The Masked Magician: Remembering the Hit Show

The Masked Magician was a hit TV show running from 1997 to 2002 in which a masked magician was revealing the best hidden secrets of his craft. The show was very popular in its native country the US and also around the world.

However, it wasn’t very popular with other magicians who felt betrayed by Mr. M (the Masked Magician), some of whom even pursued legal actions. This was the reason why Mr M wore a mask in the first place, but he decided to take it off during the show’s finale when he was revealed to be Val Valentino – a famous American magician.

We aren’t going to discuss the controversies around the show though. We’re way more interested in what it had to offer – brilliant magic tricks. We hand-picked some of the best tricks that the Masked Magician revealed for all of us. Prepare to shocked!

Off with Your Head

In a truly theatrical fashion, the Masked Magician performed a guillotine trick that still sends chills down our spines. Mr. M, wearing a long robe, is escorted onto the scaffold by assistants. He is then strapped onto a body board by them to assure the audience he can’t escape.

As his body’s lowered and placed on the guillotine, an executor pulls the rope and Mr. M’s head finds itself in the basket below. That is until the executor takes off his hood and reveals himself as Mr. M.

How did He do it

The robe is the first clue. The magician wears it to conceal the metal body frame and fake masked head underneath. His assistants do not simply escort him – they remove the metal body frame and put it on the wooden frame, instead of the real magician, while he goes down the trap door underneath the scaffolding. He appears a few moments later to ‘execute’ his faux self.

Arrow through Assistant

In yet another chilling magic trick, the Masked Magician shoots an arrow through his assistant. The brave assistant stands blindfolded in front of a shooting target, while the magician is loading his rifle.

He puts an arrow inside wraps a long ribbon around it for the audience to follow its trajectory. He shoots the arrow through his assistant’s stomach and straight into the bull’s eye. One can see the ribbon hanging from the arrow and her body.

How did He do it

First, the magician’s rifle is real, but he never shoots it. The bullet only produces smoke to deceive the audience. Although Mr. M put the arrow inside the rifle, he never shot it.

Next is the ribbon. The ribbon is connected to a fishing string invisible to the naked eye, which runs around the magician’s body and along the stage, as well as through a metal tube around his assistant’s body (concealed by her dress) and straight through the target. The fishing string is also attached to a sandbag above the stage.

When the ‘arrow’ is shot, the sandbag is released, which pulls the ribbon and fishing string through the assistant’s metal tube and into the target. The arrow you see on the target is carefully placed there by another assistant who pulls it out on time.

Houdini’s Straight Jacket Trick

Houdini was the master of escape, and the following magic trick shows why. The Masked Magician is put into a straight jacket by his assistants, and then goes inside a large box. The box is then wrapped around with heavy chains.

He has exactly 60 seconds to escape before the box is lifted in the air and shot up with dynamite. When that moment comes though, Mr. M can be seen on the other side of the stage.

How did He do it

The straight jacket is real and it’s difficult to get it off you unless you’re properly trained. The magician keeps his arms stiff, while the assistants are putting him in the jacket, in order for him to have more mobility. He then has 60 seconds to take off the jacket while in the box.

The box has a side that comes off, but how does he escape the audience’s eagle eyes? He puts on a jumpsuit (placed in the box beforehand), which matches that of his assistants’, along with a cap and fake hair. While he is leaving the box and later the stage, one assistant distracts the spectators by gluing on dynamite on the box.

The Assistant’s Revenge

This is a classic trick that is often performed at magic shows. The magician’s beautiful assistant is led to a restraining device resembling an upright wooden rack combined with leather straps and metal stock for the neck. She is then strapped tightly onto the device with both the straps and the stock.

Then, the magician pulls a curtain around the device as he is walking around it. However, he doesn’t come up – his assistant does – and as she pulls the curtain, we see he’s strapped on the device instead. Revenge is sweet!

How did He do it

The straps and the stock are real; the device has another secret. The frame of the rack is made out of two separate halves, so thus, it acts as a regular door. The assistant can open it at any moment and escape.

That’s what she does as the magician takes her place. He has to close the door before she pulls out the whole curtain in order to sustain the illusion that he’s strapped onto the device.