Ronald Balfour Corbett (4 December 1930 – 31 March 2016) was a Scottish actor, broadcaster, comedian and writer. He had a long association with
Ronnie Barker
Ronald William George Barker (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005) was an English actor, comedian and writer. He was known for roles in British comedy television series such as ''Porridge'', ''The Two Ronnies'', and '' Open All Hours''.
...
in the BBC television comedy sketch show ''
The Two Ronnies
''The Two Ronnies'' is a British television comedy sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. It was created by Bill Cotton and aired on BBC1 from April 1971 to December 1987. The usual format included sketches, solo sections, seria ...
''. He achieved prominence in
David Frost's 1960s satirical comedy programme ''
The Frost Report
''The Frost Report'' is a satirical television show hosted by David Frost. It introduced John Cleese, Ronnie Barker, and Ronnie Corbett to television, and launched the careers of other writers and performers. It premiered on BBC1 on 10 March ...
'' (with Barker) and subsequently starred in sitcoms such as ''
No – That's Me Over Here!
''No – That's Me Over Here!'' is a British sitcom that aired for three series from 1967 to 1970.
It was created by Barry Cryer, Graham Chapman and Eric Idle, and it featured Ronnie Corbett's first acting starring role, alongside Rosemary Le ...
'', ''
Now Look Here
''Now Look Here'' is a BBC situation comedy which ran for two series of seven episodes each during 1971 to 1973. It was written by Barry Cryer and Graham Chapman.
It starred Ronnie Corbett, who played a character of the same name. He was cast ...
'', and ''
Sorry!.''
Corbett began his acting career after moving from
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
to
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 ...
; he had early roles in the TV series
''Crackerjack'' and
''The Saint'', and appeared in the films
''You're Only Young Twice'', ''
Rockets Galore!
''Rockets Galore!'' is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Michael Relph and starring Jeannie Carson, Donald Sinden and Roland Culver. The sequel to '' Whisky Galore!'', it was much less successful than its predecessor.
It was based on the n ...
'',
''Casino Royale'', ''
Some Will, Some Won't
''Some Will, Some Won't'' is a 1970 British comedy film directed by Duncan Wood, a remake of '' Laughter in Paradise'' (1951). It starred an ensemble British cast which included Michael Hordern, Ronnie Corbett, Dennis Price, Leslie Phillips and ...
'', and
''No Sex Please, We're British''. He first worked with Ronnie Barker in the BBC TV series ''
The Frost Report
''The Frost Report'' is a satirical television show hosted by David Frost. It introduced John Cleese, Ronnie Barker, and Ronnie Corbett to television, and launched the careers of other writers and performers. It premiered on BBC1 on 10 March ...
'' in 1966, and the two of them were given their own show by the BBC five years later. ''
The Two Ronnies
''The Two Ronnies'' is a British television comedy sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. It was created by Bill Cotton and aired on BBC1 from April 1971 to December 1987. The usual format included sketches, solo sections, seria ...
'' ran as a comedy sketch show from 1971 to 1987, and became Corbett and Barker's most famous work; Corbett became known for his meandering chair monologues.
Early life
Corbett was born on 4 December 1930 at
The Royal Maternity Hospital in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, Scotland,
the son of William Balfour Corbett (1898–1974), a master baker, and his London-born wife Annie Elizabeth Corbett (''née'' Main; 1900–1991). He had a brother about six years younger, Allan, and a sister about ten years younger, Margaret. Corbett's grandfather was principal organist at St Andrews church of Scotland in the early 20th century and features in church histories of the time.
Corbett was educated at James Gillespie's Boys School and the
Royal High School in the city.
After leaving school, he decided he wanted to be an actor while performing in amateur theatricals at a church youth club.
His first job, however, was with the
Ministry of Agriculture
An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister ...
.
[
Corbett carried out ]national service
National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939.
The ...
with the Royal Air Force
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) an ...
, during which he was the shortest commissioned officer in the British Forces. Having enlisted as aircraftman 2nd class Service No.2446942, he received a commission into the secretarial branch of the RAF as a pilot officer (national service) on 25 May 1950. He transferred to the R.A.F. Reserve (National Service List) on 28 October 1951, thereby ending his period of active service. He was promoted to flying officer on 6 September 1952.
Career
Following national service, Corbett moved to London to start his acting career.[ At tall, Corbett was suited to playing roles younger than his years. References to his height frequently cropped up in his self-deprecating humour. In one of his earliest stage appearances, he was billed as "Ronald Corbett" at ]Cromer
Cromer ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish on the north coast of the English county of Norfolk. It is north of Norwich, north-northeast of London and east of Sheringham on the North Sea coastline.
The local government authorities are Nor ...
in ''Take it Easy'' in 1956, with Graham Stark
Graham William Stark (20 January 1922 – 29 October 2013) was an English comedian, actor, writer and director.
Early life
The son of a purser on transatlantic liners, .[ He appeared in '' Crackerjack'' as a regular in its early days, one episode with ]Winifred Atwell
Una Winifred Atwell (27 February or 27 April 1910 or 1914There is some uncertainty over her date and year of birth. Many sources suggest 27 February 1914, but there is a strong suggestion that her birthday was 27 April. Most sources give her ye ...
. He had a walk-on in an early episode of the 1960s series ''The Saint
The Saint may refer to:
Fiction
* Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations:
** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–43), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders an ...
'' (as "Ronald Corbett") and appeared in films including ''You're Only Young Twice
''You're Only Young Twice'' was a British TV sitcom made and broadcast on the ITV network by Yorkshire Television from 6 September 1977 to 4 August 1981.
Plot
Set in Paradise Lodge retirement home, ''You're Only Young Twice'' was created an ...
'' (1952), ''Rockets Galore!
''Rockets Galore!'' is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Michael Relph and starring Jeannie Carson, Donald Sinden and Roland Culver. The sequel to '' Whisky Galore!'', it was much less successful than its predecessor.
It was based on the n ...
'' (1957), '' Casino Royale'' (1967), ''Some Will, Some Won't
''Some Will, Some Won't'' is a 1970 British comedy film directed by Duncan Wood, a remake of '' Laughter in Paradise'' (1951). It starred an ensemble British cast which included Michael Hordern, Ronnie Corbett, Dennis Price, Leslie Phillips and ...
'' (1970) and the film version of the farce ''No Sex Please, We're British
''No Sex Please, We're British'' is a British farce written by Alistair Foot and Anthony Marriott, which premiered in London's West End on 3 June 1971 at the Strand Theatre. It was panned by critics, but ran until 5 September 1987, transferri ...
'' (1973).
Corbett starred in the first London production of the musical ''The Boys from Syracuse
''The Boys from Syracuse'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart, based on William Shakespeare's play ''The Comedy of Errors'', as adapted by librettist George Abbott. The score includes swing and other contemp ...
'' (as Dromio of Syracuse) in 1963 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dr ...
, alongside Bob Monkhouse
Robert Alan Monkhouse (1 June 1928 – 29 December 2003) was an English comedian, writer and actor. He was the host of television game shows including ''The Golden Shot'', '' Celebrity Squares'', '' Family Fortunes'' and '' ''Wipeout'.
Ear ...
. In 1965 he was in cabaret at ''Winston's'', Danny La Rue's Mayfair
Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world. ...
nightclub
A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music.
Nightclubs gener ...
. David Frost saw him and asked him to appear in ''The Frost Report
''The Frost Report'' is a satirical television show hosted by David Frost. It introduced John Cleese, Ronnie Barker, and Ronnie Corbett to television, and launched the careers of other writers and performers. It premiered on BBC1 on 10 March ...
''. Corbett was in the West End, playing Will Scarlett in Lionel Bart
Lionel Bart (1 August 1930 – 3 April 1999) was a British writer and composer of pop music and musicals. He wrote Tommy Steele's " Rock with the Caveman" and was the sole creator of the musical ''Oliver!'' (1960). With ''Oliver!'' and his wor ...
's Robin Hood musical ''Twang!!
''Twang!!'' is a musical with music and lyrics written by Lionel Bart and a book by Bart and Harvey Orkin, with assistance from Burt Shevelove. The piece, a spoof of the character and legend of Robin Hood, was a disastrous box-office failure an ...
''. It failed, leaving Corbett free to accept. It was while working at Danny La Rue's nightclub that Corbett met Anne Hart, whom he was to marry that year. The marriage lasted 49 years, until he died.[
]
With David Frost
Corbett first worked with Ronnie Barker
Ronald William George Barker (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005) was an English actor, comedian and writer. He was known for roles in British comedy television series such as ''Porridge'', ''The Two Ronnies'', and '' Open All Hours''.
...
in ''The Frost Report'' (1966–67). The writers and cast were mostly Oxbridge
Oxbridge is a portmanteau of Oxford and Cambridge, the two oldest, wealthiest, and most famous universities in the United Kingdom. The term is used to refer to them collectively, in contrast to other British universities, and more broadly to de ...
graduates from the Footlights
Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club, commonly referred to simply as the Footlights, is an amateur theatrical club in Cambridge, England, founded in 1883 and run by the students of Cambridge University.
History
Footlights' inaugural ...
tradition. Corbett said he and Barker were drawn together as two grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...
or state secondary school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
boys, who had not gone to university. The show was a mixture of satirical monologues, sketches and music. Corbett and Barker were beginning to be thought of as a pair.
They appeared with John Cleese in one of the most repeated comedy sketches in British television: the ''Class sketch
The ''Class sketch'' is a comedy sketch first broadcast in an episode of David Frost's satirical comedy programme '' The Frost Report'' on 7 April 1966. It has been described as a "genuinely timeless sketch, ingeniously satirising the British cl ...
''. Corbett's height provided a key cue for both the visual humour and satirical value of the sketch, as he "looked up" to both Cleese and Barker's characters, and he got the pay-off line: "I get a pain in the back of my neck."
Continuing under Frost, Corbett starred in ''No – That's Me Over Here!
''No – That's Me Over Here!'' is a British sitcom that aired for three series from 1967 to 1970.
It was created by Barry Cryer, Graham Chapman and Eric Idle, and it featured Ronnie Corbett's first acting starring role, alongside Rosemary Le ...
'', a sitcom written by ''Frost Report'' writers Barry Cryer
Barry Charles Cryer (23 March 1935 – 25 January 2022) was an English writer, comedian, and actor. As well as performing on stage, radio and television, Cryer wrote for many performers including Dave Allen, Stanley Baxter, Jack Benny, Rory ...
, Graham Chapman
Graham Chapman (8 January 1941 – 4 October 1989) was a British actor, comedian and writer. He was one of the six members of the surreal comedy group Monty Python. He portrayed authority figures such as The Colonel and the lead role in two P ...
and Eric Idle (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 ...
1967–70). Cryer and Chapman wrote two follow-ups: ''Now Look Here
''Now Look Here'' is a BBC situation comedy which ran for two series of seven episodes each during 1971 to 1973. It was written by Barry Cryer and Graham Chapman.
It starred Ronnie Corbett, who played a character of the same name. He was cast ...
'' (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. ...
...
'' (BBC 1974). Corbett also appeared in ''Frost on Sunday'' (ITV 1968) and hosted ''The Corbett Follies'' (ITV 1969).