# Ron Shand

Ronald Ernest McMurtry (3 February 1906, Carlton, Melbourne, Australia – 8 August 1993, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), professionally known as Ron Shand and earlier in his career billed as Ronnie McMurtry, was an Australian actor and comedian who worked extensively in numerously genres of the show business industry including, circus, soft shoe, theatre, cabaret, revue vaudeville, radio, television and film and was also a recording artist in a career spanning over 70 years.
He started his career performing in circus and vaudeville, but was probably best known however in his later years for his role as Herb Evans the elderly hen-pecked husband of Dorrie Evans in television soap opera Number 96 and at 65 was then the oldest member of the regular cast. He continued to appear in TV and film roles into his mid-80s and died in August 1993, aged 87.

## Biography
### Early life

Shand came from a background in show business, particularly of circus performers, that spanned four generations on his mother's side and three generations on his father's side: his grandfather Patrick Montgomery was an Irish-born ringmaster and horse trainer and was married to Annie Gordon, who was half French and half Spanish.
Born to entertainer parents, his father, Ernest Shand, and mother were circus acrobats, with his father also an equestrian, they both had met at 19, while performing with the Fitzgeralds' Circus. Ron was given the surname "Shand" by his grandparents who were travelling circus performers and Ron grew up with them in Melbourne.

## Career
### Circus, vaudeville and theatre

Ron Shand started his showbiz career in 1920, with the circus as a clown aged just 14 and subsequently performed as a song and dance man in vaudeville, did tent shows and comedy for most of the 1920s with his first wife Laurel Streeter and dancer Eddie Clifford.
Shand started in theatre in 1931 and had numerous character roles throughout the 1930s and 1940s. He appeared in the Tivoli circuit for many years playing in revue and pantomime, before joining the J. C. Williamson theatre company for several seasons in musical comedy. Roles with J C Williamson included The Pajama Game, Can-Can, The Sentimental Bloke, and Sail Away produced by Noël Coward.
Shand was then one of the original members of the John Alden Shakespeare Company that toured all the capital cities of Australia. Shand played in several straight dramatic roles with the company, appearing in such plays as The Man Who Came to Dinner, Arsenic and Old Lace, Love Thy Neighbour and Bell, Book and Candle.

### Television

Shand, by the early 1960s would move into the relative new medium of television appearing in several Australian television drama series, including Homicide and in the early 70s, with roles in Matlock Police, Division 4, among others.
Shand subsequently found his widest audiences through his portrayal of hen-pecked Herbert Evans, husband to shrill gossip Dorrie (Pat McDonald), in the phenomenally successful sex-comedy soap opera Number 96. Dorrie and Herb became two of the show's most popular figures and continued in the series for its entire 1972–1977 run. After the series ended, Shand acted in television dramas in guesting parts in The Young Doctors, A Country Practice, Prisoner and G.P., and the acclaimed miniseries Poor Man's Orange. He was also part of the cast of a 1977 The Benny Hill Show TV special made in Australia, in place of Hill's usual short, bald stooge Jackie Wright.

### Personal life

Shand was married to performer Laurel Streeter and later actress and singer Letty Craydon (né Letitia Matilda Graydon; 1899–1965). He appeared with Letty in revues.
His younger sister, Iris Shand (né Thelma Hilda Shand; 1912-2000), was a soubrette, dancer and actress, as well as a theatre director and stage manager.

## Filmography (selected)
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1961 | Long Distance | Porter | TV movie |
| 1952 | Kangaroo | Accordion Player (uncredited) | Feature film |
| 1960 | Farewell, Farewell, Eugene | Mr Bosworth | TV movie |
| 1962 | Alice in Wonderland | The King of Hearts / The Walrus | Feature film |
| 1966 | They're a Weird Mob | Man at Racetrack (uncredited) | Feature film |
| 1974 | Number 96: The Movie | Herbert Evans | TV movie |
| 1982 | Fluteman | Dicker | Feature film |
| 1990 | The Last Crop | Mr. Thompson | TV movie |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1961 | Whiplash | Publican (uncredited) | TV series |
| 1962–64 | Consider Your Verdict | Dicker | TV series |
| 1966–68 | Homicide | Jock Wilson / Arthur Wilkes / Alf Purcer | TV series |
| 1968 | Contrabandits | Mickey | TV series |
| 1969 | You Can't See 'round Corners | Punter | TV series |
| 1969 | Riptide | Baliff Napier | TV series |
| 1968–69 | Skippy | Ernie Stubbs / Gus | TV series |
| 1970 | The Long Arm | Zookeeper | TV series |
| 1970 | The Rovers | Jack Carter | TV series |
| 1970 | Mrs. Finnegan | Dan Smith | TV series |
| 1971 | Matlock Police | McPhee | TV series |
| 1970–72 | Division 4 | Will 'Duff Duff' Duffy / Billy / Rabbit / Fred Miller | TV series |
| 1972–77 | Number 96 | Herbert Evans | TV series ( 1 of 3 original cast members) |
| 1977 | Benny Hill Down Under | Various roles | TV special (fill-in for Jackie Wright) |
| 1978 | Father, Dear Father in Australia | Pickles | TV series |
| 1979 | Love Thy Neighbour in Australia | Arnold | TV series |
| 1980 | Menotti | Halliday | TV series |
| 1981 | The Young Doctors | Arthur Shepherd | TV series |
| 1983 | A Country Practice | Big Mac | TV series |
| 1984 | Prisoner | Pop Milsom | TV series |
| 1987 | Poor Man's Orange | Bumper Reily | TV miniseries |
| 1988 | Rafferty's Rules | Sid Clutten | TV series |
| 1991 | G.P. | Charlie Jackman | TV series |

## Theatre

| Date | Title | Company |
| 1985 | Me and My Girl | State Theatre (Melbourne), Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney |
| 1978 | Love Thy Neighbour | Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Theatre Royal, Sydney, Memorial Theatre, Ballarat |
| 1970 | A Rum Do! | SGIO Theatre |
| 1969 | O'Vile Pretender (aka The Maiden and the Actor) | Neutral Bay Music Hall |
| 1966 | The Fantasticks | Phillip Street Theatre |
| 1964 | The Wizard of Oz | Tivoli Theatre Sydney |
| 1964 | Lilac Time | Tivoli Theatre Sydney, Tivoli Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1963 | Sail Away | Melbourne & Sydney; J C Williamson; produced by Noël Coward |
| 1962 | The Sentimental Bloke | J C Williamson at His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland, Theatre Royal, Sydney, Her Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane, Tivoli Theatre, Adelaide |
| 1959 | Grab Me a Gondola | Theatre Royal, Adelaide, Empire Theatre, Sydney |
| 1957-58 | The Pajama Game | J C Williamson at Theatre Royal, Adelaide, Empire Theatre, Sydney, His Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1956 | Ned Kelly | Elizabethan Theatre, Newtown |
| 1956 | The Teahouse of the August Moon | Victoria Theatre, Newcastle |
| 1952 | Dick Whittington and His Cat | Princess Theatre Melbourne |
| 1952 | The Merry Wives of Windsor | His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Theatre Royal, Adelaide, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1952 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Theatre Royal, Adelaide |
| 1951-52 | King Lear | Theatre Royal, Adelaide |
| 1952 | The Merchant of Venice | Theatre Royal, Adelaide |
| 1946 | Forbidden City | Tivoli Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1945 | Yells a Poppin | Cremorne Theatre |
| 1944 | Mother Goose | Theatre Royal, Adelaide |
| 1944 | Katinka | His Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1942 | You Can't Take It with You | Minerva Theatre, Sydney |
| 1941 | Miles of Smiles | Cremorne Theatre |
| 1941 | The Laughter Express | Cremorne Theatre |
| 1941 | Time of Your Life | Cremorne Theatre |
| 1940 | Oriental Nights | Tivoli Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1940 | North China Troupe | His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Kalgoorlie Town Hall, Peterborough Town Hall, SA, Crystal Theatre, Broken Hill, Theatre Royal, Adelaide, Theatre Royal, Hobart |
| 1939 | Sorlie's Showboat Revue | Australian tour |
| 1939 | George Sorlie's Revue | Townsville |
| 1935 | Funrays | Civic Theatre, Sydney |
| 1934 | White Horse Inn | Theatre Royal, Sydney |
| 1931 | Au Revoir | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Ducks and Drakes | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Bits of Fluff | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Funbursts | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Vanities | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | High Kicks | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | A Good Time | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Meet Mabel | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Sure Fire | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Wise Cracks | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Fun Spots | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Our Big Party | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Bric-a-Brac | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Bubble and Squeak | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Keep Smiling | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Gloom Tonics | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Fine and Dandy | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Laughing Faces | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Happy Hours | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Tons of Fun | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Silver Clouds | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | The Joy Makers | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Showers of Fun | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Ace High | Grand Opera House |
| 1931 | Hot and Strong | Grand Opera House |
| | Can-Can | J C Williamson |
| | The Man Who Came to Dinner | John Alden Shakespeare Company |
| | Arsenic and Old Lace | John Alden Shakespeare Company |
| | Bell, Book and Candle | John Alden Shakespeare Company |