Was Vernon a success

Discuss the historical aspects of magic, including memories, or favorite stories.
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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Richard Kaufman » February 26th, 2003, 8:46 pm

Geoff, I hope you treat your wife and kid better than Vernon did his! Part of his life was successful, and another part was a disaster. The magic part was successful, the family part was a disaster.
We talk about the magic part because that's all that is really of interest to most of us. But all gods have feet of clay, and he was no different.
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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby David Alexander » February 26th, 2003, 11:52 pm

Originally posted by tonga:
Between early 1963 when he came to Los Angeles and July 1979 when I left the city there were many periods when I saw Dai every night week in and week out except when he was out of town. That includeds one period when I didn't miss a night at the Castle for three months and another when I was at the Castle every night for three years. I was at the Castle every night. During that time it never occurred to me that Dai drank too much. That he had a drink handy was undeniaable. That he over-indulged was improbable and unthinkable.
______________
Guy Thompson's opinion notwithstanding, I saw Vernon badly bobble the Cups and Balls at a performance in Santa Barbara. I saw him after the show and asked what happened?

His verbatim response, "I was drunk."

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » February 27th, 2003, 3:09 am

Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:
Geoff, I hope you treat your wife and kid better than Vernon did his!
Oh, I do. She makes good and goddam sure I do. ;-)

But I was only talking about his success as a magician, not in every way.

Best,

Geoff

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby John Smetana » February 27th, 2003, 11:29 am

Originally posted by Geoff Latta:

Wine, women and card tricks for almost one hundred years, the satisfaction of knowing your work matters, and an object of reverence almost the whole time? Sounds like success to me. Sign me up.

Best,

Geoff[/QB]
Well said Geoff. I'd like to be on that list myself.

Best thoughts,
John Smetana

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » February 27th, 2003, 12:34 pm

Originally posted by Brad Jeffers:
One of the ways that Vernon accumulated his "wealth", that has not yet been mentioned, was by giving lectures. By his own account, he gave "hundreds and hundreds" of them. The first lecture he ever gave was arranged by George Karger around 1947 and was attended by around 300 magicians who paid $5 each. Not a bad days pay for 1947! "
On May 29, 1959 I paid $5 to see Vernon lecture at the Detroit Leeland Hotel. I will never forget how much Vernon impressed me. What he did was truly magic. He was, by far, the smoothest magician I have ever seen. "The Dai Vernon Book Of Magic" was his lecture notes. I apologize for my previous incomplete post.

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Robert Allen » April 3rd, 2003, 11:35 am

I should point out that accumulating $100,000 in a lifetime isn't all that hard if you work at it. Vernon and my grandparents were of the same generation. My grandparents only bought a new car when they absolutely needed to, they saved all their money. They didn't have to *pay* social security for a large part of their life yet they got to collect it (free money). They grew their own vegetables in their backyard, and generally lived frugally, but not miserly. And they bought stock. Initial issues in things like Bank of America, Teledyne, ATT, etc. People weren't all dumb hicks in those days :)

My one experience with Vernon was in the early 1970's when I was in a bunch of Explorer Scouts (a troop with a magic theme) who got to visit the Magic Castle. Someone saw Vernon and Peter Pitt at a table, eating, and they swarmed him. Since the damage was already done in invading his privacy and his lunch, I swarmed also after a brief delay. I still have his autograph and that of Peter Pitt. I remember that Mr. Vernon was the most gracious person I'd ever met, particularly under the circumstances.

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby CHRIS » April 3rd, 2003, 1:54 pm

Originally posted by Geoff Latta:
How many magicians have been the focus of this kind of active fascination and study for 75 years or more, without interruption? Nobody. What other single magician could claim to have changed the face of magic as much as Vernon? Nobody again.
I wouldn't say nobody. Robert-Houdin comes to mind or Houdini or Hofzinser. That is not to say that Vernon is not one of the greatest.

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Geno Munari » April 7th, 2003, 6:39 pm

Other than Richard Kaufmann, there really has not been a posting from anyone really close to Vernon on this topic. What say you?

Come forth.

Personally, he was as successfull in the area of magic. Just look at his legacy.

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » April 21st, 2006, 3:59 pm

Was Vernon a success?

Success is a difficult word to define. If money counts, the bank account he left behind was certainly an indication of a modicum of success, whether it was $100,000 or $250,000.

If success as a performer for the lay public is the mark, consider this. When I would perform walkaround magic at parties for some of the more prestigious law firms in Houston, I would occasionally be asked if I had ever met the fellow they called "The Professor," at the Magic Castle. So, at least some of the public remembered his title, if not his name.

If being remembered is the mark of success, consider how many of his books and/or routines most of us have.

It is really telling to think that when the first magical BBS went online, Steve Burton found that his name was the only one that ALL magicians knew. So he used it for the password.

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 21st, 2006, 7:31 pm

Let's take a look at the notion of "success" from a different angle.

Every single person who does a trick with a deck of cards today owes a debt to Dai Vernon. A substantial and very real debt, since it was Vernon's work to find other ways to do card magic beside the Pass, Palm, Top and Bottom Change, and Classic Force, that has allowed most magicians to perform card magic for the past 80 years.
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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » April 21st, 2006, 11:13 pm

Other than one moment seeing him in a parking lot I've never seen Vernon yet he has influenced my magic more than anyone else.
Steve V

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » April 26th, 2006, 11:42 am

I've been reading this conversation with great interest. I believe it has been proven that, in many ways that count, Vernon was a success.
And yet there is one definition of success that no one seems to have brought up. (Possibly because no one knows.) So I thought I'd do the honors.
Did Vernon himself believe he was a success?
You can have all the money and fame in the world, you can be as respected a man who has ever lived, but you can still consider yourself a failure.
Again, it is very possible that no one alive today knows the answer. It is possible the only person who could answer this is Vernon, but he may have mentioned something about this to someone.
Of course I know the great debt we all owe Vernon, but I still have to wonder how he felt about his place in the world.

Gord
This week on A Little Bite of Magic Cheese .
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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » April 26th, 2006, 2:26 pm

Aren't alcoholics, by definition, unhappy people?

I would think that would answer the question.

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Steve Bryant » April 26th, 2006, 3:22 pm

Vernon has been on my radar for roughly 50 years, including many times I saw him in person, and I am aware that he wasn't the best husband/father in the world, but this is the first time I have heard someone call him an alcoholic. A tad harsh I think.

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » April 26th, 2006, 3:25 pm

Originally posted by David Alexander:
Aren't alcoholics, by definition, unhappy people?

I would think that would answer the question.
Are you implying that Vernon was an alcoholic? If so, this is the first time I hear of it.

If true, then this would appear to be a better kept secret than the Center Deal.

This shines a different light on the legend that Vernon was. I hope David Ben's biography will touch upon that aspect of Vernon's life.

Come to think of it, in the documentary "The Spirit of Magic", I recall video footage of Vernon at the Magic Castle bar throwing away a deck of cards given to him by a female spectator. In light of the above assumption, this would explain his actions a lot more than simply stating that he was eccentric.

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » April 26th, 2006, 3:36 pm

I would like to know what Ricky Jay thinks about this subject. He knew the Professor about as well as anyone, and is of course, a genius.

I was lucky to get a chance to spend an afternoon with Mr. Vernon, on my first visit to the Castle in 1978 (I believe). I can still remember listening about naturalness, and the way my jaw dropped, as he demonstrated by doing the french drop with a big silver dollar. Perfection. Real magic.

I was too young to do cocktals at the time, but have grown up a bit, and can add that yes, alcoholism and depression often do go hand in hand, but everyone is different. Some alocholics only need to drink a glass of wine at dinner every night--you should see my aunt: 2 sips of wine and she's dancing on or under the table.

Of course, some people don't need booze to be miserable. Hemingway said, "Happiness in intellegent people is just about the rarest thing I know".

It is too bad that Mr. Vernon was a bad dad. But as Mr. Kaufman said, "Idols have feet of clay". Nobody is perfect. This has been a lesson I've repeatedly had drilled-home over the years, as I have come to learn more about various heroes I've had: Sinatra, Picasso, Hemingway...They did unbelieveable work but were, by almost all accounts, unbelieveable [censored] that could be incredibly rude and hurtful.

You have to take the good with the bad, and for the niche The Professor chose for himself, he was perhaps the best ever.
Leaving behind a sum of money in a bank has got to be one of the LEAST determinate factors regarding a "successful life".


"There are some things that cannot be learned quickly, and time, which is all we have must be spent heavily in their aquiring. They are the very simplest things, but since they take a man's life to know them, the little new that each man gets from life is very costly, and the only legacy he has to leave."--Ernest Hemingway

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » April 26th, 2006, 4:30 pm

I look at people as honestly and clearly as I can, without illusions or fantasies about them.

Frakson, who was incredibly kind and generous to me as a person could be, loved by me as the mentor he was, was a poor father. Both his boys had "problems" that made living a normal life impossible for them. I don't lay all this at his doorstep, but his poor parenting skills didn't help his boys grow up to be self-sufficient, independent individuals.

My close friend and biographical subject Gene Roddenberry had a number of character flaws, yet he was a genius, and overly generous to many people, some who didn't deserve it. He was a lot of fun to be around and I really enjoyed his company, but he was a less than perfect father and a less than perfect husband.

Like Frakson, Gene was admirable in many ways and not in others. I think I saw them as they were and accepted them, as I do myself, as a human being...."warts and all," to use Gene's requirement of the biography I wrote about him.

Why should I look at Vernon any differently?

I saw Vernon work a show in Santa Barbara where he badly screwed up the Cups and Balls. I saw him after the show and asked what happened? The response, "I was drunk." And he was.

This was not the first time I interacted with Vernon when he was "under the weather." An appointment I had with him for an interview was made impossible because he was too drunk to open the door at the time he set....and an hour after that, as well. He simply was too drunk to talk to me...in the middle of the day.

Sure, every magician is indebted to Vernon to one degree or another, BUT, he was not a successful stage performer because he lacked the needed discipline, suffered from stage freight as described to me by Faucett Ross, knew very little about walking on a stage and entertaining an audience of lay people, and had severe limitations in his knowledge of theatrical magic.

I saw him be deliberately rude, without cause, to one of LA's most successful club date acts. (He got it right back from the wife of the duo, and he was more polite to them after that.)

He was a man, a clever guy who managed to live his life according to his own dictates and obsessions. I don't fault him for that, but neither do I look at him as a hero, someone to emulate or someone to put on a pedestal just because he could make a coin vanish convincingly or was good with a deck of cards.

As Tolstoy once pointed out, "There are no heroes. Only men."

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » April 26th, 2006, 4:47 pm

Well-said, sir.

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » April 26th, 2006, 7:38 pm

Let me add just a few words about Dai Vernon. These words were spoken to me by his son.

When the Dai Vernon Book of Magic was finished, Harry Stanley sent the first copy Dais son, who lived in lower Manhattan I believe on Water St.

I went to take a look at it and spent quite a while with his son, talking about the Legend the Magician the Person.

During our conversation, these words were said to me, Joe, Magic is his life. Magic is his family. Magic is all there is.

There is no need for me to go into his life, other than the Magicthats the Dai Vernon I remember.

Was he a success? How do you define success? Bob Dylan on success: If you wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night and in between, you do what you want to do you are a success.

My idea of success and yours may be different, but I believe that Dylans comment on success describes Dai Vernon.

By the way, on the way out, I asked, half in jest, Nip, could I buy this book?

The younger Mr. Vernon said, Oh hell, its yours. Consider it a gift.

And, as far as I know, I have the only unautographed Vernon Book of Magic. At least it was for a while.

Joe DeStefano

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 26th, 2006, 8:57 pm

The first night I met Vernon he was drunk and sleeping on a bar stool in the main bar of the Castle.
But, I have to state that he never seemed depressed to me--ever. He seemed quite happy about most things, but there was an air of melancholy that so many of his friends had died. You'll see this clearly toward the end of the Vernon Touch book. There's no mistaking the tone of the columns when you read them in succession.
His behavior didn't mirror the other alcoholics I've seen--I never saw him consume massive quantities of alcohol the way Dingle and Jennings did. But he was usually nursing a glass of brandy on most evenings. At the age of 87 when I met him, I felt he was entitled to do whatever he damn well pleased by that point, which included smoking cigars and drinking brandy.
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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » April 27th, 2006, 9:45 am

Hmmmmm...Success?

Books about him and his magic are STILL being read, used, and discussed. There are two new books coming out as we speak. His name is evoked daily, and we are discussing him now on this Forum.

Something ineffable apparently nourished his single-mindedness regarding magic and it was the center of his LONG life. He was also able to live and flourish on his terms in this giddy epicenter; and he always seemed to twinkle...probably because he knew he was living the life he wanted to live...again, on his terms.

I'm not qualified to comment about whether or not he had a drinking problem. For one thing, people always wanted to buy him drinks. (No problem in this regard.)

I only saw him a bit tipsy once...at his first Farewell Lecture Tour in Grapevine, Texas. He performed a two-part lecture and during the break, Larry Jennings coaxed him to drink a few shots (on an empty stomach). Nevertheless, Vernon came on and performed the Cards to Pocket flawlessly, grinning, twinkling...but during the explanation of the false count, he began to lean...In the middle of the count he listed too far and fell to the stage. Incredibly, he kept the count cadence without a pause...His hands kept counting cards as he said, "....three, four, five..." His technique was excellent. His "magic" was fine. Only his balance was impaired. What a moment!

Jennings and Klause rushed to aid the Professor, but he more or less shooed them away, muttering: "Roger, Larry, you're geniuses..."

Then he rose to his feet and finished the lecture.

I thought the incident was historic and relevatory.

The Professor was one-of-a-kind...
Be grateful...

Onward,

JR

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » April 27th, 2006, 10:12 am

Originally posted by Horace:
How did he end up with so much money? It sounds like the greatest trick he ever did.
He fell while at the Magic Castle. He got a settlement from thier insurers, because in the fall he broke his hip - that's where a big chunk of his "money" came from...

Best, PSC

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 27th, 2006, 10:50 am

He also accumulated money from that $1,000 lecture tour.
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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » April 27th, 2006, 11:07 am

I remember that a "old" magician from sweden told me that Dai Vernon performed in Gothenburg, Sweden in the late 70s for a big group of magicians. They talked about Dai for many, many years after his amazing show. Dai Vernon is still a phenomenon here in scandinavia.

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » April 27th, 2006, 4:20 pm

Originally posted by Roger Klause:
Lew McKissic (sp) a noted attorney insisted
that Vernon file for back social security
benefits when the Prof. was in his early 70s'.
He continued to draw these payments until death.

The Larsons were a bit upset to learn that Vernon
had accumulated nearly $150,000. I'll leave it
to others that may care to speculate further.

Roger
Proper name, as I recall, is Luke McKissack, entertainment and intellectual properties specialist, I think. A good friend to Vernon, and of Bruce Cervon. Also, a member of the Castle for years and a magic hobbyist himself.

As to the Larsen's being concerned/upset about Vernon's "accumulated wealth", some of that stems from them supporting him in the settlement for his hip injury, which they did thinking he was broke...

Best, PSC

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » April 27th, 2006, 6:14 pm

Would I be a dork if, at this point in this conversation I asked about some of the EXCELLENT moments people had with the Professor?

I dearly love the stories of the old days--the gags that circle of pals would pull on each other; the trips they took south of the border in the '50s; the "mischief" they got into. AND the amazing tricks.

THAT'S why I love magic; not because of the way certain personages rate on a list of virtuous, sainted paragons.

Let's hear some of the good stuff.

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » April 27th, 2006, 7:32 pm

Indeed, there are hundreds of great stories. When I think about it, I only knew Vernon in his late years, but it seemed like a long time. Imagine, I met him when he was in his early 80's, and STILL knew him for 16 years! That's amazing!

I was very lucky. One of my mentors was Jack McMillen, who was close to Vernon for over 60 years, so I got to meet him thru one of his oldest friends, still alive. It gave me a certain entree that I might otherwise not have had.

When Dai was sick, just before he went south to stay with his son, he was at Larry Jennings house. Jack called me one day and said he wanted to go to LA to see "The Professor". HE (Jack) was getting old himself, and he had heard that Vernon was very sick. He felt like this might be the last trip he could make to the Castle, the last chance he had to see his old friend.

So, Michael Landes, another friend of Jack, and I, and Jack, made the trip to LA. Bruce Cervon met us at the airport and took us out to lunch, Jim Patton entertained us at the Castle, and we had an all-around great time. They treated Jack like visiting royalty at the Castle, an honor he certainly deserved. But the best was going over to Larry's to see Vernon.

There were several of us. Bill Goodwin, Jack, Michael, me, Deane Stern, I think, and I forget who else. Vernon was sitting in a BarcaLounger, waiting for us. We all went in, paid our respects, and chatted for a while. Vernon was sitting there, obviously tired, so I suggested that we go outside and let Jack and Dai visit by themselves for a while.

BJ was a perfect hostess, and brought us drinks out in the yard. We sat around and talked while the old masters visited. After an hour or so we thought to check on them, see how they were doing. I went into the living room and there they were, a couple of old friends in the twilight of their years. Looking down on them was Nate Liepzig (Larry had a wonderful oil portrait of Liepzig he'd acquired), and there they were - Vernon in the Lounger, Jack on the couch, both of them SOUND ASLEEP! They'd had thier visit, and decided they needed a nap!

Well, we woke Jack up, and the bunch of us were sitting there, Vernon still asleep, talking about what to do. Someone started talking about how Vernon looked tired, was getting old, and someone else said we should leave, not wake him. As we got up to go Vernon opened ONE eye, looked over at Jack, and said, "Which one of these fella's does that gambling thing you told me about Jack? " The old devil had been listening to everything, pretending to be asleep!

Well, in minutes the cards were out, the moves were made, the fun had started! Vernon sat for about 45 minutes, watching magic, asking questions, talking about cards and gamblers. He enthralled us ONE MORE TIME, still Vernon, ever the raconteur, still captivating, even if he was in an old silk dressing gown, drink in hand, in a Barcalounger!

We finally said our goodbyes, and all filed out, leaving Jack with "The Professor" one last time. He came out a minute later, and we climbed in the car and headed back to Hollywood.

Jack was right. That was his last trip to the Castle, his last visit with his friend, "The Professor". I remember Jack, on that ride. He was very quiet, thoughtful. And later he thanked us all for the trip.

I don't think Jack knew it, but that trip meant more to us than it did to him, in many ways. We saw the wonders of a life-long friendship, the passing of an era, the unspoken farewells of two old friends. It was really great, every minute of it, from the two of them napping to the twinkle in Vernon's eye when he caught us, talking about him while we thought he slept. It was bittersweet...

Best, PSC

P.S. The magic was pretty good too!

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Pete Biro » April 27th, 2006, 10:16 pm

Then there was the time Vernon wanted to come up to Oakland to see Frank Shields work. I forget who all was there, I know it was me and Mike Rogers and maybe a couple of other Oakland lads. Anyway, Vernon flew in and when we got to the Pony Club, which was at 30th and Broadway (a very dangerous area!) the Professor said, "You guys go in, I'll wait a bit, I don't want him to know it's me."

So... we went in and Frank started doing his usual stuff, great card work, gags, etc. After a few minutes Vernon came in and sat alone at the other end of the bar. He orered something, Frank served him and came back to us and did some more magic.

After a bit Vernon, said, "Hey, don't you ever do any magic down here?" Frank said, "Hey mister, move over here with thest guys."

Frank did some more stuff, still not recognizing Vernon... then it hit... he recognized Vernon and froze... he broke into tears.

After he gathered his feelings and started again, suddenly a major fight broke out around the pool table in the middle of the bar... guys wound up whacking each other over the head with pool cues and a couple of guys were knocked out laying on the floor.

None of us paid any attention, Frank just kept working... finally it was time to go and Vernon (and the rest of us) had to step over some guy laying on the floor out cold near the door.

Those were the days.

Mike Perovich AKA "Zambolini" has written a huge number of Vernon anecdotes (he's very close to Bruce Cervon) and published them somewhere online.

Later... :D
Stay tooned.

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » April 28th, 2006, 12:21 am

Originally posted by pchosse:


It was really great, every minute of it, from the two of them napping to the twinkle in Vernon's eye when he caught us, talking about him while we thought he slept. It was bittersweet...

Great post, Paul. Thanks.

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » May 10th, 2006, 12:19 pm

Regarding a post a while back: Vernon once showed me a check from Doug Henning for $100,000 that he carried in his wallet, but he also told me that he never cashed it. He just liked to show it. He said that it was payment for teaching Doug the linking rings.

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Leonard Hevia » May 24th, 2006, 3:50 pm

I can't help but feel a price was paid by Vernon's wife and two sons for his passion and involvement with magic. In the Canadian documentary on Vernon, his son Derek noted that as a father--Vernon was a good magician. Derek also mentioned that his mother became so frustrated with her life that she hacked at him (Derek) with a sword.

Vernon had a laid back "Don't worry be happy" approach to life. That's fine if you're single and on your own, but when you bring children into this world--the gig is up.

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » May 24th, 2006, 7:46 pm

You can't blame Vernon for his wife cutting up her son over some food. That's pretty psychotic to me. She had no excuse.

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 24th, 2006, 8:11 pm

Leonard is correct: Vernon's family did pay a terrible price. Perhaps he carried that with him in his conscience, but perhaps not. I never spoke with him about it. One thing that consumed Vernon as he grew older was all his friends who died. He felt compelled to make lists of the dead. You see this very clearly in the collected Vernon Touch columns. It's extremely melancholy toward the end. Perhaps if Vernon had spent more time with his children and grandchildren (or if he spent ANY time with them), he might have found some solace.

He certainly wouldn't be the first, or even the 100th genius or artist who was so consumed by his passion for his art that he let it negatively influence his family life.
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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby David Scollnik » May 24th, 2006, 8:29 pm

Does anyone here have any stories / anecdotes to relate about Jeanne (Hayes) Verner? I don't mean anything scandalous, I just mean stories that would give us the flavour of her personality and character.

I've read Volume 4 of The Vernon Chronicles, and I'm left wondering about her. I get the impression from this book that she despised most magicians and much of magic, yet she stuck it out in that world for many, many years.

Also, is there a book out that describes Vernon's life after the years documented in Volume 4 of The Chronicles? Or is that one yet to be written?

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 24th, 2006, 9:13 pm

There will be much about Jeanne Vernon in David Ben's upcoming biography, in both parts one and two. You won't have to wait long for part one since it will appear in late June.
Jeanne also wrote a book about her experiences with Vernon titled, "I Married Mr. Magic." I expect that it will eventually be published as well.
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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby David Scollnik » May 24th, 2006, 9:47 pm

As you probably know, Vernon mentioned Jeanne's "I Married Mr. Magic" manuscript in Volume 4 of the Chronicles, but then he goes on say that it was too bitter a read to be published, and he wonders whatever happened to the manuscript.

Are you saying that it still exists and someone is doing something with it?

That's very exciting.

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » May 25th, 2006, 7:08 am

Hi Folks,

Several sharp, biting excerpts from "I Married Mr. Magic" are included in David Ben's "Dai Vernon: A Biography," which is now at the printer and slated for release in late June. David Ben has a copy of the manuscript in his collection, and drew on Jeanne's words on and off throughout the process of writing his biography. More excerpts will appear in Volume 2.

Best Regards,

Gabe Fajuri
Squash Publishing
www.squashpublishing.com

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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » May 25th, 2006, 8:23 am

Originally posted by David Scollnik:
Does anyone here have any stories / anecdotes to relate about Jeanne (Hayes) Verner? I don't mean anything scandalous, I just mean stories that would give us the flavour of her personality and character.
From George Tucker's syndicated "Man About Manhattan" column, as published in the Albert Lea, Minnesota Evening Tribune on Sept 3 1935:
Jean Vernon, being a smart girl, has turned her talent for making masques into a red hot assignment. A producer saw one on the wall of her studio and immediately assigned her to do a series of more than a dozen for a scene in the new musical show, "Smile At Me."

The episode in which these are used is a vaudeville scene in Heaven, starring many of the famous entertainers and showmen who have passed on. She scoured New York for old photographs of Eddie Foy, Florenz Ziegfeld, Jeanne Eagies, Marie Dressler, Hal Skelley, David Belasco, Jack Donahue, the producer Dillingham, and many others and came up with masques of each which are startling in their reality.

"But, I can't find a good likeness of Eddie Foy," she complained.

"Look at that fellow in the cast," cried the director, "he looks like Foyuse him, only turn his mouth up"...which is how she achieved the masque of Foy. . . . Jean, incidentally is the wife of Dai Vernon, the magician.

Guest

Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Guest » May 25th, 2006, 8:52 am

First, awed congratulations to Bill Mullins for coming up with a sitation from an obscure newspaper 70 years old.
Second, an anecdote. Dai loved to tell stories that showewd Al Goshman in a bad light (jealousy?). One day in the days before Al had achieved any fame and was still a baker he showed up at the Vernon apartment with a mazipan cake which he had lovingly made. The wife met him at the door and slammed the cake into his face and then slammed the door. Dai thought this was hilarious -- which reveals something about both Dai and the wife. Incidentally, I never heard Al badmouth anyone.

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Steve Bryant
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Re: Was Vernon a success

Postby Steve Bryant » May 25th, 2006, 12:33 pm

Oh, I imagine MANY women could write an I Married (or Dated) Mr. Magic piece about guys they know that would make Vernon look like a prince.


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