John Norman "Jack" Hulbert (24 April 1892 – 25 March 1978) was a British actor.

Biography

Born in Ely, Cambridgeshire, he was the elder and more successful brother of Claude. He was educated at Cambridge and appeared in many shows and revues, mainly with the Cambridge Footlights. He was one of the earliest famous alumni of the comedy club. After Cambridge, he earned recognition and fame performing in musicals and light comedies.

He made his film debut in Elstree Calling (1930); appearing opposite his wife and frequent stage and screen co-star Cicely Courtneidge whom he had married in 1916. His career went through a successful period during the 1930s when he appeared in several films including The Ghost Train (1931), Love on Wheels (1932) and Bulldog Jack (1935), a tongue-in-cheek homage to the popular "Bulldog Drummond" films in which Jack was supported by his brother Claude.

Hulbert's popularity waned as the 1930s came to an end, and after the war he and his wife continued to entertain chiefly on stage. In 1975, Hulbert's autobiography, The Little Woman's Always Right, was published.

His marriage to Cicely Courtneidge lasted for 62 years until his death. Their relationship is mentioned in the British television series Dad's Army in the episode "Ring Dem Bells" when Hulbert pulls out of shooting a Home Guard training film to spend time with his wife.

Hulbert died, aged 85, at his home in Westminster, London on 25 March 1978.

Filmography

Film

• Elstree Calling (1930)
• The Ghost Train (1931) – Teddy Deakin
• Sunshine Susie (1931) – aka The Office Girl (USA) – Herr Hasel*
• Jack's the Boy (1932) – aka Night and Day (USA) – Jack Brown
• Happy Ever After (1932) – aka A Blonde Dream (USA) – Willie
• Love on Wheels (1932) – Fred Hopkins
• Falling for You (1933) – Jack Hazeldon
• Jack Ahoy (1934) – Jack Ponsonby
• The Camels Are Coming (1934) – Jack Campbell
• Bulldog Jack (1935) – aka Alias Bulldog Drummond (USA) – Jack Pennington
• Jack of All Trades (1936) – aka The Two of Us – Jack Warrender
• Take My Tip (1937) – Lord George Pilkington
• Paradise for Two (1937) – aka Gaiety Girls (USA) – Rene Martin
• Kate Plus Ten (1938) – aka Queen of Crime (USA) – Inspector Mike Pemberton
• Under Your Hat (1940) – Jack Millett
• Into the Blue (1950) – aka Man in the Dinghy (USA) – John Fergusson
• The Magic Box (1951) – 1st Holborn Policeman
• Miss Tulip Stays the Night (1955) – aka Dead by Midnight (USA) – Constable Feathers
• The Spider's Web (1960) – Sir Rowland Delahaye
• Not Now Darling (1973) – Commander Frencham
• The Cherry Picker (1974) – Sir Hugh Fawcett

Television

• Kraft Mystery Theater – "The Spider's Web" (1961) TV Episode
• Compact (1962) TV Series – Smith
• Party Games (1970) (TV) – Waiter

Theatre

• Once More With Music – Theatre Royal Brighton – with Cicely Courtneidge – October 1976
• Breath of Spring – Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, UK – with Cicely Courtneidge – May 1974
• The Hollow – Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, UK – with Cicely Courtneidge – 1973
• The Bride Comes Back – Vaudeville Theatre Royal – Cicely Courtneidge, Jack Hulbert – 1960
• Under Your Hat – with Cicely Courtneidge – 1938
• By The Way – with Cicely Courtneidge – 1927
• By The Way – revue – 1922
• The Pearl Girl – Shaftsbury Theatre – with Cicely Courtneidge – 1913

References

1. D. Pepys-Whiteley, ‘Hulbert, John Norman (Jack) (1892–1978)’, rev., Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004.

External links

• Jack Hulbert & Cicely Courtneidge archive, Theatre Collection, University of Bristol