Hubbry Logo
John ComerJohn ComerMain
Open search
John Comer
Community hub
John Comer
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
John Comer
John Comer
John Comer
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

John Comer (1 March 1924 – 11 February 1984) was a British comic actor. He was best known for his roles in Coronation Street as Mr Birtles, then as a taxi driver, and later as Wilf Jones, in Emmerdale Farm as Ernie Shuttleworth, Les Brandon in I Didn't Know You Cared, and cafe owner Sid in Last of the Summer Wine.

Key Information

Early life

[edit]

Born and brought up in Stretford, Lancashire,[1] Comer gained an engineering apprenticeship at Metropolitan-Vickers, Trafford Park.[2] He served in mining as a Bevin Boy during World War II.[3]

Early career

[edit]

Comer began his career performing a comedy routine around local social clubs and pubs in the 1930s and 1940s.[citation needed] In 1952, with his younger brother Tony, he performed in a children's theatre production for local schools in Stretford.[citation needed] The siblings then formed a double act named the Comer Brothers.[1] In 1957, the brothers began a regular slot at the Manchester Apollo, performing a variety act entitled Comer's Cottage.[citation needed]

Tony & John Comer, as the Comer Brothers

In 1958, the Comer Brothers participated in an ITV talent show called Bid for Fame and began working for Butlin's.[citation needed] In 1959, they won first prize in the Butlin's National Talent Contest, winning £1,000 and a film contract[1] with the Boulting Brothers.[2]

Success

[edit]

In 1959, the Boulting brothers cast John and Tony Comer in the film I'm All Right Jack, in which they starred alongside Peter Sellers and Richard Attenborough as trade union shop stewards. Their next film roles were in 1961, when they featured alongside Rita Tushingham in A Taste of Honey. However, shortly afterwards Tony decided to leave showbusiness and returned to full-time work at Metropolitan-Vickers, while John decided to continue pursuing his film career. He appeared in the Boulting Brothers' 1967 film The Family Way as a father-of-the-bride to Hayley Mills's character, whose father John Mills portrayed her father-in-law.

He gained a recurring role in 1973 as the primary supporting role of Sid in the new BBC sitcom Last of the Summer Wine. He also starred in a long-running advertising campaign for Home Brew Beer.[2] In 1977, he appeared as Bill Malley in the BBC series Murder Most English. Comer appeared in an episode of All Creatures Great and Small entitled "The Name of the Game" in 1978.

John Comer as Sid with Jane Freeman as Ivy in Last of the Summer Wine

Death

[edit]

Comer died of throat cancer in 1984, at the age of 59.[4] The disease had so affected his voice that in his final television appearance, as cafe owner Sid, in the Last of the Summer Wine Christmas episode Getting Sam Home, his lines had to be dubbed by another actor, Tony Melody. His funeral was held at Carleton Crematorium, Blackpool, where he is commemorated at rose-bed no. 18. After the death of Comer's wife, Mollie, in 2010, his estate was finalised; in 2013 the Comer family donated £245,000 to the hospice in Blackpool where John Comer was treated before his death.[1]

Film roles

[edit]
Year Title Role
1953 Top Secret Walk on (At train station showing papers)
1959 I'm Alright Jack Union Shop Steward
1960 Hell Is a City Plainclothes Police Driver Uncredited
1963 Heavens Above! Butcher
1964 The Counterfeit Constable
1965 Rotten to the Core Police Sergeant Uncredited
1966 The Family Way Leslie Piper
1968 Happy Deathday Briggs
1969 Battle of Britain Policeman Uncredited
1970 There's a Girl in My Soup John, the porter
1970 Wuthering Heights
1971 Villain Waiter at House of Commons Uncredited
1971 Mr. Forbush and the Penguins Police Sergeant
1972 Dr. Phibes Rises Again Ship's Officer Uncredited
1973 The Lovers! Geoffrey's Dad
1981 Memoirs of a Survivor Man delivering Emily

Television roles

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1962-63 Coronation Street Mr. Birtles
1965 Coronation Street Taxi Driver
1966 Pardon the Expression Policeman
1967 Turn out the Lights Policeman
1968 Coronation Street Wilf Jones
1969 The Avengers Sergeant Groom
1969 Nearest and Dearest Policeman
1973 Bless This House The Landlord
1973 Crown Court Police Constable Episode: The mugging of Arthur Simmons
1972-1974 Play For Today Various
1973 All Our Saturdays Wilf
1973-1983 Last of the Summer Wine Sid (final appearance)
1975 The Life of Riley George Pollitt
1975 Emmerdale Farm Ernie Shuttleworth 3 episodes
1975-1979 I Didn't Know You Cared Les Brandon
1976-1978 Potter's Picture Palace Sidney Bogart
1977 Murder Most English Recurring role as a police sergeant
1977 Survivors Les Norton
1978 All Creatures Great and Small Mr. Dimmock
1980 Nice Work Mr. Blundell

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

John Comer

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
John Comer (1 March 1924 – 11 February 1984) was an English comic actor best known for his portrayals of gruff, working-class everymen in British television sitcoms. He achieved widespread recognition for playing Sid, the pragmatic café owner and husband to the domineering Ivy, in the long-running series from its inception in 1973 until his death a decade later. Comer also starred as the long-suffering Les Brandon, endlessly exasperated by his overbearing mother and wife, in the Yorkshire Television sitcom across all four series from 1975 to 1979. Born in , , Comer entered the profession in the late 1950s, initially appearing in supporting roles that capitalized on his robust accent and affable demeanor. His early film credits included the role of a shop steward in the satire I'm All Right Jack (1959), alongside and , and a plainclothes police driver in the crime thriller (1960). Throughout the and , he built a steady career in television, with guest appearances in popular dramas and soaps such as , where he played multiple characters including the tailor Mr. Birtles in 1961 and a taxi driver in later episodes, as well as farmer Ernie Shuttleworth in Emmerdale Farm. Other notable film roles encompassed a in Heavens Above! (1963), a police constable in Rotten to the Core (1965), and a minor part in the ensemble war epic (1969). In his later years, Comer's health declined due to throat cancer, which severely impacted his voice and required his lines to be dubbed in his final television appearance during the 1983 Christmas special of . He died of the disease on 11 February 1984 in , , at the age of 59. Following his death, his character Sid was written out of off-screen, with the series continuing successfully for another two decades. In 2013, Comer's family donated nearly £250,000 from his estate to support cancer care at Trinity Hospice in , honoring his legacy amid his battle with the illness.

Early life and education

Childhood and family

John Comer was born on 1 March 1924 in , , , into a of five children. The resided in the area, a hub of industrial activity during the interwar years. Comer's early years unfolded amid the economic hardships of the , which severely impacted working-class communities in , including and surrounding districts where and were widespread. He attended the Roman Catholic parish school in St Ann's, , from 1928 to 1939, receiving a typical of the era's local institutions. Central to family dynamics was Comer's relationship with his brother Tony, one of his four siblings; the brothers shared a close bond that later influenced their joint ventures in entertainment, beginning with informal performances in local venues during the 1930s and . This sibling connection provided early support and creative inspiration within the household.

Early employment and wartime service

After leaving Stretford Parish School in 1939 at the age of 15, John Comer entered the workforce in a practical trade influenced by his working-class family background in Manchester's industrial heartland. He began his early employment as a Bevin Boy, conscripted into coal mining as part of a British government program initiated in December 1943 to address severe labor shortages in the pits caused by wartime enlistments in the military. This scheme directed approximately 48,000 young men aged 18 to 25 into underground mining work essential for fueling the war effort, running until March 1948, though many like Comer served for several years during the conflict. Post-war, Comer pursued an engineering apprenticeship at in , a major industrial complex near known for and heavy machinery production. This training, starting in his late teens or early twenties, provided him with technical skills in a field aligned with the region's economy, reflecting the era's emphasis on vocational trades for young workers from similar backgrounds. Amid these labors, Comer developed an interest in through local amateur dramatics, performing routines at social clubs and pubs in the area during the 1930s and 1940s. These informal activities offered an early outlet for his emerging comedic talents, though they remained secondary to his primary occupations at the time.

Career

Early career in and theatre

John Comer began performing comedy routines in local pubs and social clubs around during the 1930s and 1940s, marking his initial foray into entertainment while working in manual labor. In 1952, he partnered with his Tony to form the Comer Brothers, a characterized by comedic sketches combined with singing, in which John served as the primary comedian and instigator while Tony provided vocal support. The duo built their early reputation through performances in northern England's social clubs and pubs, entertaining working-class audiences with light-hearted, relatable humor reflective of British life. Following , Comer engaged in and variety shows, undertaking regional tours in and surrounding areas to sharpen his and comedic timing. The Comer Brothers' act gained traction in these venues, where they delivered polished routines that blended verbal wit with musical interludes, appealing to holiday camp and theatre crowds. Their career breakthrough arrived in 1959 with a first-place victory at Butlin’s National Talent Contest, earning them a £1,000 prize and a film contract with the , which opened doors to broader professional opportunities.

Film roles

John Comer's transition to film was facilitated by his 1959 win in the National Talent Contest alongside his brother Tony, which awarded them £1,000 and a contract with the , leading directly to his screen debut. His first major film role was as the Union Shop Steward in the ' satirical comedy (1959), where he delivered a memorable performance lampooning bureaucracy opposite ' iconic Fred , establishing Comer as a go-to for working-class support in British cinema. Over the next decade, Comer built a steady presence in British films, often in minor but characterful roles that leveraged his gruff Mancunian persona for humor or pathos amid and . In Hell Is a City (1960), he appeared as a plainclothes police driver in Val Guest's gritty Manchester-set crime thriller starring . He followed with an uncredited but notable appearance in the kitchen sink drama A Taste of Honey (), contributing to its authentic portrayal of northern working-class life alongside and his brother Tony. In 1963, Comer played the butcher in the ' Heavens Above!, a sharp critique of class and religion featuring as a bumbling . A standout role came in 1966 as Leslie Piper, the exasperated father-in-law, in , Roy Boulting's black-and-white comedy-drama about a troubled young marriage, where Comer's deadpan delivery added warmth and levity to the family tensions opposite and . Into the 1970s, Comer's film appearances diversified across genres while retaining his signature as relatable figures. He portrayed a policeman in the star-studded ensemble war epic (1969), capturing the stoic resolve of ordinary Britons during . In Peter Sykes' There's a Girl in My Soup (1970), he played John the porter, providing grounded humor in the romantic farce starring and . Other credits included a minor role in Robert Fuest's (1970) adaptation and Ship's Officer in Robert Fuest's horror sequel (1972). His final major film role was as Geoffrey's Dad in the big-screen adaptation of the ITV sitcom The Lovers! (1973), reinforcing his affinity for awkward paternal figures in domestic comedies. Comer appeared in a total of 15 feature films, consistently embodying working-class characters—shop stewards, tradesmen, porters, and family patriarchs—that offered and in British cinema.
YearTitleRoleNotes
1959I'm All Right JackUnion Shop StewardSatirical debut with ; launched screen career
1960Hell Is a CityPlainclothes Police Driver (uncredited)Crime thriller set in
1961A Taste of HoneyMinor role (with brother Tony) drama
1963Heavens Above!ButcherBoulting Brothers class satire
1966The Family WayLeslie PiperKey comic supporting role in family comedy
1969Battle of BritainPolicemanWWII ensemble epic
1970There's a Girl in My SoupJohn, the porterRomantic farce with Sellers and Hawn
1970Wuthering HeightsMinor roleGothic literary adaptation
1972Dr. Phibes Rises AgainShip's OfficerHorror comedy sequel
1973The Lovers!Geoffrey’s Dad spin-off comedy
Comer also featured prominently in the long-running Home Brew Beer advertising campaign during the 1970s, where the commercials' narrative-driven, cinematic production style echoed his film work, portraying him as a jovial working man promoting DIY beer kits.

Television roles

Comer first gained prominence on British television through multiple recurring roles in the ITV Coronation Street from 1962 to 1968, portraying Mr. Birtles, a local , in several early episodes, a nameless in 1965, and Wilf Jones, a factory worker, in 1968. These appearances showcased his ability to embody everyday working-class characters with understated humor, drawing from his earlier comedy experience. His most iconic television role came as Sid, the gruff yet affable café owner in the long-running BBC sitcom Last of the Summer Wine, which he played from 1973 to 1983 over a decade-long tenure spanning 47 episodes. As the long-suffering husband to the domineering Ivy (played by Jane Freeman), Sid served as a central figure in the ensemble, providing comic relief through his exasperated reactions to the antics of the show's elderly protagonists and contributing to the series' enduring appeal as a gentle portrayal of Yorkshire village life. Due to health complications from throat cancer, Comer's final appearance as Sid in the 1983 Christmas special "Getting Sam Home" required his lines to be dubbed by another actor. From 1975 to 1979, Comer starred as Les Brandon in the , appearing in all 27 episodes across four series. In this adaptation of Peter Tinniswood's radio plays, he depicted the mild-mannered, henpecked husband in a chaotic family, often caught between his nagging wife Annie (Liz Smith) and eccentric relatives, highlighting themes of domestic frustration and resilience through his delivery. Comer also made notable guest appearances, including as Ernie Shuttleworth, the rival pub owner to the Woolpack, in three episodes of the ITV soap Emmerdale Farm in 1975. Earlier that year, he played Wilf, a member of a boisterous working-class group, in the short-lived ITV sitcom All Our Saturdays, which ran for six episodes and centered on football enthusiasts navigating personal rivalries.

Personal life and death

Marriage and family

John Comer married Mollie, and the couple established their home in the area later in his life, providing a stable base amid his acting commitments. Mollie outlived him, passing away in 2010, after which his estate was finalized. Public records offer limited details on their children, with no confirmed information available regarding offspring. Comer shared a close familial bond with his younger brother Tony, extending beyond their professional collaboration as the comedy duo the Comer Brothers; the siblings' partnership began in local performances and provided mutual support during early career shifts, with family members including their parents and Tony's wife participating as extras in Comer's 1961 film . In a demonstration of enduring family solidarity, relatives from both John and Tony's branches donated £245,000 to the Trinity Hospice in in 2013, honoring Comer's memory at the facility where he received care; Margaret Comer, Tony's widow, highlighted the donation's significance to the family's values.

Illness and death

In the early 1980s, John Comer was diagnosed with throat cancer, a condition that progressively deteriorated his health and severely impaired his voice during his ongoing role in . The illness significantly limited his professional output, resulting in fewer acting roles between 1983 and 1984 as the cancer advanced. Comer's final on-screen appearance came in the 1983 Last of the Summer Wine special "Getting Sam Home," where the effects of his throat cancer rendered his speech unintelligible, necessitating that all his lines be dubbed by fellow actor . He passed away on 11 February 1984 at the age of 59 in , , due to complications from the disease. Comer's funeral service was conducted at Carleton Crematorium in , with his ashes subsequently scattered in Rose Bed Number 18 at Carleton Crematorium and Cemetery in , , where he is commemorated.

References

  1. https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/john_comer/
  2. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0173747/
  3. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/198556-john-comer?language=en-US
  4. https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/1997839/last-of-summer-wine-john-comer-throat-cancer-voice-dubbed
  5. https://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk/news/whereyoulive/10345913.late-last-of-the-summer-wine-actors-family-to-donate-245000-to-cancer-hospice/
  6. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/104831038/john-comer
  7. https://www.geni.com/people/John-Comer/6000000014451906793
  8. https://www.ncm.org.uk/news/voices-in-the-coalshed-bevin-boys/
  9. http://melbourneblogger.blogspot.com/2017/10/bevin-boys-ww2-conscription-down-coal.html
  10. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/198556-john-comer
  11. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052911/fullcredits/
  12. https://www.comedy.co.uk/film/im_all_right_jack/cast_crew/
  13. https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/28784-hell-is-a-city/cast
  14. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057134/fullcredits/
  15. https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/john-comer/credits/3030532187/
  16. https://tv.apple.com/us/person/john-comer/umc.cpc.2z431ft7ulh32tx22bwe7qduv
  17. https://www.facebook.com/61554167976715/posts/john-comer-appeared-in-47-episodes-who-played-sid-in-the-series-last-of-the-summ/122209042418138932/
  18. https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/i_didnt_know_you_cared/episodes/
  19. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072514/
  20. https://emmerdale.fandom.com/wiki/John_Comer
  21. https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/all_our_saturdays/
  22. https://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk/news/whereyoulive/10368106.family-of-last-of-the-summer-wines-john-comer-make-donation-to-cancer-hospice/
  23. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Comer-1667
  24. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0173757/
  25. https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/last_of_the_summer_wine/episodes/1983/1/
  26. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0174681/trivia/
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.