Achieving a number 1 position on the UK Singles Chart in 1971, the song Grandad cemented Clive Dunn as a household name beyond his television work. Born in 1920 in Brixton, he carved a career out of portraying elderly characters despite being one of the youngest performers on the set of the BBC sitcom Dad's Army.
Early Training and Wartime Service
Dunn attended Sevenoaks School before enrolling at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. His early acting career, which began in 1935 with minor film roles such as Boys Will Be Boys, was interrupted by the Second World War. Joining the British Army in 1940 as a trooper in the 4th Queen's Own Hussars, he fought in the Greek Campaign. In April 1941, he was taken prisoner after the rearguard action at the Corinth Canal and held in Austria for four years until his eventual demobilisation in 1947.
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Resuming his career in repertory theatre, he appeared in the 1951 film Surprise Attack. Through the 1950s and 1960s, he built a reputation for character acting, appearing in The Tony Hancock Show and the spin-off series Bootsie and Snudge. His performance as the elderly Lance Corporal Jones in Dad's Army between 1968 and 1977 utilised his youth to execute physical comedy scenes. Following the conclusion of the series, he took the lead role of Charlie Quick in the children's programme Grandad from 1979 to 1984.
Later Life and Recognition
Dunn was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1975. In addition to his screen work, he performed as Frosch in the 1979 English National Opera production of Die Fledermaus. In his later years, he retired to the Algarve in Portugal, where he focused on painting landscapes and portraits. He remained active in the public eye occasionally, such as recording a message for a 2008 programme celebrating the fortieth anniversary of Dad's Army. He died in 2012 in Faro.
Fast facts
- Born: 1920, Brixton
- Died: 2012, Faro
- Military service: Trooper, 4th Queen's Own Hussars
- Education: Sevenoaks School and Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts
- Major TV roles: Lance Corporal Jones, Charlie Quick
- Chart success: Number 1 single Grandad, 1971
- Award: Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Questions readers ask
What military unit did Clive Dunn serve in?
He served as a trooper in the 4th Queen's Own Hussars during the Second World War.
Did Clive Dunn play a real elderly man in Dad's Army?
No, he was 48 when cast as the elderly Jones and used makeup to look significantly older.
Achievements
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire
- Worked as singer, writer and film actor
