Michael Robbins
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Nov 14, 1930
- Died
- Dec 11, 1992 (aged 62)
- Place of birth
- London, England, UK
- Credits
- 101
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?
Known for
Doctor Who
1963TV
Richard Mace
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
1976Movie
Jarvis
Victor/Victoria
1982Movie
Manager of Victoria's Hotel
The Great Muppet Caper
1981Movie
Henderson
The Avengers
1961TV
Henry Farrow, Cavell
The Saint
1962TV
Harry, Smith
Filmography
The Ties That Bind Us
2008Movie
Richard Mace (archive footage)
Adam Bede
1992Movie
Thias Bede
One Foot in the Grave: The Man In The Long Black Coat
1991Movie
Mr Killick
You Rang, M'Lord?
1990TV
Twelvetrees Senior
One Foot in the Grave
1990TV
Just Ask for Diamond
1988Movie
The Fat Man
The New Statesman
1987TV
Mad Eddie
Lost In London
1985Movie
Bill
In Sickness and in Health
1985TV
Rail Worker
Dempsey and Makepeace
1985TV
Simmons
Fairly Secret Army
1984TV
Sergeant Major Throttle
The Bill
1984TV
Fresh Fields
1984TV
Mr. Pringle
The Merry Wives of Windsor
1982Movie
Nym
Victor/Victoria
1982Movie
Manager of Victoria's Hotel
The Bounder
1982TV
Bert
Doctor Who: The Visitation
1982Movie
Richard Mace
Legacy of Murder
1982TV
Marley
Brendon Chase
1982TV
Sergeant Bunting
The Great Muppet Caper
1981Movie
Henderson
The Chinese Detective
1981TV
Murder Rap
1980Movie
Det. Sgt. Praed
Minder
1979TV
McQueen
The Cannon & Ball Show
1979TV
Police Seargent
The Saint and the Brave Goose
1979Movie
Beeky
Dick Turpin
1979TV
Sgt. Bullock
Return of the Saint
1978TV
Beeky
Leave it to Charlie
1978TV
Mr. Sowerbutts
Mixed Blessings
1978TV
Fred Fachetti
Murder Most English: A Flaxborough Chronicle
1977TV
Pumphrey
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
1976Movie
Jarvis
George and Mildred
1976TV
Operation Patch
1976TV
George Cosserat
Rumpole of the Bailey
1975TV
Cyril Timson
The Good Life
1975TV
Mr. Bulstrode
The Sweeney
1975TV
Kevin Lee
Man About the House
1974Movie
Doorman
Moody and Pegg
1974TV
Len
Thick as Thieves
1974TV
Soap Opera in Stockwell
1973Movie
Bert
Black and Blue
1973TV
Bert
No Sex Please - We're British
1973Movie
Car Driver
Centre Play
1973TV
Swaffer
Holiday on the Buses
1973Movie
Arthur Rudge
That's Your Funeral
1972Movie
2nd Funeral Director
Mutiny on the Buses
1972Movie
Arthur Rudge
Blinker's Spy-Spotter
1972Movie
Policeman
Justice
1971TV
Eddie
On the Buses
1971Movie
Arthur Rudge
Villain
1971Movie
Barzun
Zeppelin
1971Movie
Cockney Sergeant
All the Way Up
1970Movie
Taxi Driver
The Hunting of Lionel Crane
1970Movie
Sergeant Billings
The Looking Glass War
1970Movie
Truck Driver
Crossplot
1969Movie
Garage Attendant
Department S
1969TV
Burton
The Main Chance
1969TV
Gerry Baxter
Judge Dee
1969TV
On the Buses
1969TV
Arthur Rudge
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969TV
Michael Vint
Till Death Us Do Part
1969Movie
Fred
Horizontal Hold
1968Movie
TV Repairman
The Drummer and the Bloke
1968Movie
Jack
Up the Junction
1968Movie
Figgins
The Whisperers
1967Movie
Mr Noonan
Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width
1967TV
Callan
1967TV
You Can't Win
1966TV
Dead Man's Chest
1965Movie
Sergeant Harris
Thirty-Minute Theatre
1965TV
Harris
The Wednesday Thriller
1965TV
Clerk of the Court
The Man in Room 17
1965TV
C.P.O. Bradshaw
Londoners
1965TV
Shaw
Gideon's Way
1965TV
Smith
Rattle of a Simple Man
1964Movie
George (organiser)
Redcap
1964TV
Private Pendlebury
The Count of Monte Cristo
1964TV
Caderousse
The Bone Yard
1964Movie
Sergeant Strickland
The Wednesday Play
1964TV
Sergeant Strickland, Albert Barking, Jack, Henry Whittaker, Sergeant Billings
Act of Murder
1964Movie
Van Driver
The Four Seasons of Rosie Carr
1964TV
Dave
Sherlock Holmes
1964TV
Theatre 625
1964TV
Tom
Story Parade
1964TV
Edward Cowley
The Bargee
1964Movie
Bargee
Children of the Damned
1964Movie
(uncredited)
Doctor Who
1963TV
Richard Mace
What a Crazy World
1963Movie
Percy
Crane
1963TV
Jennings
A Prize of Arms
1962Movie
Orford
The Saint
1962TV
Harry, Smith
You in Your Small Corner
1962Movie
Georgie
Studio 4
1962TV
Humphrey Place
Z-Cars
1962TV
Lunch Hour
1962Movie
Harris
Danger! Men Working
1961Movie
Second Labourer
The Avengers
1961TV
Henry Farrow, Cavell
No Hiding Place
1959TV
Edgar Wallace Mysteries
1959TV
Sergeant Harris
Armchair Theatre
1956TV
Dave
Dixon of Dock Green
1955TV
Charlie Mills