Ronnie Corbett

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 in the BBC television comedy sketch show ''The Two Ronnies''. He achieved prominence in David Frost's 1960s satirical comedy programme ''The Frost Report'' (with Barker) and subsequently starred in sitcoms such as ''No – That's Me Over Here!'', ''Now Look Here'', and '' Sorry!.''

Corbett began his acting career after moving from Edinburgh to London; he had early roles in the TV series ''Crackerjack'' and ''The Saint'', and appeared in the films ''You're Only Young Twice'', ''Rockets Galore!'', ''Casino Royale'', ''Some Will, Some Won't'', and ''No Sex Please, We're British''. He first worked with Ronnie Barker in the BBC TV series ''The Frost Report'' in 1966, and the two of them were given their own show by the BBC five years later. ''The Two Ronnies'' 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, 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.

Corbett carried out national service with the Royal Air Force, 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 in ''Take it Easy'' in 1956, with Graham Stark. He appeared in '' Crackerjack'' as a regular in its early days, one episode with Winifred Atwell. He had a walk-on in an early episode of the 1960s series ''The Saint'' (as "Ronald Corbett") and appeared in films including ''You're Only Young Twice'' (1952), ''Rockets Galore!'' (1957), '' Casino Royale'' (1967), ''Some Will, Some Won't'' (1970) and the film version of the farce ''No Sex Please, We're British'' (1973).

Corbett starred in the first London production of the musical ''The Boys from Syracuse'' (as Dromio of Syracuse) in 1963 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, alongside Bob Monkhouse. In 1965 he was in cabaret at ''Winston's'', Danny La Rue's Mayfair nightclub. David Frost saw him and asked him to appear in ''The Frost Report''. Corbett was in the West End, playing Will Scarlett in Lionel Bart's Robin Hood musical ''Twang!!''. 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 in ''The Frost Report'' (1966–67). The writers and cast were mostly Oxbridge graduates from the Footlights tradition. Corbett said he and Barker were drawn together as two grammar school or state secondary school 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''. 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!'', a sitcom written by ''Frost Report'' writers Barry Cryer, Graham Chapman and Eric Idle (ITV 1967–70). Cryer and Chapman wrote two follow-ups: ''Now Look Here'' (BBC
...