Harry M. Vernon

Vernon Harris (1905–1999) was a prominent British screenwriter and script editor whose career spanned several decades of the twentieth century. Born in Folkestone, Kent, Harris established himself as a versatile writer across both radio and cinema. He gained early recognition for his extensive work with the BBC, contributing to popular radio programs such as PC49 and Band Waggon, which helped shape the landscape of mid-century British broadcast entertainment.

Harris is perhaps best remembered for his enduring professional partnership with the acclaimed film director Lewis Gilbert. Over a collaborative relationship that lasted nearly forty years, Harris worked in some capacity on almost all of Gilbert's films. In the early stages of their partnership, the duo frequently co-wrote complete screenplays. Gilbert highly valued Harris's exceptional skills as a script editor, noting that they would typically map out film scenarios together before collaborating with dialogue specialists to finalize the scripts.

The pinnacle of Harris's cinematic career came with his work on the 1968 musical drama Oliver!, an adaptation of Charles Dickens's classic novel Oliver Twist via the stage musical. His screenplay for the critically acclaimed film earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Harris passed away in Surrey in 1999, leaving behind a significant legacy in British film and radio.