- Born
- Died
- Birth nameRalph Verrone
- Nickname
- The King of Deadpan
- Height5′ 9″ (1.75 m)
- Mr. Vernon, who was born in New York as Ralph Verrone and attended City College, began his comedy career in the early 1950's after a stint in the Air Force. After many years of performing in small nightclubs around the country, the comedian Steve Allen discovered Mr. Vernon in a club in Windsor, Ontario, in 1963, and asked him to appear on his late-night television show, ''Celebrity Talent Scouts.'' Other television appearances followed, including with Jack Paar, who said, ''Of all the new comedians, this is the funniest that I've heard.'' Blended Humor and Satire
In the mid-1960's, Mr. Vernon's career took off, as he played such well-known clubs as the Hungry i in San Francisco and the Blue Angel in New York, and became something of a regular on Arthur Godfrey's radio show and, on television, on ''The Ed Sullivan Show,'' ''The Dean Martin Show'' and the ''Tonight'' show with Johnny Carson.
In his television, club and Las Vegas performances, Mr. Vernon frequently played the hapless loser, whose deadpan routines often combined self-deprecating humor and imaginatively offbeat social and psychological satire. In one routine, the portly comedian described himself as someone ''who spends his time at parties in the room with the coats and whose idea of a good time is to go down to the bus terminal and pretend I'm going somewhere.''
- IMDb mini biography by: kellie_murray@hotmail.com
- SpouseHazel Davalt(October 27, 1958 - November 10, 1987) (his death, 3 children)
- ChildrenDavid VerroneLisa VerroneTracey Verrone
- Deadpan comedy stand-up.
- From very early in his career, Charles Chaplin was his hero; he frequently wrote to him. After many years and no replies he stopped writing. Later while working in Las Vegas he heard that Chaplin was in the audience. Jackie went up to his table to introduce himself; Charlie stopped him, telling him he knew who he was, and then asked, "Why did you stop writing".
- One of his most famous lines was, "I used to be an atheist; gave it up: no holidays.".
- Rotund, soft-voiced comedian best known for his gentle wit and for providing the voice of Frosty the Snowman on several of the beloved Rankin/Bass Christmas specials, most notably Frosty the Snowman (1969) and Frosty's Winter Wonderland (1976).
- Frequent entertainer in Las Vegas, as well as at the Blue Angel club in New York and the Hungry I in San Francisco. His dead pan-delivered comedy routine consisted either of caustic or satirical social commentary or self-deprecating humour.
- Was discovered in a Winslow, Ontario, nightclub in 1963, by Steve Allen, who persuaded him to appear in his show "Celebrity Talent Scouts".
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
