Sidney James

Sid James (08/05/1913-26/04/1976) [1] was a South African-born English-based actor and comedian. He was born Solomon Joel Cohen in Hillbrow, Johannesburg. He later changed his name to Sidney Joel Cohen and then Sidney James. b. Johannesburg, - , . Internationally known film and television actor, stage actor. Born in Johannesburg and trained at ***. Started his career in 1937 when he joined the Johannesburg Repertory Players also known as Johannesburg REPS as an actor and also started doing work at the South African Broadcasting Corporation in Johannesburg. In 1940 he played the lead in Of Mice and Men for the Johannesburg REPS. During the Second World War he became a lieutenant in the South African army (Union Defence Force) in the Union Defence Force Entertainment Unit. Immediately after the war he moved to Britain where he worked in repertory before he started landing roles on radio, television and in films and became a world famous comedy star, possibly best known for his roles in the series of Carry On films [2]. Also performed for the Gwen ffrangçon-Davies / Marda Vanne Company which presented seasons of plays during the war years and immediately afterwards at the Standard Theatre in Johannesburg and the Alhambra Theatre in Cape Town. These included Oasis and A Month in the Country, both in 1946. Starred in Emlyn Williams's The Wind of Heaven in 1946, together with Gwen ffrangçon-Davies, Marda Vanne, Zoë Randall and Wensley Pithey. The Quibells brougt him home for the first time in twenty years to star in Wedding Fever at the Civic Theatre in circa 1970. He lived in England for the rest of his life and died in Sunderland,Great Britain, on April 26, 1976.

Sources

Tucker, 1997.

Return to ESAT Personalities J

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to Main Page