In 1983, illusionist David Copperfield pulled off the unthinkable: he made the Statue of Liberty disappear.
On this day, 43 years ago, Copperfield was the star of a CBS Special titled The Magic of David Copperfield V: The Statue of Liberty Disappears. Hosted by Knots Landing star Michele Lee, the pinnacle of the event was Copperfield performing his now-legendary illusion, making the Statue of Liberty vanish before a live television audience.
Medium revealed the secrets behind the astonishing trick and explained how easily it could have gone wrong. As the illusion was performed live, he claimed he would not utilize any camera tricks or editing. Copperfield had to rely on his carefully researched timing, stage design, and misdirection of the audience to pull off the illusion flawlessly.
The trick was completed after Copperfield raised a giant curtain hiding the statue from the audience's view. Then, he lowered the curtain, and the statue was gone. For dramatic effect, spotlights pointed to the empty place where the Statue of Liberty once stood.
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The website explained, "The answer is simple: he moved the audience, not the statue. The platform where the audience was seated was actually a huge turntable that rotated slowly while the curtain was up. The statue did not disappear, it was just hidden behind one of the pillars that supported the curtain."
RELATED: 1980 Doomed Country Duet Turned Into a Big Hit For Kenny RogersIt concluded, "The spotlights were also mounted on the turntable, so they moved along with the audience. The whole illusion relied on the fact that the audience did not notice the slight movement of the platform, and that they assumed that they were still facing the same direction as before."
The illusionist shared an Instagram Reel explaining why the success of this particular illusion was so important to him. The reasoning behind making the iconic American touchstone disappear was actually a metaphor for Americans not taking their freedom for granted. The trick was an homage to his mother, Rebecca, who emigrated via Ellis Island.
Copperfield enlisted screenwriter Frank Capra of the film It's a Wonderful Life to help write the script for the television special. Additionally, in the Instagram Reel, the illusionist said that he had to get permission from the seated President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, to perform the trick, as the statue is located in a national park.
CBS via Getty ImagesTo ensure he understood everything about the statue's exterior and interior, Copperfield prepped by sleeping in the statue's base for weeks. The statue is 305 feet tall and weighs 62,000 pounds, so making it "disappear" required not only Copperfield's talents but a team of experts and technicians who worked almost one year to ensure the trick went off seamlessly.
RELATED: ’80s Rocker’s Mysterious Instagram Post Sparks Rumors of Ex-Member’s Return"I'm so lucky it worked," Copperfield stated. The magic trick was subsequently recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records for "the largest illusion ever staged."
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