| Warning: We Cannot Stress enough that NO one attempt this stunt! This is performed by a highly trained professional. |
| This page chronicles the "Bullet Catch", possibly the most death-defying act in show business today, as conceived by Carl Skenes. First achieved in Charleston, South Carolina, in April of 1980, a live .22-caliber bullet is fired from a distance of fifteen feet and caught in a steel device held in Carl's mouth. 19 bullets were caught in rehearsal before "going public". The Bullet Catch |
| The first public presentation of the stunt aired in May of 1980 on ABC-TV's "That's Incredible!". With long-time friend Steve Jarrell as sharpshooter and filmed on the set in Hollywood, Carl caught five bullets necessary for the groundbreaking slow-motion footage desired by the production team. Once that was accomplished, they asked if he would be willing to catch one more-- this time for a studio audience. He readily agreed, and that bullet, number 25, landed him in the hospital... receiving treatment for a gunshot wound. A Close Call from "That's Incredible!" |
| In the months following “That’s Incredible!”, Carl honed the stunt into a full-fledged act, presenting it at nightclubs, festivals and fairs. Several changes occurred during this transformation. Most noticeable was the appointment of new wife Tina as his sharpshooter in 1981. The following video was filmed in Charleston, SC in February of 1982. Carl Skene's Bullet Catch from "We're Number One!" |
| More television shows followed the “That’s Incredible!” airing, including: Fall, 1980 – “World of People”, a Group W Production, syndicated; 1982 – “Fantastico!”, on Radio Caracas Television Canal 2 in Caracas, Venezuela; 1982 – “We’re Number One”, on Nippon Television Network in Tokyo, Japan; 1984 & 1986 – “Super Sabado”, on Telemundo Canal 2 in San Juan, Puerto Rico; 2002 - "That's Incredible! Reunion", and most recently VH1's "I Love The 80's -1980", the Discovery Channel's series “MythBusters” and NBC's hit reality show "Phenomenon" hosted by Uri Geller and Criss Angel.... and THEN... out of the blue-- "The Dive of Death" Promo |
| Carl's method returned to the forefront in 2008 when David Blaine enlisted him as a consultant for the "Bullet Catch" segment of his latest ABC-TV special, the "Dive of Death". Filmed in Orlando on September 20 at East Orange Shooting Sports, the act was dramatic, suspenseful and exciting! Phantom cameras brought in for the shoot produced some of the most impressive slow-motion clips ever seen. David Blaine "A Bullet in the Mouth" |
