|
|
Go to page 1~2 [Next] | ||||||||||
Maxim Regular user London 113 Posts |
I didn't know where else to put this, but I read somewhere, that on the whole, the Prof was quite a friendly chap, but for some reason he didn't particularly like Houdini.
Does anyone know why? Take it easy, Maxim. |
|||||||||
stevehw Veteran user Collinsville, Mississippi 303 Posts |
Personally, I haven't heard this, but it may be so. I have heard about the time he was able to fool Houdini while performing the Ambitious Card for him in a challange, where Houdini stated that no magician could fool him if he could see the effect done three times in a row.
Steve |
|||||||||
Slide Special user 533 Posts |
I'm not sure how much Dai Vernon liked or disliked Houdini, but he did not consider him a magician, which he is quoted as saying.
I'm not sure where you read that Dai Vernon was a friendly chap. He was known to crucify magicians, and if you have seen the videos of him on the Vernon Chronicles you can see him do it. One of the quotes given by him by a man who as a child traveled around with Vernon: "I wouldn't take a million dollars not to have known him. I'd give a million not to know another like him." |
|||||||||
Maxim Regular user London 113 Posts |
I think this is the link where I read it:
http://www.magicdirectory.com/vernon/ 'He was a true gentleman and everyone loved him. It was very rare to hear Vernon say anything unkind about anybody.' 'There was only one conjuror that he spoke of negatively, and that was Harry Houdini' Maxim |
|||||||||
Slide Special user 533 Posts |
There is a story on a Canadian documentary about Vernon, told by one of his sons, where he ripped into one magician so badly, telling him that he was the worst magician he ever saw, that the guy left the room in tears. Vernon turned to some of the other people in the room and said "You know the problem with that guy? He can't take criticism." You can find that Vernon biography around. It is fascinating viewing, especially the comments by some of his sons, who grew up in an age where, shall we say, child welfare agencies were not what they are today.
|
|||||||||
Maxim Regular user London 113 Posts |
I'll have a look around for it Bill, thanks for the info.
|
|||||||||
debaser Special user Boulder 557 Posts |
It wasn't just an ambitious card routine it was more like a ruse to fool magicians who knew the DL.
quite clever. |
|||||||||
Dr. Joe New user Joe Dobson 14 Posts |
From Dai Vernon's column in the October, 1971 Genii:
I knew Houdini pretty well, because I was around New York with Sam Margules, who was one of Houdini's closest friends in those days. Bessie Houdini was my oldest boy's godmother. There certainly is a myth about Houdini being a great magician. ... But as far as I'm concerned, Houdini was a very mediocre magician. There were any number of amatuer magicians in New York in those days who were vastly superior to Houdini in the presentation of magic. ... One time when he came to see me at my silhouette shop on Broadway, he said, "Vernon, the only way to make a great success in magic is to keep your name in the papers and the magazines all the time. Even if you attend a fire, a murder, or a crap game, whatever it happens to be-get your name in the paper. Regardless of what the article says, good or bad, have them spell your name correctly, and this will pay off." (The Professor also spends some time in the article discussing the point that Houdini was a "marvelous" escape artist) |
|||||||||
Peter Marucci Inner circle 5389 Posts |
It wasn't only Vernon who considered Houdini a mediocre magician; most other magicians did, too.
But, then, Houdini didn't make his name as a magician but as an escape artist and spritualist debunker. (Even Vernon praises his abilities as an escape artist; and everybody praises his abilities as a showman!) Vernon was a great lecturer and innovator who really wasn't able to make a living through magic. Houdini was a great showman and escape artist who really wasn't able to make a living through magic. Oh, and one other thing that they have in common: You really wouldn't want to spend a lot of time in their company. Neither were particularly nice people. |
|||||||||
Emily Belleranti Veteran user Tucson, Arizona 349 Posts |
There seems to be two schools of thought about Dai Vernon:
-One that describes him as a "nice friendly gentleman". -Another one makes him out to be "very critical and sometimes even very mean". It's an interesting thing that some people view him completely differently than other people. Does anybody have any comments on this? Did Vernon's attitude change in his later years or something like that? Or is it just that people's opinions about him are very controversial?
"If you achieve success, you will get applause, and if you get applause, you will hear it. My advice to you concerning applause is this: Enjoy it, but never quite believe it."
-Robert Montgomery |
|||||||||
Steve Friedberg Inner circle 1402 Posts |
One of Vernon's sons was quoted in that Canadian documentary as saying, "As a father, he was a good magician."
Cheers,
Steve "A trick does not fool the eyes, but fools the brain." -- John Mulholland |
|||||||||
Slide Special user 533 Posts |
I think it would be very difficult to view the Canadian documentary and not view Vernon as someone who was both a genius and terribly disfuntional socially. His son discribes a moment when he was being chased by his mother with a machette (he had complained about dinner and his mother went after him with a huge knife). He came screaming and bleading into the living room where is father, Vernon, was playing chess with his brother. Vernon took one look at the screaming boy and then turned back to the chess board, picked up a piece and said "Checkmate".
The son had to have over 100 stiches I believe. |
|||||||||
Joshua Quinn Inner circle with an outer triangle 2054 Posts |
Isn't Vernon also said to have been overly generous with his praise, in that he endorsed a lot of less-than-stellar magicians and effects as "the best I've ever seen," or words along those lines?
Did you just have to catch him in the right mood? Quinn
Every problem contains the seeds of its own solution. Unfortunately every problem also contains the seeds of an infinite number of non-solutions, so that first part really isn't super helpful.
|
|||||||||
Slide Special user 533 Posts |
Take a look at that collection of Vernon tapes: Revelations. It is pretty classic Vernon I think. Watch him rip into Steve Freeman and see Steve squirm on the tape to understand what it must have been like for Vernon's "students".
|
|||||||||
Dave Egleston Special user Ceres, Ca 632 Posts |
Actually Bill,
It was more fun to watch Mr Vernon tear into Ammar - You think he knew something we're just now realizing? If you watch - he'll defer to Mr Freeman several times - but never Ammar Dave |
|||||||||
Torkova Regular user Astoria, NY 192 Posts |
When I saw Vernon lecture in the 1970s, he said, "Houdini was not a good magician by any stretch of the imagination; his brother Hardeen was worse! But Hardeen was a wonderful guy whereas Houdini was not."
Early on Houdini used to bill himself as the King of Cards. Vernon felt he didn't know the first thing about cards. This could have been the source of Vernon's disdain for him. |
|||||||||
Maxim Regular user London 113 Posts |
Vernon has a go at Ammar? This I must see! What does he say?
|
|||||||||
Dave Egleston Special user Ceres, Ca 632 Posts |
You have to watch it to appreciate the disdain he holds for Ammar - Mr Vernon had no patience for Ammar's lack of preparedness and considered some of Ammar's questions "inappropriate?" from a professional magician.
As they say - "Worth the price of the tape" Dave |
|||||||||
Maxim Regular user London 113 Posts |
Wow, just reading all these posts my thoughts of Dai Vernon have changed completely! It sounds as if he was the Frank Sinatra of the magic world (except without the mafia ties and wonderful singing voice).
Although I can understand how someone would want to deck Ammar, that laugh of his is so annoying (oh yes, it's far worse than Daryl's giggle). |
|||||||||
Dave Egleston Special user Ceres, Ca 632 Posts |
RK, on his forum, has written some insightful pieces on Mr Vernon - Mr Kaufman said something like: If Mr Vernon liked you, he liked you. If he thought you were a hack - it would be better if you didn't hang around because his criticism would fry you.
Dave |
|||||||||
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » What happened, was this... » » Dai Vernon and Houdini (0 Likes) | ||||||||||
Go to page 1~2 [Next] |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.02 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |