Michael Robbins

2022-06-04T16:20:48Z

120.16.30.149: /* Television */Added content

{{Short description|English actor and comedian (1930–1992)}}
{{for|the psychologist|Michael D. Robbins}}
{{more citations needed|date=March 2009}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}

{{Infobox person
|image = Michael Robbins, British actor, from On the Buses TV series.gif
|caption = Robbins as Arthur Rudge in ''[[On the Buses]]''
|birthname = Michael Anthony Robbins
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1930|11|14|df=y}}
|birth_place = [[Croydon]], England
|death_date = {{death date and age|1992|12|11|1930|11|14|df=y}}
|death_place = [[Caterham]], England
|nationality = English
|occupation = Actor and comedian
|years_active = 1957–1991
|spouse = {{marriage|Shirley Hal Dyer|1960}}
|children = 2
}}
'''Michael Anthony Robbins''' (14 November 1930 – 11 December 1992) was an [[England|English]] actor and comedian best known for his role as Arthur Rudge in the TV sitcom and film versions of ''[[On the Buses]]'' (1969–72).

==Career==
Michael Robbins was born in [[Croydon]], Surrey, to Percival W. Robbins (1899–1956) and Bertha May ''née'' Sindall (1900–1997), who outlived him. From 1939 to 1944 Robbins was a pupil at St Michael's College, a Catholic school for boys, in [[Hitchin]], Hertfordshire. He then went on to work as a bank clerk and later became an actor after appearing in amateur dramatic performances also in Hitchin, where he and his family lived at the time.

Robbins made his television debut as the cockney soldier in ''Roll-on Bloomin' Death''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b792ae6a8|title=Roll on Bloomin' Death (1961)|website=BFI}}</ref> Primarily a comedy actor, he is best remembered for the role of Arthur Rudge, the persistently sarcastic husband of Olive ([[Anna Karen]]), in the popular sitcom ''[[On the Buses]]'' (1969–73).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-michael-robbins-1563495.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220514/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-michael-robbins-1563495.html |archive-date=14 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Obituary: Michael Robbins|date=14 December 1992|website=The Independent}}</ref> Robbins and Karen provided the secondary comic storyline to [[Reg Varney]]'s comedy capers at the bus depot. Robbins also appeared in the series film spin-offs, ''[[On the Buses (film)|On the Buses]]'', ''[[Mutiny on the Buses]]'', and ''[[Holiday on the Buses]]''.<ref name=bfi/>

His other comedy credits include non-recurring roles in ''[[Man About the House]]'', ''[[Oh Brother!]]'', ''[[The Good Life (1975 TV series)|The Good Life]]'', ''[[One Foot in the Grave]]'', ''[[The New Statesman]]'', ''[[George and Mildred]]'', ''[[Hi-de-Hi!]]'' and ''[[You Rang, M'Lord?]]''.<ref name=aveleyman/> He appeared as a rather humorously portrayed [[Sergeant#Police 6|police sergeant]] in the TV adaptation of ''[[Brendon Chase]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6f8b4d0c|title=Brendon Chase (1980)|website=BFI}}</ref>

As well as these comic roles, he assumed various straight roles in some of the major British television shows of the 1960s and 1970s, including that of the hard-drinking [[Salty dog (slang)|old sea dog]] Harry Baxter in ''[[The Saint (TV series)|The Saint]]'' episode ''The People Importers''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/g4q8/the-saint--s6-e13-the-people-importers/|title=The Saint - S6 - Episode 13: The People Importers|website=Radio Times}}</ref> He made appearances in ''[[Minder (TV series)|Minder]]'', ''[[The Sweeney]]'', ''[[Z-Cars]]'','' [[Return of the Saint]]'', ''Murder Most English'', ''Rumpole Of The Bailey'', ''[[The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]]'', ''[[Dixon of Dock Green]]'', ''[[The Bill]]'' and the 1982 ''[[Doctor Who]]'' story "[[The Visitation (Doctor Who)|The Visitation]]".<ref name=aveleyman>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=14746|title=Michael Robbins|website=www.aveleyman.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/visitation/detail.shtml|title=BBC - Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide - The Visitation - Details|website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

Robbins' film credits included ''[[The Whisperers]]'', ''[[Up the Junction (film)|Up The Junction]]'', ''[[Till Death Us Do Part (1969 film)|Till Death Us Do Part]]'', ''[[The Looking Glass War (film)|The Looking Glass War]]'', ''[[Zeppelin (film)|Zeppelin]]'', ''[[The Great Muppet Caper]]'' and [[Blake Edwards]]' films ''[[The Pink Panther Strikes Again]]'' and ''[[Victor/Victoria]].''<ref name=bfi>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba02f2226|title=Michael Robbins|website=BFI}}</ref> He also had an extensive career as a radio actor, including a role in the soap opera ''[[Waggoners' Walk]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/61643df77bb44995ba5001c20b1684d4|title=Waggoners' Walk NW|date=8 September 1969|issue=2391|pages=28|via=BBC Genome}}</ref>

In the mid-1970s he directed a film, ''How Are You?''{{Citation needed|date=May 2018}}

He appeared as a councillor in ''[[EastEnders]]'' in June 1989.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/6380433a4f7f4c879b65184e8bca619c|title=EastEnders|date=15 June 1989|issue=3418|pages=44|via=BBC Genome}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Robbins was married to actress Hal Dyer (1935–2011), from 1960 until his death from [[prostate cancer]] in 1992 aged 62.<ref name=telegraphobits>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_81vQWGYelwC&q=hal+dyer+actress&pg=PA275|title=The Daily Telegraph Third Book of Obituaries: Entertainers|first=Group Limited|last=Telegraph|date=11 July 1998|publisher=Pan|isbn=9780330367752|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/actor-stephen-lewis-dead-buses-6247667|title=On The Buses actor Stephen Lewis dies aged 88|first=Rebecca|last=Pocklington|date=13 August 2015|website=mirror}}</ref> Dyer died in 2011 from a [[Intracerebral hemorrhage|brain haemorrhage]].

Robbins was an indefatigable worker for charity. He was active in the [[Grand Order of Water Rats]] (being elected "Rat of the Year" in 1978) and the Catholic Stage Guild. In 1987 he received the ''[[Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice]]'' medal, a papal award, for his services. In one of his last television appearances, in ''A Little Bit of Heaven'', he recalled his childhood visits to [[Norfolk]] and spoke of his faith and love of the [[Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham|Shrine of Our Lady]] at [[Walsingham]].<ref name=telegraphobits/>

==Partial filmography==
===Film===
{{Div col}}
* ''[[Lunch Hour]]'' (1961) – Harris
* ''[[A Prize of Arms]]'' (1962) – Orford
* ''[[What a Crazy World]]'' (1963) – Percy
* ''Act of Murder'' (1964) – Van Driver
* ''[[The Bargee]]'' (1964) – Bargee (uncredited)
* ''[[Rattle of a Simple Man]]'' (1964) – George – Organiser
* ''[[Gideon's Way]]'' (1965) – George
* ''[[The Whisperers]]'' (1967) – Mr. Noonan
* ''[[Up the Junction (film)|Up the Junction]]'' (1968) – Figgins
* ''[[Till Death Us Do Part (film)|Till Death Us Do Part]]'' (1968) – Pub Landlord (Fred)
* ''[[Crossplot (film)|Crossplot]]'' (1969) – Garage attendant
* ''[[The Looking Glass War (film)|The Looking Glass War]]'' (1970) - Truck Driver
* ''[[All the Way Up (film)|All the Way Up]]'' (1970) – Taxi Driver
* ''[[Zeppelin (film)|Zeppelin]]'' (1971) – Cockney Sergeant
* ''[[Villain (1971 film)|Villain]]'' (1971) – Barzun
* ''[[On the Buses (film)|On the Buses]]'' (1971) – Arthur Rudge, Stan's brother-in-law
* ''[[Mutiny on the Buses]]'' (1972) – Arthur Rudge, Stan's brother-in-law
* ''[[That's Your Funeral]]'' (1972) – 2nd Funeral Director
* ''[[No Sex Please, We're British (film)|No Sex Please, We're British]]'' (1973) – Car Driver
* ''[[Holiday on the Buses]]'' (1973) – Arthur Rudge, Stan's brother-in-law
* ''[[Man About the House (film)|Man About the House]]'' (1974) – Second Doorman
* ''[[The Pink Panther Strikes Again]]'' (1976) – Ainsley Jarvis
* ''The Saint and the Brave Goose'' (1979) – Beeky
* ''[[The Great Muppet Caper]]'' (1981) – Security Guard
* ''[[Victor/Victoria]]'' (1982) – Manager of Victoria's Hotel
* ''[[Lost In London]]'' (1985) – Bill
* ''[[Just Ask for Diamond]]'' (1988) – The Fat Man
{{div col end}}

===Television===
* ''[[A Chance of Thunder]]'' (1961) – Mills
* ''[[Deadline Midnight (TV series)|Deadline Midnight]]'' (1961) – First Man
* ''[[Edgar Wallace Mysteries (TV series)|Edgar Wallace Mysteries]]'' Dead Man's Chest (1965) – Sergeant Harris
* ''[[On the Buses]]'' (1969–1972) – Arthur Rudge
* ''[[The Sweeney]]'', "Big Brother" (1974) – Kevin Lee
* [[The Good Life (1975 TV series)|''The Good Life'']] “Whose Fleas Are These?” (1976) - Mr Bulstrode
* ''The Fuzz'' (1977) – Det. Sgt. Sidney Marble
* ''[[George and Mildred]]'' (1979) – Alf
* ''[[Minder (TV series)|Minder]]'' (1980) - Jack McQueen
* ''[[Doctor Who]]'' (1982) – Richard Mace
* ''[[Fairly Secret Army]]'' (1984) - Sgt. Major Throttle
* ''[[Dempsey and Makepeace]]'' (1986) -
* ''[[Rumpole of the Bailey]]'' (1987) – Cyril Timson
* ''[[Strong Poison]]'' (1987) – Bill Rumm
* ''[[Hi-de-Hi!]]'' (1988) – Roger
* ''[[EastEnders]]'' (1989) – Councillor
* ‘’[[The New Statesman]]’’ (let them eat cake) series 3 (1991)
* ''[[The Winjin' Pom]]'' (1991) – The Winjin' Pom
* ''[[One Foot in the Grave]]'' – "[[List of One Foot in the Grave episodes#Series 3 (1991–92)|The Man in the Long Black Coat]]" (1991) – Mr Killick
* ”[[The Bill]]” (1991)- Tobin
* ''[[In Sickness and in Health]]'' (1992) – Rail worker

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* ''The Daily Telegraph'' Third Book of Obituaries (Entertainers) – Edited by [[Hugh Massingberd]]

==External links==
* {{find a Grave|8386520}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0730425|name=Michael Robbins}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robbins, Michael}}
[[Category:1930 births]]
[[Category:1992 deaths]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in England]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:People from Hitchin]]

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Michael Robbins