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| “ | Well, well. Here we are. I want to congratulate you for being on time. | „ |
| ~ Vernon to the five students in detention, also his first lines. |
| “ | Don't mess with the bull young man, you'll get the horns. | „ |
| ~ Vernon's most infamous quote, to Bender. |
| “ | Why is that door closed? WHY IS THAT DOOR CLOSED? | „ |
| ~ Vernon to the students after discovering that the door to the library is closed. |
Richard "Dick" Vernon is the main antagonist of the 1985 movie The Breakfast Club. He is the vice principal of Shermer High School and is a grumpy detention supervisor.
Vernon is strict and a bully disciplinary at Shermer High School in Shermer, Illinois. He isn't diabolical, though. He just finds out that it isn't easy to be teaching students anything. He also does not have any evil minions to do his dirty work.
He was portrayed by the late Paul Gleason who later portrayed Clarence Beeks in Trading Places and Bobby Pickett in Money Talks.
Biography[]
When Vernon sees that the five students have arrived on a Saturday, he checks his watch to find out it is 7:06. He gives the teens exactly eight hours and 54 minutes (7:06am to 4:00pm) to think about why they're here, and forbids them to talk, move from their seats, and to even sleep. He then assigns them something different: a 1000-word essay telling him who they think they are. He also tells the students that his office is right across the hall from the library and doesn't want to see any monkey business. When Bender asks him if Barry Manilow knows that Vernon raids his wardrobe, Vernon gives him another Saturday of detention.
Eventually, when he finds the door closed, even with a chair in the way, he gets Andrew Clark to help him, only for it to end up a failure. When Bender tells him maybe a screw fell out of the door, Vernon demands the screw, even threatening to yank him out of the seat and shake the screw out of him. When Bender insults him, Vernon gives Bender totally two months of detention. Vernon also warns the students that the next time he comes in, he'll be cracking skulls. He makes his students eat their lunch in the library after telling the students that it's lunch time and also assigning Andrew and Allison to go to the vending machine in the teacher's lounge to bring five sodas to the library for the students.
Later, when Vernon catches Bender playing in the gym, he tells the other teens that Bender will no longer be in their services for the remainder of the day. Vernon also threatens Bender in a storage closet and tries to pick a fight with him and even tells him how tough he is. But Bender refuses to fight Vernon as Bender responds to Vernon if he is threatening him and he calls Bender a "gutless turd" and locks him in the closet before Bender sneaks back to the library and reunites with his friends. Vernon also asks the rest of the students where did that ruckus come from and the students try to make up a story that they didn't hear any ruckus with Bender secretly hiding under the tables before Vernon leaves the library in anger.
Carl Reed, the janitor at the school, when he catches Vernon viewing the confidential records of the school staff in the basement, Vernon turns around and sees Carl standing there. "Hey Carl good to see you". Carl then blackmails Vernon into giving him $50. Not too long after, Vernon and Carl are having a conversation about the kids and drinking some beer. Vernon asks Carl "What did you wanna be when you were young?", and Carl responds "When I was a kid, I wanted to be John Lennon". Vernon responds "Carl, don't be a goof. I'm making a serious point here." Vernon tells Carl that he has been teaching for 22 years and the kids get more and more and more arrogant. Carl says to Vernon "the kids haven't changed, you have." He tells Vernon that he thought that his job would be easy and to find that it is actual work and it bummed him out. Vernon says "These kids turned on me, they think I'm a big fucking joke". Carls asks Vernon "Listen Vernon, if you were sixteen, what would you think of you?" Vernon could care less what they think of him. Vernon tells Carl "You think about this: when you get old, these kids - when I get old - they're going to be running the country." and Vernon says "Now this is the thought that wakes me up in the middle of the night. That when I get older, these kids are going to take care of me" and Carl tells him "I wouldn't count on it."
By the end of the day, Vernon reads the essay that Brian Johnson wrote. The five teens did not write he told them to write about. Those five teens tell him that he's crazy and their a lot better than him. These teens leave detention as better people. Vernon, with his talk with Carl seems to have changed some for the better.
Personality[]
Richard Vernon is an extremely controlling, intelligent, arrogant, devious, grumpy, abusive, aggressive and ruthless individual.
While it is his job to discipline students and punish them for misconduct, he crosses the line into abuse of power and unprofessionalism on several occasions. Such as challenging Bender to a fight when they are alone together, as well as telling the other students that Bender will never amount to anything in adulthood.
He shows a slightly more relaxed side when he shares a drink with the janitor, Carl. He expresses concern for the arrogance of the modern youth, and rebuffs Carl’s attempt to convince him that he is the one who has changed.
Trivia[]
- There was also a villain in the Victorious episode, "The Breakfast Bunch" named Mr. Dickers and his appearance and personality pays homage to Gleason's character.
- Richard Vernon makes a small appearance at the beginning and end of the A-Teens Dancing Queen music video with Paul Gleason reprising his role.
- Richard Vernon also appears in the 2001 comedy film, Not Another Teen Movie with Paul Gleason reprising the role once again in a spoof/recreation of the detention scene.
- The late Gene Wilder, the late Donald Pleasence, the late Patrick McGoohan, the late Paul Newman, the late Martin Landau, and the late Gregory Peck were all considered for the role of Richard Vernon before the late Paul Gleason was cast.