Do you know how Paul Daniels Vanishing Elephant illusion is done?
How he makes a live elephant together with his wife Debbie McGee disappear in the broad day light out in the open field.
I think this Paul Daniels’ act is inspired by Harry Blackstone’s “The Disappearing Horse” illusion.
This similar vanishing illusion by Harry Blackstone uses a very different method.
Blackstone performed it on stage with artificial palm trees and moving scenery backdrop .
You can find this illusion, together with “The Disappearing Elephant” and many other conjuring tricks in this Harry Blackstone’s book.
Blackstone’s Secret Of Magic By Harry Blackstone
To get this free book online, type: Blackstone’s secrets of magic pdf in Google search.
Welcome to another post from the Info Ruckus Magic Trick secrets Revealed series.
Where I answer the popular question: how are magic tricks done?
How magic tricks work, or what is the secret behind magic tricks?
The magicians refer to it as the method; the secret technique uses to create the illusion of a magical effect.
Watch Paul Daniels performing the Vanishing Elephant act:
When the late Paul Daniel performed this act, it was for a TV show, and not for a live audience.
The secret of pulling off this disappearing or appearance illusion for the TV camera, can be done differently, and it is rather less restrictive.
Besides playing with angles and perspectives, the magic tricks can be conjured with the help of video editing work.
Some of you might suspect Paul Daniels uses editing to do the vanishing trick, because it is not done with one camera shot throughout.
By the way, the people in the video, including the special guest, the late former Animal Magic star Johnny Morris knew how it is done.
To them it’s not magical, because Debbie and the elephant are still right there in the field.
But to the TV and this video viewers, Debbie and the elephant vanish apparently vanished.
Paul Daniels Vanishing Elephant Illusion Revealed
So, how did Paul Daniels make a live elephant together with his wife disappear?
For a start, the elephant is still right there on the open field.
It is just that the TV and the video viewers do not see it.
Paul Daniels Disappearing Elephant Trick Explained
Let’s explore the apparatus or prop, and then the performance.
To prove to the audience that outdoor canopy tent is well-blocked up, they lift up the back panel first.
Then followed by the two sides together with the front panel.
As you can see, the front panel comes with a vertical metal bar across in the middle of the frame.
It is covered with one complete piece of fabric.
But for the back panel, you will notice there is no vertical metal bar in the center of the frame.
In fact you will notice the back panel is not covered with one but two separated fabric joined in the middle.
When the back frame is lifted up, the back fabric flips open, and you can see there is a small gap or opening in the middle at around 2:23.
It opens twice briefly.
Then again when the right side frame is lifted up, and it hits against the metal frame of the canopy tent, the joining part of the two separate fabric opens momentarily again at 2:25-2:26.
In other words, the fabric covering at the back frame can be opened right in the middle.
Most probably the two pieces of fabric is held together with a velcro fastener.
When the tent is fully covered up, Paul Daniel’s wife Debbie McGee would disembark from the elephant, and stands right inside.
While the trainer Bobby Roberts of Roberts Circus, would lead the elephant out of tent from the back of the canopy tent.
The elephant trainer would walk straight out from the middle of the canopy to a specific marked spot in the field.
The precise spot is right where the canopy roof covering is as viewed from camera.
As you know this outdoor magic illusion is specifically meant for the TV cameras.
High Angle Shot
The final scene is framed with a high angle shot taken from a distance, and slightly off the center (more toward the right).
The camera position and angle is precisely preset.
So that the viewers won’t see the hidden elephant, but instead the green field behind the canopy tent frame.
But when the roof covering fabric is whisked away, viewers don’t see the elephant and its trainer behind the canopy frame.
So, where does the big elephant and Bobby Roberts disappear to?
The fact is, they are still right there in the field.
Elephant Vanishes Behind Mirror
There is a mirror mounted on top of the canopy frame, that blocks both of them.
Pause your video clip at 3:36, and you can see the middle part of the apex of the canopy roof is missing.
I think the top edge of the mirror has blocked it.
While the bottom edge of the mirror fixed behind the lower horizontal metal frame.
See the illustration below:
The reflective side of the mirror is facing inside or facing you.
The top edge of the mirror is placed in front of the metal bar, so that there is no visual obstruction.
After they removed the cloth, you can see the whole piece of sloping metal bar facing you on your right.
But the sloping metal bar on your left, the upper section has gone missing.
I notice at the beginning of the show, something is amiss with the front left slant metal bar.
It seems to have cut off, by looking at the outline impression on the soft fabric covering, as shown below.
It is either to prevent it from being reflected onto the mirror, or to provide an uninterrupted view.
So, this is how Paul Daniels did his vanishing elephant illusion.