The second in a series called Ray Of Sunshine, dedicated to the comedy characters who contributed to the great British sitcom. The characters are listed in no particular order, just as I think of them.......but they all brightened our lives.
Ray Of Sunshine # 2 ARTHUR RUDGE
Through marriage to Olive Butler, Arthur Rudge made up a quarter of one of the funniest families to ever hit our television screens. In the late 60's and early 70's , On The Buses was a mighty popular sitcom. Whilst bus driver Stan Butler and his workmates at the depot were the central figures, Arthur also provided us with great comedy moments, not least with his relentless verbal destruction of Olive, who was a frumpy and luckless wife. Essentially, Arthur was a lazy 'hanger-on'. Though there was an indication that at some time he had held a job with British Rail, he is more often than not at home with his nose in the newspaper, leaving hard working Stan as the family breadwinner. Arthur is also not slow to push Olive forward for paid employment, as in the On The Buses movie when she is appointed as cook at the Luxton & District Traction Company canteen (she can't cook and soon blows up the kitchen). Strangely, Mum (Mrs Butler), rarely seems to notice Arthur's shortcomings, nor intervenes when Stan joins in with Arthur in dis-respecting poor old Olive. Two of Arthur's favourite lines were 'You stupid great lump' and 'You clumsy great nit'.She is often reduced to one solitary response : 'Don't be so rude'.
Not only was Arthur workshy, he was also a sponger. At one stage he rides a motor bike - providing some marvellous sketches with his rather large wife travelling in the side-car beside him. Spare parts were largely from the bus garage courtesy of Stan's wheeling and dealing. When the family meet hard times the machine has to go. Thereafter Arthur can be seen on many occasions riding for free on the bus (which even goes off route to pick the family up) ! Any money he had was from Olive's wage packets which he took from her on pay day. It did not see the light of day again. Stan had a general dis-like for his brother in law, he often has a dig about Arthur's unindustrious ways. They have huge differences in opinion, with Arthur often saying to Stan 'what a load of rot you do talk'. I have a lasting memory of meal times............it takes Arthur all his energy to fold up his newspaper and lift his knife and fork !
I do not want to give any impression that Arthur was anything less than lovable. One of the tricks of On The Buses was that it contained no real nastiness. Viewers watched the taunts shown to Olive, without any question as to how it made her feel. She often showed some hurt but it quickly disappeared. The funniest thing about Arthur, and the thing, I suspect, that made him such a well loved character, was his sneery tic when confronted with something he did not like. He kind of sniffed and twitched all in one movement. It also opened the door for Stan to have a go at him, and even occasionally Olive. Reference was often made to his 'operation', which made him particularly uncomfortable. I am not entirely sure we ever get to know exactly what his medical problem is, but the implication points towards it causing problems in the bedroom ! Olive can be seen on many occasions making a risque reference about their habits in that department. Arthur simply twitches in response.
Miraculously, they do eventually produce a child, providing Stan with a great seam of jokes during Olive's pregnancy. It is Stan's fault she got pregnant in the first place according to Arthur. It happened 'that night you blew up the telly' (Stan had wired it up wrong). After a visit to the clinic, Olive warns Arthur that the doctor has said he will have to give up some of his Saturday night pleasures for a while. He responds by saying he isn't going to miss the football.
In the final series, Arthur does not appear. He is written out on the premise that he has finally had enough of Olive and that divorce will follow. And there ended a great British comedy character.
Arthur Rudge was played by actor Michael Robbins, who also featured in minor roles in episodes of One Foot In The Grave, The New Statesman, and You Rang M'Lord ? The character was created by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney. Michael Robbins died in 1992 aged 62.
Ray Of Sunshine #3 will be Major Gowen.
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