Perovich, Michael & Stephen Minch: The Vernon Companion ©2014 Michael A. Perovich, Stephen Minch; Hermetic Press, WA Hardover, no dj, 383 pages

Image courtesy eBay seller qr

Comments: Illustrations by Colin Fleming. "Stories and Observations on the Life of Dai Vernon and the Magic Castle"

Contents (from book ToC):

xi Introduction
xv Acknowledgments

1 Chapter One Introducing The Professor
3 A Tentative First Mooting
9 Laughter In The Library
15 Hadjikhani
21 Ihe Professor Lights A Cigar
23 Day Or Die
27 Death And Taxes

31 Chapter Two The Grandfather Stories
33 Perspective From Another Era
37 The Coat In The Window
41 Walking Through Georgia
45 A Girl With Personality
47 Stress Reduction

51 Chapter Three Vernon And Company
53 Blackstone And The Chocolate Doughnut
55 Publicity By The Yard
57 Tales Of Finneran
61 Slydini Comes To Town
65 Battle Of The Bears
69 Germain Sends A Package
73 Heirs Apparent
79 Ron Wilson
83 Canada Jack
87 Charlie Miller
89 Senator Crandall
95 Glenn Falkenstein
103 Jules And The Elephant
107 Tony Giorgio

113 Chapter Four: Commentary
115 Opening A New Deck
117 Erdnase 101
121 A Matter Of Proportion
123 Listen, I'11 Tell You About Houdini

127 Chapter Five: Observations
129 Something Slimy In The Air
131 Vanished Into The Ether
133 You Either Have It Or You Don't
137 Motorcar Madness
141 Always Get A Good Sleep
145 Dai, You Look Pale
149 Rapt Attention

153 Chapter Six: The Professor Himself
155 Vernon Close Up
161 Vernon On Platform And Stage
165 Audio/Visual Vernon
171 Hands
179 Quoting The Quotable

183 Chapter Seven: Stories And Observations By His Friends
185 Recollections (As Related By Jeff Altman)
189 Bennie Roth (As Related By Brad Berlin)
193 Tire Inventors (As Related By Brad Berlin)
197 The Effect Is The Thing (As Related By Marc Caplan)
201 Memories Of Faucett Ross (As Recalled By John Carney)
215 Split It Down The Middle (As Related By Bruce Cervon)
217 Laughter And Applause (As Related By Bruce Cervon)
221 Tire Professor And Me (By Midrael Close)
225 How To Pick Up Women (As Related By Bill Goodwin)
227 Dry Hands (As Related By Ray Grismer)
229 Out Of Tire Night (As Related By Larry Jennings)
233 Carom Capers (By Martin Lewis)
237 A Bump In The Night (By Earl Nelson)
239 Sporting Skullduggery In Cuba (As Related By Gary Plants)
239 Babe Ruth And The Phantom Spade
241 Jack Johnson And The Dented Jockstrap
243 Closing The Iron Door On Houdini (As Related By David Roth)
247 Behind The Counter At Gamages (As Related By Roy Walton)
249 The Professor And The List (By Max Maven)

251 Chapter Eight: The Raconteur
253 You Never Met John Barrymore, Did You?
255 Ardo
257 Alfred Benzon
259 The Black Museum
261 The Head In The Trench
265 Pickpocket Potpourri
265 - Class Camion
266 - Shakespearean Suspect
266 - Whetstone For A Wire
266 - Nada Mas
267 - Dinner For Pops And A Cure For Insomnia
269 How To Tish A Broad

271 Chapter Nine: The Urban Legends
273 Hie Mischievous Monkey
277 Francis And The Beans (As Related By Cervon, Lewis And Wilson)
279 Vernon And The Long Count
285 Joe And The Robbers
287 A Nose For Erdnase
291 She Only Drove It On Friday Nights

297 Epilogue

299 Appendix A: Setting The Stage

303 Appendix B: Dai Vernon Decade By Decade
303 The Early Years
307 The Roaring Twenties
308 The Depression Years
310 The War Years
312 The Fifties
313 The Sixties
315 The Seventies
316 The Eighties

319 Appendix C: Vernon's World
319 The Heritage Magicians
321 Dai Vernon's Magic Mentors
322 Wily Wits
324 Gamblers And Gambling Experts
325 The Gamblers
329 Reformed Gamblers
330 Purveyors Of The Gambling Expose
330 Contemporary Magicians With A Personal Connection To Vernon
333 Frances Rockefeller King
334 Magicians From Across Tire Ponds

337 Appendix D: Magicians Of The Magic Castle (C. 1970-1980)
337 The Larsens And The California Core
340 The Castle Old-Timers
342 Frequent Visitors
343 All-Knowing Hosts
343 The Sleight-Of-Handsters
343 - In A Class By Themselves
344 - The Young Lions
345 - The Gang
348 Patrons Admirers And Celebrities
349 Castle Regulars

355 Index Of Names