Arthur Mullard

Born 19 September 1910, died 11 December 1995 Arthur was born in a humble background in Islington, London, started work at 14 as a butcher's assistant, and joined the Army at 18. In the army he began boxing, becoming champion of his regiment and had three years as a professional boxer that ended after 20 fights over just three years. After the was he worked as a stuntman at Pinewood and Ealing film studios (UK), the into uncredited bit-parts in British films such as Oliver Twist (1948), The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), and The Ladykillers (1955). Mullard's face and very heavy cockney accent lent itself to a certain character, and he graduated to more visible roles in comedy films and on television. It was on television that Mullard made a name for himself, first as a straight man for Tony Hancock, Frankie Howerd and Benny Hill, then in The Arthur Askey Show. It was the London Weekend Television series Romany Jones, first aired in 1973, which give Mullard his highest profile, playing Wally Briggs, a crafty caravan-dweller. So popular was his s character that a sequel "Yus, My Dear" was broadcast in 1976, in which Wally and his wife Lily (Queenie Watts) had moved into a council house. Yus, My Dear was a popular success and Arthur (or "Arfur") was regularly a guest in other programmes and television commercials.