Mr.Escape & The Playboy Club

The Playboy Club and Two Policemen

Remember the Playboy Clubs? Thirty five cities in the U.S. and abroad had Playboy Clubs.They were very popular at one time and featured performances by some of the most popular show business figures of the time, like Bob Hope, Steve Martin, Bette Midler, Ray Charles and many more. They also kept a lot of magicians employed. The first Playboy club opened in Chicago in 1960 and the very last club closed in 1991. They were also a great place to meet with clients and managers. A great place for showbiz people to hang out.

I was at a meeting with my manager and a client at one of the popular Playboy Clubs in the L.A. area. During our meeting I was approached by two burley policeman who recognized me. They mentioned how they had seen me on television and enjoyed what I had done, but they were confident that I couldn't escape from a 'real' pair of police regulation handcuffs. We bantered back and forth for a bit about my ability and their lack of faith in that regard.

Keep in mind this was totally unprepared, a spur of the moment challenge. I stood up from the table and and allowed the officers to cuff me, right there in the middle of the dining room. The cuffs were clamped down on my wrists and the officers gave no regard to gentleness. I told them that I wasn't about to put on a show for the entire dining room, but if they wanted to head back towards the kitchen, I'd be glad to begin my escape.

I told them to stand near the kitchen door as I was not going to allow them to see exactly how I escaped, but by looking through the window of the door they could be sure that I wasn't going to leave or do anything too unusual. I think it was roughly about a minute later, possibly less that I stepped forth from the kitchen door free of the cuffs I handed the cuffs to the two policeman and told them, 'better luck next time fellas'. The people in the dining room erupted in laughter and applause.

They were stunned. Playboy Clubs had a strolling photographer that walked throughout the club taking pictures of guests with the world's most beautiful women. The policeman, now somewhat sheepishly, approached my table and asked if they could have a picture with me. So they flagged down the photographer and had a photograph taken, not with some of the world's most beautiful women, but with yours truly Mr.Escape.