Michael Ripper

[Aenima]

Hi all,

I Watched the Amicus production Deadly Bees (1966) last night on BBC1. Nice print too. Michael Ripper was in it, playing a barman, again!. Is it my imagination or did he play a barman in a number of films?

Cheers,
A

[arty-dave]

usually a barman, or a chaffeur/nightwatchman...that sort of thing

[piroflip2]

(Aenima @ Nov 28 2005, 12:44 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> Hi all, I Watched the Amicus production Deadly Bees (1966) last night on BBC1. Nice print too. Michael Ripper was in it, playing a barman, again!. Is it my imagination or did he play a barman in a number of films? Cheers, A [/b]

Michael Ripper was great in the old hammer style horror films.

You just knew that whatever monster was on the prowl, it would sooner rather than later

meet up with him. Thus making sure that he never made it to the end credits!

[MrDrakesDuck]

He's great as the lift attendant in the <span style="color:#FF6666">St Trinian's</span> films. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/clapping.gif[/img]

[harryfielder]

He lived in the same street as me in the 70s and the only time I met him was on a film set. (funny old world)

Aitch,

[hoggers]

A biography on Michael Ripper came out a few years ago, entitled "Michael Ripper Unmasked". It was primarily meant for the American market but was still readily available over here.. Damn good read too.

Hoggers

[MrDrakesDuck]

One of those actors who really got around. Last night I watched an episode of Gideon's Way, then an episode of Sir Lancelot and he happened to be in both.

[Moor Larkin]

Originally Posted by MrDrakesDuck One of those actors who really got around. Last night I watched an episode of Gideon's Way, then an episode of Sir Lancelot and he happened to be in both.

He's in Danger Man too.

The 'Missing Believed Wiped' show last year had an episode of an early 1960's serial, "Rendezvous", which featured Patrick McGoohan, Michael Gough and.....
The Ripper!!

I always think of him in Gothic dress being bullied by some evil genius or other, or getting drunk at Ye Olde Inn.... I wonder if he was mates with that other film hobo, Sam Kydd. I don't recall them ever being in the same show - some kind of Union exclusion on having more than one classic bit-part actor at a time.....:

[batman]

I worked as stage manager on a play many years ago and Michael was a friend of one of the cast. We all had a drink together and he gave me a lift home .... he was a really nice man.

[dogstar]

I met Michael once at a movie memorabilia fair - he signed a copy of a tribute magazine devoted to him ( I remember it cost an amount equal to the national debt of a small African nation but worth it! ) We saw him chatting to people in the lobby later and later as we were leaving he had obviously been in some sort of accident and was being attended to by various concerned well-wishers. Not wanting to get in the way I found an address from somewhere and wrote to him expressing my concern for his well-being. A couple of days later I got a call from the great man, thanking me profusely for my letter. He had apparently taken a tumble down some steps, bashed his face and his back had gone into spasm ( bear in mind he would have been in his early 80's at this time ). A very nice man indeed.

[JohnB_Toronto]

Originally Posted by Aenima Hi all, I Watched the Amicus production Deadly Bees (1966) last night on BBC1. Nice print too. Michael Ripper was in it, playing a barman, again!. Is it my imagination or did he play a barman in a number of films? Cheers, A

In the past few weeks I've seen three films which all included Michael Ripper and all three had him playing very much against type, and very enjoyably so. In "What A Crazy World" he plays several different comic roles. I should count them - he could even rival Guinness or Sellers. He is also in the absolutely dreadful "Seaside Swingers" (aka Every Day's A Holiday) handling himself very well in, of all things, a song and dance routine alongside Ron Moody. In "Two Left Feet" he plays a very jolly character and the life of the party. He's a welcome addition to any cast and I suspect a far more rounded actor than he's often given credit for.

[Shadwell]

Gotta love The Ripper. Hammer simply isn't Hammer without him

[stevie boy]

Originally Posted by Shadwell Gotta love The Ripper. Hammer simply isn't Hammer without him

well said that man

[dogstar]

I've got the Michael Ripper Unmasked book - the kindest thing to say about it is that it isn't very well written but does have a lot of interesting info and photos. The author was obviously a fan and while there's nothing wrong with that the result doesn't really do MR justice - more an extended fanzine article than a proper biography. Given the length of his career ( especially his pre-Hammer involvement in early British talkies and the theatre ) a 'proper' biography would be a very interesting prospect - sadly of course it would now have to be a posthumous one. I was reading recently about his last film - The Revenge of Billy the Kid - perhaps not exactly the film he would have liked to bow out on but the reviews on IMDB generally regard it as an entertaining slice of cheap bad taste fun so I might force myself to watch it if the opportunity presents itself.

[GRAEME]

Remember him as the rather over age stable lad in The Belles of St Trinians.