Jerry Desmonde
Encyclopedia
Jerry Desmonde was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 stage musical, film, and television actor principally in comedies and drama. He is probably best known as a straight man
Double act
A double act, also known as a comedy duo, is a comic pairing in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners, usually of the same gender, age, ethnic origin and profession, but drastically different personalities or behavior...

 to Norman Wisdom
Norman Wisdom
Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, OBE was an English actor, comedian and singer-songwriter best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring his hapless onscreen character Norman Pitkin...

.
Jerry is sometimes credited as Jerry Desmond.

Early life and career

Jerry Desmonde was born James Robert Sadler in Linthorpe
Linthorpe
Linthorpe is an inner-suburb, and former village in the unitary authority of Middlesbrough, in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, in north east England.- Development :...

, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...

 into a family of music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...

 performers who toured the halls in Scotland, north east England, and Yorkshire.

Sadler first appeared on stage at the age of eleven and later became part of his family's act The Four Sadlers.
He built a career as a song and dance
Song and Dance
Song and Dance is a musical comprising two acts, one told entirely in "Song" and one entirely in "Dance", tied together by a love story.The first part is Tell Me On A Sunday, with lyrics by Don Black and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, about a young British woman's romantic misadventures in New York...

 man in musical theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...

 and later toured parts of the United States in 1927-1928 with Beatrice Lillie
Beatrice Lillie
Beatrice Gladys "Bea" Lillie was an actress and comedic performer. Following her 1920 marriage to Sir Robert Peel in England, she was known in private life as Lady Peel.-Early career:...

 and Noel Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...

 in the two-act revue
Revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...

 This Year of Grace
This Year of Grace
This Year of Grace is a revue with a book, music, and lyrics by Noël Coward.It opened in London on March 22, 1928 at the London Pavilion and ran nearly ten months, with a cast featuring Sonnie Hale, Maisie Gay, Jessie Matthews, Sheilah Graham and Tilly Losch among others. Doris Zinkeisen was one of...

.
By 1934 he had married Peggy Duncan and they toured as a double act
Double act
A double act, also known as a comedy duo, is a comic pairing in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners, usually of the same gender, age, ethnic origin and profession, but drastically different personalities or behavior...

 called Peg and Jerry, largely in Scotland.

Later career

In the 1940s, Desmonde was briefly a straight man for Scottish comedian Dave Willis
Dave Willis (comedian)
Dave Willis was a Scottish comedian and actor. He was a major music hall star in the 1930s and the 1940s in Glasgow. The actor Jerry Desmonde acted as a stooge to him. He made two films for Welwyn Studios co-starring with Patricia Kirkwood in the late 1930s...

 and in 1942 he was invited to be straight man for stage comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...

 Sid Field
Sid Field
-Early Years:Sid Field was an English comedy entertainer. He was born Sidney Arthur Field in Ladywood, Birmingham, son of Albert and Bertha . Field spent most of his childhood at 152 Osborn Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham.Field had entertainment in his blood from an early age...

 becoming one of the most celebrated comedy teams ever to appear on stage.
They appeared together on stage in three very successful revues, Strike a New Note (1943) and Strike it Again (1944) and Piccadilly Hayride (1946) at the Prince of Wales Theatre
Prince of Wales Theatre
The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre on Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in the City of Westminster. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner...

, London and in two films, London Town (1946) an infamous flop, and in Cardboard Cavalier
Cardboard Cavalier
Cardboard Cavalier is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde and starring Sid Field, Margaret Lockwood and Jerry Desmonde. The film depicts a historical romance between Lord Lovelace and Nell Gwyne.-Cast:* Sid Field - Sidcup Buttermeadow...

(1949).
The two men next worked together on a stage play, Harvey
Harvey (play)
Harvey is a 1944 play by American playwright Mary Chase. Produced by Brock Pemberton and directed by Antoinette Perry, the play premiered on 1 November 1944 at the 48th Street Theatre on Broadway where it was staged for 1,775 performances before closing on January 15, 1949. The original production...

at the Prince of Wales Theatre, from which Desmonde was ultimately sacked.
In 1950 a few months later, during the play's run Sid Field
Sid Field
-Early Years:Sid Field was an English comedy entertainer. He was born Sidney Arthur Field in Ladywood, Birmingham, son of Albert and Bertha . Field spent most of his childhood at 152 Osborn Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham.Field had entertainment in his blood from an early age...

 died of a heart attack.

In 1949 Desmonde appeared on television as a presenter in Rooftop Rendezvous.
He was a regular panelist and occasional guest host on the original UK version of the television panel game
Panel game
A panel game or panel show is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Panelists may compete with each other, such as on The News Quiz; facilitate play by guest contestants, such as on Match Game/Blankety Blank; or do both, such as on Wait Wait.....

 What's My Line? (1951–1962), and appeared in several TV comedies namely, Holiday Camp (1951) with Arthur Askey
Arthur Askey
Arthur Bowden Askey CBE was a prominent English comedian.- Life and career :Askey was born at 29 Moses Street, Liverpool, the eldest child and only son of Samuel Askey , secretary of the firm Sugar Products of Liverpool, and his wife, Betsy Bowden , of Knutsford, Cheshire...

, A Flight of Fancy (1952) with Jimmy Young
Jimmy Young (disc jockey)
Sir Jimmy Young CBE was a British singer, disc jockey and radio interviewer.-Early life:...

, then a singer working as a comedian, Before Your Very Eyes (1956–58) with Arthur Askey, and Bud in 1963 a sitcom with Bud Flanagan
Bud Flanagan
Bud Flanagan was a popular English music hall and vaudeville entertainer from the 1930s until the 1960s. Flanagan was famous as a wartime entertainer and his achievements were recognised when he was awarded the O.B.E. in 1960.- Family background :Flaganan was born Chaim Reuben Weintrop in...

 and other members of The Crazy Gang
The Crazy Gang
The Crazy Gang were a group of British entertainers, formed in the early 1930s. In the mature form the group's six men were Bud Flanagan, Chesney Allen, Jimmy Nervo, Teddy Knox, Charlie Naughton and Jimmy Gold...

.
He also appeared in episodes of the television series A Question of Happiness (1964), The Plane Makers (1964), The Villains (1965), No Hiding Place
No Hiding Place
No Hiding Place is a British television series that was produced at Wembley Studios by Associated-Rediffusion for the ITV network between 16 September 1959 and 22 June 1967....

(1965), The Mask of Janus
The Mask of Janus
The Mask of Janus is a British television series produced by the BBC in 1965.The series was set in the fictional European country of Amalia and dealt with the political interests of the British, American and Communist espionage communities within. Eschewing the action formula of its ITV...

(1965), and Vendetta (1966).

As a game show host he hosted ATV
Associated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...

's Hit The Limit (1956) and The 64,000 Question (1956) television gameshows and in October 1956 Jerry appeared on the front cover of TV Times
TV Times
TVTimes is a television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom by IPC Media, a subsidiary of Time Warner. It is known for its access to television actors and their programmes. In 2006 it was refreshed for a more modern look, increasing its emphasis on big star interviews and soaps...

magazine.
On radio Jerry appeared with Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...

 on The Bob Hope Show (1951) and (1954) the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 radio play The Incredible History of John Shepherd (1954), and occasionally presented Housewives' Choice
Housewives' Choice
Housewives' Choice was a BBC radio record request programme broadcast every morning from 1946 to 1967 on the BBC Light Programme. It played a wide range of music designed to appeal to housewives at home during the day...

on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

's Light Programme.

Desmonde continued to appear on the London stage in Where's Charley?
Where's Charley?
Where's Charley? is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by George Abbott. The story was based on the play Charley's Aunt by Brandon Thomas. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1948 and was revived on Broadway and in the West End...

(1958) a theatre musical production of the play Charley's Aunt
Charley's Aunt
Charley's Aunt is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas. It broke all historic records for plays of any kind, with an original London run of 1,466 performances....

with Norman Wisdom, and in the short-lived Belle
Belle
Belle is the feminine form of the French word which means beautiful.It may also refer to:-Business:* Belle Baby Carriers, a U.S. baby carrier manufacturer* Belle International, a Chinese footwear retailer-Computers and software:...

(1961) alternatively titled The Ballad of Dr Crippen
Hawley Harvey Crippen
Hawley Harvey Crippen , usually known as Dr. Crippen, was an American homeopathic physician hanged in Pentonville Prison, London, on November 23, 1910, for the murder of his wife, Cora Henrietta Crippen...

a music hall musical with George Benson and Rose Hill
Rose Hill (actress)
Rose Lilian Hill was an English actress best known for her role as Madame Fanny La Fan in the British television series Allo 'Allo!. She was a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company....

.

Jerry Desmonde was in numerous movies from 1946 to 1965 including several comedies with Norman Wisdom, and starred in several others.
The Wisdom films usually involved the gump character (Wisdom) in a junior position to a 'straight man' superior, often played by Edward Chapman
Edward Chapman (actor)
Edward Chapman was an English actor who starred in many films and television programmes, but is chiefly remembered as "Mr. Wilfred Grimsdale", the officious superior and comic foil to Norman Wisdom's character of Pitkin in many of his films from the late 1950s and 1960s.Chapman was born in...

, and fighting against the unfairness wrought by some 'authority figure', often played by Jerry Desmonde.

Personal life

He was married to Peggy Duncan.
They had two children, a daughter Jacqueline and son Gerald.
After World War II Desmonde and his family settled in London and his daughter Jacqueline married clarinettist Peter Howes the son of actor Bobby Howes
Bobby Howes
Bobby Howes, born as Charles Robert William Howes on 4 August 1895 in Battersea, England. His parents were Robert William Howes and Rose Marie Butler.- Biography :...

.
In 1967 following bouts of depression after the death of his wife Jerry took his life.

Stage

  • Belle
    Belle
    Belle is the feminine form of the French word which means beautiful.It may also refer to:-Business:* Belle Baby Carriers, a U.S. baby carrier manufacturer* Belle International, a Chinese footwear retailer-Computers and software:...

    at the Strand Theatre
    Novello Theatre
    The Novello Theatre is a West End theatre on Aldwych, in the City of Westminster.-History:The theatre was built as one of a pair with the Aldwych Theatre on either side of the Waldorf Hotel, both being designed by W. G. R. Sprague. The theatre opened as the Waldorf Theatre on 22 May 1905, and was...

    , London (1961)
  • Where's Charley?
    Where's Charley?
    Where's Charley? is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by George Abbott. The story was based on the play Charley's Aunt by Brandon Thomas. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1948 and was revived on Broadway and in the West End...

    as Sir Francis Chesney at the Palace Theatre
    Palace Theatre, London
    The Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster in London. It is an imposing red-brick building that dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus and is located near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road...

    , London (1958)
  • The Royal Variety Show
    Royal Variety Performance
    The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...

     (1957)
  • The Gay Musical Show at the London Palladium
    London Palladium
    The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...

     and then the Prince of Wales Theatre
    Prince of Wales Theatre
    The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre on Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in the City of Westminster. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner...

     with Norman Wisdom (19??)
  • Painting the Town a revue with Norman Wisdom at the London Palladium (1955)
  • Red-Headed Blonde a farcical comedy
    Farce
    In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...

     at the Vaudeville Theatre
    Vaudeville Theatre
    The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on The Strand in the City of Westminster. As the name suggests, the theatre held mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. It opened in 1870 and was rebuilt twice, although each new building retained elements of the previous...

    , London (1952)
  • Out of this World at the London Palladium starring Frankie Howerd
    Frankie Howerd
    Francis Alick "Frankie" Howerd OBE was an English comedian and comic actor whose career, described by fellow comedian Barry Cryer as "a series of comebacks", spanned six decades.-Early career:...

     (1948)
  • Piccadilly Hayride at the Prince of Wales Theatre
    Prince of Wales Theatre
    The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre on Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in the City of Westminster. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner...

    , London (1946)
  • Strike it Again at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London (1944)
  • Strike a New Note at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London (1943)
  • This Year of Grace
    This Year of Grace
    This Year of Grace is a revue with a book, music, and lyrics by Noël Coward.It opened in London on March 22, 1928 at the London Pavilion and ran nearly ten months, with a cast featuring Sonnie Hale, Maisie Gay, Jessie Matthews, Sheilah Graham and Tilly Losch among others. Doris Zinkeisen was one of...

    on a USA tour then at the Selwyn Theatre, Broadway
    Broadway (New York City)
    Broadway is a prominent avenue in New York City, United States, which runs through the full length of the borough of Manhattan and continues northward through the Bronx borough before terminating in Westchester County, New York. It is the oldest north–south main thoroughfare in the city, dating to...

     (1928) (credited as Jim Sadler).

Filmography

  • The Early Bird
    The Early Bird
    The Early Bird is a 1965 British comedy film directed by Robert Asher and starring Norman Wisdom. It also featured Edward Chapman, Bryan Pringle, Richard Vernon, John Le Mesurier and Jerry Desmonde. It was the first Norman Wisdom film to be shot in colour...

    (1965), as Mr Walter Hunter the dairy owner, with Norman Wisdom
  • Gonks Go Beat
    Gonks Go Beat
    Gonks Go Beat is a 1965 British science fiction/musical fantasy film, directed by Robert Hartford-Davis and starring Kenneth Connor and Frank Thornton...

    (1965), as Great Galaxian, with Kenneth Connor
    Kenneth Connor
    Kenneth Connor MBE was an English comedy stage, radio, film and TV actor, best known for his appearances in the Carry On films.-Career:...

  • The Beauty Jungle
    The Beauty Jungle
    -Plot:While on a seaside holiday a young typist is persuaded by a local journalist to enter a beauty contest. When she wins, she decides to give up her previous career and life and take up entering the contests full-time.-Cast:*Ian Hendry as Don Mackenzie...

    (1964) USA: Contest Girl (1966), as "Rose of England" contest organizer
  • Stolen Hours
    Stolen Hours
    Stolen Hours is a 1963 remake by United Artists of the Bette Davis film, Dark Victory, which was released by Warner Bros. in 1939, and was owned by UA at the time. The remake was directed by Daniel Petrie and starred Susan Hayward in the Davis role of a bitchy socialite who is operated on for a...

    (1963) USA: Summer Flight, as a Colonel
  • The Switch
    The Switch (1963 film)
    The Switch is a 1963 British crime film directed by Peter Maxwell and starring Anthony Steel, Zena Marshall and Conrad Phillips. A criminal gang smuggles watches into the country by hiding them in a petrol tank of a woman's car.-Cast:...

    (1963), as Customs Chief
  • A Stitch in Time
    A Stitch in Time (film)
    A Stitch in Time is a 1963 Norman Wisdom comedy film set in a children's hospital. It was directed by Robert Asher and edited by Gerry Hambling. The cast includes Edward Chapman, Jeanette Sterke, Jerry Desmonde, Jill Melford, Glyn Houston, Vera Day, Patsy Rowlands, Peter Jones, Ernest Clark,...

    (1963), as Sir Hector Hardcastle, with Norman Wisdom
  • A Kind of Loving
    A Kind of Loving (film)
    A Kind of Loving is a 1962 British drama film directed by John Schlesinger, based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Stan Barstow. It stars Alan Bates and June Ritchie as two lovers in 1960s West Yorkshire. The photography was by Denys Coop, and the music by Ron Grainer...

    (1962), as a TV Compere
  • Carry on Regardless
    Carry On Regardless
    Carry on Regardless was the fifth in the series of Carry On films to be made. It was released in 1961. By now a fairly regular team was established with Sid James, Kenneth Connor, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims and Kenneth Williams all having appeared in previous entries. Hattie Jacques - who was...

    (1961), as Martin Paul
  • Follow a Star
    Follow a Star
    Follow a Star is a 1959 British comedy film directed by Robert Asher and starring Norman Wisdom.-Plot:The story is rather similar to the ending of Singin' in the Rain, where a singer fraudulently "borrows" the voice of Norman Wisdom's character....

    (1959), as Vernon Carew, with Norman Wisdom
  • Just My Luck
    Just My Luck (1957 film)
    Just My Luck is a 1957 British sports comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Norman Wisdom as a worker in a jewellery shop.- Plot :...

    (1957), as a Goodwood racegoer (uncredited), with Norman Wisdom
  • A King in New York
    A King in New York
    A King in New York is a 1957 British comedy film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin in his last leading role, which presents a satirical view of certain aspects of United States politics and society. The film was produced in Europe after Chaplin's exile from the US in 1952...

    (1957), as Prime Minister Voudel, with Charlie Chaplin
    Charlie Chaplin
    Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...

  • Up in the World
    Up in the World
    Up in the World is a 1956 comedy film starring Norman Wisdom, Maureen Swanson and Jerry Desmonde, directed by John Paddy Carstairs and made by Rank.-Cast:* Norman Wisdom as Norman* Maureen Swanson as Jeannie Andrews* Jerry Desmonde as Major Willoughby...

    (1956), as Major Willoughby, with Norman Wisdom
  • Ramsbottom Rides Again
    Ramsbottom Rides Again
    Ramsbottom Rides Again is a 1955 British western comedy film starring Arthur Askey as the title hero Bill Ramsbottom, with Sid James, pop singer Frankie Vaughan and Campbell Singer in supporting roles....

    (1956), as red Indian Blue Eagle in a comedy western with Arthur Askey
  • The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp
    The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp
    The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp is a 1956 British black and white part-fantasy comedy film directed by Alan Bromly and starring Felix Aylmer as a second hand store owner, and Diane Cilento as the Angel....

    (1956), as Parker
  • Man of the Moment
    Man of the Moment (1955 film)
    Man of the Moment is a 1955 comedy film starring Norman Wisdom, Belinda Lee, Lana Morris and Jerry Desmonde.-Cast:* Norman Wisdom as Norman* Lana Morris as Penny* Belinda Lee as Sonia* Jerry Desmonde as Jackson* Karel Stepanek as Lom...

    (1955), as foreign office minister Jackson, with Norman Wisdom
  • The Malta Story
    Malta Story
    Malta Story is a 1953 British war film based on the heroic defence of Malta, the island itself, its people and the RAF aviators who fought to defend it...

    (1953), as a general (uncredited)
  • Trouble in Store
    Trouble in Store
    Trouble in Store is a 1953 British comedy film starring Norman Wisdom as a department store clerk in his screen debut. For his performance, Wisdom won a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer. The film broke box office records at 51 out of the 67 London cinemas in which it played...

    (1953), as store chief Augustus Freeman, with Norman Wisdom
  • Alf's Baby (1953) USA: Her Three Bachelors (1954), as Alf Donkin
  • The Perfect Woman
    The Perfect Woman
    The Perfect Woman is a comedy, 1949 British film directed by Bernard Knowles and written by George Black, Jr and J. B. Boothroyd, based upon a play by Wallace Geoffrey and Basil Mitchell. A scientist creates what he considers the perfect woman in his lab...

    (1949), as Raymond a dress shop manager
  • Cardboard Cavalier
    Cardboard Cavalier
    Cardboard Cavalier is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde and starring Sid Field, Margaret Lockwood and Jerry Desmonde. The film depicts a historical romance between Lord Lovelace and Nell Gwyne.-Cast:* Sid Field - Sidcup Buttermeadow...

    (1949), as Colonel Lovelace, with Sid Field
  • London Town (1946) USA: My Heart Goes Crazy (1953), as George a golfing instructor, with Sid Field.

External links

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