The Magic of David Copperfield IX: Escape From Alcatraz (1987) (With special guest Ann Jillian)

[Music] good evening I'm David Condon tonight I'm gonna try the most difficult and dangerous challenge of my career we're on Alcatraz Island the fortress of stone and steel it has been called the only escape truth prison in the world of all the men who've tried to escape the least a dozen died or disappeared freezing shark-infested waters tonight to escape from Alchemist [Music] good evening I'm Ann Jillian for the past nine years I've watched with you as David Copperfield has amazed the whole world with his legendary illusions last year David traveled halfway around the globe to astound us as we walked through the Great Wall of China the first of his spectacular illusions had us on the edge of our seat says he vanished a jet airplane completely surrounded by a ring of spectators and millions tuned in along with a live audience on Liberty Island to witness the largest illusion ever performed as David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear but it's not only the grand illusions that we see on television that keep us mesmerised David's theatricality and flair for the dramatic are equally evident on the legitimate stage and coming from a Broadway background myself I can guarantee you that what you witness here tonight in front of a live audience with no camera tricks is the perfect example of what happens when the master of illusion blends the drama of theatre with the mystery of magic ladies and gentlemen mr. David Copperfield [Applause] a table of death 1,300 pounds of steel spikes connected to a single room in a few moments I'll be here chained and handcuffed to the table below the spikes the only thing holding up those spikes is this rope but this rope is going to be set on fire it takes 90 seconds for the rope to burn through I'll have 90 seconds to make my escape before this I need a volunteer from the audience actually I need two volunteers and we have them from the Los Angeles Police Department you step around the table help me remove the bottoms once the box is off Sam and the spikes make sure they're solidly they don't break away they're sharp again the road will be set on fire with this torch 90 seconds later the Rope will burn through and the spikes will fall examine the spikes they look good to you solid as a rock did you find these are real handcuffs [Music] Dagan is being locked in regulation police handcuffs and leg shackles L'Occitane sealed with wax to prevent them from being opened even by a key is everything secure secure thank you both [Music] David is being locked to the table by 15 feet of tempered steel chain the chain is being threaded through the rings welded to the table then is locked to the floor [Music] steel chain padlock to the floor sealed handcuffs have locked around his wrists [Music] the torch starts burn he'll be on a 92nd race [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] one of the great things about doing a show like this is to come out here and just Webster this is my this is my pet duck Webster near web he's jogging he flies [Laughter] look at that hit action he slides backwards we've only Webster here I bet we'd found the Webster here as a brand new talent that I never knew about we found that Webster is a death-defying duck [Applause] are you ready Webster [Music] once the swamp [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] thanks a lot duck prove to you that Webster is a death-defying duck Webster will be blasted out of this cannon through this ring of paper into this empty cage of brass you will do this without Annette and I do with Frankie Avalon but he won't do it with an F you're very good Gideon web [Music] [Laughter] [Applause] he loves this I got an idea let's Bank moon [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] you're doing magic and escapes requires the same kind of physical training and mental discipline that it takes to become a dance things that look very simple often take years of practice and complete concentration the next illusion is just such a piece because of the danger involved it took me two years to master what you're about to see we call it on the edge [Music] [Music] I want [Music] [Applause] [Music] No [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] david has asked me to stress to you that what you just saw was a very dramatic allusion and I emphasize the word illusion a stunning effect created by sophisticated magical technology it also contains a tremendous degree of danger and no attempt to recreate this or other effects should even be considered David felt it necessary to tell you this because tonight you're going to witness his most daring illusion ever David Copperfield is going to attempt to escape from Alcatraz [Music] I need to find the lady from the audience tonight and I'm gonna do that by throwing this rose three times I'm gonna throw it the first time whoever catches it will throw it again and then whoever catches at that time will throw it one more time the lady closer to the rose will help me with snicks experiment here we go incredible distance there go in any direction whoa good job okay I guess lady in the pink I'm right this way [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] give her a big hand as she comes up okay [Music] Rachel Rachel have we ever met before oh yeah sure I'm sure $10,000 to anybody they can prove that what you're about to see is being accomplished with any pre arrangement or setup between Rachel and myself we've not met before right come with me Rachel I have a blackboard back here it's covered with a piece of fabric but I've written something on it I want you to see just yet but I'm gonna leave it in full view covered hanging there in the air Rachel I asked you to do is sit down right here and look straight at me I know that's tough and think of any city in the entire world it doesn't have to be a major city just any city whatsoever where is it Waukegan okay now in your vision in Waukegan what month is it in Milwaukee December December in Waukegan now imagine for a second that you and I are on a date in Waukegan in December what what is our activity what are we doing actually what are you wearing it first fur coat that's it what else boots what color boots black boots okay a fur coat and black boots we'll leave it just there and on our date what is our activity what are we doing keep it clean we're taking a walk along the lake and what's the name of the lake Lake Michigan in Waukegan that makes sense at the end of our dates we kiss goodnight what is the address we kiss connect what are the numbers 95 name of the street 95 Jackson Street [Music] now Rachel we have not met before right and we haven't set this up and in fact no one spoke to you before the show to set this up right in fact you were selected by a rose which was thrown around the audience it could have landed anywhere and landed right by you you're probably thinking that you came up with what you thought of over there independent from me that I had nothing to do with it right well the fact of the matter is I did have something to do with it before the show I also had a vision of my own I wrote it down in this blackboard and I've been attempting to send that image to you you believe me oh yeah exactly to prove it to you it was Waukegan in December I met a girl in a fur coat with black boots [Music] we were taking a walk along Lake Michigan and we kissed goodnight at 95 Jack's sister [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you know one of the great things about doing a show like this Webster perhaps you're not supposed to be out here on stage work so you can't just come walking out here whenever you feel like you do this every show you come out here on stage like this we're gonna have to teach you a lesson do we have it we'll bring it out here bring it I'm very lucky because I just happen to bring along with me today my duck Ematic it's a duck buster get in web duck duck notice the rollers in the front [Applause] parts these parts I'm going to kid hunt [Music] [Applause] [Music] what is your name Matthew I married Matthew would you like to learn how to become a magician No [Laughter] [Applause] perfect map perfect come with me Matt stand right here stand right here because we're gonna dress you up like one anyway cookies on put this on head up head up good that's a Dickey got my old Coke moko put it on put it on one sleeve rocks lead there you go I'll just leave good nice fit Matt got this hat for a met head up head up big smile big smile good now [Applause] yeah good now you gotta think about a lot of things it's not just tricks map it's show business show business look out there think right lights then later mess good think music you got soul man now think of the two things you'd like to have around you more than anything else you know [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] I like the way you think Matt you like show business don't you this is an illusion this is the box when I was your age this is the box I used to produce a little girlfriends for myself in and it's absolutely positively empty check it out Matt check it out get back over there man good good good it's today they're gonna close up the box but don't touch the door okay stay there don't move don't touch the door very important the box remains shut for this trick to work because one of the great things about doing a show like this to come out here and just and that maybe didn't understand don't touch the box okay stay there don't move don't touch the box very important the box remains shut you know stay there don't move hey there don't touch the box very important the box remain shut for this trick to work because one of the great things about doing a show like this right that's my other face Matt now I'll tell you what Matt here give me your hands I want you to put a hand here put a hand right here good for another hand right here good good freeze very important the box remains shut for this trick to work is one of the great things about doing a show like this he broke my box dad you broke my box okay what man I got an idea I'll just step inside the box quick step inside the box let's see if he can fix it ladies in general I'm very lucky because I just happened to bring along with me today my boy o matic it's a kid buster [Music] what you think about that map mr. cop-a-feel I think of the greatest magician I've ever seen my way where's Matt's mom now who in the audience like to see Matt and Webster restored to their three-dimensional selves who would you guys like to see Matt and Webster remain flat as a pancake for the rest of their life there is not to mom applauding [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] outages the most inescapable prison in the world tonight for the first time ever I'm gonna try the challenge that no criminal mind was able to overcome using techniques of magic and illusion with no camera tricks I'm going to attempt to escape geometries inside those walls where the most dangerous criminals the world has ever known Al Capone Machine Gun Kelly they were a breed of law breaker that couldn't be held by an ordinary prison the best escape artist the world has ever known and in Alcatraz they met their escape proof match seven men Don Imus appeared trying to get off the sound but no one ever escaped from Alcatraz Alcatraz became a National Recreation Area after its closing in 1964 but for 29 years it maintained a perfect record as the most escape-proof prison on earth [Music] I've invited a committee of former Alcatraz correctional officers to join me here tonight in addition to officers currently employed at other prisons around the country their jobs food spectacles and to verify in the bars the cells the prison itself is still as escape-proof as it ever was this is Frankie a correctional officer here from 1948 to 1951 he guarded over the likes of Machine Gun Kelly and Robert Stroud the Birdman of Alcatraz Frank who stayed not gonna get himself album creepy carpets public enemy number one who caught him J Edgar Hoover former guard to the FBI and caught himself gets it personally you know how is that self constructed what does it mean well the walls are made out of 8-inch concrete the dimensions are 5 by 7 by 9 the bars that may not have two resistance steel in one meaning that if you took a blade and start to cut through there's a round bar inside that was slide back and forth so it's impossible to get through now supposing an inmate had a key inside would he'd be able to get out no he wouldn't there are no locks on these doors how are they controlled by the control center at the other end [Music] so what are they doing now they're putting the bar around the cell door yes they're putting up a steel bar to make sure that the doors cannot slide open so even if you pull the lever there the door would Jam and if you title it is right now being possibly get through the correctional officers will follow me with these remote control cameras they've been placed along my only possible path to freedom there are cameras mounted in the hallways a cut off areas and even behind me in this cell the officers will be watching from these monitors outside the prison we've also invited a live audience to join the officers outside the prison to witness my attempt to escape in addition there's a handheld camera and a helicopter prepared to do an aerial search of the island if I'm able to escape from the prison itself this camera will go up in the helicopter and try to trap me from above to make it a little tougher they've also brought their dogs these two attacked Dobermans they've been trained to my scent and I'll have a free run the island my final goal is to get past the officers and dogs outside and completely off the island now to give me a little extra motivation I've asked the Department of the Interior for permission to place timed explosives throughout the prison they agreed with a few conditions one being that the UC Berkeley Police Bomb Squad set the explosives so that there would be no structural damage to the prison itself this is Leroy Pereira of the police bomb squad sir what did you bring with you Davies you know we brought a large quantity of high explosive attached to blasting caps and timers well what are they capable of doing now we have set up a demonstration in another part of the prison you'll see that the explosion won't destroy the bars or concrete but anything living in the proximity will be killed by the I know a lot of people at home will probably think that these explosives are fake or that they're a special effect so tell them please what you brought we brought real explosives now there was one of the condition we had to meet to use these explosives it was assisted upon that I had a way of stopping the detonation if I should get trapped I can defuse the explosion and stop the timer by pushing this button although I appreciate it was concerned for my welfare I'm gonna try my best not to go anywhere near that button now gentlemen if you examine that straightjacket thoroughly is it unusual in any way no this straitjacket is made of a triple stitched canvas with straps and buckles riveted was sewn down the back the sleeves are sewn shut at the ends strap me in as tightly as possible yes that's tight while they do that I'm going to review and I have to accomplish first free myself via straight check and escape from the cell before the explosives go off in three minutes with the second explosives had to go off in six minutes from there I'll have to make my way through a story the third time explosive set to detonate in sentence if I get that far I'll need to go through the door pass the correctional officers and dogs outside and escape completely off the island gentlemen are the straps as tight as possible yes pretty sure [Music] now you've examined the prison did you find any way that I can escape from Alcatraz absolutely impossible David for those of you at home if it makes you feel comfortable to think that my attempt to escape Alcatraz is just a TV movie or that the explosives at the bomb squad brought are just special effects that's fine but the guard to the audience outside will attest to the fact that these bars are real this straitjacket is real and the explosives that the bomb squad brought are very real and very dangerous all my escapes will be accomplished without the aid of video trickery many men have risked their lives attempting to escape from Alcatraz tonight it's my start the timer's first [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] there are two minutes and 30 seconds to the first mission [Music] one minute 30 seconds to first indication [Applause] [Music] [Applause] first generation [Music] [Applause] [Music] 3 minutes to detonation [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] two minutes two seconds animation [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] very to the second edition [Music] [Music] to detonation [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] I'm just gonna bomb [Music] I stopped it's not [Music] [Applause] [Music] in the hell [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] good night see you next year [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Channel: Master Your Master

Views: 337,618

Rating: 4.590013 out of 5

Keywords: David, Copperfield

Id: yIwgpVelX-c

Length: 47min 19sec (2839 seconds)

Published: Sun Jul 15 2012