John Bluthal

John Bluthal (born Isaac Bluthal on 12 August 1929) was a Polish‑born Australian actor and comedian whose career spanned more than six decades. He was born into a Jewish family in Jezierzany, Galicia, Poland, a region that is now part of Ukraine, and fled anti‑Semitic persecution with his parents in 1938, arriving in Melbourne at the age of nine. He attended Princes Hill Central School and University High School before enrolling at the University of Melbourne, where he studied drama and performed in the city’s Yiddish theatre scene. His first professional work appeared in local radio dramas and television productions such as Shell Presents and Three’s A Crowd, and he even created and starred in the variety revue Gaslight Music Hall. In 1949 he travelled to Europe, gaining experience in pantomime and repertory theatre, before returning to Australia where he continued to hone his comedic timing and character work. These formative years laid the groundwork for a move to the United Kingdom in 1960, where he would become a familiar face on British television. In Britain, Bluthal quickly became a staple of comedy, most famously playing Manny Cohen, a fast‑talking Jewish tailor, in the beloved series Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width (1967‑1971). His partnership with the legendary Spike Milligan produced memorable radio and TV sketches, including voices for The Milligan Show and the cult classic Q. He also lent his vocal talents to the Supermarionation series Fireball XL5 and appeared in iconic films such as A Hard Day’s Night, Help!, three Carry On titles, and the Coen brothers’ Hail, Caesar! (2016) as Professor Herbert Marcuse. Later television roles included the pedantic minutes‑taker Frank Pickle in The Vicar of Dibley and a caretaker in Spirited, demonstrating his ability to adapt to both slapstick and subtle comedy. Bluthal continued acting into his eighties, making a final appearance in his daughter Lisa’s short film By Any Other Name (2018). He died on 15 November 2018 in Sydney, leaving behind a legacy of linguistic dexterity, cultural crossover, and a uniquely warm presence on screen.