The Ties That Bind Us
2008 · Movie
as Richard Mace (archive footage)
Michael Robbins
1930-11-14
•
London, England, UK
Born in London, Robbins was a bank clerk who became an actor after appearing in amateur dramatic performances in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, where he and his family lived at the time. Robbins made his television debut as the cockney soldier in Roll-on Bloomin' Death. Primarily a comedy actor, he is best remembered for the role of Arthur Rudge, the persistently sarcastic husband of Olive (Anna Karen), in the popular sitcom On the Buses (1969–73). Robbins and Karen provided the secondary comic storyline to Reg Varney's comedy capers at the bus depot. Robbins also appeared in the series film spin-offs, On the Buses, Mutiny on the Buses, and Holiday on the Buses. His other comedy credits include non-recurring roles in Man About the House, Oh Brother!, The Good Life, One Foot in the Grave, The New Statesman, George and Mildred, Hi-de-Hi! and You Rang, M'Lord? He appeared as a rather humorously portrayed police sergeant in the TV adaptation of Brendon Chase. As well as these comic roles, he assumed various straight roles in some of the major British television shows of the 1960s and 1970s: including Minder, The Sweeney, Z-Cars, Return of the Saint, Murder Most English, The Avengers, Dixon of Dock Green, The Bill and the 1982 Doctor Who story The Visitation. Robbins's film credits included The Whisperers, Up The Junction, The Looking Glass War, Zeppelin and Blake Edwards' films The Pink Panther Strikes Again and Victor/Victoria'. He also had an extensive career as a radio actor, including a role in the soap opera Waggoner's Walk and the satirical 1970s show Life is What Yer Make It. Robbins was an indefatigable worker for charity. He was active in the Grand Order of Water Rats (being elected 'Rat of the Year' in 1978) and the Catholic Stage Guild, and received a Papal Award for his services in 1987. In one of his last television appearances, in A Little Bit of Heaven Robbins recalled his childhood visits to Norfolk and spoke of his faith and love of the Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham. Michael Robbins had a brother Jack who was a head teacher at Saint Gregory's Catholic middle school in Bedford in the 1970s and early 1980s. Michael made some guest appearances at this school throughout the years and sometimes entertained the pupils with various sketches with his brother Jack Robbins In the mid-1970s he also directed a film: How Are You?
Filmography
Adam Bede
1992 · Movie
as Thias Bede
One Foot in the Grave: The Man In The Long Black Coat
1991 · Movie
as Mr Killick
One Foot in the Grave
1990 · TV Show
You Rang, M'Lord?
1990 · TV Show
as Twelvetrees Senior
Just Ask for Diamond
1988 · Movie
as The Fat Man
The New Statesman
1987 · TV Show
as Mad Eddie
Lost In London
1985 · Movie
as Bill
Dempsey and Makepeace
1985 · TV Show
as Simmons
In Sickness and in Health
1985 · TV Show
as Rail Worker
The Bill
1984 · TV Show
Fresh Fields
1984 · TV Show
as Mr. Pringle
No image
Fairly Secret Army
1984 · TV Show
as Sgt. Major Throttle
Victor/Victoria
1982 · Movie
as Manager of Victoria's Hotel
The Merry Wives of Windsor
1982 · Movie
as Nym
Doctor Who: The Visitation
1982 · Movie
as Richard Mace
The Bounder
1982 · TV Show
as Bert
No image
Legacy of Murder
1982 · TV Show
as Marley
Brendon Chase
1982 · TV Show
as Sergeant Bunting
The Great Muppet Caper
1981 · Movie
as Henderson
The Chinese Detective
1981 · TV Show
Murder Rap
1980 · Movie
as Det. Sgt. Praed
The Saint and the Brave Goose
1979 · Movie
as Beeky
Minder
1979 · TV Show
as McQueen
The Cannon & Ball Show
1979 · TV Show
as Police Seargent
Dick Turpin
1979 · TV Show
as Sgt. Bullock
Return of the Saint
1978 · TV Show
as Beeky
Mixed Blessings
1978 · TV Show
as Fred Fachetti
Murder Most English: A Flaxborough Chronicle
1977 · TV Show
as Pumphrey
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
1976 · Movie
as Jarvis
George and Mildred
1976 · TV Show
No image
Operation Patch
1976 · TV Show
as George Cosserat
The Sweeney
1975 · TV Show
as Kevin Lee
The Good Life
1975 · TV Show
as Mr. Bulstrode
Rumpole of the Bailey
1975 · TV Show
as Cyril Timson
Man About the House
1974 · Movie
as Doorman
Thick as Thieves
1974 · TV Show
Holiday on the Buses
1973 · Movie
as Arthur Rudge
Soap Opera in Stockwell
1973 · Movie
as Bert
No Sex Please - We're British
1973 · Movie
as Car Driver
No image
Black and Blue
1973 · TV Show
as Bert
Centre Play
1973 · TV Show
as Swaffer
Mutiny on the Buses
1972 · Movie
as Arthur Rudge
That's Your Funeral
1972 · Movie
as 2nd Funeral Director
Blinker's Spy-Spotter
1972 · Movie
as Policeman
On the Buses
1971 · Movie
as Arthur Rudge
Villain
1971 · Movie
as Barzun
Zeppelin
1971 · Movie
as Cockney Sergeant
Justice
1971 · TV Show
as Eddie
The Hunting of Lionel Crane
1970 · Movie
as Sergeant Billings
The Looking Glass War
1970 · Movie
as Truck Driver
All the Way Up
1970 · Movie
as Taxi Driver
Till Death Us Do Part
1969 · Movie
as Fred
Crossplot
1969 · Movie
as Garage Attendant
On the Buses
1969 · TV Show
as Arthur Rudge
Department S
1969 · TV Show
as Burton
Judge Dee
1969 · TV Show
The Main Chance
1969 · TV Show
as Gerry Baxter
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969 · TV Show
as Michael Vint
The Drummer and the Bloke
1968 · Movie
as Jack
No image
Horizontal Hold
1968 · Movie
as TV Repairman
Up the Junction
1968 · Movie
as Figgins
The Whisperers
1967 · Movie
as Mr Noonan
Callan
1967 · TV Show
Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width
1967 · TV Show
You Can't Win
1966 · TV Show
Dead Man's Chest
1965 · Movie
as Sergeant Harris
Gideon's Way
1965 · TV Show
as Smith
The Man in Room 17
1965 · TV Show
as C.P.O. Bradshaw
Londoners
1965 · TV Show
as Shaw
No image
The Wednesday Thriller
1965 · TV Show
as Clerk of the Court
Thirty-Minute Theatre
1965 · TV Show
as Harris
The Bone Yard
1964 · Movie
as Sergeant Strickland
The Bargee
1964 · Movie
as Bargee
The Count of Monte Cristo
1964 · Movie
as Gaspard Caderousse
Children of the Damned
1964 · Movie
as (uncredited)
Rattle of a Simple Man
1964 · Movie
as George (organiser)
Act of Murder
1964 · Movie
as Van Driver
Sherlock Holmes
1964 · TV Show
No image
Story Parade
1964 · TV Show
as Edward Cowley
Theatre 625
1964 · TV Show
as Tom
Redcap
1964 · TV Show
as Private Pendlebury
The Wednesday Play
1964 · TV Show
as Sergeant Strickland, Albert Barking, Jack, Henry Whittaker, Sergeant Billings
What a Crazy World
1963 · Movie
as Percy
Doctor Who
1963 · TV Show
as Richard Mace
No image
Crane
1963 · TV Show
as Jennings
You in Your Small Corner
1962 · Movie
as Georgie
A Prize of Arms
1962 · Movie
as Orford
Lunch Hour
1962 · Movie
as Harris
Z-Cars
1962 · TV Show
The Saint
1962 · TV Show
as Harry, Smith
No image
Studio 4
1962 · TV Show
as Humphrey Place
Danger! Men Working
1961 · Movie
as Second Labourer
The Avengers
1961 · TV Show
as Henry Farrow, Cavell
No Hiding Place
1959 · TV Show
Edgar Wallace Mysteries
1959 · TV Show
as Sergeant Harris
Armchair Theatre
1956 · TV Show
as Dave
Dixon of Dock Green
1955 · TV Show
as Charlie Mills
