Richard Hearne or Mr Pastry

Actor-acrobat-dancer Richard Hearne as the madcap, bowler-hatted creation Mr. Pastry.

Richard Hearne was resident clown at the BBC for thirty years. He was born in Norwich in 1908 into a theatrical family. His father was an acrobat and his mother a dramatic actress.

The slapstick antics of Mr. Pastry brought Hearne rich financial rewards. In one week on American television he appeared before an estimated 120 million viewers and received a £2,500 fee. On a previous trip, his earnings were calculated at £125 a minute.

• Category

  People & Blogs

[Lesley Phillips]

OHHH......MR PASTRY! I'M SHOWING ME AGE...........AND I REMEMBER SATURDAY MORNING ODEON CINEMA CLUB - AND THE "PERILS OF PAULINE" WE ALL CAME OUT AND PLAYED 'COWBOYS AND WINDY-BUMS' (APOLOGIES NATIVE AMERICANS, WE WERE JUST IGNORANT BRITISH KIDS!) AFTER SEEING LOTS OF 'B' WESTERNS......AH MEMORIES! REVIVE SOME MORE, READ "ATHUR AND NORVELLE: THE FORGOTTEN AND REAL LEGEND OF LAUREL AND HARDY", JUST OUT, EXCLUSIVE TO AMAZON - AND MAKE MORE GOOD MEMORIES FOR YOUR KIDS!

[niphophila]

Who is it we hear saying "Mr Pastry was very big, it was an event when he was on the show"? It's a very distinctive and familiar voice.

[bella donna]

Lovely ,funny,man,It's impossible not to love him.

[14cpfc]

Ha funny. I've played his sousaphone :)

[Bob Lamoreaux]

Did Richard Hearne do the "Oxford Passing Out Ceremony" on the Ed Sullivan Show? Is there a clip of this anywhere on the 'Net? GREAT comedian and acrobatic "dancer"!

[Karen Smith]

I used to think this guy looked so nice and cuddly. Just like a Grandad.

[WELLBRAN]

This is actually brillliant acting..being useless is hard to act out and it was all odne in one take and live

[Joan Rayner]

The Good old Days love it

[daveking1st]

you cant beat the old comics,they couldn't do that today.

[Joshuamarcuscook]

mr pasrty is my great great great garndad on my mums side lol :)