Arthur Mullard

Arthur Mullard
Born	Arthur Ernest Mullard 19 September 1910(1910-09-19)[1] Islington, London
Died	11 December 1995 (aged 85) Islington, London
Occupation	Comedy actor
Spouse(s)	Florence (Flo)

Arthur Ernest Mullard (c. 19 September 1910^[1]–11 December 1995)^[2] was an English comedy actor.

Early life

He was born in a humble background in Islington, started work at 14 as a butcher's assistant, and joined the army at 18. It was in the army that he began boxing, becoming champion of his regiment. When he left the Army after three years he had a short stint at boxing professionally. This ended after 20 fights over three years, following a knock-out from which he lost his memory.^[3]

Acting career

Following the end of the Second World War in 1945 he sought work as a stuntman at Pinewood and Ealing film studios, from which he drifted into uncredited bit-parts in British films such as Oliver Twist, The Ladykillers, Morgan!, The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Ladies Who Do, Adventures of a Plumber's Mate and The Lavender Hill Mob.

Mullard's distinctive "ugly mug" and variety of 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-dwelling character.

So popular was Mullard's character that a spin-off - Yus, My Dear - was created in 1976, in which Wally and his wife Lily (Queenie Watts) had moved out of their caravan into a council house. The series introduced Wally's brother Benny, the first acting role for future EastEnders and Snatch star Mike Reid. Yus, My Dear was a hit and Arthur (or "Arfur" as he was widely known) was regularly a guest in other programmes and television commercials.

Pop song

In 1967 Mullard recorded "I Love You, You Love Me"/Was It Something I said" on the Maquerade label (MA5001). This was followed that year by an album Arthur Mullard Of London (MQ 2003) The LP included Mullard's cover of the Beatles' "Yesterday", jokes and philosophy. More singles followed in the seventies, including 1974's "Not Now Arthur"/"If I Only Had My Time Again" (BASFBA 1012), and in 1975 "I Only Have Eyes for You"/"One 'Fing 'N' Annuver" (RCA 2610) with "Yus My Dear"/Arthur" (RCA Z639A) reeased in 1976. He entered the pop charts in 1978 with "You're the One That I Want"(PYE 7N 46121) (from the movie Grease) with Hylda Baker (who was in her seventies). A live on the BBC TV show Top Of The Pops was a disaster. Mullard and Baker fluffed the lyrics and seemed confused. Record sales fell. ^[4]The single was taken from the album "Band On The Trot" (Pye PKL 5576)

The single was the last success of Mullard's life, and following an uncredited narration on the Glenn Close-led live action 101 Dalmatians in 1996, he died in his sleep on 11 December 1995. He was 85.

Personal life

Mullard continued to live in a council maisonnette in Islington after his film and television success and to spend much of his leisure time in local pubs. In a newspaper interview after his death, Arthur Mullard's daughter, Barbara, claimed he had sexually abused her for years and had driven her mother to suicide.^[5] "His friends,' she said, 'weren't surprised".

References

External links

• Arthur Mullard at the Internet Movie Database
• - A Tribute in The New York Times