Jimmy Jewel
| Jimmy Jewel | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
James Arthur Thomas Jewel Marsh 4 December 1909 Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 3 December 1995 (aged 85) London, England |
| Other names | Maurice Marsh |
| Occupation | Comedy actor Music hall artist |
| Spouse(s) | Belle Bluett (1939-1985) (her death) |
| Children | Kerry Marsh Piper Marsh(Adopted) |
James Arthur Thomas Jewel Marsh, known as Jimmy Jewel, (4 December 1909 – 3 December 1995) was an English comedian and actor who enjoyed a long career in stage, radio, television and film productions, including a 32-year partnership with his cousin Ben Warriss.
The son of a comedian and actor who also used the stage name Jimmy Jewel, the youngster made his stage debut in Robinson Crusoe in Barnsley, at the age of four, performed with his father from the age of 10 and subsequently became stage manager for the family show.
When young Jimmy started his own act, his father refused to let him use his stage name 'Jimmy Jewel', so he performed as Maurice Marsh; the name was chosen because he was often seen doing Maurice Chevalier impressions. He made his first London stage appearance at the Bedford Music Hall, Camden Town in 1925.
Jewel and Warriss were first cousins and were brought up in the same household, even being born in the same bed (a few months apart). Jewel worked as a solo act until 1934, when he formed an enduring double act with Ben Warriss, initially at the Palace Theatre, Newcastle. They toured Australia and America, as well as appearing in the 1946 Royal Variety Performance and five pantomimes for Howard & Wyndham Ltd at the Opera House, Blackpool, Lancashire.
A major success of their partnership was the very popular BBC radio series Up the Pole which began in October 1947. The premise of Up the Pole was that Jewel and Warriss were the proprietors of an Arctic trading post. Each episode included a musical interlude, and this sometimes featured the young Julie Andrews.
The pair were top of the bill in two London Palladium shows - Gangway (1942) and High Time (1946) and went on to make regular television appearances in the 1950s and 60s. The duo had the lead roles in the short-lived 1962 comedy series It's a Living.
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