Arthur Ernest Mullard English comedian Date of Birth: 19.09.1910 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Arthur Ernest Mullard

Arthur Ernest Mullard was born in Islington, a humble district in London. From the age of 14, he worked as a butcher's assistant, and at 18, he joined the army. It was during his time in the army that Mullard developed a passion for boxing and even became the champion of his regiment.

After leaving the military, Mullard decided to pursue professional boxing. Over the course of three years, he participated in around 20 fights. However, after a knockout that caused him to temporarily lose his memory, Mullard made the decision to quit the sport.

Following the end of World War II, Mullard found work as a stuntman at the Pinewood and Ealing Studios. He had the opportunity to work on notable British films such as "Oliver Twist," "The Ladykillers," "Morgan!," "The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery," "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," "Ladies Who Do," "Adventures of a Plumber's Mate," and "The Lavender Hill Mob."

Mullard's distinctive appearance and cockney accent helped him quickly establish a unique image. Gradually, he started securing larger roles in both film and television, primarily in comedy. Television played a significant role in Mullard's rise to fame. He appeared in projects alongside Tony Hancock, Frankie Howerd, and Benny Hill. He later joined The Arthur Askey Show, where he gained considerable success.

However, it was in 1973 that Mullard achieved true success when he landed a role in the television series "Romany Jones." His character, cunning caravaner Wally Briggs, became so popular that in 1976, he had his own spin-off series called "Yus, My Dear." The show depicted Wally and his wife Lily, played by Queenie Watts, as they transitioned from a caravan to a council house. The series also marked the debut of future "EastEnders" and "Snatch" star Mike Reid, who portrayed Wally's brother Benny.

The success of "Yus, My Dear" led to Mullard being in high demand for various television shows and advertising projects. Watts later reunited with Mullard in the comedy film "Holiday on the Buses," a feature-length adaptation of the popular comedy series "On the Buses."

In 1967, Mullard ventured into music. His first single, "I Love You, You Love Me"/"Was It Something I Said," was released under the "Maquerade" label. This was followed by the album "Arthur Mullard Of London," featuring Mullard's jokes, philosophical musings, and a cover of The Beatles' "Yesterday." Throughout the 1970s, Mullard released a series of singles, including "Not Now Arthur"/"If I Only Had My Time Again" (1974), "I Only Have Eyes for You"/"One 'Fing 'N' Annuver" (1975), and "Yus My Dear" (1976).

In 1978, Mullard found worldwide chart success with the song "You're the One That I Want" from the film adaptation of the musical "Grease." He performed the song with Hilda Baker, who was in her seventies at the time. Mullard and Baker later appeared together on "BBC TV's" "Top Of The Pops," but their performance was deemed a failure as they stumbled over their lines and clearly felt out of place. After this, Mullard's record sales began to decline.

From that point onwards, Mullard's career took a downturn. His only notable project after that was providing the voiceover narration for the film "101 Dalmatians" starring Glenn Close. The film was released after Mullard's death, which occurred in his sleep on December 11, 1995.