You Asked For It --Death Basket of India

This is a performance of the Hindu Basket Trick that we always referred to as the "Death Basket of India". This was one of the Thurston Props my Dad acquired from Will Rock. We used it for big stage shows when there would be a switch and a boy would pop out after the girl had been skewered. In the late 1960s and early 70s I was the boy. The show we did at the PCAM convention 1n Santa Barbara in 1968 also featured an appearance by "Robin" from the Batman TV Show. It was actually Peter Pit, a well known magician in a costume that he had. Somewhere I have a picture of that and I will add it to the post when I come across it again.

Most of the time we used a smaller basket and there was not a switch. Instead, my Dad would step inside the basket and occupy the space to show it was empty. Then, he would stand, cover the basket with a foulard, and a figure would rise, the girl reappeared. I no longer have either prop. The large basket went to the Robert Houdin Museum in Paris, which has apparently disappeared. I am not sure who my Dad sold the small basket to. We did manufacture a simulated basket prop for someone in the 1970's, but the ones we used were always woven baskets. Here is a shot of my older brother Chris with the basket we used on stage for club dates and smaller shows.

This clip is from "You Asked For It", a popular show in the 1950's. My parents performed on the show at least a half dozen times. Art Baker, the producer also used them on a variety of TV projects over the years.