Jerry Desmonde (bornJames Robert Sadler; 20 July 1908 – 11 February 1967) was an English actor and presenter. He is perhaps best known for his work as acomedic foil in duos withNorman Wisdom andSid Field.
Jerry Desmonde was born James Robert Sadler in theLinthorpe area ofMiddlesbrough on 20 July 1908, the son ofmusic hall performers who toured the halls throughout England and Scotland.[2]
Sadler first appeared on stage at the age of 11 and later became part of his family's actThe Four Sadlers.[3] He built a career as asong and dance man inmusical theatre and later toured parts of the United States in 1927-1928 withBeatrice Lillie andNoël Coward in the two-actrevueThis Year of Grace.[3][4] By 1934, he had married Peggy Duncan and they toured as adouble act calledPeg and Jerry, largely in Scotland.[3]
In the 1940s, Desmonde was briefly a straight man for Scottish comedianDave Willis and in 1942 he was invited to be straight man for stagecomedianSid Field becoming one of the most celebrated comedy teams ever to appear on stage.[2][3] They appeared together on stage in three very successful revues,Strike a New Note (1943),[5]Strike it Again (1944)[6] andPiccadilly Hayride (1946)[7] at thePrince of Wales Theatre, London and in two films,London Town (1946),[8] an infamous flop, and inCardboard Cavalier (1949).[1]
The two men next worked together on a stage play,Harvey at the Prince of Wales Theatre, from which Desmonde was ultimately sacked.[3] In 1950 a few months later, during the play's run Field died of a heart attack.
In 1949 Desmonde appeared on television as a presenter inRooftop Rendezvous.[9]He was a regular panelist and occasional guest host on the original UK version of the televisionpanel gameWhat's My Line? (1951–1962),[2][10] and appeared in several TV comediesHoliday Camp (1951) withArthur Askey,[11]A Flight of Fancy (1952) withJimmy Young, then a singer working as a comedian,Spectacular (1960)[1]Before Your Very Eyes (1956–58) with Arthur Askey,[12]
As a game show host he hostedATV'sHit The Limit (1956)[17]andThe 64,000 Question (1956)[18] television game shows and in October 1956 Jerry appeared on the front cover ofTV Times magazine.[19]
Desmonde was in numerous movies from 1946 to 1965 including several comedies with Norman Wisdom, and starred in several others.[1] The Wisdom films usually involved the gump character (Wisdom) in a junior position to a "straight man" superior, often played byEdward Chapman, and fighting against the unfairness wrought by some "authority figure", often played by Jerry Desmonde.[26]
Desmonde was married to actress Peggy Duncan (born Peggy Doreen Edwards) from 1930 until her death in 1966.[3] They had a daughter named Jacqueline and a son named Gerald.[1] AfterWorld War II, the family settled inLondon and Jacqueline later married musician Peter Howes, who was the son of actorBobby Howes and brother of actressSally Ann Howes.[1]
On 11 February 1967, having experienced bouts ofdepression following the death of his wife the previous year, Desmonde took his own life viagas poisoning at his home in theSt John's Wood area of London; he was 58 years old.[23] He left an estate valued at £1,388 (approximately £32,232in 2023).[27] He was cremated atGolders Green Crematorium.
^George, Gerry."What's My Line?".Jerry George's Memories, 1950s British Television Nostalgia, Whirligig.Archived from the original on 14 January 2007. Retrieved25 January 2007.;"What's My Line?".UKGameShows.com.Archived from the original on 22 January 2010. Retrieved13 January 2010.;"The Box".Greasy Spoon Cafe. Archived fromthe original on 7 August 2007. Retrieved15 October 2007.
^"Holiday Camp". British Film Institute. Archived fromthe original on 6 February 2009. Retrieved5 December 2007.
^"SADLER James Robert Jill or DESMONDE Jerry of 98 Eamont Court St John's Wood London died 10 February 1967" inWills and Administrations 1967 (England and Wales) (1968), p. 5
