Agnes Vernon

Early life

This golden-haired girl with those big brown eyes was born Agnes Vernon to an Irish Catholic family in La Grande, Oregon, on December 27, 1895. Vernon lamented "she has never received any birthday presents because her friends give them all to her on Christmas Day."

Vernon also stated "there was nothing particularly interesting about her childhood. I was perfectly normal. I went to school, played with dolls, and had an occasional spanking to break that monotony of my life."

Vernon claimed her family moved around the country. They eventually landed in Chicago, where Vernon enrolled in a convent school. After some time, they moved to Kansas City, where she attended another convent school that instilled a strong sense of discipline. After she was "finished," she moved to California with her mother.

In an article published in the Sacramento Star dated January 6, 1917, Agnes Vernon, in her own words, wrote, "It happened that I was spending a summer in California with a girl whom I had known in Chicago. Universal City was one of the trips arranged for me. We were watching the making of a scene on the big stage. A Director discovered he needed one more girl for a small bit. He looked around at the visitors and asked if I would try the small part for him. At first, I declined and finally consented. As the cameraman began to grind and the Director called his instructions, I was fascinated. The lure of the game had caught me." As Edmunds points out in his book - BIG U - Universal in the Silent Days "Casting at Universal, before things became more businesslike, was somewhat casual. A passing face, a friend visiting the set, or an odd happening that caught a director's eye — all these, as well as direct applications — often led to successful movie careers. This was not unusual. The Gish sisters got their start because they dropped in to see Mary Pickford one day at Biograph."

Vernon had previously claimed, "I had always had a sneaking desire for the other side of the footlights." After her movie experience, Vernon acquired an intense desire to be in films, but her prim mother would not hear of it.

Now Vernon would have to convince her mother to change her mind about an acting career. In Vernon's own words, "Then I decoyed her out there again, and she began to see its advantages. She realized the reasonable hours of the actors and their out-of-door existence. The chance of living, as she expressed it, 'like a Christian instead of traipsing all over the country,' gradually converted her to the idea of letting me try my luck." Even though she had no stage experience or Universal contacts, she had this all-consuming desire to succeed. Vernon got her name on an "extra list" at Universal City.

Career

Most fan magazine articles agree; Vernon started her movie career as an atmosphere player in March 1913. She was 17 and barely a year out of convent school. Those uncredited roles are unknown and, consequently, not listed in her filmography.

Universal distributed most of her films. They were well-received because she collaborated with specific actors like Murdock MacQuarrie, Herbert Rawlinson, and Franklyn Farnum. Her pairing with Herbert Rawlinson would make them the most popular stars on the Universal list.

Another facet of her film performances was her willingness to perform all sorts of athletic feats that her role required. An article in the Moving Picture Weekly pointed out, "She does everything that even a screen actress can be asked to do — rides, drives, runs a car, swims, dives, dances, plays any and every game, and will perform stunts with the best of the daredevils if the director says so. She jumped out of a third-story window to put a punch in the picture, one time, and in another, she dived off the deck of a steamer into the ocean."

Her early works at Universal were all short films, as was the trend. She acted in her first feature film in 1916. Then, between 1917 and 1919, Vernon made eleven more feature films. Vernon departed Hollywood in September 1919 and traveled to Australia. She would act in three feature films in Australia, then retire from acting, never to return.

1914

The first credited movie role for Agnes Vernon was the 3-reel short film Bison production of The Triumph of Mind, starring and directed by Lois Weber. The film was released on May 23, 1914. Vernon plays the part of Daisy – a Wayward Girl. This film was Vernon's introduction to Ella Hall and Rupert Julian. Another Lois Weber production, Avenged, also released in May.

An article in The Universal Weekly dated December 26, 1914, stated, "Out in Universal City is a wonderful man who has taken a wonderful, bright, golden-haired little girl under his wing. The wonderful man is Murdock MacQuarrie, and his eighteen-year-old charge is Agnes Vernon."

MacQuarrie's decision to mentor Vernon would develop into a pivotal event in her motion picture career. Even though she had limited theatrical experience, he gave her a part in one of his upcoming films. He allowed her to learn the fundamentals of acting "on the job." Her first role in a MacQuarrie-directed project was the 2-reel film The Old Cobbler, distributed on June 27, 1914. The 35-year-old MacQuarrie plays Nathan — the old cobbler. Nathan moves out West and befriends Wild Bill, played by Lon Chaney. Wild Bill has a sweetheart and local dancer named Jess, played by 18-year-old Agnes Vernon.

Vernon would make another 11 movies with MacQuarrie in 1914 and 20 more films in 1915, ending with The Tinker of Stubbenville, released on June 24, 1915. Vernon released 16 short films in 1914, all distributed by Universal. The majority had Murdock MacQuarrie as the lead. In 1914, she performed under the management of 5 directors: Lois Weber, Murdock MacQuarrie, Charles Giblyn, Otis Turner, and Joseph De Grasse.

Vernon's last film in 1914 was the MacQuarrie-directed film, When It's One Of Your Own, released on December 29, 1914. MacQuarrie plays Heinrich Gerhardt, a German Musician, and Agnes Vernon plays his daughter. Vernon received top billing as a female lead. She would make 32 films with MacQuarrie, or nearly one-third of her total film output.

In 1914, Vernon also performed in several films with Lon Chaney, including The Old Cobbler, A Ranch Romance, By the Sun's Rays, and The Oubliette. By the Sun's Rays has survived and is available on the Internet Archive The Oubliette, released on August 15, 1914, was the first movie in a 4-part serial — The Adventures of François Villon directed by Charles Giblyn. Vernon likewise performed in the fourth film of the 4-part serial—Ninety Black Boxes, released on November 21, 1914. The Oubliette is also available on the Internet Archive.

1915

As I.G. Edmunds points out in his book BIG U - Universal in the Silent Days, "The year 1915, although a great year for Universal as a leader of the motion picture industry, was not a good year financially for the industry as a whole. The European war cut down on foreign sales of movies. Also, domestic prices were increasing across the board. At the same time, the cost of production was in an inflationary spiral."

By 1915, feature films were becoming more of the trend in Hollywood. By 1915, over 600 feature films were produced annually in the United States. However, Universal was not ready to downsize its short film business. There was a recurring claim that Carl Laemmle was the longest-running studio chief resisting the production of feature films. After all, short films were cheaper, faster, and more profitable to produce than feature films.

In January 1915, Vernon's life took an unexpected twist. It started with a publicity-seeking marriage proposal by a newspaper reporter. Vernon shocked everybody by accepting the offer, kick-starting a chain of events over four months. The entire sequence of events is examined in the marriage section of this article.

Vernon's 1915 film output would increase to thirty-five short films. This year would become the highest film production of her entire movie career. This total included another twenty films with Murdock MacQuarrie. 1915 would become Vernon's introduction to Hobart Henley in the film Jane's Declaration of Independence, released on July 3, 1915. The (Henley • Vernon) pairing would only produce five short films.

As Edmunds also observes, "At this time Universal was very strong on teams. Groups developed almost into stock companies with the same director, actor, actress, and supporting cast. Laemmle believed that if the public liked a certain girl and boy, they would like them in another picture."

Vernon was assigned to the William Worthington company in mid-1915. This assignment started a continuing professional relationship with the director and actress. Over Vernon's movie career, her relationship with Worthington would produce twenty-two films, including six feature films. The film Misjudged, released on August 31, was Vernon's first movie, directed by Worthington and starring Herbert Rawlinson. The (Worthington • Rawlinson • Vernon) combination would only produce three films in 1915, but the screen chemistry would result in another eleven films in 1916 and three features in 1917.

1916

Feature films were the future, but Universal continued to resist. While advertising short films in the trade journals, Universal might include a section titled – "The Universal Programs" situated atop the movie ads, espousing the advantages of continuing to show short films.

In 1916, Vernon acted in twenty-three pictures, including twenty-two short films and one feature-length production. Universal produced these films, and Vernon was featured prominently as the lead female. Her celebrity was rising, as noted by the first appearance of 1-page and 2-page spreads in trade journals.

William Worthington, directed almost half her movie output in 1916, all of which featured Herbert Rawlinson in the lead. During Vernon's movie career, her professional relationship with Worthington produced twenty-two films, including six feature films.

In 1916, she performed in two films with Franklyn Farnum, but the screen chemistry would bloom in 1917 when they continued to make six more movies. Farnum would become Vernon's introduction to comedy.

Agnes Vernon's first Bluebird film was A Stranger From Somewhere, released on November 13, 1916. William Worthington directed the picture and Franklyn Farnum was in the lead. This Bluebird release was the only feature film Vernon made in 1916. During her career, Vernon would star in sixteen feature films, and Franklyn Farnum would be the leading man in five of these films. Besides Worthington, she worked with an additional eight directors in 1916. Universal released ninety-one feature films in 1916 including fifty-four Bluebirds.

One of her last scheduled appearances in 1916 was to play Caroline in the Rupert Julian Bluebird production of The Right to Be Happy. Because of the injuries suffered in a car accident (see the next section), she could not fulfill this obligation, and Universal selected Roberta Wilson to play the role.

In mid-December 1916, 20-year-old Agnes Vernon, 29-year-old Eddie Laemmle, 49-year-old Bill Gillis, and Fred Robinson piled into a convertible automobile. They were members of the William Worthington company of Bluebird players. Vernon was in the front passage seat; the actual driver was never identified. The group planned to drive West from Universal City to a location near Chatsworth, California. Upon their arrival, they would explore sites for a new Western film. The accident happened after Thursday, December 7, 1916, and before Sunday, December 17, 1916.

1917

The movie industry continued to reshape itself, including implementing more cost-cutting measures. Part of the increased expense of making movies was the upward trend of churning out more feature films. As Codori states in his book Film History Through Trade Journal Art, 1916-1920, "The year 1917 was not a good Financial year for Universal, despite the successful pictures that were made. The entrance of the United States into the European war caused prices to rise, squeezing Big U's profits. Then a number of male actors rushed off to join the army, causing other disruptions. The higher cost of the five-reel features of Bluebird and Red Feather further drained the treasury. Laemmle asked his actors to take a cut in salary."

This observation flew while an article in a trade journal reported a seemingly different situation. The back page headline in The Moving Picture World article dated September 22, 1917, read "Universal Increases Forces." The article stated, "More additions have been made to the acting and forces at Universal City during the past month than at Any Similar Period throughout the present year."

Vernon's film output for the year would drop to 13 productions, but this total included nine feature films. Vernon opened 1917 by performing in two short films. She would act in two more short pictures released in July. These four films would be the last short movies she ever made. Starting in February, Vernon continued to make seven Bluebird and three Butterfly feature films. Her last three films in 1917 reunited Vernon with her former lead Herbert Rawlinson.

The Bluebird comedy The Man Who Took a Chance, starring Franklyn Farnum, was released on February 19, 1917.

This production was only Vernon's second feature film. Two more Bluebird comedies followed — The Clock and Bringing Home Father, with the same cast and director.

In mid-1917, Agnes Vernon informed Universal she had permanently changed her prenomen from Agnes to Brownie. Vernon's baptismal name was Agnes, but even with her long, cork-screw blonde curly locks, her friends called her "Brownie". The nickname referred to her prominent brown eyes and her fondness for wearing brown apparel. After her announcement, she wanted her screen credits to read "Brownie Vernon". Bringing Home Father released June 4, 1917, marked the first time Vernon's screen credit reads "Brownie Vernon" instead of "Agnes Vernon".

1918

In 1918, a global pandemic introduced itself to the world. The "Spanish Flu" would permanently change the movie industry.

At the beginning of 1918, Brownie Vernon was 22 years old. She had been part of the movie industry since she was 18. She was single, living with her mother, and a jobless free agent actress.

The media claimed after she departed from Universal, she started working for Liberty films. Records indicate she made no credited appearance in any Liberty films nor any films for any production company during 1918. The media claimed she spent a portion of 1918 recovering from an illness. The particular ailment was never specified.

Other events would make 1918 a year to remember. Great War in Europe, better known as World War I, ended on November 11, 1918. The troops were coming home. When the doughboys returned, they carried a pernicious present from abroad — the Spanish flu. "Two years later, nearly a third of the global population, or an estimated 500 million people, had been infected in four successive waves."

The influenza pandemic's effect on the movie industry was swift and severe. Sick people did not attend movie theaters. Attendance dropped precipitously, and many independently owned theaters closed. Reduced attendance and closed theaters meant less money to make movies and pay actors. The vicious cycle had started and would reshape the industry again.

1919

Vernon made a limited return to Hollywood in 1919. Brownie Vernon still had name recognition after her prolonged absence from Hollywood. Her next acting opportunity came in early 1919. Tom Mix, the "King of Cowboys," planned to make another one of his stunt-filled western movies.

Fox offered to fund this project. He needed a leading lady who could satisfy the demands of the film and would do what was necessary to make the film look realistic. Their first choice was Brownie Vernon, especially with her willingness to perform her own stunts. Fox released the Western titled The Coming of the Law on May 11, 1919. The film was directed by Arthur Rosson and Tom Mix was the leading man The film received good reviews.

On the heels of her return to the motion-picture industry, another Western followed — the Robinson-Cole's production of Bare-Fisted Gallagher released on June 22, 1919. This film featured William Desmond in the lead.

Vernon would make her last American-made feature film in August. The Paramount Pictures project Widow by Proxy featuring Marguerite Clark, was released on August 28, 1919. Upon completing this production, Vernon packed her suitcases and sailed for Australia to make bush movies. After her return from the Land Down Under, she permanently retired from the movie industry.

Post Hollywood

Australia

The first American contingent of film experts included Director Wilfred Lucas, his wife screenwriter Bess Meredyth Lucas, actress Brownie Vernon and Cinematographer John Doerrer and arrived in Sydney on September 2, 1919. These professionals were personally recruited by Snowy Baker and approved by E. J. Carroll. They went to work immediately, beginning with research and location scouting.

Meredyth's conclusion prompted Lucas and Baker only to produce Australian bush pictures.

The Man from Kangaroo (Jan 1920)

The fruits of the Lucas contingent resulted in a trio of films. The first film was The Man from Kangaroo, released in Australia on January 24, 1920. The film featured Snowy Baker, directed by Wilfred Lucas and written by Bess Meredyth. The film's leading lady was Agnes Vernon. They list John Wells as one of the assistant directors and a film editor. The 73-minute feature film was produced by E. J. Carroll and Snowy Baker. The film was shot on location in Kangaroo Valley during September and October 1919. The film was a success at the box office. The movie was repackaged for the American market, renamed to The Better Man and premiered in New York on November 1, 1921. This was the only movie of the trio of Lucas films to survive.

The Shadow of Lightning Ridge (Apr 1920)

The second film of the American troupe was The Shadow of Lightning Ridge, released in Australia on April 3, 1920. The feature was directed by Wilfred Lucas and written by Bess Meredyth. The film's featured leads were Snowy Baker and Agnes Vernon. John Wells is listed as the assistant director. The seven-reel feature film was produced by E. J. Carroll and Snowy Baker and their production company, Carroll-Baker Australian Productions.

Filming started early 1920 in the bush near Sydney, and at a studio built by E. J. Carroll. The film was well received in Australia and successful at the box office. The film was released in the U.S. under the same name on September 13, 1921, by William Selig and Aywon Film Corporation. It is considered a lost film.

The Carrolls folded their production company after completing this film. They said "Lack of Australian stories suitable for dramatization and the fact that oversea producers were releasing films more than sufficient for market needs had also forced him and his associates to abandon the production of films."

Marriage

Agnes Vernon and John K. Wells joined in matrimony in 1921, and their union endured for a span of 27 years. Prior to marrying Wells, her engagement to Abe Duce garnered significant media attention in 1915.

Abe Deuce

Abe Deuce was a special writer for the Newspaper Enterprise Association. In 1915 he hatched a plan for a new series of feature stories. His scheme involved meeting multiple young movie starlets, establishing connections with them, proposing marriage, and subsequently crafting in-depth narratives about his encounters following their rejections.

January 4, 1915—Wanted: love; Abe has coin; girls kid him

Deuce wrote a letter to the editor of the Los Angeles Record (see insert). The editor assigned the task to a staff writer, and she drove Deuce to the Universal lot. She introduced him to a publicity manager — Don Meany. Meany was sympathetic to his pursuit and stated he will introduce him to two ingenues tomorrow.

January 5, 1915—He Doesn't Want Much! - A Movie Queen Bride

Deuce's first article is a 1300-word installment describing his introduction to 19-year-old actress Brownie Vernon and 17-year-old actress Helen Leslie.

January 6, 1915—Agnes eyes in Helen's hands set Abe's heart afire

"Today is the day, and I popped the question – will you marry me? Since I was in love with both girls, I asked them both."

January 7, 1915'—Abe, cold-shouldered Thrice; realizes that Brownie is the only girl

Deuce is introduced to 18-year-old actress Ella Hall and 31-year-old actress Cleo Madison.

"These two girls, as charming and talented as they are, remain in my life, but it's a short time."

January 8, 1915—Abe Deuce meets the angel of his dreams

John K. Wells

A news article in Billboard, dated November 19, 1921, stated John K. Wells was already married to Brownie Vernon.

Wells also followed in his father's footsteps. In January 1925, the "California Directory of Brokers and Salesmen" posted John K. Wells establishing a corporation — Lathrop-Wells Inc. They become a real estate brokerage firm headquartered in La Jolla, California with the following officials:

The 1930 and 1940 Censuses also verify the marriage. John Wells was married to Judith Vernon Wells née Agnes Vernon for 27 years. There were no children.

Death

Judith Vernon Wells (Agnes Vernon) died of heart complications on Saturday, February 21, 1948, in La Jolla, California, (San Diego), California. She was 52 years old. She was entombed in the Greenwood Memorial Park Mausoleum in San Diego, California. Her occupation is recorded on the death certificate as – a housewife.

Judith Vernon Wells's obituary reads:"Last rites for Mrs. Judith Vernon Wells, who died Saturday in the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles N. Noah .... Mrs. Wells and her husband, John K. Wells, resided in Phoenix for four years. She recently became ill and moved to La Jolla to be with her parents. She was a native of Oregon." There is no mention of an acting career. Her mausoleum plaque reads: Judith Vernon Wells 1895 - 1948.

On Sunday, December 27, 1953, her husband, John K. Wells, died of a heart attack in Glendale, California. He was 67 years old. Wells had formerly been in charge of publications for the Church of Christ, Scientists in Arizona and currently worked as a sales representative for the Arizona radio station KTAR. There was no mention of any Hollywood connections in his obituary.

Myths

Some reviewers have inferred Agnes "Brownie" Vernon changed her stage name to "Bernice Vere" to continue acting in Australian pictures. Many of Bernice Vere's movie credits were changed to Brownie Vernon in various movie databases.

Agnes "Brownie" Vernon acted in 3 Australian movies. The trio of films was released between 1920 and 1921:

The Man from Kangaroo - produced by the Baker-Meredyth-Lucas consortium, was released on January 24, 1920. Brownie Vernon played Muriel Hammond.

The Shadow of Lightning Ridge - produced by Baker-Meredyth-Lucas - was released on April 3, 1920. Brownie Vernon played "Dorothy Harden," and Bernice Vere played "Portuguese Annie," After completing The Shadow of Lightning Ridge, Agnes Vernon left Australia and headed back to California in May 1920.

Silks and Saddles - produced by Commonwealth Pictures, directed by Brownie's husband John K. Wells, and released on March 5, 1921. Brownie Vernon played Bobbie Morton. Vernon had returned to Australia to make this film and spent the remainder of 1921 in Australia while her husband pursued business opportunities. Vernon's time in Australia during 1921 is the primary source of the Agnes Vernon/Bernice Vere controversy. Brownie and her husband sailed for California in March 1922.

Bernice Vere made four movies in Australia before heading to Hollywood in November 1921.

The Shadow of Lightning Ridge was released on April 3, 1920. The newspaper ads credit both Brownie Vernon and Bernice Vere. All newspaper ads for the movie, giving credit to both actresses, should have ended this controversy.

The Jackeroo of Coolabong was the last movie produced by the Baker-Meredyth-Lucas consortium, released on October 16, 1920. The Fighting Breed is the repackaged version of this movie made for US audiences and released on September 1, 1921. IMDb listing for The Jackeroo of Coolabong credits Bernice Vere as "the Moll." The American Film Institute gives no credit to Bernice Vere but lists Agnes Vernon in the cast. The AFI site also displays this qualifier "Various sources have expressed doubt that Brownie Vernon appeared in the film." The IMDb listing for The Fighting Breed mentioned neither actress. Bernice did receive a review in the Australian media for her performance in this film.

Filmography

This list is the filmography of Agnes (Brownie) Vernon. Vernon first appeared on the silver screen as an uncredited extra in March 1913. Her uncredited appearances are not chronicled in this filmography. All appearances in Universal short films were verified using The Braff silent short film working papers (1903-1929), The Universal Silents (1912-1929), American Film Personnel and Company Credits, 1908 - 1920 and the Internet Archive. All Universal feature products and non-Universal films are verified using the American Film Institute website or Internet Archive.