There is a reason we love Inside Magic Favorite David Copperfield. He is not just a great performer but an outstanding innovator. According to The Hill, his latest public attempt will be to restore the 15th star on the Smithsonian’s flag from the war of 1812.
We have checked the magic catalogs we keep in our vault and under our mattress, and did an extensive search of all on-line magic stores but have failed to find the Restore a Star on a Historic Flag trick. We found several tricks involving flags (Sympathetic Silks with Flag; Unsympathetic Silks with Unsympathetic Flag; Flag through Body; Flag Hat from Paper Tear; Torn and Restored Flag; Burnt and Restored Flag; Washed and Dried Flag to Doves; Washed and Dried Doves to Flag; Cups and Balls (presumably with some flag oriented finale); Appearing Flagstaff; Disappearing Flagstaff; The Town of Flagstaff (this may be an entry from an Arizona specific map but we include it just in case – plus we are paid by the word); Flag through Nose (this is actually a medical procedure documented in a 1920s version of the Journal of the American Medical Association but could be considered magical by some); Restoring Stars to Paper; Restoring Torn Stars (please be very careful when searching for this item and spell “Torn” with precision to avoid unwanted photographic and video results); and a patriotic version of the classic “What’s Next” with stars rather than dots made during the American Bicentennial (we think that was around 1976 but need to verify).
Our point is that Mr. Copperfield is inventive and causes great interest in his public demonstrations. His latest effort, set for Flag Day (June 14th this year) and just before the Smithsonian’s annual citizen naturalization ceremony, is no exception.
Mr. Copperfield told The Hill news site, “The illusion is part of a bigger idea. All my illusions have an intent to say something with them.”
Apparently there is no information on why the 15th star was originally removed from the flag. It might have been taken as a souvenir or gift to celebrate the War of 1812 (which may have occurred around 1812 – we need to verify).
Mr. Copperfield told reporters, “when I heard that the 15th star has been gone for over a century, I went, ‘OK, now you’re in my world.’ I love solving mysteries or having the illusion of blending fact and fiction to try to have a message that resonates in some way.
“Those 15 stars and 15 stripes represented the states at that time of our union. And that missing piece kind of separates one of the states from them,” he says. Making the absent star reappear, Copperfield says, “could remind us of the strength we draw from each other when we are united.”
If there is anyone who can do it, we put our money on Mr. Copperfield. Of course, the betting line on any of Mr. Copperfield’s effects is open only to bettors in Las Vegas. The current odds, courtesy of odds maker Ben Lamaze, have Mr. Copperfield’s chances of success at 3:1.
Of course, those odds may change so please consult with the desk personnel before placing any wager on this or any public display of magic. If you or someone you know has a problem with gambling on the success of a magic trick, there are services to help (we need to verify this but we’re pretty sure there must be).
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