Indian Rope Trick stirs memories of de Courcy

A story about a magician from India who recreated the Indian Rope Trick sort of got my mind thinking again. Whenever I hear about the trick, I immediately think of two things: The late Ken de Courcy and Penn & Teller.

De Courcy, in his instructional video "Pocketful of Miracles," has a line where he asks a lady helping him if she ever heard of the Indian Rope Trick. When she says no, de Courcy replies something to the effect of "it is horrific; I think you will like it."

I cannot pinpoint why de Courcy's line has stuck with me over the years, but it has. (He died July 23, 2008, and news of his passing spread during the I.B.M.-S.A.M. Combined Convention in Louisville, Ky.) When I perform a magic show and do ropes, it is not uncommon for me to inquire about the Indian Rope Trick. Depending upon the audience, I might use de Courcy's line, or I might say, "Do you want to see it? Well, I'm not that good."

I also think of Penn & Teller because of a special they did for the CBC. In it, there is an Indian magician who does the effect without the bloody ending. However, Penn & Teller set up a situation where a foreign couple are asked to come see a performance of the Indian Rope Trick. However, the performance "begins" earlier than expected, and the tourists enter, only to discover the rope falling after being suspended in the air and the child coming back to life. This, of course, was a hoax.

Read the story that got me thinking about the Indian Rope Trick here.

Read about Penn & Teller's Magic and Mystery Tour here.