Arthur Treacher
| Arthur Treacher | |
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Treacher in 1939
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| Born |
Arthur Veary Treacher 23 July 1894 Brighton, UK |
| Died | 14 December 1975 (aged 81) Manhasset, New York, US |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1926–1964 |
Arthur Veary Treacher (23 July 1894 – 14 December 1975) was an English actor known for playing English stereotypes, especially butler and manservant roles, such as the P.G. Wodehouse valet character Jeeves and the kind butler Andrews in the movie Heidi. He later became a well-known performer for American television, and lent his name to a fish and chips restaurant franchise.
Treacher was the son of Arthur Treacher (1862-1924), a Sussex solicitor; his mother was Mary Treacher (1865-1946). He was educated at a boarding school in Uppingham in Rutland. During 1936, he married Virginia Taylor (born 9 September 1898, died June 1984).
Treacher was a veteran of World War I, serving as an officer of the Royal Garrison Artillery; his father had served with the Sussex Volunteer Artillery before Treacher's birth. After the war, he established an acting career, and during 1926 went to America as part of a musical-comedy revue named Great Temptations. He was featured in the 1930 Billy Rose musical revue Sweet and Low.
He began his movie career during the 1930s, which included roles in four Shirley Temple movies: Curly Top (1935), uncredited Stowaway (1936), Heidi (1937) and The Little Princess (1939). Scenes intentionally had the 6' 4" Treacher standing or dancing side-by-side with the tiny child actress; for example, they sing and dance together in The Little Princess an old song "Knocked 'em in the Old Kent Road" (clip available on YouTube.) Treacher filled the role of the ideal butler, and he portrayed P. G. Wodehouse's valet character Jeeves in the movies Thank You, Jeeves! (1936) and Step Lively, Jeeves (1937). (Wodehouse, however, was unhappy with these movies, and refused to authorize any further Jeeves movies.) Treacher played a valet or butler in several other movies, including Personal Maid's Secret, Mister Cinderella and Bordertown. He was also caricatured in the 1941 cartoon Hollywood Steps Out.
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