In 1979 Dai Vernon came to Norfolk, Virginia on his farewell lecture tour. Norfolk magician Roger Sherman had arranged the lecture and conducted a short interview with the Professor. Following is a transcript of that interview from the August, 1979 issue of IBM Ring 103's newsletter, _The Wizard's Eye_:

Sherman: There's one question that I have to ask you first, and that's the pronunciation of your first name. I know you're tired of hearing this, but go ahead.
Vernon: Well, "DYE" is correct. There's a place in Japan--Dai Nippon. "DYE" is definitely the right pronunciation. Dai is the name for David in Welsh. I never knew that. I took this name absolutely by accident because I was very athletic when I was young and I used to often have my name in the paper for winning some kind of athletic event. I won a fancy diving competition and I had my name in big letters: DAI VERNON WINS DIVE. DAI IN DIVE. Everybody in school started calling me Dai. They started kidding. "Is it DAY or is it DYE?" and "You're a DIver," and they made jokes about it. But the name stuck to me and I've had it all my life. I didn't pick it out. My Christian name is David. My right last name is VERNER, not VERNON. But in New York they can't pronounce "ER." They say "Sitting on the coib" and "Reading the Woild," and "Goitie"--they called Gertrude "Goitie." The don't say "world," they say "woild." So my name "Verner" they would say "Voinoi" or "Woinoi." I got so sick of it. But when I was in New York, Vernon Castle was very popular--Irene and Vernon Castle, who started the craze for ballroom dancing in America. Everybody knew Vernon Castle, and "Vernon" they had no trouble pronouncing. So I thought... Same initial! I'm gonna use "Vernon." My boy's a colonel in the Air Force and he uses Verner; his name's Ted Verner, but even my grandchildren call me Vernon.
S: Let me ask you both a question. (Editor's note: Joe Cossari was also present during the interview.) You were both around and you saw some of the greats of the old days. Dr. Jacob Daley and others, for instance. How do you compare them with the new boys in magic today? Were they better, were they worse?
V: A fellow like David Roth and Mike Skinner and especially Steve Freeman from Oklahoma... I've said in print many times--Nelson Downs and Allan Shaw and Manuel--three great coin manipulators--would turn over in their graves if they saw David Roth. They couldn't even compare. BUT--as far as showmanship goes--The new guys don't even compare with the old timers. But in ability, in method, in skill--They're so far advanced, some of these young fellows today! But in showmanship!?! Tommy Downs could get out in the middle of a three ring circus with three matches and hold that crowd spellbound with showmanship... Colonel Cody said Nelson Downs was the greatest living showman he'd ever seen. He could take any little thing, take a coin and hold it up and everyone would watch him. He commanded attention. So you see, the old-timers all had showmanship.

S: Dumb question, probably, but in terms of close-up sleight of hand, who's the best you've seen? Or is that too hard to answer?
V: In my entire life? Well, that's a pretty hard thing to do. I had three idols when I was a kid: Max Malini, Nate Leipzig, and J. Walter Keane. They were the three best sleight of hand performers I met when I was young. They were inspirational to me. Later I met John Ramsey and thought he was one of the most ingenious and clever magicians I ever met. But now it's nice to have young fellows like David Roth and Steve Freeman. There are some very clever people around, exceedingly clever.

S: How about stage? Who would you say was the best stage performer?
V: Cardini had the best act when he was young and at the height of his fame. Incidentally, I influenced him a great deal because I made him stop talking... He would say "I taught this trick to the King of Siam. He said, 'Mr. Cardini, you are very clever.' 'Yes, I am.'" That was one of his gags, and I said, 'Listen, you do such beautiful stuff. What do you talk for? You make a !@#$%^& of yourself.'--He said, "Oh, I get my laughs." I said, "You don't get any laughs at all." Finally, when we were both working for Billy Rose, I told him: "Cut out the talking!" Billy Rose said, "Listen to what Vernon tells you. He's giving you good advice." After that, he became a great star. He never would have been a great star if he hadn't stopped talking. He had the finest, most perfect act that was ever created. Nobody ever approached him.
----- end of interview-----

Hi Anatole,

Thanks for sharing!

- Jon