A History Of Liverpool Thespians - Ray Dunbobbin

 

Ray Harold Dunbobbin was actually born in Ontario, Canada in 1931 but only because his Liverpool parents were living there at the time. When he was one year old the family returned to Wavertree where they continued to live. His mother Louise had been a Salvation Army girl so Ray always had a soft spot for the down-to-earth practical help given by the 'Sally Army' to people in need and was always ready to support their work. Sadly his Mum died very young and her death had a traumatic effect on young Ray who, at the age of seven, was careless in crossing the road and was knocked down by a car. Injured, with both of his legs broken, he would suffer lasting damage including difficulty in walking as well as the extended disruption to his education. After he left school he worked in art studios and performed in amateur dramatics. 

Long after World War 2, as a young volunteer for the RAF, Ray signed the Official Secrets Act because of his work analysing ariel photographs of foreign landscapes, as well as deciphering messages in Morse code. Returning to civvy street he became a professional photographer and commercial artist and joined the Playgoers' Dramatic Society in Crown Street, Liverpool. Previous members included John Gregson, Rita Tushingham, Leonard Rossiter and Ken Jones. Following one performance, the director Mildred Spencer came backstage and said to Ray, "There is a talent Scout from MGM here in the audience and he wants to speak to you." Ray laughed but she wasn't joking and he was offered a tiny part, as a double for the actor Sam Kydd, in a John Gregson film that was being shot at the Cammell Laird shipyards in Birkenhead. He was thrilled, being picked up from home in a grand limousine, driven through the Mersey Tunnel and returned home the same way at the end of filming. this taste of showbusiness resulted in Ray turning professional and also becoming a writer. 

as Mr Boswell

 

He wrote three episodes of Coronation Street between August 1962 and February 1963, also appearing three times in the Street in 1970. However the only credited part was that of Charlie Clarke in July, he had previously appeared in February in the uncredited and non-speaking role of Ted although it is possible that this was meant to be the same role as Charlie Clarke as they were both henchmen of the character Willie Piggott. In between these two appearances he also appeared as an uncredited reporter in April. He wrote for 'Z Cars' and acted throughout the 1970s and 1980s appearing in such television shows as 'Porridge', 'Last of the Summer Wine', 'The Flaxton Boys', 'Doctor Who', 'The Good Life', 'The Liver Birds' in the regular role of Mr Boswell, 'Emmerdale Farm' and 'Brookside' where he appeared for several years as Ralph Hardwicke. Whilst appearing in 'Porridge' as the batty Welshman Evans, he became friendly with Richard Beckinsdale who gave Ray and his wife complimentary tickets to see him perform in the West End farce 'I Love My Wife'. Sadly, soon after, Ray learned that Richard had tragically passed away just 31 years young.

In 1972 the Liverpool Playhouse put on a three week world premier of his historical drama 'Black Spot On The Mersey' based on the life of Father James Nugent, an important character in the development of social welfare whose influence and expertise extended beyond Liverpool. The BBC invited Ray to adapt the script for radio and it was produced by a young Alan Ayckbourn. BBC Radio Merseyside also invited Ray to write a soap opera for them called 45 Derby Terrace and the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo published many adapted episodes. At the Playgoers Club he wrote a musical romance and ended up casting a certain Brian Epstein as an elderly French cafe owner. Ray is perhaps best known on screen as Carol's father Mr Boswell in the fifth series of 'The Liver Birds' until the ninth, and as Ralph Hardwicke in 'Brookside', a part he played for over 6 years where he was a great foil for Bill Dean as Harry Cross.

Ray was also an after dinner speaker and narrator and died of a heart attack in 1998 in Liverpool at the age of 67. He left a wife Christine who made her living as a writer, actor and voice artist.

see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2023/09/a-history-of-liverpool-thespians-jeremy.html