Dick Emery Born: February 1915 Died: 2 January 1983 Richard Gilbert Emery was born in University College Hospital, Bloomsbury, London in 1915.[1] His parents were the comedy double act Callan and Emery. They took him on tour when he was only 3 weeks old and gave him the occasional turn on the stage throughout his childhood, which was always on the move and disrupted, creating problems for the future, but at least setting the scene for eventually going into show business. His parents split up when he was 8 years old and he chose to stay with his mother, who gave up 'showbiz'.[2] He tried a variety of jobs before the stage: office boy, farm hand, and driving instructor. During World War II he was called up to the RAF, but joined the chorus line of The Merry Widow at the Majestic Theatre, London, instead, for which he was imprisoned for desertion. Once released he joined the Gang Show ("I was better in drag than combat gear") and created Vera Thin ('the Forces' Sweetheart'), loosely based on Vera Lynn. After the war he auditioned for various parts and in 1952 he starred in a role in a 15-minute Radio Luxembourg series on Saturdays at 7pm called Chance of a Lifetime. This was a quiz sponsored by Marshall Ward in which merchandise to the value of £30 was given to contestants. During 1953 he briefly formed a double act with Charlie Drake[3]. His TV debut came in 1950 on The Centre Show on the BBC. Throughout the 1950s he appeared on programmes including Round the Bend (BBC, 1955–56) and Educating Archie (ITV, 1958–59) before appearing with his friend Tony Hancock in several episodes of The Tony Hancock Show (ITV, 1956) and Hancock's Half Hour in 1957. |
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