Bob Grant

Robert St Clair Grant (14 April 1932 – 8 November 2003) was an English actor and writer, best known for playing bus conductor Jack Harper in the television sitcom On the Buses, as well as its film spin-offs and stage version.

Early life Grant was born in Hammersmith, West London, on 14April 1932, the son of Albert George Grant (1909–1985) and Florence, (1909–2001). He was educated at Aldenham School.

Career Early career Joan Littlewood directed Grant, as Kitely, in Every Man in His Humour, at the Fourth International Season of the Theatre of the Nations Festival in 1960. Grant trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, working in his spare time as a frozen food salesman and also (coincidentally, in view of his later career) as a bus driver. After doing national service in the Royal Artillery, he made his stage debut in 1952 as Sydney in Worm's Eye View at the Court Royal, Horsham.

Grant's first London appearance was in The Good Soldier Schweik at the Duke of York's Theatre in 1956, and he spent several years at the Theatre Royal Stratford East before getting the lead role in the musical Blitz! at the Adelphi Theatre in the West End for two years. In 1964, he appeared at the Piccadilly Theatre in Instant Marriage, a musical farce, for which he wrote the book and lyrics, with music by Laurie Holloway.

Grant had by now started to make film appearances, including Sparrows Can't Sing (1963), and the film version of Till Death Us Do Part (1969). He returned to the Theatre Royal, Stratford, in 1967, and starred in the satirical play Mrs Wilson's Diary as George Brown, the Foreign Secretary in Harold Wilson's Labour government; this play later transferred to the West End. After George Brown's resignation from the Government on 15March 1968, the character of George Brown was switched with Barbara Castle, as the plot required a cabinet minister.

In January of that year, Grant appeared as The Major in a six-part radio comedy drama The 17-Jewelled Shockproof Swiss-Made Bomb, featuring Peter Coke. It was written by Roy Clarke and produced by Alan Ayckbourn. The programne was transmitted on the BBC Light Programme.

On the Buses Grant played the bus conductor Jack Harper in the television sitcom On the Buses, which ran for 74 episodes between 1969 and 1973; he co-wrote 11 episodes and one special, with co-star Stephen Lewis (who played Blakey, the Inspector). It was an instant success with the viewers, and led to three feature films On the Buses (1971), Mutiny on the Buses (1972) and Holiday on the Buses (1973). The series was the peak of his career.

Later career When On the Buses finished, Grant found himself heavily typecast as Jack Harper and struggled to get other parts. He toured Australia in the farce No Sex Please, We're British, and continued to appear in musicals and pantomimes. In 1975, he wrote and starred in a one-off pilot, Milk-O, alongside his On the Buses co-star Anna Karen, an attempt to reinvigorate his career by means of a similar character, a milkman who spent his time fighting off amorous housewives he was delivering to. However, this did not lead to a series, and Grant never acted for television again. In 1981, he appeared in a touring production of the once-controversial revue Oh! Calcutta!, accompanied by a chorus line of naked men and women less than half his age.

In 1980, Grant played the title role in John Arden's BBC radio adaptation of Don Quixote, with Bernard Cribbins as Sancho Panza. In 1986, he played a cockney detective inspector in The Red Telephone Box, a comedy thriller by Ken Whitmore on BBC Radio 4. On stage he later played Autolycus in Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale for the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

In 1990, it was announced that On the Buses would be revived as a new show called Back on the Buses, and the entire cast, including Grant, Reg Varney, Stephen Lewis, Doris Hare, Michael Robbins and Anna Karen would appear on Wogan. Back on the Buses eventually fell through when funding from STV was not forthcoming. The project was to have been backed by STV's executive producer Bryan Izzard who had produced seven episodes of the series and the final spin-off film, Holiday on the Buses.

His last acting role was in Funny Money at Devonshire Park Theatre from July 1998.

Personal life In 1954, he married Jean Hyett; the marriage would later end in divorce.

In 1962, he married for the second time, to Christine Sally Kemp; they also divorced.

He was in a relationship with On the Buses guest star Gaye Brown, until he broke up with her to date (and eventually marry) Kim Benwell. When Grant married for the third time in 1971, with his On the Buses co-star Stephen Lewis as Best Man, there were huge crowds outside the register office. Consequently the couple had to abandon their hired Rolls-Royce and walk to the reception. A double-decker bus had been provided for the guests, but they had to walk as well.

Mental illness In the 1980s, he suffered from depression, bipolar disorder and other mental health problems, because of a lack of work and his considerable debts. This eventually led to a suicide attempt. In 1987, he disappeared from his home in Leicestershire for five days; it later emerged that he had taken the ferry to Dublin intending to kill himself. "I was in a horrible state", Grant said during an interview with Pamela Armstrong after the event, "I just had to get out of the house. I left the house and thumbed a lift to Melton Mowbray, and then got a train to Birmingham New Street where I sat sobbing in a station buffet. Everyone ignored me. Normally I get asked in the street something like 'When you back on telly then?', but not this time".

Grant started to write his first note to his wife Kim, intending her to receive it after he had killed himself. "Tears streamed down my face as I wrote", he recalled. After hours of pounding the streets of Birmingham, Grant instead caught the ferry to Dublin, "It was a horrible night on that boat", he continued. "I'd been to Dublin before and it seemed such a nice place. I wanted to end it all, either by jumping in the River Liffey or ironically under a bus." Grant stayed at a guesthouse in Dublin to think things over. He called Kim, but there was no answer; she was at the time filming an appeal to find him. On the strength of the appeal, Grant eventually returned to England, where his absence had caused a small stir, which allowed him to gain a few more acting jobs.

A further long gap in employment led to another suicide attempt in 1995, this time by carbon monoxide poisoning. Grant was discovered just in time, slumped over the steering wheel of his car, which was filled with exhaust fumes, and admitted to hospital for treatment. He and Kim took a holiday to Goa in India to recover and on their return, it seemed things were finally going right again. They moved to a small cottage in Church End, Twyning, about a mile south of Twyning, near Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire with the ambition of making a fresh start. Grant lived very reclusively and neighbours would only see him when he was trimming his hedge.

Death His 'new life' did not last, as once more substantial bills continued to arrive and work did not. Grant made a third and final suicide attempt in 2003. This time he succeeded, and was found dead soon after.

Selected filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes I'm All Right Jack Card player Uncredited: Four workers playing cards behind the pallets. Grant is on the left and nearest the camera. The other three card players were played by David Lodge, Keith Smith and Kenneth J. Warren. The Criminal Prisoner Uncredited Sparrows Can't Sing Perce Help! Cameo Grant's scenes were cut from the film. Till Death Us Do Part Man in Pub On the Buses Jack Harper Mutiny on the Buses Jack Harper Holiday on the Buses Jack Harper

Television The following is a list of television programmes in which Grant was involved. Year Title Episode Station Role Notes Quatermass and the Pit The Wild Hunt BBC One Ted (Electrical technician – uncredited) Series 1, Episode 5 Quatermass and the Pit Hob BBC One Ted (Electrical technician – uncredited) Series 1, Episode 6. He was electrocuted while laying a power cable inside the chamber. Sir Francis Drake Independent Television Clements No Hiding Place Solomon Dancey's Luck Independent Television Alexander Mudgeon Armchair Theatre A Jug of Bread Independent Television Ben Appointment in Brussels Independent Television Antique Dealer Series 3, Episode 11 Merry-Go-Round BBC One Professor Branestawm Broadcast as part of the Merry-Go-Round children's education series Softly, Softly James McNeil, Aged 23 BBC One Napier Series 2, Episode 12 Z-Cars PunchUp: Part 1 BBC One Ted Griffin Series 6, Episode 157 Z-Cars PunchUp: Part 2 BBC One Ted Griffin Series 6, Episode 158 Mrs. Wilson's Diary Independent Television George Brown It was scheduled originally to be broadcast on 23November 1968. – On the Buses Independent Television Jack Harper Grant appeared in all 74 episodes and as a writer with Stephen Lewis for a number of episodes from series 5 onwards. All Star Comedy Carnival Independent Television Jack Harper Comedy Playhouse BBC One Robert Jugg Written by Grant and Stephen Lewis. Comedy pilot for series 9 of Comedy Playhouse BBC Two William Peck Series 2, Episode 7 This Is Your Life Reg Varney Independent Television Himself Series 10, Episode 25 This Is Your Life Doris Hare Independent Television Himself Series 12, Episode 7 All Star Comedy Carnival Independent Television Jack Harper The On the Buses segment was written by Grant and Stephen Lewis. It's a Celebrity Knockout Craven Cottage BBC One Himself Comedy Premiere Milko Independent Television Jim Wilkins Written by Grant and Anthony Marriott Daytime ITV Himself Discussion show with Sarah Kennedy Wogan Interview BBC One Himself Interview with the former cast of On the Buses about plans to revive the series as "Back on the Buses"

Publications Plays