Later Years
Among other operettas and revivals of Gilbert and Sullivan operas, over the next years, Vernon played in Erminie in 1887. He was in the company's first production of Olivette in 1888. In 1889, he originated the role of Wilfred Shadbolt in Australia's first production of The Yeomen of the Guard. In some revivals he played different roles from those he had first played. For instance, in 1889, he played Captain Corcoran in a revival of Pinafore. In 1890, he started the year in a pantomime of Cinderella and later played Squire Bantam in Dorothy. Later in the year, he originated the role of Don Alhambra in the first Australian production of The Gondoliers. A reviewer for The Argus wrote, "He makes every point tell, and he restrains his propensity to grimace, with considerable advantage to the character he assumes, and without diminishing its sombre and saturnine humour."
After that, among many other works, Vernon appeared as the dissolute Duke in La Cigale by Edmond Audran and F. C. Burnand, in 1892. Vernon's singing voice deteriorated as he grew older, but his rendering of patter songs remained very good, as his diction was admirably clear. After a brief retirement, he returned to play King Gama in a 1905 revival of Princess Ida.
In 1906, he married the singer and actress Lavinia Florence de Loitte, who was billed as Vinia de Loitte (1881–1962). That year he played King Paramount in Utopia, Limited; the Melbourne Age felt that he was no longer equal to the vocal demands of this role, but The Daily News in Perth had no complaint about his singing, and said:
Mr. Howard Vernon as King Paramount had abundant opportunities for the display of humorous passion and perplexity. Those who know him (and who does not?) can imagine how the audience laughed when he made love (unsuccessfully at first) to the high toned English governess, Lady Sophy, or got his Field-Marshal's sword between his legs, or embraced the debutantes at the 'drawing-room' with more than kingly fervor.Afterwards he and his wife travelled with a company in New Zealand and played for some years in Great Britain and continental Europe. They returned to Australia in 1914, where he retired from the stage, operating a book shop in Richmond, Victoria. In 1920 the J. C. Williamson company gave a benefit performance of The Mikado for him. He was to have played Ko-Ko, but his health did not allow it, although he attended the performance and made a speech of thanks.
He died in Prahran, Victoria, near Melbourne, on 26 July 1921. He is buried in Brighton Cemetery.
Read more about this topic: Howard Vernon (Australian Actor)
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