catch as described by Beard, The Conjuror Unmasked by Thomas Denton, and La Magie blanche dévoilée by Henri Decremps.

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 Torrini De Grisy and De Linsky who were responsible for the death of their son and wife, respectively. In 1869, a performer by the name of Dr. Epstein was killed when the tip of the wand he was using to ram the charge into the gun broke off inside and was subsequently fired at him when the gun 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 colleague Harry Kellar.

A successful performer of the bullet catch was 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. American mentalist Theodore Annemann presented an outdoor version of the bullet catch throughout his career in the 1930s.

In the 1950s, 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 gimmicked. Most recently, Penn and Teller demonstrate a bullet catch in their stage show in Las Vegas.

Famous performers

Coulew (France, 1500s)
Kia Khan Khruse (England, shot by spectator in 1818)
De Linsky (Germany, killed his wife in 1820)
"Torrini" De Grisy (killed his son Giovanni in 1826)
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)
Paul Daniels (United States, 1990s)
Penn and Teller (United States, 2000s)

Method

No matter what speed a bullet leaves the muzzle, it must eventually come to rest. If the gun were perfectly aimed using an appropriate distance, such a trick would seem plausible. This is the line of reasoning the performer of the bullet catch encourages the audience to accept.

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As is often the case with other magic illusions, there is no single way the bullet catch is performed. The method a magician may use will vary from performer to performer. It should come as no surprise that the gun or the bullet is rigged in some way. In the simplest form of the bullet catch, the gun is made to fire blanks. The target through which the "bullet" passes is set to destruct using a squib. All the performer must do is keep the bullet in his mouth until ready to produce it.

If the gun is to be loaded in front of the audience, a wax bullet is loaded into the firearm. The spray of liquid wax from the barrel of the gun is enough to break the pane of glass. A good magician is able to use misdirection to exchange the marked bullet with one made of wax and place the marked bullet into his mouth. Many magicians' supply companies sell gaffed bullets to be used to perform the bullet catch.

The gun that Soo used was set to fire a blank in an adjacent 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
Randi, James. Conjuring. ISBN 0312097719

External links

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