View source for Barry Cryer

{{Short description|British writer, comedian and actor (1935–2022)}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox comedian
| name          = Barry Cryer
| honorific_suffix = {{postnom|country=GBR|size=100|w:OBE}}
| image         = You'll Have Had Your Tea - Barry Cryer.jpg
| caption       = Cryer during a recording of ''[[w:Hamish and Dougal|You'll Have Had Your Tea]]'' for [[w:BBC Radio 4|BBC Radio 4]] in 2006
| birth_name    = Barry Charles Cryer
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|df=yes|1935|3|23}}
| birth_place   = [[w:Leeds|Leeds]], [[w:West Riding of Yorkshire|West Riding of Yorkshire]], England
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2022|1|25|1935|3|23}}
| death_place   = [[w:Harrow, London|Harrow]], England
| notable_work  = ''[[I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue]]'' (1972–2022)
| spouse        = {{marriage|Theresa Donovan|1962}}
| children      = 4
|module         = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=Barry Cryer BBC Radio4 Great Lives 11 Jan 2011 b00x95hm.flac|title=<center>Barry Cryer's voice</center>|type=speech|description=<center>[[:File:Barry Cryer BBC Radio4 Great Lives 11 Jan 2011 b00x95hm.flac|Recorded January 2011]] from the BBC Radio 4 programme ''[[w:Great Lives|Great Lives]]''</center>}}
}}

'''Barry Charles Cryer''' {{postnom|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE}} (23 March 1935 – 25 January 2022) was an English writer, comedian, and actor. As well as performing on stage, radio and television, Cryer wrote for many performers including [[Dave Allen (comedian)|Dave Allen]], [[Stanley Baxter]], [[w:Jack Benny|Jack Benny]], [[w:Rory Bremner|Rory Bremner]], [[w:George Burns|George Burns]], [[w:Jasper Carrott|Jasper Carrott]], [[Tommy Cooper]], [[Ronnie Corbett]], [[Les Dawson]], [[Dick Emery]], [[Kenny Everett]], [[Bruce Forsyth]], [[David Frost]], [[w:Bob Hope|Bob Hope]], [[Frankie Howerd]], [[w:Richard Pryor|Richard Pryor]], [[Spike Milligan]], [[w:Mike Yarwood|Mike Yarwood]], ''[[The Two Ronnies]]'' and [[Morecambe and Wise]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/clue/interviews/tim_barry_graeme_transcript2.shtml |title=I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue – Interviews with the Panellists |publisher=BBC |access-date=8 July 2009}}</ref>

==Early life==
Cryer was born in [[w:Leeds|Leeds]], [[w:West Riding of Yorkshire|West Riding of Yorkshire]], England, to John Cryer, an accountant, who died when Barry was five, and his wife, Jean. After an education at [[w:Leeds Grammar School|Leeds Grammar School]], he began studying English literature at the [[w:University of Leeds|University of Leeds]].<ref name="guardian"/><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2002/04_april/04/cluepack.pdf ''I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue'' 30th Anniversary Special – Biographies]. BBC Press Releases. 4 April 2002.</ref> He later described himself as a university dropout:  "I was supposed to be studying English Literature at Leeds, but I was in the bar and chasing girls and my first-year results showed it. So I'm 'BA Eng. Lit. failed' of Leeds."<ref name="country"/>

==Career==
Cryer was a writer for Leeds-based Proscenium Players, the first Jewish amateur stage group, which was founded in 1948.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.scratchingshedpublishing.com/products-page/performing-arts/an-audience-of-curious-people-the-story-of-the-proscenium-players/|title=An Audience of Curious People – The Story of the Proscenium Players |website=Scratchingshedpublishing.com|access-date=27 January 2022}}</ref> After appearing in the university revue, Cryer was offered a week's work at the [[Leeds City Varieties]] theatre, home of ''[[The Good Old Days (British TV series)|The Good Old Days]]'', which became the longest-running television entertainment show in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/clue/article/barry.shtml|title=Barry Cryer – bio at 'I'm sorry I haven't a clue'|publisher=BBC|access-date=2 April 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080417215310/http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/clue/article/barry.shtml| archive-date= 17 April 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref> Cryer left university after learning his first-year results and travelled to London.<ref name="guardian"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Cryer |first1=Barry |title=You Won't Believe This But... An Autobiography of Sorts |date=1996 |publisher=Virgin |location=London |isbn=1852276827}}</ref> After impressing impresario [[Vivian Van Damm]], Cryer began as the bottom billing act at the [[Windmill Theatre]] in London, a theatre which showed comedy acts in between nude [[Tableau vivant|tableau]] shows.<ref name="telegraph">{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2022/01/27/barry-cryer-comedian-writer-cornerstone-hit-radio-show-sorry/|title=Barry Cryer, comedian and writer who was the cornerstone of the hit radio show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue for half a century – obituary|first=Telegraph|last=Obituaries|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=27 January 2022|via=www.telegraph.co.uk|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Cryer suffered severely from [[eczema]] and was hospitalised 12 times in eight years.<ref name="guardian"/><ref name="BBC-obit">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-34041501|title=Barry Cryer obituary: A life dedicated to laughter|date=27 January 2022|work=BBC News}}</ref> He was released from his contract by Van Damm and concluded that a performing career was not a wholly sustainable income choice because of his skin condition, so he chose to focus on writing.<ref name="guardian"/> 

Cryer joined the cast of ''[[Expresso Bongo]]'' (1957) with [[Susan Hampshire]], [[Millicent Martin]] and [[Paul Scofield]], during which he recorded the song "[[The Purple People Eater]]", best known in the version by [[Sheb Wooley]]. For contractual reasons, Wooley's version was never released in Scandinavia, Cryer's was, and reached number one in Finland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gordonpoole.com/?artistID=769|title=Barry Cryer|publisher=Gordon Poole Agency|access-date=2 April 2008}}</ref> Cryer's first writing credits were four sketches for ''[[Jimmy Logan|The Jimmy Logan Show]]'', co-written with [[Douglas Camfield]].<ref name="screenonline">{{cite web | url= http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/560076/index.html | title= Cryer, Barry (1935-) | work=Screenonline| first=John | last=Oliver | access-date=29 January 2022}}</ref> Cryer became head writer with an occasional stage role for [[Danny La Rue]]'s London nightclub, where he was spotted by [[David Frost]]. This led to a writing role on the variety special ''A Degree of Frost'', which led to Cryer joining the writing team, which also included [[John Cleese]], [[Graham Chapman]] and [[Marty Feldman]], on ''[[The Frost Report]]'' from 1966–67. Frost used Cryer on a number of subsequent shows, which established Cryer as a comedy writer in the 1970s.<ref name="screenonline"/> Cryer is seen serving the wine in the original performance of the [[Four Yorkshiremen sketch]] on ''[[At Last the 1948 Show]]'', first broadcast in 1967.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/tag/richard-herring/|title=Richard Herring |publisher=ThreeWeeks Edinburgh}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=January 2022}}<ref>Recording of the show</ref> His most comfortable partnership was with Chapman, in pre-[[Monty Python]] days. They wrote about 50 television shows together, including ''[[Doctor in the House]]'' (ITV, 1969–70), and several for [[Ronnie Corbett]]: ''[[No – That's Me Over Here!]]'' (ITV, 1968–70), ''[[Now Look Here]]'' (BBC, 1971-73) and ''[[The Prince of Denmark (TV series)|The Prince of Denmark]]'' (BBC, 1974). With other writers he contributed to ''The Ronnie Corbett Show'' (BBC, 1987) and ''Ronnie Corbett in Bed'' (BBC, 1971), and was also part of ''[[The Two Ronnies]]'' (1971–87) team.<ref name="guardian"/>

Cryer always preferred to write in partnership, so that should he dry up he was never left to deliver material. His regular partner during the 1970s was [[John Junkin]], and with Junkin performing as [[Eric Morecambe]] and Cryer most often the role of [[Ernie Wise]], the pair wrote some of ''[[The Morecambe & Wise Show (1968 TV series)|The Morecambe and Wise Show]]'' in its BBC period (the 1972 and 1976 Christmas shows) when regular writer [[Eddie Braben]] was unavailable. Cryer still enjoyed performing, appearing with [[Tim Brooke-Taylor]] and Junkin in the [[BBC Radio|BBC radio]] series ''[[Hello, Cheeky!]]'', in which the three performers bounced jokes off each other.<ref name="guardian"/> He also appeared in the comedy television series ''[[The Steam Video Company]]'' and provided the voice of the judge in the 1975 animated comedy musical ''[[Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-wj4a59/the-steam-video-company/|title=The Steam Video Company (TV Series)|website=Radio Times}}</ref><ref>Shepherd, Marc. [http://gasdisc.oakapplepress.com/mdeadeye.htm "Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done (1975)"] at The Gilbert and Sullivan Discography, accessed 9 February 2011</ref> He hosted the ITV comedy panel game ''[[Jokers Wild (TV series)|Jokers Wild]]'' (1969–74)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Joker%27s_Wild|title=Joker's Wild - UKGameshows|website=www.ukgameshows.com}}</ref> and had a role in ''[[All You Need Is Cash]]'', a 1978 spoof documentary about the [[The Beatles|Beatles]] parody band [[the Rutles]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://film-authority.com/2022/01/28/all-you-need-is-cash/|title=All You Need is Cash|date=28 January 2022|website=film-authority.com}}</ref> as well as a cameo as a police inspector in [[Kenny Everett]]'s 1984 horror spoof ''[[Bloodbath at the House of Death]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishhorrorfilms.co.uk/bloodbathatthehouseofdeath.shtml|title=Bloodbath At The House Of Death {{pipe}} 1983|website=www.britishhorrorfilms.co.uk}}</ref>

With new comedians coming forward who wrote their own material, and age progressing and still wanting to perform, Cryer refocused his career to include more performance, touring with [[Willie Rushton]] in ''Two Old Farts in the Night'' and, after Rushton's death, ''That Reminds Me''.<ref name="guardian" /> After a brief early stint as chairman, Cryer was one of the panellists on the BBC radio comedy programme ''[[I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue]]'', which began in 1972. He also wrote and starred in ''[[Hamish and Dougal|You'll Have Had Your Tea]]'' with [[Graeme Garden]].<ref name="guardian"/>

He wrote an autobiography, ''You Won't Believe This But...'', as well as a book of miscellaneous anecdotes, ''Pigs Can Fly''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007jv0f|title=BBC Radio 4 Extra - Barry Cryer - You Won't Believe This But, Episode 5|website=BBC}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/barry_cryer/shop/3536/pigs_can_fly_book/|title=Barry Cryer - Pigs Can Fly Book |website=British Comedy Guide}}</ref> In 2005 he toured the UK with ''Barry Cryer: The First Farewell Tour'', and in 2008 he toured with Colin Sell in ''Barry Cryer: Still Alive''. He remained a popular after-dinner speaker.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.uktw.co.uk/archive/Tour/One/Barry-Cryer-The-First-Farewell-Tour/T01181636066/|title=Tour archive for Barry Cryer - The First Farewell Tour (One person show). 18th May 2001-17th January 2002 [TOUR] |website=UK Theatre Web}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.livebrum.co.uk/2008/09/27/still-alive-barry-cryer-colin-sell|title=Still Alive, Barry Cryer & Colin Sell at The Core Theatre on 27 Sep 2008|website=www.livebrum.co.uk}}</ref><ref name="dbaspeakers"/>

He performed comic monologues and songs on ''The Green Tie on the Little Yellow Dog'', which was recorded in 1982, and broadcast by [[Channel 4]] in 1983.<ref>[https://www.bright-thoughts.co.uk/monologues-02.html] The Green Tie on the Little Yellow Dog production website</ref>

In 1987 Cryer was the guest for [[Michael Parkinson]] on BBC Radio 4's ''[[Desert Island Discs]]'' where his musical choices included "[[Bad Penny Blues]]" by [[Humphrey Lyttelton|Humphrey Lyttelton and His Band]], "[[The Girl Can't Help It (song)|The Girl Can't Help It]]" by [[Little Richard]] and "[[I Get Along Without You Very Well]]" by [[Carly Simon]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009ml59|title=BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, In memory of comedian and writer Barry Cryer|website=BBC}}</ref> He was the subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)|This Is Your Life]]'' in June 1995 when he was surprised by [[Michael Aspel]] at [[Thames Television]]'s [[Teddington Studios]].<ref name="dbaspeakers">{{Cite web|url=https://www.dbaspeakers.com/barry-cryer/|title=Barry Cryer – DBA Speakers}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00fstw9|title=BBC Four - This Is Your Life, Series 35, Barry Cryer|website=BBC}}</ref>

Since 2018, his clip show ''Comedy Legends with Barry Cryer'' has been broadcast by Sky Arts, a programme paying tribute to a number of comedians such as [[Tommy Cooper]], [[Frankie Howerd]] and [[Bob Hope]] with "comedy experts" [[Tony Hawks]], [[Steve Punt]] and critic Stephen Armstrong giving their opinions on the stars.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sky.com/watch/title/series/40dcb8fe-adcc-4a6b-aef6-b63da22be11d/comedy-legends/episodes/season-1/episode-1 |title = Comedy Legends |website=Sky.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.3ddproductions.com/comedy-legends-1 |title = Comedy Legends |website=3ddproductions.com}}</ref>

In 2021 Cryer was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the [[British Music Hall Society]].<ref name="country">{{Cite web|url=https://www.countrylife.co.uk/articles/barry-cryer-anecdotal-stroll-decades-comedic-performance-stage-radio-tv-202381|title=Barry Cryer: An anecdotal stroll through decades of comedic performance on stage, radio and TV|first=Jack|last=Watkins|date=27 January 2022|website=Country Life}}</ref>

==Personal life and death==
Cryer was married to Theresa Donovan, a singer and dancer known as Terry, in 1962. Interviewed by ''[[Country Life (magazine)|Country Life]]'' in 2021 Cryer said that his stand-up performing career had been interrupted in the early 1960s by eczema. He attributed his recovery to meeting his future wife: he fell for her immediately on catching sight of her standing beside a piano at a [[Piccadilly]] nightclub in 1960. He said "I was only in hospital once more after meeting her."<ref name="country"/> They had four children, three sons and a daughter. They also had seven grandchildren and, at the time of Cryer's death, one great-grandchild.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Watkins |first1=Jack |url=https://www.readersdigest.co.uk/culture/celebrities/i-remember-barry-cryer |title=I remember: Barry Cryer |journal=Reader's Digest www.readersdigest.co.uk |date=16 August 2018 |access-date=29 January 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

Cryer was appointed Officer of the [[Order of the British Empire]] in the [[2001 Birthday Honours]] for services to comedy drama.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=56237 |date=16 June 2001 |page=10 |supp=y}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1390303.stm|title=Barry Cryer: King of Comedy|work=BBC News|date=15 June 2001|access-date=2 April 2008}}</ref> In July 2013 [[Leeds Beckett University|Leeds Metropolitan University]] made him an honorary Doctor of Arts.<ref>{{cite web |title=Barry Cryer awarded honorary degree |publisher= [[Leeds Beckett University]] |url=https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/news/barry-cryer-awarded-honorary-degree/ |website=Leedsbeckett.ac.uk|access-date=27 January 2022 |date=24 July 2013}}</ref> In July 2017 he received an honorary Doctorate of Letters from the [[University of Leeds]].<ref name="guardian" /> He was a member of the entertainment charity the [[Grand Order of Water Rats]].<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/news/godfather-of-laughter-tributes-flood-in-after-death-of-comedy-genius-cryer-41286096.html | title= Godfather of laughter... tributes flood in after death of comedy genius Cryer | work=Belfast Telegraph | first=Ralph | last=Hewitt | date=28 January 2022 | access-date=29 January 2022}}</ref>

Cryer died at [[Northwick Park Hospital]] in [[Harrow, London|Harrow]] on 25 January 2022, at the age of 86.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/barry-cryer-dies-comedy-legend-b979065.html|title=Comedy legend Barry Cryer dies, aged 86|first=Bill|last=McLoughlin|date=27 January 2022|website=Standard.co.uk|access-date=27 January 2022}}</ref><ref name="guardian">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/jan/27/barry-cryer-obituary|title=Barry Cryer obituary|first=Stephen|last=Dixon|date=27 January 2022|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref><ref name="BBC-obit"/><ref name="Variety">{{Cite news |url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/barry-cryer-dead-dies-comedian-1235164903/ |title=Barry Cryer, Comedian and 'Morecambe and Wise' Writer, Dies at 86 |first1=K. J. |last1=Yossman |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=27 January 2022 |access-date=28 January 2022}}</ref>

== Books ==
* ''You Won't Believe This But...: An Autobiography of Sorts'' (1996), {{ISBN|1-85227-682-7}} (repackaged as ''The Chronicles of Hernia'' (2009), {{ISBN|978-0-7535-2215-8}})<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/barry_cryer/shop/6601/you_wont_believe_this_but_an_autobiography_of_sorts/|title=You Won't Believe This But... (An Autobiography Of Sorts) Hardback and Paperback|first=Barry |last=Cryer |website=British Comedy Guide}}</ref>
* ''Pigs Can Fly'' (2003), {{ISBN|0-7528-5991-9}}<ref name="auto"/>
* ''Butterfly Brain'' (2009), {{ISBN|0-297-85910-2}}<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.weidenfeldandnicolson.co.uk/titles/barry-cryer/butterfly-brain/9780297859116/|title=Butterfly Brain|date=12 July 2018|isbn=9780297859116|via=www.weidenfeldandnicolson.co.uk|last1=Cryer|first1=Barry}}</ref> (also a West End show<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://officiallondontheatre.com/show/barry-cryer-butterfly-brain-160157/|title=Barry Cryer – Butterfly Brain {{pipe}} Closed: 18 November 2012|website=Official London Theatre}}</ref>)
* ''Barry Cryer Comedy Scrapbook'' (with Philip Porter) (2009), {{ISBN|1-907085-04-1}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://porterpress.co.uk/products/barry-cryer-comedy-scrapbook-signed-standard|title=Barry Cryer Comedy Scrapbook|website=Porter Press International}}</ref>
* ''Mrs Hudson's Diaries: A View from the Landing at 221B'' (with Bob Cryer) (2012), The Robson Press, {{ISBN|1849543909}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bobcryer.com/writing-2/|title=MRS HUDSON'S DIARIES|date=4 June 2015}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0190540}}
* {{British Comedy Guide|people|barry_cryer}}
* {{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1390303.stm |publisher=BBC News |title=Barry Cryer: King of Comedy |date=15 June 2001}}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-60154371 |publisher=BBC News |title=Barry Cryer: Tributes paid to veteran comedian and writer |date=27 January 2022}}
* [http://www.comedy-zone.net/standup/comedian/c/cryer-barry.htm Barry Cryer] – Comedy Zone
* {{discogs artist|Barry Cryer}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090420183606/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/barry-cryer-those-old-ones-are-still-the-best-1671063.html Barry Cryer: Those old ones are still the best] - at ''[[The Independent]]''
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA6gJAG0Q6U&list=PLiXJkqOiogyGl78_8QxOV8z4wkJvR6Aye "Peace & Quiet"], performed by Barry Cryer with [[Ronnie Golden]] at ''[[Nerdstock: 9 Lessons and Carols for Godless People]]'', 2009.

{{I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue}}
{{Morecambe and Wise}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cryer, Barry}}
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:2022 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century English male actors]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Leeds]]
[[Category:British male television writers]]
[[Category:Comedians from Yorkshire]]
[[Category:English comedy writers]]
[[Category:English humorists]]
[[Category:English male comedians]]
[[Category:English television writers]]
[[Category:I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue]]
[[Category:Male actors from Leeds]]
[[Category:Morecambe and Wise]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:People educated at Leeds Grammar School]]
[[Category:Writers from Leeds]]