Arthur Riscoe MC (1896–1954) was a British stage and

film actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

Early life

He was born Arthur Charles Boorman on 19 November 1896 in

Sherburn-in-Elmet Sherburn in Elmet (pronounced ) is a large village, civil parish and electoral ward in the Selby District of North Yorkshire, England, west of Selby and south of Tadcaster. It was part of the West Riding of Yorkshire until 1974. It is one o ...

near

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...

, but at the age of 15 moved to

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

as a farm worker. When 18, he joined the Australian Imperial Forces. He served as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC ...

for his actions on the Western Front in August 1918. Later he was part of an AIF entertainment troupe.

Career

His stage career began in 1919 with a part in '' The Lilac Domino'', and he returned to the UK in 1920, slowly building popularity till the 1930s when he was well established in light comedy, and had significant film roles. He appeared as

Widow Twankey Widow Twankey (originally Twankay, sometimes Twanky) is a female character in the pantomime '' Aladdin''. She is a pantomime dame, played by an older man. History The story of Aladdin is drawn from the '' Arabian Nights'', a collection of Midd ...

at the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

in 1937. He married Olive Raymond, and their daughter Maureen Riscoe was an actress and casting director. He died of a heart attack on 6 August 1954 at his home in London.

Selected filmography

* ''Horatio's Deception'' (1920) * '' For the Love of Mike'' (1932) * ''

For Love of You ''For Love of You'' is a 1933 British musical comedy film directed by Carmine Gallone and starring Arthur Riscoe, Naunton Wayne and Franco Foresta. It was made at British and Dominions Elstree Studios.Wood p.77 It is the sequel to '' Going Gay ...

'' (1933) * '' Public Nuisance No. 1'' (1936) * '' Paradise for Two'' (1938) * ''

Kipps ''Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul'' is a novel by H. G. Wells, first published in 1905. It was reportedly Wells's own favourite among his works, and it has been adapted for stage, cinema and television productions, including the musical '' ...

'' (1941)

References

External links

*
"Arthur Riscoe and Slater 1938"
at British-Pathe 1896 births 1954 deaths Male actors from Leeds Australian recipients of the Military Cross English male film actors 20th-century English male actors {{England-film-actor-stub