Hubert Robert Harry Gregg (19 July 1914 – 29 March 2004) was a British broadcaster, writer and actor. In his later years, he was known for the BBC Radio 2 "oldies" shows ''A Square Deal'' and ''Thanks for the Memory''. He was also a novelist, theatre director and hit songwriter.

Biography

Gregg was born in Islington, north London. He attended

St Dunstan's College St Dunstan's College is a coeducation, co-educational Independent school (United Kingdom), independent day school in Catford, south-east London, England. It is a registered charity, and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference a ...

and the

Webber Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art Webber may refer to: * Webber, Kansas, a US city * Webber Township, Jefferson County, Illinois, USA * Webber Township, Lake County, Michigan, USA * Webber International University, in Babson Park, Florida, USA * Webber (surname), people with the su ...

. Gregg worked as an announcer for the

BBC Empire Service #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 ...

in 1934 and 1935, while intermittently performing in repertory theatre. He appeared on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

Terence Rattigan Sir Terence Mervyn Rattigan (10 June 191130 November 1977) was a British dramatist and screenwriter. He was one of England's most popular mid-20th-century dramatists. His plays are typically set in an upper-middle-class background.Geoffrey Wan ...

's comedy ''

French Without Tears ''French Without Tears'' is a comic play written by a 25-year-old Terence Rattigan in 1936. Setting It takes place in a cram school for adults needing to acquire French for business reasons. Scattered throughout are Franglais phrases and sch ...

'' from 28 September 1937 to January 1938. In 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 ...

, Gregg first served as a private with the

Lincolnshire Regiment The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army raised on 20 June 1685 as the Earl of Bath's Regiment for its first Colonel, John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath. In 1751, it was numbered like most other Army regiments ...

in 1939, before becoming an officer in the

60th Rifles The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United S ...

the following year. He spoke German fluently, and worked for the BBC German service, to such good effect that Goebbels assumed he must be a German traitor. He was invalided out in 1943. Among the "more than 200 songs" he wrote was the wartime hit "I'm Going To Get Lit Up When The Lights Go up in London", written in 1940 and sung by his first wife, Zoe Gail, in George Black's 1943 production ''Strike a New Note''. It was broadcast in 1944 to alert the Resistance that the

invasion of Europe Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...

was imminent. On seeing German V1s flying over London, Gregg composed his best-known song, " Maybe It's Because I'm a Londoner", in 20 minutes while on leave in 1944; it became a hit and London folk anthem in 1947. He also composed numbers for the musicals ''

The Love Racket ''The Love Racket'' is a 1929 American early sound crime drama film produced and distributed by First National Pictures. It was directed by William A. Seiter and starred Dorothy Mackaill. It is based on a Broadway play, ''The Woman on the Jury ...

'' (1943), ''Sweet And Low'' (1944) and ''Strike It Again'' (1945). After the war, he co-starred with

Anne Crawford Imelda Anne Crawford (22 November 1920 – 17 October 1956) was a British film actress, born in Palestine of a Scottish father and an English mother, and brought up in Edinburgh. Biography A contemporary of Margaret Lockwood and Phyllis Calver ...

in ''Western Wind'' (1949) at the

Manchester Opera House The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring theatre that plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed building. The Opera House is one of the mai ...

, and also directed Agatha Christie stage plays, including ''

The Hollow ''The Hollow'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the United States by Dodd, Mead & Co. in 1946 and in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club in November of the same year. The US edition ...

'' (1951) and ''

The Mousetrap ''The Mousetrap'' is a murder mystery play by Agatha Christie. ''The Mousetrap'' opened in London's West End in 1952 and ran continuously until 16 March 2020, when the stage performances had to be temporarily discontinued during the COVID-1 ...

'' (for seven years, beginning in 1953). The period was the subject of his 1980 memoir, ''Agatha Christie and All That Mousetrap''. He called Christie "a mean old bitch". Gregg presented and performed in numerous radio programmes, including ''A Square Deal'' for seven years, and ''Thanks for the Memory'' for over 30 years. He also acted in films and on television, in addition to writing light comedies and two novels.

Personal life and death

He was married three times: his first wife was the musical comedy star Zoe Gail, whom he married in 1943, with whom he had a daughter, actress-writer Stacey Gregg; the couple divorced in 1950. In 1956, he married the actress and singer Pat Kirkwood, with whom he starred in the 1958 musical comedy ''Chrysanthemum''. They divorced in 1979. His third and final marriage was in 1980, to Carmel Lytton, with whom he had a son and a daughter. Gregg died on 29 March 2004, aged 89, in

Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. Eastbourne is immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the la ...

, East Sussex.

Complete filmography

;As actor * ''The Marvellous History of St. Bernard'' (1938 TV film) - Bernard * ''

Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...

'' (1942) - Fire Controller (uncredited) * '' In Which We Serve'' (1942) - Pilot * ''

29 Acacia Avenue ''29 Acacia Avenue'' is a play by Denis and Mabel Constanduros. Its 1945 British comedy-drama film adaptation, directed by Henry Cass, was released in the U.S. as ''The Facts of Love''. Premise Peter Robinson falls in love with the naïve coun ...

'' (1945) - Michael * '' The Root of All Evil'' (1947) - Albert * ''

Vote for Huggett ''Vote for Huggett'' is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Jack Warner, Kathleen Harrison, Susan Shaw and Petula Clark. Warner reprises his role as the head of a London family, in the post-war years. In this, the t ...

'' (1949) - Maurice Lever * '' Once Upon a Dream'' (1949) - Capt. Williams * ''

Landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...

'' (1949) - Lt. Cmdr. Dale * '' The Third Visitor'' (1951) - Jack Kurton * ''

The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men ''The Story of Robin Hood'' is a 1952 action-adventure film produced by RKO- Walt Disney British Productions, based on the Robin Hood legend, made in Technicolor and filmed in Buckinghamshire, England. It was written by Lawrence Edward Watkin and ...

'' (1952) - Prince John * ''

Colonel March of Scotland Yard Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

'' (1953) - Pennacott * ''

The Maggie ''The 'Maggie (released in the U.S.A. as ''High and Dry'') is a 1954 British comedy film produced by Ealing Studios. Directed by Alexander Mackendrick and written by William Rose, it is a story of a clash of cultures between a hard-driving Am ...

'' (1954) - Pusey * ''

Final Appointment ''Final Appointment'' is a 1954 British comedy thriller film directed by Terence Fisher, and starring John Bentley, Eleanor Summerfield and Hubert Gregg. It also features Arthur Lowe, later to become famous for his portrayal of Captain Main ...

'' (1954) - Hartnell * ''

Svengali Svengali () is a character in the novel ''Trilby'' which was first published in 1894 by George du Maurier. Svengali is a man who seduces, dominates and exploits Trilby, a young half-Irish girl, and makes her into a famous singer. Definition ...

'' (1954) - Durian * '' Room in the House'' (1955) - Hugh Richards * '' Doctor at Sea'' (1955) - Archer * ''

Simon and Laura ''Simon and Laura'' is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Muriel Box and starring Peter Finch and Kay Kendall. Play Satirising the early days of BBC Television, ''Simon and Laura'' focuses on an argumentative theatrical couple called Simon a ...

'' (1955) - Bertie Burton * ''

Stars in Your Eyes ''Stars in Your Eyes'' is a 1956 British musical film directed by Maurice Elvey. Plot As the world of vaudeville gradually loses its attraction, more and more entertainers are losing their jobs. In hopes of fixing their financial problems, a gro ...

'' (1956) - Crawley Walters ;As writer * ''The Great Little Tilley'' (1956 TV film) * ''

'' (1956) * ''

Three Men in a Boat ''Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)'',The Penguin edition punctuates the title differently: ''Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog!'' published in 1889, is a humorous account by English writer Jerome K. Jerome of a tw ...

'' (1956) * '' After the Ball'' (1957) ;As songwriter * ''Strike A New Note'' (1943) - "I'm Going To Get Lit Up When The Lights Go up in London" * '' Meet Mr. Lucifer'' (1953) - "Maybe It's Because I'm a Londoner" (uncredited) * ''

As Long as They're Happy ''As Long as They're Happy'' is a 1955 British musical comedy film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Jack Buchanan, Susan Stephen and Diana Dors. It is based on the 1953 play of the same name by Vernon Sylvaine. It was shot at Pinewoo ...

'' (1955) - "I Hate the Morning" (uncredited) * '' Doctor at Sea'' (1955) - "Je Ne Sais Pas" * ''

'' (1956) - "Stars In My Eyes", "I'd Pick Piccadilly", "The Man That Wakes The Man That Blows Reveille" * ''

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 ...

'' (1958) - "Maybe It's Because I'm a Londoner" (uncredited) * '' Charlie Is My Darling'' (1966 Rolling Stones documentary) - "Maybe It's Because I'm a Londoner" * ''

The Adventures of Picasso ''The Adventures of Picasso'' ( sv, Picassos äventyr) is a 1978 Swedish surrealist comedy film directed by Tage Danielsson, starring Gösta Ekman, as the famous painter. The film had the tag-line ''Tusen kärleksfulla lögner av Hans Alfredso ...

'' (1978) - "Maybe It's Because I'm a Londoner" * ''

Legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess ...

'' (2015) - "Maybe It's Because I'm a Londoner" ;As stage play director * ''Rule of Three'' (1963 TV film)

References

External links

*
Hubert Gregg website

BBC biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gregg, Hubert 1914 births 2004 deaths Alumni of the Open University Alumni of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art BBC people BBC Radio 2 presenters King's Royal Rifle Corps officers British Army personnel of World War II English radio people English male stage actors English male singers People educated at St Dunstan's College People from Islington (district) Military personnel from London Royal Lincolnshire Regiment soldiers 20th-century English singers Members of the Order of the British Empire 20th-century British male singers