Jimmy Hanley (22 October 1918 – 13 January 1970) was an English actor who appeared in the popular Huggetts film series, and in ITV's most popular advertising magazine programme, ''Jim's Inn'', from 1957 to 1963.

Early life

Born in

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nor ...

, Hanley began his career as a child actor before becoming popular in juvenile roles. He was groomed by the Rank Studio system during his teenage years and earned film stardom as a "boy-next-door" type. The young actor attended the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts and whilst he was studying there, made his stage debut at age 12 at the London Palladium, as John Darling in ''Peter Pan''. He began to make films in his teens.

Career

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 served as an officer with the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, and in a commando raid in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...

he was wounded in the leg and was invalided out of the service. He returned to films, including '' Salute John Citizen'' (1942), ''

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (121 ...

'' with

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...

(1944), ''

For You Alone ''For You Alone'' is a 1945 British World War II romance melodrama, one of only two films directed by cinematographer Geoffrey Faithfull, starring Lesley Brook, Dinah Sheridan and Jimmy Hanley. The film was made by a smaller studio, Butcher's ...

'' (1945) and the Huggetts films. He later worked on radio and TV, appearing in several television series and hosting the ITV series ''Jim's Inn'' from 1957 to 1963, which combined advertising messages with the plot of a

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...

, where he and his wife Maggie played the hosts of a pub where customers discussed bargains and new products whilst drinking. The series finished when advertising magazine programmes were banned.

Personal life

Hanley was married twice: * Dinah Sheridan 1942–1952 three children, including Jenny Hanley and the Conservative politician Sir Jeremy Hanley. The third died in infancy. * Margaret Avery (1955–1970, three daughters: Jane, Sarah and Katy) Hanley died from pancreatic cancer in

Fetcham Fetcham is a suburban village in Surrey, England west of the town of Leatherhead, on the other side of the River Mole and has a mill pond, springs and an associated nature reserve. The housing, as with adjacent Great Bookham, sits on the lower ...

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant ur ...

, on 13 January 1970, at the age of 51.

Selected filmography

* '' Red Wagon'' (1933) - Young Joe Prince * '' Those Were the Days'' (1933) - Boy with bicycle (uncredited) * '' Little Friend'' (1934) - Leonard Parry * '' Wild Boy'' (1934) - Boy With Message (uncredited) * ''

Royal Cavalcade ''Royal Cavalcade'', also known as ''Regal Cavalcade'', is a 1935 British, black-and-white, drama film directed by six separate directors: Thomas Bentley (Supervising Director), Herbert Brenon, Norman Lee, Walter Summers, W. P. Kellino and Mar ...

'' (1935) - Newsboy * '' Boys Will Be Boys'' (1935) - Cyril Brown * ''

Brown on Resolution ''Brown on Resolution'' is a 1929 nautical novel written by C. S. Forester, set during World War I. The hero of the novel, Leading Seaman Albert Brown, is the sole able-bodied survivor of a sunken Royal Navy warship, who single-handedly de ...

'' (1935) - Ginger * '' The Tunnel'' (1935) - Geoffrey McAllan * '' Landslide'' (1937) - Jimmy Haddon * '' Cotton Queen'' (1937) - Jack Owen (uncredited) * '' Night Ride'' (1937) - Dick Benson * '' Housemaster'' (1938) - Travers * '' Coming of Age'' (1938) - Arthur Strudwick * '' There Ain't No Justice'' (1939) - Tommy Mutch * '' Gaslight'' (1940) - Cobb * '' Salute John Citizen'' (1942) - Ernest Bunting * '' The Gentle Sex'' (1943) - 1st Soldier * '' The Way Ahead'' (1944) - Pte. Geoffrey Stainer * ''

'' (1944) - Williams - Soldier in the English Army * ''

Kiss the Bride Goodbye ''Kiss the Bride Goodbye'' is a 1945 British romantic comedy drama film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Patricia Medina and Jimmy Hanley. Jean Simmons has an early role, almost two years before she achieved stardom in ''Great Expectations' ...

'' (1945) - Jack Fowler * '' 29 Acacia Avenue'' (1945) - Peter Robinson * ''

'' (1945) - Dennis Britton * ''

Murder in Reverse? ''Murder in Reverse'' (also styled ''Murder in Reverse?'') is a 1945 British thriller film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring William Hartnell, Jimmy Hanley and Chili Bouchier. It is based on the story ''Query'' by "Seamark" ( Austin J. ...

'' (1945) - Peter Rogers * '' The Captive Heart'' (1946) - Pte. Mathews * '' Holiday Camp'' (1947) - Jimmy Gardner * '' Master of Bankdam'' (1947) - Simeon Crowther Jr. * '' It Always Rains on Sunday'' (1947) - Whitey * ''Nothing Venture'' (1948) - Introduction to serial version * '' It's Hard to Be Good'' (1947) - Captain James Gladstone Wedge VC * '' Here Come the Huggetts'' (1948) - Jimmy Gardner * '' The Huggetts Abroad'' (1949) - Jimmy Gardner * '' Don't Ever Leave Me'' (1949) - Jack Denton * ''

Boys in Brown ''Boys in Brown'' is a 1949 black and white British drama film directed by Montgomery Tully, which depicts life in a borstal for young offenders. It stars Jack Warner, Richard Attenborough, Dirk Bogarde and Jimmy Hanley. It is based on a 1940 ...

'' (1949) - Bill Foster * '' The Blue Lamp'' (1950) - PC Andy Mitchell * '' Room to Let'' (1950) - Curly Minter * '' The Galloping Major'' (1951) - Bill Collins, Bus Driver * '' Radio Cab Murder'' (1954) - Fred Martin * '' The Black Rider'' (1954) - Jerry Marsh * '' The Deep Blue Sea'' (1955) - Dicer Durston * '' Satellite in the Sky'' (1956) - Larry * '' The Lost Continent'' (1968) - Patrick, the Bartender

Television series

* ''Jim's Inn'' (1957–1963, ITV advertising programme) - host * ''

Five O'Clock Club ''Five O'Clock Club'' was a 1960s British children's television pop programme on Rediffusion with Jimmy Hanley, Muriel Young, Howard Williams, and later Wally Whyton. The programme also featured appearances by Bert Weedon, and Grahame Dangerfie ...

'' (1963–1966, ITV children's programme) - host * ''Futurama'' (1964, ITV children's science programme) - host * ''

Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

'' (1966, ITV soap) - Jimmy Gudgeon, old friend of central character Meg Richardson (played by Noele Gordon)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hanley, Jimmy 1918 births 1970 deaths King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry officers 20th-century English male actors English male stage actors English male film actors English male television actors British Army personnel of World War II British Army Commandos officers Deaths from pancreatic cancer Deaths from cancer in England Military personnel from Norwich