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Wrestling Cheese

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Revision as of 10:37, 12 September 2009 by Philippe billot (Talk | contribs) (References)

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Wrestling Cheese (or Mighty Cheese) was an illusion built by Henry Bates for P. T. Selbit in 1910.

The Cheese was more a fun stunt than an actual illusion. The Cheese was a round disc over a foot in diameter and half a foot thick, painted in such a way that it looked like a giant wheel of cheese sealed in wax.

In performance, a handful of men were invited to the stage as the Cheese was wheeled out. When released, it would remain standing on edge instead of falling over. Claiming it was "the strongest cheese on earth", Silbit would challeng the committee to try to push it flat onto the stage. No one could, as each attempt caused the Cheese to twist even more, and sometimes so forcible that they were sent flying. Amusing, but not very magical.

Several other illusionists used it over the years, but it never was very successful. Les Levante purchased a model and made some changed to the mechanism, but had no success with it either.

References