Jack Hulbert
Encyclopedia
John Norman "Jack" Hulbert (24 April 189225 March 1978) was a British
actor
, specialising primarily in comedy productions.
, Cambridgeshire
, he was the elder and more successful brother of Claude
. He was educated at Cambridge
and appeared in many shows and revues, mainly with the Cambridge Footlights
. He was one of the earliest famous alumni of the comedy club. After Cambridge, he earned recognition and fame performing in musicals and light comedies.
He made his film debut in Elstree Calling
(1930); appearing opposite his wife and frequent stage and screen co-star Cicely Courtneidge
whom he had married in 1916. His career went through a successful period during the 1930s when he appeared in several films, including The Ghost Train (1931), Love on Wheels (1932) and Bulldog Jack (1935), a tongue-in-cheek homage to the popular Bulldog Drummond
films in which Jack was supported by his brother Claude
. He had a hit record in 1932 The Flies Crawled Up the Window
, which originally sung in the film Jack's the Boy
.
Hulbert's popularity waned as the 1930s came to an end, and after the war he and his wife continued to entertain chiefly on stage. In 1975, Hulbert's autobiography, The Little Woman's Always Right, was published. In 1962 he appeared in the BBC radio sitcom Discord in Three Flats, along with Courtneidge and Vic Oliver
.
His marriage to Cicely Courtneidge lasted for 62 years until his death. Their relationship is mentioned in the British television series Dad's Army
in the episode Ring Dem Bells
when Hulbert pulls out of shooting a Home Guard
training film to spend time with his wife.
Hulbert died, aged 85, at his home in Westminster
, London
on 25 March 1978.
Television
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, specialising primarily in comedy productions.
Biography
Born in ElyEly, Cambridgeshire
Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, he was the elder and more successful brother of Claude
Claude Hulbert
Claude Noel Hulbert was a British comic actor. He was the younger brother of Jack Hulbert. Like his brother, he was Cambridge educated and was a member of the Footlights comedy club as an undergraduate....
. He was educated at Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
and appeared in many shows and revues, mainly with the Cambridge Footlights
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....
. He was one of the earliest famous alumni of the comedy club. After Cambridge, he earned recognition and fame performing in musicals and light comedies.
He made his film debut in Elstree Calling
Elstree Calling
Elstree Calling is a film directed by Andre Charlot, Jack Hulbert, Paul Murray, and Alfred Hitchcock at Elstree Studios. The film, referred to as "A Cine-Radio Revue" in its original publicity, is a lavish musical film revue and was Britain's answer to the Hollywood revues which had been produced...
(1930); appearing opposite his wife and frequent stage and screen co-star Cicely Courtneidge
Cicely Courtneidge
Dame Esmerelda Cicely Courtneidge DBE was an English actress and comedienne. The daughter of the producer Robert Courtneidge, she was appearing in his productions in the West End, by the age of 16, and was quickly promoted from minor to major roles in his Edwardian musical comedies.After the...
whom he had married in 1916. His career went through a successful period during the 1930s when he appeared in several films, including The Ghost Train (1931), Love on Wheels (1932) and Bulldog Jack (1935), a tongue-in-cheek homage to the popular Bulldog Drummond
Bulldog Drummond
Bulldog Drummond is a British fictional character, created by "Sapper", a pseudonym of Herman Cyril McNeile , and the hero of a series of novels published from 1920 to 1954.- Drummond :...
films in which Jack was supported by his brother Claude
Claude Hulbert
Claude Noel Hulbert was a British comic actor. He was the younger brother of Jack Hulbert. Like his brother, he was Cambridge educated and was a member of the Footlights comedy club as an undergraduate....
. He had a hit record in 1932 The Flies Crawled Up the Window
The Flies Crawled Up the Window
"The Flies Crawled Up the Window" is a British song originally sung by the actor Jack Hulbert in the 1932 comedy film Jack's the Boy. The lyrics describe the antics of various flies as they crawl up windows...
, which originally sung in the film Jack's the Boy
Jack's the Boy
Jack's the Boy is a 1932 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde and starring Jack Hulbert, Cicely Courtneidge, Francis Lister and Peter Gawthorne. A policeman attempts to track down a gang responsible for a smash and grab raid, thereby proving his worth to his disaproving father...
.
Hulbert's popularity waned as the 1930s came to an end, and after the war he and his wife continued to entertain chiefly on stage. In 1975, Hulbert's autobiography, The Little Woman's Always Right, was published. In 1962 he appeared in the BBC radio sitcom Discord in Three Flats, along with Courtneidge and Vic Oliver
Vic Oliver
Vic Oliver was an actor and radio comedian.He was born in Vienna, Austria, the son of Viktor von Samek and came to England via America....
.
His marriage to Cicely Courtneidge lasted for 62 years until his death. Their relationship is mentioned in the British television series Dad's Army
Dad's Army
Dad's Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The series ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total, plus a radio series, a feature film and a stage show...
in the episode Ring Dem Bells
Ring Dem Bells
"Ring Dem Bells" is the first episode of the eighth series of the British comedy series Dad's Army, originally broadcast on September 5, 1975. Location filming took place in Norfolk in the summer of 1975 and the studio scenes were recorded at BBC Television Centre on 3rd May 1975...
when Hulbert pulls out of shooting a Home Guard
British Home Guard
The Home Guard was a defence organisation of the British Army during the Second World War...
training film to spend time with his wife.
Hulbert died, aged 85, at his home in Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 25 March 1978.
Filmography
Film- Elstree CallingElstree CallingElstree Calling is a film directed by Andre Charlot, Jack Hulbert, Paul Murray, and Alfred Hitchcock at Elstree Studios. The film, referred to as "A Cine-Radio Revue" in its original publicity, is a lavish musical film revue and was Britain's answer to the Hollywood revues which had been produced...
(1930) - The Ghost TrainThe Ghost Train (1931 film)The Ghost Train is a 1931 British comedy thriller film directed by Walter Forde and starring Jack Hulbert, Cicely Courtneidge and Ann Todd. It is based on the play The Ghost Train by Arnold Ridley.-Cast:* Jack Hulbert - Teddy Deakin...
(1931) – Teddy Deakin - Sunshine SusieSunshine SusieSunshine Susie is a 1931 British musical film directed by Victor Saville and starring Renate Müller, Jack Hulbert and Owen Nares. It was based on a novel by István Szomaházy. An alternate German-language version Die Privatsekretärin was made, also starring Renate Müller.It is also known under the...
(1931) – aka The Office Girl (USA) – Herr Hasel* - Jack's the BoyJack's the BoyJack's the Boy is a 1932 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde and starring Jack Hulbert, Cicely Courtneidge, Francis Lister and Peter Gawthorne. A policeman attempts to track down a gang responsible for a smash and grab raid, thereby proving his worth to his disaproving father...
(1932) – aka Night and Day (USA) – Jack Brown - Happy Ever After (1932) – aka A Blonde Dream (USA) – Willie
- Love on WheelsLove on WheelsLove on Wheels is a 1932 British musical comedy film directed by Victor Saville and starring Jack Hulbert, Leonora Corbett, Gordon Harker and Edmund Gwenn.-Cast:* Jack Hulbert - Fred Hopkins* Leonora Corbett - Jane Russell* Gordon Harker - Briggs...
(1932) – Fred Hopkins - Falling for YouFalling for You (1933 film)Falling for You is a 1933 comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and Jack Hulbert. It stars Jack Hulbert and Cicely Courtneidge.-Cast:*Jack Hulbert as Jack Hazeldon*Cicely Courtneidge as Minnie Tucker*Tamara Desni as Sondra von Moyden...
(1933) – Jack Hazeldon - Jack AhoyJack AhoyJack Ahoy is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde and starring Jack Hulbert, Nancy O'Neil, Alfred Drayton and Sam Wilkinson. A humble seaman falls in love with an Admiral's daughter, whilst trying to battle Chinese pirates....
(1934) – Jack Ponsonby - The Camels Are ComingThe Camels are Coming (film)The Camels are Coming is a 1934 British comedy adventure film directed by Tim Whelan and starring Jack Hulbert, Anna Lee, Hartley Power and Harold Huth...
(1934) – Jack Campbell - Bulldog JackBulldog JackBulldog Jack is a 1935 film produced by Gaumont International, directed by Walter Forde, and starring Jack Hulbert, Fay Wray, Ralph Richardson; it also starred Atholl Fleming as Bulldog Drummond....
(1935) – aka Alias Bulldog Drummond (USA) – Jack Pennington - Jack of All TradesJack of All Trades (film)Jack of All Trades is a 1936 comedy film British directed by Robert Stevenson and Jack Hulbert. It stars Jack Hulbert and Gina Malo.-Cast:*Jack Hulbert as Jack Warrender*Gina Malo as Frances Wilson*Robertson Hare as Lionel Fitch...
(1936) – aka The Two of Us – Jack Warrender - Take My TipTake My TipTake My Tip is a 1937 British musical comedy film directed by Herbert Mason and starring Jack Hulbert, Cicely Courtneidge, Harold Huth and Frank Cellier...
(1937) – Lord George Pilkington - Paradise for TwoParadise for TwoParadise for Two is a 1937 British comedy film directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Jack Hulbert, Patricia Ellis and Arthur Riscoe. It is also known by the alternative title Gaiety Girls...
(1937) – aka Gaiety Girls (USA) – Rene Martin - Kate Plus TenKate Plus Ten (film)Kate Plus Ten is a 1938 British thriller film directed by Reginald Denham and starring Jack Hulbert, Genevieve Tobin and Noel Madison. It was adapted from the Edgar Wallace novel Kate Plus Ten. It was also released as Queen of Crime. Kate, the leader of a gang of criminals, works as secretary to an...
(1938) – aka Queen of Crime (USA) – Inspector Mike Pemberton - Under Your HatUnder Your HatUnder Your Hat is a 1940 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Jack Hulbert, Cicely Courtneidge, Austin Trevor, Leonora Corbett and Cecil Parker. The film is set in pre-Second World War England where a leading film star and his wife attempt to recover a secret carburettor...
(1940) – Jack Millett - Into the Blue (1950) – aka Man in the Dinghy (USA) – John Fergusson
- The Magic BoxThe Magic Box (film)The Magic Box is a 1951 British, Technicolor, biographical drama film, directed by John Boulting and starring Ronald Shiner as the Fairground Barker, Sid James, Laurence Olivier, Peter Ustinov and Charles Victor. It was produced by Ronald Neame and distributed by British Lion Film Corporation...
(1951) – 1st Holborn Policeman - Miss Tulip Stays the NightMiss Tulip Stays the NightMiss Tulip Stays the Night is a 1955 British comedy crime film directed by Leslie Arliss and starring Diana Dors, Patrick Holt, Jack Hulbert and Cicely Courtneidge...
(1955) – aka Dead by Midnight (USA) – Constable Feathers - The Spider's WebThe Spider's Web (1960 film)The Spider's Web is a 1960 British mystery film directed by Godfrey Grayson and starring Glynis Johns, John Justin, Cicely Courtneidge and Jack Hulbert...
(1960) – Sir Rowland Delahaye - Not Now Darling (1973) – Commander Frencham
- The Cherry PickerThe Cherry PickerThe Cherry Picker is 1972 British drama film directed by Peter Curran and starring Lulu, Bob Sherman, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Patrick Cargill, Jack Hulbert, Fiona Curzon, Terry-Thomas and Marianne Stone. As of August 2010, the film is missing from the BFI National Archive, and is listed as one of the...
(1974) – Sir Hugh Fawcett
Television
- Kraft Mystery Theater – "The Spider's Web" (1961) TV Episode
- Compact (1962) TV Series – Smith
- Party Games (1970) (TV) – Waiter
Theatre
- Once More With Music – Theatre Royal Brighton – with Cicely Courtneidge – October 1976
- Breath of Spring – Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, UK – with Cicely Courtneidge – May 1974
- The Hollow – Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, UK – with Cicely Courtneidge – 1973
- The Bride Comes Back – Vaudeville Theatre Royal – Cicely Courtneidge, Jack Hulbert – 1960
- Under Your Hat – with Cicely Courtneidge – 1938
- By The Way – with Cicely Courtneidge – 1927
- By The Way – revue – 1922
- The Pearl Girl – Shaftsbury Theatre – with Cicely Courtneidge – 1913