# Maurie Fields

Maurice Fields (born Maurice Sheil, 4 August 1926 – 18 December 1995) was an Australian vaudeville performer, actor and stand-up comedian.

## Career

Fields became a well-known face on television first thanks to his comic sketches on live programs like Sunnyside Up and later dramatic roles as the conniving John Quinney in ABC TV's Bellbird. He also featured in many soap operas on commercial television, including Cop Shop, The Box, Prisoner (a small part playing crooked screw Leonard "Len" Murphy, and he had previously played two smaller parts in the show) and publican Vic Buckley in The Flying Doctors. He was also a regular as Fred Farrell in situation comedy series Bobby Dazzler (1977) and did regular comedy segments on Hey Hey It's Saturday alongside Shane Bourne.
He was also the editor of the jokes pages of the Australasian Post magazine for many years, a role continued by his son Marty after Maurie's passing. He appeared in retro-capture with his son Marty, in the Hey Hey reunions.

## Personal life

Fields was the son of an accountant and married twice. His first wife was Dorothy, and they had three children: Lorraine, Eileen and Alan. He then married the comedian and actress Val Jellay, who also portrayed his screen wife in The Flying Doctors. They played publicans Vic and Nancy Buckley. He was the father of comedian Marty Fields.

## Death

Fields died on 18 December 1995, from a heart attack, and became the first actor to be posthumously inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame. That honour was accepted at the awards ceremony in his name by his widow and long-time acting partner, Val Jellay.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1971 | Country Town | John Quinney | TV film |
| 1974 | Alvin Rides Again | Garage Proprietor | Feature film |
| 1975 | The Great Macarthy | Company Director | Feature film |
| 1976 | Eliza Fraser | Reporter | Feature film |
| 1976 | Break of Day | Lou | Feature film |
| 1978 | In Search of Anna | Bert | Feature film |
| 1979 | Kostas | Taxi Driver | Feature film |
| 1979 | Taxi | Drunk Passenger | TV film |
| 1979 | Banana Bender | Smiley | TV film |
| 1982 | Lonely Hearts | Taxi Driver | Film |
| 1982 | Fighting Back | Police Sergeant | Feature film |
| 1984 | Banjo's Australia | Mulga Bill | Video |
| 1985 | Mud, Bloody Mud | Chifley Sturdee | TV film |
| 1986 | Cactus | Maurie | Feature film |
| 1986 | Death of a Soldier | Detective Sergeant Martin | Feature film |
| 1987 | The Bit Part | Peter | Feature film |
| 1988 | Evil Angels | Justice Denis Barritt | Feature film |
| 1994 | Country Life | Fred Livingstone | Feature film |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1967 | Hunter | Day | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1969 | Joan and Leslie | Policeman / Dr Smith | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1970 | The Long Arm | Gary Sutton | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1973 | Ryan | Bob Clark | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1974 | The Box | Horrie Weatherburn | TV series |
| 1974 | Marion | Harry Richardson | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1974 | And the Big Men Fly | Merv Harvey | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 1969-75 | Division 4 | Sgt Shorter / Dixie Palmer / Various | TV series, 17 episodes |
| 1965-75 | Homicide | Clive Booker / Dan Miller / Various | TV series, 19 episodes |
| 1971-75 | Matlock Police | Watson / Harris / Various | TV series, 13 episodes |
| 1975-76 | The Last of the Australians | Barney | TV series, 7 episodes |
| 1976 | Tandarra | Charlie Mercer | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1976 | No Thanks, I'm on a Diet | Maurie | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 1976 | Power Without Glory | 1st Heckler | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1976 | The Sullivans | | TV series |
| 1977 | Bluey | Brougham | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1969-77 | Bellbird | John Quinney | TV series, 1235 episodes |
| 1978 | Hotel Story | | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1977-78 | Bobby Dazzler | Fred Farrell | TV series, 14 episodes |
| 1979 | Skyways | Chas Potter | TV series, 51 episodes |
| 1977-80 | Cop Shop | Various characters | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 1980 | Are You Being Served? | Harry Collins | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1981 | A Town Like Alice | Al Burns | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1981 | I Can Jump Puddles | Spruiker | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1981 | Holiday Island | Fred | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1982 | 1915 | Mayor | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1982 | The Daryl Somers Show | Santa Claus | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1983 | Starting Out | Mac Rankin | TV series, 85 episodes |
| 1985 | The Flying Doctors | Vic Buckley | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1982-85 | Prisoner | Uncle Arch / Maurie Parks / Len Murphy | TV series, 20 episodes |
| 1985 | Winners | Mr O'Brien | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1985 | The Dunera Boys | Cpl Carter | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1986 | My Brother Tom | 'Muscles' Smith | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1988 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1989 | G.P. | Clarie | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1989-91 | Pugwall | Uncle Harry | TV series, 14 episodes |
| 1986-92 | The Flying Doctors | Vic Buckley | TV series, 216 episodes |
| 1993-94 | R.F.D.S. | Vic Buckley | TV series, 13 episodes |
| 1995 | Neighbours | Old Sid | TV series, 5 episodes |

## Discography
### Albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions and certifications :
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
| Title | Album details | AUS |
| The Great Aussie Joke (with Shane Bourne) | Released: 1988 Format: LP Label: Hammard (HAM 186) | - |
| Cheers! | Released: December 1990 Format: LP Label: Virgin (AZMF 001) | 81 |
| At His Best | Released: 1990 Format: LP Label: Virgin (VOZCD 2057) | |

### Charting singles

List of charting singles, with selected chart positions :
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Title | Year | AUS | Album |
| "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" | 1990 | 149 | Cheers |