Max Wall
Encyclopedia
Max Wall was an English
comedian and actor, whose performing career covered music hall
, theatre, films and television.
comedy actor from Forfar
, known for his songs and dancing, and his wife Stella (born Maud Clara Mitchison). He was born near The Oval
, at 37 Glenshaw Mansions, Brixton Road, Brixton
, London
SW9. In 1916, during a World War I
air raid, Max and his elder brother Alex were saved from death by a cast iron bed frame, but his younger brother Bunty and their Aunt Betty, who was looking after them, were killed by a bomb dropped from a German
Zeppelin
which also destroyed their house.
Max and Alex went to live with their father and his family, whilst their mother went to live with Harry Wallace, whom she had met on tour. When their father died of tuberculosis
in 1920, aged 37, their mother married Harry Wallace, and they all moved to a pub in Essex
.
He is best remembered for his ludicrously attired and hilariously strutting Professor Wallofski. This creation notably influenced John Cleese
, who has acknowledged Max Wall's influence on the creation of his own Ministry of Silly Walks sketch for Monty Python
. After appearing in many musical
s and stage comedies in the 1930s, Wall's career went into decline, and he was reduced to working in obscure nightclub
s. He then joined the Royal Air Force
during World War II
and served for three years until he was invalided out in 1943.
Wall re-emerged during the 1950s when producers and directors rediscovered his comic talents, along with the expressive power of his tragic clown face and the distinctive sad falling cadences of his voice. He secured television appearances and, having attracted Samuel Beckett
's attention, he won parts in Waiting for Godot
in 1979 and Krapp's Last Tape
in 1984. In 1966 he appeared as Père Ubu in Jarry's
Ubu Roi
, and in 1972 he toured with Mott the Hoople
on their "Rock n' Roll Circus tour", gaining a new audience. His straight acting gained him this review in 1974:
He also appeared in Crossroads (as Walter Soper - 1982 to 1983), Coronation Street
(as Harry Payne - 1978) and what was then Emmerdale Farm (as Arthur Braithwaite - 1978). He also played ex-con Ernie Dodds in Minder
in 1982, with George Cole.
On 1 April 1977, Wall's version of Ian Dury
's "England's Glory" was issued on Stiff Records
(BUY 12) and given away with the album Hits Greatest Stiffs
. Wall also appeared onstage with Dury at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1978, but was poorly received, and said "They only want the walk".
He played one of the inventors in the 1960s movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
and in 1977 he was seen as King Bruno the Questionable in Terry Gilliam's film Jabberwocky
.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Wall occasionally performed a one-man stage show, Aspects Of Max Wall, in which he recaptured the humour of old-time music-hall theatre.
His last film appearance was in 1989 in the 12-minute movie A Fear of Silence
, a dark tale of a man who drives a stranger to a confession of murder by answering only Yes or No to his questions; those two words, repeated, were his only dialogue. The film won a gold award in the New York Film and TV Festival.
. He was 82. He was buried in Highgate Cemetery
.
Wall was survived by four sons, Michael, Melvin, Martin and Meredith, and a daughter, Maxine.
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...
comedian and actor, whose performing career covered 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...
, theatre, films and television.
Early years
Wall was born Maxwell George Lorimer, son of the successful music-hall entertainer Jack (Jock) Lorimer, a ScottishScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
comedy actor from Forfar
Forfar
Forfar is a parish, town and former royal burgh of approximately 13,500 people in Angus, located in the East Central Lowlands of Scotland. Forfar is the county town of Angus, which was officially known as Forfarshire from the 18th century until 1929, when the ancient name was reinstated, and...
, known for his songs and dancing, and his wife Stella (born Maud Clara Mitchison). He was born near The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
, at 37 Glenshaw Mansions, Brixton Road, Brixton
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, 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...
SW9. In 1916, during a World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
air raid, Max and his elder brother Alex were saved from death by a cast iron bed frame, but his younger brother Bunty and their Aunt Betty, who was looking after them, were killed by a bomb dropped from a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
which also destroyed their house.
Max and Alex went to live with their father and his family, whilst their mother went to live with Harry Wallace, whom she had met on tour. When their father died of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in 1920, aged 37, their mother married Harry Wallace, and they all moved to a pub in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
.
Career
Wall auditioned for a part with a touring theatre company, and made his stage debut at the age of 14 as Jack in Mother Goose with a travelling pantomime company in Devon and Cornwall featuring George Lacey. In 1925 he was a speciality dancer in the London Revue at the Lyceum. He became determined not to rely on his father's name, so abbreviated Maxwell to Max, and his stepfather's name Wallace, to Wall.He is best remembered for his ludicrously attired and hilariously strutting Professor Wallofski. This creation notably influenced John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
, who has acknowledged Max Wall's influence on the creation of his own Ministry of Silly Walks sketch for Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
. After appearing in many musical
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...
s and stage comedies in the 1930s, Wall's career went into decline, and he was reduced to working in obscure nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s. He then joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and served for three years until he was invalided out in 1943.
Wall re-emerged during the 1950s when producers and directors rediscovered his comic talents, along with the expressive power of his tragic clown face and the distinctive sad falling cadences of his voice. He secured television appearances and, having attracted Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...
's attention, he won parts in Waiting for Godot
Waiting for Godot
Waiting for Godot is an absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait endlessly and in vain for someone named Godot to arrive. Godot's absence, as well as numerous other aspects of the play, have led to many different interpretations since the play's...
in 1979 and Krapp's Last Tape
Krapp's Last Tape
Krapp's Last Tape is a one-act play, written in English, by Samuel Beckett. Consisting of a cast of one man, it was originally written for Northern Irish actor Patrick Magee and first titled "Magee monologue"...
in 1984. In 1966 he appeared as Père Ubu in Jarry's
Alfred Jarry
Alfred Jarry was a French writer born in Laval, Mayenne, France, not far from the border of Brittany; he was of Breton descent on his mother's side....
Ubu Roi
Ubu Roi
Ubu Roi is a play by Alfred Jarry, premiered in 1896. It is a precursor of the Theatre of the Absurd and Surrealism. It is the first of three stylised burlesques in which Jarry satirises power, greed, and their evil practices — in particular the propensity of the complacent bourgeois to abuse the...
, and in 1972 he toured with Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople were a British rock band with strong R&B roots, popular in the glam rock era of the early to mid 1970s. They are popularly known for the song "All the Young Dudes", written for them by David Bowie and appearing on their 1972 album of the same name.-The early years:Mott The Hoople...
on their "Rock n' Roll Circus tour", gaining a new audience. His straight acting gained him this review in 1974:
- "Max Wall makes OlivierLaurence OlivierLaurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
look like an amateur in The Entertainer at Greenwich Theatre...." (The Guardian, 27 November 1974)
He also appeared in Crossroads (as Walter Soper - 1982 to 1983), Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
(as Harry Payne - 1978) and what was then Emmerdale Farm (as Arthur Braithwaite - 1978). He also played ex-con Ernie Dodds in Minder
Minder (TV series)
Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
in 1982, with George Cole.
On 1 April 1977, Wall's version of Ian Dury
Ian Dury
Ian Robins Dury was an English rock and roll singer, lyricist, bandleader and actor who initially rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk and New Wave era of rock music...
's "England's Glory" was issued on Stiff Records
Stiff Records
Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....
(BUY 12) and given away with the album Hits Greatest Stiffs
Hits Greatest Stiffs
Hits Greatest Stiffs is a various artists compilation album, drawn from ten of the first eleven Stiff Records singles, BUY 1 – BUY 11.The tracks follow the numerical order of the singles, but feature mostly the b sides, although several singles were originally issued as double a-sides...
. Wall also appeared onstage with Dury at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1978, but was poorly received, and said "They only want the walk".
He played one of the inventors in the 1960s movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car is a children's book written by Ian Fleming for his son Caspar, with illustrations by John Burningham...
and in 1977 he was seen as King Bruno the Questionable in Terry Gilliam's film Jabberwocky
Jabberwocky (film)
Jabberwocky is a 1977 British fantasy black comedy film directed by Terry Gilliam. It stars Michael Palin as a young cooper who is forced through clumsy, often slapstick misfortunes to hunt a terrible dragon after the death of his father...
.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Wall occasionally performed a one-man stage show, Aspects Of Max Wall, in which he recaptured the humour of old-time music-hall theatre.
His last film appearance was in 1989 in the 12-minute movie A Fear of Silence
A Fear of Silence
A Fear of Silence is a 12-minute short award-winning film. The film is extremely dark, set in a shadowy basement bar, and is about a man being driven to confess to murder by only answer yes or no questions...
, a dark tale of a man who drives a stranger to a confession of murder by answering only Yes or No to his questions; those two words, repeated, were his only dialogue. The film won a gold award in the New York Film and TV Festival.
Death
On the afternoon of 20 May 1990, Wall fell at Simpson's Restaurant in central London, fracturing his skull. He never regained consciousness, and died early the next morning at Westminster HospitalWestminster Hospital
Westminster Hospital was a hospital in London, England, founded in 1719. In 1834 a medical school attached to the hospital was formally founded....
. He was 82. He was buried in Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery is a cemetery located in north London, England. It is designated Grade I on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. It is divided into two parts, named the East and West cemetery....
.
Wall was survived by four sons, Michael, Melvin, Martin and Meredith, and a daughter, Maxine.