Arthur Ernest Mullard (

né A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth reg ...

Mullord; 19 September 1910His obituary in ''The Times'' gives his date of birth as 10 November 1910 but conflicts with the birthdate given in his death registration. His year of birth appears as 1908, 1910, 1912 and 1913 in various sources. However online records a

show that the birth of an Arthur E Mullord was registered in Islington in October–December 1910, which is probably him. – 11 December 1995) was an English actor and singer. Following military service and a brief boxing career, Mullard found work as a cockney character actor in film and TV comedy, notably in the series ''

Romany Jones ''Romany Jones'' is a British sitcom made by London Weekend Television, broadcast between 1972 and 1975, involving the comic misadventures of two layabout families living on a caravan site. The show was designed as a vehicle for James BeckJames ...

''.

Early life

Mullard was born to a humble background in Islington,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, named Arthur Mullord. He started work at the age of 14 as a butcher's assistant and joined the army at 18. It was there 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. In 1939, he was a general labourer living with his parents at 35 Douglas Street, Islington. He rejoined the army in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, becoming a

warrant officer Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mos ...

(sergeant major) in the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

Career

Acting

Following the end of the war in 1945, Mullard sought work as a

stuntman A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...

at Pinewood and

Ealing Ealing () is a district in West London, England, west of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Ealing. Ealing is the administrative centre of the borough and is identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Ealing was histor ...

film studios, from which he drifted into uncredited bit-parts in British films including ''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', Charles Dickens's second novel, was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is bound into apprenticeship with ...

'' (1948), ''

The Lavender Hill Mob ''The Lavender Hill Mob'' is a 1951 comedy film from Ealing Studios, written by T. E. B. Clarke, directed by Charles Crichton, starring Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway and featuring Sid James and Alfie Bass. The title refers to Lavender Hil ...

'' (1951) and '' The Ladykillers'' (1955). Mullard's face and

cockney Cockney is an accent and dialect of English, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by working-class and lower middle-class Londoners. The term "Cockney" has traditionally been used to describe a person from the East End, or b ...

accent lent themselves to a certain character and he graduated to more visible roles in comedy films and on

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

. It was on television that Mullard made a name for himself, first as a

straight man The straight man is a stock character in a comedy performance, especially a double act, sketch comedy, or farce. When a comedy partner behaves eccentrically, the straight man is expected to maintain composure. The direct contribution to the ...

for

Tony Hancock Anthony John Hancock (12 May 1924 – 25 June 1968) was an English comedian and actor. High-profile during the 1950s and early 1960s, he had a major success with his BBC series ''Hancock's Half Hour'', first broadcast on radio from 1954, ...

Frankie Howerd Francis Alick Howard (6 March 1917 – 19 April 1992), better known by his stage-name Frankie Howerd, was an English actor and comedian. Early life Howerd was born the son of soldier Francis Alfred William (1887–1934)England & Wales, Deat ...

and

Benny Hill Alfred Hawthorne "Benny" Hill (21 January 1924 – 20 April 1992) was an English comedian, actor, singer and writer. He is remembered for his television programme ''The Benny Hill Show'', an amalgam of slapstick, burlesque and double ente ...

, then in ''

The Arthur Askey Show ''The Arthur Askey Show'' was a short-lived black-and-white British sitcom starring Arthur Askey that ran for six episodes in 1961. It was written by Dave Freeman. It was made for the ITV network by ATV. The following year Askey appeared in a ...

''. It was the

London Weekend Television London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 unt ...

series ''

'', first aired in 1973, which gave Mullard his highest profile, playing Wally Briggs, a crafty caravan-dweller. Popular in its time, the show did not find critical favour and has subsequently been named by one source, the Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy, as one of the poorer British sitcoms made. So popular was Mullard's character that a sequel, ''

Yus, My Dear ''Yus, My Dear'' is a British sitcom that ran for nineteen episodes over two series in 1976 featuring Arthur Mullard and Queenie Watts in the lead roles. It was written by Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe, and produced and directed by Stuart Al ...

'', was broadcast in 1976, in which Wally and his wife Lily (

Queenie Watts Queenie Watts (born Mary Spenton; 21 July 1923 – 25 January 1980) was an English actress of film and television, as well as an occasional singer.

) had moved out of their caravan into a

council house A council house is a form of British public housing built by local authorities. A council estate is a building complex containing a number of council houses and other amenities like schools and shops. Construction took place mainly from 1919 ...

. The series gained modest ratings. Mullard (or "Arfur" as he was widely known) was regularly a guest in other programmes and television commercials. He and Watts also reprised their roles of Wally and Lily appearing in the film ''

Holiday on the Buses ''Holiday on the Buses'' is a 1973 British comedy film directed by Bryan Izzard and starring Reg Varney and Doris Hare. The film is the third and final spin-off film from the ITV sitcom ''On the Buses'' and succeeded the films ''On the Buses'' ...

'' (1973), the last feature-length version of the popular ''On the Buses'' comedy series of the time. Mullard also appeared in ''

Ladies Who Do ''Ladies Who Do'' is a 1963 British comedy film directed by C. M. Pennington-Richards and starring Peggy Mount, Robert Morley and Harry H. Corbett. Plot Mrs. Cragg (Peggy Mount) works as a charwoman (part-time domestic servant) for retired C ...

'' (1963), '' Morgan!'' (1966), ''

The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery ''The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery'' is a British comedy film, directed by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat, written by Sidney and Leslie Gilliat, and released on 4 April 1966. It is the last of the original series of films based on the ...

'' (1966), ''

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' is a 1968 musical-fantasy film directed by Ken Hughes with a screenplay co-written by Roald Dahl and Hughes, loosely based on Ian Fleming's novel '' Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car'' (1964). The film stars ...

'' (1968) and ''

Adventures of a Plumber's Mate ''Adventures of a Plumber's Mate'' is a 1978 British sex comedy film directed by Stanley Long and starring Christopher Neil as Sid South. Following on from ''Adventures of a Taxi Driver'' and ''Adventures of a Private Eye'', it was the final ...

'' (1978). In 1986, invited by producer Victor Lewis-Smith, Mullard hosted an edition of ''

Midweek ''MidWeek'' is a weekly United States tabloid shopper and advertisement periodical published in Honolulu, Hawaii and distributed throughout the Islands of Oahu and Kauai. It is owned by Black Press and is a sister publication of the ''Honolulu ...

'' on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

to replace regular host

Libby Purves Elizabeth Mary Purves, (born 2 February 1950) is a British radio presenter, journalist and author. Early life and career Born in London, a diplomat's daughter, Purves was raised in her mother's Catholic faith and educated at convent school ...

during her temporary absence.

Music

In 1967, Mullard recorded "I Love You, You Love Me" and "Was It Something I Said?" on the Masquerade label (MA5001). This was followed the same year by an album, ''Arthur Mullard of London'' (MQ 2003). This included his

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

' " Yesterday", jokes, and philosophy. More singles followed in the 1970s, including 1974's "Not Now Arthur" / "If I Only Had My Time Again" (BASFBA 1012), and in 1975 "

I Only Have Eyes for You "I Only Have Eyes for You" is a romantic love song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, written for the film ''Dames'' (1934) when Dick Powell introduced it. Several successful recordings of the song were made in 1934; later, there we ...

" / "One 'Fing 'N' Annuver" (RCA 2610) with "Yus My Dear" / "Arthur" (RCA Z639A) being released in 1976. He entered the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in 1978 with his cover of "

You're the One That I Want "You're the One That I Want" is a song performed by American actor and singer John Travolta and Anglo-Australian singer, songwriter and actress Olivia Newton-John for the 1978 film version of the musical '' Grease''. It was written and produc ...

" (Pye 7N 46121) (from the

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

'' Grease''), a duet with fellow comedy actor

Hylda Baker Hylda Baker (4 February 1905 – 1 May 1986) was an English comedian, actress and music hall performer. Born and brought up in Farnworth, Lancashire, she is perhaps best remembered for her role as Nellie Pledge in the Granada ITV sitcom ''N ...

, who was in her seventies. The single, which peaked at number 22 in the UK, was taken from the album ''Band on the Trot'' (Pye PKL 5576). The single was his last professional success during Mullard's life; there followed an uncredited narration on the

Glenn Close Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. Throughout her career spanning over four decades, Close has garnered numerous accolades, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards ...

-led live-action '' 101 Dalmatians'', released in 1996, after his death.

Personal life and abuse allegations

Mullard continued to live in a

in Islington after his success and spent much of his free time socialising in local

pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

s. He wrote an autobiography, ''Oh, Yus, It's Arthur Mullard'', which was published in 1977. Mullard died in his sleep on 11 December 1995, aged 85. He married Florence Rose in 1939, and the couple had three children: Brian, Barbara and Johnny. Florence died in 1961, aged 48. In May 1996, five months after his death, the ''

Sunday Mirror The ''Sunday Mirror'' is the Sunday sister paper of the ''Daily Mirror''. It began life in 1915 as the ''Sunday Pictorial'' and was renamed the ''Sunday Mirror'' in 1963. In 2016 it had an average weekly circulation of 620,861, dropping marke ...

'' reported that a '' This Is Your Life'' episode about Mullard had been planned, but it was cancelled by host

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ A ...

. This came after the show's producers contacted Mullard's eldest son, and discovered Mullard's history of extreme

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

and years of

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...

of his daughter Barbara, beginning when she was 13 in the early 1950s. Despite his alleged acts of child sexual abuse against Barbara, which she recounted in an interview with the ''Sunday Mirror'', she had nursed him in his dotage. He left her and one of her brothers £5,000 each, and £250,000 to a children's home. It was reported at the time that Mullard's son Johnny had become a successful comedian in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, Australia.Barrowclough, Anne. "THIS IS NOT YOUR LIFE..." The Free Library 12 May 1996. 25 July 2021
IS NOT YOUR LIFE...-a061162094
/ref> Mullard's wife Florence had committed suicide in 1961 by taking an overdose of sleeping tablets, after suffering from poor physical and mental health for several years. Her death was claimed by Barbara to be partly the result of the extreme physical and mental violence Mullard perpetrated against her. Florence left a suicide note which said, "I don't want to live any more because of what you're doing with Barbara. Please look after my Johnny."

Partial filmography

* ''

Girdle of Gold ''Girdle of Gold'' is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Esmond Knight, Maudie Edwards and Meredith Edwards.Berry p.219 It was produced as a second feature for the lower half of a double bill. The film was shot a ...

'' (1952) - Police officer * ''

The Extra Day ''The Extra Day'' is a 1956 British comedy-drama film directed by William Fairchild and starring Richard Basehart, Simone Simon and George Baker. Plot After the final scene of a film is lost by the driver taking it to the printing lab, the ca ...

'' (1956) - Barney's Second (uncredited) * ''

My Teenage Daughter ''My Teenage Daughter'', later ''Teenage Bad Girl'', is a 1956 British drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Sylvia Syms and Norman Wooland. The screenplay concerns a mother who tries to deal with her teenage daughter' ...

'' - Club Bouncer (uncredited) * ''

Dial 999 (TV series) ''Dial 999'' is a British television series that ran for one series of 38 episodes from 1958 to 1959. The series was a co-production between ITV (TV channel), ITV contractor ABC Weekend TV, and American television producer Ziv Television Programs ...

'' (1958) - Morris - (uncredited) * ''

The Bank Raiders ''The Bank Raiders'' is a 1958 British crime film directed by Maxwell Munden and starring Peter Reynolds, Sandra Dorne and Lloyd Lamble. Plot Terry, a small-time hoodlum, is the driver in a successful bank robbery. He gets his share of the l ...

'' (1958) - Linders * ''

The Haunted Strangler ''The Haunted Strangler'' (also known as ''Grip of the Strangler'' and originally titled ''The Judas Hole'') is a 1958 British horror film directed by Robert Day. It was adapted from "Stranglehold", a story which screenwriter Jan Read had writte ...

'' (1958) - Asylum Attendant (uncredited) * ''

The Man Who Liked Funerals ''The Man Who Liked Funerals'' is a 1958 British comedy film directed by David Eady (film director), David Eady and starring Leslie Phillips, Susan Beaumont and Bill Fraser. It was written by Margot Bennett (writer), Margot Bennett, Cecily Fin ...

'' (1959) - Renny Fiasco * ''

Two-Way Stretch ''Two-Way Stretch'', is a 1960 British comedy film, about a group of prisoners who plan to break out of jail, commit a robbery, and then break back into jail again, thus giving them the perfect alibi – that they were behind bars when the ro ...

'' (1960) - Fred * '' And the Same to You'' (1960) - Tubby * ''

Dentist on the Job ''Dentist on the Job'' is a 1961 British comedy film directed by C. M. Pennington-Richards, the sequel to ''Dentist in the Chair'' (1960). It was released in the US with the title ''Get On with It!''. The film was co-written by Hugh Woodhouse a ...

'' (1961) - (uncredited) * ''

On the Fiddle ''On the Fiddle'' (released as ''Operation Snafu'' and ''Operation War Head'' in the United States) is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Sean Connery, Alfred Lynch, Cecil Parker, Stanley Holloway, Eric Barker, Mi ...

'' (1961) - Thirsty Man Getting Off Bus (uncredited) * ''

It's Trad, Dad! ''It's Trad, Dad!'' (1962), known in the U.S. as ''Ring-A-Ding Rhythm'', is a British musical comedy featuring performances by a variety of Dixieland jazz bands and rock-and-roll singers. The film was one of the first produced by Amicus Produc ...

'' (1962) - police chief * '' Postman's Knock'' (1962) - Sam * ''

Crooks Anonymous ''Crooks Anonymous'' is a British comedy film from 1962. Directed by Ken Annakin, it stars Leslie Phillips and Stanley Baxter and is notably the feature film debut of Julie Christie. Plot Captain "Dandy Forsdyke" (Leslie Phillips) is a habitua ...

'' (1962) - Grogan * '' Band of Thieves'' (1962) - Getaway * ''

Sparrows Can't Sing ''Sparrows Can't Sing'' is a 1963 British kitchen sink comedy film. Based on a 1960 play, ''Sparrers Can't Sing'', it was directed by Joan Littlewood and was from a story by Stephen Lewis. The producer was Donald Taylor and the original music b ...

'' (1963) - Ted * ''

The Wrong Arm of the Law ''The Wrong Arm of the Law'' is a 1963 British comedy film directed by Cliff Owen and starring Peter Sellers, Bernard Cribbins, Lionel Jeffries, John Le Mesurier and Bill Kerr. It was partly written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson and made by Ro ...

'' (1963) - Brassknuckles * ''

Heavens Above! ''Heavens Above!'' is a 1963 British satirical comedy film starring Peter Sellers, directed by John and Roy Boulting, who also co-wrote along with Frank Harvey, from an idea by Malcolm Muggeridge. It is in a similar vein to the earlier collab ...

'' (1963) - (uncredited) * ''

'' (1963) - Mr. Merryweather * '' Father Came Too!'' (1964) - traffic warden * ''

The Counterfeit Constable ''The Counterfeit Constable'' (French: ''Allez France!'') is a 1964 French comedy film directed by Robert Dhéry and Pierre Tchernia and starring Ronald Fraser, Diana Dors and Arthur Mullard. Plot A French rugby supporter (Robert Dhéry), in ...

'' (1964) - Le malfaiteur * '' Gonks Go Beat'' (1965) - drum master * ''

Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment Morgan may refer to: People and fictional characters * Morgan (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Morgan le Fay, a powerful witch in Arthurian legend * Morgan (surname), a surname of Welsh origin * Morgan (singer) ...

'' (1966) - Wally * ''

'' (1966) - Big Jim * ''

Cuckoo Patrol ''Cuckoo Patrol'' is a 1967 UK, British musical film, musical comedy film directed by Duncan Wood and starring Freddie Garrity, Victor Maddern, John Le Mesurier and Kenneth Connor. It was produced in 1965 but held back for two years. The film' ...

'' (1967) - Yossle * ''

Smashing Time ''Smashing Time'' is a 1967 British satirical comedy film starring Rita Tushingham and Lynn Redgrave. It is a satire on the 1960s media-influenced phenomenon of ''Swinging London''. It was written by George Melly and directed by Desmond Davis ...

'' (1967) - cafe boss * ''

'' (1968) - Cyril * '' Lock Up Your Daughters'' (1969) - night watchman * ''

Crooks and Coronets ''Crooks and Coronets'' is a 1969 British crime comedy film and/or heist movie written and directed by Jim O'Connolly. It starred Telly Savalas, Edith Evans, Warren Oates, Cesar Romero and Harry H. Corbett. The film was renamed as ''Sophie's Plac ...

'' (1969) - Perce * '' The Vault of Horror'' (1973) - Gravedigger (segment 4 "Bargain in Death") * ''

'' (1973) - Wally Briggs * ''

Three for All 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * ''Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 no ...

'' (1975) - Ben * ''

'' (1979) - Blackie * ''

Mind Your Language ''Mind Your Language'' is a British sitcom that premiered on ITV in 1977. It was produced by London Weekend Television and directed by Stuart Allen. Three series were made by the London Weekend Television between 1977 and 1979 and briefly reviv ...

'' (1979) - himself (guest appearance) * '' 101 Dalmatians (1996 film)'' (1996) -Voice (uncredited)

Bibliography

* Mullard, Arthur ''Oh, Yus, It's Arthur Mullard'' , autobiography, published by Everest, London, 1977;

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mullard, Arthur 1910 births 1995 deaths English male comedians English male film actors English male television actors People from Islington (district) Royal Artillery soldiers 20th-century English male actors Child sexual abuse in England British novelty song performers 20th-century English comedians British Army personnel of World War II