Remembering Bernard Cribbins

Last week the U.K. lost an OBE recipient, a beloved entertainer, and, most poignantly, a voice that represented millions of people's childhoods. Bernard Cribbins enjoyed a 75-year career that spanned the genres of comedy, drama, and children's programming.

Bernard was born in Oldham, near Manchester, England, on Dec. 29, 1928. The acting bug hit at 14 when he began an 8-year run with a local repertory company. In 1956, he made his West End debut in a musical production of A Comedy of Errors. Leading roles in plays such as Salad Days followed. Stage performances opened doors to small television and film roles in the 1950s. In the 60s, Cribbins co-starred in comedy caper movies with stars like Peter Sellers and David Niven; he also featured in two of the popular bawdy Carry On film series of that era, Carry On Jack and Carry On Spying. He even appeared as barman Felix Forsythe in the 1972 Alfred Hitchcock thriller, Frenzy.

A true all-around performer, Bernard tapped into his musical background to become a recording artist with producer George Martin (yes, the Beatles' George Martin!) Cribbins hit the U.K. Top Ten in 1962 with the release of two novelty singles, "Hole in the Ground" and "Right Said Fred." (Fun fact: The band Right Said Fred, of "I'm Too Sexy" fame, are named for that tune.)