Jerry Desmonde (born James Robert Sadler; 20 July 1908 – 11 February 1967) was an English actor and presenter. He is perhaps best known for his work as a

comedic foil A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act. Pairings are typically long-term, in some cases fo ...

in duos with

Norman Wisdom Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, (4 February 1915 – 4 October 2010) was an English actor, comedian, musician and singer best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring a hapless onscreen character often called Norman ...

and

Sid Field Sidney Arthur Field (1 April 1904 – 3 February 1950) was an English comedy entertainer who was popular in the 1940s. Early years Field was born in Ladywood, Birmingham, Warwickshire, the son of Albert (a candlemaker) and Bertha (a dressmak ...

Early life

Jerry Desmonde was born James Robert Sadler in the

Linthorpe Linthorpe is an inner-area of Middlesbrough in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. It contains two wards: Linthorpe (containing the cemetery with a population of 9,711) and Park (containing Albert Park with a population of ...

area of

Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the a ...

on 20 July 1908, the son of

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...

performers who toured the halls throughout England and Scotland.

Career

Sadler first appeared on stage at the age of 11 and later became part of his family's act ''The Four Sadlers''. He built a career as a

song and dance ''Song and Dance'' is a musical comprising two acts, one told entirely in "Song" and one entirely in "Dance", tied together by a unifying love story. The "Song" act is ''Tell Me on a Sunday'', with lyrics by Don Black and music by Andrew Ll ...

man in

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

and later toured parts of the United States in 1927-1928 with

Beatrice Lillie Beatrice Gladys Lillie, Lady Peel (29 May 1894 – 20 January 1989), known as Bea Lillie, was a Canadian-born British actress, singer and comedic performer. She began to perform as a child with her mother and sister. She made her West End debu ...

and

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

in the two-act

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own duri ...

This Year of Grace ''This Year of Grace'' is a revue with a book, music, and lyrics by Noël Coward. It opened in London on 22 March 1928 at the London Pavilion and ran for nearly 10 months, directed by Frank Collins, with a cast featuring Sonnie Hale, Maisie Gay, ...

''. By 1934, he had married Peggy Duncan and they toured as a

double act A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act. Pairings are typically long-term, in some cases f ...

called ''Peg and Jerry'', largely in Scotland. In the 1940s, Desmonde was briefly a straight man for Scottish comedian

Dave Willis Dave Willis (born May 1, 1970) is an American voice actor, writer, animator, producer and musician. He is best known as the co-creator of the Adult Swim animated series ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' and '' Squidbillies'', the former of which he ...

and in 1942 he was invited to be straight man for stage

comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and entertaining events or situations while the person or a ...

becoming one of the most celebrated comedy teams ever to appear on stage. They appeared together on stage in three very successful revues, ''Strike a New Note'' (1943), ''Strike it Again'' (1944) and ''Piccadilly Hayride'' (1946) at the

Prince of Wales Theatre The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre in Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in London. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner. The theatre ...

, London and in two films, '' London Town'' (1946), an infamous flop, and in ''

Cardboard Cavalier ''Cardboard Cavalier'' is a 1948 British historical comedy film directed by Walter Forde and starring Sid Field, Margaret Lockwood and Jerry Desmonde. It was the last film for Forde and Field. Field died of a heart attack shortly after the film ...

'' (1949). The two men next worked together on a stage play, ''

Harvey Harvey, Harveys or Harvey's may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Harvey'' (play), a 1944 play by Mary Chase about a man befriended by an invisible anthropomorphic rabbit * Harvey Awards ("Harveys"), one of the most important awards ...

'' at the Prince of Wales Theatre, from which Desmonde was ultimately sacked. 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 in ''Rooftop Rendezvous''. He was a regular panelist and occasional guest host on the original UK version of the television

panel game A panel show or panel game is a radio broadcasting, radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Celebrity panelists may compete with each other, such as on ''The News Quiz''; facilitate play by non-celebrity conte ...

What's My Line? ''What's My Line?'' is a panel game show that originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent U.S. revivals. The game uses celebrity panelis ...

'' (1951–1962),; ; and appeared in several TV comedies ''Holiday Camp'' (1951) with

Arthur Askey Arthur Bowden Askey, (6 June 1900 – 16 November 1982) was an English comedian and actor. Askey was known for his short stature (5' 2", 1.58 m) and distinctive horn-rimmed glasses, and his playful humour incorporating improvisation ...

, ''A Flight of Fancy'' (1952) with Jimmy Young, then a singer working as a comedian, ''Spectacular'' (1960) ''Before Your Very Eyes'' (1956–58) with Arthur Askey, He appeared in ''

Whack-O! ''Whack-O!'' is a British sitcom TV series starring Jimmy Edwards, written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden, and broadcast from 1956 to 1960 and 1971 to 1972. The series (in black and white) ran on the BBC from 1956 to 1960 and (in colour) from 19 ...

'' (1960) and ''Bud'' in 1963 a sitcom with

Bud Flanagan Bud Flanagan, (born Chaim Reuben Weintrop, 14 October 1896 – 20 October 1968) was a British music hall and vaudeville entertainer and comedian, and later a television and film actor. He was best known as a double act with Chesney Allen. Fla ...

and other members of The Crazy Gang. He also appeared in ''The Dickie Henderson Show'' (1963) and episodes of the ITV television series ''A Question of Happiness'' (1964), ''

The Plane Makers ''The Plane Makers'' is a British television series created by Wilfred Greatorex and produced by Rex Firkin. ATV made three series for ITV between 1963 and 1965. It was succeeded by ''The Power Game'', which ran for an additional three s ...

'' (1964), ''The Villains'' (1965), ''

No Hiding Place ''No Hiding Place'' is a British television series that was produced at Wembley Studios by Associated-Rediffusion for the ITV network between 16 September 1959 and 22 June 1967. It was the sequel to the series ''Murder Bag'' (1957–1958) an ...

'' (1965), ''

The Mask of Janus ''The Mask of Janus'' is a British 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 transmis ...

'' (1965), ''The Valliant Varneys'' (1965), ''

Pardon the Expression ''Pardon The Expression!'' was an ITV sitcom made by Granada Television, that was first broadcast from Wednesday 2 June 1965 to Monday 27 June 1966. The sitcom was one of four spin-offs from the soap opera ''Coronation Street''. ''Pardon the ...

'' (1966) and ''

Vendetta Vendetta may refer to: * Feud or vendetta, a long-running argument or fight Film * ''Vendetta'' (1919 film), a film featuring Harry Liedtke * ''Vendetta'' (1950 film), an American drama produced by Howard Hughes * ''Vendetta'' (1986 film), a ...

'' (1966). As a game show host he hosted ATV's ''Hit The Limit'' (1956) and '' The 64,000 Question'' (1956) television game shows and in October 1956 Jerry appeared on the front cover of ''

TV Times ''TV Times'' is a British television listings magazine published by Future plc. It was originally published by Independent Television Publications, owned by the participating ITV companies. The magazine was acquired by IPC Media in 1989, which ...

'' magazine. On radio he appeared with

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...

on ''

The Bob Hope Show ''The Pepsodent Show'' is an American radio comedy program broadcast during the Golden Age of Radio. The program starred comedian Bob Hope and his sidekick Jerry Colonna along with Blanche Stewart and Elvia Allman as high-society crazies Brenda a ...

'' (1951) and (1954); the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

radio play ''The Incredible History of John Shepherd'' (1954), and occasionally presented ''

Housewives' Choice ''Housewives' Choice'' was a BBC Radio record request programme, broadcast every morning between 1946 and 1967 on the BBC Light Programme. It played a wide range of mostly popular music intended to appeal to housewives at home during the day. ...

'' on the

BBC #REDIRECT 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 ex ...

Light Programme The BBC Light Programme was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream light entertainment and light music from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 1. It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the ...

. Desmonde continued to appear on the London stage in ''

Where's Charley? ''Where's Charley?'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by George Abbott. The story was based on the 1892 play ''Charley's Aunt'' by Brandon Thomas. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1948 and was revived on Broadway an ...

'' (1958), a theatre musical production of the play ''

Charley's Aunt ''Charley's Aunt'' is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas. The story centres on Lord Fancourt Babberley, an undergraduate whose friends Jack and Charley persuade him to impersonate the latter's aunt. The complications of the plot inc ...

'' with (Sir) Norman Wisdom, and in the short-lived '' Belle'' (1961); ; ; alternatively titled ''The Ballad of

Dr Crippen Hawley Harvey Crippen (September 11, 1862 – November 23, 1910), usually known as Dr. Crippen, was an American homeopath, ear and eye specialist and medicine dispenser. He was hanged in Pentonville Prison in London for the murder of his wife Co ...

'' a music hall musical with

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, pla ...

and Rose Hill. Desmonde was in numerous movies from 1946 to 1965 including several comedies with Norman Wisdom, and starred in several others. The Wisdom films usually involved the gump character (Wisdom) in a junior position to a "straight man" superior, often played by Edward Chapman, and fighting against the unfairness wrought by some "authority figure", often played by Jerry Desmonde.

Personal life

Desmonde was married to actress Peggy Duncan (born Peggy Doreen Edwards) from 1930 until her death in 1966. They had a daughter named Jacqueline and a son named Gerald. After

World War II 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 opposin ...

, the family settled in

London London is the capital and 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 down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and Jacqueline later married musician Peter Howes, who was the son of actor

Bobby Howes Bobby Howes (4 August 1895 – 27 April 1972) was a British entertainer who was a leading musical comedy performer in London's West End theatres in the 1930s and 1940s. Biography Born in Battersea, Surrey, his parents were Robert William H ...

and brother of actress

Sally Ann Howes Sally Ann Howes (20 July 1930 – 19 December 2021) was an English actress and singer. Her career on screen, stage and television spanned six decades. She is best known for the role of Truly Scrumptious in the 1968 musical film ''Chitty Chitt ...

Death

On 11 February 1967, having experienced bouts of depression following the death of his wife the previous year, Desmonde took his own life via

gas poisoning Carbon monoxide poisoning typically occurs from breathing in carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide ( chemical formula CO) is a colorless, poisonous, odorless, tasteless, flammable gas that is slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists o ...

at his home in the

St John's Wood St John's Wood is a district in the City of Westminster, London, lying 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Charing Cross. Traditionally the northern part of the ancient parish and Metropolitan Borough of Marylebone, it extends east to west from ...

area of London; he was 58 years old. He left an estate valued at £1,388 (approximately £32,232 in 2023)."SADLER James Robert Jill or DESMONDE Jerry of 98 Eamont Court St John's Wood London died 10 February 1967" in ''Wills and Administrations 1967 (England and Wales)'' (1968), p. 5 He was cremated at

Golders Green Crematorium Golders Green Crematorium and Mausoleum was the first crematorium to be opened in London, and one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The land for the crematorium was purchased in 1900, costing £6,000 (the equivalent of £135,987 in 2021), ...

Stage credits

* '' Belle'' at the Strand Theatre, London (1961) * ''

'' as Sir Francis Chesney at the

Palace Theatre Palace Theatre, or Palace Theater, is the name of many theatres in different countries, including: Australia *Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria *Palace Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales Canada *Palace Theatre, housed in the Robillard Block, Mo ...

, London (1958) * ''The Royal Variety Show'' (1957) * ''The Gay Musical Show'' at the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 an ...

and then the

with Norman Wisdom (19??) * ''Painting the Town'' a revue with Norman Wisdom at the London Palladium (1955); * ''Red-Headed Blonde'' a farcical comedy at the

Vaudeville Theatre The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on the Strand in the City of Westminster. As the name suggests, the theatre held mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. It opened in 1870 and was rebuilt twice, although each ...

, London (1952) * ''Out of this World'' at the London Palladium starring

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 ...

(1948) * ''Piccadilly Hayride'' at the

, London (1946) * ''Strike it Again'' at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London (1944) * ''Strike a New Note'' at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London (1943) * ''

'' on a United States tour then at the

Selwyn Theatre Selwyn may refer to: Institutions * Selwyn College, Auckland, is a multicultural, co-educational high school in Auckland, New Zealand * Selwyn College, Cambridge, one of the University of Cambridge colleges, UK * Selwyn College, Otago, hall of resi ...

, New York (1928) (credited as Jim Sadler).

Filmography

* ''

The Early Bird ''The Early Bird'' is a 1965 British comedy film directed by Robert Asher (director), Robert Asher and starring Norman Wisdom. It also features Edward Chapman (actor), Edward Chapman, Bryan Pringle, Richard Vernon, John Le Mesurier and Jerry De ...

'' (1965), as Mr Walter Hunter, managing director of Consolidated Dairies * '' Gonks Go Beat'' (1965), as Great Galaxian, with

Kenneth Connor Kenneth Connor, (6 June 1918 – 28 November 1993) was a British stage, film and broadcasting actor, who rose to national prominence with his appearances in the ''Carry On'' films. Early life Connor was born in Highbury, Islington, London, ...

* ''

The Beauty Jungle ''The Beauty Jungle'' (also known as Contest Girl) is a 1964 British film directed by Val Guest. Plot Shirley lives in Bristol. While on a seaside holiday at Butlins holiday camp a young typist Shirley Freeman (Janette Scott) is persuaded by a ...

'' (1964) USA: ''Contest Girl'' (1966), as "Rose of England" contest organizer * ''

Stolen Hours ''Stolen Hours'' is a 1963 British-American drama film directed by Daniel Petrie and starring Susan Hayward as a socialite with a brain tumor who falls in love with her surgeon's colleague. The film also stars Michael Craig, Edward Judd and Dia ...

'' (1963) USA: ''Summer Flight'', as a Colonel * '' The Switch'' (1963), as Customs Chief * '' A Stitch in Time'' (1963), as Sir Hector Hardcastle, with Norman Wisdom * '' A Kind of Loving'' (1962), as a TV Compere * ''

Carry On Regardless ''Carry On Regardless'' is a 1961 British comedy film, the fifth in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The film revolves loosely around the activities of a job agency, 'Helping Hands', run by Sid James's character, Bert Handy ...

'' (1961), as Martin Paul * ''

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 an ...

'' (1959), as Vernon Carew, with Norman Wisdom * '' Just My Luck'' (1957), as a Goodwood racegoer (uncredited), with Norman Wisdom * ''

A King in New York ''A King in New York'' is a 1957 British comedy film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin in his last leading role, which co-stars, among others, his young son Michael. The film presents a satirical view of the McCarthy communist-hunt era ...

'' (1957), as Prime Minister Voudel, with

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

* ''

Up in the World ''Up in the World'' is a 1956 black and white comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Norman Wisdom, Maureen Swanson and Jerry Desmonde. It was produced by Rank. Plot Norman is given a job as a window cleaner at a stately hom ...

'' (1956), as Major Willoughby, with Norman Wisdom * ''

Ramsbottom Rides Again ''Ramsbottom Rides Again'' is a 1956 British western comedy film produced and directed by John Baxter. The film features radio, film and stage star Arthur Askey in the lead role of Bill Ramsbottom, with Sid James, Shani Wallis, Betty Marsden and ...

'' (1956), as red Indian Blue Eagle in a comedy western with Arthur Askey * ''

The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp ''The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp'' is a 1954 British fantasy comedy film directed by Alan Bromly and starring Felix Aylmer, Diane Cilento and Jerry Desmonde. The film was based on a novel by Charles Terrot and is a remake of his television p ...

'' (1956), as Parker * '' Man of the Moment'' (1955), as foreign office minister Jackson, with Norman Wisdom * '' The Malta Story'' (1953), as a general (uncredited) * ''

Trouble in Store ''Trouble in Store'' is a 1953 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Norman Wisdom as a department store clerk in his cinema debut. The film also featured Moira Lister, Margaret Rutherford, Jerry Desmonde and Lana Mo ...

'' (1953), as store chief Augustus Freeman, with Norman Wisdom * ''

Alf's Baby ''Alf's Baby'', also known as ''Her Three Bachelors'', is a 1953 British comedy film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Jerry Desmonde, Pauline Stroud and Olive Sloane.Chibnall & MacFarlane p.103 It was made by ACT Films, and released as a ...

'' (1953) USA: ''Her Three Bachelors'' (1954), as Alf Donkin * '' The Perfect Woman'' (1949), as Raymond a dress shop manager * ''

'' (1949), as Colonel Lovelace, with Sid Field * '' London Town'' (1946) USA: ''

My Heart Goes Crazy ''London Town'' is a 1946 Technicolor musical film directed by Wesley Ruggles and starring Sid Field and Petula Clark, generally regarded as one of the biggest flops in the history of British cinema. Plot summary The screenplay by Sig Herzig, V ...

'' (1953), as George a golfing instructor, with Sid Field.

References

External links

* Biography
The Alan Myers ProjectUKGameShows
* Film databases: an
Rotten Tomatoes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Desmonde, Jerry 1908 births 1967 deaths English male musical theatre actors English male stage actors Music hall performers English game show hosts Actors from Middlesbrough Male actors from Yorkshire Suicides in Westminster English male film actors English male television actors 20th-century English male actors 20th-century English male singers 20th-century English singers 20th-century English comedians British male comedy actors 1967 suicides Suicides by gas