Who Are Those Guys? ~ Jim Dale

 

British actor and singer Jim Dale was born James Smith in Rothwell, Northamptonshire, England on August 15, 1935. He trained as a dancer for six years before his debut as a stage comic in 1951. He completed two years of national service in the Royal Air Force. In the United Kingdom he is known as a pop singer of the 1950s who became a leading actor at the National Theatre. In British film, he became one of the regulars in the Carry On films.

In the United States he is most recognized as a leading actor on Broadway, where he had roles in “Scapino”, “Barnum”,” Candide” and “Me and My Girl”, as well as for narrating all seven of the Harry Potter audiobooks in the American market (for which he received two Grammy Awards out of six nominations) and the ABC series Pushing Daisies (2007–2009); he also starred in the Disney film “Pete's Dragon” (1977). He was nominated for a BAFTA Award for portraying a young Spike Milligan in “Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall” (1973

As a lyricist, Dale was nominated for both an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for the song "Georgy Girl", the theme for the 1966 film of the same title

Dale starred in eleven "Carry On" comedy films very popular in Britain.

He’s been married twice and has four children. He was awarded and MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 2003.

DALE, Jim (James Smith) [8/15/1935, Rothwell, Northamptonshire, England, U.K. -     ] –  director, writer, composer, stuntman, theater, film, TV, voice actor, singer, married to nurse Patricia Gardiner [19??-1977] (1957-1977) father of Belinda Dale [1957-1995], actor Murray Dale [1960-    ], cinematographer, cameraman, stuntman Adam Dale [1963-    ], actor Toby Dale [1966-    ], married to actress Julia Schafler [1947-    ] (1980-    ), awarded MBE [2003].

Carry on Cowboy – 1965 (Marshall P. Knutt)