Ron Shand

Ronald Ernest McMurtry (3 February 1906, Carlton, Melbourne, Australia – 8 August 1993, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), professionally known as Ron Shand and earlier in his career billed as Ronnie McMurtry, was an Australian actor and comedian who worked extensively in numerously genres of the show business industry including, circus, soft shoe, theatre, cabaret, revue, vaudeville, radio, television and film in a career spanning over 70 years.

He started his career performing in circus and vaudeville, but was probably best known however in his later years for his role as Herb Evans the elderly hen-pecked husband of Dorrie Evans in television soap opera Number 96 and at 65 was then the oldest member of the regular cast. He continued to appear in TV and film roles into his mid-80s and died in August 1993, aged 87.

Biography Early life

Shand came from a background in show business, particularly of circus performers, that spanned four generations on his mother's side and three generations on his father's side: his grandfather Patrick Montgomery was an Irish-born ringmaster and horse trainer and was married to Annie Gordon, who was half French and half Spanish. Roles with J C Williamson included The Pajama Game, Can-Can, The Sentimental Bloke, and Sail Away produced by Noël Coward.

Shand was then one of the original members of the John Alden Shakespeare Company that toured all the capital cities of Australia. Shand played in several straight dramatic roles with the company, appearing in such plays as The Man Who Came to Dinner, Arsenic and Old Lace, Love Thy Neighbour and Bell, Book and Candle.

Television

Shand, by the early 1960s would move into the relative new medium of television appearing in several Australian television drama series, including Homicide and in the early 70s, with roles in Matlock Police, Division 4, among others.

Shand subsequently found his widest audiences through his portrayal of hen-pecked Herbert Evans, husband to shrill gossip Dorrie (Pat McDonald), in the phenomenally successful sex-comedy soap opera Number 96. Dorrie and Herb became two of the show's most popular figures and continued in the series for its entire 1972–1977 run. After the series ended, Shand acted in television dramas in guesting parts in The Young Doctors, A Country Practice, Prisoner and G.P., and the acclaimed miniseries Poor Man's Orange. He was also part of the cast of a 1977 The Benny Hill Show TV special made in Australia, in place of Hill's usual short, bald stooge Jackie Wright.

Personal life Shand was married to performer Laurel Streeter and later actress and singer Letty Craydon ( Letitia Matilda Graydon; 1899–1965). He appeared with Letty in revues.

His younger sister, Iris Shand ( Thelma Hilda Shand; 1912-2000), was a soubrette, dancer and actress, as well as a theatre director and stage manager.

Filmography (selected)

Film Year Title Role Notes 1961 Long Distance Porter TV movie 1952 Kangaroo Accordion Player (uncredited) Feature film 1960 Farewell, Farewell, Eugene Mr Bosworth TV movie 1962 Alice in Wonderland The King of Hearts / The Walrus Feature film 1966 They're a Weird Mob Man at Racetrack (uncredited) Feature film 1974 Number 96: The Movie Herbert Evans Film version 1982 Fluteman Dicker Feature film 1990 The Last Crop Mr. Thompson TV movie

Television Year Title Role Notes 1961 Whiplash Publican (uncredited) TV series 1962–64 Consider Your Verdict Dicker TV series 1966–68 Homicide Jock Wilson / Arthur Wilkes / Alf Purcer TV series 1968 Contrabandits Mickey TV series 1969 You Can't See 'round Corners Punter TV series 1969 Riptide Baliff Napier TV series 1968–69 Skippy Ernie Stubbs / Gus TV series 1970 The Long Arm Zookeeper TV series 1970 The Rovers Jack Carter TV series 1970 Mrs. Finnegan Dan Smith TV series 1971 Matlock Police McPhee TV series 1970–72 Division 4 Will 'Duff Duff' Duffy / Billy / Rabbit / Fred Miller TV series 1972–77 Number 96 Herbert Evans TV series ( 1 of 3 original cast members) 1977 Benny Hill Down Under Various roles TV special (fill-in for Jackie Wright) 1978 Father, Dear Father in Australia Pickles TV series 1979 Love Thy Neighbour in Australia Arnold TV series 1980 Menotti Halliday TV series 1981 The Young Doctors Arthur Shepherd TV series 1983 A Country Practice Big Mac TV series 1984 Prisoner Pop Milsom TV series 1987 Poor Man's Orange Bumper Reily TV miniseries 1988 Rafferty's Rules Sid Clutten TV series 1991 G.P. Charlie Jackman TV series

Theatre

Date Title Company Bell, Book and Candle John Alden Shakespeare Company Arsenic and Old Lace John Alden Shakespeare Company The Man Who Came to Dinner John Alden Shakespeare Company Can-Can J C Williamson 1931 Hot and Strong Grand Opera House 1931 Ace High Grand Opera House 1931 Showers of Fun Grand Opera House 1931 The Joy Makers Grand Opera House 1931 Silver Clouds Grand Opera House 1931 Tons of Fun Grand Opera House 1931 Happy Hours Grand Opera House 1931 Laughing Faces Grand Opera House 1931 Fine and Dandy Grand Opera House 1931 Gloom Tonics Grand Opera House 1931 Keep Smiling Grand Opera House 1931 Bubble and Squeak Grand Opera House 1931 Bric-a-Brac Grand Opera House 1931 Our Big Party Grand Opera House 1931 Fun Spots Grand Opera House 1931 Wise Cracks Grand Opera House 1931 Sure Fire Grand Opera House 1931 Meet Mabel Grand Opera House 1931 A Good Time Grand Opera House 1931 High Kicks Grand Opera House 1931 Vanities Grand Opera House 1931 Funbursts Grand Opera House 1931 Bits of Fluff Grand Opera House 1931 Ducks and Drakes Grand Opera House 1931 Au Revoir Grand Opera House 1934 White Horse Inn Theatre Royal, Sydney 1935 Funrays Civic Theatre, Sydney 1939 George Sorlie's Revue Townsville 1939 Sorlie's Showboat Revue Australian tour 1940 North China Troupe His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Kalgoorlie Town Hall, Peterborough Town Hall, SA, Crystal Theatre, Broken Hill, Theatre Royal, Adelaide, Theatre Royal, Hobart 1940 Oriental Nights Tivoli Theatre, Melbourne 1941 Time of Your Life Cremorne Theatre 1941 The Laughter Express Cremorne Theatre 1941 Miles of Smiles Cremorne Theatre 1942 You Can't Take It with You Minerva Theatre, Sydney 1944 Katinka His Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne 1944 Mother Goose Theatre Royal, Adelaide 1945 Yells a Poppin Cremorne Theatre 1946 Forbidden City Tivoli Theatre, Melbourne 1952 The Merchant of Venice Theatre Royal, Adelaide 1951-52 King Lear Theatre Royal, Adelaide 1952 A Midsummer Night's Dream Theatre Royal, Adelaide 1952 The Merry Wives of Windsor His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Theatre Royal, Adelaide, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne 1952 Dick Whittington and His Cat Princess Theatre Melbourne 1956 The Teahouse of the August Moon Victoria Theatre, Newcastle 1956 Ned Kelly Elizabethan Theatre, Newtown 1957-58 The Pajama Game J C Williamson at Theatre Royal, Adelaide, Empire Theatre, Sydney, His Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne 1959 Grab Me a Gondola Theatre Royal, Adelaide, Empire Theatre, Sydney 1962 The Sentimental Bloke J C Williamson at His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland, Theatre Royal, Sydney, Her Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane, Tivoli Theatre, Adelaide 1963 Sail Away Melbourne & Sydney; J C Williamson; produced by Noël Coward 1964 Lilac Time Tivoli Theatre Sydney, Tivoli Theatre, Melbourne 1964 The Wizard of Oz Tivoli Theatre Sydney 1966 The Fantasticks Phillip Street Theatre 1969 O'Vile Pretender (aka The Maiden and the Actor) Neutral Bay Music Hall 1970 A Rum Do! SGIO Theatre 1978 Love Thy Neighbour Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Theatre Royal, Sydney, Memorial Theatre, Ballarat 1985 Me and My Girl State Theatre (Melbourne), Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney