Jimmy Thompson (actor)

James Edward Thompson (30 October 1925 – 21 April 2005) was an English actor, writer and director.

Jimmy Thompson
Born	James Edward Thompson (1925-10-30)30 October 1925 Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died	21 April 2005(2005-04-21) (aged 79) York, England
Nationality	English
Education	St Peter's School, York
Occupation(s)	actor, writer, director
Known for	Liberace impersonation
Spouse	Nina (d.1999)

Biography

He was born 30 October 1925 in Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire and educated at St. Peter's School in York. As a young man he began his career in repertory theatre in Yorkshire and he toured with a theatrical company headed by Jean Forbes-Robertson.^[1]

After his national service, he moved to London, and his early appearances on the West End stage were in intimate revue.^[1]

In 1956, he became known for his impersonation of the American pianist and entertainer, Liberace, in the revue, For Amusement Only, at the Apollo Theatre.^[2] Thompson was called in the 1959 libel action brought by the pianist against the Daily Mirror, and was himself subsequently sued by Liberace. Thompson settled out of court, making a donation to an actors’ charity.^[1]

In 1959, he and his wife, Nina,^[3] co-authored a musical comedy, The Quiz Kid, which was presented at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith.^[4] In 1964, he starred in Monsieur Blaise at the Royal Court and Phoenix theatres, a play adapted by his wife from the Claude Magnier [fr] farce. In 1974, Thompson starred in The Englishman Amused at the Young Vic, a production which again he co-wrote with his wife.^[5] In 1992, he was once more in revue, appearing at the Whitehall Theatre in Spread a Little Happiness, the Vivian Ellis musical.^[1] In the 1960s, Thompson appeared regularly in the BBC television programme, Pinky and Perky, created by Jan and Vlasta Dalibor.^[6] In 1967, he starred in the title role in the first BBC2 play in colour, Lieutenant Tenant. Other television appearances included The Benny Hill Show (1970) and George and Mildred (1978).^[1]

His film appearances include Carry On Regardless (1961), Carry On Cruising (1962), Band of Thieves (1962) (where he had one of the main roles) and Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965).^[3][7]

His directorial credits include directing Simon Ward in Perchance to Dream, Patrick Cargill in Don't Misunderstand Me, Mollie Sugden in My Giddy Aunt, Windsor Davies in My Wife Whatsername, Peggy Mount in Blithe Spirit, and the original production of Jeeves Takes Charge with Edward Duke.^[3]

After the death of his wife in 1999, he retired to York where he died on 21 April 2005.^[3]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1958	The Whole Truth	Assistant
1959	The Man Who Liked Funerals	Lt. Hunter
1960	Doctor in Love	Doctor	Uncredited
1961	No Love for Johnnie	Sheilah's Party Guest	Uncredited
1961	Carry On Regardless	Mr. Delling
1961	Raising the Wind	Alex Spendlove
1962	Carry On Cruising	Sam Turner, Barman
1962	Band of Thieves	Hon. Derek Delaney
1963	Carry On Jack	Adm. Horatio Nelson
1965	Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines	Photographer
1968	Hot Millions	Salesman	Uncredited
1970	Doctor in Trouble	Ship's Doctor
1973	U-Turn	Old ferry driver

References

1. "Shorter, Eric. "Obituary: Jimmy Thompson."". London: The Guardian, 6 June 2005. 6 June 2005. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
2. Pyron, Darden Asbury (26 April 2013). Liberace: An American Boy. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226117126 – via Google Books.
3. "Jimmy Thompson". The Stage, 31 May 2005. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
4. Wearing, J. P. (16 September 2014). The London Stage 1950–1959: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780810893085 – via Google Books.
5. "Production of The Englishman Amused | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
6. "Pinky and Perky: You, Too, Can Be a Highlander". 27 March 1966. p. 21 – via BBC Genome.
7. "Jimmy Thompson". BFI. Archived from the original on 19 March 2019.

External links

• Jimmy Thompson at IMDb