Bobby Vernon
| Bobby Vernon | |
|---|---|
c. 1920
|
|
| Born |
Silvian de Jardin (he legally changed his name in 1922) March 9, 1897 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | June 28, 1939 (aged 42) Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | actor |
| Spouse(s) | Angelina Repetto |
| Children | Barbara Dorothy Vernon (born 1922) |
Bobby Vernon (born Sylvion de Jardin on March 9, 1897 in Chicago, Illinois – June 28, 1939 in Hollywood, California) was an American comedic actor in silent films. He later became a writer and comedy supervisor at Paramount for W.C. Fields and Bing Crosby, when the sound era arrived. Blue-eyed with medium brown hair, he stood five feet and two-and-a-half inches, making him perfect for juvenile comedy roles. His comedies were popular with children.
The Chicago-born son of entertainers Harry Burns and Dorothy Vernon (born Dorothy Baird), Bobby first worked as a newsboy in San Francisco. He was known as "Buttons," the singing newsboy. Sid Grauman recognized Vernon's talent and started him singing at the Empress Theatre at the age of eleven. Later, he became one of the stock actors in the vaudeville act Kolb and Dill. After three years of working with them, Max Dill broke his leg in their show, "The Rollicking Girl." At the age of sixteen, Vernon replaced him for three weeks.
His first experience in screen was at the age of sixteen in Universal Studios's Joker comedies. Early in his career, he was cast as an old man. By 1915, he began working for Keystone Studios. He starred in many romantic comedies with Gloria Swanson as his leading lady. The pair became popular for their great screen chemistry. However, as director Charley Chase recalled, Swanson was "frightened to death" of her co-star's dangerous stunts. He later described his Keystone days to Motion Picture Classic:
When Gloria Swanson and I were working for Sennett, it would take sometimes two or three months to make a two-reeler. We'd rehearse for a week or so before we'd crank a camera. But the weather had something to do with it, too. You see, photography in those days wasn't what it is now and most of our scenes were exteriors. Cheaper, you know. Didn't have to build sets. If we had a call for the next day and we woke up to find it cloudy or raining, we'd just go back to bed again. And it sure can rain out here during the wet season.
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