Sadly, with the passing of actor John Vernon, Brother Bluto's psychotically ranted prediction of the fate of 3 key enemies* of the Delta House comes one step closer to being completely correct - even if it is 43 years later.
Vernon was one of those actors one didn't notice right away. Some say that's the best kind, and the opinion has merit. I certainly didn't know he'd been in so many movies and TV shows until I started recognizing him while watching syndicated reruns and late-movies long after Animal House.
The dude played villains in a wide variety of pre-A/H movies and TV shows including Dirty Harry and The Outlaw Josey Wales. What I didn't know until I looked him up this morning is that his rumbling voice was that of Marvel Comic superhero Iron Man, and (as if this isn't simply the most appropriate foreshadowing of his Dean Wormer role) Big Brother in the 1956 version of 1984.
Vernon may also be regarded as the father of "double secret probation" which has been used since by many, most notably the Janet Reno Justice Department on David Koresh and Bill Gates, Bill Clinton on fired U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, George Soros, Dan Rather and Petrov Jennings on George W. Bush, and George W. Bush on Yasser Arafat.
Rest well Dean Wormer - I suspect even the late Senator Blutarsky has forgiven you.
*There has been no official confirmation that Lt. Jean Effing Kerry, USN, was the intended victim of the "fragging" in Vietnam that claimed the life of Delta nemesis Doug Neidermeyer, though that incident was claimed by some in the Kerry Kampaign to be the underlying justification for Kerry's fourth purple heart that got lost in the military bureacracy. The status of former Nixon aide and paroled felon Greg Marmalard could not be confirmed, however he is believed to be living in Massachussetts with his husband Trevor and their six Yorkies.
Bummer. I think I'll add Animal House to my Blockbuster queue in his honor.
Posted by: dave | Monday, February 07, 2005 at 09:25 AM
He was in quite a few movies and tv shows. Animal House - great flick!
Posted by: GrumpyBunny | Tuesday, February 08, 2005 at 11:46 AM