Digby Wolfe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | James Digby Wolfe (1929-06-04)4 June 1929 |
| Died | 2 May 2012(2012-05-02) (aged 82) |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, television writer, television personality |
| Years active | 1948–2002 |
| Spouse | Patricia Mannion |
James Digby Wolfe (4 June 1929 – 2 May 2012)[1] was an English actor, comedian, television writer, and presenter, who worked variously in theUnited Kingdom,Australia, andUnited States. He was best known for his work on the sketch comedy programsThat Was the Week That Was andRowan & Martin's Laugh-In, and was both aPrimetime Emmy andLogie Award recipient.
James Digby Wolfe[1] was born to a father who was an international banker and a mother who was aVogue magazine artist. His mother named him after a character inBeau Geste. When he was four, his father died after having been hit by a golf ball, and he was brought up by his mother inFelixstowe.[2]
He made his film debut in the 1948 filmThe Weaker Sex. He began writing and performing in comedy series in England in the 1950s. Together with Jimmy Wilson he wrote a revue, with music by John Pritchett and Norman Dannatt, for the Irving Theatre. He appeared alongsideRonnie Corbett,Hattie Jacques andCharles Hawtrey, in his own television showWolfe at the Door before moving toSydney, Australia in 1959, where he made frequent television appearances and was host of the variety shows,Revue '61 andRevue '62.[3]
At that time, his resident comedian wasDave Allen, who later became a household name in the UK and Australia. Wolfe returned to England for a while in the early 1960s and was a writer on the seminal television satirical reviewThat Was the Week That Was.[1] He also taught screenwriting at USC in the MPW (Master of Professional Writing) program.[4]
In 1964, he moved to the United States, where his television credits includedThe Monkees,Bewitched,I Dream of Jeannie, andThe Munsters, while his film roles included voice parts inThe Jungle Book andFather Goose, in which he sang the main theme. His writing credits includedRowan & Martin's Laugh-In (for which he won anEmmy in 1968; comedianJohn Barbour credits Wolfe with coining the term "laugh-in"), andTheGoldie Hawn Special. He also wrote forJohn Denver,Shirley MacLaine,Cher andJackie Mason, among others. In 1976 he hosted two episodes of the Australian version ofThis Is Your Life.[5]
Until 2002, Wolfe taught dramatic writing at theUniversity of New Mexico,[6] first as a visiting professor, then as the chair of the Robert Hartung Dramatic Writing Program in the Theatre and Dance Department. He was awarded 'Teacher of the Year' at that university in 2001.[7]
Wolfe died inAlbuquerque, New Mexico, aged 82, on 3 May 2012, after a short battle with cancer, and was survived by his wife, Patricia Mannion, and his sister, Hilary Hammond-Williams.[4]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | The Monkees | Man with Paper | S1:E29, "Monkees Get Out More Dirt" |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
