H. Vernon Watson

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H. Vernon Watson (1886-1949) was a popular variety artist touring the music halls before WWI, but he remained relatively obscure until several years after the war when he shot to fame with his character Nosmo King.

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[edit] Early years

A former Liverpool bank clerk, Watson showed a leaning towards things theatrical and it was evident that he had a rare talent for mimicry. In 1911, he turned professional, using his real name, doing impressions of the leading comedians of the day.

Then, when Frank Tinney, the American black-faced comedian came to the UK, Vernon Watson added an impression of him to his repertoire. He noticed that this impression gained him great applause, and when Tinney returned to the US, Watson gave thought to a different style of act based on a black-faced personality.

[edit] Fame

Opportunity for this came about in the early 1920s when the manager of the music hall at which he was appearing requested him to do a second spot later in the programme in place of a performer who had not put in an appearance.

Watson had the black-face study ready, but was stuck for a name. Then inspiration came to his aid. The scene dock doors backstage were partly open and the two halves read "No Smo" & "king". That was it. From then on, the character would be Nosmo King.

Watson soon found that his spot as Nosmo went over better than the impressions under his own name. The Nosmo King personality was developed and the stage act of Nosmo King & Hubert was billed from 1925 onwards when his son Jack Watson joined him in the show. At this, Vernon Watson made his last bow and he was to be Nosmo for good.

During WWII, Nosmo King reverted to going solo, the reason being that Hubert had joined up!

The End came for Nosmo King early in 1949 when Watson died in his sleep in his Chelsea flat.

[edit] Miscellaneous

During an interview, he made two remarkable confessions. Someone pointed out that a cigar-smoking figure was hardly compatible with the name and suggested he gave up. This he found remarkably difficult, but he eventually accomplished it with the aid of snuff. The second confession was that he had never at any time set eyes on Frank Tinney!

Nosmo King was a name also used for a character used by Paul Shannon, a Pittsburgh radio announcer, as well as a 1994 album by jazz guitarist John Abercrombie and Andy LaVerne.

[edit] References

  • "They Made Us Laugh", Geoff J Mellor, 1982, George Kelsall ISBN 0 9505577 4 9
  • "The Grand Order of Water Rats - a Legacy of Laughter", Charlie Chester, 1984 WH Allen 0491 03251 X (Backstage door story)