Bernard Bresslaw

Bernard Bresslaw
Born	(1934-02-25)25 February 1934 Stepney, London, England
Died	11 June 1993(1993-06-11) (aged 59) Regent's Park, London, England
Occupation(s)	Actor, comedian
Years active	1954–1993
Height	6 ft 7 in (201 cm)
Spouse	Betty Wright ​ (m. 1959)​
Children	3
Awards	Most Promising Newcomer Variety Club of Great Britain

Bernard Bresslaw (25 February 1934 – 11 June 1993)^[1] was a British actor and comedian. He was best known as a member of the Carry On film franchise. Bresslaw also worked on television and stage, did recordings and wrote a series of poetry.

Biography

Bernard Bresslaw was born the youngest of three boys into a Jewish family in Stepney, London,^[2] on 25 February 1934.^[3] He attended the Coopers' Company's School in Tredegar Square, Bow, London E3. His father was a tailor's cutter and he became interested in acting after visits to the Hackney Empire. London County Council awarded him a scholarship to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where he won the Emile Littler Award as the most promising actor.^[4] After Educating Archie on radio and The Army Game on television, more television, film and Shakespearean theatre roles followed, until he was cast in Carry On Cowboy in 1965. Although officially starring in 14 Carry On films, Bresslaw did appear in one other: Carry On Nurse. The legs of Terence Longdon were deemed to be too thin and scrawny looking, so Bresslaw's were used as 'stand'-ins for the scene where Joan Sims gives him a bath.^{[citation needed]}

Bresslaw's catchphrase, in his strong Cockney accent, was "I only arsked" (sic), first used in The Army Game,^[5] and later revived in Carry On Camping (1969). In his fleeting appearance as an angry lorry driver in the 1970 film Spring and Port Wine, his character was dubbed. ^{[citation needed]}

At 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), he was the tallest of the Carry On cast, head and shoulders over fellow Carry On regular Barbara Windsor, who was 4 ft 10 in (1.47 m). Because of his height, he was briefly considered for the part of the Creature in Hammer's Curse of Frankenstein (1957), which ultimately went instead to 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Christopher Lee. Bresslaw later made a comedy version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for Hammer titled The Ugly Duckling (1959). He made great efforts to prepare for roles, for example learning Fanagalo phrases for Carry On Up the Jungle (1970).

He featured as Varga, the lead villain in the 1967 Doctor Who story The Ice Warriors.^[6] Even though all the actors playing the aliens were over six feet tall, Bresslaw towered over them. Sonny Caldinez, who played an Ice Warrior in the story, stated in a 2004 interview that Bresslaw "was the only man that could make me feel small."

Between 1985 and 1987, Bresslaw provided the voice of Gorilla in Yorkshire TV's animated series The Giddy Game Show.

Bresslaw was a member of the Grand Order of Water Rats, a British entertainment fraternity and in 1988 he was elected "King Rat" of the order.^[7]

Bresslaw was a Freemason and member of Chelsea Lodge 3098.^{[citation needed]}

Filmography

Films

Television series

• The Adventures of Robin Hood The Black Patch as Sir Dunstan's Captain
• The Army Game
• Our House (1961–1962) 22 episodes William Singer
• Carry On Christmas Specials and Carry On Laughing
• Danger Man: The Outcast, as Leo (1964)
• Doctor Who serial The Ice Warriors (1967) as Varga, an Ice Warrior
• The Goodies Series 2 (1 October 1971) episode Scotland as the zookeeper.
• The Book Tower (1987)
• T-Bag (1987) Series 3 (in one episode) as Omar
• Terry and June (16 November 1982) Series 5 Episode 5 (Playing pool) Morris
• Sykes (7 November 1974) Series 3 Episode 4 (The Band) Johnny Brunswick
• Doctor in the House (13 September 1969) Series 1, Episode 10 (The Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Casino) Malcolm
• Mann's Best Friends (1984) 6 episodes
• The Book Tower (1987–1988) as presenter

Other works

UK chart singles

• "Mad Passionate Love/You Need Feet" (1958) (UK No. 6)^[8]
• "The Army Game/What Do We Do in the Army?" (1958) Michael Medwin, Bernard Bresslaw, Alfie Bass & Leslie Fyson (UK No. 5)^[9]
• "Charlie Brown/The Teenager's Lament" (1959)
• "Ivy Will Cling/I Found a Hole" (1959)

Stage actor

Bresslaw performed with the Young Vic Theatre Company, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. One of his last stage performances was as Malvolio in Twelfth Night at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park (1990).

He played the genie in the lamp in Aladdin at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle, in the 1990s.

He played the genie on the Sooty Show and also voiced Gorilla on The Giddy Game Show.

He played Mephistopheles, alongside James Warwick in the title role of an Oxford Stage Company regional touring production of Doctor Faustus in 1987.

He was a member of the oldest theatrical fraternity in the world, the elite Grand Order of Water Rats.^[10]

Song

His song "You Need Feet" (a parody of "You Need Hands" by Max Bygraves) was used in the Rutles' TV special, accompanying the Yoko Ono film parody "A Thousand Feet of Film". This was cut from the syndicated version and the original DVD release, but was restored (along with other cut footage) in later DVD releases.

BT adverts

Bresslaw, together with Miriam Margolyes, appeared with English comedienne Maureen Lipman in a series of British Telecom advertisements in the late 1980s. Bresslaw and Margolyes played Gerald and Dolly, a nervous couple who drop in unannounced on Lipman's character Beatrice "Beattie" Bellman and her husband Harry.

Poetry

Bresslaw was the author of a privately published volume of poetry, Ode to the Dead Sea Scrolls.^[11]

Personal life

Bresslaw was married to the dancer Betty Wright from 1959 until his death in 1993.^[12] They had three sons: James, Mark and Jonathan.

Death

Bresslaw died of a sudden heart attack on 11 June 1993.^[3] He had collapsed in the green room at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park, London, where he was to play Grumio in the New Shakespeare Company's production of Taming of the Shrew.^[13] His body was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium, north London, where his ashes were buried on 17 June 1993.^[14]

References

External links

• Bernard Bresslaw at IMDb
• Bernard Bresslaw at British Comedy Guide
• Bernard Bresslaw discography at Discogs

This page was last edited on 14 April 2024, at 17:52