Wilfrid Brambell

Henry Wilfrid Brambell (22 March, 1912 – 18 January, 1985) was an Irish television and film actor and comedian, best remembered for his role in the television series Steptoe and Son. He also performed alongside The Beatles in their debut film A Hard Day's Night, playing the fictional grandfather of Paul McCartney.
==Steptoe and Son, A Hard Day's Night==
It was this ability to play old men that led to his casting in his best remembered role as Albert Steptoe, the irascible father in Steptoe and Son, a man who – when the series began – was said to be in his sixties, even though Brambell was only aged 50 in 1962 (thirteen years older than Harry H. Corbett, who played his son Harold). The series began as a pilot on the BBC's Comedy Playhouse, and its success led to the commissioning of a full series. It ran from 1962 to 1974, including a five-year hiatus. A constant thread throughout the series was Albert being referred to by Harold as a "dirty old man"; for example, when he was eating pickled onions while taking a bath, and retrieving dropped onions from the bathwater. There were also two feature film spin-offs, a stage show and an American incarnation titled Sanford and Son, some episodes of which were almost exact remakes of the original British scripts.
The success of Steptoe and Son made Brambell a high-profile figure on British television, and earned him the supporting role of Paul McCartney's grandfather in the Beatles' first film, A Hard Day's Night (1964). A running joke is made throughout the film of his character being "a very clean old man", in contrast to his being referred to as a "dirty old man" in Steptoe and Son. In real life, he was indeed nothing like his Steptoe persona, being dapper and well-spoken. In 1965, Brambell told the BBC that he did not want to do another series of Steptoe and Son, and in September that year, he went to New York City to appear in the Broadway musical Kelly at the Broadhurst Theatre. However, it closed after a single performance.
Apart from his role as the older Steptoe, Brambell achieved recognition in many films. His performance in 'The Terence Davies Trilogy' won him critical acclaim, far greater than any achieved for Steptoe and Son. Although he appears throughout the full 24-minute piece, Brambell does not speak a single word.
==Death==
Brambell died as a result of cancer at his home in Westminster, London, aged 72 on 18 January, 1985. He was cremated on 25 January, 1985 at Streatham Park Cemetery, where his ashes were scattered.
==External links==
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*The dirty truth Guardian feature on the Channel 4 TV documentary on Steptoe and Son.
Category:1912 births
Category:1985 deaths
Category:Deceased