Arthur English
Arthur English | |
---|---|
Born | Arthur Leslie Norman English 9 May 1919 Aldershot, Hampshire, England |
Died | 16 April 1995 Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey, England | (aged 75)
Occupation(s) | Actor and comedian |
Years active | 1949–1990 |
Spouses | Ivy Martin
(m. 1941; died 1975)Teresa Mann
(m. 1977; div. 1987) |
Children | 3 |
Arthur Leslie Norman English (9 May 1919 – 16 April 1995) was an English television, film and stage actor and comedian from the music hall tradition.
Early life
English was born at 22 Lysons Road in
After serving in the British Army in
In 1949, while still employed in Aldershot as a painter and decorator, English and his then stage partner Jonny Carrol unsuccessfully auditioned at the Windmill Theatre in London. On a second, and this time solo audition with Vivian Van Damm, English became resident comedian at the Windmill Theatre at the same time compering a show for Bob Potter. English stayed at the Windmill as the principal comic until August 1950.[6]
His early professional career was as a stand-up comic in the persona of a stereotypical wartime "
Acting career
His radio work began with the BBC series Variety Bandbox, using as always his own Aldershot accent but in the persona of a Cockney spiv. His usual delivery was to tell a long rambling shaggy dog story at ever-increasing rapidity without losing clarity until, at top speed, he would end with the catch-phrase: "Play the music! Open the cage!" Another popular catch-phrase was "Mum. Mum. They're laughing at me!".[9]
He began to appear on British television in mainly comedy roles in the 1970s, and is probably best remembered for playing the truculent and somewhat bolshy (though not entirely unsympathetic) maintenance man, Mr. Harman, in Are You Being Served? which he played from 1976 to 1985, including the 1977 film adaptation. He played Arthur, Alf Garnett's mate, in In Sickness and in Health, a follow-up series to Till Death Us Do Part from 1985 to 1990.[9] He also appeared in The Sweeney.[11]
He had more likeable roles in two British children's TV series:
English appeared in the Royal Variety Performance in 1951[9] and 1980.[15] He had been president of Aldershot Town F.C.[16][17] which had been formed out of the ashes of Aldershot F.C. The new club badge depicted a rising phoenix and was designed by English. He had also been a long-standing member of the showbusiness charity the Grand Order of Water Rats, which he joined in 1970,[18] a Freeman of the City of London and an Honorary Freeman of the Borough of Rushmoor.
Personal life
Following the death of his wife Ivy (1919–75), English began to drink. On 27 August 1977, English married a young dancer, Teresa Mann[19] (born 1955), whom he met while they were performing in a pantomime together at Wimbledon, and in 1981, the couple had a daughter – Clare-Louise English, the deaf actress director and writer who founded Hot Coals Productions, a Production company working the theatre film and TV who specialise in creating accessible content . The performers John Inman and Jack Douglas were the child's godparents.[20] The couple separated in 1986, and the marriage was dissolved in 1987. The last four years of his life were spent in Devereux House, a care home in Farnborough.
Arthur English died in 1995 at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey as a result of complications from emphysema.[21] After a funeral service at St Michael's church at which fellow Water Rat Jimmy Perry read the oration[22] his body was cremated at the Park Crematorium in Aldershot where his ashes were later interred in a plot with those of his first wife.
Honours
An Aldershot Civic Society blue plaque was unveiled by actor and singer Jess Conrad OBE on 15 July 2017 at 22 Lysons Road where English was born in 1919.[23][24][25][26]
Selected television appearances
- Comedy Playhouse (1967 & 1970) – Arthur Oakley / The Voice
- Dad's Army (1970) – the Policeman
- Doctor in the House (1970) – Vincent
- Bless This House (1971) – Traffic Warden
- Doctor at Large (1971) – Vincent
- ITV Playhouse(1972) – Tom
- Doctor in Charge (1972 & 1973) – Vincent
- Follyfoot (1971–1973) – Slugger
- Armchair Theatre (1973) – Carlyle
- Crown Court (1973, 1974, 1975 & 1977) – Billy Baker / Arthur Robins / Eddie Taylor / Mr. Sampson
- The Ghosts of Motley Hall (1976–1978) – Bodkin / 'Boddikins
- Are You Being Served? (1976–1985) – Mr. Beverley Harman
- Funny Man (1981) – George Leslie
- Play for Today (1983) – Albert
- High & Dry (1987) – Fred Whattle
- In Sickness and in Health (1985–1990) – Arthur / the Man in Pub (final appearance)
Selected filmography
- Echo of Diana (1963) – Punter in betting shop
- The Hi-Jackers (1963) – Bert
- Percy (1971) – Pub Comic
- For the Love of Ada (1972) – Arthur
- Love Thy Neighbour (1973) – Carter
- Malachi's Cove (1973) – Jack Combes
- Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974) – Cockney Spiv
- Are You Being Served? (1977) – Mr. Harman
- The Boys in Blue (1982) – Farmer
References
- ^ English, Arthur (with Linton Mitchell) Through the Mill and Beyond The Basingstoke Press (1989) p. 16
- ^ a b 'Arthur English, Aldershot Historical & Archaeological Society (AHAS), Yearbook 23 (2010) pg7
- ^ – Walter Frederick English on Ancestry.com – pay to view
- ^ Ethel Parsons on Ancestry.com – pay to view
- ^ English, pg18
- ^ a b c d AHAS, pg8
- ^ English, p. 24
- ^ English, p. 36
- ^ a b c d e f Gifford, Denis (19 April 1995). "Obituary: Arthur English". The Independent. London.
- ^ Arthur N L English in the England & Wales, Marriage Index, 1916–2005 – Ancestry.com- pay to view
- ^ Internet Movie Database
- ^ English on This Is Your Life (1978) – tv.com
- Internet Movie Database
- ^ English on the Desert Island Discs website
- ^ "The 1980 Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium – The Royal Variety Charity website". Archived from the original on 28 November 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
- ^ English, p. 49
- ^ – Message from the Chairman Archived 18 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine – Aldershot Town F.C. website
- ^ English, p. 166
- ^ England & Wales, Marriage Index, 1916–2005 for Arthur Ln English – Ancestry.com – pay to view
- ^ "Biography of Arthur English on the Radio Sounds Familiar website". Archived from the original on 5 September 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
- ^ Arthur Leslie N English in the England & Wales, Death Index, 1916–2007 – Ancestry.com – pay to view
- ^ Funeral Service card for Arthur Leslie Norman English at the Church of St Michael the Archangel, Aldershot – Glenn Christodoulou Collection
- ^ "Blue Plaque for Arthur English – Aldershot Civic Society website". Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- ^ 'Are You Being Served? actor Arthur English honoured with blue plaque' – BBC News Online – 15 July 2017
- ^ 'Blue plaque unveiled for Aldershot's Arthur English' – Eagle Radio – 15 July 2017
- ^ Arthur English Honoured – Grand Order of Water Rats website
External links
- Arthur English at IMDb