Johnny Lockwood

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Johnny Lockwood
E Street
ChildrenJoanna Lockwood
Military career
AllegianceEngland
Service/branchRoyal Air Force
Years of service1942-1944
Battles/warsWorld War II

John Sidney Lockwood (7 December 1920 – 25 April 2013[2]) was a British variety entertainer, comedian and actor, who also became notable in Australia after emigrating to that country.

Lockwood born in

Hungarian Jewish deli proprietor Aldo Godolfus from 1972 until 1975, a central cast member opposite Philippa Baker who would play his future wife Roma and naive rebellious teenage daughter Rose (played by Vivienne Garrett
).

The comedy of much of the duo of Aldo and Roma stemmed from both being European immigrants (Aldo from Hungary, And Roma from Russia), who had trouble understanding the local language.[3]

Although Aldo was essentially a comedy character, prior to Number 96, Lockwood had not performed in drama and was primarily a stand-up comic.[3]

He had a small role in film Moulin Rouge! and several other features.

Biography

Early career

Lockwood had always wanted to perform on stage. He was orphaned at age 11, and at 14 applied for a job as a dancer in a touring show. He continued to develop his talents and by 18 was given a contract by impresario Jack Hylton as a comedian.[4] He was a member of the charitable entertainment fraternity, the Grand Order of Water Rats.[5]

His entertainment career was briefly put on hold, as World War II intervened and Lockwood joined the Royal Air Force in 1942 and was honourably discharged in 1944 after which returned to performing, working in vaudeville, pantomime, radio and television. In 1949 he performed in the Royal Command Performance at the London Coliseum. During the performance he tripped and fell, suffering a bloody nose. His quip to the audience was "Well, they told me you wanted blood tonight" was widely reported by the press.[4]

Theatre

A prominent member of theatre, Lockwood came to Australia in 1957 for a ten-week run with the Tivoli Theatre circuit, however after that job finished he remained in Australia for five years. and appeared in a stage production opposite Bobby Limb.[6] He returned to his native UK to play Fagin in a production of Lionel Bart's Oliver! at the New Theatre but then he returned permanently to Australia.[4]

Television

Lockwood spent a year with television series

Las Vegas, and returned to Australia for a two-year run with classic comedy series The Mavis Bramston Show, and then played the lead role in Canterbury Tales.[4] The role in Number 96 followed in 1972. Lockwood was an original cast member of the series; his character was specifically devised by writer David Sale (who also wrote for Bramston), as bumbling delicatessen proprietor Aldo Godolfus. Aldo was originally conceived as a Greek emigrant, but the character was later changed to a Hungarian Jew to suit the actor's dialect; his character soon wed his deli employee Roma Lubinsky (Philippa Baker) and the duo were developed as comedy characters, who became highly recognised figures in the serial. Aldo and Roma were famously and later regretfully killed off in a dramatic revamp of the series – during "the infamous bomb blast storyline" – in September 1975.[7]

During the 1980s and 1990s, Lockwood made guest appearances in Australian drama series and soap operas. In 1985, he appeared in soap opera

E Street
. During this period he also acted in feature films.

He had a short theatre run in a Queensland production in the early 1980s portraying Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof.

Film

In the early 2000s Lockwood continued to make television and film appearances including roles in Moulin Rouge! and miniseries The Potato Factory. He also continued stage work with the Sydney Theatre Company.

Personal life

Anne Lockwood, Johnny Lockwood's wife since 1947, died in Sydney in 1976. After Johnny had gone to bed one evening she died after suffering a heart attack and falling from the balcony of their high-rise apartment. Some people speculated that she had committed suicide, something Johnny angrily denied.[8]

Lockwood married again in 1980. His daughter Joanna Lockwood, born in Australia is an actress, best known for her long-running role in television serial Cop Shop; she also appeared briefly in Number 96.

Lockwood, died on 25 April 2013 at a nursing home in Coffs Harbour, aged 92.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Type
1968 Anything Goes
1969 The Life and Times of Reverent Shotte
1972 Duffer Hippie Guitarist
1977 All at Sea Rev Parslow / George Parsons TV film
1982 Norman Loves Rose Sam Feature film
1984 Stanley (aka Stanley: Every Home Should Have One) Flasher Feature film
2001 Moulin Rouge! Character Rake Feature film
2003 The Rage in Placid Lake Barber Feature film

Television

Year Title Role Type
Sunnyside Up TV series
1967-68 The Mavis Bramston Show

Various characters || TV series

1971 Spyforce Ruben Nathan TV series
[[Canterbury Tales

]] || Lead role ||

1972-74 Number 96 Aldo Godolfus TV series
1973 The Evil Touch TV series
1975
The Norman Gunston Show
 Checkout Chicks TV series
1978 Tickled Pink Rabbi TV special
1981 Bellamy Len Payne TV series
1982 Kingswood Country Tony Bertolucci TV series
1985-86 Neighbours
Harry Henderson
 TV series
1987 A Country Practice Mickey O'Rourke TV series
1991
E Street
 Johnny Little TV series, 2 episodes
2000 The Potato Factory Moses TV miniseries
2002 Short Cuts Hippy TV series
2003 Pizza Insurance TV series

Notes

  1. ISBN 1-86105-206-5
    , p.105
  2. ^ "Number 96's 'Aldo' dies". 25 April 2013.
  3. ^ a b =GILES NIGEL "Number 96: Australia Most Infamous Address"
  4. ^
    ISBN 0-86777-057-0
    p 137
  5. ^ "Biography of a Water Rat".
  6. ^ "Number 96 together again". 25 July 2010.
  7. ^ Craig Blake (26 May 2013). "JOHNNY LOCKWOOD". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  8. ^ George, Carol. The Saddest Clown. Scene. 2–8 October 1976, page 7.

External links

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