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He married
Constance 'Connie' Dawkins (1910-1992), stage actress, in 1933, Birmingham. They had two daughters and a son. In December 1949 he returned from a cruise on the Durban Castle taken for health reasons. On 3 February 1950, during the run of Harvey, Field died from a heart attack at his home,
349:(1946), he had his audiences roaring with laughter. One reviewer commented that he was the only comedian who had the audience literally "falling off their seats with laughter". He was loved for his routines involving a naïve approach to the billiards table and the golf course, played with his
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It is perhaps because of this lack of recorded material on film or TV, that Field is now largely forgotten. Only the three films and some recorded variety material survive. He influenced a generation of comedians and pioneered the use of
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in 1966, cited Field as a strong influence on his acting, saying, 'Of all people I have ever watched with the greatest delight, I think, was in another field entirely, was Sid Field… I still borrow from him, freely and unashamedly.'
245:, the son of Albert (a candlemaker) and Bertha (a dressmaker). Field spent most of his childhood in Birmingham. As a child, he charged his friends "admission" to his back garden impression shows. He also
546:"To the memory of the great comedian Sid Field, who made his first appearance in the West End at this theatre on 18 March 1943 and who played his last performance here on 2 February 1950."
370:. Appearing again in 1946, he became one of the few artists to make an appearance in two consecutive Royal Performances. 18 months later in 1948, Field was topping the bill at the
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Sidney Field was considered unusual among comedy performers of the day, as his act was a multitude of characters and impersonations, at a time when most variety (
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Field was educated at Conway Road, Stratford Road and Golden
Hillock Road schools, and attended Sunday school at Emmanuel Church, Walford Road. His cousins, "
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260:, performed in concerts at Moseley Road Swimming Baths in the city, where Field made his stage debut, singing "What A Life" at the age of nine.
253:(once being cautioned by police for his activities). Field was later praised by Chaplin himself, at whose parties Field was a regular invitee.
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His first professional engagement, with "The Kino Royal
Juveniles", came in July 1916, after his mother responded to an advertisement in the
393:(1946) is often referred to as his first film in error. Some of his best-remembered sketches are preserved here. Field made one more film,
301:) acts were more limited in nature. Despite his flair for comedy and acting, it was not until he had spent decades touring provincial
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blue plaque commemorating Sid Field on the front of 152 Osborn Road, where he grew up, and a memorial in the foyer of the
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403:. However, cinema was not Field's most effective medium, and his films were neither critical nor commercial successes.
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225:(1 April 1904 – 3 February 1950) was an English comedy entertainer who was popular in the 1940s.
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This article is about the
British comedian. For the American author of screenwriting books, see
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acted as compere for the shows and appeared with Field in one of the sketches.
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documentary about Sid Field. In the programme, Suchet meets stars such as
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559:), and in October 2011, Suchet followed this up as the presenter of a
285:. To assuage the young Sid's stage fright, Bertha gave him a glass of
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that Field finally achieved prominence, appearing in London's
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478:. Later that month, a memorial service was held at London's
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and performed in the queues at his local cinema dressed as
127:. For the comedy American writer and actor who worked with
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from the original on 12 December 2021 – via YouTube.
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When the Wind
Changed: The Life and Death of Tony Hancock
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to drink: by the age of 13, he was dependent on alcohol.
937:"Stevens, Thomas Terry Hoar (Terry-Thomas) (1911–1990)"
474:. He was 45. Over 300 people attended his funeral at
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435:as being 'probably the best comedian of them all.'
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51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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411:in comedy. He was cited as a comic favourite by
934:Hope-Hawkins, Richard; Nicholls, C. S. (2004).
555:played Sid Field in a stage play of his life (
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946:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
399:(as Sidcup Buttermeadow), co-starring with
364:On 5 November 1945, Field appeared in the
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976:What a Performance: the Life of Sid Field
427:, among many others, and an influence to
111:Learn how and when to remove this message
1051:Comedians from Birmingham, West Midlands
943:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
773:"King and Queen see play from stalls".
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575:who remember Field's epic stage shows.
447:His only straight role came in 1949 in
803:– via The Times Digital Archive.
731:"Sid Field | British actor (1904–50)"
682:"Sid Field | British actor (1904–50)"
657:"Sid Field | British actor (1904–50)"
7:
49:adding citations to reliable sources
530:and many more, totalling over 240.
865:"SID FIELD ST. MARTIN'S SERVICE".
818:. 24 November 1949. pp. 3, 5.
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854:. 16 February 1950. pp. 3–4.
334:. His rise to stardom was quick.
718:Hope-Hawkins & Nicholls 2004
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465:Personal life, death and legacy
36:needs additional citations for
1056:20th-century English comedians
869:. 23 February 1950. p. 5.
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579:Prince of Wales Theatre shows
381:Field had a starring role in
967:UK public library membership
839:(38880): 1769. 7 April 1950.
795:. 4 February 1950. p. 9
16:English comedian (1904–1950)
777:. 5 August 1949. p. 3.
439:, during an interview with
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502:. The cast list included
470:Arran Cottage, Parkside,
367:Royal Variety Performance
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1011:Sid Field Golfing Sketch
535:Birmingham Civic Society
269:. He later worked as an
911:Goodwin, Cliff (1999).
882:"Sid Field blue plaque"
539:Prince of Wales Theatre
482:, with lessons read by
480:St Martin-in-the-Fields
476:Putney Vale Crematorium
1041:English male comedians
952:10.1093/ref:odnb/39948
830:"FIELD, Sidney Arthur"
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541:in London, which says:
431:. He was described by
1046:Music hall performers
974:Fisher, John (1975).
814:"The Variety Stage".
543:
1061:People from Ladywood
45:improve this article
223:Sidney Arthur Field
164:Sidney Arthur Field
129:Abbott and Costello
837:The London Gazette
636:Cardboard Cavalier
598:Piccadilly Hayride
557:What a Performance
551:In 1994 the actor
396:Cardboard Cavalier
347:Piccadilly Hayride
233:Field was born in
985:978-0-85422-113-4
965:(Subscription or
926:978-0-7126-7615-1
620:That's the Ticket
586:Strike a New Note
472:Wimbledon, London
401:Margaret Lockwood
384:That's the Ticket
339:Strike a New Note
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612:Film appearances
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275:Wee Georgie Wood
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955:. Retrieved
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889:. Retrieved
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706:Goodwin 1999
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553:David Suchet
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528:George Robey
512:Arthur Askey
508:Bud Flanagan
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429:Tony Hancock
425:Tommy Cooper
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374:, replacing
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359:Terry-Thomas
351:straight man
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243:Warwickshire
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191:(1950-02-03)
174:1 April 1904
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43:Please help
38:verification
35:
18:
1036:1950 deaths
1031:1904 births
891:13 December
740:13 December
691:13 December
666:13 December
628:London Town
533:There is a
504:Jack Hylton
500:Noël Coward
390:London Town
387:(1940) but
345:(1944) and
303:music halls
229:Early years
101:August 2018
60:"Sid Field"
1025:Categories
978:. Seeley.
969:required.)
915:. London:
643:References
565:Eric Sykes
520:Crazy Gang
449:Mary Chase
417:Eric Sykes
299:vaudeville
271:understudy
239:Birmingham
205:Occupation
178:Birmingham
170:1904-04-01
71:newspapers
1001:Sid Field
867:The Stage
852:The Stage
816:The Stage
799:25 August
279:pantomime
216:1916-1950
199:, England
180:, England
142:Sid Field
125:Syd Field
957:11 March
760:Archived
561:BBC Four
451:'s play
433:Bob Hope
341:(1943),
320:wide boy
307:West End
235:Ladywood
208:Comedian
1016:YouTube
917:Century
633:1949 –
625:1946 –
617:1940 –
602:1949 –
596:1946 –
590:1944 –
584:1943 –
488:Ted Ray
315:Cockney
293:Success
283:Yardley
85:scholar
982:
963:
923:
605:Harvey
454:Harvey
313:, the
247:busked
131:, see
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833:(PDF)
793:Times
92:JSTOR
78:books
1005:IMDb
980:ISBN
959:2012
921:ISBN
893:2022
801:2022
742:2022
693:2022
668:2022
571:and
498:and
486:and
329:spiv
287:port
186:Died
160:Born
64:news
1014:on
1003:at
948:doi
337:In
324:or
309:as
273:to
47:by
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