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Richard Gilbert Emery (19 February 19152 January 1983) was an English comedian and actor. His broadcasting career began on radio in the 1950s, and his self-titled television series ran from 1963 to 1981.


Life and career

Richard Gilbert Emery was born 19 February 1915, in
University College Hospital University College Hospital (UCH) is a teaching hospital in the Fitzrovia area of the London Borough of Camden, England. The hospital, which was founded as the North London Hospital in 1834, is closely associated with University College Lond ...
, Bloomsbury, London. His parents were the comedy double act Callan and Emery. They took him on tour when he was only three weeks old and gave him the occasional turn on the stage during his childhood, which was always on the move and disrupted, creating problems for the future but setting the scene for eventually going into showbusiness himself. His parents split up when he was eight and he chose to stay with his mother, who gave up showbusiness. He tried a variety of jobs before the stage: mechanic, office boy, farm hand and driving instructor. During 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 ...
he was called up to the
RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
and rose to the rank of corporal. However, because of family problems, he returned to London, joining the chorus line of ''The Merry Widow'' at the Majestic Theatre, although he was subsequently recognised, arrested and imprisoned. He was recruited by
Ralph Reader William Henry Ralph Reader (25 May 1903 – 18 May 1982), known as Ralph Reader, was a British actor, theatrical producer and songwriter, known for staging the original Gang Show, a variety entertainment presented by members of the Scouti ...
into the RAF Gang Show to entertain air and ground crew at bases in
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
. At this time he created Vera Thin (the Forces' Sweetheart), loosely based on
Vera Lynn Dame Vera Margaret Lynn (; 20 March 191718 June 2020) was an English singer and entertainer whose musical recordings and performances were very popular during World War II. She is honorifically known as the " Forces' Sweetheart", having giv ...
, later saying, "I was better in drag than combat gear". After D-Day, his unit toured forward airbases. On leaving the RAF, he returned to the theatre as a comedian. He worked at the
Windmill Theatre The Windmill Theatre in Great Windmill Street, London, was a variety and revue theatre best known for its nude '' tableaux vivants'', which began in 1932 and lasted until its reversion to a cinema in 1964. Many prominent British comedians o ...
, though his name does not appear on the plaque commemorating the acts that played there. He toured his fledgling act around the United Kingdom. He also auditioned for various parts and in 1952 he starred in a role in a 15-minute
Radio Luxembourg Radio Luxembourg was a multilingual commercial broadcaster in Luxembourg. It is known in most non-English languages as RTL (for Radio Television Luxembourg). The English-language service of Radio Luxembourg began in 1933 as one of the earlies ...
series on Saturdays at 7.00pm called ''Chance of a Lifetime''. This was a quiz sponsored by Marshall Ward in which merchandise to the value of £30 was awarded to contestants. Other radio work around this time included several appearances on '' Workers' Playtime'' on the BBC, a morale-boosting show that had started during the war to entertain factory workers in their canteens. Emery also made a guest appearance on the popular BBC radio programme ''
The Goon Show ''The Goon Show'' is a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme. The first series, broadcast from 28 May to 20 September 19 ...
'', replacing regular cast member
Harry Secombe Sir Harold Donald Secombe (8 September 1921 – 11 April 2001) was a Welsh comedian, actor, singer and television presenter. Secombe was a member of the British radio comedy programme ''The Goon Show'' (1951–1960), playing many characters, m ...
for one episode in 1957. During 1953 he briefly formed a double act with
Charlie Drake Charles Edward Springall (19 June 1925 – 23 December 2006), known professionally as Charlie Drake, was an English comedian, actor, writer and singer. With his small stature (5' 1"/155 cm tall), curly red hair and liking for slapstick, h ...
. His television debut came in 1950 on ''The Centre Show'' on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. He appeared on TV programmes including ''Round the Bend'' (BBC, 1955–56) and ''
Educating Archie ''Educating Archie'' was a BBC Light Programme comedy show which was broadcast for nearly ten years between June 1950 and February 1960, mostly at lunchtime on Sundays. The programme featured ventriloquist Peter Brough and his doll Archie Andr ...
'' (ITV, 1958–59) and appeared with his friend
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, ...
in several episodes of ''
The Tony Hancock Show ''The Tony Hancock Show'' is a black-and-white British sketch show starring Tony Hancock and was broadcast on ITV by the franchise contractor Associated-Rediffusion for two series in 1956 and 1957, either side of the first television series of ' ...
'' (ITV, 1956) and ''
Hancock's Half Hour ''Hancock's Half Hour'' was a BBC radio comedy, and later television comedy series, broadcast from 1954 to 1961 and written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The series starred Tony Hancock, with Sidney James; the radio version also co-starred, ...
'' (BBC, 1957). He enhanced his reputation on two series with former
Goon Goon may refer to: Slang * Humans: ** People noted for brutality, or otherwise as targets of contempt: *** A guard in a prisoner of war camp (British World War II usage) *** An enforcer (ice hockey) *** A hired thug, in a goon squad ** Alter ...
Michael Bentine Michael Bentine, (born Michael James Bentin; 26 January 1922General Register Office for England and Wales – Birth Register for the March Quarter of 1922, Watford Registration District, Reference 3a 1478, listed as "Michael J. Bentin", mother ...
: '' After Hours'' (ITV, 1958–59) and ''
It's a Square World ''It's a Square World'' is a British comedy television series starring Michael Bentine and produced by the BBC. It ran from 1960 until 1964, each episode being of 30 minutes duration. The series gained Bentine a BAFTA award in 1962 for Light E ...
'' (BBC, 1960–64). His role as Private Chubby Catchpole in the final series of ''
The Army Game ''The Army Game'' is a British television sitcom that aired on ITV from 19 June 1957 to 20 June 1961. It was the very first ITV sitcom and was made by Granada, and created by Sid Colin. It follows the exploits of Hut 29, a dysfunctional gro ...
'', (ITV 1960) led to an exclusive BBC contract, and the long-running ''
The Dick Emery Show ''The Dick Emery Show'' is a British sketch comedy show starring Dick Emery. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1963 to 1981. It was directed and produced by Harold Snoad. The show was broadcast over 19 series with 166 episodes. The show experienced ...
'' (BBC, 1963–81) began.The show involved Emery dressing up as various characters, lasted 18 series totalling 166 episodes aired between 1963 to 1981. In a sporadic film career he made his debut in the
Goons The Guardians of the Oglala Nation (GOONs) was a private paramilitary group established in 1972 by the elected tribal chairman, Dick Wilson under authority of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council. It operated on the Oglala Sioux Pine Ridge Indian Re ...
' ''
The Case of the Mukkinese Battle Horn ''The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn'' is a 30-minute comedy film starring Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Dick Emery. The film was made in November 1955, and released in 1956. p.173. Scudamore states the film was made by Richard Lester, b ...
'' (directed by Joseph Sterling, 1954). He also played bungling bank robber Booky Binns in '' The Big Job'' (directed by
Gerald Thomas Gerald Thomas (10 December 1920 – 9 November 1993) was an English film director, best known for the long-running '' Carry On'' series of British film comedies. Biography Born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, Thomas was educated i ...
, 1965) and was known for vocal talents as an array of characters including "The Nowhere Man"
Jeremy Hillary Boob Jeremy Hillary Boob, Ph.D. is a fictional character appearing in the 1968 animated film '' Yellow Submarine'', voiced by comedian Dick Emery. The character was conceived as a parody of public intellectuals and polymaths such as Southern Methodist ...
, the Mayor of Pepperland and Max, one of the Blue Meanies in the Beatles' '' Yellow Submarine'' directed by
George Dunning George Garnett Dunning (November 17, 1920 – February 15, 1979) was a Canadian filmmaker and animator. He is known for animating and directing the 1968 film inspired by the Beatles, '' Yellow Submarine''. Biography Dunning was born in Toron ...
, in 1968. Emery appeared in films as Shingler in ''
The Fast Lady ''The Fast Lady'' is a 1962 British comedy film, directed by Ken Annakin. The screenplay was written by Henry Blyth and Jack Davies, based on the 1925 novel of the same name by Keble Howard. Don Sharp directed second unit. "The Fast Lady" is th ...
'' (1962), as
Peter Sellers Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show'', featured on a number of hit comic songs ...
's neighbour in ''
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 ...
'', as Harry in ''
Baby Love "Baby Love" is a song by American music group the Supremes from their second studio album, '' Where Did Our Love Go''. It was written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland and was released on September 17, 1964 ...
'' (1968), as Mr Bateman in '' Loot'' (1970) and ''
Ooh… You Are Awful ''Ooh... You Are Awful'' is a 1972 British comedy film directed by Cliff Owen. It is a feature-length adaptation of ''The Dick Emery Show''. It starred Dick Emery, Derren Nesbitt, Ronald Fraser and Cheryl Kennedy. Its alternative title on its No ...
'' (1972), in which he played many of the characters he had portrayed in his TV series. The plot of this comedy centred on Emery hunting down a bank account number. The digits of the number are tattooed on the bottoms of four young women. Emery has to see the girls naked, which requires disguises. One of the women is played by
Liza Goddard Louise Elizabeth Goddard (born 20 January 1950) professionally known as Liza Goddard, is an English television and stage actress, best known for her work in the 1970s and 1980s. Early life Goddard was born in Smethwick, Staffordshire.Before 1 ...
. Emery also recorded several novelty records, most notably "If You Love Her", which reached number 32 in 1969, and "You Are Awful", which just missed the top 40 in 1973. Other singles included "A Cockney Christmas" (1962), "You're The Only One" (1974) and "Rocking Horse Cowboy" (1979). In 1979, Emery moved to
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
for three specials before returning to the BBC in 1980 and resuming ''The Dick Emery Show''. By 1982, Emery was tiring of the format for his BBC series and wanted to do something different. Using a new format and character, Jewish private detective Bernie Weinstock, Emery had a new outlet – two series of comedy thrillers under the banner ''Emery Presents'' (BBC, 1982–83), ''Legacy of Murder'' and ''Jack of Diamonds''.


Personal life

Emery had a very difficult childhood initially, but things settled down following the departure of his father, Laurie Howe. He was devoted to his mother for most of his life and helped support her once he was able to work. This devotion caused problems in his marriages. He was in six long-term relationships, marrying five times, and also had numerous affairs. He often appeared in tabloid newspapers with beautiful women. At the beginning of 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 ...
he married Joan (sometimes known as Zelda) Sainsbury and had one son, Gilbert Richard. After the failure of that marriage, he married Irene (Pip) Ansell but the marriage barely lasted six months. While working in summer season in 1950, at the Winter Gardens in
Ventnor Ventnor () is a seaside resort and civil parish established in the Victorian era on the southeast coast of the Isle of Wight, England, from Newport. It is situated south of St Boniface Down, and built on steep slopes leading down to the sea. ...
on the
Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...
, he met Iris Margaret Tully, who was also in the show. At the end of the season, they returned to London and set up home together in Iris' flat in
Shaftesbury Avenue Shaftesbury Avenue is a major road in the West End of London, named after The 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. It runs north-easterly from Piccadilly Circus to New Oxford Street, crossing Charing Cross Road at Cambridge Circus. From Piccadilly C ...
. Iris changed her name to Emery by deed poll until 1955, a year after she had given birth to his second son, Nicholas William. She and Emery married in 1955. The marriage was a rocky one because Emery had several affairs while away on tour. He met the woman who became his fourth wife, Victoria Chambers, in the mid-1950s. He was torn between the two women, but in late 1958 he left Iris and moved to
Thames Ditton Thames Ditton is a suburban village on the River Thames, in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey, England. Apart from a large inhabited island in the river, it lies on the southern bank, centred 12.2 miles (19.6 km) southwest of Charing Cross ...
in Surrey to set up home. In 1960, however, he returned to Iris and his son and moved them to Thames Ditton, but he could never settle, and in 1962 he left Iris for Victoria. Iris divorced him in 1964. By this time, he had set up home in
Esher Esher ( ) is a town in Surrey, England, to the east of the River Mole. Esher is an outlying suburb of London near the London-Surrey Border, and with Esher Commons at its southern end, the town marks one limit of the Greater London Built-Up ...
. Vickie bore him a son Michael and a daughter Eliza. His last wife was Josephine Blake to whom he was still married at the time of his death, although he had left her to live with Fay Hillier, an actress 30 years his junior. Outside showbusiness, he enjoyed flying, and held a pilot's licence from 1961 onwards. He also liked fast cars and motorcycles. He was a keen maker of scale models, and was president of the
Airfix Airfix is a British brand and former manufacturing company which produced injection-moulded plastic scale model kits. In the U.K., the name 'Airfix' is synonymous with plastic models of this type, often simply referred to as "an airfix kit" even ...
Modellers' Club. He also wrote a review feature for ''
Meccano Magazine ''Meccano Magazine'' was an English monthly hobby magazine published by Meccano Ltd between 1916 and 1963, and by other publishers between 1963 and 1981. The magazine was initially created for Meccano builders, but it soon became a general hobb ...
'' during 1971. While the public took him to heart, voting him BBC TV Personality of the Year in 1972, Emery suffered from severe
stage fright Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, real or imagined, whether actually or potentially (for example, when perf ...
and
low self-esteem Self-esteem is confidence in one's own worth or abilities. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself (for example, "I am loved", "I am worthy") as well as emotional states, such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame. Smith and Mackie (2007) d ...
. He underwent psychoanalysis and
hypnosis Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention (the selective attention/selective inattention hypothesis, SASI), reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.In 2015, the American Psychologica ...
, and took sedatives to try to cure the problems. He had four children, Gilbert, Nicholas, Michael and Eliza, and was the half-brother of actress
Ann Emery Ann Emery (12 March 1930 – 28 September 2016) was a British actress. She was the half-sister of actor and comedian Dick Emery. Educated at Mrs Smith's School for Young Ladies and the Cone Ripman School, she excelled in tap dancing, which le ...
.


Death

In December 1982, Emery was taken to a London hospital with severe chest pains. He died at the hospital from cardiorespiratory failure on 2 January 1983 at the age of 67.


Selected filmography

Film * ''
The Case of the Mukkinese Battle Horn ''The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn'' is a 30-minute comedy film starring Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Dick Emery. The film was made in November 1955, and released in 1956. p.173. Scudamore states the film was made by Richard Lester, b ...
'' (short) (1956) – Mr. Nodule / Mr.Crimp / Maurice Ponke * ''
Follow a Star ''Follow a Star'' is a 1959 British black and white comedy musical film directed by Robert Asher and starring Norman Wisdom. Plot Norman Truscott works as a dry cleaner, but dreams of being a stage performer. To this end, he takes elocution and ...
'' (1959) – Inebriated Party Guest (uncredited) * '' Light Up the Sky!'' (1960) – Harry * ''
A Taste of Money ''A Taste of Money'' is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Max Varnel and starring Jean Cadell, Dick Emery and Pete Murray. It was produced by the Danzigers. Premise An elderly spinster who works as a cashier for an insurance company plot ...
'' (1960) – Morrissey * '' Mrs. Gibbons' Boys'' (1962) – Woodrow * ''
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) – Reginald Cundell * ''
The Fast Lady ''The Fast Lady'' is a 1962 British comedy film, directed by Ken Annakin. The screenplay was written by Henry Blyth and Jack Davies, based on the 1925 novel of the same name by Keble Howard. Don Sharp directed second unit. "The Fast Lady" is th ...
'' (1962) – Shingler * '' Just for Fun'' (1963) – Juke Box Jury Members * ''
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) – Man in Flat 307 (uncredited) * '' The Big Job'' (1965) – Frederick 'Booky' Binns * '' Yellow Submarine'' (1968) – Jeremy Hilary Boob, Ph.D. – Nowhere Man / Lord Mayor / Max (voice) * ''
Baby Love "Baby Love" is a song by American music group the Supremes from their second studio album, '' Where Did Our Love Go''. It was written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland and was released on September 17, 1964 ...
'' (1969) – Harry Pearson * '' Loot'' (1970) – Mr. Bateman * ''
Ooh… You Are Awful ''Ooh... You Are Awful'' is a 1972 British comedy film directed by Cliff Owen. It is a feature-length adaptation of ''The Dick Emery Show''. It starred Dick Emery, Derren Nesbitt, Ronald Fraser and Cheryl Kennedy. Its alternative title on its No ...
'' (1972) – Charlie Tully * '' Find the Lady'' (1976) – Leo Television * ''
The Dick Emery Show ''The Dick Emery Show'' is a British sketch comedy show starring Dick Emery. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1963 to 1981. It was directed and produced by Harold Snoad. The show was broadcast over 19 series with 166 episodes. The show experienced ...
'' (1963–1981) 19 series – 162 episodes – Various Characters * ''The Dick Emery Hour'' (1979) 3 episodes – Himself / Various Characters * ''
Legacy of Murder ''Legacy of Murder'' is a British comedy television series which originally aired on BBC in six half-hour episodes between 16 February and 23 March 1982. A struggling London private detective and his assistant are hired by a lawyer to locate six ...
'' (1982) – Bernie Weinstock / Lord Algrave / Joe Galleano / Monica Danvers-Crichton * ''Jack of Diamonds'' (1983) – Bernie Weinstock / Cyril Blackman / Det. Insp. Dearlove / Lady Holtye / Gen. von Klaus (Last appearance)


References


External links

* *
ClassicTelly.com Tributes to Dick Emery

British Comedy Guide entry for ''Emery Presents''
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Emery, Dick 1915 births 1983 deaths Military personnel from London Deaths from respiratory failure English male comedians English male film actors English male radio actors English male television actors English male voice actors 20th-century English male actors 20th-century English comedians Male actors from London British male comedy actors Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Royal Air Force airmen