50 Greatest Magic Tricks

"There was a great deal to enjoy in this compilation of superlative magical excellence, and the show was a great and golden credit to its makers. The magical content was almost uniformly superb, and all but the most obsessive magic fans will have seen items they hadn't seen before"

 

 

What of the Top 50 itself? Naturally, there can never be a definitive 'Top 50' list of tricks, and the controversy is part of the fun. In any case, the show would more fairly have been titled 'The Fifty Greatest Magic Tricks of which there is some video tape we could get the rights to, missing out the ones which are good but just don't work on TV'.

 

 

 

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Here's the full list：

 

50. Franz Harary, Vanishing Space Shuttle (1994)

49. Juan Tamariz, Four Blue Cards (1996)

48. Shahid + Lisa Malik, Sword Box (1991)

47. Guy Hollingworth, The Reformation (1997)

46. Harry Blackstone Jnr., Vanishing Bird Cage (1987)

45. Mark Mottram, Thumb Tie / Sword (2000)

44. Penn & Teller, Truck Trick (1990)

43. Meir Yedid, Fingertip Fantasies (1985)

42. Derren Brown, Subway Hypnosis (2001)

41. Melinda Saxe, Drill of Death (1999)

40. Paul Zenon, Snooker Card Trick (2000)

39. Spoon Bending (Amazing Jonathan, Geller, Rowland)

38. Stevie Starr, Goldfish Regurgitation (1992)

37. Fay Presto, Bottle Thru Table (1996)

36. Lance Burton, Osmosis (1997)

35. Robert Gallup, Straitjacket Escape (2000)

34. James Hydrick, PK Page Turning (1980)

33. Penn & Teller, Cut & Restored Snake (1991)

32. Paul Daniels, Electric Chairs (1989)

31. Great Soprendo (Geoffrey Durham) Torn & Restored Newspaper (1982)

30. David Berglas, Levitating Dancing Table (1981)

29. Amazing Jonathan, The Skewer (2001)

28. Tommy Cooper, Multiplying Bottles (1967)

27. Paul Zenon, Tax Disc (2000)

26. Derren Brown, Art Gallery Prediction (2000)

25. Paul Daniels, Vanishing TV Camera (1984)

24. Amazing Jonathan, Knife Thru Arm (1996)

23. David Berglas, Pulse Stopping (1986)

22. Siegfried & Roy, Interlude (1994)

21. Simon Drake, Swords Illusion (1990)

20. Ishamuddin, Indian Rope Trick (1999)

19. Derren Brown, Blair Witch Illusion (2000)

18. Robert Gallup, Death Dive (1996)

17. Amazing Orchante, Ball of String (1987)

16. Siegfried & Roy, Vanishing / Reappearing Elephant (1994)

15. Simon Drake, Guillotine (1992)

14. Lance Burton, Rollercoaster Escape (1999)

13. Harry Blackstone Jnr., Floating Lightbulb (1977)

12. David Blaine, Card In Window (undated)

11. Penn & Teller, Double Bullet Catch (1996)

10. Hans Moretti, Crossbow (1995)

9. Richard Ross, Linking Rings (1983)

8. Paul Daniels, Chop Cup (1985)

7. Tom Mullica, Cigarette Eating (1996)

6. David Copperfield, Flying (1995)

5. Robert Harbin, Zig-Zag Girl (1965)

4. Lance Burton, Doves (1982)

3. The Pendragons, Metamorphosis (undated)

2. David Blaine, Levitation (undated)

1. David Copperfield, Death Saw (1995)