John Bluthal made familiar comic types worth returning to. His gift for distinct voices suited ensemble comedy, though The Vicar of Dibley could rely too heavily on our fondness for its villagers.
Fi1m perspective
Frank Pickle, the pedantic parish secretary in The Vicar of Dibley (1994), is a familiar comic type given a particular way of speaking. John Bluthal makes that distinction matter: we recognise the sort of man, but return to hear this one. We laughed at Frank's pedantry because Bluthal's speaking rhythm kept the character funny even when the joke was familiar. It is modest work in the useful sense, serving a comedy that needs its villagers to remain welcome company.
That late-career part can obscure the earlier television lead: Manny Cohen in Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width (1967). His extensive work with Spike Milligan made use of accents, imitations and multiple voices, a broader set of comic tools than Frank alone might suggest. He also made four films with the director Richard Lester. Those vocal skills help explain why ensemble comedy suited him: when several performers need to be funny, giving each character a distinct voice matters.
The Vicar of Dibley also makes the limits clear. Dawn French supplies much of the warmth, while Emma Chambers gives the jokes room rather than rushing to complete them. Bluthal's individual rhythm helps distinguish Frank within that company, and we like the programme's willingness to let a recognisable eccentric stay recognisable. The writing can lean too heavily on our familiarity with the villagers, however, and another appearance by someone we like is not always enough for another joke. We still recommend it, but the cast should not have to do quite so much of the work.
In Jonathan Creek (1997), he plays Jack Holiday; in Alex Proyas's Dark City (1998), Karl Harris. We recommend both for different reasons, the former for its clever puzzles and prickly original partnership, the latter for its invented city and unease. For Bluthal, start with Frank; a taste for gentle village comedy will help.
Biography
John Bluthal was a Polish-born actor and comedian who worked in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Born Isaac Bluthal on 12 August 1929 in Jezierzany, Galicia (now in Ukraine), he emigrated with his family to Melbourne, Australia, in 1938. He trained in speech and drama at the University of Melbourne and began his career in Melbourne's Yiddish Theatre before moving to Britain in the early 1960s.
Bluthal was best known for his long association with Spike Milligan and for playing Frank Pickle in the BBC sitcom The Vicar of Dibley (1994–2013). His film credits include A Hard Day's Night (1964), Help! (1965), two Pink Panther films, The Fifth Element (1997) as Professor Pacoli, Dark City (1998) as Karl Harris and Hail, Caesar! (2016) as Professor Marcuse. He returned to Australia in later life and died in Sydney on 15 November 2018.
