How Copperfield Vanished the Statue of Liberty

[@MindBlownMagicIllusion]

Free Magic: MindBlownMagic.com

[@billgreen4003]

COOL

[@Jumbo-k4t]

Absolute scum you've got no talent you can't get work because you've got a face like a bull terriers backside so you go and give away magic you disgusting parasite and I guarantee you're actually wrong

[@Jumbo-k4t]

And I'd be careful if I was you I know of several magicians that have been successfully sued by David Copperfield don't fk with the master

[@kingrobert1st]

You missed the most important misdirection. He had a helicopter with a bright spotlight shining on the statue for a considerable length of time during which he apologized to the audience and said they were having "technical problems." Eventually the curtain came across and the stage began to revolve imperceptibly slowly. However the helicopter moved in sync with the stage. The beam of light appeared to be stationary in relation to the stage. When the curtain was lifted they saw the helicopter in the same place but with no statue. The beam of light also helped black out the background. Otherwise the audience would have seen a different skyline. Pure genius!

[@acreguy3156]

Interesting, KingRobert. That was one slick chopper pilot who was able to sync up the light with the stage from what I assume would have been at 1,000 feet AGL.

[@kingrobert1st]

@@acreguy3156 Slick magician too!

[@acreguy3156]

@@kingrobert1st Agreed! When I first saw that when he did the trick, I couldn't believe he was even from this planet.

[@countsmyth]

He also had floating lights in the water if i remember, to replicate the ones shining up onto the statue.

[@kingrobert1st]

@@countsmyth Well executed plan!

[@ebolarnator1794]

KZbin needs more videos like this, straight to the point and isn't 10+ minutes long to answer a simple question. Thank you ❤

[@brettg274]

FR, most videos be like, “but to understand the trick, first let me tell the life story of David Copperfield…”

[@exiaxzero]

And then an awkward, sudden cut in the middle to talk about today's sponsor, Factor/Squarespace/Ridge Wallet/Vessi/Raid: Shadow Legends. 😂🤣

[@JackieSwisher619]

Also thanks for not mugging for the thumbnail. I hit ‘don’t recommend channel’ whenever I see those.

[@OfficialOpinion]

Can't make money and be sustainable without it. The end.

[@ebolarnator1794]

@@OfficialOpinion If no one watches 10+ minutes videos for a simple question, they it will make money and be sustainable. 👍

[@khmergodhobbies]

thanks for only being 2 mins and not 20.

[@dessertlocust]

agreed, most people would drag this out for a 4 hour video

[@Guchiechoochchandhi]

Definite king status

[@Juianer]

Most videos are 11 min

[@pl33]

Agreed 👍

[@KandiKlover]

And still too drawn out with useless babble.

[@frogman1941]

Egon moved the statue of liberty with his NES controller. Well done Egon. Well done.

[@samanthac.349]

And, the happy goo.

[@vikingfortiesfaeroes]

NES Advantage

[@NastiMarvasti]

And Jackie Wilson.

[@ethzero]

And the... "nocturnal experiments" by Egon and Ray.

[@TheWaynos73]

SHES A HARBOUR CHICK!!

[@ChaoticYak1]

Cool! As a kid, I loved watching David Copperfield. I knew it was all tricks, but the experience was what I enjoyed because I didn't know how he pulled it off. For me, it doesn't change my enjoyment to know.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

I was fortunate enough to see him the last time I was in Vegas. He still puts on a great show and I'd definitely recommend it to anybody who has the opportunity to see one of the all time greats. There's a reason why he was the first billionaire magician. He puts on a spectacular show. I was somewhat surprised to be able to get such good tickets the day of the show. But, then again he does shows throughout the year and has been for many years.

[@Goodcityz]

Me too, watch every t.v special with my parents. Great memories

[@MikehMike01]

The Statue of Liberty trick is painfully obvious Like he can’t do anything at all to the real one, so it left literally one other option

[@finkelmana]

Figuring out how a magic trick is done is far more interesting than the trick itself.

[@michaelbarton4787]

But it does kinda take the 'magic' out of magic tho'

[@finkelmana]

@@michaelbarton4787 not really. We know magic isn't real and it's just an illusion. So the fun is in figuring out how it was done.

[@rodan9773]

Not really to me anyway.

[@kekke2000]

A trick like this is just a nothing burger, there is no skill involved. But seeing people who are really good at sleight of hand perform is really impressive, perhaps even more so when you know how it's done.

[@tommymackbwb5979]

@@finkelmanaI agree with you. Watching magic tricks aren’t as fun because I’m more interested in how they did it vs what they did

[@PRH123]

I recall starting to watch it on tv, but the buildup was so interminably long, it was really tedious waiting for the trick, that we just changed the channel…. We had previously wasted an hour or two waiting for Capone’s safe to be opened just to see there as nothing in it…. was a common approach on shows back then…

[@John_Locke_108]

😂😂. First time I truly experienced true dissapointment as a kid was Al Capones vault.

[@scalien225]

@@John_Locke_108 Capone's safe!! Then the sequel, the Titanic Cabinet! What memories.

[@mccallosone4903]

yeah al capones vault, what a shaft that was

[@goodbonezz1289]

You must be referring to the Geraldo Rivera special, opening Al Capone’s safe? But that was in 1986, three years after this stunt, not previously.

[@jimmyrade7815]

More time wasted = more ad revenue

[@fepatton]

I remember that show! I always looked forward to his and Doug Henning's specials on TV. Finally got to see Copperfield in person many years ago at the San Jose Arena, and it was a great experience. Cheers!

[@johnstorton]

I was a fan of Henning. I was amazed at his slight-of-hand skill. I didn't care much for Copperfield's grand illusion trickery.

[@legitbeans9078]

Gai

[@AnthonySforza]

Oh, I know... saw him in Vegas around Christmas of 2007. Checked that "80s/90s Kid" item off the bucket list.

[@malkamusik]

I remember this vividly as a child. Not sure I thought much on how it was done. I then ate spaghettiO's for dinner. The following day I rode my bike 4 miles.

[@georgeneuman488]

I remember it vaguely (I was five)...can't recall what we had for dinner!

[@robertlyle6277]

Yeah - I thought it was lame as well. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes for my family. 😋

[@bobloblaw9791]

I’m just not enthralled by illusionists either. We had pizza that night. Can’t remember what I did the next day, but I’m sure a bmx was involved.

[@schqrr]

Haha it’s cool you remember that

[@Mr.M4N.777]

Best Comment!

[@DR-mq1vn]

I watched this on TV in 1983! Thanks for the explanation.

[@hunter141072]

Those David Copperfield Specials were a must back in the 80´s, I remember there were 6 or 8 of them and he always performed something "impossible" at the end of the show. Back then it was insane and we had no idea how he did it, but today it´s so easy to understand how everything was done. I´m not gonna lie I kind of like the fact that now I know how he did all of those tricks, back then I really wanted to know how he could do such amazing tricks but it was impossible to get that information.

[@gbhxu]

Used to prefer Doug Hennings specials.

[@ginog5037]

​@@gbhxuThey were all good and fun to watch...

[@kevinpittman2517]

i remember the great wall of shina the most. that was awesome

[@michaelbarton4787]

@@kevinpittman2517 Indeed - not too tricky to work out how he did that one tho'

[@spidey3471]

And even today for some reason I still remember those specials were always sponsored by Kraft

[@glenpolen5562]

Great video. I was impressed back then, and years later, I had heard that the stage moved and he had the bass turned up in the music so the audience did not realize what was going on. Very loud music with a heavy bass can make people confused and even psyched out a little. It can also throw off your balance . So the stage movement would feel normal to the audience, like you greatly mentioned. Thanks Dan.

[@anyoldorion]

That helps to explain why I felt unwell at rock concerts.. I have atrial fibrillation..I’m sure the bass altered my heart rate..

[@glenpolen5562]

​@Oystersgetclamydia Hello, I hope that you are doing well. Have you been to any more concerts? If so, I hope you got thru it safely and took precautions. I wonder what precautions you could take. Same with others who have other health issues. I agree that the loud bass and other loud sounds that are mixed in at a concert could affect our health and cause issues, but especially if we have any on- going issues. Im sure the loud noise could affect many people in many ways. I've been drumming my whole life and am thankful and blessed to still have excellent hearing. My eye sight is a different story, lol. From playing in bands, running sound and being around the loudness, I know what goes on at a concert setting from the stage set up, behind stage effects, the front special effects, speaker and amp placements, etc. Lot of bands who have money like to use indoor pyrotechnics. I worry because when watching a band while singing along to the songs and groovin to the music, we dont know when those pyrotechnics are going to blast off. We dont know if loud sirens will be played, and if any other loud bangs will go off. We dont see the effects coming and we are not told. The sudden shock could affect someone's health from getting scared, and maybe having a stroke or other attacks. People could pass out from the noise, and the very bright flashing lites. I know that some people have suffered and orhers have died. Some bands have been sued. We need to be pretty much in great health to enjoy a rock concert. Some heavy metal, grunge bands make people sign waivers. GOD BLESS.

[@anyoldorion]

@@glenpolen5562 Hi. Yep! I’m relatively well.. I’m on medication for AF now. The last concerts I attended was Beth Hart,Richard Hawley and Fontaines DC few years back.. It was the Fontaines gig that caused me to feel unwell.. Heart rate was everywhere until day after. I’m going to be very selective in future about the band and also venue acoustically.

[@glenpolen5562]

@@anyoldorion Hey, It's great to hear back from you. Im very happy to hear that you are doing well, staying healthy, and keeping the ole heart pumping. Amen. I just said a prayer for you when i read your reply. I forgot to mention in my first comment that many cities can't afford to pay the bands because of how big their show might be. Some cities just don't want to pay bands because of their budgets. Then there are the cities that just dont want certain bands to be around because of what people do before and after the shows . A lot of venues can't afford bands, and some dont have the room for fans. There are capacity limits, and many bands prefer to play the smaller clubs. Bands can't bring their whole show to smaller venues for safety reasons, but a larger facility mite allow minimal pyrotechnics inside, and even then, people get hurt. The sound can get so deafening in a smaller venue and hurt people. All clubs and venues must obide by noise laws, and can by sued by the city and if someone gets hurt. A band should also be required to have a certain stage volume. Some sound teams use the same settings from an arena show and at a smaller venue. They might adjust the highs and lows. Most clubs do it right, and respect is given all around. But, things can still happen. I would think that a persons hearing could suffer from a small venue compared to arena shows, but that is not always true. Plus, we are all different. My sensitivity could be worse than the person standing next to me. I remember being at many concerts, and no matter what section i was in, my ears would be ringing when i left and got home. I know this has happened at other events, but I remember being at a concert, and my ears were ringing bad and I got a little confused and almost lost my balance and fell over. I had to clear my head and sit down. Please be safe, and take care. Enjoy the music.

[@anyoldorion]

@@glenpolen5562 Yep! I remember those gigs very well.. I’ve seen Black Sabbath in the 70’s .. My ears are ringing to this day 😁 I’ve a massive vinyl and cd/dvd collection that I’m going to dust off and enjoy..from my armchair. Thank you for your prayers~ I appreciate that. God bless too. 👍🏻

[@ryancoulter4797]

He also hired actors to play some of the audience because he wasn’t trying to fool them, he was trying to fool you the tv viewer. There was a This American Life episode about this.

[@Venusandjupiteinunion6434]

Magic tricks are carefully calculated mind manipulation. They want you to believe they have some kind of super human ability. Do you know how long it takes to learn how to fool you? A long time. But it only takes a second to realize it's not real.

[@vitoc8454]

Criss Angel's bizarre exploding racecar-into-cage-teleport "magic trick" is one of the most hilariously bad attempts to fool an audience watching through a screen

[@RyuuTenno]

plenty of people say that, if you know how the trick worked, it loses it's magic, but for me, it's still incredible to know about. Always wondered, even though I wasn't around for that trick. I remembered hearing about it, and it's just something that's absolutely wild to think about. And I love this, cause even though I know how it's done, it's *still* absolutely incredible to see.

[@SyntheticFuture]

For me it changes the wonder. Someone still had to figure out these mechanics, had it build and execute the trick. And doing all that successfully is a wonder as well 😄

[@ThreeToesofFury]

close but the actual secret was revealed a few years back in Ghostbusters 2. Copperfield had his staff spray the statue with pink slime and it merely walked a few steps away during the show. Magic!!!

[@cdevidal]

Egon: My parents didn't believe in toys. Ray: You mean you never even had a Slinky? Egon: We had part of a Slinky. But I straightened it.

[@englishtwister]

One thing never explained is how they got it down. Let alone getting it back up .

[@DOC_951]

Dear lord… I’m so thankful you made this video on 2 minutes, unlike other channels

[@Flyboy_73]

I figured it was a 2nd black curtain that mimicked the night sky.

[@martabachynsky8545]

That's what I thought it was as well.

[@KotobKotob]

​@@martabachynsky8545no. The arrangment of light make it disappear

[@rolandliana]

hade the same idea

[@snaifhassnan6348]

66

[@probegt75]

As a kid i always looked forward to a David Copperfield special. Tv is terrible nowadays.

[@juliap.5375]

Why? TV nowadays became more interesting. Of course in different countries situation can be different, as example I stopped to watch Hollywood movies near 10 years ago, incredible madness and non stop propaganda, even more than at old times :/

[@goku445]

@@juliap.5375 TV is dead/dying. We are in the Internet era. You can choose what you watch, not what your masters want you to watch. Be free.

[@mikecarter8880]

Well networks are dead. I find a lot of great stuff through Hulu/Netflix/Amazon and many other streaming services. You just have to dig harder to find good stuff, but you have more options than you ever had before.

[@Traitorman..Proverbs26.11]

@@goku445 Problem is with the choice on the internet is that there is an awful lot of confirmation bias.

[@goku445]

@@Traitorman..Proverbs26.11 That is still better than only showing you what some people in power want. The problem is education and missing critical thinking. You have to question yourself everyday.

[@GenX1969]

He used a giant “Lazy Susan”

[@goldcanyon340.]

pretty much

[@ElDarren]

That's gold! I remember that stunt but never knew the trick. Great video dude!

[@StLProgressive]

I remember watching this on tv. My 12 year old mind was blown, lol. It was such a cool trick.

[@CamdenBloke]

I was obsessed with David Copperfield growing up, and watched all his television specials in grade school. I was also into magic myself. I was in every talent show. This only came out when I was 2 years old though, so obviously I was too young to watch it or even know about it. But I always heard people talk about David Copperfield as being the person who made the Statue of Liberty disappear. I never got to see it until years later on youtube.

[@zabadazidit]

This was shown on TV on "Magician Secrets Revealed" about 20-25 years ago. Rumor has it that the audience was in on it too.

[@arcis5538]

most likely

[@BlunderMunchkin]

If the audience were in on it they could have moved the platform faster and wouldn't have needed the bass music.

[@CSXIV]

I remember that too (and he even said some but not all of the audience were actors because it was the TV audience he was fooling, not the live audience) but I've also seen other versions of the trick that were much faster, lacked the buildup, the music and the helicopter to mess with perspective. This means the platform would have needed to move fast enough to be noticed, requiring the entire audience to be in on it. Which tells me Copperfield put in far more time and effort to make the illusion work, not just for the TV audience, but for the live audience.

[@GamesFromSpace]

That's why TV magic never meant anything to me. I have no reason to think they're telling t he truth if they pinky promise no editing tricks.

[@Gr8Methos]

An earlier source was Bigger Secrets by William Poundstone in 1989.

[@IvoPavlik]

Just 2-minute video. Straight to the point. He didn't even ask for subscribe or like. What a legend!

[@kimsterific]

Ty for posting ! I was 8 and rember watching.i was mesmerized 😮!

[@marcd1981]

Thanks for the video. I was big into magic from the mid 70s through the mid 80s, and David Copperfield and Doug Henning were the two biggest magicians of that time. Henning made an elephant disappear in the first season, then walked through a brick wall in the second season of his television series, Doug Henning's World of Magic. The elephant was the big one until Copperfield did his Statue of Liberty vanishing act.

[@morlockmeat]

He also had shots from above from the helicopter. Before he made the statue disappear, he had live shots from above. After he made it disappear, the live studio showed a miniature from that perspective, with no statue, completing the illusion for the live audience at home.

[@ethzero]

Old enough to remember watching this. Nice to have the trick concisely revewlaed all these years later.

[@ronaldthomas7910]

I remember watching it and the next day at school our science teacher explained it, but he told us it was optical illusion of lighting and when David was on some talk show he slightly hinted on the turning of the stage.

[@juliemc8460]

I love this! I always wondered how he did it. I heard it was something about the angles with the audience but this explanation is perfect!

[@hemavathikumar9123]

The "Mask Magician" has already opened a few methods on his show. But sadly the world which praised him especially 90s kids now have completely forgotten about "masked magician" . 😢

[@drewdonald6260]

No way!!! I watched this when it happened!! 39 year old mystery SOLVED - Thank you : )

[@AWARHERO]

I watched this live. It was amazing!

[@Dubzero946]

I watched this live as a kid and my dad was like " he rotated the staff, phiff. And walked away. 😂

[@zabadazidit]

And your dad was right! 😄

[@scottsmith7203]

did your dad then say he's going out for some cigarettes and never came back? bawahahahahahahahahahahaah!!!

[@juliap.5375]

Exactly same story, but it was my cousin 😂

[@GeomancerHT]

Plot twist, that's Copperfields son.

[@Dubzero946]

@@scottsmith7203 no. He sd he was going to bang some whore and left. What's up brother. 😭

[@freemagicfun]

Most people I knew shrugged it off as a TV trick. I remember talking about this at school after it aired - and no one I knew was impressed. The main two theories were that the audience was in on it, or he just used mirrors. I always thought Henning was far more entertaining than Copperfield. 😎

[@NagaSeraphim369]

Or since it's showing as night time, a black screen

[@Ken-fh4jc]

Haha people always say “mirrors” as the default explanation for these stunts. “Oh yeah he probably used mirrors.”

[@fododude]

Doug Henning was more entertaining but for the wrong reasons.😆

[@sonicdiablo8968]

@@Ken-fh4jc They never explain how the mirrors are used though lol

[@Mark.Taylor.]

No one thought he really made it vanish

[@greybeardcanadian1036]

I remember watching this live on tv. Ive wondered how it was done ever since. thank you!

[@CraigBoudreaux]

I do find it funny that you said this trick worked in 1983 but wouldn't work now... like people are more informed now than they were then. I think they are informed in a different manner than then, but it's not like good magic doesn't still amaze people.

[@MindBlownMagicIllusion]

I’m not saying people are smarter now, we just have more technology. If someone tried this today, there would be drones watching from every angle and it would be exposed on social media before the special even aired.

[@DoctorChained]

Anyone's phone would pick up that the direction they're facing changed. @@MindBlownMagicIllusion

[@catzkeet4860]

Yeah and there'd be some fruitcake in the audience swearing that the aliens did it and refuting any evidence to the contrary as FBI schills "upholding the secret agreement the govt had with them" You know I'm right 🤣

[@allme2547]

@@catzkeet4860 what you're saying would makes sense... if you weren't a clone that fixed the election... to help the reptile people convince us that the Earth isn't flat because you know the moon landing was faked!

[@ykrgfk]

@@catzkeet4860 Back in 1983 there'd have been some fruitcake in the audience. In 2023 the whole audience would be fruitcakes.

[@robertshawiv1513]

I’ve always heard that the audience was in on it.

[@MindBlownMagicIllusion]

I’ve always wondered if they were. I think the effect would have worked either way, but for a live TV event, better to play it safe.

[@gradywilson9213]

I live in Las Vegas, have worked in many stage shows. The audience is ALWAYS in on it. They also sign legal papers which make them liable if they reveal secrets. Copperfield is not a very nice person, nasty dude.

[@tropicalbeach9225]

they are! many times just staged actors!

[@TruthhTalkk]

No he put it in his pocket

[@blagus3743]

@@gradywilson9213 Is it possible for someone to not know the floor is moving under them if it's moving slowly and there's multiple distractions?

[@平-o2n]

The good old days without drones, social media, ubiquitous cameras, internet...

[@RedSiegfried]

A lot of people don't consider "camera tricks" to be "real illusions." But it's a matter of opinion. Some of the very first illusions performed on film just used camera trickery.

[@DavidDSimon]

This isn't really a camera trick. No illusion was processed in the cameras. The cameras saw what the audience saw. When people talk of camera tricks - they're usually referring to something that appears different to those viewing live as opposed to those viewing on camera or some other manipulation due to how it's filmed. Here - the camera saw what the audience saw (even if they were in on it . . ). It's really no more a camera trick than any other trick filmed from the front as opposed to angles that reveal the secrets.

[@Venusandjupiteinunion6434]

They're all illusions.

[@ErikErnstsings]

Is the rotating audience platform confirmed as the method? Asking because it was night and there were lights shining at the audience. Wouldn't lighting and the use of mirrors have been enough without needing to take the risk of having someone feel the stage rotating?

[@allbrown401]

They're just guessing,,,,you can feel a floor move while standing on it at any speed no matter how much music or base is coming through the speakers

[@cabrafoot]

the real secret is in a book...

[@DUNC8888]

The lights shining into the audience's eyes make it impossible to see the statue when it is blacked out, this is the simplest and most practical explanation.

[@arghjayem]

00:40 That’s not LEGO. That’s some knock off version of LEGO! 🤷

[@Sergazz]

And?

[@tolleseinhorn5853]

BlueBrixx is way better than Lego anyway. 🤷🏻‍♀️ FYI, can't tell which brand these bricks are from

[@strikerbowls791]

🤓

[@The_Original_forresttrump]

Thank You Sheldon, what would we do without you?

[@suomenpresidentti]

I remember watching this live here in Finland. Good times.

[@aaronnoyb]

Unfortunately, Copperfield couldn't make his name disappear, from the Epstein Island list.

[@Firithfenion]

Hahaha best comment!

[@Blackops7773]

Tbh it seems like everyone famous has been to Epsteins island

[@brianjj6667]

Did he do more than cop a feel

[@gavintse177]

First time ever googlr about Epstein Island .

[@KAFKUBA]

Lol

[@WildDigiDiary]

the two pillars are see through and the spot lights from a far are moving frequently to show the transparency of the illusion . Can you explain how is that possible ??

[@RyanJardina]

I understand his explanation but how did he make the Lego statue disappear during his explanation.

[@quoisegames1937]

He rotated the table

[@mennymoto]

He used magic

[@donb2480]

I watched that show and I was amazed. Thanks for the explanation.

[@73macrino]

That is pretty darn clever!!

[@mauriciomorales8863]

Great video! Really liked the off road bit, that’s where the bronco shines! Good stuff

[@adb888]

Watched it live and actually wasn't impressed BECAUSE of the forced camera views - I remember they had a helicopter and boats I think, but when the "trick" started, we were forced to watch everything from the same perspective as those on the stage. I mean, you already knew he didn't move the statue, but forcing the TV audience to view it from the stage too, was a bit of a giveaway.

[@Rogerkknull]

I remember this very clearly. I was completely baffled. Thanks.

[@TheTruthKiwi]

That must've been a hell of an expensive custom made stage

[@Bruhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.]

Considering that they were right next to the Statue of Liberty, I’m pretty sure it was on a boat. It’s pretty easy and cheap to move a boat

[@TheTruthKiwi]

@@Bruhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. The stage was on Liberty Island apparently.

[@Bruhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.]

@@TheTruthKiwi oh, ok then, if that’s the case the whole thing was just on a bunch of wheels, or on a single rotating disk. I think with some strong materials it still might not be *super* expensive

[@TheTruthKiwi]

@@Bruhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. And to make it safe and apparently hidden from the audience/viewers? I don't know, I'm just assuming that a large, complex mechanism would be quite pricey. I may be wrong.

[@gf2e]

@@TheTruthKiwiI think it could be surprisingly simple. It’s very different from anything you normally build. It only has to move a little bit. You can build a track or surface for it. Only has to move twice. I’m imagining a few dozen wheels at each end of the stage, running along curved tracks. Maybe even just train tracks. A couple motors geared down, with chains kinda like bike chains connecting the wheels together. A mechanism like that would only be maybe a foot or two tall. Easy to cover it up.

[@crispy982]

I was actually shocked when the video ended. I audibly went “Thats it?” Short and to the point, not used to that nowadays. Take my like

[@kennethswenson6214]

One problem wuth the moving stage theory. Again realiziing that the statue CANNOT move. If the audience "moved" then the statue would have vanished from the part of the audience that was centerline, to the part of the audience that is left or right. The statue can't move, the illusion that the statue was "behind" one of the pillars, is just that an "illusion" caused by field of view. Secondly, always accept the easiest explanation first. All that you would have had to do was put a pitch black curtain behind the silvery one, raise both, but lower only the front silvery one at the end.

[@rileykaiseeker4294]

Yeah, but then you wouldn't see the search lights, and you can clearly see the search lights. That's why a curtain or mirror wouldn't work.

[@somenygaard]

I don’t think it’s a theory, it’s how he did it.

[@kennethswenson6214]

@@somenygaard Well assuming that the information came from Mr. Copperfield...yes.

[@johnleven8907]

A minute and 90 seconds?? You're an amazing magician.

[@legion162]

I remember watching this as a 13 year old, and wondering did he move the stage

[@metasequoiaglyptostroboide5582]

I really like your model of the scene with the paper rolls 😅 Great explanation - on the point.

[@robertmcknightmusic]

This guy is a real magician and he masterfully exploits the art of misdirection. If you notice, he goes out of his way to say multiple times that there's no way the statue of liberty could actually vanish and then he provides an elaborate explanation why. DON'T BE FOOLED, PEOPLE! That's just what they want you to think, but I'm more convinced now than ever that the statue really did disappear in 1983. Pretty cool!

[@doryenmctown4795]

I choose to believe 😂 what I don’t believe are these people explaining it😂

[@rickwilliams967]

Con artist*

[@Venusandjupiteinunion6434]

You mean master manipulator don't you😂

[@rudyschwab7709]

I saw a live show. I remember a lot of very bright flashes of light throughout the performance. There was a very bright flash every time something disappeared or reappeared. I thought that was kind of cheap, but I will say that if Copperfield and the other performers didn't have their movements just perfect, then the flashes wouldn't have helped pull it off.

[@RobertBallMagician]

Very cool idea he did 😊👏👏😊😊👏

[@robthecow5029]

Wonderful video straight to the point no nonsense A++

[@birdmanstudios7]

who else was impressed when he made the lego statue disappear??

[@NichaelCramer]

Others have pointed out the role that the moving helicopter played in the illusion, but it’s also important to notice the bright lights (both along the pillars and around the base of the statue) which were effectively shining in the audience’s eyes making it very difficult for them to notice the background skyline had also changed.

[@Rocky-or4rz]

I remember watching this when I was a kid, even then I knew he didn't really make it disappear, I just figured because of the weird camera view how to do some kind of mirror, and everybody in the audience was in on it

[@bipolarminddroppings]

If you need the entire audience to be in on a trick, no magician would do it. It's okay to stooge a few people who are directly involved with the trick, but not the entire audience.

[@Rocky-or4rz]

@@bipolarminddroppings at this point in my life, I never say someone wouldn't do anything, under the right conditions anyone will whatever it takes for fame or money

[@chumdinger_official]

This sort of “magic” just never struck me as interesting.. it’s too big of a trick to be believable.. Personally, Ive always been more impressed with slight of hand card tricks than over produced gimmicks.

[@uhtred7860]

@@bipolarminddroppings Don't forget this was televised around the world, in the grand scheme of things, the audience where just props themselves.

[@joblo2671]

When you find out the 'trick' is so well-thought out and genius in its simplicity you can't even be mad :

[@pwallace5359]

1983 Wow, I remember watching that show and being amazed. I was 11 years old.

[@duallove6909]

Thank you!.Will you please show how we walked through The Wall Of China?. And the one he was cut in half?

[@zabadazidit]

The walk through the Wall of China was an under-and-over gimmick. The one where he was sawn in two involved a second man under the "legs" half of the table. Both of these revelations can be found on KZbin.

[@LuckyCharms777]

@@zabadazidit Can you explain how the magician who visited my daycare when I was like 5yo made M&M’s appear out of nowhere? 😂 The best audience a magician can have is little kids because they think it’s real. At least we did back then, little kids nowadays aren’t so naïve.

[@zabadazidit]

@@LuckyCharms777 Sure thing. The magician had a bag of M&Ms concealed behind his hand and used it the way other magicians would make cards "appear" out of nowhere. It's a sleight of hand trick that is easy to duplicate.

[@rowelle]

This is EXACTLY how he did the Great Wall illusion: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYqplYduisugjsksi=SMGw60aXhCivSaqs

[@rowelle]

@@LuckyCharms777I’ve been showing my 5-year-old nephew some of my magic tricks with every day objects and he’s always shocked. I bought him a magic kit but not sure if I should give it to him yet. Not sure when I will tell him that magic is just mind tricks and it’s all just an illusion.

[@davidjames579]

It's the classic answer to how Magic Tricks are done: Rule out what's impossible, and think of the most rational explanation. It's impossible to move the Statue Of Liberty like that. But it's not impossible to move the audience, since they weigh less.

[@thatguy2521]

Very smart way to think about it. I think what makes magic tricks really work, is it looks so unreal, they make you think about impossible things

[@PitchWheel]

Wouldn't it be easier to just put a mirror between the pillars and rotate that, instead of all the entire audience?

[@CaptainVideo1960]

You’re closer to the correct solution than the explanation in this video

[@Zan_Jayna]

And who would be able to manufacture a 150 foot long mirror? Westinghouse?

[@DrunkenUFOPilot]

In physics, change in position --> velocity. Change in velocity --> acceleration. Change in acceleration --> "jerk" (yes, look it up) A common example: imagine riding in a car on a straight road. The driver suddenly turns the wheel to follow a curve. The sudden lurch to the side is "jerk". Most drivers turn the wheel gradually though fairly quickly from one position to the other, to minimize jerk. This magic trick is an excellent example of where it's important to be careful with jerk. Along with booming bass music and other noises and vibrations to obscure the jerk, the audience has no idea.

[@davidgarner7948]

I remember watching this as a 4 yr old and thinking it was mirrors. So 4yr old me was wrong but I thought any magic tricks was done with mirrors.... and probably smoke.

[@texasgrillchef8581]

I was there, and I noticed. And I noticed the angle was different, because when you there you could see the sky, stars clouds etc… and I could tell we moved.

[@WolfA4]

Part of me imagines the "imperceptibly rotating" stage violently shuddering and vibrating enough that drinks were sloshing around with people being thrown to the side like the Enterprise being attacked by Klingons then cutting to the amazed crowd as the Statue "disappeared." As the little old lady is being interviewed on camera following the show there's someone just off camera having a neck brace placed on them to treat their whiplash.

[@420]

This would still work in 2023. People are still simpletons.

[@BillyViBritannia]

People have cameras in their pockets today. This would be live on social from every angle around the stage revealing the trick.

[@420]

@@BillyViBritannia a lot of performers have audiences turn in their devices to this day, so there's that.

[@Steveman27]

@@420 Since you generalized everyone, are you saying that you yourself are a simpleton as well?

[@Abaddon231]

I watched this when I was just a kid and it blew my mind.. Because it was on live TV..

[@meme4one]

One of Epsteins buddies, he can't make that connection disappear.

[@uldispaze7325]

Yap. Epic fail

[@farhanasultana9213]

This comment deserves an oscar 😂

[@allme16280]

So i watched this special and i distinctly remember that Copperfield had positioned models around the statue with a camera taking a pic every few seconds and the pictures showed the statue in one snap and then gone in the next. I'm just curious, was that part of the illusion done with this same moving stage?

[@zacksrandomprojects9698]

Im 47 now in 2023. I remember watching that on TV when I was a kid and it blew my mind. 😂

[@heads_together_crypto2422]

Did it at night. Had helicopters. Could they have had 2 separate helicopters drop an opaque curtain in front of the statues?

[@MoviesAreDope420]

This was awesome!

[@Twobarpsi]

Excellent video!!

[@TKTrooper]

The audience on the stage were part of the trick. There was no need to fool that audience. Copperfield mostly always used a staged audience when it came to his big tv tricks. The poor over acting from the audience proves that alone. Its similar to the acting astonished and amazed you see from the audiences on those shopping channels when they are shown a home appliance that doesnt really perform as advertised once you get one yourself. Same thing. Also the fact the audience was not enclosed from any other angle other than right in front of them, you'd have to be an idiot to realise you aren't being moved even with supposed loud music.

[@rainbowskunkdash756]

What he said about being the audience being distracted during the turns is absolutely true. Just go on Rise of the Resistance. When you are being captured by the First Order ship, you are on an actual turntable like device to get you from one location to another without you knowing.

[@janeoconnell3163]

Question for the person in the video…what, specifically, makes you say that this trick would not work in 2023? I’d like to know your reasoning on that.

[@MindBlownMagicIllusion]

Because of technology that exists now but didn’t then. Drones, for example. If Copperfield filmed that trick today, people would fly drones over and see the illusion. It would be on TikTok before the special was even over.

[@scott4092]

I remember that! I was like 12 at the time. Holy smokes after 40 years it's amazing to finally know.

[@tobaccoman1542]

So how’s he going to make the moon disappear??

[@scottsmith7203]

Since the moon is made of cheese, David Doucherfield will just eat it all. buuuuuuuuurp.

[@williamgottlieb8723]

Anyone can make the moon disappear. They Just have to pull their pants back up.

[@retrogiftsuk4812]

You're right about the method, but I'm not convinced that the audience was fooled. Far more likely the audience was paid stooges. Particularly since the curtain was set up for the camera (which the team controlled). The audience could glance around in the 60/90 seconds and see everyone else to their sides and behind them was moving. Stooge audiences aren't uncommon in these kinds of tricks (vanishing Orient Express also performed by Copperfield)

[@A_Realist]

You sure that was back in 83? I thought it was sometime in the 90’s

[@jpe1]

When my family watched that on live TV, when it was done, mom asked me, “how did he do that?” And I said, “if I were doing it, I would move the stage” and my dad argued that the audience would feel the stage moving, which seemed like a good point, so I deferred to my dad. Nice to know I wasn’t wrong 😉

[@Patiencelad]

I watched it live, and use the example to this day. Up close magic is 1000 times better than David Copper Field's hokey tricks. Maybe I should have been more impressed. Who knows.

[@buckhorncortez]

I've seen David Copperfield twice. He does a really good show. For the most part, he is an illusionist, although he can do sleight of hand. But, he is certainly not at the Eric Mead level of close-up sleight of hand. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3Pdkn-uls51nqMsi=ulMTfWJNGFA91gq3

[@segalliongaming8925]

Two different kinds of “magic.” Up-close magic is pure sleight-of-hand. Copperfield pioneered stage magic on an unprecedented level at the time. Even today, few magicians on stage can match what he had accomplished (though to be sure, times have also changed).

[@RustyorBroken]

I initially read this as David Copper's field hockey tricks.

[@ThisHandleFeatureIsStupid]

100% agree! This is just a bunch of gimmicks which *don't rely at ALL* on the magician's skill, but instead on the technicians setting up and executing the plan. I'll take any given amateur ACR over this, all day. And it's not even close to close.

[@RandomDudeFromSomewhere]

I always wondered how he did that. Thanks for posting this.

[@DeadBeatRealism]

Why wouldn’t it work in 2023?

[@user-cb3qr9dt2k]

Wow, I'm old, I remember watching this on TV.

[@StudioByKH83PK]

People should have asked him to vanish the green lady/copper part only, NOT the whole thing 🙄

[@yangerjamir0906]

Gotta appreciate and respect the creativity and ingenuity of these illusionists.

[@JaredKMarkowitz]

Hundreds of people? Show me one screenshot of hundreds of people in that audience

[@VertPlaysGames]

In front of a live studio audience? How did they fit the statue in a studio?

[@JoeKerr420]

If only he disappeared his name from the Epstein Lists

[@JosephKarsch-ym6cl]

Now that I haven't seen before. (Not just the explanation, but also the use of the word "vanish" as a transitive verb. 😀)

[@_I_Am_Become_Life]

The audience was in on it.

[@Venusandjupiteinunion6434]

Then why watch the thing at all if you know it's not real?

[@_I_Am_Become_Life]

@@Venusandjupiteinunion6434 It is real, a real illusion, which included the audience being in on it.

[@Venusandjupiteinunion6434]

@@_I_Am_Become_Life I still don't get it, if you know it's not real why watch?

[@_I_Am_Become_Life]

@@Venusandjupiteinunion6434 C'mon, bruh. Use your noodle. How can you assess something that you haven't seen? Like some religious fanatics, for example, who protest a film or a book. And the news man or woman asks them if they've seen or read what they are protesting. And they say no? LOL. If you actually want to assess something, you have to first watch it. Capiche?

[@Venusandjupiteinunion6434]

I saw it back in the day, and mostly I couldn't believe it. The problem is I knew the Statue couldn't actually disappear. I suppose if people just liked it because they went how did he do that? In order for a statue to disappear they would have to remove it. I am sorry I just knew it wasn't real even then.