Richard Vernon


Richard Evelyn Vernon was a British actor. He appeared in many feature films and television programmes, often in aristocratic or supercilious roles. For example as Colonel Loring, a misplaced idealist responsible for the disappearance of a whole village in the Pied Piper of Hambledown episode in the classic spy-fi Department S.
Prematurely balding and greying, Vernon settled into playing archetypal middle-aged lords and military types while still in his 30s. He played Slartibartfast in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the lead role of Edwin Oldenshaw in The Man in Room 17, Sir James Greenley alias "C" in The Sandbaggers, and Sir Desmond Glazebrook in Yes Minister and its sequel series Yes, Prime Minister.

Early life

Vernon was born in Reading, Berkshire, in 1925 to British parents, who later lived in Kenya. Vernon and his parents moved back to Britain in 1937, and he was educated at Reading School and Leighton Park School. During the Second World War, at the age of 18, he enlisted in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve and served during the final months of the war. After it ended, he was posted to Kowloon, where he directed and starred in a production of Heartbreak House. At the end of his service, his commanding officer reported "Vernon is an excellent dinghy helmsman and amateur actor: in his spare time he performs his duties satisfactorily."
He went on to train as an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

Career

In 1960, Vernon appeared in an adaptation of A.J. Cronin's novel, The Citadel. In 1961, he played the father in the BBC series, Stranger on the Shore. An early leading role was as wartime agent-turned-criminologist Edwin Oldenshaw in the TV series The Man in Room 17 and its sequel The Fellows. He also played a small role as Colonel Smithers, an executive of the Bank of England, in a scene opposite Sean Connery and Bernard Lee in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger, discussing how Auric Goldfinger transports his gold overseas.
He played an unnamed 'city gent' reluctantly sharing a train compartment with the Beatles in A Hard Day's Night, planet designer Slartibartfast in the BBC radio and TV series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the occasional character Sir Desmond Glazebrook, a clueless senior banker, in the TV series Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister, and Mr Becket in Sammy's Super T-Shirt. He also appeared in the 1965 Morecambe and Wise film The Intelligence Men as patron of the arts Sir Edward Seabrook, Lord Bartelsham in Ripping Yarns, and Squire Dale in the BBC Radio 4 adaptation of The Small House at Allington. He played Admiral Croft in the 1971 BBC television adaptation of Persuasion. He played the urbane head of the Secret Intelligence Service Sir James Greenley in ITV political drama The Sandbaggers from 1978 to 1980. In 1986 he appeared in Paradise Postponed, and voiced the professor Gus in The Giddy Game Show, in addition to a cameo role in the video for Experiment IV by Kate Bush. He also appeared in the final episode of Thames Television's production of Rumpole of the Bailey as Rumpole's exculpatory dentist, Lionel Leering, and in the last series of Lovejoy playing Tinker's brother-in-law.
On radio, in 1978 he played Sir Gerald Tarrant in a BBC World Service adaptation of the Modesty Blaise book Last Day in Limbo and Professor Misty in the BBC Radio 3 sitcom Patterson in 1981. He also starred in the title role of Lord Emsworth in several BBC Radio 4 series of Blandings between 1985 and 1992.
In December 1990 he began teaching a course on stage acting in Harare, Zimbabwe. He moved back to England in January 1992.
His final film appearance was an appearance at the end of the film Loch Ness, which was released in 1996.

Personal life and death

In 1955 he married actress Benedicta Leigh née Hoskyns. They had a daughter Sarah, an actress and a son Thomas. They divorced in 1990.
Vernon died of complications from Parkinson's disease on 4 December 1997.

Filmography

Film

Stop Press Girl - Indiscreet - Guide The Heart of a Man - Manager The Siege of Pinchgut - Under-SecretarySapphire - DetectiveClue of the Twisted Candle - VineyVillage of the Damned - Sir Edgar HargravesFoxhole in Cairo - GeneralCash on Demand - Pearson The Edgar Wallace Mysteries Film series - John CreweReach for Glory - Dr. AldrichJigsaw - We Joined the Navy - The Edgar Wallace Mysteries Film series - John PaxtonJust for Fun - Prime MinisterThe Servant - Lord MounsetHot Enough for June - RoddingheadA Hard Day's Night - Pompous man on train Goldfinger - Colonel SmithersThe Counterfeit Constable - Lord BrisburnThe Tomb of Ligeia - Dr. VivianThe Yellow Rolls-Royce - Racecourse official The Intelligence Men - Sir Edward SeabrookThe Secret of My Success - Lord Hetherby The Early Bird - Sir Roger Wedgewood Goodbye, Mr. Chips - Chairman Song of Norway - CouncilmanShe'll Follow You Anywhere - Andrew CoombesOne Brief Summer - HaywardThe Satanic Rites of Dracula - MathewsAdventures of a Taxi Driver - Gentleman The Pink Panther Strikes Again - Professor Hugo FassbenderSammy's Super T-Shirt - Mr. BecketThe Human Factor - Sir John HargreavesOh! Heavenly Dog - Quimby CharlesThe Box - Evil Under the Sun - FlewittWitness for the Prosecution - Brogan-Moore, barristerGandhi - Sir Edward Albert GaitNight Train to Murder - Uncle FelixLady Jane - The Marquess of WinchesterA Month in the Country - Colonel HebronLoch Ness - Aged professor

Television

ITV Television Playhouse as Multiple rolesITV Play of the Week as Multiple roles