Fred Emney
Encyclopedia
Frederick Arthur Round "Fred" Emney (12 February 1900 - 25 December 1980) was an English character actor
and comedian
.
Emney was born in Lancashire
, the son of Blanche (née Round) and Fred Emney (1865–1917), a music hall
entertainer. His uncle was the actor Arthur Williams
. Emney junior grew up in London.
He made his film debut in 1935, having previously worked in music hall
. He became a familiar figure to screen audiences, usually playing the "posh fat bloke", usually gruff and invariably wearing a monocle
. During the 1950s, he had his own television show which featured sketches and deft piano pieces often composed by him. Some were released on record. He had a short spell as straight man to puppets Pinky and Perky
.
His sister Joan Emney was an actress who sometimes appeared with him in the same stage productions.
Fred Emney died in Bognor Regis
, Sussex
on Christmas Day 1980.
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
and 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...
.
Emney was born in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, the son of Blanche (née Round) and Fred Emney (1865–1917), a 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...
entertainer. His uncle was the actor Arthur Williams
Arthur Williams (actor)
Arthur Williams was an English actor, singer and playwright best remembered for his roles in comic operas, musical burlesques and Edwardian musical comedies...
. Emney junior grew up in London.
He made his film debut in 1935, having previously worked in 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...
. He became a familiar figure to screen audiences, usually playing the "posh fat bloke", usually gruff and invariably wearing a monocle
Monocle
A monocle is a type of corrective lens used to correct or enhance the vision in only one eye. It consists of a circular lens, generally with a wire ring around the circumference that can be attached to a string. The other end of the string is then connected to the wearer's clothing to avoid losing...
. During the 1950s, he had his own television show which featured sketches and deft piano pieces often composed by him. Some were released on record. He had a short spell as straight man to puppets Pinky and Perky
Pinky and Perky
Pinky and Perky is an animated children's television series first broadcast by the BBC in 1957, revived in 2008 as a CGI animation.-Original series:...
.
His sister Joan Emney was an actress who sometimes appeared with him in the same stage productions.
Fred Emney died in Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun district of West Sussex, on the south coast of England. It is south-south-west of London, west of Brighton, and south-east of the city of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Littlehampton east-north-east and Selsey to the...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
on Christmas Day 1980.
Filmography
- A Man of MayfairA Man of MayfairA Man of Mayfair is a 1931 British musical comedy film directed by Louis Mercanton and starring Jack Buchanan, Joan Barry and Warwick Ward.-Cast:* Jack Buchanan - Lord William* Joan Barry - Grace Irving* Warwick Ward - Ferdinand Barclay...
(1931) - Come Out of the PantryCome Out of the PantryCome Out of the Pantry is a 1935 British musical film directed by Jack Raymond and starring Jack Buchanan, Fay Wray, James Carew and Fred Emney.-Plot:...
(1935) - Brewster's MillionsBrewster's Millions (1935 film)Brewster's Millions is a 1935 British musical comedy film directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Jack Buchanan, Lili Damita and Nancy O'Neil...
(1935) - The Lilac Domino (1937)
- Jane Steps OutJane Steps OutJane Steps Out is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Diana Churchill, Jean Muir, Peter Murray-Hill and Athene Seyler. A young woman is overshadowed by her more glamorous sister...
(1938) - Let's Make a Night of ItLet's Make a Night of ItLet's Make a Night of It is a 1938 British musical comedy film directed by Graham Cutts and starring Charles Rogers, June Clyde and Claire Luce. A husband and his wife acquire rival nightclubs at the same time...
(1938) - Hold My HandHold My Hand (film)Hold My Hand is a 1938 British musical comedy film directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Stanley Lupino, Fred Emney and Barbara Blair. A series of romantic enganglements ensue when a wealthy man buys a newspaper...
(1938) - Luck of the NavyLuck of the NavyLuck of the Navy is a 1938 British comedy thriller film directed by Norman Lee and starring Geoffrey Toone, Judy Kelly and Clifford Evans. It was based on the play Luck of the Navy by Clifford Mills and is also known by the alternative title of North Sea Patrol...
(1938) - Yes, Madam?Yes, Madam?Yes, Madam? is a 1939 British musical comedy film directed by Norman Lee and starring Bobby Howes, Diana Churchill and Wylie Watson. Two cousins have to spend a spell in service to qualify for an inheritance, but they find themselves in the same house as their arch-enemy. It was adapted from a...
(1939) - Just Like a WomanJust Like a WomanJust Like a Woman is a 1992 British film by Christopher Monger starring Julie Walters, Adrian Pasdar and Paul Freeman. Gerald, a finance executive , finds himself thrown out by his wife when she discovers women's underwear in their flat; in fact the clothes belong to him. He takes lodgings with...
(1939) - She Couldn't Say NoShe Couldn't Say No (1939 film)She Couldn't Say No is a 1939 British comedy film directed by Graham Cutts and starring Tommy Trinder, Fred Emney and Googie Withers. It was based on a play Funny Face by Paul Girard Smith and Fred Thompson...
(1939) - Just WilliamJust William (1940 film)Just William is a 1940 British comedy film directed by Graham Cutts and starring Richard Lupino, Fred Emney and Basil Radford. It is based on the Just William series of books by Richmal Crompton.-Cast:* Richard Lupino - William Brown...
(1940) - The Middle WatchThe Middle Watch (1940 film)The Middle Watch is a 1940 British, black-and-white, comedy film, directed by Thomas Bentley and starring Ronald Shiner as the Ship's Mechanic or Engineer, Jack Buchanan, Greta Gynt, Fred Emney and Kay Walsh. It was produced by Associated British Picture Corporation...
(1940) - Let the People SingLet the People Sing (film)Let the People Sing is a 1942 British comedy film directed by John Baxter and starring Alastair Sim, Fred Emney and Edward Rigby. A small town bands together to try to save their music hall from closure. It was based on the novel Let the People Sing by J.B...
(1942) - Fun at St. Fanny's (1956)
- The Fast LadyThe Fast LadyThe Fast Lady is a 1962 British comedy film, directed by Ken Annakin. The screenplay was written by Henry Blyth and Jack Davies, based on a story by Keble Howard.It marked the film debut of Julie Christie.-Plot:...
(1962) - A Home of Your OwnA Home of Your OwnA Home of Your Own is a 1964 British comedy film which is a brick-by-brick account of the building a young couple’s dream house. From the day when the site is first selected, to the day – several years and children later – when the couple finally move in, the story is a noisy but wordless comedy of...
(1964) - Father Came Too!Father Came Too!Father Came Too! is a 1963 British comedy film directed by Peter Graham Scott. It is a sequel to The Fast Lady.-Plot:Dexter and Juliet Munro are a married couple who move to a run-down cottage in hopes of escaping from Juliet's overbearing father. However, the couple are soon confronted by their...
(1964) - Those Magnificent Men in their Flying MachinesThose Magnificent Men in Their Flying MachinesThose Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, Or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes is a 1965 British comedy film starring Stuart Whitman and directed and co-written by Ken Annakin...
(1965) - Bunny Lake Is MissingBunny Lake Is MissingBunny Lake Is Missing is a 1965 British psychological thriller film directed and produced by Otto Preminger, who filmed it in black and white widescreen format in London. It was based on the novel of the same name by Merriam Modell. The score is by Paul Glass and the opening theme is often heard as...
(1965) - The Sandwich ManThe Sandwich ManThe Sandwich Man is a 1966 British comedy film starring Michael Bentine, Dora Bryan, Harry H. Corbett, Bernard Cribbins, Diana Dors, Norman Wisdom, Terry-Thomas and Ian Hendry. It was written by Bentine in conjunction with Robert Hartford-Davis...
(1966) - I've Gotta HorseI've Gotta Horse- Summary :Based on the star's famous love of animals, this musical comedy portrays Billy setting out to add a sheepdog to his vast entourage of animals and coming back with an irresistible horse named Armitage instead. To his manager's horror, Billy smuggles the horse backstage during rehearsals...
- A Home of Your OwnA Home of Your OwnA Home of Your Own is a 1964 British comedy film which is a brick-by-brick account of the building a young couple’s dream house. From the day when the site is first selected, to the day – several years and children later – when the couple finally move in, the story is a noisy but wordless comedy of...
(1967) - The Assassination BureauThe Assassination BureauThe Assassination Bureau Limited is a black comedy film made in 1969 based on an unfinished novel, The Assassination Bureau, Ltd by Jack London...
(1969) - Lock Up Your Daughters! (1969)
- The Italian JobThe Italian JobThe Italian Job is a 1969 British caper film, written by Troy Kennedy Martin, produced by Michael Deeley and directed by Peter Collinson. Subsequent television showings and releases on video have established it as an institution in the United Kingdom....
(1969) - The Magic ChristianThe Magic Christian (film)The Magic Christian is a 1969 British comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath and starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr, with noteworthy appearances by John Cleese, Raquel Welch, Christopher Lee, Richard Attenborough and Roman Polanski. It was loosely adapted from the 1959 comic novel of the same...
(1969) - Doctor in TroubleDoctor in TroubleDoctor in Trouble is a 1970 British comedy film, the last of the long-running Doctor in the House series of British comedy films. It was directed by Ralph Thomas it stars Leslie Phillips as a doctor who gets accidentally trapped on an outgoing cruise ship while it begins a round the world trip...
(1970) - Up the Chastity BeltUp the Chastity BeltUp the Chastity Belt is a 1971 British film, a spin-off from the TV series Up Pompeii! that starred Frankie Howerd and was directed by Bob Kellett.-Synopsis:...
(1971) - Mistress PamelaMistress PamelaMistress Pamela is a 1974 British drama film directed by Jim O'Connolly and starring Ann Michelle, Julian Barnes, Dudley Foster, Anna Quayle and Anthony Sharp...
(1974) - The Amorous MilkmanThe Amorous MilkmanThe Amorous Milkman is a 1975 British comedy film directed by Derren Nesbitt and starring Julie Ege, Diana Dors and Brendan Price. A young milkman enjoys a number of adventures with bored woman on his round.-Cast:* Julie Ege as Diana* Diana Dors as Rita...
(1975) - Adventures of a Private EyeAdventures of a Private EyeThe Adventures of a Private Eye is a 1977 British sex comedy film starring Christopher Neil, Suzy Kendall, Harry H. Corbett and Liz Fraser. It was the second in the trilogy of 'Adventures' films after the 1976 film Adventures of a Taxi Driver...
(1977)