Dai Vernon
Encyclopedia
Dai Vernon (June 11, 1894 – August 21, 1992), aka The Professor, was a Canadian magician. His expert sleight-of-hand technique and extensive knowledge garnered him respect among fellow magicians. His influence was considerable in the magic world, and he was a mentor to numerous famous magicians. He lived out his last years at the Magic Castle.
as David Frederick Wingfield Verner. While performing, he often mentioned that he had learned his first trick from his father at age seven, adding that he had "wasted the first 6 years" of his life. His father was a government worker and an amateur magician. He studied mechanical engineering
at the Royal Military College of Canada
in Kingston, Ontario
but by World War I
he had moved to New York City
.
Vernon first fell in love with magic when he was seven years old after his father took him to see a magic show. The first real magic book he ever owned was an early edition of perhaps the most famous card book of them all, The Expert at the Card Table
, by S. W. Erdnase
. By the time he was 13 he had memorized the contents of the book. He also had a famous encounter with another up-and-coming young magician from his town, Cliff Green, who asked Vernon, "What kind of magic do you do?" Vernon responded by asking the boy to name a card. Upon pulling a pack of cards from his pocket, Vernon turned over the top card of the deck to reveal the named card and replied to the speechless Green, "That's the kind of magic I do. What kind of magic do you do?"
As a young man, Vernon moved to New York where, in the back room of Clyde Powers' magic shop, he found favor among many of the great magicians of the era, including Dr. James William Elliott
and Harry Kellar
.
He began to use the first name "Dai" after a newspaper used the name in place of "David"; the paper actually was using the Welsh nickname for David. When Verner first moved to the United States, the male member of a popular ice-skating pair had the surname Vernon; Americans continually mistook Verner's last name to be the same as the popular ice skater, and eventually the magician became fed up with correcting people and simply adopted "Vernon" as well.
Due to his extraordinary knowledge of, and skill at, sleight of hand, Vernon has long been affectionately known as The Professor. Harry Houdini
(who in his early years billed himself as "The King of Kards") often boasted that if he saw a card trick performed three times in a row he would be able to figure it out. Vernon then showed Houdini a trick where he removed the top card of the deck and placed it second from the top, then turned over the top card to again reveal the original card. Houdini watched Vernon do the trick seven times, each time insisting that Vernon "do it again." Finally, Houdini's wife and Vernon's friends said, "Face it, Houdini, you're fooled." For years afterward, Vernon used the title The Man Who Fooled Houdini in his advertisements.
Dai Vernon spent most of his life traveling all over the United States of America looking for card cheats, and anyone who might know anything about sleight-of-hand with cards. He was famously under-credited for much of the work published in Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue's Expert Card Technique, though a later edition included an extra chapter which acknowledges Vernon's contributions. In fact, a huge portion of the sleight-of-hand had been discovered by Vernon over years of searching.
Vernon was among the most knowledgeable sleight of hand artists that ever lived and, with Ed Marlo
, possibly the most influential card magician of the 20th century. Among magicians, he is credited with inventing or improving many standard close-up effects with cards, coins, and other small items. The "standard" Cups and balls
routine is his, and his 6-ring "Symphony of the Rings" remains one of the most popular Chinese linking rings
routines in use to this day.
Vernon spent the last thirty years of his life as Magician-in-Residence at The Magic Castle
in Los Angeles
, California. There he mentored numerous well-known magicians including Ricky Jay
, Persi Diaconis
, Doug Henning
, Larry Jennings
, Michael Ammar and John Carney
.
In June 2006, the first in-depth biography of Vernon was released by Squash Publishing entitled Dai Vernon: A Biography, *Artist * Magician * Muse (Vol. 1: 1894-1941) (first of planned two volumes) written by Canadian magician David Ben.
A documentary was released entitled 'Dai Vernon: The Spirit Of Magic' (Toronto: History Television - The Canadians: 1999).
) from the movie Shade
was based on Dai Vernon, and the character Vernon (Stuart Townsend
) was named after him.
Biography
He was born in OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
as David Frederick Wingfield Verner. While performing, he often mentioned that he had learned his first trick from his father at age seven, adding that he had "wasted the first 6 years" of his life. His father was a government worker and an amateur magician. He studied mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
at the Royal Military College of Canada
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
but by World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he had moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Vernon first fell in love with magic when he was seven years old after his father took him to see a magic show. The first real magic book he ever owned was an early edition of perhaps the most famous card book of them all, The Expert at the Card Table
The Expert at the Card Table
The Expert at the Card Table: The Classic Treatise on Card Manipulation, often referred to simply as Erdnase , is possibly the best book on cards and magic written in 1901 by S. W. Erdnase, a pseudonymous author whose identity has remained a mystery for over a century...
, by S. W. Erdnase
S. W. Erdnase
S. W. Erdnase is a pseudonym used by the author of The Expert at the Card Table, a book detailing sleight of hand, cheating and legerdemain using playing cards. Still considered essential reading for any card magician, the book, known also as either the Bible or, commonly, just Erdnase, has been...
. By the time he was 13 he had memorized the contents of the book. He also had a famous encounter with another up-and-coming young magician from his town, Cliff Green, who asked Vernon, "What kind of magic do you do?" Vernon responded by asking the boy to name a card. Upon pulling a pack of cards from his pocket, Vernon turned over the top card of the deck to reveal the named card and replied to the speechless Green, "That's the kind of magic I do. What kind of magic do you do?"
As a young man, Vernon moved to New York where, in the back room of Clyde Powers' magic shop, he found favor among many of the great magicians of the era, including Dr. James William Elliott
James William Elliott
James William Elliott was an English collector of nursery rhymes. Together with George Dalziel and Edward Dalziel who did the engraving he published "Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes and Nursery Songs Set to Music" in the 1870....
and Harry Kellar
Harry Kellar
Harry Kellar was an American magician who presented large stage shows during the late 19th and early 20th centuries....
.
He began to use the first name "Dai" after a newspaper used the name in place of "David"; the paper actually was using the Welsh nickname for David. When Verner first moved to the United States, the male member of a popular ice-skating pair had the surname Vernon; Americans continually mistook Verner's last name to be the same as the popular ice skater, and eventually the magician became fed up with correcting people and simply adopted "Vernon" as well.
Due to his extraordinary knowledge of, and skill at, sleight of hand, Vernon has long been affectionately known as The Professor. Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
(who in his early years billed himself as "The King of Kards") often boasted that if he saw a card trick performed three times in a row he would be able to figure it out. Vernon then showed Houdini a trick where he removed the top card of the deck and placed it second from the top, then turned over the top card to again reveal the original card. Houdini watched Vernon do the trick seven times, each time insisting that Vernon "do it again." Finally, Houdini's wife and Vernon's friends said, "Face it, Houdini, you're fooled." For years afterward, Vernon used the title The Man Who Fooled Houdini in his advertisements.
Dai Vernon spent most of his life traveling all over the United States of America looking for card cheats, and anyone who might know anything about sleight-of-hand with cards. He was famously under-credited for much of the work published in Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue's Expert Card Technique, though a later edition included an extra chapter which acknowledges Vernon's contributions. In fact, a huge portion of the sleight-of-hand had been discovered by Vernon over years of searching.
Vernon was among the most knowledgeable sleight of hand artists that ever lived and, with Ed Marlo
Ed Marlo
Ed Marlo was a magician who specialized in card magic. He referred to himself and others of his specialty as "cardicians"....
, possibly the most influential card magician of the 20th century. Among magicians, he is credited with inventing or improving many standard close-up effects with cards, coins, and other small items. The "standard" Cups and balls
Cups and balls
The cups and balls is a classic performance of magic with innumerable adaptations. The effect known as acetabula et calculi was performed by Roman conjurers as far back as two thousand years ago...
routine is his, and his 6-ring "Symphony of the Rings" remains one of the most popular Chinese linking rings
Chinese linking rings
The Chinese linking rings is considered to be a classic of illusion magic. In the traditional effect, solid metal rings appear to link and unlink, pass through each other, and form chains and other complex patterns and configurations. The rings may even be handed out to audience members for...
routines in use to this day.
Vernon spent the last thirty years of his life as Magician-in-Residence at The Magic Castle
The Magic Castle
The Magic Castle, located at 7001 Franklin Avenue in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, is a nightclub for magicians and magic enthusiasts, as well as the clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts. It bills itself as "the most unusual private club in the world."-Nightclub:The Magic...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California. There he mentored numerous well-known magicians including Ricky Jay
Ricky Jay
Richard Jay Potash , better known by the stage name Ricky Jay, is an American stage magician, actor, and writer. He is a sleight-of-hand expert and is notable for his card tricks, card throwing, memory feats, and stage patter.-Life and career:...
, Persi Diaconis
Persi Diaconis
Persi Warren Diaconis is an American mathematician and former professional magician. He is the Mary V. Sunseri Professor of Statistics and Mathematics at Stanford University....
, Doug Henning
Doug Henning
Douglas James Henning was a Canadian magician, illusionist, escape artist and politician.-Early life:...
, Larry Jennings
Larry Jennings
Larry Jennings, , was a magician. He is known for his card techniques and has eight books published by him or written about him. He is also known for being close friends with fellow magician, Dai Vernon.-Biography:...
, Michael Ammar and John Carney
John Carney (magician)
John Carney is a professional sleight of hand artist, author and comic actor. He has won Hollywood’s Magic Castle award for Magician of the Year seven times. In 1988 and 1991, he was an award winner at the world FISM magic championships...
.
Death
He died on August 21, 1992 in Ramona, County of San Diego, California. He was cremated, and his ashes are interred at the Magic Castle.Books
- Dai Vernon's Book of Magic
- Inner Secrets of Card Magic
- More Inner Secrets of Card Magic
- Further Inner Secrets of Card Magic
- Ultimate Secrets of Card Magic
- Dai Vernon's Tribute to Nate Leipzig
- Mallini & His Magic
- The Dai Vernon Essential (Collected Work)
- The Symphony of the Rings
- Early Vernon
Legacy
In November 2005, Karl Johnson wrote The Magician And The Cardsharp about Vernon's early days of tracking down a specific yet unknown cardsharp, who developed an undetectable false deal.In June 2006, the first in-depth biography of Vernon was released by Squash Publishing entitled Dai Vernon: A Biography, *Artist * Magician * Muse (Vol. 1: 1894-1941) (first of planned two volumes) written by Canadian magician David Ben.
A documentary was released entitled 'Dai Vernon: The Spirit Of Magic' (Toronto: History Television - The Canadians: 1999).
Dai Vernon in film
The character of "The Professor" (played by Hal HolbrookHal Holbrook
Harold Rowe "Hal" Holbrook, Jr. is an American actor. His television roles include Abraham Lincoln in the 1976 TV series Lincoln, Hays Stowe on The Bold Ones: The Senator and Capt. Lloyd Bucher on Pueblo. He is also known for his role in the 2007 film Into the Wild, for which he was nominated for...
) from the movie Shade
Shade (film)
Shade is a 2003 neo-noir crime drama starring Stuart Townsend, Gabriel Byrne, Thandie Newton, Jamie Foxx, Roger Guenveur Smith, Melanie Griffith and Sylvester Stallone...
was based on Dai Vernon, and the character Vernon (Stuart Townsend
Stuart Townsend
Stuart Townsend is an Irish actor and director. His most notable portrayals are of the characters Lestat de Lioncourt in the 2002 film adaptation of Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned, and Dorian Gray in the 2003 film adaptation of Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.-Early life and...
) was named after him.
External links
- Short biography on Vernon
- A Magician's Quest for the Perfect Card Cheat, NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
Morning EditionMorning EditionMorning Edition is an American radio news program produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It airs weekday mornings and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 05:00 to 09:00 ET, with feeds and updates as required until noon...
, August 18, 2006 - The Phantoms of the Card Table, David Britland
- Tyler Wilson's article on one of Dai Vernon's theories
- Dai Vernon and the trick that fooled Houdini
- Dai Vernon 3 card monte on YouTube 8 DVD Set of Dai Vernon interviews and demonstrations.