The Vernon Chronicles, Volume 3

Title:

Dai Vernon - Further Lost Inner Secrets

Written by:

Stephen Minch

Produced by:

Bruce Cervon

Co-Produced by:

Louis Falanga

Illustrator:

Tom Gagnon

Designer:

Louis Falanga

Pre-Illustrative Photography:

James Patton, Linda Cervon, and Alfonso Aceituno

Publisher:

L & L Publishing
P. O. Box 100
Tahoma, California 95733

REVIEW

Bruce Cervon careful recorded many things he learned from Dai Vernon at the Magic Castle. His notes grew to fill fourteen binders. These volumes became known as the legendary "Castle Notebooks." Later with Dai Vernon's permission the "Castle Notebooks" aided in the creation of "The Vernon Chronicles." A wealth of magical lore can be found in these books.

"Further Lost Inner Secrets" is the third book in the series, and focuses on many magic effects. Nevertheless, it does start with an essay on the close-up world in New York City back in the 1920s and 30s. However, it quickly moves into many of Dai Vernon's unpublished works. One such effect is the legendary "Joker Monte" that Dai used to baffle fellow magicians. He closely guarded the method to this effect for many years, but he finally explains it in this book.

In "Joker Monte" Dai Vernon takes three cards (two jokers, and one queen) and places each card into a clear drinking glass. He turns the glasses so the card's backs are facing the audience, and tells the spectator's to keep track of the glass with the queen. He then shuffles the position of the glasses by touching only the rim of the glasses. So the cards are alway in plan view of the audience. This makes it impossible for Dai to switch the glasses or the cards. However, when he stops, the spectators are unable to successfully guess which glass contains the queen. This is a truly marvelous trick.