Actor. Vernon Bruce Dent began his career in entertainment as a singer and songwriter. He was touring Southern California as a member of a singing troupe in 1919 when he became friends with Hank Mann, one of the original Keystone Kops. As a result of this friendship, he earned a supporting role in a series of two-reelers Mann was making at the time. His work in this series, "Folly Comedies," quickly won him his own series of two-reelers. When the series was over, Dent did freelance acting work, working with popular comedians of the time, such as Larry Semon. Dent fully came into his own when he began working at Mack Sennett's famous Keystone Studios, where he spent most of the remainder of the Twenties. Even though he was a large man, Dent proved very adept at physical comedy, taking falls and physical abuse just as well or even better than many of Sennett's top comedians. He received even greater recognition and acclaim when he co-starred with Harry Langdon in the series of two-reelers Langdon made for Keystone. After Langdon left Keystone, Dent went on to work with such comics as Ralph Graves, Billy Bevan, Mabel Normand, Ben Turpin, Johnny Burke, and Eddie Quillan. Dent once again worked with Langdon in the early Thirties at Educational Pictures Studio, in another series of two-reelers. Because the quality of his work was so outstanding, Langdon insisted to the studio that Dent always get second billing. In 1935 Dent went to work for Columbia Studios, where he would receive his greatest enduring fame. Though he supported a number of comedians working at the studio, such as Vera Vague, Andy Clyde, and Buster Keaton, his most prolific work was with the Three Stooges. He appeared with them a total of fifty-six times, more than any of their other supporting cast members. Dent played almost every role imaginable, such as police officer, butler, king, chef, and landlord. He worked with them from 1936 till 1954. While working at Columbia, however, he always kept himself available for any other studio that wanted to give him a part. In addition to being a prolific character actor in short subjects, he also appeared in a number of feature films, such as 'Million Dollar Legs' (1932) and 'You're Telling Me' (1934). After retiring from the screen, he began working at a concessions stand to supplement his income. Shortly afterwards he went blind as a result of diabetes, though he took this sudden handicap so well and in such an upbeat manner than many of his friends had no idea he was now blind. He died at the age of sixty-eight. In spite of rumors that his death was caused by a refusal to take insulin because he was said to be a Christian Scientist, his wife, Eunice Muncy, went on the record several years later as saying that Vernon had not been a Christian Scientist and had really died from a massive sudden heart attack.