Kalman Glass

Kalman Glass who has died aged 83.was an actor known to thousands of pantomime fans in Glasgow, Edinburgh and throughout the UK.

Glass was born into an observant Jewish family in the Gorbals, the youngest by far of four children: his siblings were all girls and the consequence was, he said, “being raised by four mothers”.

He said his interest in theatre manifested itself when he was 10 but was frowned on particularly by his sternly religious father. However, he became involved in the drama groups of the thriving Jewish youth movements of the time and the name Sam Glass appears in many productions as both producer and performer.

What he called himself depended on when or in what context you knew him. In his early years he was known as Sam but on moving towards a professional career he decided his first name, Kalman, was more suitable for the stage. To family, however, he was always Camsh, a named coined early on by his sister, Bertha, and which fitted him perfectly.

On leaving school he began work in an accountant’s office but hated it and his period of National Service in the RAF probably came as something of a relief. He appeared in many RAF productions at RAF Station Acklington and a poster for “Hullo Everybody – A Variety” from about 1948 presented Sam Glass as top of the bill.

On demob he returned to Glasgow to work in a furniture store but his leisure time was spent in amateur theatre and particularly with the Glasgow Jewish Institute Players where he came under the wing of the inspirational Avrom Greenbaum.

He appeared frequently in Institute presentations of drama, comedy and review and on his success in the lead role as Mr Banks in Father of the Bride in 1957 he made the decision to become a professional actor. In March 1957 he was engaged for a season by the Dundee Repertory Theatre: this was followed by a season at Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre.

On moving to London at the beginning of the 1960s, he found work in repertory, then provincial theatres and the West End, appearing with Joan Sims, Irene Handl, Hy Hazell and countless others.

Throughout his career, Glass was cast in pantomimes produced by the Howard & Wyndham empire all over the UK. From the Mayor in Goody Two Shoes, with Alec Finlay, to the Fortune Teller in Aladdin and the Baroness in the glittering production of Cinderella in 1966 with Stanley Baxter, Ronnie Corbett and Lonnie Donegan where he was reviewed as being “magnificently motherly and imperious” – a role which he reprised in 1973 in the production starring Jimmy Logan – Glass impressed with his physical presence and his comedic approach.

He appeared often in Wedding Fever, making the part of Hirium P Hingleheifer his own in different productions starring Jimmy Logan, Freddie Frinton and Sid James in the title role.

Roles in major productions followed and in the late 70s he was cast in My Fair Lady which starred Dame Anna Neagle and Tony Brittan, touring extensively in Britain and Canada. Following this success, he appeared at the London Palladium and on tour in Tommy Steele’s stage version of Singin’ in the Rain.

He also appeared on television on numerous occasions, in Wedding Fever, This Man Craig, Dr Finlay’s Casebook and many others, and in an early advert for Irn-Bru where he was seen pouring the soft drink into a decanter and pronouncing it “Your other national drink”.

He appeared in a number of films including The Devils by Ken Russell and as the voice of a smurf in their first movie.

Although having appeared on almost every stage in Britain, Glass’s convivial and gregarious personality enabled him to find friends wherever he was and his favourite pastime was to entertain at tea parties, dinner parties, coffee mornings, wherever friends would gather. He was a fund of anecdotes and they could trip over each other to the extent that listeners would remind him to stop interrupting himself.

In the last few years his health and mobility declined and he became virtually housebound.

Friends, particularly Rick Miller, remained close, and provided assistance and support and a target for his wit. Glass was very close to his family, visiting Glasgow often before he became ill, and being a welcoming host in London. He was the last in his generation and is survived by three of his four nephews and their families.