This is the Guillotine I had in 1985. It was a real winner at business promotionals, Stage shows for schools etc. This one was at a McDonald's® promoting the brand new McRib® Sandwich.



that's me with hair, oh the days...

So my question is, does the Guillotine still play big? Or is it passé?

I'd like to replace this one for sentimental reasons, but don't want to spend the money if it isn't going to go over well.

Money better spent for the bigger bang?

Note: I want to replace it because it along with all my other props were lost in a fire around 1987

I started using a guillotine in my larger shows about a year ago and it's getting HUGE reactions. I don't play up the danger element as much as some other performers do. Instead, I focus on audience participation and humor. I think it would be a worthwhile re-investment in your show.

Kent

I agree, When I used it, it had implied danger, but I also used it to generate some humor and audience participation.

I still like the illusion, but I've NEVER found one I like with a reasonable price tag. The one you show in the photo always seemed to weak and frail to me; the only alternatives are HUGE, mammoth units. Why can't someone come up with a nice mid-size prop? I suspect some of it has to do with liability, but there must be more ...

The same goes for headchoppers. Either it's a weak-looking "toy" or a $5,000 overbuilt hernia machine. Or, it's got some weird drawbacks.

Case in point: take a look at George Richbark's headchoppers - the cheap one looks really odd, like some kind of a puzzle made up of wood scraps; what's the point of that? The "deluxe" version has NO working advantages over the cheap verison -- only the facade is different -- so why is it almost 150% more expensive? Plus, the only way to "prove" it is to operate it without the top stock.

So, yeah, it's still a winner, but perhaps it's time for some enterprising fresh builder to recognize the needs of the work-a-day performer.

I agree with magicman845... I use my guillotine periodically in my stage show, and when I do, it gets great reactions and a lot of laughs... Play up the humor, and you'll get great reactions.

I have often told people, that if I could only take one illusion with me, I would take a Lester Lake head chopper. Very few props can give you so much time, yet pack so small.

I stopped doing the Guillotine back when the news was filled with beheadings and I have never put it back in. I hate to take the risk that someone get offended. has any one else removed it from your show for this reason?

Cameron:

I am certain that many acts did pull their choppers from their shows around the time of the beheadings, however, enough time has passed. As with anything, it is all in the performer's presentation.

I completely agree with John Bundy in playing it for laughs. I absolutely love doing this routine for corporate gigs and private parties, especially when the crowd knows the volunteer on stage. If you can figure out who is well known to the group and pick them, you can really get the audience to be emotionally involved. Never fails to get a enthusiastic ovation.

Chris

I also would agree with John Bundy. There are few shows that I do without my guillotine, and always play it for the comedy. I get 18 minutes of belly laughs.

I have been performing the Head Chopper for 25+ years. My first was an Abbott's Chinese Chopper. Next I had a custom made extended blade guillotine that Clint Reidel made for me.

My next was a Chalet Lester-Lake guillotine (actually made by Doug Russel).

For almost 10 years now I have been using the Wellington See Thru Guillotine and just bought a second one.

I would strongly recommend that you make the investment to get one that works well and looks good. I would not trust most of the models I have seen that go for under $1,000.

Also, keep the blade clean and well lubricated with appropriate lubricants. Often white graphite is the way to go, but it does depend on the guillotine. I use an orange oil for my Wellington.

Invest in a protective case like a heavy-duty fiber case or an ATA case. It's worth the extra money now!

Don't ever walk away from the guillotine so that spectators can play with it after the show. This may seem obvious, but they have the potential to hurt someone, or damage your guillotine.

Always treat your volunteer respectfully.

Try to use original material. Try to be creative and come up with original lines. It is possible!

Just my .02.

Lou

Just curious. I was recently doing a show for 8-12 year olds, and did Zig Zag. Two of the kids freaked out, one really badly. After the show I had to speak to one of the kids for 15 mins explaining the assistant was fine, even though my assistant was right there with me. The presentation was not remotely aggressive, and the assistant was smiling and laughing throughout.

At the time, I had been looking for a Guillotine to put into the show, but after that, I have had reservations that it may be too scary for kids.

Any thoughts on this, and any suggestions to a reasonably priced Guillotine, if we go in that direction.

Thanks for the help. Bob

I don't think that you should do the guillotine for younger kids.

The Spencers did the guillotine tonight. I am not sure of the manufacturer, but it is more Lester Lake than "french revolutionary". Oh, the kid they had up as the "victim" was quite the HAM! He did this throat-sliting motion on his neck that was priceless. Kevin gave him a magic trick for his help at the end.

I have a great routine for it that is very comedic that I used to perform all the time. I was doing a family event and I always bring an adult up for this effect. I brought him up and my assistant for that gig told me that the man's daughter was crying (the girl was 10years old though). I had no idea she was crying because the lighting that was on me.

When my assistant told me after the show, I decided not to do the effect anymore for now.

-John

Wow John. I am shocked that the Zig Zag routine that I did, had these 2 kids upset. I would have never imagined that, especially as my routine is in the comedic vein, with the assistant smiling and laughing throughout.

Many lay people that I have spoken to say that they can definatley see why the kids still get upset. This has me in a quandry of sorts. I guess that I am going to say in the furture that nothing that they see will harm anyone and that they will be alright and not to be afraid.

Any other thoughts?

Bob

Robert:

I can understand why the guy's daughter, especially if she was young, would freak out at seeing her Dad up on stage about to get his head cut off. That is a future consideration on my part, when presenting it for families, although I have done it for years, especially at private parties, with the fathers of kids present, and have never had an issue with presenting it.

As for your Zig Zag experience - my opinion is that it was a random instance. Kids I encounter these days seem so much more jaded, with the non-stop violence on TV, they are seemingly much more immune to things. This one kid who was freaked out by the Zig Zag probably has/had other problems affecting his life, which led to this isolated reaction.

I guess what I would say is that you are right to be concerned, however, I'd hesitate to make major changes to my show based off of 1 person's reaction to a classic illusion like the Zig Zag.

My 2¢

Chris

That's a good point, Chris.

Zig Zag stays in, as is!


Thanks,
Bob

Of course, this topic is NOT about Zig Zag, but rather Guillotine.

I think we've heard that it's definitely a viable trick, so ... where can you still find a good one?

I have had a pretty nice guillotine setting in my warehouse for a couple of years and I never used it. There are two reasons and I am hoping that someone can set me straight because I would love to create a routine that would work for my show.

The first reason is that I am afraid that it puts the volunteer in a humiliating position and although I do kid around and play with my volunteers I never want to embarrass them. The second reason is that it seems to me that after the blade comes down and everyone sees that the volunteer is Ok, it is anti-climatic during the time it takes to release the victim from the stocks. I am not looking for anyone to reveal their presentation but possibly some general guidelines on how you deal with these two issues. Thanks.

David

As to the position the volunteer gets into:

1) Don't surprise them with what they are volunteering for. A lady in a skirt may come onstage if she thinks she is going to hold a tray, but shy away when she sees she is going to have to kneel down.

2) Depending on your version of the guillotine you can set up the device on a platform so the volunteer is not bending down so far, more like stocks.

As to the second part of your question:

1) you can start with a demonstration. I used to put a head of lettuce in the stocks part, it was cut in half with a long needle holding it together, and a string attached to that. Once the blade falls I just pull the string from behind and the lettuce either pops out cut in half from the force of the blade hitting, OR when I lift the stock it falls apart then.

When the spectator is in the stock you can "jump" to his aide after the blade falls and "catch" his head before if falls into the basket, then you can lift the stock and show he is alright.

2) The one I used had a place for a carrot or cucumber which gets cut under his head. You can tell the spectator to hold onto his head as you lift up the cut in half vegetable.

I never had a problem with people loosing the effect of the guillotine though unless you are using padlocks to secure your victom. The stock lifts off quickly and you can even do it with a "flourish" if you want.