John Inman
John Inman | |
---|---|
Mr. Humphries in Are You Being Served? | |
Born | Frederick John Inman 28 June 1935 Preston, Lancashire, England |
Died | 8 March 2007 Paddington, London, England | (aged 71)
Nationality | British |
Education | Claridge House |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1948–2004 |
Television | Odd Man Out Are You Being Served? Take a Letter, Mr. Jones Grace & Favour |
Partner | Ron Lynch (1972–2007) |
Frederick John Inman (28 June 1935 – 8 March 2007) was an English actor and singer best known for his role as
In 1976, Inman was named both BBC TV Personality of the Year and TV Times readers' Funniest Man on Television.[1] He was also a well-known character actor in the United Kingdom as a pantomime dame.
Early life
Inman was born in June 1935 in
At the age of 13, he made his stage debut in the Pavilion on Blackpool's South Pier, in a melodrama entitled Freda.[2] Aged 15, he took a job at the pier, making tea, clearing up and playing parts in plays.[4]
After leaving school, Inman worked for two years at Fox's, a gentlemen's outfitters in Blackpool, specialising in
Theatre career
Inman made his West End debut in the 1960s when he appeared in Ann Veronica at the Cambridge Theatre.[4] He appeared as the pop singer Willie in Dennis Spencer's What a Racket at Manchester's Palace Theatre in December 1963[6] and appeared in Paula Stone's How Now Brown Cow at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, in late 1965.[7] By 1975, his television fame was such that he was also a starring attraction in the long-running Let's Get Laid at London's Windmill Theatre.[8] The same year he appeared in Salad Days at the Windmill, and as Lord Fancourt Babberley in Charley's Aunt at the Adelphi Theatre in 1979.
During the sixties, Inman won a reputation alongside Barry Howard as one of the most celebrated Ugly Sister acts in pantomime[1] and throughout later years established himself as one of the country's best-loved dames in such familiar pantomimes as Mother Goose, Babes in the Wood, Aladdin and Jack and the Beanstalk.[9] His other stage appearances included many summer shows and his own show, Fancy Free, and Pyjama Tops, My Fat Friend and Bedside Manners.
Television and film career
Inman made his television debut in 1965 in the sitcom A Slight Case Of... titled The Enemy Within. In 1966, he appeared in two episodes of the BBC sitcom Hugh and I. In 1970, he acted in one episode of the ITV sitcom Two in Clover. In 1972, he was asked by David Croft to play a part in a Comedy Playhouse pilot called Are You Being Served?.[2] This was a sitcom set in a department store, written by Croft with Jeremy Lloyd, and based on the latter's experiences working at Simpsons of Piccadilly.[3] Playing a minor role with only a few lines, he was soon asked to "camp it up",[3][4] despite initial reluctance from the BBC to include such a camp character. The pilot was broadcast in September 1972. The broadcast was followed by the five episodes of the first series in early 1973. The first series was scheduled opposite Coronation Street on ITV and attracted little attention, though repeats later that year proved very successful.[3]
Inman played the sharp-tongued sales assistant
Are You Being Served? ran for 10 series until 1985. At its peak in 1979 it attracted British audiences of 22 million viewers[1] while Inman's portrayal of Mr Humphries made him a household name. The series also became popular in the United States, where Inman became a gay cultural icon.[4] Once, in San Francisco, a passing cyclist spotted Inman and fell off his bicycle in surprise, crying "Mr Humphries, I love you!"[4]
Between 1975 and 1977,
From 1980 to 1981, Inman also played Mr Humphries in the
He made a cameo appearance in the film The Tall Guy (1989), and was one of five of the Are You Being Served? cast to be reunited in character for the sitcom Grace & Favour (titled Are You Being Served? Again! in the United States), which ran for twelve episodes in 1992 and 1993. Inman had a small part as Lady Capulet in the film Shakespeare in Love (1998) and appeared in the 1999 French and Saunders Christmas special. He appeared as Father Chinwag in the film The Mumbo Jumbo (2000).
Later years, illness and death
Inman toured Australia, starring in a number of productions including Bedside Manners (2003) and a revival of Are You Being Served? (2001) as a stage show at Twelfth Night Theatre, Brisbane. In 2004, he made additional television appearances in Doctors and Revolver.
Inman suffered from poor health in his later years. He was hospitalised with bronchitis in 1993, and collapsed on stage in 1995.[15] He was admitted to Paddington's St Mary's Hospital in 2001 after suffering breathing difficulties and spent three days in intensive care.[16]
In December 2004, Inman was forced to cancel an appearance in a pantomime as he was suffering from a hepatitis A infection, contracted from contaminated food.[17]
Inman died early in the morning of 8 March 2007, aged 71, at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London,[18] of an infection.[19] His body was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium after a funeral on 23 March 2007.[20]
Personal life
For some thirty years, Inman lived in a
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1965 | A Slight Case of... | Episode: "The Enemy Within" | |
1966 | Hugh and I | 2 episodes | |
1970 | Two in Clover | Bowler | 1 episode |
1972–1985 | Are You Being Served? | Mr. Humphries |
69 episodes |
1977 | Odd Man Out | Neville Sutcliffe | 7 episodes |
1977 | Are You Being Served? | Mr. Humphries | Film based on UK TV series |
1980–1981 | Are You Being Served? | Mr. Humphries |
16 episodes - Australian adaptation |
1981 | Take a Letter, Mr. Jones | Graham Jones | 6 episodes |
1989 | The Tall Guy | John Inman | |
1989 | Family Fortunes | Fanny the Ugly Sister | 1 episode |
1992–1993 | Grace & Favour | Mr Humphries |
12 episodes |
1995 | Call up the Stars | Frank Randle | TV movie |
1998 | Shakespeare in Love | Lady Capulet in play | Uncredited |
1999 | French and Saunders | Darth Sid | 1 episode |
2000 | Full Mountie | Tailor | 1 episode |
2000 | The Mumbo Jumbo | Father Chinwag | |
2004 | Revolver | The Antiques Dealer | 5 episodes |
2004 | Doctors | Teddy | Episode: "Intolerance" |
References
- ^ a b c d e f Obituary Archived 5 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine, The Independent, 9 March 2007
- ^ a b c d e f g h Webber, Richard (1999). "I'm Free! – The Complete Are You Being Served?". Orion Books.
- ^ a b c d e f g Obituary, The Times, 9 March 2007
- ^ a b c d e f Moore, Charles (8 March 2007). "Obituary – John Inman". The Daily Telegraph. London.[dead link]
- Tiscali. 2009. Archived from the originalon 10 February 2009.
- ^ John O'Callaghan 'What a Racket' London Guardian 3 December 1963 p. 7
- ^ Philip Hope-Wallace, 'How Now Brown Cow' London Guardian 5 November 1965 p. 9
- ^ 'Let's Get Laid' London Guardian 30 May 1975 p. 6
- ^ "Obituary: John Inman". BBC. 8 March 2007.
- ^ "Comedy actor Inman dies aged 71". BBC. 8 March 2007.
- ^ a b Shann, Rosalie. "His Biggest Fans are Adoring Women", TV Week, 27 January 1980, p. 13.
- ^ "John Inman Discography - UK - 45cat".
- ^ "Are you being served sir? by John Inman". Official Charts.
- ^ "Various – ed Stewart's Junior Choice". Discogs.
- ^ Obituary, The Guardian, 8 March 2007
- ^ "Health scare for sitcom star Inman". BBC. 27 January 2001.
- ^ "Actor Inman admitted to hospital". BBC. 9 December 2004.
- ^ "John Inman dies, aged 71". Sky News. 8 March 2007.
- ^ "John Inman dies". The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 March 2007. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
- ^ "Stars say goodbye to John Inman". BBC. 23 March 2007.
External links
- John Inman at IMDb
- John Inman at the British Film Institute
- Lewisohn, Mark (2003). "Are You Being Served?". BBC.
- John Inman – I'm Free
- John Inman discography at Discogs