Orson Welles performs with David Copperfield

[Magentarose67]

Hi, everyone!

I am new to the boards and I am a big Orson Welles fan and I stumbled upon this video where famed magician David Copperfield performs a magic trick with Orson...after his death. It's so heart moving ...check it out:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaXjCfr5PA0


BTW...does anyone know where this footage of Orson was orignially seen? I saw the magic trick with Marlene Dietrich, but I don't recall seeing this there....let me know thanks!

EDIT: I noticed that the person who posted the video was not very respectful to Orson at the beginning of his description ...but I enjoyed the little tribute by Coppefield...

[Roger Ryan]

The footage of Welles was shot in 1953 for magician Dick Himber's stage show. Note in Copperfield's presentation, someone has overdubbed the name "David" when Welles addresses Copperfield directly (in the original footage, Welles was addressing Himber, of course, so it wouldn't have played too well to have Orson address Copperfield as "Dick" ).

[Magentarose67]

The footage of Welles was shot in 1953 for magician Dick Himber's stage show. Note in Copperfield's presentation, someone has overdubbed the name "David" when Welles addresses Copperfield directly (in the original footage, Welles was addressing Himber, of course, so it wouldn't have played too well to have Orson address Copperfield as "Dick" ).

Ahh...thank you so much, Roger ! I wish I could see that show in its entirety...I love seeing Orson do magic!

[ToddBaesen]

Thanks for posting the Welles--Copperfield video clip... it's of a much better quality than what I've seen before on video!

It should also be noted that this clip, along with almost every other important event in Orson Welles career is documented in Jonathan Rosenbaum's career chronology of Welles work in THIS IS ORSON WELLES.

Rosenbaum's chronology gives a clear and concise picture of Welles's many projects until the day he died.

I'd have to say (in my opinion) it is easily the best book on Welles, and the one any Welles fan really needs to have on his bookshelf.

Here is Rosenbaum's entry for this filmed card trick Welles did for Dick Himber in 1953:

In New York, Dick Himber presents a live card trick that he performs with Orson Welles in a film segment--an act he takes on the road later this year.

(The same film segment is used by other live magicians in the future--including David Copperfield in a 1978 CBS-TV special.)

[Roger Ryan]

(The same film segment is used by other live magicians in the future--including David Copperfield in a 1978 CBS-TV special.)

Actually, this information is slightly off. Orson Welles did, in fact, appear on Copperfield's 1978 CBS special, but in the flesh given that he was still alive (the photo shown in the YouTube clip was most likely taken during production of this special). The "Dick Himber" film segment was used by Copperfield during his 1992 TV special. Strangely, during his introduction to the illusion, Copperfield claims to have never performed magic with Welles during his lifetime, ignoring Welles' appearance on Copperfield's show 14 years earlier.

Watching the clip again, I see that not only was the name "Dave" substituted for "Dick", but, for a cheap gag, the
phrase "Yabba Dabba Doo" was dubbed in. Also, it appears (for purposes of staging?) that the Welles footage was reversed, requiring the dubbing of the term "right eye" instead of "left eye" which Welles is apparently speaking in the original clip.

[Magentarose67]

You're welcome, Todd .

This special was from 1992? Me and my sisters saw this special, and it was probably my first introduction to Orson Welles, and I didn't remember it!

Man, that's sad .