Johnny Lockwood

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Johnny Lockwood

Born December 7, 1920 (1920-12-07) (age 87)
United Kingdom

Johnny Lockwood (born 7 December 1920 in London, UK) is an Australian-based actor and comedy performer, possibly best known for his role in the 1970s television soap opera Number 96, playing Aldo Godolfus.

Lockwood had always wanted to perform on stage. Was orphaned at age 11 and at 14 applied to a job as a dancer in a touring show. He continued to develop his talents and by 18 was given a contract by Jack Hylton as a comedian [1].

World War II intervened and Lockwood joined the RAF in 1942 and was discharged in 1944. Lockwood returned to performing, working in vaudeville, pantomime, radio and television. In 1949 performed in the Royal Command Performance at the London Coliseum. During the performance he tripped and fell, suffering a blood nose. His quip to the audience "Well, they told me you wanted blood tonight" was widely reported by the press [2].

Lockwood came to Australia in 1957 for a ten-week run with the Tivoli Theatre circuit, however after that job finished he remained in Australia for five years. Returned to the UK to play Fagin in Lionel Bart's Oliver! at the New Theatre but once that run finished Lockwood followed his yearnings and returned permanently to Australia [3].

Lockwood spent a year with television series Sunnyside Up, went to the U.S. to perform in Las Vegas, returned to Australia for a two-year run with classic comedy series The Mavis Bramston Show, and then played the lead role in Canterbury Tales [4]. The role in Number 96 followed in 1972. Lockwood was an original cast member of the series and his character - bumbling Jewish delicatessen proprietor Aldo Godolfus - was one of the show's most well-known and recognised figures. The character was killed off in a dramatic revamp of the series - the infamous bomb blast storyline - in September 1975.

Johnny Lockwood's daughter Joanna Lockwood is an actor who appeared briefly in Number 96 in 1977 and followed this with a long running role in police drama Cop Shop. Anne Lockwood, Johnny Lockwood's wife since 1947, died in Sydney under mysterious circumstances in 1976. While home alone she fell from the balcony of their high-rise apartment. Lockwood married again in 1980.

During the 1980s and 1990s he made guest appearances in Australian drama series and soap operas such as Neighbours and E Street, and in feature films. Into the 2000s Lockwood continues to make television and film appearances including roles in Moulin Rouge! and miniseries The Potato Factory.

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[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Atterton, Margot. (Ed.) The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Australian Showbiz, Sunshine Books, 1984. ISBN 0-86777-057-0 p 137
  2. ^ Atterton, Margot. (Ed.) The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Australian Showbiz, Sunshine Books, 1984. ISBN 0-86777-057-0 p 137
  3. ^ Atterton, Margot. (Ed.) The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Australian Showbiz, Sunshine Books, 1984. ISBN 0-86777-057-0 p 137
  4. ^ Atterton, Margot. (Ed.) The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Australian Showbiz, Sunshine Books, 1984. ISBN 0-86777-057-0 p 137