John Vernon

'John Vernon' (qv) was a prolific stage-trained Canadian character player who made a career out of convincingly playing crafty villains, morally-bankrupt officials and heartless authority figures in American films and television since the 1960s. Vernon was directed by some stellar filmmakers, including 'Alfred Hitchcock' (qv) (_Topaz (1969)_ (qv)); 'George Cukor' (qv) (_Justine (1969)_ (qv)); 'Don Siegel' (qv) (_Dirty Harry (1971)_ (qv)) and 'Clint Eastwood' (qv) (_The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)_ (qv)). After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and honing his skills in Canadian theatre and television, Vernon made his US film debut in 'John Boorman' (qv)'s noir/gangster classic _Point Blank (1967)_ (qv) as a trusted friend who betrays 'Lee Marvin' (qv). He again failed to inspire confidence as the ineffectual mayor of San Francisco in _Dirty Harry (1971)_ (qv). Vernon may be best remembered as the sinister Dean Vernon Wormer in 'John Landis' (qv)' _National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)_ (qv), a role he reprised for the TV spin-off _Delta House (1979)_ (qv). This led to more film comedy roles, a highlight being Mr. Big in the blaxploitation spoof _I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)_ (qv).::VidMan