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Robertson Hare

December 29, 2022

John Robertson Hare, OBE (17 December 1891 – 25 January 1979) was an English actor, who came to fame in the Aldwych farces. He is remembered by more recent audiences for his performances as the Archdeacon in the popular BBC sitcom, All Gas and Gaiters.

Robertson Hare as the Ven. Henry Blunt, Archdeacon of St. Ogg's, in All Gas and Gaiters, late 1960s

Short in stature and of unheroic appearance, Hare made his stage career in character roles. From his early days as an actor he was cast as older men. One of his favourite parts, which he played in the provinces before achieving West End success, was "Grumpy", a retired lawyer, in which he toured before the First World War.

After war service in the army, Hare got his big break. He was cast in a long-running farce with Ralph Lynn and Tom Walls. His meek and put-upon character was repeated in various incarnations in the eleven Aldwych farces presented by Walls between 1923 and 1933. He also appeared in film versions of most of the farces. After the Aldwych series came to an end, Hare continued to be cast in similar roles in new plays by Ben Travers and many others.

Occasionally Hare took a break from farce, appearing in revue with Benny Hill and in a musical with Frankie Howerd. His final major role was on television in the late 1960s, as the Archdeacon of St Ogg's in the BBC comedy series All Gas and Gaiters.

Life and career

Early years

Hare was born in Islington, London, the younger child and only son of Frank Homer Hare, an accountant, and his wife, Louisa Mary, née Robertson.[1] He was educated at Margate College in Kent and then studied drama with the actor and educator Cairns James.[2]

In 1911 Hare made his professional stage debut, playing the Duke of Gallminster in a provincial production of The Bear Leaders.[2] The following year he made his London début as one of the crowd in Gilbert Murray's version of Oedipus Rex at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.[2] In 1913 he had his first role in a West End production, as Kaufman in a detective play, The Scarlet Band, at the Comedy Theatre.[2] He then toured the provinces for a number of years. His first leading part was the title role of Grumpy, by Horace Hodges and T. Wigney Percyval, which was one of his favourite roles.[1][3] Even at this early stage of his career Hare was playing old men: "Grumpy" is an irascible retired lawyer.[4] In December 1915 he married (Alice) Irene Mewton (1890/91–1969); they had one daughter.[1]

Aldwych farce

After war service with the army in France, Hare resumed his acting career, and came to the notice of the West End public as James Chesterman in a new farce, Tons of Money, in which he and the actor-manager Tom Walls played supporting roles, with Ralph Lynn in the lead.[5] The play ran for nearly two years, after which Walls recruited Lynn and Hare to join him in a series of new farces at the Aldwych Theatre. There were eleven plays in this series, which came to be known as Aldwych farces; they played continuously from 1923 to 1933.[6] Hare played in them all; his roles were: William Smith (It Pays to Advertise); The Rev Cathcart Sloley-Jones (A Cuckoo in the Nest); Harold Twine (Rookery Nook); Hook (Thark); Oswald Veal (Plunder); Ernest Ramsbotham (A Cup of Kindness); Miles Tuckett (A Night Like This); Edwin Stoatt (Turkey Time); Clement Peck (Dirty Work); Montague Trigg (Fifty-Fifty); and Augustus Pogson (A Bit of a Test).[2]

His biographer, Eric Midwinter, writes of Hare's characters in these farces:

Hare created a cosily familiar style and was identified completely with, in effect, one part, that of the prissy little man, constantly in a state of unease and agitation, invariably sucked into some maelstrom of domestic upset and dislocation, unfailingly compromised and often trouserless. The bald dome, with brows furrowing anxiously beneath it; the spectacles, emphasizing the shock and bewilderment with which he responded to his travails; the jerky, staccato movements as his distress grew – these made him a highly recognisable stage figure. In concert with the worldly wise Tom Walls and the affable Ralph Lynn … he became one of the premier exponents of English farce.[1]

Later years

Hare appeared in films of most of the Aldwych farces, and played more than a dozen film roles in the post-war years.[1] For the rest of his stage career he was usually cast in similar roles. After the last Aldwych farce in 1933 he played his customary types in more than twenty new farces over the next three decades.[1] Among his most successful creations of this kind was Willoughby Pink in Travers's Banana Ridge in 1938, in which he played a British Empire builder with a dubious past.[3] In 1947 he starred at the Apollo Theatre in She Wanted a Cream Front Door, 1954 saw him in the political farce The Party Spirit; in 1956 he was in John Dighton's Man Alive! at the Aldwych. The same year he appeared with Cicely Courtneidge in the long-running The Bride and the Bachelor at the Duchess Theatre. He made a few appearances in revue: his first was Fine Fettle (1959) in which he appeared with Benny Hill and Shani Wallis.[7] In 1963 Hare played in a long-running stage musical, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (762 performances), in which he was cast as Erronius to Frankie Howerd's Pseudolus.[8]

In the 1960s Hare toured in Arsenic and Old Lace.[1] In 1962 he briefly escaped type-casting, appearing with Wilfrid Hyde White in a comedy film Crooks Anonymous, in which he played an old lag, his familiar bald head disguised under a wig.[3] In 1968 he joined Naunton Wayne in Oh, Clarence!, an adaptation of a P. G. Wodehouse Blandings novel, which he played in London, on tour in the provinces, and in South Africa.[1] He reached a new public in the late 1960s in a television series, All Gas and Gaiters. He played the Archdeacon of St. Ogg's, the Ven Henry Blunt. His co-stars were William Mervyn as the Rt Rev Cuthbert Hever, Bishop of St Ogg's, Derek Nimmo as the Rev Mervyn Noote, the Bishop's chaplain, and John Barron as the Very Rev Lionel Pugh-Critchley, Dean of St Ogg's.[9] George Melly wrote:

Most weeks the plot hangs on the rivalry between the pompous but cosy Bishop and the austere, perfectionist Dean. Derek Nimmo does his clerical silly ass and Robertson Hare is a sherry-loving rather simple-minded Archdeacon … Hare is not only innately comic in himself but manages to suggest a certain depth in a character who on the page can hardly exist.[10]

Hare was awarded the OBE in 1979, shortly before his death. He died in London at the age of 87.[3]

Filmography

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Midwinter, Eric. "Hare, (John) Robertson (1891–1979)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, January 2011, retrieved 12 February 2013 (subscription or UK public library membership required)
  2. ^ a b c d e Gaye, pp. 703–704
  3. ^ a b c d "Mr Robertson Hare", The Times, 16 November 1979, p. vi
  4. ^ "Gaiety Theatre – Grumpy, The Manchester Guardian, 26 October 1920, p. 14
  5. ^ "Tons of Money", The Times, 15 April 1922, p. 10
  6. ^ "Mr. Ralph Lynn", The Times, 10 August 1962, p. 11
  7. ^ "Benny Hill in a Musical Romp", The Times, 7 August 1959, p. 13
  8. ^ Hope-Wallace, Philip. "A Funny Thing ... at the Strand", The Guardian, 4 October 1963, p. 9
  9. ^ Barron was succeeded in the role by Ernest Clark, but resumed the role later in the run of the programme.
  10. ^ Melly, George. "Television", The Observer, 2 February 1969, p. 28
  11. ^ Release date for The Magic Box, in IMDb.

References

  • Gaye, Freda, ed. (1967). Who's Who in the Theatre (fourteenth ed.). London: Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons. OCLC 5997224.
  • Walker, John, ed. (2001). Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-093507-3.

Further reading

  • Hare, Robertson (1956). Yours Indubitably. London: Robert Hale. OCLC 314546991.

External links

December 29, 2022
robertson, hare, john, december, 1891, january, 1979, english, actor, came, fame, aldwych, farces, remembered, more, recent, audiences, performances, archdeacon, popular, sitcom, gaiters, henry, blunt, archdeacon, gaiters, late, 1960s, short, stature, unheroic. John Robertson Hare OBE 17 December 1891 25 January 1979 was an English actor who came to fame in the Aldwych farces He is remembered by more recent audiences for his performances as the Archdeacon in the popular BBC sitcom All Gas and Gaiters Robertson Hare as the Ven Henry Blunt Archdeacon of St Ogg s in All Gas and Gaiters late 1960s Short in stature and of unheroic appearance Hare made his stage career in character roles From his early days as an actor he was cast as older men One of his favourite parts which he played in the provinces before achieving West End success was Grumpy a retired lawyer in which he toured before the First World War After war service in the army Hare got his big break He was cast in a long running farce with Ralph Lynn and Tom Walls His meek and put upon character was repeated in various incarnations in the eleven Aldwych farces presented by Walls between 1923 and 1933 He also appeared in film versions of most of the farces After the Aldwych series came to an end Hare continued to be cast in similar roles in new plays by Ben Travers and many others Occasionally Hare took a break from farce appearing in revue with Benny Hill and in a musical with Frankie Howerd His final major role was on television in the late 1960s as the Archdeacon of St Ogg s in the BBC comedy series All Gas and Gaiters Contents 1 Life and career 1 1 Early years 1 2 Aldwych farce 1 3 Later years 2 Filmography 3 Notes 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksLife and career EditEarly years Edit Hare was born in Islington London the younger child and only son of Frank Homer Hare an accountant and his wife Louisa Mary nee Robertson 1 He was educated at Margate College in Kent and then studied drama with the actor and educator Cairns James 2 In 1911 Hare made his professional stage debut playing the Duke of Gallminster in a provincial production of The Bear Leaders 2 The following year he made his London debut as one of the crowd in Gilbert Murray s version of Oedipus Rex at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden 2 In 1913 he had his first role in a West End production as Kaufman in a detective play The Scarlet Band at the Comedy Theatre 2 He then toured the provinces for a number of years His first leading part was the title role of Grumpy by Horace Hodges and T Wigney Percyval which was one of his favourite roles 1 3 Even at this early stage of his career Hare was playing old men Grumpy is an irascible retired lawyer 4 In December 1915 he married Alice Irene Mewton 1890 91 1969 they had one daughter 1 Aldwych farce Edit After war service with the army in France Hare resumed his acting career and came to the notice of the West End public as James Chesterman in a new farce Tons of Money in which he and the actor manager Tom Walls played supporting roles with Ralph Lynn in the lead 5 The play ran for nearly two years after which Walls recruited Lynn and Hare to join him in a series of new farces at the Aldwych Theatre There were eleven plays in this series which came to be known as Aldwych farces they played continuously from 1923 to 1933 6 Hare played in them all his roles were William Smith It Pays to Advertise The Rev Cathcart Sloley Jones A Cuckoo in the Nest Harold Twine Rookery Nook Hook Thark Oswald Veal Plunder Ernest Ramsbotham A Cup of Kindness Miles Tuckett A Night Like This Edwin Stoatt Turkey Time Clement Peck Dirty Work Montague Trigg Fifty Fifty and Augustus Pogson A Bit of a Test 2 His biographer Eric Midwinter writes of Hare s characters in these farces Hare created a cosily familiar style and was identified completely with in effect one part that of the prissy little man constantly in a state of unease and agitation invariably sucked into some maelstrom of domestic upset and dislocation unfailingly compromised and often trouserless The bald dome with brows furrowing anxiously beneath it the spectacles emphasizing the shock and bewilderment with which he responded to his travails the jerky staccato movements as his distress grew these made him a highly recognisable stage figure In concert with the worldly wise Tom Walls and the affable Ralph Lynn he became one of the premier exponents of English farce 1 Later years Edit Hare appeared in films of most of the Aldwych farces and played more than a dozen film roles in the post war years 1 For the rest of his stage career he was usually cast in similar roles After the last Aldwych farce in 1933 he played his customary types in more than twenty new farces over the next three decades 1 Among his most successful creations of this kind was Willoughby Pink in Travers s Banana Ridge in 1938 in which he played a British Empire builder with a dubious past 3 In 1947 he starred at the Apollo Theatre in She Wanted a Cream Front Door 1954 saw him in the political farce The Party Spirit in 1956 he was in John Dighton s Man Alive at the Aldwych The same year he appeared with Cicely Courtneidge in the long running The Bride and the Bachelor at the Duchess Theatre He made a few appearances in revue his first was Fine Fettle 1959 in which he appeared with Benny Hill and Shani Wallis 7 In 1963 Hare played in a long running stage musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum 762 performances in which he was cast as Erronius to Frankie Howerd s Pseudolus 8 In the 1960s Hare toured in Arsenic and Old Lace 1 In 1962 he briefly escaped type casting appearing with Wilfrid Hyde White in a comedy film Crooks Anonymous in which he played an old lag his familiar bald head disguised under a wig 3 In 1968 he joined Naunton Wayne in Oh Clarence an adaptation of a P G Wodehouse Blandings novel which he played in London on tour in the provinces and in South Africa 1 He reached a new public in the late 1960s in a television series All Gas and Gaiters He played the Archdeacon of St Ogg s the Ven Henry Blunt His co stars were William Mervyn as the Rt Rev Cuthbert Hever Bishop of St Ogg s Derek Nimmo as the Rev Mervyn Noote the Bishop s chaplain and John Barron as the Very Rev Lionel Pugh Critchley Dean of St Ogg s 9 George Melly wrote Most weeks the plot hangs on the rivalry between the pompous but cosy Bishop and the austere perfectionist Dean Derek Nimmo does his clerical silly ass and Robertson Hare is a sherry loving rather simple minded Archdeacon Hare is not only innately comic in himself but manages to suggest a certain depth in a character who on the page can hardly exist 10 Hare was awarded the OBE in 1979 shortly before his death He died in London at the age of 87 3 Filmography EditRookery Nook 1930 Harold Twine On Approval 1930 Hedworth Plunder 1930 Oswald Veal Tons of Money 1930 Chesterman A Night like This 1932 Miles Tuckett Thark 1932 Hook It s a Boy 1933 Allister Friday the Thirteenth 1933 Ralph Lightfoot A Cuckoo in the Nest 1933 Rev Sloley Jones Turkey Time 1933 Edwin Stoatt Just My Luck 1933 Trigg A Cup of Kindness 1934 Ernest Ramsbottom Are You a Mason 1934 Amos Bloodqood Dirty Work 1934 Clement Peck Car of Dreams 1935 Henry Butterworth Oh Daddy 1935 Rupert Boddy Fighting Stock 1935 Duck Stormy Weather 1935 Mr Bullock Foreign Affaires 1935 Mr Hardy Hornett Pot Luck 1936 Mr Pye You Must Get Married 1936 Percy Phut Jack of All Trades 1936 Lionel Fitch O H M S 1937 uncredited Aren t Men Beasts 1937 Herbert Holly A Spot of Bother 1938 Dear Mr Binky Rudd So This Is London 1939 Henry Honeycutt Banana Ridge 1942 Willoughby Pink Women Aren t Angels 1943 Wilmer Popday He Snoops to Conquer 1944 Sir Timothy Strawbridge Things Happen at Night 1948 Vincent Ebury One Wild Oat 1951 Humphrey Proudfoot The Magic Box 1951 11 Sitter in Bath Studio Our Girl Friday 1953 Professor Gibble My Wife s Family 1956 Noah Parker Three Men in a Boat 1956 Photographer Seven Keys 1961 Mr Piggott The Night We Got the Bird 1961 Doctor Vincent uncredited Out of the Shadow 1961 Ronald Fortescue The Young Ones 1961 Chauffeur Crooks Anonymous 1962 Grimsdale Hotel Paradiso 1966 Duke Salt and Pepper 1968 Dove Raising the Roof 1972 Old Gent final film role Notes Edit a b c d e f g h Midwinter Eric Hare John Robertson 1891 1979 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press 2004 online edition January 2011 retrieved 12 February 2013 subscription or UK public library membership required a b c d e Gaye pp 703 704 a b c d Mr Robertson Hare The Times 16 November 1979 p vi Gaiety Theatre Grumpy The Manchester Guardian 26 October 1920 p 14 Tons of Money The Times 15 April 1922 p 10 Mr Ralph Lynn The Times 10 August 1962 p 11 Benny Hill in a Musical Romp The Times 7 August 1959 p 13 Hope Wallace Philip A Funny Thing at the Strand The Guardian 4 October 1963 p 9 Barron was succeeded in the role by Ernest Clark but resumed the role later in the run of the programme Melly George Television The Observer 2 February 1969 p 28 Release date for The Magic Box in IMDb References EditGaye Freda ed 1967 Who s Who in the Theatre fourteenth ed London Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons OCLC 5997224 Walker John ed 2001 Halliwell s Who s Who in the Movies London HarperCollins ISBN 0 06 093507 3 Further reading EditHare Robertson 1956 Yours Indubitably London Robert Hale OCLC 314546991 External links EditWorks by or about Robertson Hare at Internet Archive Robertson Hare at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Robertson Hare amp oldid 1107453446, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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