Hi!
I just saw a comedy that a EA has failed to escape from a SJ. In the end he got to live with it.

Just wondering has such unfortunate incident ever happen in real life where the EA has to concede defeat?

On stage, never. Almost happened once...I was locked in a packing box, I had my hands double cuffed, my leggs shackled and locked, and my neck chained to the bottom of the box and fed through the top of the box and locked out side of the box. My hands were also chained to my feet. The first cuff (closest to my hand) on my left wrist was put on upsidedown by mistake. The box was dark and I could'nt see. I was working with a small home-made pick that I smuggled in with me. As I was starting to shim the cuff open, as I had done countless times before...the cuff went click, click, click. I still don't know exactly how it happened, even to this day, but that cuff tightened up so tight that I could'nt move my hand!!! The amount of time I had planned to make my escape came and went, however there was no set time limit anounced at the show's opening...only that I would beat my "best time" of 15 min and some odd seconds. That saved me there! But I was still stuck in the box and all of the restraints. I gave up on my left hand and got out of all of the rest of the cuffs, leg irons, and chains. I thought that I might come out with all of the chains and locks draped over my arm with the cuffs still locked on, but I was not able to get out of the box this way. It was now or never!!! I said softly to myself, "W.W.H.D?" (What would Houdini do?) If you think that I am just trying to be funny...think again! That is what I said...and the answer??? Houdini would have broken his own wrist in order to get out and if it were nessasary, so would I. I put a piece of chian in my mouth, bit down, and twisted that cuff around so I could get it opened. It brought tears to my eyes, but I got it opened and was able to slip the next pair above it off too. I was able to get out of the box with still even greater difficulty then ever imagined, but, I got out...a little worse for wear and not as gracefully as I had hoped, but I got out. This one was on live tv, and believe me...it kills me to watch it even today! That took place in 1994, if memory serves. Now....if I had not gotten out??? I would have given my assistant the "I'm hurt story" and put on a grand act with the offer to try the stunt again after I have healed. I think that they would have bought it! By the way, I did not break my wrist, but I lost feeling in it for three or four days and it swelled up pretty bad. The doctor said I had a contusion in it. Any way, I'm still alive and kicking! Mike

I had to leave a whole lot of stuff out of that last story to cut down the amount of typing needed. I would love to sit a tell some of my stories to you guys. Maybe we could have a get-together one day and get a good camp fire going! I would love to hear some of the other EA's stories too!!! Later, Mike

I am only curious why it happened. Did you have a volunteer put the cuff on? This would make it a lack of control on your part causing the error. Or, did you r trained assistant put it on you? Sabotage? I am sure you work harder and plan better for the experience.

Gee, this year W.E.A.R. Maybe next year we need an EA Convention EAST for those of us who are on this coast. What do you say? Maybe this is something that Mighells Illusions could promote and sponsor. What are you thoughts on it you eastern US and Candadian EAs?

Clyde

I'd be in fer sure on that one Clyde. There is a snow balls chance in Calif. that I'll be at that one and everyone I've wanted to meet will be there too.

Pastor Clyde I Agree with you 100% why not hold the Convention in Indy. where it was Previously Held.

YES!!!!!!!! PLEASE DO SO IN INDY CLYDE!!!! I want to meet you!!! I can help make plans ( live almost in town, heck, I'll ride my bike!!!!!

Lets make plans!!!!!



Perry

Great Idea Clyde!!!


I had a situation similar to Amazing Michael's, except that mine was in my living room. I had acquired an antique set of cuffs and I did not have a key. I wanted to use them in my act because they looked so different. They were hard to pick and hard to s**m, but I found that I could reverse s**m them reasonably well. So I practiced s**ming them while watching TV. I learned them well and could open them with relative ease ( when they were not on me). Then I put one cuff on and s**med while simulating the restraint of the other cuff. It was more difficult, but I learned how to do it. Then I started working with the other hand. Again it was difficult, but with practice, I got it. I repeated each way many times. I had it down pat, so I put both cuffs on loosely. It was more difficult, but I got out. I also learned how to hold my s**m differently to make it easier. Then I applied the cuffs normally. Now I could not seem to get either of them to cooperate. I was losing skin and losing patience. I gently squeezed the bow to aid the escape and heard the dreaded click. ***, that was stupid. I know better than that! With the s**m perfectly positioned, I gently squeezed again. Click! Now it was getting serious. My hand was starting to swell up. I went to the other hand and could not get the position I wanted with the s**m. I took the s**m in my teeth and gently squeezed the bow. Click!

I called a magician friend who was fairly handy with tools and told him to stay home until I got there. I put a plastic bag over my hands to get to my car and drove very carefully across town. I did not want a ticket or a fender bender now. When he let my in, I had to wait 3 minutes for him to stop laughing. Then he wanted to hacksaw or grind my beautiful antique cuffs. My hands were really swollen, but like Amazing Michael, pain was not the issue. We must save these cuffs at all cost! I had my picks and I taught him to pick them. We used a modified bar clamp to reduce the pressure without getting another click. Five minutes later one hand was out. Two minutes later I was free!

Those beautiful cuffs are still in my collection, but they have never been on stage.

Rich

Cliff, the gentleman who put the cuffs on was a very good friend and a fantastic Magician in his own right. He and his wife had opened up a talent agency and wanted to promote it on a local telethon. We practiced it for months with out a hitch, but the night we did the show was cursed from minute one. My "assistant" made two critical errors that night, I made at least one myself, and the people who were running the telethon made several. The whole story is way long...I hope to be able to tell it in person some day. But, to answer your your question; it was defintly not sabotage...it was just a bad omen. To touch upon the next subject; I would love to see the convention happen in Indy or somewhere closer to my home. I never knew that there was a convention for EAs until the end of last year. I was planning to go to this years convention until I heard where it was being held and at what time. I will be on the east coast in early July and I can not afford the time and expense of hitting the west coast in the same month, or the same year for that matter. Talk to you later, Mike

The thread "Stuck in an Escape".
1974 Working for the "All American Stunt Show"(A Brit set up which changed it`s name to suit).
A chain/lock and Sea Sack escape while in a cattle crush with a Fresian Cow.
Due to the design of the crush and the forward movement of the critter I was crushed like a fly underfoot.

Woke up in Hospital 24hrs later,,,extensive damage to the body and pride,off work six months.

Not done a crush escape since!