Richard Vernon

Richard Evelyn Vernon (7 March 1925 – 4 December 1997) was a British actor. He appeared in many feature films and television programmes, often in aristocratic or supercilious roles.

Prematurely balding and greying, Vernon settled into playing archetypal middle-aged lords and military types while still in his 30s. 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."

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 (1965–66) and its sequel The Fellows (1967). 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 both the BBC radio adaptation and the BBC TV series, of 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 (1985-7), 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 (born 1956, died 2021 ) and a son Thomas (born 1958). They divorced in 1990.

Vernon died of complications from Parkinson's disease 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 (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 (1961) - Pearson The Edgar Wallace Mysteries 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) - 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 (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 (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 (1982) - Flewitt Witness for the Prosecution (1982) - Brogan-Moore, barrister Gandhi (1982) - Sir Edward Albert Gait Night Train to Murder (1983) - Uncle Felix Lady Jane (1986) - The Marquess of Winchester A Month in the Country (1987) - Colonel Hebron Loch Ness (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 (1959–1960, 5 episodes) as Doctor Lessing No Hiding Place (1959–1961, 2 episodes) as John Eldin/Charles Lacey Dixon of Dock Green (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 The Citadel (1960, 5 episodes) as Doctor Ivory Jango (1961, 1 episode) as Parkinson Stranger on the Shore (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 (1962, 8 episodes) as The Major Maigret (1962, 1 episode) as Philippe The Last Man Out (1962, 1 episode) as The Colonel The Avengers (1962, 1 episode) as Lord Matterley Harpers West One (1962, 1 episode) as Arthur Purvis Z-Cars (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 (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 (1968, 1 episode) as Colonel O'Dwyer Journey to the Unknown (1969, 1 episode) as Sir Gerald Walters Department S (1969, 1 episode) as Colonel Loring W. Somerset Maugham (1969, 1 episode) as Lord Kastellan Fraud Squad (1970, 1 episode) as Sir Roy Prentiss Biography (1970, 1 episode) as Tycho Brahe UFO (1971, 1 episode) as Stone Seasons of the Year (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! (1971, 1 episode) as Sir Maxwell Dean The Guardians (1971, 1 episode) as Face Hadleigh (1971–1976, 3 episodes) as Sir Geoffrey Osborne Persuasion (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 (1973, 1 episode) as Townsend Upstairs, Downstairs (1973, 2 episodes) as Major Cochrane-Danby Harriet's Back in Town (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 (1974, 1 episode) as Lord Tilling Thriller (1974, 1 episode) as George Cornfield Village Hall (1974, 1 episode) as Cedric Wellbeloved Affairs of the Heart (1974, 1 episode) as Colonel Chart Edward the Seventh (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 Ripping Yarns (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" Yes Minister (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 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (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 (1982, 1 episode) as Sir Geoffrey Nanny (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 (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 (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 (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 Rumpole of the Bailey (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 Lovejoy (1994, 1 episode) as Roger Nettleton Class Act (1994–1995, 14 episodes) as Sir Horace Mainwaring