John Comer (1 March 1924 – 11 February 1984) was a British comic actor. He was best known for his roles in Coronation Street as Mr Birtles, then as a taxi driver, and later as Wilf Jones, in Emmerdale Farm as Ernie Shuttleworth, Les Brandon in I Didn't Know You Cared, and cafe owner Sid in Last of the Summer Wine.
Early life Born and brought up in Stretford, Lancashire, Comer gained an engineering apprenticeship at Metropolitan-Vickers, Trafford Park. He served in mining as a Bevin Boy during World War II.
Early career
Comer began his career performing a comedy routine around local social clubs and pubs in the 1930s and 1940s. In 1952, with his younger brother Tony, he performed in a children's theatre production for local schools in Stretford. The siblings then formed a double act named the Comer Brothers. In 1957, the brothers began a regular slot at the Manchester Apollo, performing a variety act entitled Comer's Cottage.
In 1958, the Comer Brothers participated in an ITV talent show called Bid for Fame and began working for Butlin's. In 1959, they won first prize in the Butlin's National Talent Contest, winning £1,000 and a film contract with the Boulting Brothers.
Success
In 1959, the Boulting brothers cast John and Tony Comer in the film I'm All Right Jack, in which they starred alongside Peter Sellers and Richard Attenborough as trade union shop stewards. Their next film roles were in 1961, when they featured alongside Rita Tushingham in A Taste of Honey. However, shortly afterwards Tony decided to leave showbusiness and returned to full-time work at Metropolitan-Vickers, while John decided to continue pursuing his film career. He appeared in the Boulting Brothers' 1967 film The Family Way as a father-of-the-bride to Hayley Mills's character, whose father John Mills portrayed her father-in-law.
He gained a recurring role in 1973 as the primary supporting role of Sid in the new BBC sitcom Last of the Summer Wine. He also starred in a long-running advertising campaign for Home Brew Beer. In 1977, he appeared as Bill Malley in the BBC series Murder Most English. Comer appeared in an episode of All Creatures Great and Small entitled "The Name of the Game" in 1978.
Death Comer died of throat cancer in 1984, at the age of 59. The disease had so affected his voice that in his final television appearance, as cafe owner Sid, in the Last of the Summer Wine Christmas episode Getting Sam Home, his lines had to be dubbed by another actor, Tony Melody. His funeral was held at Carleton Crematorium, Blackpool, where he is commemorated at rose-bed no. 18. After the death of Comer's wife, Mollie, in 2010, his estate was finalised; in 2013 the Comer family donated £245,000 to the hospice in Blackpool where John Comer was treated before his death.
Film roles
Year Title Role 1953 Top Secret Walk on (At train station showing papers) 1959 I'm Alright Jack Union Shop Steward 1960 Hell Is a City Plainclothes Police Driver Uncredited 1963 Heavens Above! Butcher 1964 The Counterfeit Constable 1965 Rotten to the Core Police Sergeant Uncredited 1966 The Family Way Leslie Piper 1968 Happy Deathday Briggs 1969 Battle of Britain Policeman Uncredited 1970 There's a Girl in My Soup John, the porter 1970 Wuthering Heights 1971 Villain Waiter at House of Commons Uncredited 1971 Mr. Forbush and the Penguins Police Sergeant 1972 Dr. Phibes Rises Again Ship's Officer Uncredited 1973 The Lovers! Geoffrey's Dad 1981 Memoirs of a Survivor Man delivering Emily
Television roles
Year Title Role Notes 1962–63 Coronation Street Mr. Birtles 2 episodes 1965 Coronation Street Taxi Driver 1 episode 1966 Pardon the Expression Police Constable Episode: "January Sale" 1966 The Man in Room 17 Sergeant Thomas Lynch Episode: "The Standard" 1967 Turn Out the Lights Policeman Episode: "You Can't Get the Wood" 1968 City '68 Episode: "The Visitors" 1968 Coronation Street Wilf Jones 5 episodes 1969 The Avengers Sergeant Ronald Groom Episode: "Take-Over" 1969 Nearest and Dearest Policeman Episode: "Breach of the Peace" 1970 The Wednesday Play Warrant Officer Episode: "The Hunting of Lionel Crane" 1971 Hine Arthur Episode: "Comrades in Arms" 1973 Bless This House The Landlord 2 episodes 1973 Crown Court Police Constable Episode: "The Mugging of Arthur Simmons" 1972–1974 Play For Today Various 1973 All Our Saturdays Wilf 6 episodes 1973–1983 Last of the Summer Wine Sid (final appearance) 1975 The Life of Riley George Pollitt 1975 Emmerdale Farm Ernie Shuttleworth 3 episodes 1975–1979 I Didn't Know You Cared Les Brandon 27 episodes 1976–1978 Potter's Picture Palace Sidney Bogart 13 episodes 1977 Beryl's Lot Plasterer / George Hotten 2 episodes 1977 Survivors Les Norton Episode: "Long Live the King" 1977 Murder Most English Police Sergeant Malley 5 episodes 1978 All Creatures Great and Small Mr. Dimmock Episode: "The Name of the Game" 1980 Nice Work Mr. Blundell
References
External links
John Comer at the