Paul Daniels Sawing in Half-PT Selbit version

[FranjavRost]

Really great trick like all of the Paul. Daniels

[thepauldaniels]

AT LAST I am catching up on 'comments'. The Wakeling version was a beautiful design, beautifully made, and we performed it for years. It obviously owed its 'roots' to Selbit. This version was made to scale 'cos we knew Selbit's height and used that, from a photograph of him doing the trick, to recreate the measurements of his box. I once met the very first lady to go into the Selbit box. He was her uncle.

[dfarmbrough]

He's very good. You can see how he does one part of this, which is when he unties the knots restraining her arms, but I defy anyone to spot this on stage. He was a magician for the television age and as such was under much greater scrutiny than his precursors.

[Toddthedidger]

Wow, really shes 50! I thought she was like around 30 or something.

[lwouldliketoknow]

au fauntastische'

[Toddthedidger]

Old guys married to women old enough to be their daughters is creepy. Penn and Teller used to goof on them hard core.

[dfarmbrough]

Well he's 70 and she's 50. It's not really a big deal, is it?

[thepauldaniels]

I feel sorry for you for not realising that with billions of peeps on the planet, you are going to get all kinds of age and creed differences. Who cares so long as they are happy. We are!

[VimisiDigitalMedia]

My 3rd response to CapriCorn2006 (see the other 2): Mark & Jinger do a GREAT JOB, I agree! But the ILLUSION doesn't hold a candle to Selbits version. 2 Swords vs plates of glass? That's self-evident. Doors? I believe Selbit was smart enough to KNOW that if you had them, they should stay open... so he didn't even put them there. Separating? Again, he KNEW that would FORCE you closer to a possible solution by eliminating the chance of a fake saw. Sliding of the block showing space? BRILLIANT!

[VimisiDigitalMedia]

cont- Improvements (serious improvements) were made to Robert Harbin's Zig-Zag. (Roller blinds, center bar removed, space in shelf.. My own 'changes' taper the cabinet from front to back so the blades appear wider at the rear) Nobody tagged another name to it. Since then "Modern Art", "Cube-Zag", and some others combine methods to achieve a somewhat similar result. None in my opinion are 'as good', but they play differently so adding the inventors name could be justified. Alan/PT? Too similar!

[VimisiDigitalMedia]

I think this is GREAT! I like the fact that he credits Selbit too. Seeing this again, confirms (in my mind) that the "Wakeling" (spelling might be wrong) sawing is pretty much a rip-off of the Selbit illusion. Selbit got shafted back when he first invented it too, and I'm NOT HAPPY to see such a fuss being made over Wakeling's slight (and unnecessary) "changes". The modern day "thin model" was a welcome change since the hands and feet could be seen, but for a "classic" version Selbit's is best.

[CapraCorn2006]

Now hold on VimisiDigitalMedia , I don't think Alan Wakeling made any secret of the fact that his version was inspired by Selbit's . Selbit was credited by Wakeling in his writing, but not in his presentation because it wasn't an historical recreation as Paul's performance here was . When Wakeling started performing his version (which also built upon some ideas from Guy Jarrett) Selbit was long dead, so I don't see how you can say that Alan "shafted" Selbit or was ripping-off Selbit ?

[CapraCorn2006]

Also, to VimislDigitalMedia :

I don't see how you can say that Alan's improvements to the Selbit effect are "slight and unnecessary" changes . Have you seen the Wakeling Sawing performed ? It's a significant improvement .

Anyone who is interested to watch the Wakeling Sawing and compare to Selbit's as performed above by Paul Daniels search YouTube for "Kalin and Jinger-thin sawing in half"  watch?v=4lcbk4VcUwQ

[VimisiDigitalMedia]

I seriously appreciate your response. But here's MY thinking (and it doesn't need to be yours).. I'll quote you: "When Wakeling started performing his version (which also built upon some ideas from Guy Jarrett) Selbit was long dead, so I don't see how you can say that Alan "shafted" Selbit or was ripping-off Selbit?" My point is, since WHEN (after a person dies?) does someone have the right (AUDACITY) to attach THIER NAME to it? Is the "DeKolta Chair" an "Owens Chair" or "Richiardi Chair"? -cont

[CapraCorn2006]

Ok fair enough, but I don't think it was Alan Wakeling who named it "The Wakeling Sawing" . It was just his version of the sawing in half . Period. Other people started calling it "The Wakeling Sawing" . And honestly, in rewatching the clip of Kalin & Ginger performing Alan Wakelings version (and I've seen the Pendragon's do a great job of it too) I think Wakelings is significantly different enough that it it is not a "rip-off" of Selbit. Selbit's was(is) great , but magic develops.

[FMTCH]

Can you imagine the fun he he had tying Debbie up backstage

[Carycomic]

Wow! Brilliant AND hilarious!

Ms. McGee reminded me of a British Georgia Engel when she bantered with Mr. Daniels. And, I'm not completely sure. But, it looked like he used his pate to make some covert tactile contact with her left thigh!

[NomadGSA]

A classic..........

[magicollie]

i have meet him,iswear.

[telmecsa]

She is lovely. Thanks for sharing. Great classic.

[migueldas14]

sawing

[MavisRileyJunior]

What?