Bobby Bernard R.I.P.

[Q. Kumber]

Bobby Bernard (Bernard Lerner) has passed away.

I met Bobby at my first British Ring convention, Hastings, 1974. Knowledgeable and frequently blunt in his views and feedback. See his meeting with Cardini, as mentioned in John Fisher's book.

A few years ago he moved into a self-contained apartment but missed his old home. About a year ago he was in hospital and I visited him there last January. Since then he was in a care home.

There are endless stories about Bobby and I hope some pop up on this thread.

One of my proudest moments was at the South Shields convention ten years ago. I had been booked to do the whole of the children's show for an audience of 300 children. After Bobby came up to me and said, "You were excellent. I know you should be and you were."

R.I.P. Bobby

[Dustin Stinett]

Sorry to hear it. Condolences to his family and many friends.
Here's a little more about Mr. Bernard from MagicPedia:
http://www.geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Bobby_Bernard

[lybrary]

If you want to find out more about Bobby Bernard I can recommend you to listen to the recording Martin Breese released many years ago. http://www.lybrary.com/bobby-bernard-m-903.html

[Bob Farmer]

Very sad. When I lived in London in the mid seventies, Bobby was one of the first magicians I met. I remember the day he showed me the so-called "Himber Coin Vanish" in Davenport's. I remember thinking: if he opens his hand and the coin is not there, everything I know about reality is wrong.

He opened his hand. The coin wasn't there.

I was absolutely floored, I'd never seen anything like that.

Later, he graciously taught me how to do it.

He was a great character with a vast knowledge of magic.

[Ian Kendall]

Dustin - might want to change his dates. It's currently showing 1931-2013...

[Dustin Stinett]

That's Joe Pecore. He must have just added it, as there was no date of death yet.

Oh Joe ...!

[Joe Pecore]

That's Joe Pecore. He must have just added it, as there was no date of death yet.

Oh Joe ...!

typo fixed, thanks to Philippe Billot

[Matthew Field]

Saddened to learn of the death of Bobby Bernard. Although he could be abrasive, he knew a lot about magic and was a skilled sleight-of-hand expert. He loved going to the Tannen's Jubilees and he was a friend of Richard Himber. He was an honest critic and had many students, who loved him. I put him on the cover of the magazine I edited, The Magic Circular, in February 2007 and he was most grateful. His declining years were unhappy.

He was one of the finest "sleevers" I ever saw.

I was glad to call him my friend.

Matt Field

[John Bowden]

Saddened to hear of Bobby's passing as he was one of my sponsors when I joined The Magic Circle.

Bobby was well known for his ability to snooze during a magic lecture or competition and once slept during a competition which he was judging. Afterwards when I mentioned that he had slept during my contribution to the close up competition he replied " I was awake when you started".

Despite that we remained firm friends and I received many rebukes and criticisms over the years all of which I valued as it was one of his many ways of offering advice.

Meeting Bobby was always an event, full of drama, stories and anecdotes............he was truly a colourful character and one whose passing makes magic all the poorer.

I think Bobby would approve if I wrote............There are now TWO Gods in heaven.

John Bowden

[JimAlfredson]

One couldn't say I was surprised at Bobby's passing, as he'd been having health problems for some time; however, that in no way assuaged the pain I felt. In the days when I used to travel to the UK regularly, it was a great pleasure to join with him for a good chart at the Magic Circle and I looked forward to it. His acerbic but witty comments on the magic scene were always enlightening and amusingly related. A perceptive man, he'd been around long enough that, though his candor could at times seem rude, he was a man well worth listening to, or so I always found. I'll miss your comments, Bobby, but I'll never forget the pleasure of your company. Jim

[Ian Kendall]

One of the first things Bobby said to me was 'You're being a c*nt', and the last was 'is that you I see all over MUM?'

In between there were lessons, sessions, arguments and stories. A few smiles, a few grimaces and a lot more stories. He will be missed.

[Andy Galloway]

Bobby Bernard was one of my oldest friends in magic. We first met in the summer of 1956 in John Ramsay`s grocer`s shop in Ayr and later in the year when I attended my first British Ring IBM convention in Brighton with John, he introduced me to Roy Walton, Jack Avis, John Derris, Alex Elmsley, Ted Danson and Val Andrews, who also extended their friendship to me. Bobby was a wonderful raconteur and had a fund of entertaining stories about magicians he had seen and met over many years. His knowledge of magic was vast, particularly in the areas of pocket tricks and close up and woe betide anyone who attributed a trick or move to the wrong person. We shared a love of not just magic, but also old movies and the actors who appeared in them. Bobby`s mother was a dresser in London theatres and as a youngster he collected the autographs of some of the stars of stage and screen. He had a lifelong admiration and respect for my mentor John Ramsay and introduced his name to many young magicians who had never heard of him or his reputation as one of the great sleight of hand performers. My life has been all the richer for knowing Bobby and like all his friends will miss him.

[Philippe Billot]

The False Swing Cut described in Card College, Vol. 1, page 58 is generally attributed to Bobby Bernard but is there an explanation of this false cut described before 1996?

[Matthew Field]

Philippe -- Although the Card College description in English is from 1996, the original German edition was written by Roiberto Giobbi in 1992. The description I'm about to quote is not "before 1996" -- it is also from 1996.

Bobby showed me his version of the Tap False Cut at The Magic Circle in 2004. It had been attributed to him by Jerry Sadowitz and I asked Bobby about it. I wrote to several magic authors when I saw the move referenced without Bobby's name to tell them Bobby was the originator..

Then I got a letter from my friend Jon Racherbaumer, who quoted his write up in the book "Magie Duvivier" published in 1996. It's on pg. 15, The French Tap False Cut. Jon says, "This finessed false cut was devised in the early seventies [by Dominique Duvivier] and shown to Frank Garcia in Vienna in 1976."

That settled it for me. It's Duvivier's, reinvented by Bobby. It's a great move.

Matt Field

[Philippe Billot]

Thank you, Matt.

[Jeffrey Cowan]

I met Bobby Bernard at the Magic Circle in the summer of 1987 when I was a very young guy passing through London during my two year adventure of being a full-time magician (pre-law school). After I showed Bobby and Pat Page some coin tricks, he was most kind and generous with his time. He also shared a terrific story about John Ramsay when I mentioned how I had started learning his Coins and Cylinder routine. That nugget gave me much better insight into Ramsay as a person and a performer.

Best wishes to his family. I never say Bobby again, but remember fondly this meeting and wish life had provided more opportunities to cross paths (and show him my Cylinder routine so he could see how I applied the knowledge he shared).

[Q. Kumber]

Philippe -- Although the Card College description in English is from 1996, the original German edition was written by Roiberto Giobbi in 1992. The description I'm about to quote is not "before 1996" -- it is also from 1996.

Bobby showed me his version of the Tap False Cut at The Magic Circle in 2004. It had been attributed to him by Jerry Sadowitz and I asked Bobby about it. I wrote to several magic authors when I saw the move referenced without Bobby's name to tell them Bobby was the originator..

Then I got a letter from my friend Jon Racherbaumer, who quoted his write up in the book "Magie Duvivier" published in 1996. It's on pg. 15, The French Tap False Cut. Jon says, "This finessed false cut was devised in the early seventies [by Dominique Duvivier] and shown to Frank Garcia in Vienna in 1976."

That settled it for me. It's Duvivier's, reinvented by Bobby. It's a great move.

Matt Field

When I read Matt's post I felt sure that Bobby's False Cut must be older than the 70's. The question was who to ask or where to look. Today I phoned Tam Shepherd's Magic Shop in Glasgow to put the question to Roy Walton.

Roy believed it was inspired by a Paul Curry move and he clearly remembers Bobby doing it when he lived in London. As Roy has been living in Glasgow for 49 years, that puts Bobby's move to at least 1964.

That settles it for me. It's Bobby's move, reinvented by Duvivier.