Michael Robbins
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- November 14, 1930
- Died
- December 11, 1992 (aged 62)
- Birthplace
- London, England, UK
Biography
Born in London, Robbins was a bank clerk who became an actor after appearing in amateur dramatic performances in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, where he and his family lived at the time. Robbins made his television debut as the cockney soldier in Roll-on Bloomin' Death. Primarily a comedy actor, he is best remembered for the role of Arthur Rudge, the persistently sarcastic husband of Olive (Anna Karen), in the popular sitcom On the Buses (1969–73). Robbins and Karen provided the secondary comic storyline to Reg Varney's comedy capers at the bus depot. Robbins also appeared in the series film spin-offs, On the Buses, Mutiny on the Buses, and Holiday on the Buses. His other comedy credits include non-recurring roles in Man About the House, Oh Brother!, The Good Life, One Foot in the Grave, The New Statesman, George and Mildred, Hi-de-Hi! and You Rang, M'Lord? He appeared as a rather humorously portrayed police sergeant in the TV adaptation of Brendon Chase. As well as these comic roles, he assumed various straight roles in some of the major British television shows of the 1960s and 1970s: including Minder, The Sweeney, Z-Cars, Return of the Saint, Murder Most English, The Avengers, Dixon of Dock Green, The Bill and the 1982 Doctor Who story The Visitation. Robbins's film credits included The Whisperers, Up The Junction, The Looking Glass War, Zeppelin and Blake Edwards' films The Pink Panther Strikes Again and Victor/Victoria'. He also had an extensive career as a radio actor, including a role in the soap opera Waggoner's Walk and the satirical 1970s show Life is What Yer Make It. Robbins was an indefatigable worker for charity. He was active in the Grand Order of Water Rats (being elected 'Rat of the Year' in 1978) and the Catholic Stage Guild, and received a Papal Award for his services in 1987. In one of his last television appearances, in A Little Bit of Heaven Robbins recalled his childhood visits to Norfolk and spoke of his faith and love of the Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham. Michael Robbins had a brother Jack who was a head teacher at Saint Gregory's Catholic middle school in Bedford in the 1970s and early 1980s. Michael made some guest appearances at this school throughout the years and sometimes entertained the pupils with various sketches with his brother Jack Robbins In the mid-1970s he also directed a film: How Are You?
Known For
Filmography
The Ties That Bind Us
Movie · as Richard Mace (archive footage)
Adam Bede
Movie · as Thias Bede
One Foot in the Grave: The Man in the Long Black Coat
Movie · as Mr Killick
One Foot in the Grave
TV · as Irate Neighbour · 1 ep
You Rang, M'Lord?
TV · as Twelvetrees Senior · 1 ep
Just Ask for Diamond
Movie · as The Fat Man
The New Statesman
TV · as Mad Eddie · 1 ep
Lost In London
Movie · as Bill
Dempsey and Makepeace
TV · as Simmons · 1 ep
In Sickness and in Health
TV · as Rail Worker · 1 ep
The Bill
TV · 2 eps
Fresh Fields
TV · as Mr. Pringle · 1 ep
Fairly Secret Army
TV · as Sergeant Major Throttle · 12 eps
Victor/Victoria
Movie · as Manager of Victoria's Hotel
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Movie · as Nym
Doctor Who: The Visitation
Movie · as Richard Mace
The Bounder
TV · as Bert · 2 eps
Legacy of Murder
TV · as Marley · 1 ep
Brendon Chase
TV · as Sergeant Bunting · 13 eps
The Great Muppet Caper
Movie · as Henderson
The Chinese Detective
TV · 1 ep
Murder Rap
Movie · as Det. Sgt. Praed
The Saint and the Brave Goose
Movie · as Beeky
Minder
TV · as McQueen · 1 ep
The Cannon & Ball Show
TV · as Police Seargent · 1 ep
Dick Turpin
TV · as Sgt. Bullock · 1 ep
Return of the Saint
TV · as Beeky · 1 ep
Mixed Blessings
TV · as Fred Fachetti · 1 ep
Leave it to Charlie
TV · as Mr. Sowerbutts · 1 ep
Murder Most English: A Flaxborough Chronicle
TV · as Pumphrey · 2 eps
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
Movie · as Jarvis
George and Mildred
TV · as Alf · 1 ep
Operation Patch
TV · as George Cosserat · 7 eps
The Sweeney
TV · as Kevin Lee · 1 ep
The Good Life
TV · as Mr. Bulstrode · 1 ep
Rumpole of the Bailey
TV · as Cyril Timson · 1 ep
Man About the House
Movie · as Doorman
Thick as Thieves
TV · 8 eps
Moody and Pegg
TV · as Len · 1 ep
Holiday on the Buses
Movie · as Arthur Rudge
Soap Opera in Stockwell
Movie · as Bert
No Sex Please - We're British
Movie · as Car Driver
Black and Blue
TV · as Bert · 1 ep
Centre Play
TV · as Swaffer · 1 ep
Mutiny on the Buses
Movie · as Arthur Rudge
That's Your Funeral
Movie · as 2nd Funeral Director
Blinker's Spy-Spotter
Movie · as Policeman
On the Buses
Movie · as Arthur Rudge
Villain
Movie · as Barzun
Zeppelin
Movie · as Cockney Sergeant
Justice
TV · as Eddie · 1 ep
The Hunting of Lionel Crane
Movie · as Sergeant Billings
The Looking Glass War
Movie · as Truck Driver
All the Way Up
Movie · as Taxi Driver
Till Death Us Do Part
Movie · as Fred
Crossplot
Movie · as Garage Attendant
On the Buses
TV · as Arthur Rudge · 61 eps
Department S
TV · as Burton · 1 ep
Judge Dee
TV
The Main Chance
TV · as Gerry Baxter · 1 ep
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
TV · as Michael Vint · 1 ep
The Drummer and the Bloke
Movie · as Jack
Horizontal Hold
Movie · as TV Repairman
Up the Junction
Movie · as Figgins
The Whisperers
Movie · as Mr Noonan
Callan
TV · 1 ep
Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width
TV · 1 ep
You Can't Win
TV · 1 ep
Dead Man's Chest
Movie · as Sergeant Harris
Gideon's Way
TV · as Smith · 1 ep
The Man in Room 17
TV · as C.P.O. Bradshaw · 1 ep
Londoners
TV · as Shaw · 1 ep
The Wednesday Thriller
TV · as Clerk of the Court · 1 ep
Thirty-Minute Theatre
TV · as Harris · 1 ep
The Bone Yard
Movie · as Sergeant Strickland
The Bargee
Movie · as Bargee
Children of the Damned
Movie · as (uncredited)
Rattle of a Simple Man
Movie · as George (organiser)
Act of Murder
Movie · as Van Driver
Sherlock Holmes
TV · 1 ep
Story Parade
TV · as Edward Cowley · 1 ep
Theatre 625
TV · as Tom · 1 ep
Redcap
TV · as Private Pendlebury · 1 ep
The Wednesday Play
TV · as Sergeant Strickland, Albert Barking, Jack, Henry Whittaker, Sergeant Billings · 1 ep
The Count of Monte Cristo
TV · as Caderousse · 2 eps
The Four Seasons of Rosie Carr
TV · as Dave · 2 eps
What a Crazy World
Movie · as Percy
Doctor Who
TV · as Richard Mace · 4 eps
Crane
TV · as Jennings · 1 ep
You in Your Small Corner
Movie · as Georgie
A Prize of Arms
Movie · as Orford
Lunch Hour
Movie · as Harris
Z-Cars
TV · 1 ep
The Saint
TV · as Harry, Smith · 2 eps
Studio 4
TV · as Humphrey Place · 1 ep
Danger! Men Working
Movie · as Second Labourer
The Avengers
TV · as Henry Farrow, Cavell · 3 eps
No Hiding Place
TV · 2 eps
Edgar Wallace Mysteries
TV · as Sergeant Harris · 1 ep
Armchair Theatre
TV · as Dave · 1 ep
Dixon of Dock Green
TV · as Charlie Mills · 1 ep