Richard Evelyn Vernon (7 March 1925 – 4 December 1997) was a British

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

. He appeared in many

feature films A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film ( motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation ...

and

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

programmes, often in

aristocratic Aristocracy (; ) is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. Across Europe, the aristocracy exercised immense economic, political, and social influence. In Western Christian co ...

or supercilious roles. Prematurely balding and greying, Vernon settled into playing archetypal middle-aged

lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage o ...

s and military types while still in his 30s. He played Slartibartfast in ''

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' is a Science fiction comedy, comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally a The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series), radio sitcom broadcast over two series on BBC ...

'', the lead role of Edwin Oldenshaw in '' The Man in Room 17'' (1965–67), Sir James Greenley alias "C" in '' The Sandbaggers'' (1978–80), and Sir Desmond Glazebrook in ''

Yes Minister ''Yes Minister'' is a British political satire sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn. Comprising three seven-episode series, it was first transmitted on BBC2 from 1980 to 1984. A sequel, ''Yes, Prime Minister'', ran for 16 episodes f ...

'' (1980–81) and its sequel series '' Yes, Prime Minister'' (1987).

Early life

Vernon was born in

Reading, Berkshire Reading ( ) is a town and borough in Berkshire, England, and the county town of Berkshire. It is the United Kingdom's largest town, with a combined population of 355,596. Most of Reading built-up area, its built-up area lies within the Borough ...

, 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 Reading School is a state grammar school for boys with academy status in the English town of Reading, the county of Berkshire. It traces its history back to the school of Reading Abbey and is, thus, one of the oldest schools in England, alth ...

and

Leighton Park School Leighton Park School is a co-educational Private schools in the United Kingdom, private school for both day and boarding pupils in Reading, Berkshire, Reading in South East England. The school's ethos is closely tied to the Quaker values, having ...

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, at the age of 18, he enlisted in the

Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original ...

and served during the final months of the war. After it ended, he was posted to

Kowloon Kowloon () is one of the areas of Hong Kong, three areas of Hong Kong, along with Hong Kong Island and the New Territories. It is an urban area comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It has a population of 2,019,533 and a populat ...

, where he directed and starred in a production of ''

Heartbreak House ''Heartbreak House: A Fantasia in the Russian Manner on English Themes'' is a play written by Bernard Shaw during the First World War, published in 1919 and first performed in November 1920 at the Garrick Theatre, New York, followed by a West ...

''. 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 The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, commonly shortened to Central, is a drama school founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as the Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for ...

Career

In 1960, Vernon appeared in an

adaptation In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the p ...

A.J. Cronin Archibald Joseph Cronin (Cronogue) (19 July 1896 – 6 January 1981) was a Scottish physician and novelist. His best-known novel is '' The Citadel'' (1937), about a Scottish physician who serves in a Welsh mining village before achieving succes ...

's novel, ''

The Citadel The Citadel Military College of South Carolina (simply known as The Citadel) is a public senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Established in 1842, it is the third oldest of the six senior military colleges ...

''. In 1961, he played the father in the BBC series, ''

Stranger on the Shore "Stranger on the Shore" is a piece for clarinet written by Acker Bilk for his young daughter and originally named "Jenny" after her. The tune was written on a single scrap of paper by Bilk and handed over to arranger Leon Young who crafted the ...

''. An early leading role was as wartime agent-turned-criminologist Edwin Oldenshaw in the TV series '' The Man in Room 17'' (1965–66) and its sequel '' The Fellows'' (1967). He also played a small role as Colonel Smithers, an executive of the

Bank of England The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the Kingdom of England, English Government's banker and debt manager, and still one ...

, in a scene opposite

Sean Connery Sir Thomas Sean Connery (25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to Portrayal of James Bond in film, portray the fictional British secret agent James Bond (literary character), James Bond in motion pic ...

and

Bernard Lee John Bernard Lee (10 January 190816 January 1981) was an English actor, best known for his role as M in the first eleven Eon-produced James Bond films. Lee's film career spanned the years 1934 to 1979, though he had appeared on stage from ...

in the 1964

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

film '' Goldfinger'', discussing how Auric Goldfinger transports his gold overseas. He played an unnamed 'city gent' reluctantly sharing a train compartment with

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

in '' A Hard Day's Night'', planet designer Slartibartfast in the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

radio and TV series ''

'', the occasional character Sir Desmond Glazebrook, a senior banker, in the TV series ''

'' and '' Yes, Prime Minister'', and Mr Becket in '' Sammy's Super T-Shirt''. He also appeared in the 1965

Morecambe and Wise Eric Morecambe (John Eric Bartholomew; 14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984) and Ernie Wise (Ernest Wiseman; 27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known as Morecambe and Wise (and sometimes as Eric and Ernie), were an English comic double act, working ...

film '' The Intelligence Men'' as patron of the arts Sir Edward Seabrook, Lord Bartelsham in ''

Ripping Yarns ''Ripping Yarns'' is a British television adventure comedy anthology series. It was written by Michael Palin and Terry Jones of Monty Python fame and transmitted on BBC 2. Following an initial pilot episode in January 1976, it ran for two se ...

'', and Squire Dale in the

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

adaptation of '' The Small House at Allington''. He played Admiral Croft in the 1971 BBC television adaptation of ''

Persuasion Persuasion or persuasion arts is an umbrella term for influence. Persuasion can influence a person's beliefs, attitudes, intentions, motivations, or behaviours. Persuasion is studied in many disciplines. Rhetoric studies modes of persuasi ...

''. 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'' (1985-7), in addition to a cameo role (as Professor Jerry Coe) in the video for ''

Experiment IV "Experiment IV" is a song by the English singer Kate Bush. It was released as a single on 27 October 1986 to promote Bush's greatest hits album '' The Whole Story''. The single peaked at No. 23 and spent 4 weeks in the UK Singles Chart. The si ...

'' by

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer. Bush began writing songs at age 11. She was signed to EMI Records after David Gilmour of Pink Floyd helped produce a demo tape. In 1978, at the ...

. He also appeared in the final episode of Thames Television's production of ''

Rumpole of the Bailey ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defended a broad variety of clients, ...

'' (1992) as Rumpole's exculpatory dentist, Lionel Leering, and in the last series of ''

Lovejoy ''Lovejoy'' is a British television comedy-drama mystery fiction, mystery series, based on the Lovejoy (novel series), novels by John Grant (Lovejoy), John Grant under the pen name Jonathan Gash. The show, which ran to 71 episodes over six ser ...

'' (1994) playing Tinker's brother-in-law. On radio, in 1978 he played Sir Gerald Tarrant in a

BBC World Service The BBC World Service is a British Public broadcasting, public service broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC. It is the world's largest external broadcaster in terms of reception area, language selection and audience reach. It broadcas ...

adaptation of the

Modesty Blaise ''Modesty Blaise'' is a British comic strip featuring a fictional character of the same name, created by author Peter O'Donnell and illustrator Jim Holdaway in 1963. The strip follows Modesty Blaise, an exceptional young woman with many talen ...

book '' Last Day in Limbo'' and Professor Misty in the

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

''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 Harare ( ), formerly Salisbury, is the capital and largest city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of , a population of 1,849,600 as of the 2022 census and an estimated 2,487,209 people in its metropolitan province. The city is situa ...

. He moved back to

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

in January 1992. His final film appearance was an appearance at the end of the film ''

Loch Ness Loch Ness (; ) is a large freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands. It takes its name from the River Ness, which flows from the northern end. Loch Ness is best known for claimed sightings of the cryptozoology, cryptozoological Loch Ness Mons ...

'', 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 (born 1956, died 2021) and a son Thomas (born 1958). They divorced in 1990. Vernon died of complications from

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...

on 4 December 1997.

Filmography

Film

* '' Stop Press Girl'' (1949) - (uncredited) * '' Indiscreet'' (1958) - Guide (uncredited) * '' The Heart of a Man'' (1959) - Manager (uncredited) * '' The Siege of Pinchgut'' (1959) - Under-Secretary * ''

Sapphire Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide () with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, cobalt, lead, chromium, vanadium, magnesium, boron, and silicon. The name ''sapphire ...

'' (1960) - Detective * '' Clue of the Twisted Candle'' (1960) - Viney * '' Village of the Damned'' (1960) - Sir Edgar Hargraves * '' Foxhole in Cairo'' (1960) - General * ''

Cash on Demand ''Cash on Demand'' is a 1961 British black and white B movie, second feature neo noir crime film, crime thriller film directed by Quentin Lawrence and starring Peter Cushing and André Morell. The screenplay was adapted from the Sept.24, 1960 ...

'' (1961) - Pearson * ''The

Edgar Wallace Mysteries The ''Edgar Wallace Mysteries'' is a British second-feature film series mainly produced at Merton Park Studios for Anglo-Amalgamated. There were 48 films in the series, which were released between 1960 and 1965. The series was screened as ''Th ...

'' Film series (1962, '' The Share Out'') - John Crewe * '' Reach for Glory'' (1962) - Dr. Aldrich * '' Jigsaw'' (1962) - (voice) * '' We Joined the Navy'' (1962) - (uncredited) * ''The Edgar Wallace Mysteries'' Film series (1963, ''

Accidental Death An accidental death is an unnatural death that is caused by an accident, such as a slip and fall, traffic collision, or accidental poisoning. Accidental deaths are distinguished from death by natural causes, disease, and from intentional homici ...

'') - John Paxton * '' Just for Fun'' (1963) - Prime Minister * '' The Servant'' (1963) - Lord Mounset * '' Hot Enough for June'' (1964) - Roddinghead * '' A Hard Day's Night'' (1964) - Pompous man on train (Johnson) * '' Goldfinger'' (1964) - Colonel Smithers * '' The Counterfeit Constable'' (1964) (French title: ''Allez France!'') - Lord Brisburn * '' The Tomb of Ligeia'' (1964) - Dr. Vivian * '' The Yellow Rolls-Royce'' (1965) - Racecourse official (uncredited) * '' The Intelligence Men'' (1965) - Sir Edward Seabrook * '' The Secret of My Success'' (1965) - Lord Hetherby * ''

The Early Bird ''The Early Bird'' is a 1965 British comedy film directed by Robert Asher (director), Robert Asher and starring Norman Wisdom, Edward Chapman (actor), Edward Chapman, Bryan Pringle, Richard Vernon, John Le Mesurier and Jerry Desmonde. It was t ...

'' (1965) - Sir Roger Wedgewood * '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' (1969) - Chairman (uncredited) * '' Song of Norway'' (1970) - Councilman * '' She'll Follow You Anywhere'' (1971) - Andrew Coombes * '' One Brief Summer'' (1971) - Hayward * '' The Satanic Rites of Dracula'' (1973) - Mathews * ''

Adventures of a Taxi Driver ''Adventures of a Taxi Driver'' is a 1976 British sex comedy film directed by Stanley Long and starring Barry Evans, Judy Geeson and Adrienne Posta. There are two sequels, ''Adventures of a Private Eye'' (1977) and ''Adventures of a Plumber ...

'' (1976) - Gentleman (uncredited) * '' The Pink Panther Strikes Again'' (1976) - Professor Hugo Fassbender * '' Sammy's Super T-Shirt'' (1978) - Mr. Becket * '' The Human Factor'' (1979) - Sir John Hargreaves * '' Oh! Heavenly Dog'' (1980) - Quimby Charles * '' The Box'' (1981) - (voice) * ''

Evil Under the Sun ''Evil Under the Sun'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in June 1941Chris Peers, Ralph Spurrier and Jamie Sturgeon. ''Collins Crime Club – A checklist of F ...

'' (1982) - Flewitt * '' Witness for the Prosecution'' (1982) - Brogan-Moore, barrister * ''

Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British ...

'' (1982) - Sir

Edward Albert Gait Sir Edward Albert Gait (1863–1950) was an administrator in the Indian Civil Service who rose to serve as Lieutenant-Governor of the Bihar and Orissa Province in the Bengal Presidency of British India. He held that office for the years 1915–1 ...

* '' Night Train to Murder'' (1983) - Uncle Felix * '' Lady Jane'' (1986) - The Marquess of Winchester * '' A Month in the Country'' (1987) - Colonel Hebron * ''

'' (1996) - Aged professor (cameo) (final film role)

Television

* '' ITV Television Playhouse'' (1956–1963, 5 episodes) as Multiple roles * '' ITV Play of the Week'' (1957–1966, 9 episodes) as Multiple roles *''

Probation Officer A probation or parole officer is an official appointed or sworn to investigate, report on, and supervise the conduct of convicted offenders on probation or those released from incarceration to community supervision such as parole. Most probat ...

'' (1959–1960, 5 episodes) as Doctor Lessing * ''

No Hiding Place ''No Hiding Place'' is a British television series that was produced at Wembley Studios by Associated-Rediffusion for the ITV (TV network), ITV network between 16 September 1959 and 22 June 1967. It was the sequel to the series ''Murder Bag'' ...

'' (1959–1961, 2 episodes) as John Eldin/Charles Lacey * ''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' is a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 1955 ...

'' (1960–1962, 2 episodes) as Fellowes/Pascoe * '' Emergency Ward 10'' (1960, 1 episode) as Forrester * '' Francis Storm Investigates'' (1960, 1 episode) as Commodore Garwood * '' Deadline Midnight'' (1960, 1 episode) as Holroyd * '' Boyd Q.C.'' (1960, 1 episode) as Mr. Trottman * '' Theatre 70'' (1960, 1 episode) as Mr. Pearson * '' The Odd Man'' (1960, 5 episodes) as Charles Ormiston * ''

'' (1960, 5 episodes) as Doctor Ivory * '' Jango'' (1961, 1 episode) as Parkinson * ''

'' (1961, 6 episodes) as David Gough * '' Stranger in the City'' (1962, 6 episodes) as David Gough * '' The Cheaters'' (1962, 1 episode) as Ken Northwood * ''

Saki Hector Hugh Munro (18 December 1870 – 14 November 1916), popularly known by his pen name Saki and also frequently as H. H. Munro, was a British writer whose witty, mischievous and sometimes macabre stories satirise Edwardian society and ...

'' (1962, 8 episodes) as The Major * ''

Maigret Jules Maigret (), or simply Maigret, is a fictional French police detective, a '' commissaire'' ("commissioner") of the Paris ''Brigade Criminelle'' ('' Direction Régionale de la Police Judiciaire de Paris:36, Quai des Orfèvres''), created ...

'' (1962, 1 episode) as Philippe * ''

The Last Man Out ''The Last Man Out'' is a British television drama series written, produced and directed by Shaun Sutton. The six-part black and white series was first aired on BBC One in 1962. All six episodes were later wiped, and are believed to be lost. ...

'' (1962, 1 episode) as The Colonel * '' The Avengers'' (1962, 1 episode) as Lord Matterley * ''

Harpers West One ''Harpers West One'' was an ATV television drama series about a fictional department store, Harpers, in the West 1 district of London. The show was created by John Whitney and Geoffrey Bellman and ran in one-hour episodes from 1961 to 1963. I ...

'' (1962, 1 episode) as Arthur Purvis * ''

Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police and CID detectives in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by ...

'' (1962, 1 episode) as Det. Chief Insp. Humphries * '' It Happened Like This'' (1963, 1 episode) as Harker * '' 24-Hour Call'' (1963, 1 episode) as Wing Commander Battenby * '' Walter and Connie'' (1963, 1 episode) as Mr. Johns * '' The Saint'' (1963, 1 episode) as Sir John Ripwell * ''

The Plane Makers ''The Plane Makers'' is a British television series created by Wilfred Greatorex and produced by Rex Firkin. ATV made three series for ITV between 1963 and 1965. It was succeeded by ''The Power Game'', which ran for an additional three ...

'' (1963, 2 episodes) as Keith Saville * '' Crane'' (1964, 1 episode) as Wolsey * '' The Hidden Truth'' (1964, 1 episode) as William Anstruthe * '' Here's Harry'' (1964, 1 episode) as Self * '' The Marriage Lines'' (1964, 1 episode) as Mr. Renfrew-Smith * '' The Man in Room 17'' (1965–1966, 26 episodes) as Edwin Oldenshaw * '' The Fellows'' (1967, 13 episodes) as Edwin Oldenshaw * '' ITV Playhouse'' (1967–1970, 3 episodes) as Multiple roles * '' Comedy Playhouse'' (1968, 1 episode) as Sir Reginald Polk-Mowbray * '' Mystery and Imagination'' (1968, 1 episode) as Professor Krempe * '' Harry Worth'' (1968, 1 episode) as Mr. Gilmore * '' The Man in Room 17'' (1968–1972, 3 episodes) as Multiple roles * ''

Thirty-Minute Theatre ''Thirty-Minute Theatre'' was a British anthology drama series of short plays shown on BBC Television between 1965 and 1973, which was used in part at least as a training ground for new writers, on account of its short running length, and which ...

'' (1968, 1 episode) as Colonel O'Dwyer * ''

Journey to the Unknown ''Journey to the Unknown'' is a British anthology television series, produced by Hammer Film Productions and 20th Century Fox Television. It aired on ABC from September 26, 1968, to January 30, 1969.Department S'' (1969, 1 episode) as Colonel Loring * ''

W. Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...

'' (1969, 1 episode) as Lord Kastellan * '' Fraud Squad'' (1970, 1 episode) as Sir Roy Prentiss * ''

Biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curri ...

'' (1970, 1 episode) as Tycho Brahe * '' UFO'' (1971, 1 episode) as Stone * ''

Seasons of the Year ''Seasons of the Year'' (; ), also called ''The Seasons'' or ''Four Seasons'', is a 1975 Soviet–Armenian short documentary film, directed and written by Artavazd Peleshyan. It was his second and last collaboration with cinematographer Mikhail ...

'' (1971, 1 episode) as Lord Rudge * '' Paul Temple'' (1971, 1 episode) as Carlton * '' The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder'' (1971, 1 episode) as Major Olbude * '' Brett'' (1971, 1 episode) as Sutherland * '' Albert and Victoria'' (1971, 1 episode) as Mr. Ridley * ''

The Persuaders! ''The Persuaders!'' is a British action comedy television series starring Tony Curtis and Roger Moore, produced by ITC Entertainment, and initially broadcast on ITV and ABC in 1971. The show has been called 'the last major entry in the c ...

'' (1971, 1 episode) as Sir Maxwell Dean * '' The Guardians'' (1971, 1 episode) as Face * '' Hadleigh'' (1971–1976, 3 episodes) as Sir Geoffrey Osborne * ''

'' (1971, 5 episodes) as Admiral Croft * '' The Adventurer'' (1972, 1 episode) as Sir Richard McKenzie * '' Softly, Softly: Task Force'' (1972, 1 episode) as Sir Ralph Townley * '' The Sextet'' (1972, 8 episodes) as Multiple roles * '' Man at the Top'' (1972, 2 episodes) as Lord Belmont * '' Between the Wars'' (1973, 1 episode) as Morton * '' Late Night Theatre'' (1973, 1 episode) as Morry Sheldon * ''

Special Branch Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security and Intelligence (information gathering), intelligence in Policing in the United Kingdom, British, Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, ...

'' (1973, 1 episode) as Townsend * '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' (1973, 2 episodes) as Major Cochrane-Danby * ''

Harriet's Back in Town ''Harriet's Back in Town'' is a 1972 British television series produced by Thames Television. The cast included Pauline Yates, William Russell, Edwin Richfield and Sally Bazely. The show featured a newly divorced woman (Harriet Preston, ...

'' (1973, 6 episodes) as Oliver Warburton * '' Dolly'' (1973, 2 episodes) as Mr. Hilary Musgrave * '' Dial M for Murder'' (1974, 1 episode) as The Chief * ''

Justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...

'' (1974, 1 episode) as Lord Tilling * '' Thriller'' (1974, 1 episode) as George Cornfield * ''

Village Hall A village hall is a public building in a rural or suburban community which functions as a community centre without a religious affiliation. United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, a village hall is a building which is owned by a local gover ...

'' (1974, 1 episode) as Cedric Wellbeloved * '' Affairs of the Heart'' (1974, 1 episode) as Colonel Chart * ''

Edward the Seventh ''Edward the Seventh'' is a 1975 British historical drama series, made by ATV in 13 episodes. Based on the biography of King Edward VII by Philip Magnus, it stars Annette Crosbie as Queen Victoria, Timothy West as the elder Edward VII, wit ...

'' (1975, 3 episodes) as Lord Salisbury * '' Dawson's Weekly'' (1975, 1 episode) as Solicitor * '' The Duchess of Duke Street'' (1976–1977, 18 episodes) as Major Smith-Barton * ''

'' (1976, 1 episode) as Lord Bartlesham * '' The Cedar Tree'' (1977, 2 episodes) as Lord Evelyn Forbes * '' Do You Remember?'' (1978, 1 episode) as Lord Greenham * '' The Sandbaggers'' (1978–1980, 12 episodes) as Sir James Greenley / "C" * ''

'' (1980–1981, 2 episodes) as Sir Desmond Glazebrook * '' Bognor'' (1981, 6 episodes) as Lord Wharfedale * '' Roger Doesn't Live Here Anymore'' (1981, 1 episode) as Judge * ''

'' (1981, 2 episodes) as Slartibartfast * '' Legacy of Murder'' (1982, 6 episodes) as Roland Tolhurst * '' L for Lester'' (1982, 5 episodes) as Mr. Davies * '' Something in Disguise'' (1982, 5 episodes) as Herbert Browne-Lacey * ''

Strangers A stranger is a person who is unknown or unfamiliar to another person or group. Because of this unknown status or unfamiliarity, a stranger may be perceived as a threat until their identity (social science), identity and Character structure, chara ...

'' (1982, 1 episode) as Sir Geoffrey * ''

Nanny A nanny is a person who provides child care. Typically, this care is given within the children's family setting. Throughout history, nannies were usually servants in large households and reported directly to the lady of the house. Today, modern ...

'' (1982, 6 episodes) as Duke of Broughton * '' The Boy Who Won the Pools'' (1983, 2 episodes) as Sir Malvern West * '' Pig in the Middle'' (1983, 1 episode) as Lord Gathorne * '' Leaving'' (1984, 6 episodes) as Mr. Chessington * ''

Roll Over Beethoven "Roll Over Beethoven" is a 1956 song written by Chuck Berry, originally released on Chess Records, with "Drifting Heart" as the A-side and B-side, B-side. The lyrics of the song mention rock and roll and the desire for rhythm and blues to be a ...

'' (1985, 13 episodes) as Oliver Purcell * '' Summer Season'' (1985, 1 episode) as Thompson * '' Ladies in Charge'' (1986, 1 episode) as Lord Brampton * '' Lytton's Diary'' (1986, 1 episode) as Duncan Anderson * '' Paradise Postponed'' (1986, 9 episodes) as Sir Nicholas Fanner * '' Chance in a Million'' (1986, 1 episode) as Uncle Evelyn * '' The Return of the Antelope'' (1986–1988, 13 episodes) as Mr. Garstanton * ''

Last of the Summer Wine ''Last of the Summer Wine'' is a British sitcom set in Yorkshire created and written by Roy Clarke and originally broadcast by the BBC from 1973 to 2010. It premiered as an episode of ''Comedy Playhouse'' on 4 January 1973, and the first seri ...

'' (1987, 1 episode) as The Vicar * '' Yes, Prime Minister'' (1987, 1 episode) as Sir Desmond Glazebrook * '' Hot Metal'' (1988, 1 episode) as Lord Gilbert * '' A Gentleman's Club'' (1988, 6 episodes) as George * ''

Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...

'' (1988, 1 episode) as Dr. Richard Payton * '' Helping Henry'' (1988, 6 episodes) as Cosmic 1 * '' The Storyteller'' (1988, 1 episode) as King * '' About Face'' (1989, 1 episode) as Bingham * '' KYTV'' (1992, 1 episode) as Chester Chuckles * '' The Camomile Lawn'' (1992, 2 episodes) as General Peachum * ''

'' (1992, 1 episode) as Lionel Leering * '' Bonjour la Classe'' (1993, 1 episode) as Sir Lionel * '' You Rang, M'Lord?'' (1993, 1 episode) as The Earl of Swaffham * '' The Return of the Borrowers'' (1993, 3 episodes) as Mr. Pott * '' Rides'' (1993, 1 episode) as Arthur Copthorne * '' Frank Stubbs Promotes'' (1994, 1 episode) as Lord Dunstable * ''

'' (1994, 1 episode) as Roger Nettleton * '' Class Act'' (1994–1995, 14 episodes) as Sir Horace Mainwaring

References

External links

*
Obituary
''The Independent''
Rogues & Vagabonds
daughter Sarah's theatre site {{DEFAULTSORT:Vernon, Richard 1925 births 1997 deaths English male stage actors English male film actors English male radio actors English male television actors Male actors from Reading, Berkshire Deaths from Parkinson's disease in England Male actors from London Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Royal Navy personnel of World War II People educated at Reading School Actors educated at Leighton Park School 20th-century English male actors