This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/21/2022
SWANN, Russell. Russell Swann’s Head Chopper. Glendale: Loyd, 1940s. A large gleaming blade passes effortlessly through a spectator’s head while locked in the sturdy wooden stocks without harm. Used in thousands of shows by Swann, and played for laughs. Approximately 42 x 32”. Shows significant wear from professional use, but in working order. Sold together with a brief manuscript detailing Swann’s comedy patter and tips on selecting an audience member for the chopper routine. The Head Chopper was a regular feature in Swann’s famed nightclub act, and mention was made of “the guillotine” in almost every published review of his performances. During one turn at the Coconut Grove, with a spectator in the chopper, the blade jammed as it was pushed down. With the blade jammed in its lowered position, it was impossible for Swann to raise the upper stocks to free the spectator. Swann instructed the orchestra to play a funeral dirge, then enlisted two waiters to come on stage to help pick up the apparatus, allowing the spectator to stand up. The volunteer was then walked off stage to the strains of the dirge. After his show, the guillotine was disassembled to free the spectator. Swann then significantly modified the working of the lower blade mechanism to ensure its proper functioning. He never had the problem again.