Ian Carmichael on stage, screen and radio

The English actor and comedian Ian Carmichael OBE (1920–2010) performed in many mediums of light entertainment, including theatre, radio, television and film. His career spanned from 1939 until his death in 2010. According to Brian McFarlane, writing for The Encyclopedia of British Film, Carmichael "epitomises the good-natured, undemanding pleasures of '50s British cinema".

Carmichael made his professional stage debut in 1939 while he was studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art; his role was as a robot in the science fiction play R.U.R., which lasted for only a week. His studies were interrupted by the Second World War, and he was commissioned into the Royal Armoured Corps; he also joined an entertainment unit, 30 Corps Theatrical Pool, for which he produced twenty shows. At the end of the war he returned to professional acting, and in 1947 he took a role in She Wanted a Cream Front Door, which ran in the West End for nine months. He continued to perform in the theatre throughout the rest of his career, largely in the United Kingdom, but also in productions in Canada, South Africa and the United States. In 1947 Carmichael made his debut on television in the revue New Faces. He continued to work in television throughout his life and, according to McFarlane, achieved considerable success with P. G. Wodehouse's The World of Wooster in 1966–1967, in which he played Bertie Wooster, and as Lord Peter Wimsey between 1972 and 1975.

Carmichael made his radio debut in 1947 in the BBC Home Service's Saturday Night Theatre, and continued to appear throughout his career. Included in his output were dramatisations of the Wimsey novels and Wodehouse's works, this time as Galahad Threepwood in the Blandings Castle stories. In 1948 Carmichael made his cinematic debut in an uncredited role in Bond Street, and went on to establish a film career in the 1950s when he appeared in films by the Boulting brothers, including Private's Progress (1956), Lucky Jim (1957), Brothers in Law (1957), Happy Is the Bride (1958) and I'm All Right Jack (1959). On Carmichael's death in 2010 Dennis Barker, writing for The Guardian, observed that "what made Carmichael notable was that he could play fool parts in a way that did not cut the characters completely off from human sympathy: a certain dignity was always maintained."

Stage credits + Stage credits of Ian Carmichael Production Date Theatre(London, unless stated) Role Notes R.U.R. People's Palace, Mile End Robot One week only Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre, RADA Two productions only Julius Caesar Embassy Theatre Claudius Nine Sharp – August 1940 Touring – Ten-week tour Springtime for Henry Army theatre, Duncombe Park – Four performances; informal army production Between Ourselves – – She Wanted a Cream Front Door Apollo Theatre I Said To Myself Mercury Theatre Jean Cupid and Mars Arts Theatre Four-week production Out of the Frying Pan Q Theatre What Goes On Players' Theatre – Revue Tomorrow is a Lovely Day Touring – Five-week tour Jolly Roger Theatre, Clacton – Revue What Goes On Players' Theatre – Revue – 9 September 1949 Touring Norman 24-week tour Wild Violets – 27 May 1950 Stoll Theatre – 22 September 1951 Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith – Revue; four-week pre-London tour; production transferred to the Globe Theatre from 26 September 1951 to 28 June 1952 – 31 January 1953 Globe Theatre – Revue; two-week tour prior to the Globe High Spirits – 29 August 1953 Hippodrome – Revue; 16-week run At the Lyric – 15 May 1954 Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith – Revue Going to Town – 17 July 1954 St Martin's Theatre – Revue Simon and Laura – 28 May 1955 Strand Theatre – August 1958 Her Majesty's Theatre Preceded by five-week provincial tour – October 1959 Manchester Opera House, Manchester Transferred to the Piccadilly Theatre on 12 October 1959 for two weeks before closing – 28 January 1961 Savoy Theatre Critic's Choice – May 1962 Vaudeville Theatre Devil May Care Strand Theatre Nicholas Four-week tour preceded the Strand; ran at the Strand for nine weeks Sunday in New York Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon – March Hares Touring Boeing-Boeing Cort Theatre, New York Richard Short tour of New Haven, CT and Boston, MA prior to New York; ran at the Cort for three weeks Say Who You Are Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford Production transferred to Her Majesty's Theatre in October 1965 Getting Married Strand Theatre Five-week tour preceded the Strand I Do! I Do! – 24 August 1968 Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith Michael Birds on the Wing O'Keefe Centre, Toronto – Darling I'm Home Touring, South Africa – Springtime for Henry Oxford Playhouse Out on a Limb! Vaudeville Theatre Graham Overheard Theatre Royal, Haymarket, London Short run at Richmond Theatre before transferring to the Haymarket. Pride and Prejudice –88 Theatre Royal, York Production went on a national tour after the Theatre Royal –90 Touring Chichester Festival Theatre

Television

Ian Carmichael on stage, screen and radio

Bron en licentie