Cribbins is one of those actors from older films who managed to remain recognizable for decades due to his variety of work. As both an actor and a singer, he was able to reach a wide audience through work in comedies, television, theater, and music. Whether you were into British comedy or BBC TV or even popular on-line gifs, you were familiar with Cribbins’ work.
Cribbins grew-up in near poverty in Lancashire. He ended up leaving school at 13 years old and working as an assistant manager at a local theater. This is how he started acting as he worked in small stage roles which led to more theater work. He did have to take a break from the theater in order to go into national service with the Parachute Regiment in Hampshire and Palestine. After his service, he continued his work with theater productions including musical work which ended up getting him recognized by noted music producer George Martin.
Cribbins was signed by Martin which led to his singing career which included notable British hits like “The Hole in the Ground,” “Right Said Fred,” and “Gossip Calypso.” If you are wondering, yes, the one-hit wonder group behind “I’m Too Sexy” got their band name from Cribbins’ song “Right Said Fred.” These hit songs ended up getting Cribbins into better movie roles.
In the late 1950s, Cribbins did some uncredited film work including in the WWII movie Dunkirk (1958). He then moved into supporting roles in comedy movies until landing a great role in the very funny prison comedy Two Way Stretch (1960) where he is one of a trio of inmates that want to escape jail for one night in order to perform a heist. The movie paired Cribbins with Peter Sellers and David Lodge and they made a very becoming lead trio even if Lionel Jeffries stole the movie in a supporting role.
Following roles for Cribbins included The World of Suzie Wong (1960), The Best of Enemies (1961), and reteaming with some of his Two Way Stretch co-stars in The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963). He played one of the lead roles in the comedy The Mouse on the Moon (1963) which was a spiritual follow-up to The Mouse That Roared (1963) which parodies Cold War tensions and launches Cribbins into space.
Cribbins next appeared in his first Carry On movie which was Carry on Jack (1964). The movie placed him in the lead once more and he would again appear in a movie in the Carry On series with Carry on Spying (1964). While Cribbins mainly starred in comedies, he also starred in the Hammer Films adaptation of She (1965). Reportedly, during filming Cribbins bonded with co-star Peter Cushing over a shared love of birdwatching. Cribbins reunited with Cushing a year later for one of the Dr. Who movies, Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966).
Cribbins would then appear in one of his most notable films, The Railway Children (1970), directed by former co-star Lionel Jeffries. The movie is #66 on the BFI Top 100 movies and is the only family movie to make the cut. Cribbins followed this with a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock’s last masterwork Frenzy (1972) where he played a jealous bar owner. While these films were classics, they were just one area of Cribbins’ contributions to British media. He also was notable with voice work and narration including being the narrator on the children’s show The Wombles (1973-1975).
The television work of Cribbins included a self-named show, Cribbins (1969-1970), and other short-lived British shows. A notable television appearance included a guest spot in the 1975 episode of Fawlty Towers “The Hotel Inspectors.” He also continued with children’s television on the series Jackanory (1965-1996) and Old Jack’s Boat (2013-2015). Cribbins got a new generation of fans when he appeared in 10 episodes of Doctor Who from 2007-2010. During his later years, he also continued to act on the stage including in revivals of musicals such as playing Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, Moonface Martin in Anything Goes, and Mr. Doolittle in My Fair Lady.
Cribbins was married only once, to aspiring actress Gillian McBarnet who he married from 1955 until her death in 2021. They had no children. In terms of honors, Cribbins was nominated for a BAFTA Award for “Best Supporting Actor” for The Railway Children. He was also appointed Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to drama. Cribbins was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009 and he released an autobiography in 2018.
~Virginia
The Tinseltown Twins 