Dick Emery | |
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 Emery with actress and dancerSusie Silvey, filming in the 1980s | |
| Born | Richard Gilbert Emery (1915-02-19)19 February 1915 Bloomsbury, London, England |
| Died | 2 January 1983(1983-01-02) (aged 67) Denmark Hill, London, England |
| Resting place | Mortlake Crematorium,Mortlake, London, England |
| Years active | 1946–1983 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Ann Emery (half-sister) |
Richard Gilbert Emery (19 February 1915 – 2 January 1983) was an Englishcomedian and comic actor. His broadcasting career began on radio in the 1950s, and his self-titled television series ran from 1963 to 1981.
Richard Gilbert Emery was born 19 February 1915,[1] inUniversity College Hospital,Bloomsbury, London.[2] His parents were the comedy double act Callan and Emery.[1] They took him on tour when he was only three weeks old and gave him the occasional turn on the stage during his childhood, which was always on the move and disrupted, creating problems for the future but setting the scene for eventually going into showbusiness himself. His parents split up when he was eight and he chose to stay with his mother, who gave up showbusiness.[3] He tried a variety of jobs before the stage: mechanic, office boy, farm hand and driving instructor.
During theSecond World War he was called up to theRAF and rose to the rank of corporal. However, because of family problems, he returned to London, joining the chorus line ofThe Merry Widow at the Majestic Theatre, although he was subsequently recognised, arrested and imprisoned. He was recruited byRalph Reader into theRAF Gang Show to entertain air and ground crew at bases inGreat Britain.
At this time he created Vera Thin (the Forces' Sweetheart), loosely based onVera Lynn, later saying, "I was better indrag than combat gear".[1] AfterD-Day, his unit toured forward airbases.[1]
On leaving the RAF, he returned to the theatre as a comedian. He worked at theWindmill Theatre, though his name does not appear on the plaque commemorating the acts that played there. He toured his fledgling act around the United Kingdom.[1]
He also auditioned for various parts and in 1952 he starred in a role in a 15-minuteRadio Luxembourg series on Saturdays at 7.00pm calledChance of a Lifetime. This was a quiz sponsored by Marshall Ward in which merchandise to the value of £30 was awarded to contestants. Other radio work around this time included several appearances onWorkers' Playtime on the BBC, a morale-boosting show that had started during the war to entertain factory workers in their canteens. Emery also made a guest appearance on the popular BBC radio programmeThe Goon Show, replacing regular cast memberHarry Secombe for one episode in 1957.
During 1953 he briefly formed a double act withCharlie Drake.[4] His television debut came in 1950 onThe Centre Show on theBBC. He appeared on TV programmes includingRound the Bend (BBC, 1955–56) andEducating Archie (ITV, 1958–59) and appeared with his friendTony Hancock in several episodes ofThe Tony Hancock Show (ITV, 1956) andHancock's Half Hour (BBC, 1957).[1]
He enhanced his reputation on two series with formerGoonMichael Bentine:After Hours (ITV, 1958–59) andIt's a Square World (BBC, 1960–64).[1] His role as Private Chubby Catchpole in the final series ofThe Army Game,[1] (ITV 1960) led to an exclusive BBC contract, and the long-runningThe Dick Emery Show (BBC, 1963–81) began.[1] The show involved Emery dressing up as various characters, lasted 18 series totalling 166 episodes aired between 1963 and 1981.[5]
In a sporadic film career he made his debut in theGoons'The Case of the Mukkinese Battle Horn (directed by Joseph Sterling, 1954).[1] He also played bungling bank robber Booky Binns inThe Big Job (directed byGerald Thomas, 1965) and was known for vocal talents as an array of characters including "The Nowhere Man"Jeremy Hillary Boob, the Mayor of Pepperland and Max, one of theBlue Meanies in theBeatles'Yellow Submarine directed byGeorge Dunning, in 1968.[1]
Emery appeared in films as Shingler inThe Fast Lady (1962), asPeter Sellers's neighbour inThe Wrong Arm Of The Law, as Harry inBaby Love (1968), as Mr Bateman inLoot (1970) andOoh… You Are Awful (1972), in which he played many of the characters he had portrayed in his TV series. The plot of this comedy centred on Emery hunting down a bank account number. The digits of the number are tattooed on the bottoms of four young women. Emery has to see the girls naked, which requires disguises. One of the women is played byLiza Goddard.
Emery also recorded several novelty records, most notably "If You Love Her", which reached number 32 in 1969, and "You Are Awful", which just missed the top 40 in 1973.[6] Other singles included "A Cockney Christmas" (1962), "You're The Only One" (1974) and "Rocking Horse Cowboy" (1979). In 1979, Emery moved toITV for three specials before returning to the BBC in 1980 and resumingThe Dick Emery Show.
By 1982, Emery was tiring of the format for his BBC series and wanted to do something different. Using a new format and character, Jewish private detective Bernie Weinstock, Emery had a new outlet – two series of comedy thrillers under the bannerEmery Presents (BBC, 1982–83),Legacy of Murder[7] andJack of Diamonds.[8]
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Emery had a very difficult childhood initially, but things settled down following the departure of his father, Laurie Howe.[5] He was devoted to his mother for most of his life and helped support her once he was able to work. This devotion caused problems in his marriages.
He was in six long-term relationships, marrying five times, and also had numerous affairs. He often appeared in tabloid newspapers with beautiful women.
At the beginning of theSecond World War he married Joan (sometimes known as Zelda) Sainsbury and had one son, Gilbert Richard. After the failure of that marriage, he married Irene (Pip) Ansell but the marriage barely lasted six months. While working in summer season in 1950, at the Winter Gardens inVentnor on theIsle of Wight, he met Iris Margaret Tully, who was also in the show. At the end of the season, they returned to London and set up home together in Iris' flat inShaftesbury Avenue. Iris changed her name to Emery bydeed poll until 1955, a year after she had given birth to his second son, Nicholas William. Emery and she married in 1955.
The marriage was a rocky one because Emery had several affairs while away on tour. He met the woman who became his fourth wife, Victoria Chambers, in the mid-1950s. He was torn between the two women, but in late 1958 he left Iris and moved toThames Ditton inSurrey to set up home.
In 1960, however, he returned to Iris and his son and moved them to Thames Ditton, but he could never settle, and in 1962 he left Iris for Victoria. Iris divorced him in 1964. By this time, he had set up home inEsher. Vickie had a son Michael and a daughter Eliza with him. His last wife was Josephine Blake[9] to whom he was still married at the time of his death, although he had left her to live with Fay Hillier, an actress 30 years his junior.
Outside showbusiness, he enjoyed flying, and held apilot's licence from 1961 onwards. He also liked fast cars and motorcycles. He was a keen maker of scale models, and was president of theAirfix Modellers' Club. He also wrote a review feature forMeccano Magazine during 1971.
While the public took him to heart, voting him BBC TV Personality of the Year in 1972, Emery suffered from severestage fright andlow self-esteem. He underwent psychoanalysis andhypnosis, and took sedatives to try to cure the problems.[10]
He had four children, Gilbert, Nicholas, Michael and Eliza,[10] and was the half-brother of actressAnn Emery.
In December 1982, Emery was taken to a London hospital with severe chest pains. He died at the hospital fromcardiorespiratory failure on 2 January 1983[1] at the age of 67.[11]
Film
Television
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