He fooled Houdini, mentored Copperfield, and could vanish a coin in your ear while stealing your watch.
I currently rank this #3 on my list of “The Best Magic Documentaries” (up to 15 so far!)
Watch”Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic”
Ratings:
- My Rating: 93/100
- IMDB Rating: na
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: na
Director’s Note: This magic documentary was directed by Daniel Zuckerbrot (known for “Houdini – Dead Men Talking” and “Jack Parsons: Jet Propelled Antichrist”.
Release Date: It originally aired in 1999 on Canadian television as part of a documentary series. a
My Review of “Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic”
The Setup
“The Setup” — “Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic” reveals how the man they called “The Professor” became the most influential magician of the 20th century.
Born David Frederick Wingfield Verner in 1894, Vernon didn’t just perform magic—he deconstructed and rebuilt it from the ground up.
His students included legends like Ricky Jay and Persi Diaconis, but his greatest achievement was becoming the only person to consistently fool Harry Houdini using the same trick performed with different methods.
You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up
- Houdini claimed no trick could fool him more than three times. Vernon fooled him seven or eight times in a row—with the same trick, each time using a different sleight so Houdini couldn’t catch on.
- In 1931, Vernon traveled to Kansas City to hunt down Alan Kennedy, a card cheat who could secretly deal from the center of a deck—something magicians thought was physically impossible. Vernon confirmed it was real and revolutionized card handling.
- If you see a Cups and Balls routine performed anywhere today, Max Maven estimates there’s a 90% chance it’s based on Vernon’s version that he created.
More Highlights from the Doc
- Vernon’s “Ambitious Card” routine became the global standard, with a freely chosen card continuously rising to the top of the deck under increasingly impossible conditions
- He invented the “Topping the Deck” sleight, still praised for its deceptive naturalness and practicality
- His Triumph routine—where a shuffled face-up/face-down deck rights itself except for the chosen card—remains a staple in card magic
- Starting in 1946, Vernon began his “Magic Lectures” tour that transformed how magicians approached structure and technique
- He later settled into the Magic Castle in Hollywood, where he mentored generations of modern sleight-of-hand legends
Cameos
- Max Maven, legendary magician and illusion consultant
- Magic Castle regulars and Vernon’s students
- Archival footage of Ricky Jay and other Vernon protégés
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- Vernon didn’t consider Houdini a real magician—just “an escape artist”—saying “There’s nothing mysterious about getting out of a straitjacket”
- He defined magic not as trickery but as “anything mysterious and unexplainable—something strange that happens and defies explanation”
- Vernon studied gamblers and hustlers—not other magicians—as his primary inspiration for advanced sleights like the center deal
- He changed his name from David Frederick Wingfield Verner to “Dai Vernon” for better stage presence
- Despite being the most influential magician of his era, Vernon lived modestly and obsessively focused on perfecting tiny technical details
Wrap Up
“Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic” captures how one man redefined an entire art form using just cards and philosophy—showing that subtlety beats showmanship every time. Modern magicians still live in his shadow.
Thanks for reading!
Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc