Do you want to know the Magic Wagon Houdini Block Escape trick secret?
How the wooden block to penetrate through the rope or cord.
Based on viewing the demo videos, this is what I think how this rope through block trick is done.
I do not own or know the actual Houdini Block Escape secret.
As a magic enthusiast, I love to explore the methods of conjuring tricks.
Welcome to another post from the Info Ruckus Magic Trick Trick Secrets Revealed series.
Houdini Block Escape is another one of Magic Wagon magic tricks with penetration effect.
Let’s see how this wooden block and rope trick is performed.
Effect:
The performer displays a block of wood which has a hole running through its center and a length of rope or cord.
The performer threads the rope through the hole in the middle of the block.
Then he places it on a specially-designed elevated stand.
The two ends of the rope are placed at each end of the stand and always in full view.
A flat arch frame is mounted onto the stand over the wooden block with the rope running through it.
The wooden block is now locked in place.
Now the performer slowly pushes the wooden block out from the frame and the stand.
Magically, the wooden block manages to free itself from the cord.
The cord or rope apparently is still in one piece resting on the elevated stand with the frame above.
Watch the video of Houdini Escape Block:
Houdini Block Escape Secret Trick Revealed
Before I expose and explain how the Houdini Escape Block trick is done, let’s find out more where Magic Wagon got its idea from.
Jack Hughes’ Cuban Release
This Houdini block off the rope trick is inspired by Jack Hughes’ 1981 “Cuban Release” aka “Cube On Release”.
It was originally called the Cuban Release, but then it was changed to the Cube On Release, because of the conflict between the US and Cuba back in the Sixties.
There are two versions; using one rope and two ropes.
Cuban Release Trick Explained
Basically the secret working of both versions are the same.
The rope is joined in the center with a snap fastener.
Inside the the flat arch frame is hidden with a stiff short length of fake rope held up with a clip.
To do the trick, tug the rope to separate the snap fastener, thus the two ends of the rope would end up at the uprights of the stand.
Next, slide the secret lever at the back of the flat arch frame to release the concealed short stiff fake rope from the flat arch frame.
It falls down across the center of the flat archway.
Slowly push out the wooden block from the frame, the short stiff fake rope will be magnetically joined with the two ends of the rope at the uprights.
Watch this video by Brother Bor demonstrating the “Cuban Release” with one rope.
In the picture below captured from the video, you can see the short stiff fake rope clipped inside the hollow flat arch frame.
This is the key mechanism that is attached to the lever to release the fake short rope.
Look closely at the picture below, you can see the two joints at the rope lying on the uprights.
Two Rope Method Of Cuban Release
This is the other version using two ropes, called the “Two Rope Method Of Cuban Release”.
For this apparatus, there is a peg or pin hidden on each side of the upright.
The method of this penetration trick is the same, except the two ropes used the “Grandmother’s Necklace” principle, as shown below.
When the pair of ropes is pulled, the thread breaks and each rope will looped at the peg at the upright.
Similarly, adjust the secret lever to release the two pieces of short fake ropes which glued together from the flat arch frame.
The two looped ropes will be joined with the pair of short fake ropes, as the block is slowly pull out from the frame.
Watch the demo videos of the “Two Rope Method Of Cuban Release” over here and here.
If you want to know how the two-rope Jack Hughes’ Cuban Release works, click here.
There is another very similar design called the Royal Block Release by Milson Worth.
Its secret lever to release the concealed double short fake ropes is at the back corner of the flat arch frame.
This is another picture of the lever in the center the flat arch frame of this giant Cube On Release by Jack Hughes.
Check out the mini version of Cube-On Release by Jim P. Riser.
Wooden Block Release Position
One key feature of the apparatus design is, the block is positioned slightly more to the front.
I think it is to accommodate the short fake rope(s) dropping down from the flat arch frame toward the back of the apparatus.
It is the same as for the Houdini Block Escape apparatus design as well.
Houdini Block Escape Solution
Now, let’s get back to the Magic Wagon Houdini Block Escape.
Firstly the wooden block is not gaffed or gimmicked.
It is one solid wooden block with a hole through it.
However, there is one obvious suspicion, and that is the rope; it appears rather stiff.
It seems to me the rope is gimmicked.
Then I observed closely how they perform the trick and handle the prop.
I can see all of them pulling or tugging the cord or rope, after they have placed the flat arch frame onto the stand.
Houdini Block Escape By Magic Wagon Explained
The performers are trying to convince the viewers that it is a regular rope by pulling it.
But I noticed their hands keep holding onto the same spot of the rope.
It is from this Jay’s World of Magic & Mystery video, I confirmed my suspicion about the gaffed rope.
Before and after doing the trick, his right hand fingers and thumb keep holding or rather hiding the same spot of the rope.
After the penetration trick is done, he throws the stiff rope on the table, slightly off the camera view.
To retrieve the rope, you can see the performer pushes the white stiff rope off the camera view first, then returns with a different supple rope
This is what magicians called it a Switch or Switching.
Watch the switching sequence of the video clip.
This time he can confidently pull and swing the rope at both ends.
From there, I knew the method of the Magic Wagon Houdini Block Escape trick must be similar to the Cuban Release or the Cube On Release.
When they perform the penetration trick, they just give a light push or gently pull out the block of wood.
To me, this flat arch frame seems redundant, unless it is part of the secret.
So how does the solid wooden block bypass the rope?
Rope With Magnetic Snap Fasteners
The secret is there are magnetic snap fasteners at center of the rope.
You can see the magnetic snap fastener as shown below:
This is another picture captured from another video clip.
When the rope is inserted into the hole of the wooden block, this magnetic snap fastener is hidden inside it.
Just like the Cuban Release Block by Jack Hughes, you need to set up the prop first.
UPDATE December 2024: I saw the listing of Houdini Block Escape prop in MagicCollectibles.com site, and this is the picture of the gimmick ropes with magnets.
Hidden Rope Inside Arch Frame
You have to insert a short stiff rope inside the flat arch frame.
The picture below you can see the short stiff rope embedded inside the flat arch frame.
I presume both ends of this concealed short rope are attached with magnets too.
This is what I think how it looks like as illustrated.
When they pull the jointed rope apart, this is what it looks like:
Houdini Block Escape Lever
There is a secret lever to release the short stiff rope from the flat arch frame.
It is located at the center of the flat arch frame as seen here.
Here is another picture of the lever of Houdini Block Escape which is hidden behind the flat arch frame.
Madison of Presenting Tenyo slides the lever with his right thumb at 0:41, just after he has slotted in the flat arch frame onto the stand.
For this video clip, I think he adjusts the lever just before he pushes the block out from the frame at 0:38.
Brother Bor operates the lever with his right thumb to drop down the concealed stiff fake rope at 1:03.
This performer also does it with his right thumb, just after he has set down the flat arch frame at 0:25.
After the lever has released the short stiff rope from the flat arch frame, it will join up with the two separated rope.
Now, there is no rope inside the hole of the wooden block.
The block is now free by itself sitting on the stand.
The seemingly one complete rope hidden is actually make up three separate parts.
That’s why at the end of the penetration trick, they do not openly show the rope.
They hold onto the two magnetic joints with their hands, under the pretext of tugging it to prove it is one complete rope or cord, as seen in this video.
Then he hides the gimmick part of the rope behind the apparatus.
So is this performer who hides the two magnetic joints of the rope in his left hand as seen here.
Because of the working method of this trick is like the Cuban Release, the wooden block is positioned less to the back of the apparatus.
In conclusion, Magic wagon Houdini Escape Block secret is the gimmicked rope.