John Vernon

Actor
John Vernon

About

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Also Known As
Adolphus Raymondus Vernon Agopsowicz
Birth Place
Zehner, Saskatchewan, CA
Born
February 24, 1932
Died
February 01, 2005
Cause of Death
Complications From Heart Surgery.

Biography

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Prolific stage-trained Canadian character player who convinces as crafty villains, morally bankrupt officials and heartless authority figures in American films and TV since the 1960s. Vernon has been directed by some stellar filmmakers including Alfred Hitchcock ("Topaz" 1969), George Cukor ("Justine" 1969), Don Siegel ("Dirty Harry" 1971), and Clint Eastwood ("The Outlaw Josey Wales" 19...

Filmography

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Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)
Voice
Sorority Boys (2002)
Baby Huey's Great Easter Adventure (1999)
Princess in Love (1996)
Sergeant Matthew
Malicious (1995)
Family of Cops (1995)

Photos & Videos

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Herbie Goes Bananas - Lobby Card Set
10 Photos
Special Day, A (1977) -- (Movie Clip) You'd Even Keep Hitler Waiting
0 Photos
0 Photos
Special Day, A (1977) -- (Movie Clip) It's Not A Person

Family & Companions

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Nancy Vernon
Wife

Notes

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Some publicity material gives Vernon's birth place as Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Vernon put together and sponsored the Canadian Contemporary Indian Art Exhibition held at the Southwest Museum in LA in 1987.

Biography

Prolific stage-trained Canadian character player who convinces as crafty villains, morally bankrupt officials and heartless authority figures in American films and TV since the 1960s. Vernon has been directed by some stellar filmmakers including Alfred Hitchcock ("Topaz" 1969), George Cukor ("Justine" 1969), Don Siegel ("Dirty Harry" 1971), and Clint Eastwood ("The Outlaw Josey Wales" 1975).

After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and honing his skills in Canadian theater and TV, Vernon made his US film debut in John Boorman's noir/gangster classic, "Point Blank" (1967) as a trusted friend who betrays Lee Marvin. He again failed to inspire confidence as the ineffectual mayor of San Francisco in "Dirty Harry" and the comparable Mayor Flambo in the TV spoof "Sledge Hammer!" (ABC, 1988). Vernon may be best remembered as the sinister Dean Wormer in John Landis' "Animal House" (1978), a role he reprised for the TV spin-off "Delta House" (ABC, 1979). This led to more film comedy roles, a highlight being Mr. Big in the blaxploitation spoof "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" (1988), and a generation later his "Animal House" cachet resulted in tribute-minded guest roles in films such as "Sorority Boys" (2002).

Vernon has also been in many TV-movies and guested on scored of popular primetime and syndicated series--including a season as Mr. Smith on the syndicated action series "Acapulco H.E.A.T." from 1993 to 1994--as well as having a lucrative second career as a voice actor on several animated series, including "The Fantastic Four," "The Incredible Hulk," "Pinky & the Brain," "Spider-Man" and as crime boss Rupert Thorne on "Batman."

Filmography

 

Cast (Feature Film)

Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)
Voice
Sorority Boys (2002)
Baby Huey's Great Easter Adventure (1999)
Princess in Love (1996)
Sergeant Matthew
Malicious (1995)
Family of Cops (1995)
The Forget-Me-Not Murders (1994)
Hostage For a Day (1994)
V D Regan
Sodbusters (1994)
Slade Cantrell
The Woman Who Sinned (1991)
W.B., Blue and the Bean (1990)
Mob Story (1989)
Don Luciano
War Bus Commando (1989)
I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)
Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)
Officer Mooney
Office Party (1988)
Deadly Stranger (1988)
Mitchell
Nightstick (1987)
Adam Beardsley
Double Exposure (1987)
Karrothers
Blue Monkey (1987)
Ernest Goes to Camp (1987)
Dixie Lanes (1987)
Elmer Sinclair
Fraternity Vacation (1985)
Chief Ferret
Angela (1984)
Ben Kincaid
Doin' Time (1984)
Savage Streets (1984)
Principal Underwood
Jungle Warriors (1983)
Vito
Curtains (1983)
Chained Heat (1983)
Warden Backman
Airplane II: The Sequel (1982)
The Kinky Coaches and the Pom-Pom Pussycats (1981)
Malone
Herbie Goes Bananas (1980)
National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
Golden Rendezvous (1977)
Mary Jane Happer Cried Last Night (1977)
Dr Orrin Helgerson
The Uncanny (1977)
Pomeroy ("Hollywood 1936")
A Special Day (1977)
Emanuele
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
The Imposter (1975)
The Barbary Coast (1975)
The Swiss Family Robinson (1975)
Matt Helm (1975)
Brannigan (1975)
Larkin
Sweet Movie (1974)
Mr Kapital
The Virginia Hill Story (1974)
The Questor Tapes (1974)
Geoffrey Darro
W (1974)
Arnie Felson
Mousey (1974)
The Black Windmill (1974)
Mckee
Hunter (1973)
Fear Is the Key (1973)
Vyland
Charley Varrick (1973)
Cool Million (1972)
Inspector Duprez
Journey (1972)
Boulder Allin
One More Train to Rob (1971)
Timothy X[avier] Nolan
Dirty Harry (1971)
The mayor
Escape (1971)
Charles Walding
Justine (1969)
Nessim
Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969)
Hacker
Topaz (1969)
Rico Parra
Point Blank (1967)
Mal Reese
Nobody Waved Goodbye (1965)
Lot supervisor
1984 (1956)
Voice on speaker

Cast (Special)

The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story (2000)
Voice
Seance (1992)
B-Men (1989)
Fuzzbucket (1986)

Cast (Short)

The Rock (1967)
Himself

Cast (TV Mini-Series)

The Naked Truth (1993)
The Fire Next Time (1993)
The Blue and the Gray (1982)
Louis L'Amour's The Sacketts (1979)

Life Events

1956

Feature acting debut (voice only), Big Brother in "1984"

1964

Returned to the screen in "Nobody Waved Good-Bye", the first feature produced by the National Film Board of Canada

1969

US TV-movie debut, "Trial Run"

1978

Reprised the role of Dean Wormer for the TV spin-off "Delta House"

1978

Widely seen as Dean Vernon Wormer in "Animal House"

Photo Collections

 
10 Photos
Herbie Goes Bananas - Lobby Card Set
Here is a set of Lobby Cards from Disney's Herbie Goes Bananas (1980). Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8 (Later Disney sets came in 9 cards). As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

Videos

Movie Clip

Special Day, A (1977) -- (Movie Clip) You'd Even Keep Hitler Waiting After nearly six minutes of chilling newsreel footage detailing Hitler’s 1938 visit to Mussolini in Rome, and Nazi flags being unfurled in cinematographer Pasqualino De Santis’ desaturated color, we meet Sophia Loren as housewife Antoinieta, John Vernon her husband, in an elaborate single shot, in director Ettore Scola’s A Special Day, 1977, also starring Marcello Mastroianni.
Special Day, A (1977) -- (Movie Clip) It's Not A Person Dozing off while reading an Italian fascist comic book, her Rome apartment building nearly vacant because everyone’s gone to the parade for Adolph Hitler, Sophia Loren as housewife Antoineta is wakened by the family mynah bird, and meets neighbor Gabriele (Marcello Mastroianni), in director Ettore Scola’s A Special Day, 1977.
Special Day, A (1977) -- (Movie Clip) The Virtue Of A Mediocre Mind In cinematographer Pasqualino De Santis’ widely-praised desaturated color, in 1938 Rome, with coverage of Hitler’s visit to Rome playing on the radio, troubled bachelor Gabriele (Marcello Mastroianni) surprises neighbor housewife Antoineta (Sophia Loren), abandoning his excuse quickly, after they first met that same morning, in director Ettore Scola’s A Special Day, 1977.
Outlaw Josey Wales, The (1976) -- (Movie Clip) I've Got Nothing Better To Do Jamie (Sam Bottoms), alone among surrendering Missouri post-Civil War rebels, senses a trap, nasty Senator Lane (Frank Schofield) and turncoat Fletcher (John Vernon) behind it, and director and title character Clint Eastwood turning the tables, big-ly, in The Outlaw Josey Wales, 1976.
Point Blank (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Open, How Did I Get Here? The opening, which has been noted to have apparent French New Wave influences, of director John Boorman's acclaimed Point Blank, 1967, in which Walker (Lee Marvin) wakes up recalling the caper staged with his wife (Sharon Acker) and buddy (John Vernon).
Point Blank (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Battle Of Alcatraz The second part of the opening of John Boorman's Point Blank, 1967, in which Walker (Lee Marvin), shot by his partner in crime, wakes up at abandoned Alcatraz as the credits roll, then appears on a tourist boat, shadowed by a mysterious Keenan Wynn.
Charley Varrick (1973) -- (Movie Clip) Please Expedite Following the title character (Walter Matthau) speculating that the money he stole might belong to the mob, we jump to Reno, meeting John Vernon as executive-type Boyle, Felicia Farr his assistant, and Joe Don Baker as “Molly,” linked by radio, in director Don Siegel’s Charley Varrick, 1973.
Brannigan (1975) -- (Movie Clip) Smaller Than The Statue Of Liberty Chicago cop John Wayne (title character) arrives at Heathrow for an extradition, a hit-man (Daniel Pilon) maybe on the same plane, greeted by Scotland Yard's Ms. Thatcher (Judy Geeson), plus a brief bit with villain Larkin (John Vernon) and lawyer (Mel Ferrer), in Brannigan, 1975.
Topaz (1969) -- (Movie Clip) Castro A sequence less remarkable for Alfred Hitchcock's attempt to integrate his principals (John Vernon, Frederick Stafford, Karin Dor) into a real Cuban rally than for the genuine appearance of Fidel Castro and Ernesto "Che" Guevara, from Topaz, 1969.
Topaz (1969) -- (Movie Clip) Opening Credits Opening title sequence composed entirely of a military parade on Red Square, the opening of Alfred Hitchcock's Topaz, 1969, from Leon Uris' novel, starring Frederick Stafford, John Forsyth and John Vernon.
Topaz (1969) -- (Movie Clip) -- You Cannot Judge Castro government official Parra (John Vernon) is forced to raid the hacienda of his supposed cohort Juanita (Karin Dor) in Topaz, 1969, Alfred Hitchcock's adaptation of Leon Uris' espionage novel.
Outlaw Josey Wales, The - (Original Trailer) Peaceful farmer Clint Eastwood becomes The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) after soldiers murder his family.

Trailer

Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here - (Re-issue Trailer) A rebellious Native American races to elude a bloodthirsty posse in Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969) starring Robert Blake and Robert Redford.
Charley Varrick - (Original Trailer) A band of small-time crooks accidentally steals the mob's money in Don Siegel's action-filled Charley Varrick (1973) starring Walter Matthau.
Point Blank - (Original Trailer) A gangster plots an elaborate revenge on the wife and partner who did him dirt in Point Blank (1967) starring Lee Marvin & Angie Dickinson.

Family

Kate Vernon
Daughter
Actor. Worked regularly in Hollywood films and TV since the 1980s.

Companions

Nancy Vernon
Wife

Bibliography

Notes

Some publicity material gives Vernon's birth place as Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Vernon put together and sponsored the Canadian Contemporary Indian Art Exhibition held at the Southwest Museum in LA in 1987.

Vernon is the recipient of the Queen's Jubilee Medal and an Honorary Doctor of Laws.

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