Bernard Cribbins, the actor, who has passed away at the age of 93, was one of Britain’s most accomplished post-war practitioners of whimsical light comedy and farce, an unexpectedly skilled exponent of silly songs that rose on the charts, and a loyal British cinema around the world. the sixties and seventies.
With his curly hair, long face, sad, honest eyes, protruding chin and unwavering kindness, Cribbins returned to a figure of lurid innocence and vulnerability in numerous plays, films and television programs. He also camped it in 1960 Continue movies, played the combative bartender in Alfred Hitchcock’s pleasure (1972), and on TV the obnoxious Mr Hutchinson, suspected of being an undercover hotel inspector, in Fawlty Towers (1975).
Wry, jovial, somber or self-pitying, Cribbins could adapt his voice to multiple timbres and accents, and from 1973 was a favorite on children’s television as the narrator and many voices of The Wumbles.
He starred in his own ill-fated series, cribbins (1969), which was canceled after two seasons, and later in more successful such as cuffy (1983), Langley Bottom (1986) and High and dry (1987).
He read more jackanory stories than anyone else and was awarded a Bafta in 2009 for his children’s TV work. “Children’s television is now so hectic that they have neglected the basics of traditional storytelling,” he noted.
He garnered genuine admiration for his friendly portrait of Albert Perks, the fickle doorman in ‘
In 2007, Cribbins gained a new generation of fans when he co-starred with David Tennant in doctor who as the sidekick of the Time Lord, Wilfred Mott, and played the retired fisherman in the CBeebies series Old Jack’s Boat (2013-14).
When Cribbins appeared in West End revues and comedies in the 1960s, he first ventured into the charts with Anthem. Produced by George Martin at EMI’s Abbey Road studios just before Martin began recording The Beatles, Cribbins followed with three Top 30 novelty hits in 1962, Hole in the ground (who climbed to No. 9), Right said Fred (no. 10) and Gossip Calypso (no. 25). In 1984 he was the narrator on the album of The snowman.
In the cinema he was cast in several Continue comedies, including Keep it up Jack and Continue spying (both 1964), but he resisted joining the regular ensemble. He gained genuine admiration for his friendly portrait of Albert Perks, the capricious doorman in The Railway Children (1970), arguably his best-known role, and for which he was nominated for a Bafta for Best Supporting Actor.
Bernard Cribbins with actresses Sally Thomsett (left) and Jenny Agutter during the filming of The Railway Children
Bernard Joseph Cribbins, the son of a plumber, was born in Oldham, North West England, on December 29, 1928. At the age of 13, he made his stage debut at the Oldham Repertory Theater and joined the company in 1943 as a professional.
His first TV part was in The black tulipfollowed by an adjustment of David Copperfield (both 1956).
During the 1960s, Cribbins appeared in no fewer than 20 films, mostly as workmen, petty criminals or police officers. In the 1970s, he rose to prominence on television as the narrator for the animated film series The Wumblesalso providing the voices for the various characters.
In 1979, he played Gertrude Stein to Wilfrid Brambell’s Alice B Toklas in the surreal Swedish film comedy The Adventures of Picasso. The same year, Cribbins collapsed during rehearsals for the farce forty love and was found to be suffering from an acute form of Ménière’s disease.
In November 2014, he received the JM Barrie Award in recognition of his career in children’s broadcasting. In addition to his work, Cribbins enjoyed fly fishing, golf, and claying. His autobiography, Bernard Who? 75 years doing almost everythingappeared in 2018.
He married Gillian McBarnet in 1955, his assistant when he was a stage manager at Oldham Rep. She died last year.
(© Telegraph Media Group Ltd 2022)
Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]