Actor Spotlight - Ray Dunbobbin (Jimmy in Murrain)

The career of writer and actor Ray Dunbobbin

Ray Harold Dunbobbin was born in Ontario, Canada on 31^st March 1931. His parents, Merseyside natives, returned home to the UK when he was barely one year old and he was subsequently raised in Wavertree, Liverpool. His mother, Louise, was a staunch member of the Salvation Army but sadly died when Dunbobbin was very young. Dunbobbin suffered another traumatic experience when, at the age of seven years old, he was knocked down by a car whilst crossing the road. Amongst his injuries he had both legs broken which would lead to Dunbobbin having difficulties with walking throughout his life. The accident also led to a long period of recuperation which impacted greatly on his education[1].
After leaving school he volunteered for service in The Royal Air Force and found himself analysing aerial photographs of foreign countries and having to sign the Official Secrets Act. On being demobbed and returning to civilian life Dunbobbin worked as a professional photographer and a commercial artist as well as performing for the Playgoer’s Dramatic Society in Liverpool. After one performance a talent scout, who had been in the audience, approached Dunbobbin with a job offer. Would he be interested in a small part in a film starring John Gregson[2] which was being shot at the local Cammel Laird shipyards in Birkinhead? This first taste of professional acting encouraged Dunbobbin to seek further film or TV work.

His first professional engagement for television was not as an actor however, but actually as a script writer for the BBC police drama Z Cars. Credited as Ray H Dunbobbin he wrote the episode ‘Down and Out’ (24^th April 1962) which saw the regulars involved in one action packed night shift featuring thieves breaking into a pet shop, a drunken disturbance and two of the policemen threatened with a knife.  He then provided scripts for three episodes of the soap opera Coronation Street transmitted 22^nd August 1962, 10^th October 1962 and 11^th February 1963. His next work for the BBC was on the anthology drama Suspense – ‘Two Bits of Iron’ (2^nd September 1963) as the co-writer with John Finch. The episode featured Sheila Ballantine and young, a 17 year old Roy Holder and was the television directorial debut of John Gorrie. Next Dunbobbin contributed jokes and material to the first episode of the second series of According To Dora (2^nd May 1969) fronted by comedic actress Dora Bryan. He returned to write for Z Cars, again credited as Ray H Dunbobbin, after a seven year break with a two part story entitled ‘A Right Cock and Bull Story’ transmitted Monday 10^th and Tuesday 11^th November 1969. The story sees three policemen dispatched to the city airport to investigate a bomb hoax, but they discover something else just as explosive…
His TV acting debut came in a first episode of The Flaxton Boys, a children’s historical drama produced by Yorkshire Television, playing the character Albert Craddock in ‘1854: The Island’ (30^th November 1969). Then there was Parkin’s Patch, a Yorkshire set drama about the work of a village policeman. Dunbobbin featured as a chemist in the episode ‘Vickory’ (23^rd January 1970) which was written by Troy Kennedy-Martin under the pseudonym of Tony Marsh. He was still writing material, mainly comedy such as gags for radio and theatre shows, and for the majority of 1969 he was busy with researching and writing the historical drama Black Spot on the Mersey which was set during the aftermath of the 1840 Irish Potato Famine. It was first performed on BBC radio under the producership of a young Alan Ayckbourn. The play was later staged by the Liverpool Playhouse from March 1970.  In the programme notes for the play Dunbobbin noted that “the history of the Irish Potato Famine has been told many times, but the retribution of political mismanagement in Ireland was paid in full by Ireland’s second capital, Liverpool.”[3] The play dealt with the story of Father James Nugent, played by Del Henney, and the clashes between Roman Catholics and Protestants in Liverpool in the 1850s and 1860s. This was part of the aftermath of the Irish potato famine of 1849 when huge numbers of Irish immigrants arrived in Liverpool in hope of work and food. Father Nugent was a central figure in bringing order to the ensuing chaos and alleviating hardship. His statue now stands in St Johns Gardens in the centre of Liverpool.
Dunbobbin’s next acting role was in an episode of the Granada Television drama anthology Confession. He played a photographer in the episode ‘People Who Visit Glass Houses’ (24^th July 1970). His next engagement, broadcast three days later, was for a programme he had previously provided scripts for. Dunbobbin appeared as the character Charlie Clarke in a single episode of Coronation Street (27^th July 1970). This appearance makes him one of only seven people who have the distinction of both writing for and acting in the series. He then returned to The Flaxton Boys, though as the completely different character called Moscrop, in an episode of the second season called ‘1890: The Valentine’ (1^st November 1970). The following year he made a third appearance, again as a different character, when he appeared as Bill Grover in the third season episode ‘1928: To See…A Fine Horse’ (7^th November 1971). The long running afternoon courtroom drama series Crown Court began with the episode ‘Doctor’s Neglect? Part One’ (11^th October 1972) and Dunbobbin can be seen as uncredited extra in some scenes in the episode. Next was a guest appearance for another series he had provided scripts for when he played Jonty Foley in the Z Cars episode ‘Public Relations’ (30^th October 1972).

He made his second appearance in the courtroom drama series Crown Court, though still in a small supporting role with little dialogue. He was the jury foreman in ‘Beware of the Dog’ (11^th April 1973 to 13^th April 1973) which details the case of a security firm charged with attacking a young couple with guard dogs and undue force after they had trespassed on a private development. His next television appearance was as an uncredited extra in the Jon Pertwee era Doctor Who adventure ‘The Time Warrior’ (15^th December 1973 to 5^th January 1974). Dunbobbin can be seen as one of the human villain Irongron’s henchmen. A few weeks later he made his first, fleeting appearance in The Liver Birds in the episode ‘Follow That Ring’ (13^th March 1974). Dunbobbin appears as a railway porter, but he would return to the series in a much more substantial role at a later date. He was then cast as a character named Reeves in the seventh episode of the children’s period drama The Boy Dominic – ‘The Man With the Painted Face’ (5^th May 1974). This was followed by another return to Z Cars to portray a gentleman called Scully in the episode ‘Certain Parties’ (20^th May 1974). Next was one of his signature roles, as the light bulb eating Welsh[4] prison inmate Evans, in the classic comedy series Porridge. Dunbobbin appeared in just one episode, ‘The Hustler’ (12^th September 1974), but he made a lasting impression on the viewing public. It certainly seemed to boost his prestige as a comedy actor. More comedy work for the BBC followed with Dunbobbin popping up in an episode of the Carla Lane sitcom No Strings – ‘Say It With A Flower’ (18^th October 1974).

His first TV work for 1975 was a small role as a pedlar in the third episode of the BBC classic serial The Secret Garden – ‘The Door in the Wall’ (15^th January 1975). He then played another photographer, this time in the BBC play The Evacuees (5^th March 1975), which was written by Jack Rosenthal and directed by Alan Parker. More comedy work followed when he appeared in the first episode of the Liverpool set ITV sitcom The Whackers – ‘Out of the Frying Pan’ (19^th March 1975). He then returned in the fourth episode, ‘The Root of All Evil’ (9^th April 1975) as a policeman. His next role came with an episode of the London Weekend Television comedy drama Affairs of the Heart playing a receptionist in the episode ‘Elizabeth’ (13^th April 1975). He followed this with his appearance as Jimmy in ‘Murrain’. Dunbobbin’s next stage play as a writer was The Great Sex Swindle which was mounted by the Mountview Theatre Club in June 1975. His final TV appearance for the year was in the BBC sitcom I Didn’t Know You Cared in the role of Sid Skelhorn. His appearance in the fourth episode of the first season, ‘After the Ball Was Over’ (17^th September 1975), would lead to a recurring role in the second series of the programme.

The sixth season of the popular Carla Lane scripted sitcom The Liver Birds debuted on 13^th February 1976 with the episode ‘Facing up To Life’. Dunbobbin made his debut as Mr Boswell, the bus driver father of central character Carol and her brother Lucien, and would become a regular character from this season onwards and provide the bulk of his TV work for the next few years. He also made a return appearances in the second season of the sitcom I Didn’t Know You Cared as Sid Skelhorn. His next TV engagement was for another BBC sitcom, The Good Life, with Dunbobbin appearing briefly as a postman in the episode ‘Whose Fleas Are These?’ (15^th October 1976). A mere two days later he was seen in another BBC sitcom, The Liver Birds, when returned once more as the character Mr Boswell even though he was only ten years older than Angelis, who played his son Lucien. Dunbobbin appeared as Mr Boswell in three episodes of the sixth season of The Liver Birds and in  season seven in a further four episodes. He also appeared in the 1976 Christmas special – ‘It Insists on Coming Once a Year’ (22^nd December 1976).

During 1977 Dunbobbin once more portrayed Mr Boswell for the eighth series of The Liver Birds and appeared in all seven episodes transmitted between 23^rd September and 4^th November 1977. His only TV appearance outside of playing Mr Boswell was a small support artist role in the first part of the Crown Court story ‘Scalped’ (7^th November 1978). Otherwise he was back on The Liver Birds sitcom treadmill appearing in all episodes of the final and ninth season of the original run of the series shown from the end of November 1978 until the first week of January 1979.

Into the 1980s and Dunbobbin made only one TV appearance during the year when he was cast as Dave Duncan in a single episode of the rural soap Emmerdale transmitted 12^th February 1980. He was next seen as Reverend Perry in a single episode, ‘Kiss Me Quick’ (26^th June 1981), of the Alan Plater scripted drama Get Lost! More comedy work followed with an appearance in the BBC sitcom Sink or Swim – ‘The Marrying’ (12^th November 1981). Dunbobbin also featured in the children’s educational drama How We Used to Live playing a shop keeper in three episodes during September and November. He featured in a further episode but played a different character, Mr Taylor, in the episode ‘Your Undoubted Queen’ (24^th March 1982). Having previously worked as a photographer Dunbobbin was ideal casting to play one in the Bergerac episode ‘Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie’ (23^rd January 1983). His only other TV role for the year was Hamish in an episode of the sitcom Hallelujah! – ‘Luncheon Club’ (27^th May 1983). The role provided more echoes with Dunbobbin’s own past with the series based on the misadventures of a local branch of The Salvation Army. He then made a very rare film appearance as a tinker in the British horror film The Doctor and The Devils (1985) which was directed by Freddie Francis and based on a previously unproduced screenplay by the late Dylan Thomas.

Dunbobbin’s final role is also his most famous and the one that embedded him in the public’s mind set. Phil Redmond’s soap opera Brookside provided him with a long running role as widower Ralph Hardwick who teamed up with fellow widower Harry Cross (Bill Dean[5]) to share a bungalow for bickering companionship. The character would be a series regular for five years between 1984 and 1989. Dunbobbin died in August 1989, aged 67, whilst still playing Ralph. His death also left in limbo a commission he had received to write and direct a promotional video for the Boy Scout Movement. Aside from his acting and writing Dunbobbin was the secretary of the northern branch of the Society of Authors. He was also employed as an adaptor of best-selling novels for spoken word cassettes and CDs as well as a narrator for them including all of The Onedin Line series. He was still active in this field up until his death.

Dunbobbin was an excellent raconteur and also made a wage by appearing as an after dinner speaker. In the book Liverpool’s Own by Christine Dawe (who was his wife up until his death in 1989) Dunbobbin reflected on his most famous role with the type of wit that also made him a popular and well paid after dinner speaker: “I was in a restaurant in Church Stretton. A very attractive lady came up to our table, smiled warmly at me and said “It is you, isn’t it? I’d recognise you anywhere. You made us so happy. It’s been about five years now, hasn’t it? I want to thank you on behalf of my family. Oh, here’s my husband. Darling, look who’s here. It’s that man who rescued our cat for us”.”

His obituary in The Stage stated “Ray’s natural sense of fun shone through his many television roles and endeared him both to the public and to his fellow actors. He mixed easily with many of the best-known names in show business, without losing his innate modesty and down-to-earth attitude.[6]”

 

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[1] Biographical detail courtesy of the book Liverpool’s Own by Christine Dawe, The History Press, 2008. Dawe was Dunrobbin’s wife until his death.

[2] Gregson had also been a member of the Liverpool Playgoer’s before turning professional

[3] Programme notes for Black Spot on the Mersey as quoted in Liverpool Playhouse: A Theatre And Its City by Ros Merkin, Liverpool University Press, 2011

[4] Evans also ate boot polish, shaving cream and razor blades!

[5] Rather weirdly Bill Dean would appear in the Beasts episode ‘What Big Eyes’

[6] The Stage, Thursday 24^th September 1998, page 29