Ron Shand

Ron Shand
Born	Ronald Ernest McMurtry 3 February 1906 Carlton, Melbourne, Australia
Died	8 August 1993 (aged 87) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Other names	Ronie Shand, Ronnie McMurtry
Occupations	Actor (radio, stage (including cabaret, revue), television and film) comedian circus performer dancer vaudevillian
Years active	?-1985
Known for	Number 96, The Benny Hill Show, Poor Man's Orange
Spouse	Letty Craydon
Family	Iris Shand (1912–2000; actress, theatre director, stage manager)

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. Shand was also a recording artist.

He started his career in vaudeville in Perth, he was probably best known however for his role in television soap opera Number 96 as Herb Evans.

Biography

Early life

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.

Born to entertainer parents, his father, Ernest Shand, and mother were circus acrobats, who 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.

Career

Circus, vaudeville and theatre

Ron Shand started his career in the circus as a clown, and later performed as a song and dance man in vaudeville, did tent shows and comedy. 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. He worked with his first wife Laurel Streeter and dancer Eddie Clifford. Roles with J C Williamson included The Pajama Game, Can-Can, The Sentimental Bloke, and Sail Away produced by Noël Coward. He also appeared in numerous plays with the John Alden Shakespeare company.

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

Through the 1960s Shand also acted in several Australian television drama series, including Homicide and in the early 70s Matlock Police, Division 4 and others.

Shand subsequently found his widest audiences in the 1970s on television 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. Comedy characters Dorrie and Herb became two of the show's most popular figures and continued in the series its entire 1972–1977 run. After the series ended Shand acted in television dramas 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.

Personal life

Shand was married to actress and singer Letty Craydon (né Letitia Matilda Graydon; 1899–1965). He appeared with Letty in revues.

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

Filmography (selected)

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1952	Kangaroo	Accordion Player
1960	Farewell, Farewell, Eugene	Unknown
1961	Whiplash	Publican
1961	Long Distance	role unknown
1962–1964	Consider Your Verdict	Dicker
1966	They're A Weird Mob	Man at Racetrack
1966–1968	Homicide	3 roles: - Jock Wilson - Arthur Wilkes - Alf Purcer
1968	Contrabandits	Mickey
1969	"You Can't See 'round Corners	Punter
1969	"Riptide"	Baliff Napier
1968–1969	Skippy	Ernie Stubbs – Gus
1970	The Long Arm	Zookeeper
1970	The Rovers	Jack Carter
1970	Mrs Finnigan	Dan Smith
1971	Matlock Police	McPhee
1970–1972	Division 4	4 roles: Will ""Duff Duff" Duffy Billy Rabbit Fred Miller
1972–1977	Number 96	Herbert Evans
1977	Benny Hill Down Under	Various roles
1978	Father, Dear Father in Australi	Pickles
1979	Love Thy Neighbour in Australia	Arnold
1980	"Menotti"	Halliday
1981	The Young Doctors	Arthur Shepherd
1982	"Fluteman"	Dicker
1983	A Country Practice	Big Mac
1984	Prisoner	Pop Misom
1987	Poor Man's Orange	Bumper Reily
1988	Rafferty's Rules	Sid Clutten
1990	"The Last Crop"	Mr. Thompson
1991	G.P.	Charlie Jackman

Theatre credits (selected)

Further theatre credits can be found at AusStage: Ron Shand theatre roles Ron had roles for numerous theatre companies including with J.C. Williamson and John Alden theatre: He started on stage in 1934 and had numerous character roles until 1985

Title

The Pajama Game

Can-Can

The Sentimental Bloke

Sail Away

The Man Who Came to Dinner

Arsenic and Old Lace

Love Thy Neighbour

Bell, Book and Candle

External links

• Ron Shand at IMDb