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.

Ron Shand
Born
Ronald Ernest McMurtry

3 February 1906
Carlton, Melbourne, Australia
Died8 August 1993 (aged 87)
NationalityAustralian
Other namesRonie Shand, Ronnie McMurtry
Occupations
  • Actor (radio, stage (including cabaret, revue), television and film)
  • comedian
  • circus performer
  • dancer
  • vaudevillian
Years active1920–1991
Known forNumber 96, The Benny Hill Show, Poor Man's Orange
Spouse(s)Laurel Streeter, Letty Craydan
FamilyIris Shand (1912–2000; actress, theatre director, stage manager)[1]

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.[2]

Biography

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Early life

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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.[3]

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.[citation needed]

Career

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Circus, vaudeville and theatre

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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. [4]

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.[4] 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

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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.[5]

Personal life

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Shand was married to performer Laurel Streeter and later actress and singer Letty Craydon ( Letitia Matilda Graydon; 1899–1965). He appeared with Letty in revues.[6]

His younger sister, Iris Shand ( Thelma Hilda Shand; 1912-2000), was a soubrette, dancer and actress, as well as a theatre director and stage manager.[3]

Filmography (selected)

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Film

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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

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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 [7]

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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

References

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  1. ^ "Iris Shand". AusStage.
  2. ^ "Giles, Nigel: Number 96, Australian Most Infamous Address"
  3. ^ a b "Iris Shand interviewed by Bill Stephens [sound recording]".
  4. ^ a b >"Practitioners [S]". 27 April 2011.
  5. ^ Atterton, Margot. (Ed.) The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Australian Showbiz, Sunshine Books, 1984. ISBN 0-86777-057-0 p 202
  6. ^ "Craydon, Letty".
  7. ^ "Ron Shand Ron Sand at AusStage".
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