Michael Robbins
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
Credits
- 1992 · Adam Bede as Thias Bede
- 1990 · You Rang, M'Lord? as Twelvetrees Senior
- 1990 · One Foot In the Grave as
- 1988 · Just Ask for Diamond as The Fat Man
- 1987 · The New Statesman as Mad Eddie
- 1985 · Lost In London as Bill
- 1985 · Dempsey and Makepeace as Simmons
- 1984 · Fairly Secret Army as Sgt. Major Throttle
- 1984 · The Bill as
- 1984 · Fresh Fields as Mr. Pringle
- 1982 · The Merry Wives of Windsor as Nym
- 1982 · Victor/Victoria as Manager of Victoria's Hotel
- 1982 · The Bounder as Bert
- 1982 · Doctor Who: The Visitation as Richard Mace
- 1982 · Legacy of Murder as Marley
- 1982 · Brendon Chase as Sergeant Bunting
- 1981 · The Great Muppet Caper as Henderson
- 1981 · The Chinese Detective as
- 1980 · Murder Rap as Det. Sgt. Praed
- 1979 · Minder as McQueen
- 1979 · The Cannon & Ball Show as Police Seargent
- 1979 · How's Your Father as
- 1979 · The Saint and the Brave Goose as Beeky
- 1979 · Dick Turpin as
- 1978 · BBC Television Shakespeare as
- 1978 · Return of the Saint as Beeky
- 1978 · Mixed Blessings as
- 1977 · Murder Most English as Pumphrey
- 1976 · The Pink Panther Strikes Again as Jarvis
- 1976 · George and Mildred as
- 1975 · Rumpole of the Bailey as
- 1975 · The Good Life as Mr. Bulstrode
- 1975 · The Sweeney as Kevin Lee
- 1974 · Man About the House as Doorman
- 1974 · Thick As Thieves as
- 1973 · Soap Opera in Stockwell as Bert
- 1973 · Black and Blue as
- 1973 · No Sex Please: We're British as Car Driver
- 1973 · Holiday on the Buses as Arthur Rudge
- 1972 · That's Your Funeral as 2nd Funeral Director
- 1972 · Mutiny on the Buses as Arthur his brother in law
- 1971 · Justice as Eddie
- 1971 · On the Buses as Arthur Rudge - Stan's Brother-in-Law
- 1971 · Villain as Barzun
- 1971 · Zeppelin as Cockney Sergeant
- 1970 · All the Way Up as Taxi Driver
- 1970 · The Hunting of Lionel Crane as Sergeant Billings
- 1970 · The Looking Glass War as Truck Driver
- 1969 · Crossplot as Garage Attendant
- 1969 · Department S as Burton
- 1969 · The Main Chance as Gerry Baxter
- 1969 · Judge Dee as
- 1969 · On the Buses as
- 1969 · Till Death Us Do Part as Fred
- 1968 · Horizontal Hold as TV Repairman
- 1968 · The Drummer and the Bloke as Jack
- 1968 · Up the Junction as Figgins
- 1967 · The Whisperers as Mr Noonan
- 1967 · Callan as
- 1967 · Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width as
- 1966 · You Can't Win as
- 1966 · Adam Adamant Lives! as
- 1965 · Dead Man's Chest as Sergeant Harris
- 1965 · The Man In Room 17 as C.P.O. Bradshaw
- 1965 · Gideon's Way as Smith
- 1964 · Rattle of a Simple Man as George (organiser)
- 1964 · Redcap as
- 1964 · The Count of Monte Cristo as Gaspard Caderousse
- 1964 · The Bone Yard as Sergeant Strickland
- 1964 · Sherlock Holmes as
- 1964 · Children of the Damned as
- 1964 · The Bargee as Bargee
- 1963 · Doctor Who as Richard Mace
- 1963 · What a Crazy World as Percy
- 1962 · A Prize of Arms as Orford
- 1962 · The Saint as Harry
- 1962 · The Saint as Smith
- 1962 · You in Your Small Corner as Georgie
- 1962 · Studio Four as Humphrey Place
- 1962 · Z-Cars as
- 1962 · Lunch Hour as Harris
- 1961 · Danger! Men Working as Second Labourer
- 1961 · The Avengers as Henry Farrow
- 1961 · The Avengers as Cavell
- 1959 · No Hiding Place as