Graham Moffatt
Encyclopedia
- For the playwright, see Graham MoffatGraham MoffatWilliam Graham Moffat was a Scottish actor, director and playwright. He is best known for his 1910 comedy Bunty Pulls the Strings....
Graham Moffatt (6 December 1919 – 2 July 1965) was a British
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...
character actor
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...
.
Born in Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
, 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...
, he is best known for a number of films where he appeared with Will Hay
Will Hay
William Thomson "Will" Hay was an English comedian, actor, film director and amateur astronomer.-Early life:He was born in Stockton-on-Tees, in north east England, to William R...
and Moore Marriott
Moore Marriott
Moore Marriott was a British character actor most notable for a series of films he made with Will Hay in the 1930s.-Career:...
as 'Albert': an insolent, overweight, overgrown-schoolboy type character, loosely reminiscent of Billy Bunter
Billy Bunter
William George Bunter , is a fictional character created by Charles Hamilton using the pen name Frank Richards...
.
His first film with Will Hay was Where There's a Will (1936) in which he plays an office boy. In his next film with Hay, Windbag the Sailor
Windbag the Sailor
Windbag the Sailor is a British comedy film directed by William Beaudine, starring Will Hay in the title role. Ben Cutlet is a sea captain who entertains his bar room audience with tales of his days at sea, even though in reality his maritime experience extends only to navigating a coal barge...
(1936), he is joined by Moore Marriott and his character has become 'Albert'. He is known by this name in all his later films with Hay and Marriott: Oh, Mr Porter!
Oh, Mr Porter!
Oh, Mr Porter! is a British comedy film starring Will Hay with Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt and directed by Marcel Varnel. While not his most commercially successful, it is probably his best-known film to modern audiences...
(1937), Old Bones of the River
Old Bones of the River
Old Bones of the River is a comedy film released in 1938 starring British actor Will Hay with Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt and directed by Marcel Varnel...
(1938), Ask a Policeman
Ask A Policeman
Ask a Policeman is a 1939 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel which stars Will Hay, Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt. The title comes from the popular music hall song Ask a Policeman. The Turnbottom Round police force are threatened with dismissal by their Chief Constable and decide to...
(1939) and Where's That Fire?
Where's That Fire?
Where's That Fire? is a 1940 British comedy film, produced by Twentieth Century Fox, directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Will Hay, Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt.-Synopsis:...
(1940). Still as Albert, he appeared again with Moore Marriott in a series of films starring 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...
: Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt
Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt
Charley's Aunt is a 1940 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde starring Arthur Askey and Richard Murdoch as Oxford 'scholars'.The film is one of many to be made based on the farce Charley's Aunt.-Cast:...
(1940), I Thank You
I Thank You (film)
I Thank You is a 1941 British comedy filmdirected by Marcel Varnel and starring Arthur Askey, Richard Murdoch, Graham Moffatt and Moore Marriott. It was produced by Edward Black at Gainsborough Pictures.- Plot summary :...
(1941), and Back Room Boy (1942).
His later films include Powell and Pressburger
Powell and Pressburger
The British film-making partnership of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, also known as The Archers, made a series of influential films in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1981 they were recognized for their contributions to British cinema with the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award, the most prestigious...
's A Canterbury Tale
A Canterbury Tale
A Canterbury Tale is a 1944 British film by the film-making team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. It stars Eric Portman, Sheila Sim, Dennis Price and Sgt. John Sweet; Esmond Knight provided narration and played several small roles. For the postwar American release, Raymond Massey narrated...
and I Know Where I'm Going!
I Know Where I'm Going!
I Know Where I'm Going! is a 1945 romance film by the British-based film-makers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. It stars Wendy Hiller and Roger Livesey, and features Pamela Brown, Finlay Currie and Petula Clark in her fourth film appearance....
, before he semi-retired from show business to become a publican
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
with his wife Joyce. Together, they ran the Swan Inn at Braybrooke
Braybrooke
Braybrooke is a small village in north west Northamptonshire, England. It is situated about halfway between Market Harborough and Desborough. It lies in a valley between two ridges one of which is surmounted by the A6 trunk road...
(near Market Harborough
Market Harborough
Market Harborough is a market town within the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England.It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. It sits on the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border...
) followed by The Englishcombe Inn at Bath. In March 1952 he had to be admitted to hospital in Kettering
Kettering
Kettering is a market town in the Borough of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It is situated about from London. Kettering is mainly situated on the west side of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene which meets at Wellingborough...
after two weeks of hiccoughing. He still made occasional film appearances until his death from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in 1965. His ashes were scattered at sea.
Filmography
- Till the Bells Ring (1933)
- A Cup of KindnessA Cup of KindnessA Cup of Kindness is a 1934 British comedy film directed by and starring Tom Walls. It also featured Ralph Lynn, Robertson Hare, Dorothy Hyson and Claude Hulbert...
(1934) - The ClairvoyantThe ClairvoyantThe Clairvoyant is a 1934 drama film made in the UK, starring Claude Rains, Fay Wray, and Jane Baxter, directed by Maurice Elvey, and based on the novel of the same name by Ernst Lothar.-Plot:...
(1935) - Stormy Weather (1935)
- It's Love AgainIt's Love AgainIt's Love Again is a 1936 British musical film directed by Victor Saville and starring Jessie Matthews, Robert Young and Sonnie Hale. A chorus girl masquerades as a big game hunter to try and boost her showbiz career.-Cast:...
(1936) - Where There's a Will (1936)
- Windbag the SailorWindbag the SailorWindbag the Sailor is a British comedy film directed by William Beaudine, starring Will Hay in the title role. Ben Cutlet is a sea captain who entertains his bar room audience with tales of his days at sea, even though in reality his maritime experience extends only to navigating a coal barge...
(1936) - Doctor SynDoctor Syn (film)Doctor Syn is a 1937 British, black-and-white, adventure, drama historical film , directed by Roy William Neill for Gainsborough Pictures and starring George Arliss , Margaret Lockwood, Graham Moffatt and Ronald Shiner. It was produced by Gainsborough Pictures. The film is based on the Doctor Syn...
(1937) - Good Morning, BoysGood Morning, BoysGood Morning, Boys is a 1937 British comedy film featuring Will Hay, Martita Hunt, Lilli Palmer and Peter Gawthorne.-Plot outline:Will Hay plays the roguish headmaster, Dr Twist, of a dubious boarding school for boys. Twist bets on the horses with his pupils and teaches them little...
(1937) - GangwayGangway (film)Gangway is a 1937 British musical film directed by Sonnie Hale and starring Jessie Matthews, Barry MacKay, Nat Pendleton and Alistair Sim. A young reporter goes undercover to unmask a gang of criminals who are planning a jewel heist.-Main cast:...
(1937) - Oh, Mr. Porter! (1937)
- Owd Bob (1938)
- The Drum (1938)
- Convict 99Convict 99Convict 99 is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring British comedian Will Hay and Googie Withers.-Synopsis:Incompetent Dr Benjamin Twist is dismissed from his job as headmaster at St. Michaels' School Convict 99 is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel...
(1938) - Old Bones of the RiverOld Bones of the RiverOld Bones of the River is a comedy film released in 1938 starring British actor Will Hay with Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt and directed by Marcel Varnel...
(1938) - Ask a PolicemanAsk A PolicemanAsk a Policeman is a 1939 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel which stars Will Hay, Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt. The title comes from the popular music hall song Ask a Policeman. The Turnbottom Round police force are threatened with dismissal by their Chief Constable and decide to...
(1939) - Cheer Boys CheerCheer Boys CheerCheer Boys Cheer is a 1939 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde and starring Nova Pilbeam, Edmund Gwenn, Jimmy O'Dea, Graham Moffatt and Moore Marriott. Made by Ealing Studios the film depicts the fanatical rivalry between two local firms of brewers each hoping to establish a monopoly....
(1939) - Where's That Fire?Where's That Fire?Where's That Fire? is a 1940 British comedy film, produced by Twentieth Century Fox, directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Will Hay, Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt.-Synopsis:...
(1940) - O-Kay for SoundO-Kay for SoundO-Kay for Sound is a 1937 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring the Crazy Gang troupe of commedians. After falling on hard times the members of the Crazy Gang are busking on the streets of London...
(1940) - Charley's (Big-Hearted) AuntCharley's (Big-Hearted) AuntCharley's Aunt is a 1940 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde starring Arthur Askey and Richard Murdoch as Oxford 'scholars'.The film is one of many to be made based on the farce Charley's Aunt.-Cast:...
(1940) - I Thank YouI Thank You (film)I Thank You is a 1941 British comedy filmdirected by Marcel Varnel and starring Arthur Askey, Richard Murdoch, Graham Moffatt and Moore Marriott. It was produced by Edward Black at Gainsborough Pictures.- Plot summary :...
(1941) - Hi Gang!Hi Gang! (film)Hi Gang! is a 1941 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Bebe Daniels, Ben Lyon and Vic Oliver. It was a spin-off from the popular radio series Hi Gang!.-Cast:* Bebe Daniels - The Liberty Girl* Ben Lyon - Her Other Half...
(1941) - Back-Room BoyBack-Room BoyBack-Room Boy is a 1942 British comedy film directed by Herbert Mason and starring Arthur Askey, Googie Withers, Graham Moffatt and Moore Marriott. A man from the Met Office is sent to a lighthouse on a remote Scottish island to monitor the weather...
(1942) - Dear OctopusDear OctopusDear Octopus is a 1943 British comedy film directed by Harold French and starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Wilding and Celia Johnson. It is based on a 1938 play Dear Octopus written by Dodie Smith...
(1943) - Time FliesTime Flies (film)Times Flies is a 1944 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde and starring Tommy Handley, Evelyn Dall, Felix Aylmer and Moore Marriott. A music hall performer travels back to Elizabethan times using a time machine.-Cast:* Tommy Handley - Tommy...
(1944) - Welcome, Mr. WashingtonWelcome, Mr. WashingtonWelcome, Mr. Washington is a 1944 British drama film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Barbara Mullen, Donald Stewart, Peggy Cummins, Martita Hunt and Herbert Lomas. Two sisters are left almost peniless by their father's sudden death, and are forced to lease their estate as an airbase to...
(1944) - A Canterbury TaleA Canterbury TaleA Canterbury Tale is a 1944 British film by the film-making team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. It stars Eric Portman, Sheila Sim, Dennis Price and Sgt. John Sweet; Esmond Knight provided narration and played several small roles. For the postwar American release, Raymond Massey narrated...
(1944) - I Know Where I'm Going!I Know Where I'm Going!I Know Where I'm Going! is a 1945 romance film by the British-based film-makers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. It stars Wendy Hiller and Roger Livesey, and features Pamela Brown, Finlay Currie and Petula Clark in her fourth film appearance....
(1945) - The Voyage of Peter Joe (1946)
- Woman HaterWoman HaterWoman Hater is a 1948 British romantic comedy film directed by Terence Young and starring Stewart Granger, Edwige Feuillère and Ronald Squire. Lord Datchett invites a French film star to stay as his house but pretends to be one of his employees while he tries to romance her with the help of his...
(1948) - Three Bags Full (1949)
- Cuckoo College (1949, TV film)
- The Second MateThe Second MateThe Second Mate is a 1950 British crime film directed by John Baxter and starring Gordon Harker, Graham Moffatt and David Hannaford.-Cast:* Gordon Harker - Bill Tomkins* Graham Moffatt - Paddy* David Hannaford - Bobby* Beryl Walkeley - Kate...
(1950) - The Dragon of Pendragon Castle (1950)
- Mother Riley Meets the Vampire (1952)
- Inn for TroubleInn for TroubleInn for Trouble is a 1960 British comedy film - a movie spin-off of the 1950s sitcom 'The Larkins' - starring Peggy Mount, David Kossoff and Leslie Phillips....
(1960) - 80,000 Suspects80,000 Suspects80,000 Suspects is a 1963 British film, directed by Val Guest which concerns an outbreak of smallpox in Bath, England.-Plot:A romantic melodrama set against the backdrop of a smallpox epidemic which features Richard Johnson as the diligent doctor in control and Claire Bloom as his outwardly serene...
(1963)